The Irish standard., 1889-03-16

heritical assembly of this country as
was this day communicated to me by
Lord Buckhurst. Amias PaulY ny
keeper, one DrurY, knight, and secre-
tary named Beale, commanding me in
the name of their queen to prepare to
receive death, and offering me one OF
their bishops and dean for consola.
tion, the priest whom had having been
taken away and kept know not where
/ considered it my first duty to turn tc
God and then with my own hand to
write to your Holiness, in order, that as
I cannot make it known to you before
my death, vet afterwards the reason and
intent may be- manifest to you, which
is. the whole being duly considered, the
subversion of their religion in this
island, designed they say by me, and in
my favor attempted, by their own OBJ
jecUs obedient to your laws by the Cath.
olic princes and my family, who all
name me as heir TO his crown in their
prayers.
81 leaye it to your Holiness to con-
slider the consequences of such a sent
ence, entreating you to have prayers
said for my poor soul, and the souls of
all those who are dead or dyeing, for
the same or the like judgment. And
my intention being, according to the
constitution Of the Church, to confess,
to do such penance as can, and to re-
ceiye the Vlaticum, If can obtain my
chaplain to administer the said sacra-
ments. In default whereof, with con-
trite and penitent heart, 1 PROSTATE my.
self at the feet of Your Holiness, con-
Tossing myself to God and His saints,
and to your paternity, to be most un-
worthy sinner, and guilty of eternal
loss, if it do not please the good God,
who died for penitent sinners, to have
mercy, elltreating you to take this, my
general submission, as a testimony Of
my intention to accomplish all that is
commanded by the Church. and to save
my poor soul, between which and the
justice of good interpose the blood of
Jesus Christ, cruciied for me and for
all sinners, the worst of whom confess
myself to be, nay more, voluntarily Of
fering at the foot of His Cross my blood
for my adherence to His Church, and
the faithful zeal feel for it, as without
the restoration of it I never desire to
hive in this wretched world. Never
having any intention, as my servants
present in my affection will testify.
have wi hngly offered my life in their
heretical assembly, to maintain my
Catholic, Apostolic and Roman re-
ligion, and bring back the wanderers of
this island, that would voluntarily lay
down all title and dignity of Queen, and
do all honor and service to theirs if she
would cease to persecute the Catholics,
[ have no ambition or desire to reign.
or d1spossess another for my sake. being
from sickness and long afHlctlon so en-
feebled that 1 have no desire, to exert
myself in this world except in the SER
vice of the Church, and to regain the
souls Of this island to God.
Behold the sum of my worldly de-
sires, tending, as I understand it, tothe
good of the Church and the discharge
of my conscience, and I lay it at the
feet of Your Holiness, which most
humbly kiss. You will have true &C.
count of the manner Of my last hour
and of all the proceedings. that, under
stanolng the truth, the calumnies
againstm Of the enemies Of the Church
may, by you, be refuted and the truth
known.
Requesting to the end your benedlc-
tion, 1 say tc you the last adieu, praying
God to preserve your person in His
grace for the welfare of the Church and
of your desolate flock, especially of this
island, which I leave erring aud de-
luded, without Gods mercy and your
paternal care.
"Of Your Holiness the most humble
and obedient daughter, MARY,
Queen of Scotland, Dowager of
France"
1t will be perceived how often in the
above letter the Queen Identifies herself
with the cause of the Church in Eng
land. And it was this which made
Burghley look upon her execution as a
sacred duty, for which 1T was convent
ent that the two Archblshops tCanter-
bury and York; and four Bishops should
petition Elizabeth, as we are told in the
domestic annals of that Princess, it be-
ing the custom Of the lords spiritual to
absent themselves on such occasions.
The sentence tending to the good of
Professionalism, he thinks an exception
should be made. The words of the
above letter will appeal to every Cath
olic heart, and plead the cause of Mary
Stuart. DefuHcta a6huc loquitur, and
through the long vista of three centuries
the voice of this Catholic Queen comes
to proclaim with unerring certainty the
ancient faith ,,f thia land and ita former