ment. In thefe Babington informed her of a defign laid for a foreign invasion, the plan of an infurrection at home, the scheme for her delivery, and the confpiracy for affaffinating the ufurper by fix noble gentlemen, as he termed them, all of them his private friends, who, from the zeal which they bore the catholic caufe, and her majefty's fervice, would undertake the tragical execution. To thefe Mary replied, that the approved highly of the defign; that the gentlemen might expect all the rewards which it should be ever in her power to confer; and that the death of Elizabeth was a neceffary circumstance, previous to any further attempts, either for her delivery, or the intended infurrection.

The plot being thus ripe for execution, and the evidence against the confpirators inconteftible, Walfingham, who was privately informed of all, refolved to fufpend their punishment no longer. A warrant was accordingly iffued out for the apprehending of Babington, and the reft of the confpirators, who covered themselves with various difguifes, and endeavoured to keep themselves concealed. But they were foon discovered, thrown into prifon, and brought to trial. In their examination they contradicted each other, and the leaders were obliged to make a full confeffion of the truth. Fourteen were condemned and executed, seven of whom died acknowledging their crime.

The execution of these wretched men only prepared the way for one of still greater importance, in which a captive queen was to fubmit to the unjust decifions of those who had no right, but that of power, to condemn her.

Accordingly a commiffion was iffued to forty peers, with five judges, or the major part of them, to try and pass sentence upon Mary, daughter and heir of James the Fifth, king of Scotland, commonly called queen of Scots, and dowager of France.

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Thirty

II,

Nov. 11, 1586.

Thirty-fix of thefe commiffioners arriving at the caftle of Fotheringay, prefented her with a letter from Elizabeth, commanding her to fubmit to a trial for her late confpiracy. The principal charge against her was urged by ferjeant Gaudy, who accufed her with knowing, approving, and confenting to Babington's confpiracy. This charge was fupported by Babington's confeffion, and by the copies which were taken of their correfpondence, in which her approbation of the queen's murder was exprefsly declared.

Whatever might have been this queen's offences, it is certain that her treatment was very fevere. She defired to be put in poffeffion of fuch notes as the had taken preparative to her trial; but this was refufed her. She demanded a copy of her proteft; but her requeft was not complied with; the even required an advocate to plead her caufe against so many learned lawyers, as had undertaken to urge her accufations, but all her demands were rejected; and, after an adjournment of fome days, fentence of death was pronounced against her in the Star-chamber in Weftminster, all the commiffioners, except two, being present.

Whether Elizabeth was really fincere in her apparent reluctance to execute Mary, is a queftion which, though usually given against her, I will not take upon me to determine. Certainly there were great arts ufed by her courtiers to determine her to the fide of feverity; as they had every thing to fear from the refentment of Mary, in cafe fhe ever fucceeded to the throne. Accordingly, the kingdom was now filled with rumours of plots, treafons, and infurrections; and the queen was continually kept in alarm by fictitious dangers. She, therefore, appeared to be in great terror and perplexity; fhe was obferved to fit much alone, and to mutter to herfelf half fentences, importing the difficulty and diftrefs to which the was

reduced.

reduced. In this fituation, fhe one day called her fecretary, Davifon, whom fhe ordered to draw out fecretly the warrant for Mary's execution, informing him, that the intended to keep it by her in cafe any attempt fhould be made for the delivery of that princefs. She figned the warrant, and then commanded it to be carried to the chancellor to have the feal affixed to it. Next morning, however, the fent two gentlemen fucceffively to defire that Davifon would not go to the chancellor, until fhe fhould fee him; but Davifon telling her that the warrant had been already fealed, the feemed difpleafed at his precipitation. Davifon, who probably wifhed himself to see the fentence executed, laid the affair before the council, who unanimously resolved, that the warrant should be immediately put in execution, and promifed to juftify Davifon to the queen. Accordingly, the fa• tal inftrument was delivered to Beale, who fummoned the noblemen to whom it was directed, namely, the earls of Shrewsbury, Derby, Kent, and Cumberland, and thefe together fet out for Fotheringay caftle, accompanied by two executioners, to dispatch men Bloody coil.

