New Discoveries respecting the History of Mary Queen of Scots.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume 2, Issue 69, 10 August 1844, Page 4

New Discoveries respecting the History of Mary Queen of Scots.

Mr. P. F. Tytler, after distinguishing himself by various biographical works, exhibiting great res earch and a sweet and fluent style, commenced the publication of a history of Scotland about twelve years ago. The 7th volume, which has appeared within the last few weeks, and embraces the period between 15G5 and 1574 (being the second last of thebook,) contains some new facts of considerable interest respecting the life of Queen Mary. These Mr. Tytler has derived from documents hitherto buried in the State Paper Office. The character of the affair of EAccio's deatli is now made considerably clearer than before. It sprung from two plots which had coalesced, their purpose being common ; the one arose from Darnley 's personal jealousy, the other from the dread which the Protestant party entertained of Riccio's influence in behalf of Romanism, and in effecting the forfeiture of the Earl of Murray and other Protestant lords, who had lately been driven as rebels from the kingdom. Tho parliament was to meet early in March (IGSG) to enact this forfeiture. About the middle of February, the murder of Riccio was arranged. The public will now learn with surprise that Queen Elizabeth was duly apprised of it, as an act favourable to her interests. More surprising still, the pre^cjiers_ J Jplin Knox and John Craig were amongst the actual conspirators. For this Mr. Tytler does not adduce the original of the bond which tho conspirators signed, but he brings forward, what is scarcely less to be trusted, a list which had been transcribed by the English Ambassador and sent to Elizabeth. And not only did these men agree to the murder, but, to favour it, they appointed a general fast and humiliation to be held in tho city during the week on which it was to take place, the solemnities of that occasion forming a pretext for the gathering of tho partisans of tho conspirators. " Directions for prayers and sermons, to be used during this week, were drawn up by Knox and tho ministers, and the subjects chosen were calculated to prepare the public mind for tho destructive scene about to ensue. They were selected from the Old Testament alone, and included, amongst other examples, the slaying of Oreb and Zeb, the cutting off the Benjamites, tho fast of Esther, the hanging of Hainan, inculcating tho duty of inflicting swift and summary vengeance on all who persecuted the people of God." After the murder, when the queen unexpectedly retained her authority, Knox fled to Ayrshire, and lived there for a twelvemonth : his reasons for this act, formerly very obscure, are now mado clear. What a strange impression do we receive of the age, when we find two personages otherwise so estimable as Elizabeth and Knox, concerned in so atrocious a murder as that of poor Riccio was in all its features ! Daruley's desertion of his associates, so as to leave them exposed to vengeance, was what led to his own death. Those men seem to have determined that he should not escape their vengeance. It was only by accident that it also suited the convenience of the Earl of Bothwell to have Darnley destroyed. Here also the assassination was coolly covenanted. A bond was entered into, at which were the names of Bothwell, Lethington, Argyle, Iluntly, and others, agreeing to stand by each other in this deed, and against its consequences. Morton was mado privy to it, and it was also known to Murray, though lie had the prudence to keep apart from all concern in it. Upon the whole, Mr. Tytler's" narrative makes it more likely than ever seemed before to us, that Mary was aware

eager to fight ; but at this critical juncture , Mary interfered, and resolutely forbade the encounter. "By this time it was evident that desertion was spreading rapidly in her army, nor had her remonstrances the least effect ; she implored them to advance, assured them of victory, taunted them with cowardice — but all to so little purpose, that when Grange at tho head of his troops began to wheel round the hill, so as to turn their flank, tho panic became general, and the queen and Bothwell were left with only sixty gentlemen and tho band of hack-butters. It was the design of Grange to throw himself between Dnnbar and this littlo force, thus cutting off Bothwell's escape, but Mary perceived it, and sent the laird of Ormiston to demand a parley. This was immediately granted ; and when Grange rode forward, he assured his sovereign of their readiness to obey her, if that man who now stood beside her, and was guilty of tho king's murder, were dismissed. To this she replied, that if tho lords promised to return to their allegiance, she would leave the duko, and put herself in his hands. He carried this message to his brethren, and came back with a solemn assurance that on such conditions they were ready to receive and obey her as their sovereign. Hearing this, the queen, ever too credulous and apt to act on tho impulse of the moment, held a moment's conversation aside with Bothwell. What passed can only- bo conjectured: he appeared to waver and remonstrate ; but when she gave him her hand, ho took farewell, turned his horse's head, and rode off the field, none of tho confederates offering the least impediment. It was the last time they ever met." A striking passage follows. Soon finding herself by no means a free agont, she broke out into reproaches, and bitterly repented her precipitation. " She called for Lindsay, one of the fiercest of the confederate barons, and bade him give her his hand. He obeyed. 'By the hand,' said she, ' which is now in yours, I'll have your head for this.' Unfortunate princess ! When she spoke thus, littlo did she know how soon that unrelenting hand, which had been already stained with Riccio's blood, would fall still heavier yet upon herself." The subsequent events arc related with great spirit, and many new facts of importance are introduced. This is no proper place in which to make extensive extracts from a tiistorical work. But one of Mr. Tytler's new facts is of a nature to excite much surprise in Scotland — namely, that while the queen was confined in Lochleven, the Ilamiltons, who have hitherto been looked upon as her constant friends, actually proposed to her moro conspicuous enemies to have her assassinated. But, indeed, murder is the leading feature of this period of our history. There is not any character of tho age so pure as not to have been in some way concerned in deliberate murder. The most politic sovereigns and ministers, the most vehement reformers of the national church, the most magnificent nobles — all are ready to shed blood, or to favour its being shed, privately, when it suited their ends to do so._ It almost seems strange that so much pains should have been taken to make out Mary either innocent or guilty. When Elizabeth is found fore-knowing of Riccio's murder, when Leicester is found openly counselling the killing of Mary at the Council Board of England, when every man and woman of any note in that age is found tainted with blood, it seems extremely likely that Mary was privy to Darnley 's slaughter, but it is scarcely just to make her character rest on a point which, with regard to her contemporaries, is generally treated as a matter of indifference.

