Volume I Part 3 (2/2)

For various reasons, however, this was the policy which the Guises chose to pursue Nor did they proceed to assert her right with any particular delicacy or caution Whenever the Dauphin and his Queen caland; and the English arraved upon their plate, embroidered upon their scutcheons and banners, and painted on their furniture[22] Mary's favourite device, also, at this time, was the two crowns of France and Scotland, with the land The predictionthis piece of e of Mary Stuart's,” said he, ”will not be easily borne”

About this time Mary seems to have been attacked with the first serious illness which had overtaken her in France It was not of that acute description which confined her to bed, but was a sort of general debility acco It is mentioned in Forbes's State Papers, that on one occasion, to prevent her fro her wine from the altar

There were sorief had this illness ended fatally, considering how serious a blow Mary's death would have been to the too predoland, the neould have been particularly agreeable to Elizabeth, whose aence that Mary was not expected to be of long continuance The natural strength of her constitution, however, soon restored her to her former health and spirits

But it was destined that there was to be another and more unexpected death at the French Court Henry II, while exhibiting his prowess at a tournahter Elizabeth to Philip of Spain, in July 1559, received a wound in the head frooh apparently not of ht days afterwards A considerable change immediately took place in the aspect of the Court The stars of the duchess de Valentinois, and of the Constable Month not entirely obscured, shone lower in the horizon She was now only the second lady in France, Mary Stuart taking the precedence The Guises reigned along with her, and the House of Bourbon trembled Catharine, who could bear no superior, hter, could ill disguise her chagrin As a guardian, however, of her late husband's younger sons, the presumptive heirs to the crown, she was entitled to maintain her place and authority in the Government There is a curious little anecdote of her which shoon herthe Palace of the Tournelles, to accompany Francis to the Louvre, where he was to appear as the new Sovereign, she fell into a reverie, and in traversing the gallery, took a wrong turn, and was entirely separated from her party before she discovered her mistake She soon overtook them, however, and as they passed out, said to Mary,--”Pass on, Madam, it is now your turn to take precedence” Mary accepted the courtesy, but with becoe first[23] There is soe which Henry's death produced in the condition of the venerable Montmorency and his family He whonity to their counsels, and ensured success to their ar in the palace of the feeble and entrammelled Francis With a princely retinue, he retired honourably to his ht of European grandeur The Queen of terful countries--and the heir-presue,--and, from her superior mental endowments, much more worshi+pped, even in France, than her husband, she affords at this period of her history as striking an exas of fortune in one person She stood unluckily on too high and glorious a pinnacle to be able to retain her position long, consistent with the _vices vitae mortalium_ Whilst she conducted herself with a prudence and propriety altogether re her youth and the susceptibility of her nature, she began to be regarded with suspicion at once by France, England, and Scotland In France, she was obliged to bear the blaovernland, Elizabeth took every opportunity to load with opprobrium a sister Queen, whose descent, birth, station, and accomplishments, were so much superior to her own;--in Scotland, the Reformers, inspired by James Stuart, ith ulterior views of his oas contented to act as the tool of Elizabeth, laboured toand narrow-minded Catholic

In Septe the remainder of the season, he and Mary, attended by their nobles, h the country In Dece ent, by the advice of his physicians, to Blois, celebrated for the mildness of its clinorant superstition of the French peasantry to learn, that on his journey thither, every village through which he passed was deserted

An absurd story had been circulated, and was universally believed, that the nature of Francis's complaints were such, that they could only be cured by the royal patient bathing in the blood of young children Francis hih probably not informed of the cause, observed with pain hoas every where shunned; and, notwithstanding the soothing tenderness of Mary, who accompanied him, is said to have exclaimed to the Cardinal Lorraine, ”What have I done to be thus shunned and detested? They fly me; my people abhor ”[24]

Misfortunes, it is said, never co the part of an affectionate nurse to her husband, she sustained an irretrievable loss in the death of her ent, in June 1560; and in the Dece, her husband, Francis, died at Orleans, in the 17th year of his age, and the 17ththat his exhausted constitution was sinking rapidly, and that his death was at hand, almost the last words he spoke were to testify his affection for Mary, and his sense of her virtues He earnestly beseeched his hter, and his brother to look upon her as a sister He was a prince, says Conaeus, in whom, had he lived, more merit would probably have been discovered than s in France was by this event instantly changed again Francis the Little, as he was contemptuously termed by the French, in opposition to his father Francis the Great, was succeeded by his younger brother, Charles IX He being still a et herself appointed his guardian, and thus became once more Queen of France, the nobility, as Chal inary _majority_ Catharine's jealousy of Mary Stuart, of course extended itself, with greater justice, to her uncles of Guise It was now their turn to make way for Montuing statese, retired, in no very charitable mood of mind, to his archbishopric at Rheims, where, in a fit of spleen, he declared he would devote hily nave and aement” ”The Queen- Francis, her son, because she had na guiding of him, but only the Duke of Guise and the Cardinal, his brother, by raisoun that the Queen, our maistress, was their sister's dochter Sa, the Queen-overnment of the house of Guise; and for their cause (sake) she had a greatof our Queen” Of Montmorency, who, as soon as he heard of the illness of Francis, commenced his journey towards the Court, he says,--”The Constable, also chargit to come to the court, looked for na less, and sea little journees, caried in a horse-litter, drew ti, in the meantime, died Then he lap on horsbak and cam freely to the Court and coardit the Croun, by the Duke of Guise commandement, to pack thelaid of his co of Navarre, she mycht the better dryve the house of Guise to the door” Of Mary, who, it eher friends in disgrace, and knawing hirself no to be weil liked, left the Court, and was a sorro when I took entilentilhbourhood of Orleans, Mary had retired to shed in private those tears, which the death of her husband called forth

