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the husband of Mary should, if possible, be of that CHAP. persuasion.

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In September 1564, Mary determined to send sir James Melville to England, to confer with Elizabeth on her letters, marriage and succession. In his audience with the English queen, she declared her own resolution to live single, and recommended strongly the earl of Leicester for Mary's husband, as the person who would preclude all fear and mistrust in her mind of being dispossessed of her throne, and with whom she could appoint the Scottish princess her successor.88 She spoke very kindly of Mary, and seemed to take much interest in her;89 nor was she less pleased with the envoy, whose travels and acquaintance with foreign manners, made his conversation interesting to her." It was an effusion of

He came to her in Scotland, in May 1564, with letters to her in his favor, from the emperor, the elector palatine, and her uncles. He told her the emperor was against her marriage with his brother the archduke Charles. Melv. Mem. 110. She settled on him immediately a pension of 1000 marks, and offered him also some lands, which he declined, as property which she might want. ib. 111.

67 Melville has inserted her instructions, dated 28 Sept. 1564, in his book, p. 112-5.

88 She said, she esteemed him as her brother and best friend, whom she should have married herself if she had ever been minded to take a husband; but, being determined to end her life in virginity, she wished that the queen her sister should marry him as meetest of all others. With him she might find in her heart to declare the queen second person, rather than with any other; for, being matched with him, it would best remove out of her mind all fear and suspicion to be offended by usurpation before her death; being assured that he would never give his consent, nor suffer such thing to be enterprized during his time.' Melv. 119.

89She appeared to be so affectionate to the queen, that she had a great desire to see her. She delighted oft to look upon her picture, and took me into her bed-chamber, and opened a little lettrour, wherein were divers little pictures.' One of these was Leicester's, who was then in the room speaking with Cecil. Then she took out the queen's picture, and kissed it, and I kissed her hand for the great love I saw she bore to the queen.' She appointed me to be with her the next morning by eight o'clock, at which time she used to walk in her garden.' ib.

In declaring the customs of Dutchland, Poland, and Italy, the

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BOOK female nature in Elizabeth, to desire his opinion, whether she or his own sovereign was fairest ;" and a discovery of some infirmity, neither uncommon nor unpardonable, to be thought to excel the applauded Mary in musical skill;" and also-oh humbling vanity even in lofty minds! the intelligent queen of England desired likewise to be deemed the superior dancer.93 But if the most private and confidential feelings and habits of the greater spirits that shine in the world's eye and business, be unre

clothing of the women was not forgot. The queen said, she had of divers sorts, which every day she changed. One day the English; one the French; and one the Italian, and so of others; asking me which of them set her best. I said, the Italian; which pleased her well; for she delighted to show her golden colored hair, wearing a kell and a bonnet as they do in Italy. Her hair was more red than yellow; curled apparently of nature. ib. 123.

91 I said, she was the fairest queen in England, and ours in Scotland. She was whiter; but our queen was very lusome. She inquired, which of them was of highest stature. I said ours. Then she said, that queen was over high; and that herself was neither over high, nor over low. She asked what kind of exercises she used; I said, when I was dispatched, the queen was but now come back from the highland hunting; and when she had leisure, she read good books, the histories of divers countries; and would sometimes play upon lute and virginal. She inquired if she played well; I said, reasonably for a queen.' ib. 124.

92 After dinner, my lord Hundsden drew me up to a quiet gallery, where I might hear the queen play upon the virginal. I put by the tapestry that hung before the door and seeing her back towards it, I entered within the chamber, and heard her play excellently well; but she left off as soon as she turned her about and saw me. Then she sat down upon a cushion, and I upon my knee beside her; but she gave me a cushion with her own hand to lay under my knee, which I refused, but she compelled me; and called lady Stafford out of the next chamber, because she was alone there. Then she asked, whether the queen or she played best; in that I give her the praise. She said, my French was good, and inquired if I could speak Italian, which she spoke reasonably well. Then she spoke to me in Dutch, but it was not good.' Melv. 125.

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93 I was earnest to be dispatched, but I was stayed two days longer, that I might see her dance as I was informed. Which being done, she inquired of me whether she or the queen danced best. I said the queen [Mary,] danced not so high and disposedly as she did. Then she wished she might see the queen. I offered to convey her secretly to Scotland by post, clothed like a page disguised. She said alas! if she might do it, and seemed to like well such kind of language.' ib. 125.

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servedly revealed to us, some accompanying weak- CHAP. nesses will always appear amid their impressive superiority, as long as human nature in its present form and bearing subsists.

No particular result followed the visit of this conciliating agent. Lord Darnley became more visibly the man of her secret choice;" but Murray and Maitland went in November 1564 to Berwick, to confer more diplomatically with the earl of Bedford, on her important marriage;95 and in the next month, celebration of the mass was made a forfeiture of goods, lands and life, except in the queen's chapel; and Rizzio, who became afterwards of such a calamitous notoriety, was now for the first time brought forward to public notice, by his elevation from a valet and occasional bass singer in the queen's chamber, to the confidential office of her French secretary; a promotion which within a few years led to so much crime, misery, disgrace, and agitation.

