BOOK II. The description made by the messenger of the news at Berwick on the third day after the transaction," stated the queen's visit to her husband that night, and described the sad incident," tho without glancing at the authors.20 18 Immediately after the general knowlege of the murder, a reward of two thousand pounds was published for the discovery of the murderers, which was answered six days afterwards, by an anonymous declaration of them.21 A new proclamation, to the queen-mother, their account written the same day of the murder. In this they coolly state, that about two hours after midnight the king was blown up; of a hall, two chambers, a cabinet and wardrobe, nothing remained that was not carried away or reduced to powder; not only the roof and the floor, but even the walls to the foundation, so that not a stone remained on a stone. The authors of this wickedness had nearly destroyed the queen and most of the nobles now in her suit, who had been with the king in his chamber till near midnight; and her majesty had nearly remained to lodge there all night. We are making inquiries, and hope to discover who perpetrated it.' Fifteen persons signed this, among whom are, Bothwell, Huntley, Maitland, Argyle, and the archbishop of St. Andrew's. Laing's Hist. v. 2. p. 95. 17 By the sieur de Clernault, who brought the tidings to Berwick on 12th February. Mr. Chalmers has printed it from the State Paper Office, v. 2 p. 445. 18 6 She came to see him on Sunday evening, the ninth of this month, about seven o'clock, with all the chief lords of her court; and after having been two or three hours with him, she withdrew, to go to the marriage of one of her gentlemen, as she had promised.' Clern. p. 445. 19 About two o'clock after midnight, a very great noise was heard, as if a volley of 25 or 30 cannon had been fired, so that every one was roused; and the said lady having sent to know whence it came, they followed along all the city, and came at last to the king's lodging, which they found entirely razed. Then searching where he could be, they found him sixty or eighty paces off, dead, and stretched out in a garden, also a valet de chambre and a young page.' Clern. ib. The thing being thus reported to her, we may conceive in what pain and agony she was found in. It was clearly perceived that this enterprise proceeded from a mine under the earth; but she has not found, and still less knows, who is the author of it.' Clern. ib. 20 6 21 This bold answer was set up privily on the Tolbooth door, 16th Feb. It declared, I affirm that the committers of it were the earl Bothwell, Mr. James Balfour, the parson of Flesk, M. David Chalmers; Black M. John Spers, who was principal deviser of the murder. The queen assenting there to through the persuasion of the earl 22 the same day, offered half the sum to the setter up of the bill, to come and avow it.' The next morning this was replied to, with allusions to more persons; 23 but of this last defiance the government chose to take no notice." 26 We turn naturally to consider Mary's conduct after such a catastrophe. We find her, six days after, signing an order for her mourning," and on the following evening resting at lord Seaton's, on her road to Dunbar. She travelled accompanied by Bothwell, six other noblemen, and a train of an hundred people. After remaining eighteen days at Dunbar, she returned to Edinburgh, and then admitted the English envoy, after her dinner with Murray," to an audience, which appears from his description to have been rather theatrically arranged. The scenery was so shrouded, that her countenance was invisible; but the tones of her voice were heard, and they breathed the accents of sadness, a month after the occurrence of their melancholy cause; 28 Bothwell, and the witchcraft of the lady Buccleugh.' Buchan. Detect. p. 126. I desire the money to be consigned into one evenly man's hand, and I shall compear on Sunday next with foursome with me, and subscribe my first letter and abide thereat. Farther, I desire that Francis, Bastiane, and Joseph the queen's goldsmith, be stayed; and I shall declare what every man did in particular with their accomplices.' ib. 157. 24 Ib. 157. Mr. Chalmers' industry has traced out this warrant, subscribed with our hand at Edinburgh, the 15th February,' for ten ells and an half of serge of Florence, to be a gown, cloak, mulis, and schuine; seventeen ells and a half of silk camlet, to be a velicotte and a vasquine; and three ells of Ormais taffety to line the bodies and sleeves, &c.' Vol. 1. p. 320. * Drury's lett. from Berwick, 17 Feb. 1 Chal. 322. "Where he met Huntley, Argyle, Bothwell, and Maitland. Killigrew's despatch of 8th March, in Chalmers, p. 324. I had no audience before this day. I found the queen's majesty in a dark chamber, so as I could not see her face; but by her words she seemed very doleful, and did accept my sovereign's letters and message in very thankful manner.' Lett. 8th March. Chalm. ib. СНАР. XXIII. II. BOOK yet how could Mary be tranquil? If she was innocent of any participation, she knew that she was suspected of it. If she had incurred this guilt, to no one could the energetic lines of Juvenal, which so many myriads have in every age verified, be more fully and more painfully applicable:20 for, notwithstanding her deviations, Mary had an exciteable sensitivity both of mind and frame which forbad that intellectual serenity, which consistent and persevering virtue can alone ensure.30 The queen had expressed the most determined resolution to discover and punish the perpetrators of the crime,31 and had been urged to do so as the only means of vindicating her own innocence." Nine days after this becoming resolution, the father of the victim solicited her to assemble her parliament, and to take such good order, that the bloody and cruel actors of this deed shall be manifestly 29Yet why must they be thought to scape, who feel Sat. 13. This moral sensitivity seems to be universal; but the mind of each grows up into such a peculiar sensibility of its own, that the degree and effect of the interior impression varies with every individual; yet altho often very slight and scarcely perceptible on many ordinary occasions, it assumes a power on greater exigencies which the stoutest and most hardened have been unable to repress. The most incredulous of its existence have repeatedly found it to be inextinguishable and invincible. 