CHAP IX With the money sent her from abroad she had con1565 trived to raise six hundred 'harquebussmen,' whom the August half-armed retainers of the lords could not hope to engage successfully. Passing Linlithgow and Stirling she swept swiftly round to Glasgow, and cut off the retreat of the Protestants into the western hills. A fight was looked for at Hamilton, where a hundred gentlemen of her party determined to set on Murray in the battle, and either slay him or tarry behind lifeless." Edinburgh. Outnumbered for they had in all but 1300 horseand outmanœuvred by the rapid movements of the Queen, the Protestants fell back on Edinburgh, where they expected the citizens to declare for them. On the last of August-six days after Mary Stuart had left Holyrood-Chatelherault, Murray, Glencairn, Rothes, Boyd, Kirkaldy, and a few more gentlemen, rode with their servants into the West Port, and sending a courier to Berwick with a pressing entreaty for help, they preThe Lords in pared to defend themselves. But the Calvinist shopkeepers who could be so brave against a miserable priest had no stomach for a fight with armed men. The Queen was coming fast behind them like an avenging fury; and Erskine - who was inclining to the royal side-began to fire on the lords from the castle. In the town they could find neither help nor support from any one;' and the terrified inhabitants could only entreat and even insist that they should depart. A fortnight before, a little money and a few distinct words from England would have sufficed to save them. Mary Stuart's courage and Elizabeth's remissness had by this time so strengthened the party of the Queen that 'little 1 Randolph to Cecil, September 4.-MS. Rolls House. beth to good could now be done without greater support than CHAP IX could be in readiness in any short time.' The lords 1565 could only retire towards the Border and wait Elizabeth's September pleasure. What was promised,' Randolph passionately Randolph wrote to Cecil, 'your honour knoweth. Oh, that her prays ElizaMajesty's mind was known! If the Earl of Bedford declare herhave only commission to act in this matter both Queens may be in one country before long. In the whole world if there be a more malicious heart towards the Queen my sovereign than hers that here now reigneth, let me be hanged at my home-coming or counted a villain for ever.' 1 Mary meanwhile had re-entered Edinburgh, breathing nothing but anger and defiance. Argyle was in his own Highlands, wasting the adjoining lands of Athol and Lennox; but she scarcely noticed or cared for Argyle. The affection of a sister for a brother was curdled into a hatred the more malignant because it was unnatural. Her whole passion was concentrated on Murray, and after Murray on Elizabeth. The day before she had left Holyrood for the west an Englishman named Yaxlee had arrived there from Flanders. This person, who has been already mentioned as in the service of Lady Lennox, had been employed by her as the special agent of her correspondence with the continental courts. Lady Lennox being now in the Tower, Yaxlee followed the fortunes of her son, and came to Scotland to place himself at the disposal of Mary Stuart. He was a conspirator of the kind most dangerous to his employers-vain, loud, and confident, fond of boasting of his acquaintance with kings and princes, and 'promising to bring to a good end whatso 1 Randolph to Cecil, September 4.-MS. Rolls House. ELIZ. II. self. CHAP IX ever should be committed to him.' The wiser sort' 1565 soon understood and avoided him. The Queen of Scots September however allowed herself to be persuaded by her hus band; and placed herself in Yaxlee's power. She told him all her schemes at home, and all the promises which had been made to her abroad. The Bishop of Dunblane at Rome had requested the Pope to lend her twelve thousand men, and the Pope was waiting only for PhiYaxlee is lip's sanction and co-operation to send them.' She selected Yaxlee to go on a mission to Spain to explain her position, and to remit her claims, prospects, and the manner of the prosecution thereof' to Philip's judgment and direction. sent to Spain. Vain of the trust reposed in him, the foolish creature was unable to keep his counsel. His babbling tongue revealed all that he knew and all that he was commissioned to do; and the report of it was soon in Cecil's hands.2 Philip would no doubt be unwilling to move. Philip, like Elizabeth, was fond of encouraging others to run into difficulties by promises which he repudiated if they were inconvenient; and in this particular instance Mary Stuart had gone beyond his advice, and had placed herself in a position against which the Duke of Alva had pointedly warned her. But the fears of the Spaniards for the safety of the Low Countries were every day increasing; they regarded England as the fountain from which the heresies of the continent were fed; and they looked 1 Capitulo de Cartas del Cardinal Pacheco á su Magd., 2 September, 1565.