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could not have wifhed it. But the cafe standing fo in the opinion of all men, that either her majefty or fhe muft die; I must confefs freely, that I preferr'd the death of the guilty before the innocent.

After this, the commanded me to carry it to the feal; and to give my lord chancellor orders from her, to use it as fecretly as might be; and by the way to fhew it to Mr. fecretary Walfingham, becaufe fhe thought the grief thereof would kill him outright, for fo it pleafed her majefty to fay of him. This done, The called for the rest of the warrants and other things I had to fign; and difpatched them all, with the beft difpofition and willingness that might be; in the mean time repeating unto me fome reafons, why fhe had fo long deferred the matter, as namely for her honour's fake, that the world might fee fhe had not been violently or malicioufly drawn into it. She concluded, She was never fo ill advis'd, as not to fee and apprehend her own danger, and the neceffity that he had to proceed to this execution. And thereupon, after fome other intermingled fpeech here and there, fhe told me, That he would have it done as fecretly as may be; and, mifliking that it should be executed in the open court or green of the castle, exprefsly willed that it fhould be done in the hall: which I take to be certain arguments, both of her meaning it should be done, and in the form prescribed in the warrant.

But, after I had gathered up my papers, and was ready to depart, fhe fell into fome complaint of fir Amias

*The letter is thus entitled, " a copy of a letter from fir F. Walfingham and fecretary Davifon to fir Amias Poulet," and

runs thus.

"After our hearty commendations, we find by fpeech lately uttered by her majefty, that the doth note in you both a lack of that care and zeal for her fervice, that The looketh for at your hands; in that you

Poulet and others, that might have eas'd her of this burthen; wifhing me yet to deal with Mr. Secretary, and that we would jointly write unto fir Amias and fir Drue Drury, to found their difpofitions; aiming ftill. at this, that it might be fo done, as the blame might be removed from herfelf. And tho' I had always before refufed to meddle therein, upon fundry her majesty's former motions, as a thing I utterly condemned; yet was I content, as I told her, for her fatisfying, to let fir Amias underftand, what he expected at his hands: albeit I did before afsure myself, it should be fo much labour loft, knowing the wifdom and integrity of the gentlemen, who, I thought would not do an unlawful act for any refpect in the world. But finding her majefty defirous to have him founded in this behalf, I departed from her majefty, with promife to fignify fo much unto Mr. Secretary, and that we would both acquaint fir Amias with this her pleafure. And here repeating unto me again, that fhe would have the matter closely handled, because of her danger; I promis'd to ufe it as fecretly as I could, and so for that time departed.

That afternoon 1 repaired to my lord chancellor, where I procur'd the warrant to be feal'd; having in my way vifited Mr. Secretary, and agreed with him about the form of the letter, that should be written for her majefty's fatisfying to fir Amias Poulet and Mr. Drury, which at my return from my lord chancellor was dispatched *. The next morning I received a letter from Cran

mer, have not in all this time (of yourselves without other provocation) found out fome way to fhorten the [life of +] that queen; confidering the great peril the is hourly fubject to, fo long as the faid queen fhall

+ I have fupplied the words in hooks. The prin ed copy is without them. Ande as the editor fays, "'tis thus in the MS.”— WHITAKER,

1

her, my fervant, whom I left at court, fignifying unto me her majefty's pleafare, that I fhould forbear to go to my lord chancellor till I had fpoken with her; and, within an hour after, came William Killigrew with the like meffage from her; whom I return'd with this anfwer, that I would be at the court as foon as himself, and give her majesty an account of what I had done. At my coming to her, The afked me, Whether I had been with my lord chancellor? I told her, Yes. She demanded, what needed that hafte? I answer'd, That I had done no more than the commanded, and thought it no matter to be dally'd withal. But, faith the, methinks the beft and safeft way for me, is to have it otherways handled; particularizing a form, that, as the pretended, liked her better; naming unto me fome that were of that opinion, whofe judg

