312 REIGN OF LLIZABETH. [CH. 65. Before the promised commissioners ar- rived, Secretary Beale was again despatched to Sheffield with an answer to the passionate reproaches which Mary Stuart had addressed to her in the past November. That letter has been regarded by the Queen of Scots' admirers as a masterpiece of power and beauty ; the reply, as an English composition, was more than its equal. It bore Elizabeth's name, and may have been written by herself, but in the nerve and sinew of its sentences, it presents no feature of resemblance to the tortuous affectation of her ordinary personal style, and is the most complete defence which exists of her past behaviour towards her prisoner.
- We have delayed our answer,' so ran Mr Beale's
instructions, ' not for want of matter, having sufficient for our defence before God and the world, but from respect to herself though not deserved on her part, for that we could not justify ourselves without renewing the memory of horrible acts of hers which we wish were rather buried in silence than revived to her in- famy. You shall let her understand that if she was as free from the guilt of those horrible acts that in the open eye of the world she has been publicly noted withal, as we with reason rest free from remorse of any extremity that we have ever offered to her, she should enjoy more peace and quietness than presently she doth. .... And seeing she deeply charges our conscience, we think ourselves bound in conscience to let her know that if anything towards herward may justly breed in us remorse, it is the care we have had for the safety of
