? ? ? ?Queen Elizabeth I was much more concerned about of losing her throne than to any attempt on her life by an assassin. One day, when she was sitting in the Royal barge on the River Thames with the French Ambassador a bullet flew past her and struck one of the boatmen. Only moments before the Queen had instructed the boatmen to row slower in order that she could read a book, and it was this instruction that saved her from injury.? ? ?The Queen was considerably concerned for the wounded servant and personnally instructed her companions to provide the man with as much relief as could be immediately provided. Later when the wounded fellow became faint she commanded that her own cloak be placed over him.? ? ?In due course a serving man was arrested for firing the shot that had so narrowly missed the Royal personage. Convicted and sentenced to death, the Queen's council much implored Elizabeth to have the criminal suffer the most horrible of deaths. On the day of execution however, there was a great surprise in store for the assembled spectators when it was suddenly announced that Elizabeth had decided to save the man from the gallows. The Queen it seems had come to the conclusion that the shot had not been made intentionally and she had therefore instructed that he should be saved from the gallows. Elizabeth mercifully saying that `She, would rather suffer the wounds the Bargeman now hath, tenfold, than that the meanest of her subjects should be unjustly condemned'.