As the year 1565 began, Mary exhibited an inclination to chuse lord Leicester;" but when she made her journey into Fife, where Darnley, arriving from

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94 He was the son of the earl of Lennox, and of the royal blood. On 3 Nov. Randolph wrote, 'many suppose it is concluded in her heart.' ib. 259. He added, that one Wild had brought intelligence, that all the papists in England are of her [Mary's] side.' ib. 260. The duke of Norfolk was also then mentioned as a husband for her. ib. 260.

Bedford's lett. 23 Nov. in Keith, p. 263-6.

Raulet, her secretary, for the French, is clean out of favor; and RIZZIO, an Italian, supplieth that place.' Rand. lett. 3 Dec. 1564; Keith, 268. In March of the next year, the envoy thus noticed him again: An Italian Piedmontese, a singer, that came hither with M. Moret, is her secretary for the French.' ib. 270. Melville says, that he was not very skilful in inditing of French letters, which she did not write over again with her own hand. Both queens then wrote to each other in French with their own hands.' Melv. p. 109. "So Randolph wrote on 5 Feb. Cecil's Diary. Meard. 758.

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BOOK London, suddenly presented himself to her at Wemys Castle about the middle of February," he pleased her as much as he dissatisfied the earls Merton and Glencairn:99 and in March, Maitland went from her to England, to procure Elizabeth's consent to her marrying him.100 Bothwell was then so little in Mary's favor, that she disliked his coming home from France, and threatened to have him proclaimed a rebel.101 But the political state of Scotland began now to be perturbed. The knowlege of Darnley's attachment to the papal religion, had alarmed and divided the nobles. Those who were of that persuasion, joined the queen, and applauded her choice. The others, dreading persecution and disaster, looked to the English government as their only efficient protector. 102 The probable results of Darnley's exaltation, were now discussed by all who anticipated evil from it.103 The great danger to England was felt to

98 He reached Edinburgh on 13 Feb. and was with the queen on the 16th. Cecil's Diary, p. 758; Stowe dates his departure from London on 3 Feb.: 'Her majesty took well with him, and said, that he was the lustiest and best proportioned tall man that she had seen; for he was of a high stature, long and small, even, and brent up; well instructed from his youth in all honest and comely exercises.' Melv. Mem. p. 134.

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Randolph lett. 10 Feb.; Keith, 269. The lord Darnley is much favored of the queen.' Cecil, p. 758.

100 Keith, p. 270. On 4 March 1565, Randolph apprised Cecil, that the cardinal of Lorraine was practising to match her with the duke of Orleans or the French king.' 'The queen much distasteth her uncle's meddling.' ib. 269.

101 Rand. 15 March, who added, He is charged to have spoken dishonorably of the queen, and to have threatened to kill Murray and Ledington.' Keith, p. 270.

102 Rand. 20 March. He gives an instance of the indifference of the Romanists in her household to the Scriptures. One of the queen's chapel, a singing man, said, that he believed a tale of Robin Hood as well as any word written in the Old Testament or the New.' ib. in Keith, p. 271.

103 The duke who had been regent feared house. Murray doubted that he would be an ligion. Cecil's abstract in Keith's app. 160.

the overthrow of his enemy to the true reArgyle was averse to

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arise from the practices and resolutions which were CHAP. known to be afloat, to re-establish the Romish religion by violence, in both Scotland and England, to which Mary had acceded, and in which Darnley was expected to concur. The state council of England met several times in anxious deliberations on this subject, and on their decision, sir Nicholas Throckmorton was sent to Edinburgh to prevent if possible the nuptials. The Scottish nobility had a similar dread from it, of active hostilities against their reformation, and of personal evils to themselves: nor did the king's occasional language lessen their apprehensions. 105 At times he vacillated into an appear

it. The queen conceiveth a great displeasure against this nobleman, for his opposition. Rand. lett. Keith, p. 273.

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104 Their resolution, dated 1 May 1565, is printed from MS. Calig. B. 10, in Keith, p. 274. Cecil in his abstract notes, on 23 April, A consultation at Westminster upon Lethington's message of the marriage-misliked by all.' And on 1 May, A general determination by the whole council at Westminster, to disallow of the marriage to Darnley. Keith's app. 159. On 4 June was another solemn deliberation of the English privy council, upon the perils that might ensue, and the remedies. The dangers were, that a great number in England, not of the worst subjects, might be alienated from Elizabeth, to favor all practices that should tend to the advancement of the queen of Scots; that the marriage was chiefly promoted by those who furthered it, as the only means left to restore the religion of Rome;' therefore, both in this realm and in Scotland, the papists would most fortify this marriage, and devise all means within their realm to disturb the English government,' and to achieve their purposes by force, rather than fail.' ib. p. 207. Hereby the Romish religion would be erected and increased daily in this realm.' They then reviewed the proofs that these perils were really impending, and the remedies; of which one was to prevent the marriage. See this State Paper in Rob. app. 203-214. So that Elizabeth's objection to this marriage was not light female opposition. The queen had confessed to Murray, that money had been sent to her from the pope. E. Bedf. letter, Aug. 1556. Rob. app. 231.

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10s On 31 July, Randolph wrote to Leicester- This is now their fear; the overthrow of religion; the breach of amity with the queen's majesty, and the destruction of as many of the nobility as she hath a misliking of; or that he liketh to pitch a quarrel unto. I speak least of that which I think is most earnestly intended by this queen and her husband. By him it was lately said, that he careth more for the papists in England, than he did for the Protestants in Scotland.' Rob. app. 215.

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