countess of Lennox was the grand-daugh- | majesty," says Sir James Melville, "took ter of Henry VII. by his eldest daughter, well with him, and said he was the and followed Mary in the order of heredi- lustiest and best-proportioned lang man tary succession to the crown of England. that she had seen; for he was of high The earl of Lennox was the representa- stature, lang and small, even and brent tive of an ancient branch of the royal up;* *** well instructed from his youth in all family, who had acquired high honor and honest†† and comely exercises."‡‡ Elizalarge possessions by marrying the heiress beth and Melville smiled at the effemiof the old thanes and earls of Lennox, nacy, perhaps also at the ignorance and whose origin is lost in the darkness of the incapacity, of the beardless stripling. But earliest times. Henry Stuart was born in Mary, after a moment's displeasure, or England; his parents had been driven into affectation of it, at the presumption with exile; and lady Lennox herself was born which he offered himself, liked him better in Northumberland, where her mother the the more she knew him; which would queen had taken refuge. In the autumn have been more honorable to her if his of 1564, the earl of Lennox went to Scot- attractions had been more refined, and if land with letters recommendatory of his she had not remarked his animal beauties suit from Elizabeth, in order that he might with too critical an eye. She determined obtain a reversal of his attainder, and resti- to marry him. He betrayed partialities for tution of his honors and estates. It is not the Catholic party so imprudently as soon unlikely that the English ministers, when to rouse both the queen of England and they began to doubt the success of Leices- the Scotch Protestants against the union. ter, might have turned their thoughts to Randolph, the English resident, cautiously Lennox's return, as a means of procuring insinuates his suspicions of Mary's rising Mary's hand for Darnley; an individual not passion to his court within a fortnight of formidable, a subject of Elizabeth, the re- Darnley's arrival. Argyle, a zealous Promaining fortune of whose family was in testant, expressed great apprehension of England, where it formed some pledge of Darnley's progress. Moray said that the his adherence to the English interest. match would be followed by unkindness to Elizabeth, however, before the measure England, and was "the most sorrowful of was adopted, attempted to dissuade Mary men."|||| A rumor was prevalent that from it, lest it might offend the powerful Moray was about to leave the court, dishouse of Hamilton, the grantees of Len- pleased at the more open parade of Cathonox's estates. The extreme displeasure lic rites, which his prudence prevented so of Mary at this dissuasion seems rather to long as he enjoyed his sister's undivided indicate that the proposal originated in the confidence. TT" My suspicions," says Rancourt of Scotland; and an attempt of dolph, on the 18th of April, "are bitterly Elizabeth, some years before, to promote confirmed. Many with grief see the fond Lennox's restoration, leads to the infer- folly of the queen. The godly (the Proence, that though some other motives may testants) cry out, and think themselves unhave concurred, yet her principal object done. All good men see the ruin of their was to do an act of good-nature to lady country in the marriage with Darnley."*** Lennox, the nearest kinswoman of both In this temper of all the Scotch friends of queens. That it was an artifice contrived the English connexion, Maitland, who arby Elizabeth to embroil the marriage with rived at Westminster on the same 18th of Dudley, by the interposition of a new April, could not expect much success in competitor, is an assertion without and his errand, which was to desire the queen's against proof; since there is the fullest consent to the marriage of his mistress. evidence that the English government so- The English council were alarmed. On licited and desired that marriage seven the 23d of April, letters were dispatched months afterwards. Lord Darnley fol- to recall Lennox and Darnley from Scotlowed his father in February. "Her *Sir J. Melville's Memoirs, p. 108. ed. 1827. † By letter of 5th July, Keith, 253. Cecil's Diary, Murdin, 757. Melville, 108. Melville, p. 112. Keith, 257. § In 1599. Haynes, 213. It is evident that Randolph did not despair of success before the 15th or 18th of April, 1565. Keith, Appendix, 158, 159. MS. dispatches in State Paper Office. The suspicions even of Sir James Melville, in memoirs, of which a part, if not the whole, was certainly written in 1593, cannot prevail over strictly contemporary dispatches. The only defect of this excellent writer is, that his diplomatic life made him too much a believer in over-refined policy. T Handsomest. See Johnson and Jamieson, with the authority of Spenser. ** Straight, even.-Jamieson. A word of difficult derivation. tt Becoming his station. Sir J. Melville, from early and long residence in France, complains that he had forgotten his mother tongue. "La comtesse sa mère lui ayant fait apprendre à jouer de luth, à danser, et autre honêtes exercises."