to no one, save
to God, to whom alone I must give an account of my actions. This is why
I protest yet again that my appearance before you be not prejudicial
either to me, or to the kings, princes and potentates, my allies, nor to
my son, and I require that my protest be registered, and I demand the
record of it."

Then the chancellor, who was one of the commissioners, replied in his
turn, and protested against the protestation; then he ordered that there
should be read over to the Queen of Scotland the commission in virtue of
which they were proceeding--a commission founded on the statutes and law
of the kingdom.

But to this Mary Stuart made answer that she again protested; that the
said statutes and laws were without force against her, because these
statutes and laws are not made for persons of her condition.

To this the chancellor replied that the commission intended to proceed
against her, even if she refused to answer, and declared that the trial
should proceed; for she was doubly subject to indictment, the
conspirators having not only plotted in her favour, but also with her
consent: to which the said Queen of Scotland responded that she had never
even thought of it.

Upon this, the letters it was alleged she had written to Babington and
his answers were read to her.

Mary Stuart then affirmed that she had never seen Babington, that she had
never had any conference with him, had never in her life received a
single letter from him, and that she defied anyone in the world to
maintain that she had ever done anything to the prejudice of the said
Queen of England; that besides, strictly guarded as she was, away from
all news, withdrawn from and deprived of those nearest her, surrounded
with enemies, deprived finally of all advice, she had been unable to
participate in or to consent to the practices of which she was accused;
that there are, besides, many persons who wrote to her what she had no
knowledge of, and that she had received a number of letters without
knowing whence they came to her.

Then Babington's confession was read to her; but she replied that she did
not know what was meant; that besides, if Babington and his accomplices
had said such things, they were base men, false and liars.

"Besides," added she, "show me my handwriting and my signature, since you
say that I wrote to Babington, and not copies counterfeited like these
which you have filled at your leisure with the falsehoods it has please