called Queen of Scots and dowager of France, had been an
accessory to Babington's conspiracy, and had compassed the death of
Elizabeth, queen of England."

Elizabeth pretended to be very much concerned at this result. She
laid the proceedings before Parliament. It was supposed then, and has
always been supposed since, that she wished Mary to be beheaded, but
desired not to take the responsibility of it herself; and that she
wanted to appear unwilling, and to be impelled, greatly against her
own inclinations, by the urgency of others, to carry the sentence
into execution. At any rate, Parliament, and all the members of the
government, approved and confirmed the verdict, and wished to have it
carried into effect.

It has always been the custom, in modern times, to require the
solemn act of the supreme magistrate of any state to confirm a
decision of a tribunal which condemns a person to death, by signing
what is called a warrant for the execution. This is done by the king
or queen in England, and by the governor in one of the United States.
This warrant is an order, very formally written, and sealed with the
great seal, authorizing the executioner to proceed, and carry the
sentence into effect. Of course, Queen Mary could not be executed
unless Elizabeth should first sign the warrant. Elizabeth would
herself, probably, have been better pleased to have been excused from
all direct agency in the affair. But this could not be. She, however,
made much delay, and affected great unwillingness to proceed. She
sent messengers to Mary, telling her what the sentence had been, how
sorry she was to hear it, and how much she desired to save her life,
if it were possible. At the same time, she told her that she feared
it might not be in her power, and she advised Mary to prepare her
mind for the execution of the sentence.

Mary wrote a letter to Elizabeth in reply. She said in this letter
that she was glad to hear that they had pronounced sentence of death
against her, for she was weary of life, and had no hope of relief or
rest from her miseries but in the grave. She wrote, therefore, not to
ask any change in the decision, but to make three requests. First,
that, after her execution, her body might be removed to France, and
be deposited at Rheims, where the ashes of her mother were reposing.
Secondly, that her execution should not be in secret, but that her
personal friends might be present, to attest to the world that she
met he