emory with infamy. Upon which Elizabeth called
him a _dainty_ and _precise_ fellow, who promised much, but performed
nothing.

At length the privy council determined to take upon themselves the
responsibility of sending off the warrant for the execution. On the
7th of February, 1587, the Earls of Kent and Shrewsbury, being
admitted to Mary's presence, informed her that their mistress,
Elizabeth, being overcome by the importunity of her subjects, had
given orders for her execution. She listened unmoved to the reading of
the warrant, and on its conclusion she bowed her head, and, making the
sign of the cross, thanked her gracious God that this welcome news had
at last come; declaring how happy she should be to leave a world where
she could be of no use, and had suffered such continued affliction.
After expressing her delight and her gratitude to God for the
privilege of sealing, by her death, the testimony she had so often
borne in behalf of her church, she went on to speak of her past
suffering. Born a queen, the daughter of a king, the cousin of the
queen of England, the granddaughter of Henry VII., once queen of
France, and now queen-dowager of that kingdom,--and yet what had all
this availed her? She then spoke of her love for England; of the
desire she had ever felt to obtain the friendship of its queen; of the
ignominy and injustice with which she had, notwithstanding, been
treated; imprisoned contrary to all faith and treaties; kept a captive
for nineteen years; and "at last," said she, laying her hand on the
New Testament, "condemned by a tribunal which had no power over me,
for a crime of which I here solemnly declare I am innocent. I have
neither invented, nor consented to, nor pursued, any conspiracy for
the death of the queen of England." The Earl of Kent here hastily
interrupted her, declaring that the Scriptures on which she had sworn
were false, and the Roman Catholic version. "It is the translation
which I believe," answered Mary. "Does your lordship think my oath
would be better, if I swore on your translation, which I disbelieve?"
She then requested to be allowed the services of her chaplain, whom
she had not for some time been permitted to see. But the request was
denied; the Earl of Kent, however, an intolerant bigot, after a long
theological discourse, offered her the services of his own Protestant
chaplain. Mary bore this stroke of cruelty with meekness, but declined
the proffered services. She inqu