216 The Littkcote Legend. (No. 4.) 



sentimental and saintly mask that had hitherto hidden the forbid- 

 ding features of Mary of Scotland ? "Was it " too late " to look into 

 the pathetic story of Amy Robsart, and to prove that Leicester 

 had no hand in the ingenious staircase contrivance ? Is it, 

 in fine, ever " too late to mend " either an historical error or 

 a gossiping tradition ? Your correspondent next proceeds in the 

 rather tortuous path of insinuation. Darell, he thinks, was not 

 unlikely to have committed this child-murder because he was, as I 

 styled him, "a scape-grace and a spendthrift." I protest I do not 

 see the connection between such venial transgressions and the 

 operation of burning babies — especially when the operator was not 

 in a position to find it necessary to resort to such strong measures. 

 Again he thinks it probable, inasmuch as Darell was "charged with 

 another and earlier murder." In common candour our friend 

 should have added, "as an accomplice, but from which he was wholly 

 exculpated." Thirdly, that he carried on an intrigue with the wife 

 of Sir Walter Hungerford who " may or may not have been the 

 mother of the murdered infant," forgetting that single gentlemen 

 whom married ladies, having their husbands within hail, select as 

 their associates in crime can have no motive for such atrocities. 

 Lady Hungerford was divorced and had retired to Louvain in 1569 

 where she was living when Mother Barnes died nine years afterwards. 

 Next in order comes Mr. Brydges's letter respecting the trumped- 

 up tale of the traducers, and which led, as it appears, to the 

 conscience-stricken deposition of Mrs. Barnes, but which, we must 

 ever bear in mind, she, in no way connects with Darell and Little- 

 cote, but the reverse. How fared their forgery ? We find that 

 during the eleven succeeding years of Darell's life he continued to 

 exercise his duties at Littlecote as a Magistrate, that he was much 

 in favor, and in correspondence, and intimacy with persons high 

 in rank and in position, and that Walsingham was thus writing to 

 him in the year of his (Darell's) decease, " I do assure you the pity 

 I have of your oppression moveth me to doe what I may, &c." 

 All these letters and papers are to be foimd at the Rolls Office, 

 the Brind murder papers bundled up together with old Mother 

 Barnes's narrative, and the whole set, no doubt, originally kept 



