ingham to write jointly to sir Amias and sir Drue Drury to
sound them in this matter; "aiming still at this, that it might be so
done as the blame might be removed from herself." This nefarious
commission Davison strangely consented to execute, though he declares
that he had always before refused to meddle therein "upon sundry of her
majesty's motions,"--as a thing which he utterly disapproved; and though
he was fully persuaded that the wisdom and integrity of sir Amias would
render the application fruitless. The queen repeated her injunctions of
secrecy in the matter, and he departed.

He went to Walsingham, told him that the warrant was signed for
executing the sentence against the queen of Scots; agreed with him at
the same time about the letter to be written to sir Amias for her
private assassination;--then got the warrant sealed, then dispatched the
letter.

The next morning, the queen sent him word to forbear going to the
chancellor till she had spoken with him again. He went directly to
acquaint her that he had already seen him. She asked, "what needed such
haste?" He pleaded her commands, and the danger of delay. The queen
particularized some other form in which she thought it would be safer
and better for her to have the thing done. Davison answered, that the
just and honorable way would, he thought, be the safest and the best, if
she meant to have it done at all. The queen made no reply, but went to
dinner.--It appears from another statement of Davison's case, also drawn
up by himself, that it was on this very day, without waiting either for
Paulet's answer or for more explicit orders from her majesty, that he
had the incredible rashness to deliver up the warrant to Burleigh, and
to concur in the subsequent proceedings of the council; though aware
that the members were utterly ignorant of the queen's application to
Paulet.

A day or two after, her majesty called him to her in the privy chamber,
and told him smiling, that she had been troubled with him in a dream
which she had had the night before, that the queen of Scots was put to
death; and which so disturbed her, that she thought she could have run
him through with a sword. He answered at first jestingly, but, on
recollection, asked her with great earnestness, whether she did not
intend that the matter should go forward? She answered vehemently and
with an oath, that she did; but again harped upon the old string;--that
this mode would cast all the blame