THE BABY IN CLOTH OF GOLD MARKED "J."

Otago Daily Times, Issue 8419, 16 February 1889, Page 3

THE BABY IN CLOTH OF GOLD MARKED "J."

A STRANGE STORY 03T HOLYROOD.

A writer in the Morning Post tells a strange tale of " ancient Holyrood " which he says should be at once contradicted or confirmed. Some visitors who lately went through the Queen of Scots' apartments there were shown by the guide, who seemed to have spoken a little beyond his commission, a certain passage and a large jutting stone like a step, and the following curious statement was then let fall:—A short time ago, when some repairs were being made in the Queen of Scots' room, a stonemason struck the jutting out stone abovementioned, which rang hollow, He had the curiosity to turn it up, and discovered the remains of a baby wrapped in cloth of gold, and marked "J." Now, it is well known that Mary Stuart gave birth to James I of England and the VI of Scotland in the adjoining room, and that immediately after the birth the child was removed and brought up elsewhere, the Queen showing small interest in her offspring. Now, supposing the real child, the real James, is the infant wrapped in cloth of cloth lying under that stone, who was the other child who afterwards reigned as James I of England and VI of Scotland ! Did this question ever occur to the authorities ? This will be best answered by asking how they are said to have treated the discovery. They telegraphed at once to the high personage in London whose business it is to control Holyrood Palace, What did ho ? He sent back word "to make no fuss about it," but to replace the baby in cloth of gold marked " J," under the stone, and presumably there he still lies. But the questions remain to be answered, If that is Mary Stuart's baby and the rightful heir, who was that other baby ? and why, when the supposed original turned up in cloth of gold, was there no fuss to be made 1 If this is all a mare's nest it is high time that people who go over Holyrood should know it, let alone those whom it may concern even more nearly.