-MS. Simancas. Memoir of the proceedings of Francis Yaxlce,' in Cecil's handwriting. COTTON MSS. CALIG, B. IO. The name of the person is left blank in Cecil's manuscript, but a French translation of the memoir was found in Paris by M. Teulet, and on the margin is written, 'Celluy qui est laissé en blanc c'est Yaxlee.' to the recovery of it to the Church, as the only means of CHAP IX restoring order in their own provinces.1 2 1565 determines Elizabeth was perfectly aware of the dangers which September were thickening round her, and the effect was to end her uncertainty, and to determine her to shake herself clear Elizabeth from the failing fortunes of the noblemen whom she had to abandon invited to rebel. They had halted at Dumfries, close to Murray. the Border, where Murray, thinking that nothing worse could happen than an agreement while the Queen of Scots had the upper hand, and they without a force in the field,' was with difficulty keeping together the remnant of his party. The Earl of Bedford, weary of waiting for instructions which never came, wrote at last half in earnest and half in irony to Elizabeth, to propose that she should play over again the part which she had played with Winter; he would himself enter Scotland with the Berwick garrison, and her Majesty could afterwards seem to blame him for attempting such things as with the help of others he could bring about." But Elizabeth was too much frightened to consent even to a vicarious fulfilment of her promises. She replied that if the lords were in danger of being taken, the Earl might cover their retreat into England; she sent him three thousand pounds, which if he pleased he might place in their hands; but he must give them to understand precisely that both the one and the other were his own acts, for which she would accept neither thanks nor responsibility. 1 Esta materia de Escocia y de aqui es de tanta importancia como se puede considerar; porque si este Reyno se reduxiese, parece que se quitará la fuente de los hereges de Flanders y de Francia, y aun las intelligencias de Alemania, que, como aqui, hay necessidad destas malas 2 Murray to Randolph, September 3 Bedford to Elizabeth. MS. Ibid. 1565 CHAP IX You shall make them perceive your case to be such,' she said, as if it should appear otherwise, your danger September should be so great, as all the friends you have could not be able to save you towards us.' 1 At times she seemed to struggle with her ignominy, but it was only to flounder deeper into distraction and dishonour. Once she sent for the French ambassador: she told him that the Earl of Murray and his friends were in danger for her sake and through her means; the Queen of Scots was threatening their lives; and she swore she would aid them with all the means which God had given, and she would have all men know her determination. But the next moment, as if afraid of what she had said, she stooped to a deliberate lie. De Foix had heard of the 3000l., and had ascertained beyond doubt that it had been sent from the Treasury; yet when he questioned Elizabeth about it she took refuge behind Bedford, and swore she had sent no money to the lords at all.2 'It fears me not a little,' wrote Murray on the 21st, 'that these secret and covered pretendings of the Queen's Majesty there, as matters now stand, shall never put this cause to such end as we both wish, but open declaration would apparently bring with it no doubt.' 'If her Majesty will openly declare herself,' said Bedford, 'uncertain hearts will be determined again, and all will go well." Paul de Foix himself, notwithstanding his knowledge of Elizabeth, was unable to believe that she would persevere in a course so discreditable and so dangerous. So easy it would be for her to strike Mary Stuart down-if she had half the promptitude of Mary herself that it 1 Elizabeth to Bedford, September 12.- -Scotch MSS. Rolls House. 2 De Foix to the Queen-mother, September 18.-TEULET, vol. ii. |