he had his life promised him, but it was not fit to let him live to tell tales." Trial and execution The evidence against Mark Smeaton rested on his expenditure and the one reported conversation. His trial took place at Westminster Hall, but it was generally believed there was no question of his guilt. After being found guilty, Smeaton was condemned to death on 12 May 1536, as were the four other men accused of being the Queen's lovers. Queen Anne was condemned to death three days later. It was alleged by one of Anne's ladies-in-waiting, thought to be Elizabeth Browne, Countess of Worcester, that the Queen "admitted some of her court to come into her chamber at undue hours". On news that Smeaton was now clapped in irons, Queen Anne replied dismissively, "he was a person of mean birth and the others were all gentlemen". It is said that when she heard Smeaton had failed to withdraw his "confession" in fully explicit terms, the Queen expressed anger. As he was being led to his execution, Smeaton stumbled back from the bloody scaffold. Collecting himself, he said despairingly, "Masters, I pray you all pray for me, for I have deserved the death". Smeaton's form of execution was beheading, rather than the brutal quartering usually assigned to commoners; the reason is thought to have been due to his co-operation with Anne's enemies. Smeaton's body was buried in a common grave with one of the other accused adulterers, William Brereton. Years after Smeaton's death, Queen Mary convinced herself that her sister, Elizabeth, whom she considered a rival for her throne, was illegitimate and actually the product of the alleged affair between Smeaton and Anne. Mary repeated on more than one occasion that she thought Elizabeth had the "face and countenance" of Smeaton. However, Elizabeth's resemblance to Henry was so obvious that Mary had little luck in convincing anyone else, and the accusation that Smeaton was Elizabeth's father died with Mary. A poem about the five executed men, allegedly written by Sir Thomas Wyatt the Elder, contains the following verse dedicated to Mark Smeaton: Ah! Mark, what moan should I for thee make more, Since that thy death thou hast deserved best, Save only that mine eye is forced sore With piteous plaint to moan thee with the rest? A time thou hadst above thy poor degree, The fall whereof thy friends may