ENGL 
the heart of Elizabeth. He fent over an extraordinary 
ambaffador to intercede for the life of Mary. James of 
Scotland, her fon, was, as in duty obliged, (till more 
pretTing in her behalf. He difpatched lord Keith, with 
a letter to Elizabeth, conjuring her to fpare the life of 
his parent. Elizabeth treated his interceflions with the 
utmofl indignity ; and when the Scots ambaifador begged 
that the execution might be delayed for a week, the 
queen anfwered, with great emotion, “ No, not for an 
“ hour 1” 
On the 7th of February, 1587, the unfortunate Mary 
queen of Scots was brought to the block, at eight o’clock in 
the morning. In that awful conjunfture, fhe difplayed 
a fortitude and a decency which would have honoured a 
matron of Rome; and, to the moment of her death, 
united the majefly of a queen with the meeknefs of a 
martyr. The .earls of Shrewlbury and Kent carried to 
the haplefs lady the warrant for her death. Worn with 
ficknefs, confinement, and diltrefs, (he feems to have look¬ 
ed on this fummons rather as a relief, than as an addition 
to her woes. She divided her wardrobe among her fer- 
vants, and even deigned to excufe herfelf to them for not 
adding to her prefect the magnificent habit in which (he 
went to her death; “ but I nuift, (faid fhe,) appear in 
a drefs becoming fuch a folemnity.” It was not without 
many intreaties, that (he could get p.ermiffion for fix of 
her Servants to attend at her death. She was even forced 
to remind the earls that (lie was “ coufin to Elizabeth, 
defcended from Henry VII. a married queen of France, 
and an anointed fovereign of Scotland.” The unutter¬ 
able agonies of her fervants (lie tenderly reprefTed, telling 
them that (lie had undertaken for the firmnefs of their beha¬ 
viour. To her (on (he Cent a tender and conciliatory 
meffage by the weeping Melville. It was her hard lot 
to have her devotion (hamefully difturbed by the" fana- 
ticifm of the bufy dean of Peterborough. Having prayed 
for the church, for her (on, and for the profperity and 
long life of Elizabeth, the intrepid Mary uncovered her 
neck, and fmiled at her own dilatorinefs: “ She was not 
((lie cheerfully faid) accuftomed to undrefs before fo 
much company.” An involuntary burft of tears pro¬ 
claimed the feelings of thofe who Hood around ; (lie com¬ 
forted and bleffed them; then ferenely laid her head on 
the fatal block, and two ftrokes levered it from-her 
body. Her remains were not at firff treated with due 
refpedt ; but they were afterwards interred fplendidly at 
Peterborough, from whence James, her fon, in 1612, re¬ 
moved them to Weftminffer-abbey, Of the longepitaph in- 
fcribed on her tomb, one line is ffrikingly comprehenfive : 
Jure Scotos, thalamo Fraficos, fpe pojjidet Anglos. 
Scotland (lie claims, efpoufes France, and hopes for 
England’s crown. 
She fuff'ered in the forty-fifth year of hsr age, and the 
nineteenthof her captivity. Thusfell, by anillegal ((retch 
of power in England, Mary Stuart, queen of Scotland in 
her.qwn right, dowager of France, and heirefsof the crowns 
of England and Ireland; a Vidtini to the malignity of 
female jealoufy, and to the rage of puritanical bigotry. 
Having Sufficiently fpoken of the controverted parts of 
her conduct, we (hall difmifs this illuftrious female with 
a (ketch of her general character. Her perfonal accom- 
plifhments were brilliant and captivating. By beauty of 
countenance, fymmetry of form, and dignity of ftature, 
(lie was eminently difiinguifiied. The natural elegance 
of heraddrefs, improved by the polifii of Gallic education, 
heightened the attractions of her perfon ; and her en¬ 
gaging affability, vivacity, and eafe, delighted all who 
had the honour of converting with her. She polfelfed 
very refpectable talents ; and her mind was cultivated 
by. literature and erudition. In the profound knowledge 
of policy and government, (he was inferior to Elizabeth ; 
but, in generality, magnanimity, and other royal virtues, 
(lie excelled her celebrated rival. Of the crimes of mur¬ 
der and adultery, of which (he has been fo peremptorily 
VOL. VI. No. 380. 
