My Lords,--We are heartily sorry to hear that our countrymen should intend to colour their most unjust, ingrate, and shameful doings.... Her Highness made the greatest of them of mean men, if they had used their own calling, Earls and Lords, and now, without any evil deserving on her Grace's part to any of them in deed or word, to be thuswise recompensed with calumnious and false invented bruits {rumours}, slandered in so great a matter, to her reproach, whereof they themselves, that now pretend herewith to excuse their own treasons, were the first inventors, writers with their own hands of that devilish band, the conspiracy of the slaughter of that innocent young gentleman, Henry Stewart, late spouse till our sovereign, and presented to their wicked confederate, James, Earl Bothwell, as was made manifest before ten thousand people at the execution of certain the principal offenders at Edinburgh.... _MARY AND ELIZABETH_ The Queen's Highness, our and their native sovereign, ... gave them in her youth ... the twa part (two-thirds) of the patrimony pertaining to the Crown of Scotland, and seeing that her successors, Kings of that realm, might not maintain their estate upon the third part ... for their evil deservings and most proud contemption ... caused her use the privilege of the laws always granted to the Kings of that realm before, and make revocation before her full age of xxv. years, ... so that it was not the punishment of that slaughter that moved them to this proud rebellion, but the usurping of their Sovereign's supreme authority, and to possess themselves with her great riches.... ... Our desire is most earnestly that it should be the Queen's Majesty's pleasure that our Sovereign may be admitted to come into the presence of the Queen's Highness of this realm, her whole nobility, and also in presence of the ambassadors of foreign countries, for more true declaration of her innocency. 1568.--December 4. Elizabeth's Answer. _Goodall_, vol. ii. p. 222, _from Queen Mary's Register_. I think it very reasonable that she should be heard in her own cause, being so weighty; but to determine whom before, when and what, any time before I understand how they will verify their allegation, I am not as yet resolved. _THE PRIVY COUNCIL_ 1568.--Dec. 4. Proceedings of the Privy Council. _Goodall_, vol. ii. p. 223, _from the Journal of the Privy Council of England_. Die Sabbati, 4 Decembris 1568, Hora prima post meridiem. _Present._ THE QUEEN'S MAJESTY. The Lord Keeper {Sir Nicholas Bacon}. Duke of Norfolk. Marquis {of Northampton}. Lord Steward {Pembroke}. Earl Essex. Earl Bedford. Earl Leicester. Lord Admiral {Lord Clinton}. Lord Chamberlain {Lord Howard of Effingham}. Sir William Cecil. Sir Ralph Sadler. Sir Walt. Mildmay.