Volume I Part 7 (2/2)

The Earl of Murray, on the other hand, having thrown off his allegiance to his own Sovereign, became entirely subservient to the wishes and commands of Elizabeth He and his friends wrote to request that she would send them, as a proof of her sincerity in the cause, the sum of three thousand pounds to meet the expenses of the current year; and they would thus be able, they i before then assistance They likewise suggested that Lord Hume, whose estates lay on the Borders, and as one of the Scottish Queen's most faithful servants, should be harassed by some ostensibly accidental incursions;--that the Bishop of Dumblane, as to be sent on an embassy to the Continent, should be delayed in London till ”his budgets were rifled by soht or other;”--and that Bothwell, whom Mary was about to recall, to obtain his assistance in her present difficulties, should be ”kept in good surety” for a time[96] To all this Elizabeth replied, that if the Lords suffered any inconvenience, ”they should not find lack in her to succour them” She hinted, however, that the less reater expense than their security er” ”This letter,” says Keith, ”is an evident de a rebellion in Scotland; and the rebellious Lords knew too hat they had to trust to”

One can hardly attees, the secret causes which led to the iniquitous rebellion now organized, without feeling it alnation both at the lish Queen, and the overweening aratitude of the Earl of Murray Mary's conduct, since her return from France, had been almost unexceptionable The only fault she had committed, and the necessity of the ti too implicitly to the counsels of her brother These had been in some instances judicious, and in others, the natural severity of his temper had been rebuked by the overnment had ever been more popular in Scotland than hers

Her choice of Lord Darnley for a husband, so far fro the estireat body of her subjects, only contributed to raise her in their opinion For the sake of the political advantages which would result to her country froo h the iht ulti her own happiness, his birth and expectations were exactly such as gave hiht to be the father of Jaious opinions be objected to, for, whatever they were, they did not influence the Queen;--indeed, ever since she had known him, she had treated the Protestants with even ston's child, she remained and heard a Protestant sermon; and about the same time she intih she was not persuaded of the truth of any religion except of that in which she had been brought up, she would nevertheless allow a conference and disputation on the Scriptures in her presence, and also a public preaching froarded as ”a htness”[97] All these things considered, one is at a loss to conceive how, even in these restless tiainst Mary

But the selfish and insidious policy of Elizabeth--the jealousy of the Duke of Chatelherault, in whose family rested the succession to the Scottish crown, and who had hoped that his son Arran e of the Earl of Argyle, who had been obliged to surrender to Lennox sorasping spirit of Murray, solve the enigma Whatever opinion s it appears but too evident, that the first serious troubles of her reign were forced upon her in spite of her utues of eneerous, because they had for a tiuise of friends

Whatever the hopes or wishes of the conspiratorshave it in their power to make their desire to prevent her nuptials a pretext for continuing in arms On Sunday, the 29th of July 1565, she celebrated her e with Darnley, upon who others that of Duke of Albany[98] The banns of ate church, the palace of Holyrood being in that parish; and, as Mary and Darnley were first cousins, a Catholic dispensation had been obtained fro to the Catholic ritual, in the chapel of Holyrood, between five and six in the e to , and Bishop of Brechin, had the honour of presiding on the occasion It was generally remarked, that a handsomer couple had never been seen in Scotland Mary was noenty-three, and at the very height of her beauty, and Darnley, though only nineteen, was of a e would have indicated The festivities were certainly not such as had attended the Queen's first ancies of life were not understood in Scotland as in France; and, besides, it was a tied to stand round the altar Nevertheless, all due observances and rejoicings lent a dignity to the occasion Mary, in a flowing robe of black, with a widehood, was led into the chapel by the Earls of Lennox and Athol, who, having conducted her to the altar, retired to bring in the bridegrooreat attendance of Lords and Ladies, three rings were put upon the Queen's finger--the ether, and many prayers were said over them At their conclusion, Darnley kissed his bride, and as he did not himself profess the Catholic faith, left her till she should hear mass She was afterwards followed by most of the coarments, to intiet the grief occasioned by the loss of her first husband In observance of an old custoh were per out a pin She was then co splendour, brought her to the ball-roo till dinner time At dinner, Darnley appeared in his royal robes; and after a great flourish of tru the multitude who surrounded the palace The Earls of Athol, Morton, and Crawfurd, attended the Queen as sewer, carver, and cup-bearer; and the Earls of Eglinton, Cassilis, and Glencairn, performed the like offices for Darnley When dinner was over, the dancing was renewed till supper-tiht[99]

