Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 10.djvu/72

 REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [CH. 57. February. son's life if danger might rise by him to her Highness. He had done ill, but not all the ill with which he was charged ; and she would find in time that Norfolk was not really such a traitor as he had given her too much cause to believe him/ 1 Elizabeth was not deceived by all this non- sense. The Duke meant it perhaps when he wrote it, and he would mean something else when temptation came to him from the other side. But there were other considerations which inclined her to be merciful. 'When she speaketh of the danger/ wrote Burghley, ' she concludeth that justice should be done ; when she speaketh of his nearness of blood, and his superiority in honour, she stayeth.' On the Qth of February she signed a warrant for the execution. The following Monday was fixed for it. The scaffold was prepared, and Tower Hill, at the appointed time, was choked with spectators. But on the Sunday night she sent for Burghley, and told him that the thought of Norfolk's death was too dreadful to her. She issued orders for his respite, and ' the expectation of the people was answered ' only by the appearance of Berney and Mather. 2 The Duke, in a flood of tears, prayed ' that he might be able to make recompense for such over- 1 Norfolk to Elizabeth, January 23 : MURDIN. The Duke talked to Sir Henry Skipwith in the Tower in the same tone. He said that ' to his eternal infamy he had dealt with the Queen of Scots and had broken his promise to his Sovereign ; but he VONVect to (rod. that if he was now offered to have that woman in mar- riage and choose that or death, he would rather have death a hundred times, and took his Saviour to wit- ness of it.' Skipwith to Burghley Ibid. 2 Burghley to Walsingham, Feb- ruary ii.