—Castelnau, liv. v. c. 12. land; and, on the 1st of May, resolutions so turbulent a country as Scotland, ruled in were adopted by the privy council of the the name of a young woman, and but just utmost importance; and which, notwith- escaped from civil war, has any adminisstanding their somewhat pedantic arrange- tration been conducted with such firmness, ment, with a sprinkling of rhetorical dic- or has been attended with such signal suction,* are not only admirable models of our cess, as that which Moray guided during ancient language, but pregnant proofs how a critical period of four years. The reputahigh Cecil, who was the writer, ought to be tion of Mary's government, we are told, placed among the first class of wise states- was spread over all countries. His firm men. They are remarkable also for a frank- and equal hand had reduced the highlands ness and overflowing good faith, which and borders to an obedience unknown for avow all the motives of the actors, with- centuries to wild and lawless tribes. As out trusting any part of them to insinua- the Protestants entirely and justly trusted tion, and circuitous or ambiguous phrase- Moray's zeal for their religion, he was enaology; and, as it should seem from their bled to temper their fanaticism, and to pretenor, not leaving the most delicate matters vent at least its breaking out into civil war. to be cautiously hinted in conversation. He appears to have conducted himself with The substance of this momentous deter-spotless faith towards his sister, and to mination was, that the marriage of the have obtained a degree of quiet which po queen of Scots with lord Darnley would other Scotsman could have insured. The be dangerous to the Protestant religion; queen was not insensible of his fidelity, that it would strengthen the league of nor of the influence of his name. On the Catholic princes which now visibly threat- 8th of May, 1565, she commanded him to ened Europe; that it was big with peril to repair to her at Stirling, where, in Darnthe title by which her majesty filled the ley's chamber, she earnestly besought him English throne; that the performance of to subscribe a writing in which the marMary's promise to renounce her pretension riage was recommended. She repeated to England had been for nearly six years her importunities for two successive days. evaded; that, as nothing but force, or the She even appealed to him as a Stuart, and fear of force, could then prevent the mar- implored him to help her attempts to exriage, the whole council agreed that it was ecute the will of their father, king James, lawful and necessary to provide for the whose earnest desire it was to keep the safety of England, by strengthening the crown of Scotland on the head of a Stuart. fortifications and reinforcing the garrison He desired time to consider proposals thus of Berwick; that the wardens of the bor- urgently pressed, and alleged the unreaders should be prepared at an hour's notice, sonableness of such a writing without an either to defend their own frontier, or to assembly of the peerage; adding, that he invade Scotland. On the latter measure disliked the marriage, because he feared alone there was a difference of opinion, that Darnley would be an enemy of true some being indisposed to actual warfare. Christianity. Hereupon arose an alterWhen it became evident that Mary was cation in which the queen gave him many resolved to cut short negotiation by hurry- sore words. He answered with humility, ing on her marriage, Throgmorton was in- but nothing could be obtained from him.") structed, in case of a total failure of his at- In Mary's letter to Elizabeth which foltempts, to persuade the lords of the con- lowed, says Sir Nicholas Throgmorton,|| gregation, and all the Scottish Protestants," there neither wanted eloquence, anger, to withstand the marriage, unless Darnley despite, nor passionate love." The banns should promise to adhere to the reformed of an ill-fated union were published on Sunreligion, which he had openly professed in day the 22d of July, 1565. Darnley was England.t promoted, on the same day, to the princely In the mean time lord James Stuart, who dignities of duke of Albany and earl of had been created earl Moray, the undis- Ross; and, on Sunday the 29th, the queen puted chief of the reformed party, who had had the misfortune to indulge her headbeen prime minister to the queen his sister long passion, by bestowing her hand on an since her return from France, withdrew undeserving favorite. The nuptials were from court, as a testimony against an union solemnized according to the rites of the fraught, in his judgment, with destruction church of Rome; though Darnley withto his country and to his faith. Seldom, in *Determination of the privy council of England on the marriage of the queen of Scots, 1st May, 1565. Keith, 280. Summary of the consultation of the privy council, 4th June, 1565.-Robertson's Appendix, No. X. † Sir James Melville, 134. 66 Sir James Melville, 130. He, who had lived so many years abroad, well knew the opinion of the continental nations. § Keith's Appendix, 160. Knox, ii. 144. Edin. ed. 1814. Randolph's dispatch of 8th May, 1565. MSS. Paper Office. The words in the text to which inverted commas are prefixed are those of Randolph. Dispatch to Leicester, 11th May, 1565. drew during the celebration of mass. The but their unprepared and ill-concerted reEnglish minister describes the insolence of volt was easily quelled; and they were the simpleton intoxicated by his triumph. compelled to fly for refuge into England. "He rather seems to be a monarch of the Elizabeth had determined on withholding world, than he whom we have seen and from them any aid which could afford a known as lord Darnley."