Sunday, February 02, 2025

The Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots, February 8, 1587: Mary refuses a Protestant prayer.

In the Execution of Mary series:


We return again to the “Reporte of the Manner of the Execution of the Sc. Q. Performed the viijth. of February, Anno 1586 in the great hall of Fotheringhay” given in Henry Ellis's Original Letters, Illustrative of English History.


After this She, being supported by Sir Amias two gentlemen aforesaid, and Melvin carying up her trayne, and also accompanied with the Lordes, Knightes, and Gentlemen aforenamed, the Sherife going before her, she passed out of the entery into the great Hall, with her countenance carelesse, importing thereby rather mirth then mournfull cheare, and so she willingly stepped up to the scaffold which was prepared for her in the Hall, being two foote high and twelve foote broade, with rayles round aboute, hanged and couvered with blacke, with a lowe stoole, long cushion, and blocke, couvered with blacke also. Then, having the stoole brought her, she satt her downe ; by her, on the right hand, satt the Erle of Shrewsbury and the Erle of Kent, and on the left hand stoode the Sherife, and before her the two executioners; round about the rayles stood Knightes, Gentlemen, and others.

Then, silence being made, the Queenes Majesties Commission for the execution of the Queen of Scots was openly redd by Mr. Beale clarke of the Counsell; and thes wordes pronounced by the Assembly, 'God save the Queene' During the reading of which Commission the Q. of Sc. was silent, listening unto it with as small regarde as if it had not concerned her at all; and with as cheerfull a countenaunce as if it had been a Pardon from her Majestic for her life; using asmuch straungenes in worde and deede as if she had never knowne any of the Assembly, or had been ignorant of the English language.

Then on[e] Doctor Fletcher, dean of Peterborowe, standmg durectly before her, without the rayle, bending his body with great reverence, began to utter this exhortacion following: 'Madame the Q. most excellent Matie. &c.' and iterating theis wordes three or fowre tymes, she told him, 'Mr. Dean, I am settled in the auncient Catholique Romayne religion, and mynd to spend my bloode in defence of it.' Then Mr. Dean said, 'Madame, chaung your opinion and repent you of your former wickednes, and settle your faith onely in Jesus Christ, by him to be saved.' Then she aunswered agayne and againe, 'Mr. Deane, trouble not yourselfe any more, for I am settled and resolved in this my religion, and am purposed therein to die.' Then the Earle of Shrewsbury and the Earl of Kente, perceavinge her so obstinate, tolde her that sithence she wold not heere the exhortacion begonn by Mr. Dean, 'We will pray for your Grace, that it stande with Gods will you may have your harte lightened, even at the last howre, with the true knowledge of God, and so die therein.' Then she aunswered ' If you will pray for me, my Lordes, I will thanke you; but to joyne in prayer with you I will not, for that you and I are not of one religion.'

Then the Lordes called for Mr. Dean, who kneeling on the skaffold staires, began this Prayer, "O most gracious God and merciful Father, &c." all the Assembly, saving the Queen of Scots and her servauntes, saying after him. Durmg the saying of which prayer, the Queen of Scots, sitting upon a stoole, having about her necke an Agnus Dei, in her hand a crucifix, at her girdle a pair of beades with a golden crosse at the end of them, a Latin booke in her hand, began with teares and with loud and fast voice to pray in Latin; and in the middest of her prayers she slided off from her stoole, and kneeling, said divers Latin prayers: and after the end of Mr. Deans prayer, she kneelinge, prayed in Englishe to this effecte: 'for Christ his afflicted Church, and for an end of their troubles; for her Sonne; and for the Queen's Majestie, that she might prosper and serve God aright.' She confessed that she hoped to be saved 'by and in the bloode of Christ, at the foote of whose Crucifix she wold shedd her bloode.' Then said the Earle of Kent, ' Madam settle Christ Jesus in your harte, and leave those trumperyes.' Then she litle regarding, or nothing at all, his H. good counsell, went forward with her prayers, desiring ' that God wold averte his wrath from this Ilande, and that he wold give her griefe, and forgivenes for her sinnes.' These, with other prayers she made in English, saying she forgave her enemyes with all her harte that had longe sought her bloode, and desired God to converte them to the truthe; and in the end of the Prayer she desired all Saintes to make intercession for her to Jesus Christ, and so kissing the crucifix, and crossing of her also, said these wordes, 'Even as thy armes, O Jesus, was spredd here upon the Crosse, so receive me into thy armes of mercy, and forgive me all my sinnes.'1


While this would seem to be the most precise description of the execution, there are others. Agnes Strickland's Letters of Mary, Queen of Scots, etc. translates a dispatch from M. de Chateaunaff to the French King Henry III, dated February 27, 1587, in which the ambassador informs his king that the executioner was dressed and the hall entirely draped in black.


“There is a spacious hall in the said castle, where was erected a scaffold covered with black cloth, with a cushion of black velvet... more than three hundred persons of the village and other neighbouring places had been admitted into the said hall.”2

The ambassador had his information at third-hand and it may have been embellished. Nothing in the eye-witness account from Ellis, however, actually contradicts Chateaunaff's.




1 Ellis, Henry. Original Letters, Illustrative of English History (1827). III.113ff.

2Strickland, Agnes. Letters of Mary, Queen of Scots, and Documents Connected With Her Personal History (1842). II.178, 179.


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