In losing Francis, she had lost the playmate of her childhood, the husband of her youth, and what, by many women, would be considered as serious a loss as either, the rank and title of Queen of France It was here, probably, that she composed those verses to the raphers have so frequently copied, and which are so full of gentle and unaffected feeling

Mary, however, was at this tie of too much importance in the politics and affairs of Europe, to be left long unence of that sincere, but cohteen New suitors were even now beginning to form hopes of an alliance with her; and two of the earliest in the field were, Don Carlos of Spain, and the King of Navarre But Mary was determined to listen to no proposals of a ed the plan of her future life France was no longer for her the country it had once been Her affectionate father-in-law Henry, and her ah weak, husband Francis, both of whom commanded for her the first rank in the State, were dead; her mother would never visit her more, for her tomb had already been erected at Rheims, and her proud uncles had been banished froh a spirit, and knew her own superiority too well, to brook for a hty control of Catharine de Medicis She felt that not all the blood of all the er to an equality with one who, as it is said she herself once expressed it, drew her descent fros

Catharine felt this painfully, and the more so, that when Mary once more made her appearance at Court, she perceived, in the words of Miss Benger, that ”the char accomplishments, had raised the _woman_ above the _Queen_”

In the mean time, by the Reformed party in Scotland, the news of the death of Francis was received with any thing but sorrow Knox declared triulory had perished, and that the pride of his stubborn heart had vanished into smoke” The Lord Jaregation to proceed to France, to ascertain whether the Queen intended returning to her native country, and if she did, to influence her as ospel and its friends Nor were the Catholics inactive at this critical juncture Awas held, at which were present the Archbishop of St Andrews, the Bishops of Aberdeen, Murray, and Ross, the Earls of Huntly, Athol, Crawfurd, and Sutherland, and many other persons of distinction, by whom it was determined to send as _their_ ambassador to Mary, John Lesly, afterwards Bishop of Ross, and one of the Queen's staunchest friends, both during her life and after it He was of course instructed to give her a very different account of the state of matters from that which the Lord James would do He was to speak to her of the power and influence of the Catholic party; and to contrast their fidelity both to her and to her s of those who supported the covenant

The Lord Jaland, and Lesly sailed froood speed; and Lesly arrived at Vitry in Cha, only one day before the Prior of St Andrews He lost no tih there is little doubt that his vieere more sincere and honourable than those of her brother, it is at the saave her was judicious; and it is probably fortunate that Mary's good sense and moderation led her to reject it Lesly coainst the crafty speeches which he knew the Lord Ja her that his principal object was to insinuate hieion The Prior, Lesly assured her, was not so warm in the cause of the Reformers, from any conviction of its truth, as fro-stone for his own a with her to Scotland an armed force, and to land at Aberdeen, or some northern port, where the Earl of Huntly and her other friends would join her with a nuht advance towards Edinburgh, and defeat at once the machinations of her enemies The Queen, in reply to all this, merely desired that Lesly should re him to write, in the mean time, to the Lords and Prelates who sent him, to inform them of her favourable sentiments towards them, and of her intention to come speedily home[27]

The day after Lesly's audience, Mary's old friend the Lord James (for it will be remembered, that thirteen years before he had come to France with her, and he had in the interval paid her one or two visits) obtained an intervieith his sister He had every desire to retain the favourable place which he flattered hiid a Refor his Scottish friends, his conscience does not see all the court he could to his Catholic Sovereign In the course of his conversation with her, he carefully avoided every subject which reeable to Mary He beseeched her to believe, that she would not find the ren troops in Scotland, as the whole nation was prepared faithfully to obey her This assurance was true, as it turned out; but it is not quite certain whether the Prior of St Andreas thinking, at the ti convenient, for various reasons, that Mary should have no standing force, at her coeneral sort of answer that she had previously given to Lesly At the saht to his arguher consideration, for a reason which Melville furnishes It appears that the French nobleland had returned from Scotland, had all assured her, that she would find it most for her interest to associate in her councils the leaders of the Reforyle, who had married her natural sister, the Lady Jane Stuart,--and Maitland of Lethington

It is worthy of notice, that, affairs of state having been discussed, the Prior ventured to speak a word or two for his own interest He requested that the Earldoht be conferred on him, and the Queen promised to attend to his request on her return to Scotland Having thus prudently discharged his co Elizabeth on his way ho over into France About the same time, many of the Scotch nobility, in anticipation of her speedy return, ca them, was the celebrated Earl of Bothwell[28]