* Meanwhile just cause for war. She even obliged the Thomworth, a gentleman of Elizabeth's exiled lords to make disavowals of having household, was dispatched as her envoy to been encouraged by her:‡ a species of disEdinburgh, with instructions to threaten claimer which passes, in the language of Mary, if she should practise aught for the sovereigns, rather for apology than denial; overthrow of the reformation in England, and which, therefore, they do not scruple and to warn her more amicably against to exact from their servants or dependent attempting to change the established church allies. In this case it was, doubtless, intendof Scotland. In the answer, it seems doubt-ed to dispose Mary to pardon them. Mary ful whether Mary offers a promise to ab- declared to Randolph, that she would rather stain from promoting a religious counter- lose half her kingdom than show mercy to revolution in England; but, with respect to Moray. As no personal offence was althe alteration of religion in Scotland, leged, this extravagant language can only Mary only says, "that she has made no in- be considered as a proof of her determinanovation, nor means to do any thing therein, tion to take a part in that confederacy for but what shall be most convenient for the the extirpation of Protestantism between state of her majesty's self and her realm, France and Spain, then called the Holy and that by the advice of her good sub- Alliance, which was formed at Bayonne jects;" words so vague as to admit of any in September, 1565, in the nightly intermeaning which it might suit the Scotch views of the duke of Alva with Catherine queen to give them, and which seem to de Medicis. Randolph, in February, 1566, have been chosen to evade satisfaction to discovered that the queen of Scots had subthe Protestants of Britain, rather than to scribed this league ; which was then comabate their apprehensions or allay their pared, for the sweeping extermination just resentment. Thomworth was also which it threatened, to the famous masinstructed to expostulate with Mary on her sacre called the Sicilian Vespers; and of displeasure against the earl of Moray; which Alva sufficiently showed that it which was answered by a desire that there spared no station, by coolly saying, that it might be no meddling in the internal affairs was childishness to fish for frogs, when a of Scotland. The disfavor of that states- single salmon's head was worth thousands man concerned the peace between the two of them. This treaty was sent from Paris kingdoms, and the quiet of all British Pro- by two messengers: by Thornton, from the testants, as essentially as treaties or laws. archbishop of Glasgow, Mary's minister; His ascendency in the queen's councils was by Clernau, from her uncle, the cardinal of a pledge of friendship to England, of safety Lorrain. She was to retain a copy of it; but to the Scottish reformers, and of some to return the original, subscribed with her moderation towards the Catholics them-own hand, by a messenger of her own, selves. He alone was able to protect the named Wilson. De Villemonte, another tranquillity of his sister, by balancing the messenger, was sent to her shortly after, ascendant of Knox, and in some measure to stay her from agreeing with the banishby mitigating the spirit of that upright, ed lords, "because that all Catholic princes sincere, heroic, but stern and fierce, re- were banded to root the heretics out of all former. Europe; which unhappy message hasted The breach between the court and the forward divers tragical accidents."¶ late prime minister was a signal for the Mary, however, needed not these incenformation, or invention, or exaggeration of tives. The cardinal of Lorrain had, nearly conspiracies, by each of the incensed fac- three years before, made known her distions against the other. Moray was charged position and determination to the reprewith a plot to carry away the queen into sentatives of the whole Catholic church. England. The Catholic lords were as On the 10th of May, 1563, that prelate; loudly accused of a design to murder Moray. The Protestant lords took up arms; * Randolph, 31st July. Ellis, ii. 200. †Thomworth's instructions, 30th July. State Paper Office. Published with Mary's answer, but without dates, Keith's Appendix, 99. The answer contains no specific words about religion in Eng. land; but a note, without title or subscription, written on the same paper with the MS. is more explicit. Cecil to Randolph, 23d Oct. 1565. MS. State Paper Office. § Randolph to Elizabeth, 8th Nov. 1565. MS. State Paper Office. It is clear, from the dates of the two dispatches, that Mary's passionate language was an answer to the application which accompanied the particulars of Moray's submission or disavowal. Office; and Keith's Appendix, 167. ¶ Melville, 147. read her letters to the council of Trent, in de Medicis, to dissemble deeply for a short which she professed her submission to the time, and an immediate object: but the authority of the sacred assembly, and prom- qualities of her sex, and the habits of her ised, if she succeeded to the throne of Eng- station, rendered long dissimulation painful, land, that she would subject both kingdoms and disposed her to yield to the impulse of to the apostolic see.