and send him back to her. This sensible and straightforward proceeding of the Queen put Joseph Riccio in a far worse case than he had been before, and induced him, as a last desperate resource, to write to his injured friend, confessing the false witness he had borne against him, and imploring him, "for the honour of their country and the love of God, to confirm what he had said, and not to ruin him by exposing his deceit." The late learned historian of Scotland, Mr P. Fraser Tytler, misconceiving the idiomatic Italian of Joseph Riccio's letter, has hazarded a conjecture that the mysterious circumstances there alluded to had some connection with the plot for Darnley's murder; it therefore becomes necessary to demonstrate, from a literal translation of the document printed in his appendix, how greatly he has been deceived in fancying it applied to anything of greater moment than the private chicanery of Joseph Riccio, and his desire to conceal his knavery from the Queen. The details are valuable, as affording an amusing peep of everyday life behind the scenes of the tragic Court of Holyrood, at this exciting period, and displaying the fair Sovereign herself in the character of a domestic judge, graciously listening to the appeals of humble individuals among her household band, but resolutely determined not to condemn an absent person unheard, and taking prompt measures for confronting the accuser and the accused—a measure of justice which she afterwards vainly demanded in her own case.

LETTER, FROM THE ITALIAN, OF JOSEPH RICCIO TO JOSEPH LUTINI1

"I have told the Queen and Timoteo that you have taken away my money; and the reason I said it you shall hear. When we returned from Stirling, Timoteo asked, 'Where your horses and personal property were?' I said, 'Your personals were in your coffers.' Lorenzo Cagnoli had told him that you had taken all away with you, together with your horses; moreover, that you had said to him, I have finely deluded the Secretary, because he thinks my goods are in my coffers; but there is not anything there.' When Timoteo heard this, he began to say, 'So you have deceived me, Mr Secretary, but the Queen will do me justice!' and forthwith he sought Bastian, and made him tell the Queen' that I had

1 Labanoff's Recueil des Lettres de Marie Stuart.

become surety, that you were going on affairs, on which he lent me one hundred crowns,' when all began to exclaim 'there was something very wrong in it, and that I knew you had been meddling with the Queen's papers.' Then I, who would not be suspected, began to say 'that you had carried away from me six Portuguese doubloons and five nobles, and you had promised to leave me your horses [in pledge].' Then the Queen suddenly demanded of me,' Where are my bracelets?' and I said 'that you had carried them with you, and that they were within the purse with my money.' Bastian then said, 'that you owed him sixty francs,' and all declared 'you ought to be sent after;' therefore the Queen commanded Lethington to write a letter for you to be arrested on the way. In the midst of it all, M. de Moretta arrived here, who said 'you had informed him that I had caused you to undertake this journey.'

The rest of the letter is filled up with entreaties of Joseph Riccio to his friend Lutini to adopt, on his examination, all the misrepresentations "with which he had loaded his character-conjuring him by their former intimacy so to do, as he should be ruined if the Queen detected any discrepancy when he was questioned." In his postscript, Joseph Riccio earnestly beseeches Lutini to burn his letter-a desire that was not complied with; for instead of reaching the person for whom it was intended, it fell into the hands of Sir William Drury, the Marshal of Berwick, on whom the hint that Lutini was suspected of having been handling Queen Mary's papers was not lost. He fancied something might be got out of Lutini to her disadvantage, or that a political use might be made of him in some way or other; and therefore, instead of complying with her request that he might be sent to Edinburgh without delay, he constituted him a prisoner at Berwick, and transmitted to Cecil both Joseph Riccio's letter and that written by Lethington.2 In spite of the reiterated demands of Queen Mary for Lutini's delivery to her authorities, he was actually detained at Berwick till the end of February. But nothing could be elicited from him calculated to injure his royal mistress.3 The sequel of the affair, and how the two Josephs sped, will be related in the proper order of chronology. Events

1 The Queen's letter to Drury to stop Lutini on the journey to England is dated January 17, 1566-7; and this of Joseph Riccio to Lutini two days later. 2 State Paper MSS., January 23, 1566-7. 3 Drury to Cecil, February 7; Drury to Lethington; Drury to Cecil, February 28-Border Correspondence.

of strange and startling import to Mary occurred in the interim.

