| 1 | <html>
|
|---|
| 2 |
|
|---|
| 3 | <head>
|
|---|
| 4 | <meta name="content" content="Primary Sources: The execution of Mary, queen of Scots, 1587">
|
|---|
| 5 | <meta name="GENERATOR" content="Microsoft FrontPage 5.0">
|
|---|
| 6 | <meta name="ProgId" content="FrontPage.Editor.Document">
|
|---|
| 7 | <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=windows-1252">
|
|---|
| 8 | <meta http-equiv="Content-Language" content="en-us">
|
|---|
| 9 | <title>Primary Sources: The execution of Mary, queen of Scots, 1587</title>
|
|---|
| 10 | <style fprolloverstyle>A:hover {color: #0000FF; font-weight: bold}
|
|---|
| 11 | </style>
|
|---|
| 12 | </head>
|
|---|
| 13 |
|
|---|
| 14 | <body link="#0000FF" vlink="#0000FF" alink="#0000FF">
|
|---|
| 15 |
|
|---|
| 16 | <div align="center">
|
|---|
| 17 | <center>
|
|---|
| 18 | <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="4" width="94%">
|
|---|
| 19 | <tr>
|
|---|
| 20 | <td valign="bottom" colspan="3">
|
|---|
| 21 | <p align="center"> <br>
|
|---|
| 22 | <p align="center">
|
|---|
| 23 | <img border="0" src="scot-letters.gif" width="598" height="114"><p align="center"> </td>
|
|---|
| 24 | </tr>
|
|---|
| 25 | <tr>
|
|---|
| 26 | <td></td>
|
|---|
| 27 | <td></td>
|
|---|
| 28 | <td></td>
|
|---|
| 29 | </tr>
|
|---|
| 30 | <tr>
|
|---|
| 31 | <td valign="top" width="48%" bgcolor="#FFFFE8">
|
|---|
| 32 | <p><font size="2">
|
|---|
| 33 | <img border="0" src="scots-letters.jpg" alt="The Darnley Portrait of Queen Elizabeth I" align="left" width="165" height="240">The
|
|---|
| 34 | first letter was sent to Mary, queen of Scots at the opening of her trial
|
|---|
| 35 | at Fotheringhay on 12 October 1586. It was written in French.</font><p><font size=-1>
|
|---|
| 36 | Four days after Mary's execution, Elizabeth sent the second letter to Mary's
|
|---|
| 37 | son, King James VI of Scotland. In it, she asserts her innocence in his
|
|---|
| 38 | mother's death.</font><p><font size=-1>Although she signed the warrant for Mary's execution,
|
|---|
| 39 | Elizabeth tore it up. Another copy was signed, and - before the queen
|
|---|
| 40 | could change her mind yet again - Burghley and others upon the council
|
|---|
| 41 | sent if off. Elizabeth's life was in constant danger while Mary lived,
|
|---|
| 42 | as numerous plots attested. Her councilors were determined to keep her
|
|---|
| 43 | safe. As for Elizabeth, she was understandably torn between protecting
|
|---|
| 44 | her throne and taking the life of a fellow sovereign, even one she did
|
|---|
| 45 | not respect or like.</font><p><font size=-1>The second warrant was sent from London on 4th February,
|
|---|
| 46 | and reached Fotheringhay on the following evening. On the 7th the Earls of
|
|---|
| 47 | Shrewsbury and Kent, who were in charge of the execution, warned Mary to prepare
|
|---|
| 48 | for death on the following day. On the 9th news of the execution reached
|
|---|
| 49 | London, and was received by the Queen with surprise and horror. She openly
|
|---|
| 50 | raged against her councilors; her capable secretary Davison, who had given her
|
|---|
| 51 | the second warrant, was sent to the Tower.</font></td>
|
|---|
| 52 | <td width="4%"></td>
|
|---|
| 53 | <td valign="top" width="48%">
|
|---|
| 54 |
|
|---|
| 55 |
|
|---|
| 56 |
|
|---|
| 57 | <p align="center"><i><b>To Mary, queen of Scots, October 1586</b><br></i>
|
|---|
| 58 | <p align="left">You have in various ways and manners attempted to take my life
|
|---|
| 59 | and to bring my kingdom to destruction by bloodshed. I have never proceeded
|
|---|
| 60 | so harshly against you, but have, on the contrary, protected and maintained
|
|---|
| 61 | you like myself. These treasons will be proved to you and all made manifest.