Mary heard of the arrival of her executioners, who ordered her to prepare for death by eight o'clock the next morning.

Early on the fatal morning the dressed herself in a rich habit of filk and velvet, the only one which fhe had referved for this folemn occafion. Thomas Andrews, the under-fheriff of the county, then entering the room, he informed her that the hour was come, and that he must attend her to the place of execution. She replied, that he was ready; and bidding her fervants farewell, fhe proceeded, fupported by two of her guards, and followed the fheriff, with a ferene compofed afpect, with a long veil of linen on her head, and in her hand a crucifix of ivory.

I 4

She

She then paffed into another hall, the noblemen and the theriff going before, and Melvil, her mafter of the household, bearing up her train; where was a fcaffold erected and covered with black. As foon as fhe was feated, Beale began to read the warrant for her execution. Then Fletcher, dean of Peterborough, ftanding without the rails, repeated a long exhortation, which the defired him to forbear, as the was firmly refolved to die in the catholic religion. The room was crowded with fpectators, who beheld her with pity and diftrefs, while her beauty, though dimmed by age and affliction, gleamed through her fufferings, and was ftill remarkable in this fatal moment. The two executioners kneeling, and asking her pardon, fhe faid fhe forgave them, and all the authors of her death, as freely as the hoped forgivenefs from her Maker, and then once more made a folemn proteftation of her innocence. Her eyes were then covered with a linen handkerchief; and fhe laid herself down without any fear or trepidation. Then reciting a pfalm, and repeating a pious ejaculation, her head was fevered from her body at two ftrokes tions of matting, we contemplating the conten culpable; Mary, who was ftained with crimes that deferved punishment, was put to death by a princefs who had no juft pretenfions to inflict punishment on her equal.

ever both des

In the mean time Philip, king of Spain, who had long meditated the deftruction of England, and whofe extenfive power gave him grounds to hope for fuccefs, now began to put his projects into execution. The point on which he refted his glory, and the perpetual object of his schemes, was to fupport the catholic religion, and exterminate the reformation. The revolt of his fubjects in the Netherlands ftill more enflamed his refentment against the Englifh, as they had encouraged that infurrection, and

affifted

affifted the revolters. He had, therefore, for fome time been making preparations to attack England by a powerful invafion; and now every part of his vaft empire refounded with the noise of armaments, and every art was used to levy fupplies for that great defign. The marquis of Santa Croce, a fea officer of great reputation and experience, was deftined to command the fleet, which confifted of an hundred and thirty veffels, of a greater fize than any that had been hitherto feen in Europe. The duke of Parina was to conduct the land forces, twenty thousand of whom were on board the fleet, and thirty-four thoufand more were affembled in the Netherlands, ready to be transported into England; no doubt was entertained of this fleet's fuccefs, and it was oftentatiously ftyled the Invincible Armada.

Nothing could exceed the terror and confternation which all ranks of people felt in England upon news of this terrible Armada being under fail to invade them. A fleet of not above thirty fhips of war, and those very small, in comparison, was all that was to oppofe it by fea; and as for refifting by land, that was fuppofed to be impoffible, as the Spanish army was composed of men well difciplined, and long enured to danger.

Although the English fleet was much inferior in number and fize of fhipping to that of the enemy, yet it was much more manageable, the dexterity and courage of the mariners being greatly fuperior. Lord Howard of Effingham, a man of great courage and capacity, as lord Admiral, took on him the command of the navy. Drake, Hawkins, and Frobifher, the most renowned feamen in Europe, fèrved under him; while a fmall fquadron confifting of forty veffels, English and Flemish, commanded by lord Seymour, lay off Dunkirk, in order to intercept the duke of Parma. This was the preparation made by the English, while all the proteftant powers