Series 3 > Mary Queen of Scots and the Babington plot

Ixxii MARY STUART AND THE BABINGTON PLOT
2. What is the Value of Tyrrell's Evidence.
After reading this extraordinary record of mutability
in matters where men are generally more firm, the question
will arise, What of his evidence concerning the plot ?
Tyrrell had no real connection with it. He had been
imprisoned before Babington communicated with Mary.
He is not named by any of the genuine conspirators (except
to reject some stray statement quoted to them from his
confessions), nor does he mention (either truly or falsely)
any detail of the genuine conspiracy. But he had long
been intimate with Ballard, and that agitator had asked
him ‘ to persuade all the friends he could to be ready ’ 1
for an invasion; and he had perhaps complied to some
extent. In abject terror lest he should suffer for this,
he had sought to propitiate Lord Burghley by turning
Queen’s evidence, and saying everything he possibly could
against his former friend. Mr. Froude and his followers
accept these accusations in full, discarding his subsequent
recantations with the sneer that they were written when
Tyrrell had ‘ fallen into the hands of the priests.’ 2 As if
the testimony given out of fear of death, or torture, or for
the receipt of money or other advantages were of more
value than that offered in spite of personal inconvenience
or danger, and without hope of reward !
But the real difficulty lies deeper. We are here dealing
with a man who was suffering from hysteria or intense
nervous strain. When terrified, he became quite un¬
reliable, and fell at once, like a bird before a snake; he
was no longer responsible for his words. This must
influence the credence we give to him.
Yet he was not always under the spell of fear, and we
1 Boyd, p. 655.
2 History (1870), xi. p. 45, n.