The rejoicings that attended the co of Scotland, were but of short duration Randolph, expressing the sentiments of Elizabeth and the rebels, hesitated not to say, that ”_Goda short end, or them a miserable life; that either he must be taken away, or they find soht upon himself_”

CHAPTER XIV

MURRAY'S REBELLION

Murray had now gone too far to recede, though, had he been so inclined, Mary's leniency would willingly have given him the opportunity Mr John Hay, who had forland, and as one of her brother's personal friends, was sent to hiood hich both the Earl of Lennox and Darnley bore towards hi to trial any one he would accuse of having conspired against his life; but he had no evidence to prove that such a conspiracy had ever existed, uilt upon any individual He had inally, only the better to conceal his own nefarious purposes; for Murray well understood the practical application of Machiavel's maxi in concert with this nobleman, Elizabeth now sent more imperative orders than before for the return of Lennox and Darnley But the for his wife had been coht it unlikely that the cliland would suit his constitution; and the latter said boldly and gallantly, that he now acknowledged duty and obedience to none but the Queen of Scots, whoh Elizabeth chose to be envious of his good fortune, he could not discover why he should leave a country where he found himself so comfortable Randolph coolly replied, that he hoped to see the wreck and overthrow of asmy back to him, without reverence or farewell, I went away”[100] The disaffected Lords, on their part, as soon as they heard of Mary's e, and the proclamations in which she conferred upon her husband the rank and title of King, renewed their complaints with increased bitterness The h their real ed, that these coion, but rather for hatred, envy of sudden pro of the Earls Bothwell and Sutherland, and the restoring Lord Gordon to the forfeited estates and honours of his father, the Earl of Huntly, was another source of exasperation From the tried fidelity of these nobleh Bothwell, personally, as we have already seen, was far froreeable to her

To put in the clearest point of view the utter worthlessness of all the grounds of offence which Elizabeth and the Scottish rebels pretended at this tiainst Mary, a short and ilish Queen, early in August 1565, and of the answer it received, will be read here with interest The person who brought this e was one of Elizabeth's inferior officials, of the name of Tamworth, ”a forward, insolent man,” says Camden, and, with marked disrespect, chosen for this very reason He was ordered not to acknowledge Darnley as King, and to give hiland; but Mary, ”having se, and of the aniht it,” would not admit him into her presence His objections were therefore coiven in similar form On the part of Elizabeth it was stated, that her Majesty had found Mary's late proceedings, both towards herself and towards her subjects, very strange, upon diverse grounds These, as they were brought forward, so were they replied to methodically and _seriatim_

_First_, Elizabeth took God to witness, that her offer to Mary, of any of her own subjects in rieved to hear that Mary, listening to false council, had been made to think otherwise--To this it was answered, that the Queen of Scots did not doubt Elizabeth's sincerity and uprightness in her offer of a husband froiven to induce her to change her opinion _Second_, Elizabeth wasthe offer e till the er time to prevail upon Elizabeth to consent to it, she had consu her Majesty any intimation, on the 29th of July, and had thereby disappointed both Elizabeth and soely of the alliance as she did--To this it was answered, that it was true, that though Mary's resolution was fixed before Sir Nicolas Throckmorton came into Scotland, she had, nevertheless, proe in the hope that the doubts entertained by Elizabeth, as to the propriety of the said ht in the meantime, be removed; but that this promise was made expressly on the condition, that Commissioners should be appointed on both sides to discuss the matter, and that, as Elizabeth refused to nominate any such commissioners, Mary was relieved froood reasons, known to herself and her own people, hich no other prince needed to interfere, for consuard to foreign princes thinking the alliance strange, she had a perfect knowledge of the opinions, and had obtained the express consent of the principal and greatest princes in Christendom