kve. Wherein, befides a kind of lack of love towards her, fhe noteth greatly, that you have not that care of your own particular fafeties, or rather of the preservation of religion, and the publick good and profperity of your country, that reafon and policy commandeth; especially, having fo good a warrant and ground, for the fatisfaction of your confciences towards God, and the difcharge of your credit and reputation towards the world, as the oath of the affociation, which you both have fo folemnly taken and vowed; efpecially, the matter, wherewith the ftandeth charged, being clearly and manifeftly proved against her. And therefore the taketh it most unkindly, that men, profeffing that love towards her that you do, fhould in a kind of fort, for lack of the difcharge of your duty, caft the burthen upon her; knowing, as you do, her indifpofition to fhed blood, efpecially of one of that fex and quality, and fo near to her in blood as the faid queen is. These refpects, we find, do greatly trouble her majefty, who, we affure you, hath fundry times protefted, that, if the regard of the danger of her good fubjects and faithful fervants did not more move her than her own peril, the would never be drawn to affent to the fhedding of her blood. We thought it very meet to acquaint you with

I an

ment fhe recommended. fwer'd, that I took the honourable and just way to be the best and safest way, if the meant to have it done at all. Whereto her majesty, replying nothing for that time, left me, and went to dinner *.

Within a day or two after, her majesty, being in the privy chamber, call'd me unto her; and fmiling told me, how she had been troubled that night with me, upon a dream fhe had that the Scots queen was executed; pretending to have been fo troubled with the news, as, if the had had a fword, fhe could have run me through. But this being delivered in a pleasant and smiling manner, I answered her majesty, that it was good for me I was not near her, fo long as that humour lafted. But, taking hold of her fpeech, I afk'd her majesty in great earnest, what it meant, and whether, having proceeded thus far,

fhe

thefe fpeeches, lately paffed from her majefty; referring the fame to your good judgment. And fo we commit you to the protection of the Almighty

"Your most allured friends,
Fra. Walfingham.
V William Davifon."

"At London, 1 Febry.
1586."

"To the right honourable

fir Amias Poulet, Kt. one of her majesty's most honourable privy council."

This letter, which ought to be preserved, as an eternal monument of the infidious favagenefs of the writer, Walfingham, and of the fuggefter, Elizabeth, was "found amongft fir Amias Poulet's writings," thus indorfed by fir Amias, "this letter was received at Fotheringay the 2d of February at in the afternoon."

* How a man, who could talk in this ftrain of probity to Elizabeth, should ever have become one of her secretaries of ftate; muft excite furprize in us. Camden's account is very remarkable." Thus was Davifon," he fays a few weeks beyond this period," a man of good ingenuity, but not well skilled in court-arts, brought upon the court-ftage of purpose (as most men thought) to act for a time this part in the

Y y 2

tragedy;

fhe had not a meaning to go for-
ward with the execution? Her an-
swer, confirmed with a folemn oath,
in fome vehemency was Yes: but
The thought it might receive a bet-
ter form; becaufe, faith fhe, this
cafteth the whole burthen upon my
felf. Whereunto I replied, that the
form prescribed by her warrant was
what the law required, and the only
form that was to be kept in honour
and justice. She answered, that
there were wiser men than myself of
another opinion. I told her, that
I could not answer for other men;
but this I was fure of, that I never
heard any man give a found reafon,
to prove it honourable or fafe for
her majesty, to take any other
courfe than that, which standeth
with law and juftice. And fo, with
out further replication or fpeech,
her majesty rofe up, and left me.
tragedy; and foon after, the part being
acted, and his ftage attire laid afide, as if
he had failed in the laft act, he was thrust
down from the ftage, and, not without the
pity of many, fhut up a long time in pri-
fon"
He was alfo fined ten thousand
pounds, fentenced to prifon during Eliza-
beth's pleasure, and never recovered"
her favour," though fhe fometimes re-
lieved his wants" (Orig. i. 465, Tranf.
392).

This letter alfo has been luckily preferved, being alfo "found among fir Amias Poulet's writings," and thus entitled and copied by him.

