The partisans of Mary can give no reason for preferring one to the other.

Not the slightest evidence ever appeared to support any one of them.

Neither at that time, nor at any time afterwards, was any reason discovered, by the numerous zealots at home and abroad who had embraced Mary's defence, to lead us to the belief of any of these three suppositions; and even her apologists at present seem not to have fixed on any choice among these supposed possibilities.

The positive proof of two very credible witnesses, supported by the other very strong circumstances, still remains unimpeached.

Babington, who had an extreme interest to have communication with the queen of Scots, believed he had found a means of correspondence with her, and had received an answer from her.