History of Mary Queen of Scots by Adam Blackwood

These wer her praiers, beinge vpon her knees vpon the scaffold, prayinge alfo for the Pope, the kinges of Fraunce, Spaine, the Queene of England, and the Kinge of Scotland, her deare sonne, that God wold enlighten them all with his spirite, and direct them in the truth, and that he wold take pitie vpon his Church militant, and turne awaie his anger from the Isle of Greate Britanne, which shee did perceiwe he threatned with scourges for the abominable, wilfull impietie committed by the inhabitantes. Shee thus likewife praied at her first entrie vpon the fcaffolde, and after reiterated the fame thrie sewerall times: but the Deane of Peterborowe, Doctour Fletcher, did what he could to interrupt her, whome shee entreated not to truble her, for shee was fullie refolwed howe to die, without anie councell from him or anie of his forte: he could giwe her no forder contentment for her foule then shee had alredie, for shee did anker her on Christe; and for the people, they could giwe her no forder conforte. This notwithstandinge, the Deane continowed in his praiers, and shee proceeded likewife fordwarde, prayinge in Latine, liftinge vp her woice abowe his so loude, that all being present did clearlie heareher. Shee hadagolden crosse about her necke hawinge the image of our Sawiour, which, praier being ended, shee wold hawe giwen to one of her maides, but the butcher snatched at it, and wold not fuffer her, albeit her Maiestie did earnestlie entreate, offeringe him that her maide should giwe him thrife the waloue of it, but no remedie: he wolde not lett her hawe it. All beinge redie, shee taketh her last fare weele of her maides, and kissed them courteflie, thankinge them for ther faithfull ferwices, biddinge them adiewe, and bidde them retire themselwes quietlie, giwinge them her last blessinge, and makinge the figne of the croffe ower them; but perceiwinge one of them could not holde, but burste foorthe in teares, shee commaunded to holde her peace, and to keepe filence, tellinge her shee had paste her promese that shee and the other maide should not be trublesome to her in her death: shee bid them boith retire themfelwes soberlie, and to praie to God for her, now they could do her no more goode. This done, shee fell doune vpon her knees, without giwing the least figne or demonftratioun of discontent or feare of death: her conftancie and boldnes of spirituall curage, her confidence and affurance of hope of recompence of eternall liffe, of God, in liewe and place of her momentanell afflictions, now to be enioyed of her, was fuch, that all the assistantes, yea, her hardest hearted ennemies, was greatlie mowed; and it was crediblie reported of manie that wer present, that amongest all the whole companie there was onlie two or thrie perfons that coulde witholde weepinge, they esteemed the spectacle fo straunge: condemning these in ther confcience who wer the authouris of fuch an crueltie, which, in former times, they newer harde nor red of the like. She commendes finallie her foule to the tuition of the Almightie, in these woordes of the pfalme, sayinge often and reiteratinge the woordes, "In manus tuas, Domine, commendo Spiritum meum," and that with a loude woice, farre furmountinge the Dean in the eares of the afsistantes. In the meane while, the butcher gaiwe her a greate blowe with the axe, wherbye he pearced the stringes within her heade, which he stroake not of but at the thirde blowe, to make her martyrdome the more noble, albeit it weele is knowen that not the paine, or the punishment, but the cause maketh the martyre. After he had done, he hastelie fnatcheth vp the heade in his hande, and shewinge it to the assistantes, faide, "God faiwe Queene Elizabeth, and so befall all the ennemies of the Gofpell;" althought ther wer no other that fawoured the Gospell, and that liwed as the Gofpell directed but Elizabeth: but howefoewer in outwarde showe, shee made a cloake for her wicked liffe of the sacred Gofpell, which therby shee prophaned, yeet if her liffe wer weighed in iufte and ewen balance, it should be founde (if all thinges wer clearlie knowen and cenfured accordinglie,) shee should become behinde and be poftponed this holie martyre by manie degrees. After, in derision and contempt, he pulled of her coiffe and shewed her white haires, with contemptuous woordes onworthie to be spoken or harde by the mouth or ( eares of anie Christian: He pointed also at the croune of her heade, to shewe it to the people, because it was newelie shawen, which shee was constrained to do by reason of a greiwous rheume which trubled her often. The tragedie ended, the poore maides, carefull of the honour of ther mistres, humblie befought and prayed Paulett the cruell jealour, that the butcher might hawe no more ado with ther Soweraigne ladies bodie, and that it mighte be permitted them to disatire her bodie when all the people wer departed the place, that no forder indignitie might be offered her facred Maiefties corpes, seinge all malice, hatred, envie, and contempt of the deade ought to end after ther deceffe; they promefed him her apparell, and all that was about her, and whatsoewer befides he wold demaunde in reason, so that he wold not anie more come neare or handle her facred bodie. But cursed Cerberus, Paulet I meane, commaundeth them werie rudlie to departe the chamber; lewinge his hellhounde with the corpes to do with what he wold: he presentlie pulleth of her shoes and all the rest of her apparell, which as yeet was lefte about her bodie, and after, when he had done what he wold, the corpes was caried into a chamber nexte adioninge, fearinge the faide maides should come to do anie charitable goode office. It did encrease gretlie ther defire so to do after they did fee ther mistres corps thorowe a litle hole of the chamber walle, which [was] cowered with cloath, but the wofull corpes was keepte a longe time in this chamber till it beganne to corrupte and smelle stronglie, so that in the end they wer constrained to falte it, and to embalme lightlie to faiwe charges, and after to wrapt it vp in a cacke of leade, keepinge it feawen monethes ther before it was enterred at Peterborowe, where also Cathrine of Spaine laie buried before.