Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 11.djvu/58

 REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [CH. 63. cution, his body making great rebounding with sighs and sobs, evident signs of the mighty inward working of the Spirit of God/ ' Then/ says a spectator, ' he shook hands with us all round and bade us farewell in the Lord. So con- stantly, patiently, humbly, without fear of death, he placed his craig under the axe, his hands being un- bound, and crying continually, Lord Jesus, receive my soul ; Into Thy hands, Lord, I commend my soul, the axe fell, and whatever he had been before, he died the true servant of God.' * ' So/ reported Mendoza to Philip, ' all is well over, and blessed be God the event is far better than a few days since we feared. The King was then hesitating, but we see now that it was only from a sagacious desire to compass his end more effectually, to make clear the innocence of his mother, and throw the guilt of his father's murder on Morton and the heretics. This is a grand beginning, from which we may look soon for the recovery of that realm to Christ ; God being pleased that so pernicious a heretic should be removed out of the way by a chastisement so signal and so exemplary.' 2 The victory of Lennox had been complete. He had destroyed the Protestant champions, broken up the English party, sown divisions among themselves, ind made shipwreck of Elizabeth's honour. A little more, 1 Narrative of the Confession and Execution of the Earl of Morton : Illustrations of Scottish History, p. 493- 2 Mendoza to Philip, June 15, 1581 : MSS. Simaneas.