The Last Days of Mary Stuart, and the journal of Bourgoyne her physician. Samuel Cowan
for H—— B—— to conduct them to London with some convenient guard, where there shall be order given for the placing of them.
“You shall also take order with the conductors to see them brought up in two separate troops, and to have special care that they may be kept from conference with any person on their way to London, and to appoint in the places where they lodge good standing watches to be kept during the night.
“You shall immediately after she is departed from Chartley cause all such papers as are found either in her own lodging or in the lodgings of any that appertain to her (taking care that all secret corners in the lodging be diligently searched) to be seized and to be put up in bags or trunks as you shall think meet, for execution of which service you shall use besides our servant Wade two principal gentlemen of credit either of that county or of some other county adjoining. For which purpose we think John Manners the elder and Sir Walter Aston suitable to be used if they be found in the country, or some of like quality. These we would have in no way made acquainted with the said service until the Queen shall be removed and they brought to the place when and where you shall think suitable to be performed. You shall cause the said gentlemen, together with Wade, to seal up with their seals of arms the said bags or trunks where the letters and papers shall be placed: and to send up two of their trusty servants together with Wade with the said writings.
“You shall do well during the time of her abode in the house she is taken to, to cause some substantial watches to be kept both about the house as also in the town next adjoining; wherein we doubt not but you will have a special regard to use the service of such of the Justices and gentlemen in that county as are well affected, giving them special orders to choose well-affected men as watchers, and not such as are known to be recusants.
“And whereas our meaning is that hereafter she shall not have such a number of attendants as she has had, we think you should make choice of as many of her train, both men and women, as you shall see necessary to attend on her person; and for the rest they should be kept together at Chartley in such a manner as there shall be no access to them, until you shall understand our further pleasure.”
All this shows how deliberately the kidnapping scheme was carried out.
Queen Elizabeth to Paulet, 9th August 1586. Final orders to kidnap:—
“We having of late discovered some dangerous practices, tending not only to the troubling of our estate but to the peril of our own person, whereof we have just cause to judge the Queen, your charge, and her two secretaries, Nau and Curle, to have been parties and assenting in a most unprincely and unnatural sense, contrary to our expectations, considering the great and earnest protestations she hath made of the sincerity of her love and goodwill to us. Our pleasure therefore is that you cause the two secretaries to be apprehended and to be sent up to us under good and sure guard, and that you take the said Queen to some such place as you shall think meet, and there to see her straitly kept with so many of her train to attend on her as you shall think necessary until you understand our further pleasure.
“Elizabeth R.”
The interpolations on Mary's letter to Babington of 17th July 1586 were at that date three weeks old, so that this letter is apparently founded on them.
CHAPTER II
Outline of the kidnapping scheme, and how it was carried out—Paulet requires instructions as to Nau and Curle—Queen Mary's return to Chartley—Forcible seizure of her money and cabinets by Paulet and Walsingham—Letter from Yetsweirt about Nau and Curle—Private letter of Nau to Elizabeth exonerating himself and Mary—Elizabeth's fulsome gratitude to Paulet—Letter Walsingham to Paulet—Burghley and Walsingham instruct Paulet about Fotheringay—Paulet writes Walsingham (kidnapping plot)—He writes Burghley and Walsingham—Desires to resign office—Mary complains of her cruel treatment to the Duke of Guise, the Lord Chancellor, and Pasquier—Elizabeth's second order to seize Queen Mary's money—Relations between James and his mother—Letter Walsingham to Master of Gray—Mary's intercepted letters.
On the 16th August, what may be called the kidnapping of the Queen took place, and reference is made to Bourgoyne, pp. 160–70, for details. It will be observed how adroitly Gorges, a subaltern of Elizabeth's, suddenly stopped the Queen and delivered one of Elizabeth's insolent messages, charging her with the violation of an agreement which never existed and with a conspiracy against Elizabeth's life in which Elizabeth herself was known to be involved. This was her pretext for her treatment of the Scottish Queen, and ordering her servants to be seized and separated from her. Mary indignantly replied, “Far from having conspired against the Queen, I have never even had such a thought.” This availed nothing, and her followers were thereupon apprehended. The “Stag-hunt” manœuvre was successful in enticing her away from Chartley, and affording Paulet and his satellites an opportunity of carrying out the kidnapping plot and afterwards breaking into her private apartments in her absence, forcing open her cabinets, and carrying away her papers, letters, and all private documents. Bourgoyne tells the story at considerable length, and a pitiable story it is. Then when she discovered they were not returning to Chartley, that she was in fact being kidnapped, she sat down on the road and refused to remount her horse till she knew where she was being taken. Her offering up prayer under an adjoining tree, supported by Bourgoyne and Elizabeth Curle, is one of the most pathetic incidents of her life, and we are indebted to Bourgoyne for the narrative and for the words of the prayer which he has given from memory. We cannot realise at this distance of time the overwhelming agony of the poor captive bereft of her friends and attendants, held prisoner by a tyrant; being kidnapped and taken she knew not where, alike ignorant whether life or death awaited her. No one need be surprised that in such circumstances she appealed to the Almighty. Bourgoyne stood by her and rendered her noble support. He immediately discussed the situation with Paulet, and evidently made some impression on the heart of that heartless individual. It drew from Paulet the expression that the Queen would experience no harm. Paulet in an arbitrary manner took her confidential and devoted attendants from her: Nau and Curle, Melville and Bourgoyne. These were arrested and not allowed any more to accompany her; in short, Nau and Curle never saw her again. There is an important discovery brought to light here, namely, that the Queen had at this date lost all confidence in her secretary Nau because he had become unfaithful and disloyal to her. His conduct after he was taken to London was not only that of a traitor, but he actually made to Walsingham the most unfounded accusations against her.
After the kidnapping of the Queen, one of Elizabeth's attendants named Nicasino Yetsweirt wrote Walsingham on 21st August informing him that Elizabeth approved the order taken for the safe custody of Nau and Curle, and the things that Gorges and Wade had charge of, besides caskets with writings:—
“Her Majesty was anxious to have those caskets safely brought, and she was informed that a discreet person was despatched to assist Gorges and Wade in their charge. She was not satisfied with that, and would have you to provide yet better herein, and specially that the caskets might be brought under sure conduct and by sure persons, for Her Highness attaches more importance to them and their contents than to Nau and Curle. Little she esteemeth them in comparison with the caskets.
MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTS.
From the Painting in Edinburgh Castle. (By permission of Frank C. Inglis.)
“The French Ambassador and Monsieur Deshcool, who is come out of Scotland, had audience today, and Her Majesty said she never saw a man more perplexed than the Ambassador when he was about to speak. Every joint in his body did shake and his countenance changed, and specially when this intended enterprise was mentioned by her. Whereupon, seeming to take more heart to himself, he said, 'I would have moved some suite unto you, but I see your Majesty is somewhat troubled with these jeunes follastres (young fools) that are apprehended.' 'Yea,' said Her Majesty, 'they are such jeunes follastres