matter, she did also by her messengers assure sundry of her party in Scotland that this marriage should take place within a few days, and thereby she should recover all and more. And to abuse some of ours, she and her ministers made certain offers, to accord to all things that could be devised for our surety, whereunto they, having no mistrust, gave more heed in respect of us than (now is manifestly seen) had been for our safety.

"And in this sort you may say, we have willed you briefly to declare her dealing to abuse us, and to aspire to that state from the which we, by God's goodness, doubt not during our life to keep her. And you may say to the Queen mother, because her experience by years serveth her to judge of such matters better than her son; she can well enough think that in this, so long a practice, tending so high a matter, begun in October, and not to us known before August, being the space almost of ten months; there were many particular devices, which now are to us sufficiently known, tending to the consummation of no small enterprise; for we find that this device of marriage was, in the meaning of her and hers, but an entry to her greater designs; and surely right sorry we are, yea, half ashamed, to have been thus misused by her whom we have so benefited by saving of her life; to whom also we have shewed otherwise great favours, having been heretofore our mortal enemy, as is well

known to the world. satisfaction of the King and his mother, you may say we would not utter so much of so ungrateful a matter. But now that they shall understand by some parts how evil we have been used, we trust they will indifferently (impartially) consider of us both, and regard what is meet for them to require of us towards her.

And were it not but for the

"And you shall assure the King and the Queen mother, howsoever they shall be advertised, otherwise that we have no cause to doubt of any lack of fidelity of our nobility, towards whom we show ourselves at this time displeased. But that we will herein use that power which God hath given us, to punish or reprehend, as well the highest as the lowest of our subjects, if they shall oversee themselves in any matters belonging to us, meaning thereby both to cause them to be circumspect for themselves, and all others to take example, to beware how they shall deal in such dangerous matters, and so ye shall conclude, that of this matter we doubt not to make a very good end, both for our own honour and the contentation of all our good subjects.

"And if it should be said unto you that the Queen of Scots complaineth about her strait keeping, and that she hath some lords attending upon her, whom she liketh not, you may answer, that indeed at this time when we found what sort this practice had

been by her sundry ways pursued; and therewith also being informed by the Earl of Shrewsbury, with whom she was, how he was afraid to keep her by reason of the suspicion he had, some were corrupted on her behalf and were privy to this practice; yea, and that he could not well trust his own servants; and that he himself, by reason of his sickness, could not give that attendance which was convenient; but required us to have some more regard to her than before, and to let him have some aid of some noblemen, or else to be discharged of us. Thereupon and at the same instant, also hearing out of Scotland that she had sent to some there, assuring them that she would come there and be married, assigning therefore a time certain and very short, we were in reason moved to use strictness more than indeed we did, and of necessity compelled to do that whereof we think she complaineth. For where she before time agreed to have a certain number of barons of her own allowed with her, she had secretly, without our knowledge, so far increased the same, as the Earl of Shrewsbury, took thereof some doubt, and therefore we gave orders to remove the superfluous number. And for the assisting of the Earl of Shrewsbury we did appoint the Earl of Huntingdon, who was next neighbour to the Earl of Shrewsbury; of whom can say enough for his discretion and integrity of conscience: however, the Queen of Scots, by reason

you

the course of the practice intended both for her marriage and for her escape, is in her opinion broken, doth now shew herself to mislike him.

"And if any more matter shall be objected by the King, as it may be upon certain information sent to him from her or her ministers, if by these our letters you perceive not sufficiency to instruct you, you shall do well to pray the King only to suspend his judgment betwixt us and her, until an answer thereto shall be given, and require him to consider with himself how justly we have been provoked hereunto, and to much more; and yet we are not moved (we thank God,) to use any revenge, but as nature, reason, and honour shall compel us, to foresee our own quietness and surety, which, we trust, no Prince will disallow in us, any more than we would in any of them, if they had the like cause.'

On the other hand, Elizabeth and Burghley were fully aware of the disadvantages attendant on Mary's presence in England; and in a memorial in which Burghley gives a masterly exposition of all the circumstances, he mentions, among those which may be favorable to Mary, the imputation of having killed her husband might in time die away, or be represented in such a light by her defenders, as to be no great obstacle to the attainment of her ends. He did not mean by this to intimate that she was innocent, (as some have alleged,) or that

the documentary evidence produced against her was false; but he foresaw the discrepancy of views which, in spite of this evidence, has continued up to this day.

Meantime important events took place in Scotland, and the Protestants completely triumphed under the new government: they alone where henceforth to hold judicial offices; the King was to take an oath to maintain the new doctrines, and every transgression of the divine laws were to be severely punished. This last notion was carried so far that the Countess of Argyle was compelled to do penance in church because she had been present for Elizabeth at the christening of James I. according to the Catholic rites. Promises were indeed given, but imperfectly kept, that the third of the Church property assigned to the crown should be really employed in paying the Clergy, and a favorable Act of Parliament be passed for the disbursement of the remainder. Enough, however, was done to incense all the Catholics and friends of Mary, and to accuse Murray of ambition, and those about him of rapacity and corruption. Hamilton of Bothwelshaugh, a partisan of Mary's, had been taken prisoner at Langside, and condemned to death, with confiscation of his estates. Murray spared his life, and allowed him to retain part of his estates, the remainder was granted to another, who, in taking possession, conducted himself with