CHAPTER VI

MARY'S RETURN TO SCOTLAND, AND PREVIOUS NEGOTIATIONS WITH ELIZABETH

Elizabeth being inforht the opportunity a favourable one, for adjusting with her one or two of their reements Mary's refusal to ratify the celebrated treaty of Edinburgh, had particularly galled the English Queen Most of the essential articles of that treaty had already been carried into effect; and as Francis and Mary had sent their ambassadors into Scotland with full powers, they were bound according to the ordinary laws of diploree to whatever concessions their plenipotentiaries reatly an overmatch for Monluc” In the sixth article, which was by far the ot the French delegates to consent to a declaration, that Francis and Mary should abstain froland, not only during the life of Elizabeth, but ”_in all ti_” There was here so palpable a departure from all law and justice, that, if there was ever a case in which a sovereign was justified in refusing to sanction the blunders of his representatives, it was this Robertson's observations on the point are forcible and correct ”The ratification of this article,” says he, ”would have been of the land was an object worthy of her anity and importance in the eyes of all Europe By many, her title was esteelish themselves, the Roman Catholics, who formed at that time a numerous and active party, openly espoused this opinion; and even the Protestants, who supported Elizabeth's throne, could not deny the Queen of Scots to be her immediate heir A proper opportunity to avail herself of all these advantages, could not, in the course of things, be far distant, andthis opportunity nearer than was expected In these circu the article in dispute, would have lost that rank which she had hitherto held a princes; the zeal of her adherents ht have renounced, frolish crown”

Mary, therefore, cannot be, in fairness, bla this treaty But, as has been already said, she allowed herself to be persuaded to a very great imprudence, when she advanced, what she declared to be a present and existing clairavation of the offence, which Elizabeth could never pardon She deterh not quite so directly She found means to hint to her friends in Scotland, that it would not be disagreeable to her, were the Earl of Arran, eldest son of the Duke of Chatelherault, and, after his father, presumptive heir to the throne, to propose hily done, and must have touched Mary very closely, especially as she had no children by her husband Francis But as Elizabeth had never any serious intention of accepting of Arran's proposals, she was resolved upon taking another andMary

Knowing that she possessed the coined that she had it in her power to prevent, if she chose, Mary's return to her own kingdo her, therefore, as in coe, she deter the ratification of the treaty of Edinburgh With this view, she desired Sir Nicolas Throckmorton, her ambassador at Paris, to wait on the Queen of Scots, ostensibly to congratulate her on her recovery froue, but in reality to press this ranted to Throckave him a feeeks afterwards, introduce us to her, for the first ti for herself, in her public and important capacity of Queen of Scotland

All historians unite in expressing their adnified h only in her nineteenth year We have fortunately a full account of both conferences, furnished by Sir Nicolas Throckland

The a expressed Elizabeth's happiness at Mary's recovery, proceeded to renew the de the treaty of Edinburgh Mary, in answer, said, that she begged to thank the Queen her good sister for her congratulations, and though she was not yet in perfect health, she thanked God for her evident convalescence As to the treaty of Edinburgh, she begged to postpone giving any final answer in the affair until she had taken the advice of the nobles and estates of her own realh this matter,” she said, ”doth touch me principally, yet doth it also touch the nobles and estates of my realm; and, therefore, it is meet that I use their advice therein Heretofore they have see without them, and now they would be more offended if I should proceed in this matter of myself without their advice” She added, that she intended to return home soon, and that she was about to send an ambassador to Elizabeth, to require of her the coe which princes usually ask of each other in such cases In a spirit of conciliation and sound policy, she concluded with these words ”Though the terms wherein we have stood heretofore have been somewhat hard, yet I trust, that frohbours I iven jealousy to the Queen my sister, andundone to satisfy all parties, trusting the Queen ood sister will do the like, and that from henceforth none of my disobedient subjects shall find aid or support at her hands”--Seeing that Mary was not to bethis treaty, Throckion

His object was to ascertain what course she intended to pursue towards the Scottish Reformers Mary stated to him distinctly her views upon this important matter, and there was a consistency and moderation in them hardly to have been expected from the niece of the Cardinal of Lorraine, had we not been previously aware of the strength of her superior mind ”I will be plain with you,” said she to the aion which I profess I take to be most acceptable to God; and indeed, I neither know, nor desire to know, any other Constancy becometh all people well, but none better than princes, and such as have rule over realht up in this religion, and who ht in this case” ”I aion every year; _but I h I could wish that they were all as I am; and I trust they shall have no support to constrain me_” It will be seen, in the sequel, whether Mary ever deviated for a moment from the principles she here laid down

Throckmorton ventured to ask, if she did not think many errors had crept into her church, and whether she had ever seriously weighed the argu, and not well learned,” she replied modestly, ”yet have I heard this matter oft disputed by ht they could say soe reat errors have co the y, of which errors and disorders he wished there ht be a reformation” Here this conference concluded[29]