enance changed, her voice faltered, and she remained for some
moments fixed and motionless; a violent burst of tears and lamentations
succeeded, with which she mingled expressions of rage against her whole
council. They had committed, she said, a crime never to be forgiven;
they had put to death without her knowledge her dear kinswoman and
sister, against whom they well knew that it was her fixed resolution
never to proceed to this fatal extremity. She put on deep mourning, kept
herself retired among her ladies abandoned to sighs and tears, and drove
from her presence with the most furious reproaches such of her ministers
as ventured to approach her. She caused several of the councillors to be
examined as to the share which they had taken in this transaction.
Burleigh was of the number; and against him she expressed herself with
such peculiar bitterness that he gave himself up for lost, and begged
permission to retire with the loss of all his employments. This
resignation was not accepted; and after a considerable interval, during
which this great minister deprecated the wrath of his sovereign in
letters of penitence and submission worthy only of an Oriental slave,
she condescended to be reconciled to a man whose services she felt to be
indispensable.

But the manes of Mary, or the indignation of her son, could not be
appeased, it seems, without a sacrifice; and a fit victim was at hand.
From some words dropped by lord Burleigh on his examination, it had
appeared that it was the declaration of Davison respecting the
sentiments of the queen, as expressed to himself, which had finally
decided the council to send down the warrant; and on this ground
proceedings were instituted against the unfortunate secretary. He was
stripped of his office, sent to the Tower in spite of the warm and
honest remonstrances of Burleigh, and after several examinations
subjected to a process in the Star-chamber for a twofold contempt.
First, in revealing her majesty's counsels to others of her
ministers;--secondly, in giving up to them an instrument which she had
committed to him in special trust and secrecy, to be kept in case of any
sudden emergency which might require its use.

Davison demanded that his own examination, which with that of Burleigh
formed the whole evidence against him, should be read entire, instead of
being picked and garbled by the crown lawyers; but this piece of justice
the queen's counsel refused him, on the ground tha