guarded, that she remained in utter ignorance of the matter; and it was
a great surprise to her, when Sir Thomas Gorges, by Elizabeth's orders,
informed her, that all her accomplices were discovered and arrested. He
chose the time for giving her this intelligence when she was mounted on
horseback to go a hunting; and she was not permitted to return to her
former place of abode, but war conducted from one gentleman's house to
another, till she was lodged in Fotheringay Castle, in the County of
Northampton, which it was determined to make the last stage of her trial
and sufferings. Her two secretaries, Nau, a Frenchman, and Curle, a
Scot, were immediately arrested: all her papers were seized, and sent up
to the council: above sixty different keys to ciphers were discovered:
there were also found many letters from persons beyond sea, and
several too from English noblemen containing expressions of respect and
attachment. The queen took no notice of this latter discovery; but the
persons themselves, knowing their correspondence to be detected, though
that they had no other means of making atonement for their imprudence,
than by declaring themselves thenceforth the most inveterate enemies of
the queen of Scots.[*]

* Camden, p. 518.

It was resolved to try Mary, not by the common statute of treasons, but
by the act which had passed the former year with a view to this very
event; and the queen, in terms of that act, appointed a commission,
consisting of forty noblemen and privy counsellors, and empowered them
to examine and pass sentence on Mary, whom she denominated the late
queen of Scots, and heir to James V. of Scotland. The commissioners came
to Fotheringay Castle, and sent to her Sir Walter Mildmay, Sir Amias
Paulet, and Edward Barker, who delivered her a letter from Elizabeth,
informing her of the commission, and of the approaching trial. Mary
received the intelligence without emotion or astonishment. She said,
however, that it seemed strange to her, that the queen should command
her, as a subject, to submit to a trial and examination before subjects;
that she was an absolute, independent princess, and would yield to
nothing which might derogate either from her royal majesty, from the
state of sovereign princes, or from the dignity and rank of her son:
that, however oppressed by misfortunes, she was not yet so much broken
in spirit as her enemies flattered themselves; nor would she, on any
account, be accessary