of what was going on. She appears to have by this time contracted a passion for Bothwell — one of thoso infatuated attachments which human beings sometimes, though rarely, form for each other, in spite of not only the most obvious prudence, but tho most sacred principles. If privy to the design, the part she acted was one of most depraved hypocrisy : she must then bo considered as having led the unfortunate young man liko a lamb to the slaughter. One cannot but relent and pity tho miserable youth, on learning that ho dreaded her blandishments, but told his friend that ho would go with her, " though she should murder me." On tho fatal night, soon after being left by her, he retired to the bod-chamber, " Since his illness," says Mr. Tytler, " there appeared to have been a great change in him. He had becomo more thoughtful, and thought had brought with it repentanco of his former courses. lie lamented there were few near him whom lie could trust, and at times he would say, that he know he should bo slain, complaining that he was hardly dealt with ; but from these sorrows ho had sought refuge in religion, and it was remarked that on this night, his last in the world, ho had repeated the 55th Psalm, which he would often read and sing. After his devotion, he went to bod and fell asleep, Taylor, his page, being beside him in the same apartment. This ,was tho moment seized by the murderers, who still lurked iv the lower room, to complete their dreadful purpose ; but their miserable) victim was awakened by tho noise of their false keys in tho lock of his apartment, and rushing down in his shirt and pelisse, endeavoured to make his escape, but he was intercepted, and strangled after a desperate resistance, his cries for mercy being heard by some women in the nearest house ; the page was also strangled ; and their bodies carried into a small orchard, without the garden wall, where they were found, the king in his shirt only, and the pelisse by his side. " The wretches then blew up the house, by means of the gunpowder which they had deposited in one of tho lower rooms. The open efforts to screen Bothwell from justice, and Mary's disgraceful marriage to him, ruined her in the estimation of her subjects, as well as of the sovereigns of Europe. At the same time, one cannot but feel equal indignation at the conduct of some of those great chiefs who now rose against her, thinking it a good opportunity to get quit of her government. These were the very men who had joined in the bond for the murder. They were as guilty as they represented her to be ; but they were on the popular side in religion, and knew they were pretty safe on a hostile demonstration against objects so generally odious as Bothwell and the queen. To meet these " associated lords" she had about 4000 men. Mary and Bothwell advanced from East Lothian with 2000 men, and intrenched their troops in some old works on the crest of Carberry Hill. The transactions of the day were of that kind which makes history sometimes rise to the tone of purest tragedy. We must here make a brief extract from Mr. Tytler's volume. " Monsieur do Croc, the French ambassador, carried a message from her to Morton and Glencairn, " assuring them of their sovereign's disposition to pardon the past on condition that they returned to their duty. " We have not como here," said Glencairn, when he heard this proposal, " to solicit pardon for ourselves, but rather to give it to those who have offended." "Wo are in arms," added Morton, "not against our queen, but tho Duke of Orkney, the murderer of her husband. Let him be delivered up, or let her majesty remove him from her company, and we shall yield her obedience. " It was evident from this reply that there was little hope of peace, and the confederate lords were the moro determined, as an indisposition to fight was beginning to bo apparent in the royal troops, some men at that moment stealing over to the enemy. Observing this, Bothwell, who was never deficient in personal courage, rode forward, and, by a herald, sent his defiance to any one that dared arraign him of the king's murder. His gage was accepted by James Murray of Tullibardin, but Bothwell refused to enter the lists with one who was not his peer, and singled out Morton, who readily answered, that he would fight him instantly on foot and with two-handed swords. Upon this, Lord Lindsay, of the Byres, interfered. The combat, he contended, belonged of right to him, as the relative of the murdered king, and he implored the associate lords by the services he had dono, and still hoped to do, that they would grant him the courtesy to meet the duke in this quarrel. It was deemed proper to humour Lindsay, and Morton presented him with his own sword, a weapon well known and highly valued, as having been once wielded by his renowned ancestor, Archibald Bell the Cat. Lindsay then proceeded to arm himself, and, kneeling down before the ranks, audibly implored God to ' strengthen his arm to punish the guilty and protect the innocent. Bothwell, too, seemed