"A copy of a letter to fir Francis Walfingham of the 2d of February 1586, at fix in the afternoon, to the [in] anfwer of a letter from the faid fir Francis of the first of February 1586, received at Fotheringhay the second day of the faid month at five in the afternoon."

"SIR,

"Your letters of yesterday coming to my hands this prefent day at five in the afternoon, I would not fail, according to your direction, to return my anfwer with all poffible fpeed; which I fhall deliver unto you with great grief and bitterness of mind, in that I am so unhappy to have liven to fee this unhappy day, in which I am required, by direction from my moft gracious fovereign, to do an act which God

The fame afternoon, as I take it, fhe aik'd me, whether I had heard from fir Amias Poulet? I told her, No. But within an hour or two after, going to London, I met with letters from him, in answer to those were written to him by Mr. Secretary and myself.

The next morning having access to her majefty upon fome other occafion, I told her that I had letters from Mr. Poulet; which her majefty defiring to fee, took and read *. But finding thereby, that he was grieved with the motion made unto him, offering his life and all he had to be difpofed by his [her] majesty, but abfolutely refufing to be an inftrument, in any fuch action as was not warranted in honour and justice; her majefty, falling into fome terms of offence, complaining of the daintinefs, and, as the term'd it, perjury, and the law forbiddeth. My goods, live ings, and life are at her majefty's difpofi tion; and I am ready to lofe them this next morrow, if it fhall fo pleafe her; acknowledging that I hold them as of her mere and moft gracious favour, and do not defire to enjoy them, but with her highness's good liking. But God forbid, that I should make fo foul a fhipwreck of my confcience, or leave fo great a blot to my poor pofterity, to shed blood without law and warrant; trufting that her majesty of her accuftomed clemency, and the rather by your good mediation, will take this my dutiful anfwer in good part, as proceeding from one who will never be inferior to any Chriftian fubject living, in duty, honour, love, and obedience towards his fovereign. And thus I commit you to the mercy of the Almighty.

"Your most affured poor friend,
"A. Poulet,"

"From Fotheringhay
2d of February,

1586."

"Your letters, coming in the plural number, feem to be meant as well to fir Drue Drury, as to myfelf; and yet because he is not named in them, neither the letter directed unto him, he forbeareth to make any particular answer, but fubfcribeth in heart to my opinion."

"D. Drury."

of

:

of him and others, who, contrary to their oath of affociation, did caft the burthen upon herself; fhe rose up, and, after a turn or two, went into the gallery; whether I followed her. And there [he] renewed her former fpeech; blaming the niceness of thofe precife fellows, who in words would do great things for her fafety, but in deed perform nothing and concluded, fhe would have it done without them. And here, entring into particularities, [the] named unto me, as I remember, one Wingfield, who, the affured me, would with fome others undertake it. Which gave me occafion to fhew unto her majesty, how difhonourable in my poor opinion any fuch courfe would be, and how far off the would be from fhunning the blame and ftain thereof, which he fo much fought to avoid and here, falling particularly into the cafe of fir Amias Poulet and fir Drue Drury, told her; that it was a marvellous extremity, he would have expofed thefe gentlemen unto. For if, in a tender care for her furety, they fhould have done that the defired; fhe muft either allow their act, or dif-allow it. If the allowed it, the took the matter upon herself, with her infinite dishonour. If fhe difallow'd it, fhe overthrew these faithful gentlemen, who, fhe knew, did truly and faithfully love her; and not only themselves, but their estate and pofterity. And therefore [1] thought this a dangerous and difhonourable course, both for herself and them. And fo, after fome particular speech of Mr. Secretary and others, touching fome matters paft heretofore; her majefty, calling to understand, whether it were time to go to the closet, broke off our difcourse.

At my next access to her majefty (which, I take it, was Tuesday, the day before my coming to court),

having certain things to be figned; her majefty entered of herfelf into fome earnest discourse, of the danger fhe daily liv'd in, and how it was more than time this matter were difpatched; fwearing a great oath, that it was a fhame for them all it was not already done; and therefore fpake unto me, to have a letter written, for the difpatch thereof, because the longer it was deferr'd, the more her danger encreas'd. Whereto, knowing what order had been taken by my lords, in fending the commiffion to the earls; I anfwer'd, that there was no neceffity, as I thought, of fuch a letter, the warrant being fo general and fufficient as it was. Her majefty reply'd little elfe, but that the thought Mr. Poulet would look for it.

