74 76 XXI. and as the general public were sure to feel rightly, CHAP. and to act indignantly on such an atrocity, they speedily moved with an overpowering force to the Scottish capital, from which the menaced chiefs fled hastily for their individual safety." So little personal benefit resulted to any from their crime." But it happened beneficially for the prevention of the persecution, which had been meditated by Rizzio and his papal instigators, and also for the protection of the Reformation, which the queen had solicited the deluded king to overthrow," that her wandering and self-gratifying fancy fastened upon Bothwell,'* altho like Rizzio he had not the graces of personal beauty," nor was much distinguished by his practical virtues. 78 For this man happened not to be a friend dow, 'they two, alone, with great fear, went forth on foot to Edmon- came 74 We remained in Dunbar five days; and after returned to Edinburgh well accompanied with our subjects.' Mary, 333. 754 Being informed of the queen's fury and anger towards the committers of the slaughter, and perceiving they were not able to make any party, they departed out of Edinburgh on Sunday, 17th March, every one a several way, for the queen was now bent on the slayers of David Rizzio; and to be the better avenged on them, she intended to give pardon to all such as had been before attainted, for whatsoever crime.' Knox, 432. 76 The little profit that men are usually allowed to extract from their more wicked actions, was signally manifested in the chief murderer, lord Ruthven. He struck the blows of death on Rizzio on 9 March, and he was in his own grave on the 13th of the ensuing May; surviving his victim but two months and four days. His inquisitio post mortem, cited by Chalmers, v. 2. p. 353, gives us this date of his short duration. "See note 69. 78 6 Earl Bothwell, whom the queen preferred above all others, after the decease of David Rizzio.' Krox, 433. 79 Brantome says of him; Ce Bothwell etoit le plus laid homme et d'aussi mauvaise grace qui se put voir.' Disc. de Marie. 80 On 6th April 1565, Bedford's letter to Cecil was: 'I assure you, Bothwell is as naughty a man as liveth, and much given to the most detestable vices. Lett. in Chal. 2. p. 26. II. 82 81 BOOK of the Romish system. It was during his asserted influence that much of the church property of Scotland was given away by the queen to her political friends, and some portion of it is stated to have gone to this new object of her irregular partialities; altho the general account of these ecclesiastical donations to him, appears to be liable to some critical limitation.84 83 81 When Bothwell married the earl Huntley's sister, the queen desired that the marriage might be made in the chapel, at the mass; which the earl Bothwell would in no wise grant.' Knox, 428. 63 The patrimony of the kirk, bishops, abbeys, and such othe benefices, were disposed by the queen to courtiers, dancers, and flatterers.' Knox, p. 433. 83 The earl Bothwell had for his part, Melross, Haddington, and Newbottel. The castle of Dunbar was likewise given to him, with the principal lands of the earldom of March, which were of the patrimony of the crown.' Knox, p. 433. 84 Mr. Chalmers' criticism on the preceding passage, indicates that altho Bothwell once had Melross abbey, yet that in 1561 it had been taken from him, and given to Balfour for life, who held it till his death, in the third year after Rizzio's fall. But Mary's grant to Bothwell may have been the reversion of it, and he had obtained in December 1565 Glencairn's pension upon it, of five hundred crowns, 3 Chalm. 78, 9. That his kinswoman was made prioress of Haddington abbey, in March 1566, is admitted; and as Maitland, the possessor of its lands, fled then in proscription to England, the allegation of the grant of this to Bothwell seems to have a reasonable foundation. But the possession of Newbottel Abbey by the Kerrs, seems inconsistent with its gift to Bothwell, unless he had some pension extracted from it, as had been done to others, from the abbey of Melross. Mr. Chalmers allows him to have had the gift of Dunbar Castle and its appropriate lands (v. 2. p. 29,) and that these grants were of great importance to him.' ib. We can seldom get a full and accurate detail of the pecuniary boons which court favorites obtain. CHAP. XXII. MARY'S CONDUCT TOWARDS HER HUSBAND-BOTHWELL'S XXII. ACCEPTING the submission of Murray and Argyle CHAP. on the condition of their detaching themselves from their violent confederates,' who were proscribed, and who fled to England for their personal safety, Mary made Huntley, Bothwell, and Athol, her leading ministers; but Murray, Argyle, and Glencairn were soon added to her state council. The differences of ambitious or selfish men are never irreconcileable, because power and booty may usually be divided but the quarrels of the heart seldom end but with the grave; and depreciation for misconduct is rarely redeemed. The king experienced this evil to its full extent. Neither his queen, nor his people, esteemed, honored, or trusted him any more; while Murray and Bothwell became 'great 2 1 Mary's lett. in Keith, 333. Mary, ib. and Ruthv. 