, which your majesty
would have abhorred in any, especially in one who hath the honour (how
otherwise unfortunate soever) to have any drop of your majesty's blood
in them."

I find a letter of Lady Jane Drummond, in reply to this or another
petition, which Lady Drummond had given the queen to present to his
majesty. It was to learn the cause of Arabella's confinement. The pithy
expression of James the First is characteristic of the monarch; and the
solemn forebodings of Lady Drummond, who appears to have been a lady of
excellent judgment, showed, by the fate of Arabella, how they were true!

"LADY JANE DRUMMOND TO LADY ARABELLA.

"_Answering her prayer to know the cause of her confinement_.

"This day her majesty hath seen your ladyship's letter. Her majesty
says, that when she gave your ladyship's petition to his majesty, he did
take it well enough, but gave no other answer than that _ye had eaten of
the forbidden tree_. This was all her majesty commanded me to say to
your ladyship in this purpose; but withal did remember her kindly to
your ladyship, and sent you this little token in witness of the
continuance of her majesty's favour to your ladyship. Now, where your
ladyship desires me to deal openly and freely with you, I protest I can
say nothing on knowledge, for I never spoke to any of that purpose but
to the queen; _but the wisdom of this state, with the example how some
of your quality in the like case has been used, makes me fear that ye
shall not find so easy end to your troubles as ye expect or I wish_."

In return, Lady Arabella expresses her grateful thanks--presents her
majesty with "this piece of my work, to accept in remembrance of the
poor prisoner that wrought them, in hopes her royal hands will vouchsafe
to wear them, which till I have the honour to kiss, I shall live in a
great deal of sorrow. Her case," she adds, "could be compared to no
other she ever heard of, resembling no other." Arabella, like the Queen
of Scots, beguiled the hours of imprisonment by works of embroidery; for
in sending a present of this kind to Sir Andrew Sinclair to be presented
to the queen, she thanks him for "vouchsafing to descend to these petty
offices to take care even of these womanish toys, for her whose serious
mind must invent some relaxation."

The secret correspondence of Arabella and Seymour was discovered, and
was followed by a sad scene. It must have been now that the king
resolved to