_Third_, Elizabeth was astonished how Mary, in direct opposition to the conditions of the treaty of peace, existing between England and Scotland, could detain her Majesty's subjects, Lennox and Darnley in Scotland, having allured them thither under a pretence of suits for lands, but in reality to form an alliance without her Majesty's consent and license,--an offence so unnatural, that the world spoke of it, and her Majesty could not forget it--To this it was answered, that Mary ood sister, insisting any further upon this head, for she did not understand how it could be found strange that she detained within her reale, or a Scottish Earl, whom Elizabeth herself named by his Scottish title, the more especially as they both came to her with Elizabeth's consent and letters of recommendation; and that she had no doubt that the world spoke as sound sense would dictate, judging that her detaining of the between the two realms, since no annoyance was intended towards Elizabeth, her kingdom, or estate _Fourth_, Elizabeth wondered that Mary's ambassador, Mr John Hay, came to ask to be infore, and of what she wished to be done, but had no authority either to agree to, or refuse her requests; and she therefore supposed that he had been sent more as a piece of empty form, than for any useful purpose--To this it was answered, that Mary, though willing to hear Elizabeth's objections, if any such existed, and to endeavour to remove them, had yet expressly declared, that she would h the reed on; and that she was still so convinced of the expediency of the , if Elizabeth wished it, to have its propriety discussed by such coht be given of a sentence in one of Mary's French letters, which she found somewhat obscured, and which ran thus,--”Je n'estimerois jaeance, j'aurois recours a tous les princes mes allies pour avec e Vous savez assez ce que vous avez resolu sur cela”--To this it was answered, that Mary, by the whole of her letter, as well as the passage in question,but to express her desire to reence with the Queen her sister, from whom she expected such treatment as reason and nature required from one princess to another, as her cousin; and that if, as God forbid, other treatment were received, which Mary would not anticipate, she could do no less than lay her case before other princes, her friends and allies _Sixth_, Elizabeth was grieved to see that Mary encouraged fugitives and offenders froland, and practised other devices within her Majesty's realdom, seduced by false counsellors andthe nobility--To this it was answered, that if the Scottish Queen really wished to offend Elizabeth, she would not be contented with such paltry practices as those she was accused of towards English subjects;--and that, with regard to her proceedings in her own realoverner in the internal policy of another, so she requested that Elizabeth would not meddle with her's, but trust to her discretion, as the person most interested, to preserve peace and quietness _Seventh_, Elizabeth warned Mary to take good heed that she did not proceed in her intention to suppress and extirpate the religion already established in Scotland, or to effect the suppression of the Reforns, consultations, intelligences, and devices, should be converted to the peril and daed in them--To this it was answered, that Mary could not but ion upon which no innovation had ever been atteereeable to her Scottish subjects; that as to an intention to interfere with the spiritual faith of England, she never heard of it before; but that, if any practices to such effect could be condescended on, they should instantly be explained and altered; and that, with regard to her designs, consultations, intelligences and devices, such as she really engaged in, would be found no vainer or hth_ and _lastly_, Elizabeth wished that Mary would not show herself so given to change, as to conceive evil of the Earl of Murray, whose just deserts she had so long acknowledged, for that by indifference and severity, there were plenty examples to prove, that many noble men had been constrained to take such measures for their own security, as they would otherwise never have resorted to; and that these were _part_ of the reasons why Elizabeth was offended with Mary--To this it was answered, that Mary wished her good sister would not meddle with the affairs of her Scottish subjects any lish subjects; but that, if Elizabeth desired any explanation of her conduct towards Murray, it would be willingly given, as soon as Elizabeth explained her aret, Countess of Lennox, mother-in-law and aunt of Mary; and that, as soon as Elizabeth stated any _other_ grounds of offence, they should be answered as satisfactorily as the above had been[101]

Having thus triue, Mary, in the true spirit of conciliation, had thearticles should beand Queen of Scotland,--_First_, That their Majesties being satisfied of the Queen their sister's friendshi+p, are content to assure the Queen, that during the term of her life, or that of her lawful issue, they will not, directly or indirectly, atte prejudicial to their sister's title to the Crown of England, or in any way disturb the quietness of that kingdom _Second_, They will enter into no coland, in prejudice of their said sister and her lawful issue, or receive into their protection any subjects of the realland, hom their sister may have occasion to be offended _Third_, They will not enter into any league or confederation with any foreign prince, to the hurt, daland _Fourth_, They will enter into any such league and confederation with the Queen and realland, as shall be for the weal of the princes and subjects on both sides And, _Fifth_, They will not go about to procure in any way, alteration, innovation, or change in the religion, laws, or liberties of the realh it should please God at any tido equally reasonable articles were to be agreed to, on the part of England;--_First_, That by Act of Parlia Elizabeth and her lawful issue, shall be established first, in the person of Mary and her lawful issue, and failing them, in the person of the Countess of Lennox and her lawful issue, as by the law of God and nature, entitled to the inheritance of the said Crown