The object of Moretta's visit to outward appearance, the performance of the empty ceremony of offering a polite excuse on the part of the Duke of Savoy for his non-attendance at the baptism of Mary's infant son-involved more than met the public eye. It was in reality a secret Papal mission from all the Roman Catholic powers and principalities in Europe, of whom the Duke of Savoy was one of the most zealous agents, urging her to join their combination for the suppression of heresy, and to stand forth as the ostensible head of the Roman Catholic party in Britain. If Mary could have been induced to do this, the flames of a religious war would immediately have been kindled in England, Scotland, and Ireland. She and Darnley would have been proclaimed joint-Sovereigns of Great Britain by their united partisans, involving at least a third of the people of England, and an overwhelming majority in Ireland. Money and troops would have been sent to her assistance from Spain, and she would have been placed in a position to contest with Elizabeth the possession of the throne, to which her reversionary claims were as yet unrecognised. It was this position Darnley desired her to assume. Mary had seen enough of the horrors of the religious struggle in France to deter her from disturbing the congregational worship of Scotland; all she desired was, toleration for herself and her Roman Catholic subjects; or, to use her own words, " that all men might be permitted to serve God according to their own consciences "1

a sentiment too enlightened for the age, and scarcely more agreeable to the persecuted than to the persecutors.

Darnley, after playing fast and loose with the Protestant party in Scotland-silencing Knox, burning the Psalmbook, and threatening the lives of the political leaders of that powerful body—when he cut the connection with them for ever, had identified his cause with the Church in which he had been nurtured, and determined to go all lengths for her re-establishment both in England and Scotland. He was in correspondence with the Pope, and the Pope had

1 Knox's History of the Reformation in Scotland.

sent him money,1 though, in consequence of the opposition of winds and waves, it had fallen into other hands; but the fact that it had been intended for him was a sufficient note of the estimation in which he was held at Rome. Everything might indeed be expected from his influence over the mind of the Queen if they became firmly reconciled, and he could be taught to regard their interests as inseparable, and indissolubly united with those of their Church.

1 Bannatyne's Memorials.

MARY STUART

CHAPTER XXIX.

SUMMARY

True date of Queen Mary's departure from Edinburgh verified-She goes to Glasgow to see Darnley-Met on the road by Lennox's man, Crawford-Crawford delivers his lord's message to the Queen-Her replyReconciliation between the Queen and Darnley-Their conversations -Darnley objects to go to Craigmillar Castle-Queen writes to Lethington to procure other lodgings-Glaring falsehoods in the forged letters -Darnley leaves Glasgow with her-Particulars of their journeyProvost's house at Kirk-of-Field chosen for Darnley's lodging by the conspirators in Mary's Cabinet-Salubrity of the situation-Queen brings Darnley there-False witness of Nelson about the beds-Inventory of some of the furniture in Darnley's chamber in the Provost's houseDescription of his bed-Queen's affectionate attention to Darnley-Their renewed regard for each other-Alarming hints of the Lord Robert Stuart to Darnley of the plot against his life-The Queen requires Lord Robert to explain his meaning-He denies having told Darnley-Their quarrel-Mutual violence-Proceedings of the conspirators-The Earl of Moray's astute policy-Day fixed for the murder of Darnley-Queen promises to give a masked ball at Holyrood in honour of Bastian and Margaret Carwood's nuptials-Her gifts to both.

QUEEN MARY remained in Edinburgh, according to the evidence of the regal records, transacting business, from Tuesday, January 14, 1566-7, till Friday, January 24.1 On the last-named day she signed a warrant appointing James Inglis tailor to the Prince her son; and a precept confirming a gift of lands in life-rent, to contribute to the weal and comfort of a newly-wedded pair, James Boyd of 1 Privy Council Record. Privy Seal Register. Registers of Signatures. Goodall. Chalmers.

VOL. V.

H