AND. GoJ 
accufed, later writers have endeavoured to acquit her, 
not only on the ground of infufficiency of evidence, but 
on the confideration of the flagitious characters of her 
chief accufers. Into various acts of indifcretion, how¬ 
ever, (lie was certainly carried, by the warmth of her 
feelings, and the fuddennefs of her refolutions. Her at¬ 
tachment to her religion was fo (Irong as to expofe her to 
the imputation of bigotry ; and though (he made ho open 
attempts to overturn that theological fyftem which her 
fubjeCts had eftablifhed during her abfeuce on the conti¬ 
nent, her forbearance was lefs the refult of inclination 
than of the weaknefs of female authority over a bold and 
turbulent people. Being naturally frank and open 
(though (lie was not unlkilled in diflimulation), (lie was 
inclined to entertain too favourable an opinion of thofe 
who concealed their vices; and her occafional credulity, 
and unfeafonable clemency, afforded the ambitious hypo¬ 
crites of her court an opportunity of effecting her ruin. 
Her deportment had too great an appearance of levity, 
to pleafe thofe fanatics who, under the aufpices of the 
earl of Murray, and the inftruCtions of Knox, endeavour¬ 
ed to throw a gloom over the innocent cheerfulnefs of 
human life. She did hot perhaps take the mod proper 
fteps for reprefling the factious fpirit of her nobles, or the 
feditious exceffes of her clergy ; and, by deviating, in 
fome inffances, from the paths of prudence and judg¬ 
ment, (he was lefs able to avert the (form which drove 
her from her throne. Her weaknefs in trufting to the 
profellions of Elizabeth cannot be mentioned without 
cenfure; but her behaviour in that long feries of adver- 
(ity, which (lie Curtained after (he had put herfelf into the 
power of the Englifli queen, demands our admiration of 
her patience, fortitude, and conftancy. In her prifon, 
and on the fcaffold, fhe appears a greater woman than 
Elizabeth on her throne, while trembling, like a jealous 
tyrant, with mean fufpicions and degrading fears. 
As foon as her execution was notified to Elizabeth, 
another fcene of hypocrify was played off. She affefted 
the utmofl: grief and aftonilhment, and threatened her 
miniflers with her fevered difpleafure, for having put 
her dear coufin to death, not only without her knowledge 
or confent, but even in oppofition to her declared will. 
She now wrote a letter to the king of Scotland, afferting 
her innocence of his mother’s death, and profefling an in¬ 
violable attachment to his interefts. James was fo in- 
cenfed, that he refolved not only to renounce his alliance 
with Elizabeth, but to avenge, by hoffilities, the caufe 
of the murdered princefs, his mother. His nobles ap¬ 
plauded the juftnefs of his refentment, and promifed to 
aCt with vigour againft a queen who had infulted and de¬ 
graded their nation. He reftifed to admit fir Robert 
Cary, the bearer of Elizabeth’s letter, within his fron¬ 
tiers ; though he afterwards confented that the epiltle 
(liould be received, as well as a memorial written by 
Cary, in which the blame of Mary’s execution was im¬ 
puted to feCretary Davifon, whom the queen intended to 
pnnifli feverely for his prefumption. Thefe difpatches 
did not tend to allay the wrath of James, who ealily dif- 
cerned the falsehoods which they contained. He conti¬ 
nued to think of revenge ; and, as his own kingdom was 
too weak to give him hopes of fuccefs in a war with Eng¬ 
land, he looked out fora powerful ally, by whole aid 
he might punifli the injuftice. In the mean time, Davi¬ 
fon was profecuted in the Star-chamber for a mifdemeanor, 
in having produced the warrant before the privy council 
without the orders of the queen, who affirmed that (he 
had (tridtly enjoined him not to communicate it to any 
one till he had received further direftions from her. 
Though Davifon denied that (lie had given him fuch a 
charge, he was condemned by an arbitrary court to pay a 
fine of io,oool. and to fuffer imprifonment during the 
queen’s pleafure. This iniquitous fentence reduced the 
fecretary to indigence and mifery. He lingered fome years 
in confinement; during which the queen, by whofe tyranny 
he had been ruined, occafionally relieved his neceflities. 
*' 8 E And 
