First, she was of stature high, big made and somewhat round shouldered, her face broad and fatt, double chinned and hazel eyed: her borrowed hair aborne, having on her head a dressing of lawn edged with bone lace, a pomander chain, an Agnus Dei about her neck, a crucifix in her hand, and a pair of Beads at her girdle with a golden Cross at the end of them, a veil of lawn fastened to her caul bowed out with wire and edged round about with bone lace, a gown of black satin printed with a train, and long sleeves to the ground set with acorn buttons of jet trimmed with pearl, and short sleeves of satin black cut with a pair of sleeves of purple velvet, whole under them a whole kyrtle of figured satin black, her petticoat upper body's unlaced in the back of crimson satin and her petticoat skirts of crimson velvet, her shoes Spanish leather with the rough side outward, a pair of green silk garters, her nether stocks of worsted coloured watchette clocked with silver and edged on the tops with silver, and next her legs a pair of Jersey hose white. * * * * * FROM THE ASHMOLE MS. 830, F. 13, IN THE BODLEIAN LIBRARY, OXFORD The manner of the Scottish Queen's execution performed the 8th of February 1586 in the great hall within the Castle of Fotheringham. The said Scottish Queen being attended by the sheriffs and supported by two of Sir Amias Paulet's gentlemen, came out of her chamber down into an entry next to the hall about 10 of the clock, at which place the Earl of Shrewsbury, the Earl of Kent, commissioners for the execution, with the two governors of her person, and divers knights and gentlemen, justices of the peace within the County of Northampton, going out of the hall did meet her, where they found one of her servants named Melvin kneeling on his knees uttering these words, "Madam, it will be the sorrowfullest message that ever I carried when I shall report that my Queen and mistress is dead." Then the Queen of Scots weeping answered him, "You ought to rejoice rather than weep, for that the end of all Marie Stuard's troubles is now come; thou knowest, Melvin, that all this world is but vanity and full of troubles, but carry thou this message unto my son, and tell my friends that I die a true woman to my religion, true Scottish and true French. God forgive them that have long desired my end, but God, the true Judge of all secret thoughts, knoweth my mind, how that ever it hath been my desire to have Scotland and England united together. But commend me to my son once again, and tell him that I have not done anything that can be prejudicial to his state, and say unto him from me that he trust not too much to practices and policies, for practices and policies will have an end. Farewell." And kissing him she bade him pray for her. Then she turned her face to the Lords, the commissioners, and told them she had certain requests to make unto them, one was for a sum of money to be paid to