in
cutting short the existence of her who, already condemned in her rival's
mind, yet delayed to die. But Sir Amyas Paulet, coarse and harsh as he
was to Mary Stuart, declared that, so long as she was with him she would
have nothing to fear from poison or dagger, because he would taste all
the dishes served to his prisoner, and that no one should approach her
but in his presence. In fact, some assassins, sent by Leicester, the
very same who had aspired for a moment to the hand of the lovely Mary
Stuart, were driven from the castle directly its stern keeper had learned
with what intentions they had entered it. Elizabeth had to be patient,
then, in contenting herself with tormenting her whom she could not kill,
and still hoping that a fresh opportunity would occur for bringing her to
trial. That opportunity, so long delayed, the fatal star of Mary Stuart
at length brought.

A young Catholic gentleman, a last scion of that ancient chivalry which
was already dying out at that time, excited by the excommunication of
Pius V, which pronounced Elizabeth fallen from her kingdom on earth and
her salvation in heaven, resolved to restore liberty to Mary, who
thenceforth was beginning to be looked upon, no longer as a political
prisoner, but as a martyr for her faith. Accordingly, braving the law
which Elizabeth had had made in 1585, and which provided that, if any
attempt on her person was meditated by, or for, a person who thought he
had claims to the crown of England, a commission would be appointed
composed of twenty-five members, which, to the exclusion of every other
tribunal, would be empowered to examine into the offence, and to condemn
the guilty persons, whosoever they might be. Babington, not at all
discouraged by the example of his predecessors, assembled five of his
friends, Catholics as zealous as himself, who engaged their life and
honour in the plot of which he was the head, and which had as its aim to
assassinate Elizabeth, and as a result to place Mary Stuart on the
English throne. But this scheme, well planned as it was, was revealed to
Walsingham, who allowed the conspirators to go as far as he thought he
could without danger, and who, the day before that fixed for the
assassination, had them arrested.

This imprudent and desperate attempt delighted Elizabeth, for, according
to the letter of the law, it finally gave her rival's life into her
hands. Orders were immediately given to Sir Amyas Paulet to seiz