d, the elder
imprisoned. It was said that the queen thought of gibbeting one of
these innocents in real fact, for an example; or, as Noailles put it,
as an expiation for the sins of the people.[286]

[Footnote 283: "When the Ambassador replied that
his master minded to do justly, her Grace
remembering how those traitors be there aided,
especially such of them as had conspired her death
and were in arms in the field against her; and
being not able to bear those words, so contrary to
their doings, told the Ambassador that, for her own
part, her Majesty minded simply and plainly to
perform as she had promised, and might with safe
conscience swear she ever meant so; but, for their
part, her Grace would not swear so, and being those
arrant traitors so entertained there as they be,
she could not have found in her heart to have used,
in like matter, the semblable part towards his
master for the gain of two realms, and with those
words she departed."--Gardiner to Wotton: _French
MSS._ bundle xi.]

[Footnote 284: On the 29th of April Wotton wrote in
a cypher to Mary; "Towards the end of the summer
the French king, by Peter Carew's provocation,
intendeth to land the rebels, with a number of
Scots, in Essex, and in the Isle of Wight, where
they mean to land easily, and either go on, if any
number of Englishmen resort unto them, as they say
many will, or else fortify themselves there. They
council the French king to make war against your
Highness in the right and title of the young Queen
of Scots."--_French MSS._ bundle xi.]

[Footnote 285: The execution was commenced in
earnest. The prince, says Noailles, "fust
souldainement mesne au gibet par ceulx de la part
du Roy et de M. Wyatt; et sans quelques hommes qui
tout a propoz y accoururent, ils l'eussent
estrangle; ce que se peult clairement juge