more. 1565 October It does not appear that Elizabeth saw Murray any CHAP IX She was only anxious to be rid of his presence, which was an intolerable reproach to her; and with these words-the least which the occasion required, yet not without a sad dignity-he returned to his friends who had been sent on to Newcastle, where they were ordered for the present to remain. Elizabeth was left to play out in character the rest of her ignoble game. To the ambassadors-whom she intended to deceive-it was a transparent farce; and there was probably not a house in London, Catholic or Protestant, where her conduct-which she regarded as a political masterpiece-was not ridiculed as it deserved. But it must be allowed at least the merit of completeness. An elaborate account of the interview with Murray was sent to Randolph to be laid before the Queen of Scots; Elizabeth accompanied it Elizabeth with an autograph letter, in which she attempted to Mary impose on the keenest-witted woman living, by telling her she wished she could have been present to have heard the terms in which she addressed her rebellious subject.' 'So far was she from espousing the cause of rebels and traitors,' she said, 'that she should hold herself disgraced if she so much as tacitly borne with them;' she wished her name might be blotted out from the list of princes as unworthy to hold a place among them,' if she had done any such thing.1 1 Aussy je luy (Randolph) ay declaré tout au long le discours entre moy et ung de voz subjectz lequel j'espere vous contentera; soubhaitant que voz oreillez en eussent été juges pour y entendre et l'honneur et l'affection que je monstrois en vostre endroit; tout au rebours de ce qu'on dict que je defendois voz mauvaises subjectz contre vous; laquelle chose se tiendra tousjours trés éloignée de writes to Stuart. CHAP IX At the same time she wrote to Randolph himself, 1565 saying frankly that her first impulse on Murray's arOctober rival had been to accept partially, if not entirely, the conditions of peace which the Queen of Scots had offered to Tamworth. If the Queen of Scots would promise not to molest either herself or her children in the possession of the English throne, she had been ready to pledge her word that nothing should be done in England in prejudice of the Queen of Scots' title to the second place.' On reflection however it had seemed imprudent to show excessive eagerness. She had therefore written a letter which Randolph would deliver, and he might take the opportunity of saying that although the Darnley marriage had interrupted the friendship which had subsisted between the Queen of Scots and herself, yet that she desired only to act honourably and kindly towards her; and if the Queen of Scots would undertake to keep the peace, and would give the promise which she desired, she would send commissioners to Edinburgh to make a final arrangement.1 In a momentary recovery of dignity she added at the close of her letter that if the Queen of Scots refused, 'she would defend her country and subjects from such annoyance as might be intended, and would finally use all such lawful means as God should give her to redress all offences and injuries already done or hereafter to be done to her or her subjects." But an evil spirit of trickery and imbecility had taken possession of Elizabeth's intellect. The Queen of Scots naturally expressed the utmost readiness to receive commissioners sent from England to concede so much of what she had asked. By Elizabeth to Randolph, October 29.-Scotch MSS. Rolls House. 2 Ibid. 1565 October the time Mary's answer came, her Majesty, being no CHAP IX longer in a panic, had become sensible of the indignity of her proposal. She therefore bade Randolph 'so compass the matter that the Queen of Scots should rather send commissioners to England, as more honourable to herself;' and if the Queen of Scots said, as it was like she would, that the Queen of England had offered to send a commission thither, he should answer that he indeed said so and thought so, but that he did perceive he had mistaken her message.1 Elizabeth's strength-could she only have known itlay in the goodness of the cause which she represented. The essential interests both of England and Scotland were concerned in her success. She was the champion of liberty, and through her the two nations were emancipating themselves from spiritual tyranny. By the side of the Jesuits she was but a shallow driveller in the arts to which she condescended; and she was about to find that after all the paths of honour were the paths of safety, and that she could have chosen no weapon more dangerous to herself, than the chicanery of which she considered herself so accomplished a mistress. had mistaken the nature of English and Scottish gentlemen in supposing that they would be the instruments of a disgraceful policy, and she had done her rival cruel wrong in believing that she could be duped with artifices so poor. She Send as many ambassadors as you please to our Queen,' said Sir William Kirkaldy to Bedford; they shall receive a proud answer. She thinks to have a force as soon ready as you do, besides the hope she has to have friendship in England. If force of men and ships 1 Elizabeth to Randolph, November 26.-Scotch MSS. Rolls House. CHAP IX come not with the ambassadors, their coming and travail shall be spent in vain.'1 1565 November Even Cecil perhaps now deplored the effects of his own timidity. I have received,' wrote Bedford to him, your gentle and sorrowful letter. It grieveth me that things will frame no better. The evil news will be the overthrow of three hundred gentlemen of Scotland that are zealous and serviceable.' Too justly Bedford feared that the Scotch Protestants in their resentment would 'become the worst enemies that England ever had;' too clearly he saw that Elizabeth by her miserable trifling had ruined her truest friends; that however anxious she might be for peace, the war would come upon her when least she looked for it;' and that Mary Stuart now regarded her with as much contempt as hatred. Alas! my lord,' he wrote to Leicester, 'is this the end? God help us all, and comfort these poor lords. There is by these dealings overthrown a good duke, some earls, many other barons, lords, and gentlemen, wise, honest, religious. Above all am I driven to bemoan the hard case of the Laird of Grange, whose affection to this whole realm your lordship knows right well. I surely think there came not a greater overthrow to Scotland these many years; for the wisest, honestest, and godliest are discomfited and undone. There is now no help for them -unless God take the matter in hand-but to commit themselves to their prince's will and pleasure. And what hath England gotten by helping them in this sort? even as many mortal enemies of them as before it had dear friends; for otherwise will not that Queen receive them to mercy, if she deal no worse with them; nor Earl of Murray and the 1 Kirkaldy to Bedford, October 31.-Scotch MSS. Rolls House. without open and evident demonstration of the same CHAP IX cannot they assure themselves of her favour; and the sooner they thus do the sooner they shall have her to conceive a good opinion of them, and the sooner they shall be restored to their livelihoods." 'Greater account might have been made of the lords' good-will,' wrote Randolph. If there be living a more mortal enemy to the Queen my mistress than this woman is, I desire never to be reputed but the vilest villain alive." The lords,' concluded Bedford scornfully, 'abandoned by man and turned over to God, must now do the best they can for themselves.' And what that was-what fruit would have grown from those strokes of diplomatic genius, had Mary Stuart been equal to the occasion, Elizabeth would ere long have tasted in deposition and exile or death. Randolph-faithful to the end-might say and unsay, might promise and withdraw his word, and take on himself the blame of his mistress's changing humour; Bedford-with ruin full in view before him-might promise at all risks 'to obey her bidding.' But the lords of Scotland were no subjects of England, to be betrayed into rebellion in the interests of a country which they loved with but half their hearts, and when danger came to be coolly ‘turned over to God.' Murray might forgive-for Murray's noble nature had no taint of self in it; but others could resent for him what he himself could pardon. Argyle, his brother-in-law, when he heard of that scene in London, bade Randolph tell his mistress he found it very strange; the Queen of Scots had made him many offers, and till that time he had refused them all; if 1565 November 1 Bedford to Leicester, November 5. Scotch MSS. Rolls House. |