“Her Majesty said that this letter was a mandate and written as to a subject; that she was Queen and a born daughter of a Queen, a foreigner, and the nearest relation of the Queen of England; that she had come to England on the promise that had been made to her to give her help against her enemies and subjects, and was thereupon made prisoner, the which she had been for eighteen years, ill-treated always and afflicted and troubled by their continued persecution. She had several times suggested suitable conditions; she had many times asked to speak with Elizabeth, was ever willing to serve and do her pleasure, but she had been always influenced by enemies; that she, as a free Queen, could not accept commands, nor respond to laws, without hurting herself, the King her son, and all other sovereign princes. That she was of the same estate, majesty, and dignity, and would not submit, neither she, her heirs, or her country, as a valet had done (referring to Moray); she would rather die. She challenged her judges as being contrary to her religion; she did not recognise the laws of England, did not know them, did not understand them, and many times had made this protest. She demanded that former protests be taken account of; that she was alone, without counsel; that her servants had been taken away, also those who knew and had managed her affairs and had cognisance of laws and formalities; that there was no criminal so poor who might not have someone to speak for him. They had taken away her papers, memoranda, evidences of her past experience, so that she was destitute of all aid, taken by surprise, and ordered to obey and answer people who had been instructed for a long time. The greater part of them were evil disposed to her and only sought her ruin.” The State Paper Office contains a rather different version of this interview, which it will be interesting to compare with that of Bourgoyne. It is as follows:— “Relation of an interview between Sir Walter Mildmay, Sir Amias Paulet, and Edward Barker, and the Queen of Scots:—