great trouble to know the reason why she was separated from her two servants. The Queen of England had sent her a priest to prepare her for death and give consolation, and now, when it was more than ever necessary, they had taken him away; that having asked him to assist at her last end, when she was nearest to her death, she was deprived of him. There were none so criminal that they did not give them a minister of their religion to conduct them to execution and console them, and all the consolation she now had in her affliction in captivity came from her religion. She regretted infinitely not to be able to make her prayers to her contentment, assist at the Mass, and do the duties of a good Christian. The Queen had promised not to trouble her in her religion, and said it was not for religion they accused her. Her priest harmed no one, mingled in nothing but saying the prayers; it would have been better not to have offered his services than to take him away in her great extremity. She could see that, not content with afflicting her body, they tried if that were possible to make her lose her soul, which could not be. She had such hope in God, that He would help her in this, as He had done before. She saw that their intentions were to take away her servants, one after the other; carry her away secretly from here, to make her die at their pleasure or murder her secretly. “This she did not regret, as having no consolation near her as she had hoped. She could do nothing without her papers, and she required a priest to assist and communicate with her. They might leave her this consolation seeing they had got everything they could desire as against the greatest enemy that could be found. One could do nothing more grievous than take away life. The rest is not only cruelty, it is inhuman and is denounced even by the wickedest of people. Paulet said that he did not think Her Majesty wished to have her priest near her, but he could assure her that he was not far away. He was neither in France nor in Scotland, nor out of the house; and he saw no reason why she might not have him when necessary. When he heard of Her Majesty being massacred or killed secretly he indignantly protested that there was no danger of such an outrage, and they had no right to suspect him of such a thing. Bourgoyne said there was no idea of such a charge against him. Paulet said there was no more danger for Her Majesty than for his wife, his children, or himself. As for him, he was not the man to do such an act, and was indignant that he should be suspected of such a thing, for he was an honest man and a gentleman. He would not take such dishonour upon himself as to exercise such cruelty or behave like a Turk. Upon which they said that perhaps they did not mistrust him, but there were many people in England who were enemies of Her Majesty, and whom she suspected much, and whom she knew would spare nothing to do her harm. It was principally those that she feared. Then