_Second_, That the second offerand Queen of Scotland be also land; and, _Third_, That the third offer shall be likewise reed to these liberal articles would not have suited Elizabeth's policy, and we consequently hear nothing farther concerning theust 1565, Murray su at Ayr, where it was resolved that they should asseether in arms on the 24th Mary in consequence issued proclah, with their kin, friends, and household, and provided for fifteen days, on the 25th of August On that day she left Edinburgh with a nu the capital, measures were taken to prevent the discontented there fron The Provost, as entirely under the ly suspected to favour the rebels, was displaced, and a more trust-worthy civic officer appointed in his stead Knox himself, a few days before, had, been suspended froe of his clerical duties, in consequence of a seditious and insulting ser, who paid hi divine service in St Giles's church, a Sunday or two after his s, said, that God had raised to the throne, for the sins of the people, boys and woive children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them: children are their oppressors, and women rule over therossly personal, he remarked, that ”God justly punished Ahab, because he did not correct his idolatrous wife, the harlot Jezabel” It is singular, that Knox never thought of objecting to Mary's e with Darnley, till he found that his patron, the Earl of Murray, to whom he was now reconciled, did not approve of it He had said only a few iven to Secretary Lethington to pass to the Queen of England, to declare to that Queen, Mary was minded to marry her cousin, the Lord Darnley; and the rather, because he was so near of blood to both Queens; for, by his erman to the Queen of Scotland, also of near kindred and the saerland Here,lost his two sons, did declare his resolution to make the Earl of Lennox his heir of the crown; but he, prevented by sudden death, that design ceased Then came the Earl of Lennox fro Jalas; and his son, Lord Darnley, 's desire is fulfilled, viz--the crown continueth in the naed his opinion (as even Knox could sometimes do), both when he preached the above-ust 1565, he said, that the Castle of Edinburgh was ”shooting against _the exiled for Christ Jesus' sake_”[102]

Fro force, first to Stirling, and then to Glasgow Here she ithin a short distance of the rebel ar, had taken its position at Paisley; ”a fine pleasant village,” says Keith, ”fiveto attack the Royalists, made a circuit at some distance and, by a forced h, where he hoped to increase his force In this hope he was grievously disappointed Finding that the Provost, as taken by surprise, had not sufficient strength to keep him without the walls, he entered the city by the West Port, and iers for assistance in every direction, and, by beat of drues ”for the defence of the glory of God,” to join his standard But Knox confesses, that few or none resorted to hih the preacher himself did all he could for his patron by prayers and exhortations, in which he denominated the rebels ”the best part of the nobility, and chief ation”[103] The truth is, that the current of popular opinion ran directly in favour of Mary; for the _Godly_ Earl's real motives ell understood

As soon as the Queen was made aware that she had missed her enemies, she marched back in pursuit of them, at the head of 5000 men, as far as Callender Murray could only fly from a pohich he kneas not able to withstand Alarain passing her on the road, led his followers to Lanark, and from thence to Hamilton With indoow, expecting Murray wouldthere was no safety for him in this part of Scotland, he suddenly turned off towards the south, and with as little delay as possible, retired into Du near the Borders, he expected that Elizabeth would send hiland, and at all events, he could at any tiood his retreat into that country The principal nobleyle, Glencairn, and Rothes, and the Lords Boyd and Ochiltree Morton and Maitland remained with the Queen; but the fidelity of both is h the command of the main body of the Royal army was intrusted to the former The Earl of Lennox led the van, and the Queen herself rode with her officers in a suit of light are,” says Knox, ”” She did not think it worth while to follow Murray into Duh Fife, to St Andrews, taking possession, on the way, of Castle Cayle

Elizabeth in theinattentive to the interests of her servants in Scotland Randolph wrote to Cecil, that if she would assist them with men and more money, he doubted not but one country would receive both the Queens; by which he meant, that the rebels would thus be able to fulfil their design, of sending Mary prisoner into England[104]