* It appears that, at a every momentary passion. Her sallies, genstill earlier period, in autumn 1562, she se- erally pointed and animated, were circucretly excited the insurrection of the earl lated among the people, who considered of Huntly, that he might take her out of them as proofs that all she did for the Prothe hands of Moray, by whom she was ac- testants was intended to deceive them, and companied:† the Catholic insurgents car- felt towards her that bitter anger which ried their hostilities so far as to oblige her was inspired by an insult to their underto vanquish them in battle, and to consent standing, which she hoped to dupe by her to the execution of some of their leaders. hypocrisy. The earl of Huntly was himself trampled Another incident embroiled the affairs of to death in the decisive battle of Corrichie. Scotland. David Rizzio, a Piedmontese One of his sons was executed at Aberdeen musician, who had come to Edinburgh in three days after. George earl of Huntly, the train of the minister from Savoy, having the next son, was convicted of treason: but, been introduced into the palace as a perafter three years' imprisonment, was re- former in the royal band, soon ingratiated leased from confinement, and raised to the himself with the queen, and was appointed office of chancellor, without waiting for a to be her private secretary. The ease with reversal of his attainder; as if to proclaim which he wrote French (the principal qualimore loudly the impatient eagerness of the fication for his office), seems originally to queen to manifest her enmity to her Pro- have recommended him to the appointment. testant subjects. This unfortunate princess He promoted Darnley's marriage; and, had been advised by her uncles to treat whether actuated by his own zeal, or Huntly as the most powerful among the prompted by advice from the princes of Catholics; and, at the time of the insurrec- Lorrain, contributed to the re-establishment tion, to hold out hopes of her hand to John of the Catholic party in power. He obeyed Gordon, his second son. On her journey the instructions of the house of Guise to northward on that occasion, when solicited counteract the interposition of England for to suppress the Roman Catholic worship, the banished lords. Darnley's subscription she angrily answered, that she hoped, be- was engraven on a signet, the custody of fore a year was expired, to have the mass which was delivered to this upstart alien, restored through the whole kingdom. The with leave to employ it. “David," says indiscretion which thus alarmed the Scottish Randolph, "now worketh all, and is govpeople and the English government pecu- ernor to the king."||___To every man intoxliarly unfitted her to be the tool of the sub-icated by sudden elevation, much of his tle and embroiled project which had been enjoyment depends on the parade of his suggested to her in France, where she had promotion. Rizzio gave general offence been advised to affect a confidence in the by his insolent display of favor. He afearl of Moray, and not to lay aside the fected to show writings to the queen, and mask until the European confederacy to whisper in her ear, at levees crowded should be ready to co-operate; while she with the nobility. Even Moray himself was also warned never to cut off all ties "sued David earnestly, and more humbly with the Catholics, her only assured friends. than could be believed, with the present She had learned, in the school of Catherine of a fair diamond," to obtain restoration from exile. When the queen desired Paolo without contradicting him, so acute, un. not deny. land, 140. ** * Fra. Paolo. lib. 7. Pallavic. c. xx. c. 16. Wherever Melville to befriend David, he urged her. the cardinal describes the same event with Fra. to pardon the lords; and observed to her, wearied, rancorous, and well-informed an oppo- that there was danger from unhappy renent must be understood as assenting to all he does ports of which she could not be ignorant.* The mention of these reports was followed † Sir R. Gordon's History of the Earls of Suther- by a conversation with Rizzio, in which Archbishop Spottiswood, 185. The shades by Melville, with his accustomed frankness, which Huntly's enterprise against Moray, (whom it was intended to murder if he had been inveigled it became more apparent that his resistance was into a visit at Strathbogie, the principal seat of the Gordons,) grew into an open rebellion against the against the queen's authority.-Spottiswood, 186. queen, are curiously indicated in the narrative of § Knox, book v. edit. Edin. 1814, ii. 176. the Protestant primate. Of the neighboring clans, the Frasers and Munros had immediately joined the royal army, when the Gordons refused to surrender the castle of Inverness to the summons in the queen's name. The clan Chaltan, who were among Huntly's followers, did not forsake him till Randolph to Cecil, (taken without reference by Chalmers, i. 214.) " David is he that now worketh all, chief secretary to the queen of Scots, and only governor to her good man."