129. The act of council, of 19th March, at Edinburgh, charged sixty-seven other persons, besides Morton, Ruthven, and Lyndsay. ib. 130. Another act, of May, ordered the prosecution of all that had been concerned in the late heinous attempt. ib. 131. The king chose to deny all knowledge of the conspiracy. Mary, p. 333. 3 They appear in the cabinet council of 5 April 1566. Mary, 335. 5 In less than a month after the catastrophe, Randolph wrote to Cecil: The king is not loved by the queen, on account of the said murther. The people hate him, because he hath broken his oath to II. 10 BOOK friends." Elizabeth refused to intercede for the fugitive nobles on such a transaction; but the king, recovering from his brief fascination, as Mary changed her behaviour to him, inquired after them, and regretted that he had been induced to desert them. It was settled that the queen should await the period of her maternal confinement in the castle of Edinburgh: from whence she took occasional excursions to Stirling and some neighbouring seats, but with no increase" of kindness to her husband. Her government remonstrated with the English cabinet, against Morton, Ruthven, and Lyndsay being allowed to remain at Newcastle. Elizabeth despatched Killigrew into Scotland, with a promise of attention to the application," and sent a warning to the obnoxious nobles to leave her dominions before midsummer.13 But the envoy the conspirators.' Lett. in Cecil's abstract, p. 167. Melville describes her as lamenting to see the king's folly, unthankfulness, and misbehaviour. I excused the best I might, but I could perceive nothing but a great grudge that she had in her heart.' 6 Lett. 1 May, ib. 168. 7 Lett. 13 May, ib. Melv. 153. Finding the queen's favor but cold.' ib. Her aversion to him became now so fixed, that we find by Randolph's letter of 25th April, that I. Thornton was gone to Rome, to sue for a divorce.' Lett. in Rob. app. 584. 9 Council act of the 5th April. Keith, 335. 10 Keith, 336. "Melville remarks: Some thought she fled from his company. I travailed earnestly to help matters between them, and was so importune, that her majesty desired my lord of Murray to reprove me; and forbade me to be familiar with the king, who passed up and down alone, and few durst bear him company. He was misliked by the queen, and by all them that favored secretly the late banished lords. It was a great pity to see that good young prince cast off, who failed rather for lack of good counsel and experience, than of evil will.' Mem. p. 153. 12 Hollingshead. Sir Robert Melville, her ambassador in London, expostulated on the subject. Mel. 155. 13 On 31st May, earl Morton complained to Randolph, that she, Elizabeth, would not allow him and his associates to remain in Eng. land. Cecil's abst. 168. XXII. reminded the Scotch government, that it was then CHAP. harbouring an English rebel; and that its queen was also practising with the revolting O'Neil in Ireland, and entertaining his ambassador in Edinburgh." Bothwell continued to rise in Mary's estimation.15 In June, the queen, feeling symptoms of an approaching delivery, wrote to her principal noblemen to be with her at Edinburgh. The king, Argyle, Athol, Murray, and Mar, took their stations near her in the castle; while Huntley, Bothwell, and others lodged themselves in the city. They were not long in expectancy. On the forenoon of the 19th June 1566, her son and heir, and the eventual successor of Elizabeth, the Scottish James VI. and our James I. was born,16 to the delight of his immediate countrymen, and to the benefit, viewing all the accompanying results on an enlarged and impartial scale, of our England; to whose sceptre he acceded, at a time when no one better fitted to "Melv. 155, 6. The person alluded to as the rebel, either was or became purchased to be a spy of sir W. Cecil, and was used to watch and sound the purposes of Mary. Keith, 337. His letters to Cecil, of 2d July, seem to imply not an original mission as a spy, but a subsequent conversion to that treacherous office, and that his hope of pardon was actuating him to undertake it. I desire God may be no gladder of my soul than I would be to have favor of my prince and country again, and would willingly spend my life therein. And I, in hope of that good will I ever looked for from your hand, will hazard my life in following your advice.' He seems also by the following request to have been only employed in July, as he asks for directions. 'I dare not speak with Mr. Killigrew. In the meantime, make notes of instructions of all things wherein you would have my labor used, and I will satisfy your expectations." This is not like the language of a person sent from England for such purposes, as he would in that case have taken his orders with him. The same letter states that on the preceding day he had received Cecil's letters, who answers as if his new engagement was then beginning. Keith, 338. 15 Now the earl of Bothwell's favor increased, which miscontented many.' Melv. 154. 16 Melv. 158. Keith, 338. |