The Earl of Bedford informed his mistress of the arrival of her friends on the Borders, and hinted to her that their cause was evidently not very popular in Scotland, and that their force was much inferior to that of Mary Elizabeth's letter, in answer, is as artful a piece of writing as has ever proceeded even froo too far in assisting the losing party, she resolved to ainst theed and supported them With this view, she wrote to Bedford, that in consequence of his representations, as well as those of Randolph and others, she sent him three thousand pounds; one thousand of which was to be paid immediately to Murray, in the most private way possible, and as if it came from Bedford himself The remainder was to be kept till occasion required its expenditure ”And where, we perceive,” she continued, ”by your sundry letters, the earnest request of the said Earl of Murray and his associates, that they ht have at least 300 of our soldiers to aid theh ould not coive the herein, and sees, as you, with the help of others, should bring about, you doubt not but things would do well,--we are content, and do authorize you, if you shall see it necessary for their defence, to let them (as of your own adventure, and without notification that you have any direction therein from us), to have the number of 300 soldiers, wherein you shall so precisely deal with them, that they may perceive your care to be such as, if it should otherwise appear, your danger should be so great, as all the friends you have could not be able to save you towards us And so we assure you, our conscience e you so to proceed with them; and yet ould not that either of these were known to be our act, but rather to be covered with your own desire and atte further mentioned, that she had written lately to Mary, to assure that princess of her esteenature to thisduplicity[105]

But Mary was not to be lulled into dangerous security All her operations during this can were, as Robertson has reour, and attended with success” At St Andrews, she issued a proclarounds upon which arion was only , in particular, to the Earl of Murray, upon whom she had bestowed so many benefits, this proclamation stated, that his insatiable a riches upon riches, and honour upon honour, unless he should also continue to have, as he had too long had, the Queen and the whole realoverned at his pleasure ”By letters sent from themselves to us,” Mary says, ”they ion will not content theoverned by such council as it shall please them to appoint unto us” ”The like,” she adds, ”was never deenitors heretofore, yea, not even of governors or regents; but the prince, or such as occupied his place, ever chose his council of such as he thought e, and at our first arrival in our realm, we had free choice of our council at our pleasure; and noe are at our full ht back to the state of pupils andas so with us themselves, this matter was never called in question; but nohen they cannot be longer pers of their appetite, they will put a bridle in our ive us a council chosen after their phantasy! To speak it in plain language, they would be king the to us the bare name and title, take to thedo a small fine of two hundred iven some countenance to the h They there received such accounts of the increasing strength of the rebels, as induced thear was naes, and they flocked in such crowds to join the standard of their sovereign, that the Queen was enabled to advance towards the Borders at the head of an arreatly superior force, Murray and his partisans, including his 300 English soldiers, retired to Carlisle He was closely followed thither, upon which his troops dispersed, and he hiland Mary, after visiting the castle of Lochmaben, left Bothwell, with some troops, to watch the Borders; and, on the 18th of October, returned to Edinburgh with the rest of her army[107]

Of the rebellious nobles thus forced into exile, the Duke of Chatelherault alone was able or willing to make his peace immediately He and his sons were pardoned, on condition of their living abroad--a degree of leniency extended to them by Mary, in opposition to the wishes of the house of Lennox, which was anxious for the entire ruin of the Ha kindly received by Bedford, fixed their residence at Newcastle, whence the Earl hi, were deputed to proceed to the English court, and lay the state of their affairs before Elizabeth, upon whose patronage they conceived they had peculiar claims It was, however, no part of Elizabeth's policy to befriend in their adversity those hom she had associated herself in more prosperous days As soon as she heard that Murray was on his way to her court, she wrote to stop him, and to infor” with her But at Bedford's earnest entreaty he was allowed to continue his journey, the object of which, he said, was to make some proposals for the ”co while before he could obtain an audience of the Queen; and when that honour was at length conceded to him, she had the confidence to ask hi a rebel to her sister of Scotland, durst have the boldness to come within her realm? Murray, in reply, ventured to speak of the support he had all along received fro her policy to her continental neighbours, it exasperated her to such a degree, that she declared he and his friends should never obtain any thing frolect, unless he made a public recantation of such an assertion With this demand both the Earl and the Abbot had the h Sir