says of
his committal is, that he was not sent to the Tower until Tuesday the
14th, on account of his illness; though some days previous (probably on
Saturday the 10th) the queen assembled her council.

This letter also exhibits a specimen of Leicester's characteristic
meanness; for notwithstanding that he was a party to the act of
forwarding the warrant for Mary's death, as his name occurs among those
of the council who signed the letters to the Earl of Shrewsbury, the earl
marshal, and to the Earl of Kent, both of which were dated on the 3rd of
February, 1586-7, commanding them to cause it to be put into execution,
he took care to withdraw from court before Elizabeth performed the roll,
which has so justly excited the scorn of posterity. It may be also
remarked, as another example of the official duplicity of the period,
that Sir Francis Walsingham likewise affected not to have been concerned
in the affair of dispatching the warrant, as in his letter to Lord
Thulstone, the secretary to King James, dated at Greenwich, on the 4th of
March, 1586-7, less than a month afterwards, he says, "_Being absent from
court_ when the late execution of the queen, your sovereign mother,
happened," though we find that he signed both the letters just mentioned.

G.B.

_A Letter from John Woolley, clerk of the Council in the time of
Elizabeth, to the Earl of Leicester_.

To the Righte Honorable my singular good the Earle of Leycester, one of
her Maties Most Honorable Privie Councell.

RYGHTE Honorable and my moste especiall goode Lorde,--It pleased her
M'tye yesterday night to call the lord treasurer and other of her
councell before her into her withdrawing chamber, where she rebuked us
all exceedingly, from our concealing from her our proceeding in the Queen
of Scott's case; but her indignation particularlye lyghteth most upon my
lord treasurer and Mr. Davison, who called us togeather, and delivered
the commissione, for she protesteth she gave _expresse commandement_ to
the contrarye, and therefore hath taken order for the committing of Mr.
Secretary Davison to the Tower, iff she contenew in the mynd she was
yeterday night, albeit we all kneeled upon our knees to praye her to the
contrarye.

I think your lordship happy to be absent from these broiles, and thought
it my dewtye to lett you understand them; and so in haste I humblye take
my leave.--At the Courte, this present Sunday,[1] 1586.

Your lordship's ever most bounden,