II.

And this, as near as I can poffibly remember, is a faithful and true report of the whole fubftance, of that hath past betwixt her majefty and me, from the day of figning the warrant, and commandment given to me to carry it to the feal, until the hour of my departure from court. In all which I must proteft unfeignedly before God, that I neither remember any fuch commandment given me by her majesty, as is pretended; neither did I ever conceive fuch an intent or meaning in her. And that mine innocency herein may the better appear, let it be confidered, first, what the commandment is, and next, upon what confideration it was grounded.

The commandment (as I underftand it) hath two parts; one, that I fhould conceal it from the rest of her majefty's council; another, that I fhould retain it by myself until fome tumultuous time, as a thing her majefty meant not otherwife to put in execution: both which I

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muft in all duty and humbleness, under her most gracious favour, abfolutely deny.

And, for the first, I trust her majefty, in her princely and honourable nature, will not deny, but that the first fent for me by my lord admiral, to bring the warrant unto her; which proveth that his lordfhip was acquainted with her purpofe and next, that the gave exprefs word, both to carry it forthwith to the feal, with a meffage to my lord chancellor, who, confequently must be acquainted with all; and alfo, by the way, to impart it to Mr. Secretary. So as, thefe three being made privy unto it by her good liking, and my felf, as I fay, not reftrained to the contrary, by any fuch commandment as is pretended; what reafon had I to conceal it from my lord treasurer, to whom my lord admiral had first imparted it, or from my lord of Leicefter, to whom her majefty is [familiar, and had] fignify'd as much, as likewife afterwards to Mr. Vicechamberlain [Hatton]; as they are acquainted with the rest of the whole proceeding, and as far interested in the caufe as myfelf or any of the others? Unless her majesty had a meaning, that Mr. Secretary and I should have dealt alone, in the fending of it to the earls; which for my own part I confefs I never liked, knowing her majefty's purpofe, often uttered to myfelf, to remove as much of the burden as the might, from her own fhoulders upon others; which I knew mine own unfit to fuftain.

Now feeing the end of figning and fealing this warrant, in all reafonable probability and judgment, was to go forward withal; that the

*This shows the lords to have been all well acquainted with Elizabeth's defire for throwing the load of murder off from her own fhoulders, by substituting assassination

delay thereof did infinitely encreafe her majesty's peril, and thereby hazard the whole eftate; feeing it was imparted to fome by her majefty's own order, and no caufe or poffibility, being fealed, to keep it from the reft, as much interested in the cause as myself; and finally, feeing I could neither, as I take it, in law nor in the duty of a good fubject conceal it from them, the caufe importing fo greatly her majefty's life as it did, and the difpofition both of the time and ftate of things, at home and abroad, being fuch as it was: I truft it fhall fufficiently appear, that I was both in reason, duty, and neceffity forced thereunto; unless I would have wilfully endanger'd myself, whose offence, if ought in the mean time had happen'd amiss to her majesty, must have been, in my own cenfure, worthy of a thousand deaths.

And, as for my proceeding therein with the rest of my lords; after it was refolved, that it was neither fit nor convenient to trouble her majefty any further withal, confidering fhe had done all that the law required at her hands; and that the had both to myself and others fignify'd at other times, her indifpofition to be acquainted with the particular circumstances, of time, place, &c. and that to detain the warrant in expectation of any further directions from herself, was both needlefs and dangerous, confidering the hourly hazard her majefty liv'd in; and finally, that my lords, knowing her majefty's unwillingness to bear all the burthen alone, were content moft refolutely, honourably, and dutifully, to cafe her as much as they might with what reafon and juftice fhould I have hindered for execution; and artfully to have given it another turn, in order to bring the exc cution forwards.

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