there and at her trial, and which, not being so produced, is proof positive to the contrary. That this is the fact is clear from the record of the Council, which is as follows. Nau is made to enumerate the points in Babington's letter and Mary's reply as they were laid before them, and which they admitted to be correct:—"Yt is to say: first, yt Babington should examine deeplye what forces as well on foote as horseback they might rayse amt. 'em all; the
Sir Philip Sidney. From the original Picture in the Bedford Collection.
second, what townes, portes, and havens they asseur 'emselves of, as well in ye N., W., and S., and so through, as it is before set down at large in the Sc. Q.'s Itre to Babn., and concludeth or signeth his examn, with theis wordes in French: Je certifie les choses dessus dictés estre vrayes et par moy deposés. XXI° Sept., 1586. Nau." Curle follows in this manner:—"He sayeth the Itre directed by the Sc. Q. to Babn. had, amongst ors., theis points in it: The first, yt Babn. shold deeplye examine what forces on foote and horseb.; and so recieteth the cheif points of her letter in ye verie wordes as you have already read them heretofore, and concludeth: 'All theis things above rehearsed I doe well remember and confesse them to be true.' By me G. C., the xxith of September, 1586." Here is no mention of Mary's consent to the murder of Elizabeth, the greatest point of all, which we may therefore be assured had no existence.
Mary was now removed to Fotheringay Castle, in Northamptonshire, in preparation for her trial. It was first proposed to convey her to the Tower, but they feared her friends in the City; then the castle of Hertford, but that, too, was thought too near the capital; and Grafton, Woodstock, Coventry, Northampton, and Huntingdon were all proposed and rejected, showing that they were well aware of the seriousness of the business they contemplated.
Paulet, in executing his removal of Mary, pretended that it was necessary to give her change of air. Mary
