he was accustomed; and feeling stronger, she kneeled down and began to
pray again.

Scarcely had she done so, than there was a knocking at the door: the
queen understood what was required of her; but as she had not finished
praying, she begged those who were come to fetch her to wait a moment,
and in a few minutes' she would be ready.

The Earls of Kent and Shrewsbury, remembering the resistance she had made
when she had had to go down to the commissioners and appear before the
lawyers, mounted some guards in the ante-room where they were waiting
themselves, so that they could take her away by force if necessary,
should she refuse to come willingly, or should her servants want to
defend her; but it is untrue that the two barons entered her room, as
some have said. They only set foot there once, on the occasion which we
have related, when they came to apprise her of her sentence.

They waited some minutes, nevertheless, as the queen had begged them;
then, about eight o'clock, they knocked again, accompanied by the guards;
but to their great surprise the door was opened immediately, and they
found Mary on her knees in prayer. Upon this, Sir Thomas Andrew, who was
at the time sheriff of the county of Nottingham, entered alone, a white
wand in his hand, and as everyone stayed on their knees praying, he
crossed the room with a slow step and stood behind the queen: he waited a
moment there, and as Mary Stuart did not seem to see him--

"Madam," said he, "the earls have sent me to you."

At these words the queen turned round, and at once rising in the middle
of her prayer, "Let us go," she replied, and she made ready to follow
him; then Bourgoin, taking the cross of black wood with an ivory Christ
which was over the altar, said--

"Madam, would you not like to take this little cross?"

"Thank you for having reminded me," Mary answered; "I had intended to,
but I forgot". Then, giving it to Annibal Stewart, her footman, that he
might present it when she should ask for it, she began to move to the
door, and on account of the great pain in her limbs, leaning on Bourgoin,
who, as they drew near, suddenly let her go, saying--

"Madam, your Majesty knows if we love you, and all, such as we are, are
ready to obey you, should you command us to die for you; but I, I have
not the strength to lead you farther; besides, it is not becoming that
we, who should be defending you to the last drop of our blood, should
seem to be betra