, Gordon,
Gervais, and Didier; and from the women Jeanne Kennedy and Elspeth Curle,
the ones she preferred to all, though the latter was sister to the
secretary who had betrayed her. But here arose a fresh difficulty, the
earls saying that this permission did not extend to women, women not
being used to be present at such sights, and when they were, usually
upsetting everyone with cries and lamentations, and, as soon as the
decapitation was over, rushing to the scaffold to staunch the blood with
their handkerchiefs--a most unseemly proceeding.

"My lords," then said the queen, "I answer and promise for my servants,
that they will not do any of the things your honours fear. Alas! poor
people! they would be very glad to bid me farewell; and I hope that your
mistress, being a maiden queen, and accordingly sensitive for the honour
of women, has not given you such strict orders that you are unable to
grant me the little I ask; so much the more," added she in a profoundly
mournful tone, "that my rank should be taken into consideration; for
indeed I am your queen's cousin, granddaughter of Henry VII, Queen
Dowager of France and crowned Queen of Scotland."

The lords consulted together for another moment, and granted her demands.
Accordingly, two guards went up immediately to fetch the chosen
individuals.

The queen then moved on to the great hall, leaning on two of Sir Amyas
Paulet's gentlemen, accompanied and followed by the earls and lords, the
sheriff walking before her, and Andrew Melville bearing her train. Her
dress, as carefully chosen as possible, as we have said, consisted of a
coif of fine cambric, trimmed with lace, with a lace veil thrown back and
falling to the ground behind. She wore a cloak of black stamped satin
lined with black taffetas and trimmed in front with sable, with a long
train and sleeves hanging to the ground; the buttons were of jet in the
shape of acorns and surrounded with pearls, her collar in the Italian
style; her doublet was of figured black satin, and underneath she wore
stays, laced behind, in crimson satin, edged with velvet of the same
colour; a gold cross hung by a pomander chain at her neck, and two
rosaries at her girdle: it was thus she entered the great hall where the
scaffold was erected.

It was a platform twelve feet wide, raised about two feet from the floor,
surrounded with barriers and covered with black serge, and on it were a
little chair, a cushion to kneel on, and a