FRONTISPIECE-PORTRAIT OF DARNLEY. Copied by Mr GOURLAY STEEL from VIRTUE'S Engraving of the curious Original Painting formerly in the possession of MARGARET COUNTESS OF LENNOX.

VIGNETTE-QUEEN MARY'S COMPULSORY ABDICATION.

Mr GOURLAY STEEL. (See Page 368.)

Designed by

FACSIMILE OF THE INTERCEPTED LETTER ADDRESSED TO QUEEN MARY BY DARNLEY'S MOTHER, MARGARET COUNTESS OF LENNOX. Traced from the inedited holograph in Her Majesty's State Paper Office by NETHERCLIFT,

372

THE

QUEENS OF SCOTLAND

MARY STUART

CHAPTER XXV.

SUMMARY

LIFE OF MARY STUART-Continued. Dangerous position of Queen Mary after the birth of her son-Selfish policy of her nobles-Her personal proceedings at Stirling and Edinburgh-Her consort's antagonism to Lethington - Her meeting with Lethington at Willie Bell's houseHer continued displeasure with Lennox-She reconciles Lethington and Bothwell- Her Coalition Cabinet-She sorts her jewels-Settles the colours to be worn by the nobles at her baby's christening-Obtains a pecuniary aid to defray the expenses-Declension of the Protestant interest in Scotland-Pope's nuncio in France complains of her lukewarmness to that of Rome-Mary excuses herself from receiving his visit-She sends Bothwell to quell the Border insurgents-He is resisted and wounded - Buchanan's calumnies on Mary exposed - She leaves Edinburgh with her Court on her judicial progress-Darnley absents himself—Mary opens her royal assize at Jedburgh-Visits Bothwell with her Council at Hermitage Castle-Reasons for undertaking that journey-Adventures on her way-Her dangerous illness - She prepares herself for death-Requests the prayers of the Reformed churches-Forgives her enemies-Exhorts her nobles to unity-Commends her infant to their care-Desires he may be brought up in the fear of God-Declares her abhorrence of persecution-Fluctuations of her malady-Her death reported-Darnley's neglect of her-His tardy arrival at Jedburgh-Cool reception and hasty departure-Queen Mary's house at Jedburgh-Apples, citrons, and pomegranates brought to her during her sickness-Her bounty to the poor of Jedburgh-Her clemency to criminals-She leaves Jedburgh for Kelso.

THE machinery for the revolution which was to transfer the sceptre of Scotland from the hand of Mary Stuart to that of her infant boy, the unconscious puppet in whose

VOL. V.

A

name the elective sovereignty of a regency might be exercised by the leader of that movement, was suggested by the matrimonial jars between her and her consort; but these were not the exciting causes.

The birth of her son, so far from strengthening the royal mother's throne, was the signal for an extensive conspiracy among her nobles for bringing her reign to a close before the completion of her twenty-fifth year-the age at which the Sovereigns of Scotland were privileged to revoke all Crown grants, whether conceded by their Regents or themselves previously to that period. The grants made by the Duke of Châtelherault and the late Queen-Regent had been enormous, and those of Mary herself, in her youthful inexperience, so lavish, that the regal revenues were reduced to one-third of their proper value. The resumption of this property became, therefore, a matter of absolute necessity for the support of the government and the defence of the realm. But the prospect of such a measure, however constitutional, was so little agreeable to the parties in possession, that, with few exceptions, all were ready to welcome any expedient whereby the evil day of restitution might be postponed for a new term of upwards of four-and-twenty years, involving, withal, the not improbable contingency of retaining the property in perpetuity. The wealth and power of a selfish oligarchy had increased so greatly during six successive regal minorities in Scotland, that a seventh was eagerly desired, and the earliest opportunity for producing it was boldly seized.

While the undercurrents that influenced the adverse tide of Mary Stuart's destiny were working in unsuspected channels for the accomplishment of this event, her attention was divided between preparations for the christening of the Prince, the arrangement of his separate establishment, and plans for securing, as she fondly imagined, the peace and internal happiness of her realm, by effecting a general reconciliation between her contentious nobles, and forming a Coalition Cabinet from the leading members of the two great factions whose strife agitated her councilchamber.

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How closely her actions were watched by the spies in her household, and how minutely reported to the English authorities at Berwick, abundant proof is afforded by the Border correspondence at this epoch. The information thus supplied of her proceedings during her rapid transits between Stirling and Edinburgh, in September 1566, casts an important light on the otherwise inscrutable behaviour of Darnley on the 29th and 30th of that month, by filling the outlines already before the reader of that mysterious passage in the personal history of the unfortunate pair. "The Secretary (Lethington) came to Stirling the 4th of this instant at night, and did lie at one Willie Bell's; and on the morrow the Queen came to Willie Bell's to the Secretary, and there did dine with him, and remained a good part of the afternoon with him, and liked him very well; and so the Queen returned to the castle of Stirling, and on the morrow came to Edinburgh, the Earls of Moray and Argyll with her. The Countess of Moray remains at Stirling, and hath the government and keeping of the young Prince until the Queen's return to Stirling." 1

The interview between Queen Mary and Lethington was of a purely diplomatic character. She had been induced by her brother Moray, during her visit to his uncle Mar at Alloa Castle, to accord her pardon to this specious traitor, notwithstanding the angry opposition of her husband. But Darnley having forfeited her confidence by his misconduct, she paid less attention to his passionate denunciations of Lethington's guilty proceedings in the plot for Riccio's murder, than to her cooler Premier's protestations of the innocence of his confederate, his devotion to her service, and the important use she might make of his talents for the good of her realm. Mary knew it was her duty as a Sovereign, to be guided by the advice of her minister rather than the caprices of her husband, who was at that time the most unpopular person in Scotland. Under these circumstances, she was persuaded to admit Lethington to her presence as the preliminary to reinstating him in his

1 Letter from Sir John Forster to Sir W. Cecil, dated Berwick, 8th September 1566. Inedited State Paper MS., Border Correspondence.