30 Of the authors, Killigrew only could say, I find great suspicions, and no proof, nor appearance of apprehensions; yet I am made to believe I shall, ere I depart hence, receive some information.' Lett. Chalm. 324. 31 Her words in her letter to her ambassadors, on the day after the murder, were those to which he had alluded. She says she had been preserved to the end that we may take a rigorous vengeance of that mischievous deed, which, ere it should remain unpunished, we had rather lose life and all.' Lett. 11th Feb. in Keith, pref. viii. 32 See before, notes 12 and 13. 36 XXIII. known.'33 She wrote from Seaton an assent to his CHAP. request; 34 he answered her almost immediately, by informing her of the two tickets which had been put on the Tolbooth in answer to her proclamations, which charged Bothwell and others with the crime; and desired that the persons therein mentioned might be apprehended, and put in sure keeping, to be tried by the parliament.35 Mary shrunk from this probing request. Lennox then enumerated specifically the individuals who had been named, and declared his suspicion of their criminality;" and the queen assured him that they should be put upon their trial. She kept her word so far, that on the fourth day afterwards, her privy council, of which Bothwell was one, appointed the 12th April for the judicial investigation.39 On 11th April, Lennox wrote to her, that he was so ill that he could not travel, and requested the trial to be postponed for a reasonable time." This petition became an immediate test of Mary's real mind and feelings, as well as of her judgment. It was seconded by the impressive recommendation of Elizabeth, on the sound and irresistible reason, that the postponement 34 Letter of earl Lennox, of 20th February to Mary, in Anderson, v. 1, p. 40. Mary's lett. 21st Feb. ib. 42. 35 Lett. of Lennox, 26th Feb. p. 44. He had received her's on the 24th. ib. 43. See her answer of 1st March. She said as to remitting the trial to the time of a parliament, we meant not that, but rather would wish that it might be suddenly and without delay tried; for the sooner the better.' And as to the tickets, there is so many, that we know not upon what ticket to proceed.' ib. 45, 46. 37 Lett. 17th March, p. 47, 8. 38 Mary's lett. 24th March, p. 49. 39 Official act, 28th March 1567. Anders. p. 50. 49 Letter from Stirling, 11 April, p. 54. BOOK was necessary, in order to place her above suspicion." The general feeling of all the parties and characters in England was earnest that the penal justice should be strictly and zealously enforced." The queen, however, braving all conclusions, did not defer the trial. Bothwell attended the court, supported by Morton and Maitland with an imposing force; and as no prosecutor appeared, and no one adduced any evidence, he was necessarily acquitted. On such an investigation as a means of discovering or punishing the guilty, it is superfluous to remark. Every one who can observe and reason, will make his own inferences from it. Such 43 41 On 8 April, Elizabeth's letter to her in French, expressed-'I understand that an edict has been published by you, that every one who will judicially prove the murderers of your late husband, should come to do it on the 12th of this month. The father and friends of the dead gentleman have asked to request you to prolong the time, because they know that the guilty persons have combined to do by force what by right they cannot do Therefore for the love of yourself, who are most concerned, and for the comfort of the innocent, I cannot but exhort you to grant their request. For if this be denied, it would put you greatly into suspicion, more than I expect, or think, or would willingly hear of. Exert, madam! such sincerity and prudence in a case which touches you so nearly, that all the world may have reason to deliver you, as innocent, from a crime so enormous. If you do not this, you will be blotted out of the rank of princesses; and become, not without cause, the opprobrium of the vulgar.' Lett. in Pap. Off. Robert. app. 233.' 42 The letter from England, on 23d May, strongly expressed the impression in this country: There was not one papist or protestant which did not consent that justice should be done, by the queen my sovereign's aid and support, against such as had committed that abominable ill murder in your country. I never knew no matter of state proposed which had so many favorers of all sorts of nations as this had; no man promoted the matter with greater affection than the Spanish ambassador. Sure I am, that no man dare openly be of any other mind, but to affirm that whosoever is guilty of this murder, handfasted with adultery, is unworthy to live.' Rob. app. 237. 43 Keith details the proceedings, p. 375-7. On his death bed, in 1577, he acknowleged that he, with his relations and some of the nobility, were the authors of it, but affirmed the queen to be innocent of it. See the document in Keith's appendix, 144. |