Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 10.djvu/231

1573-1 THE MASSACRE OF ST BARTHOLOMEW. 211 own safety under a strong guard to Drury's quarters at Leith. 1 His fate and that of the others were referred to Elizabeth's consideration ; but a letter from Alva was found in the Castle which showed how deeply they had been implicated in the late conspiracies, and, in forwarding it to Burghley, Killigrew was unable to advise that either he or Grange or Hume should be spared. Maitland had burnt the greater part of his correspondence on the last night of the siege ; but this letter, which remained, and others of equal importance from France, removed the last traces of uncertainty, if uncertainty remained, as to the real meaning of the long and obstinate resistance of the Castle. ' The Edin- burgh ministers preached daily that God's plague woulcj rest on such as should pronounce . favour for traitors. The unthankfullest thing which could come from Eng- land would be a suit for suspending the execution.' And Killigrew' s own opinion was ' that they were fitter for God than for the world/ 2 Elizabeth, who could never bring herself without re luctance to consent to executions, after thanking Drur^ for his services, regretted that she should be called on to express an opinion 'for the punishment of offences done in another Prince's kingdom ; ' but since the fate of the prisoners was referred to her, she said she must have ' particulars in writing of the quantity and quality of the charges against them ; ' and she desired Killigrew to see them ' lodged ' meanwhile ' where they should be in 1 Drury to Cecil, June i. 2 Killigrew to Burghley, June 5 : MSS. Conway