Cousin to the Queen



Twenty years before Elizabeth had her beheaded

Mary, Queen of Scots, was imprisoned, unsteadied

By the lost attempt to retain the throne at Carberry

Resulting in her abdication in favor of her son Jimmy



But, one year later she would escape Lochleven

And assemble a six-thousand-man-army together

Even so, it was defeated at Langside, near Glasgow

So she abandoned Scotland, and began a new show



Entreating her cousin, Elizabeth, to help get it back

But Elizabeth had her imprisoned, fearing her attack

And even from her prison cell, Mary hatched a plan

To assassinate Elizabeth, befriending her page-man 



And so, Mary was brought to trial in fifteen eighty-six

Sentenced to death, and then awaited the axe-pick

For another three months as her cousin contemplated

Having her own cousin executed - an act she hated



But Mary had become such a pest and thorn in the side

Even the regal Queen Elizabeth the First had enough pride

To know her country united was more important than her blood ties

And so, she signed the warrant of execution with tears in her eyes

 

- Tristram



© Christopher W. Thomas

written 9:30am Thurs. 6/17/99

for the date June 16th, 1999



Mary, Queen of Scots was imprisoned at Lockleven

on this date in 1567. She escaped on May 2nd, 1568.

Ten days later, her army was defeated, and she went 

to England, where Elizabeth the First imprisoned her.

She was sentenced to death on October 25th, 1586.

Elizabeth signed the warrant on February 1st, 1587.

Mary was beheaded one week later.



NB

Mary was the daughter of James V, who was the son of Margaret, 

Henry the VIII's sister, who married James IV. (Henry VIII was father

to Elizabeth I thru his marriage to Anne Boleyn - his second wife.)