-3d June, 1565. State Paper Office MSS. ¶ Melville, 147. ** Ibid. 140. warned that minion of his peril. But Riz- pecially in those seasons of commotion and zio disdained counsel, and despised danger. peril which render every succor welcome, Jealousies of every sort tore asunder Darn- the good are often compelled to endure the ley's disordered mind. He was conscious co-operation of the bad. In this case the of having disgusted the queen by intoxi- exiled lords, of whom many were as irrecation, and the brutal language which it proachable as the corrupting power of inpours forth. Though utterly incapable of testine war will suffer men long to conthe conduct of affairs, he could not brook tinue in that unhappy condition of society, the insignificance to which he thought him- must not be held to be guiltless, even self reduced by the unbounded favor of Riz- though the most deplorable part of the zio. A jealousy of a lower kind, whether scenes which ensued should be directly grounded on scandalous rumors, or whis- ascribed to the known depravity of their aspered by designing men, or suggested by sociates, or to the accidents which usually his own grossness, began to haunt and tor-attend lawless broils. The earl of Lennox ment a mind conscious of offences against was indignant that the influence of his son Mary, and prone to ascribe to the impulse should be eclipsed by the favor of Rizzio. of passion every mark of favor shown by a Darnley himself betrayed symptoms of woman towards a man. being goaded by passions more clamorous The lords of the council, in the begin- and rancorous than political jealousy. Lenning of 1566, were Huntly, Bothwell, and nox advised him to sacrifice his antipathies, Athol; all either Catholics or favorers of and to seek the means of revenge in a coathe Catholic party. They, with the effec-lition with the Protestant lords. Darnley tual aid of Rizzio, dissuaded Mary from accordingly, on the 10th of February, sent yielding to the entreaties of Elizabeth, or Douglas, his uncle, to lord Ruthven, to comto the prudent counsel of Melville, which plain that Rizzio had abused the king in concurred in exhorting her to pardon so many sorts, and done him wrongs which powerful a body of nobles as those who could no longer be borne. Ruthven, fearwere then exiles in England. The banish-ful that the blandishments of the queen ed lords, who had taken up arms on the might extort secrets from her simpleton principle of resisting the queen's marriage husband, refused to answer. "It is a sore unless their religion was established by law, case," said Darnley, "that I can get no required the ratification of the acts of the help against this villain David." "It is convention of 1560, by an undisputed par- your own fault," replied Douglas; "you liament, to secure to the reformed church cannot keep a secret." Then the king the privileges which it had practically en- swore on the Gospel that he would not bejoyed for six years, under those acts of that tray Ruthven. That crafty assassin still assembly of the estates which were obliged seemed to hesitate: but this hesitation to be irregular. The leaders who had taken ceased when he obtained Darnley's assent refuge in England were the duke of Chas- to a treaty with the banished lords, in which telherault, the earls of Moray, Glencairn, he promised to obtain for them a general and Rothes, the lords Boyd and Ochiltree, amnesty, and the continuance of the rewith ten of those considerable landholders formed religion; and they agreed to be the called lairds,—a term which agrees with friends of his friends and the enemies of the English lords, though slightly varying his enemies, including, as an object guarin pronunciation and writing,—who at this antied by the agreement, his right of suctime sat in parliament only as commis- cession as next heir after the queen or her sioners from the inferior barons, but who progeny. Before the final conclusion, still differed from the peers more in privilege Darnley was obliged to quiet the apprethan in honor.* These gentlemen, the best hensions of the murderers by a written of their time, were joined by the interest instrument; a sort of effrontery seldom of the reformation in unnatural union with known but in the history of that fierce age, the worst offspring of civil confusion,-with in which, after declaring the necessity of Morton, a profligate though able man; with cutting off and slaying certain persons who Ruthven, distinguished even then for the had abused her majesty's confidence, Darnbrutal energy with which he executed ley binds himself to keep them "scathwicked designs; and with the brilliant and less" for the execution of David in the inconstant Lethington, admired by all par- queen's presence, or otherwise to protect ties, but scarcely trusted by any: for in the them, declaring that what was done was his measures of all numerous bodies, and es- own device and invention. This writing (which, perhaps more explicitly than any * See Jamieson on the word, for the exact agreement of laird with the English word lord. It af terwards denoted a landholder who held of the crown, but was not knighted. I doubt this last limitation, though adopted by the learned lexicographer. VOL. I. 29 † Spottiswood, 194. Keith, Appendix, 120, 121. 66 § Cotton. Lib. Calig. b. ix. 211. 1st March, 1566. [Harmless. 2 S |