|
|---|
| 62 | Yet it is my will, that you answer the nobles and peers of the kingdom
|
|---|
| 63 | as if I were myself present. I therefore require, charge, and command that
|
|---|
| 64 | you make answer for I have been well informed of your arrogance.
|
|---|
| 65 | <br>Act plainly without reserve, and you will sooner
|
|---|
| 66 | be able to obtain favour of me.<p>Elizabeth</p>
|
|---|
| 67 | <hr>
|
|---|
| 68 | <p align="center"><i><b>To King James VI of Scotland, 14th February 1587</b></i><br> </p>
|
|---|
| 69 | <p align="left">My dear Brother, I would you knew (though not felt) the extreme
|
|---|
| 70 | dolor that overwhelms my mind, for that miserable accident which (far contrary
|
|---|
| 71 | to my meaning) hath befallen. I have now sent this kinsman of mine, whom
|
|---|
| 72 | ere now it hath pleased you to favour, to instruct you truly of that which
|
|---|
| 73 | is too irksome for my pen to tell you. I beseech you that as God and many
|
|---|
| 74 | more know, how innocent I am in this case : so you will believe me, that
|
|---|
| 75 | if I had bid aught I would have bid by it. I am not so base minded that
|
|---|
| 76 | fear of any living creature or Prince should make me so afraid to do that
|
|---|
| 77 | were just; or done, to deny the same. I am not of so base a lineage, nor
|
|---|
| 78 | carry so vile a mind. But, as not to disguise, fits not a King, so will
|
|---|
| 79 | I never dissemble my actions, but cause them show even as I meant them.
|
|---|
| 80 | Thus assuring yourself of me, that as I know this was deserved, yet if
|
|---|
| 81 | I had meant it I would never lay it on others' shoulders; no more will
|
|---|
| 82 | I not damnify myself that thought it not.
|
|---|
| 83 | <br>The circumstance it may please you to have of this bearer. And for
|
|---|
| 84 | your part, think you have not in the world a more loving kinswoman, nor
|
|---|
| 85 | a more dear friend than myself; nor any that will watch more carefully
|
|---|
| 86 | to preserve you and your estate. And who shall otherwise persuade you,
|
|---|
| 87 | judge them more partial to others than you. And thus in haste I leave to
|
|---|
| 88 | trouble you: beseeching God to send you a long reign.</p>
|
|---|
| 89 | <p>Your most assured loving sister and cousin,
|
|---|
| 90 | <br>Elizabeth R.</p>
|
|---|
| 91 |
|
|---|
| 92 | <p align="center"> <p align="center">
|
|---|
| 93 | <a href="monarchs/eliz.html"><font size="2">to
|
|---|
| 94 | the Queen Elizabeth I website</font></a><p align="center"><nt><font size="2">
|
|---|
| 95 | <a href="relative/maryqos.html">to the Mary,
|
|---|
| 96 | queen of Scots website</a></font><p align="center"><a href="primary.html">
|
|---|
| 97 | <font size="2">to Primary Sources</font></a></td>
|
|---|
| 98 | </tr>
|
|---|
| 99 | </table>
|
|---|
| 100 | </center>
|
|---|
| 101 | </div>
|
|---|
| 102 |
|
|---|
| 103 | </body>
|
|---|
| 104 |
|
|---|
| 105 | </html><!-- text below generated by server. PLEASE REMOVE --><!-- Counter/Statistics data collection code --><script language="JavaScript" src="http://hostingprod.com/js_source/geov2.js"></script><script language="javascript">geovisit();</script><noscript><img src="http://visit.webhosting.yahoo.com/visit.gif?us1108082607" alt="setstats" border="0" width="1" height="1"></noscript>
|
|---|
| 106 | <IMG SRC="http://geo.yahoo.com/serv?s=76001524&t=1108082607" ALT=1 WIDTH=1 HEIGHT=1>
|
|---|
