I have suffered much for two years and more, and could not let you know it for important reasons. God be praised for all, and may He give you the grace to persevere in the service of His Church as long as you live, and may this honour never leave our race; so that we, men as well as women, may be ready to shed our blood to maintain the quarrel of the faith, putting aside all worldly interests. And as for me, I esteem myself born, both on the paternal and maternal side, to offer my blood for it, and I have no intention of degenerating. May Jesus--for us crucified--and may all the holy martyrs, by their intercession, render us worthy of willingly offering our bodies to His glory. _From_ FOTHERINGAY _this Thursday 24th November._ Thinking to degrade me, they had my dais taken down, and afterwards my guardian came to offer to write to their Queen, saying he had not done this by her order, but by the advice of some of the council. I showed them the cross of my Saviour, in the place where my arms had been on the said dais. You shall hear all our conversation. They have been more gentle since.--Your affectionate cousin and perfect friend, MARIE, QUEEN OF SCOTLAND, DOWAGER OF FRANCE. CHAPTER VII WAITING FOR DEATH While her cousin was thus bidding farewell to her best friends, and calmly preparing for death, Elizabeth was a prey to indecision, and, in spite of the entreaties of her ministers, dared not sign the warrant of execution. About the 29th of November Burleigh thus writes to Davison: "The sentence is already more than a month and four days old, and it is time it should speak." Paulet on his side was equally anxious for the end, and writes as follows to Walsingham: "I should fear lest Fotheringay were forgotten, if I did not know that this lady under my charge has given great cause to be remembered by all true and faithful subjects." And again in the same letter, "I thank God I have conceived a most steadfast hope of a happy resolution, and yet the experience of former times doth teach us that opportunities neglected are very often accompanied with very dangerous effects."[68] [Footnote 68: _Letter Books of Sir Amyas Paulet_, p. 320.] To mitigate some of these "dangerous effects" probably, and fearing that Mary's partisans would make an attempt upon Fotheringay, Paulet had asked for an addition to his garrison of forty soldiers, and his demand was at once complied with. With the newcomers the garrison now mustered seventy foot soldiers and fifty bowmen.