October

again mis

panions could obtain no end with preservation of their CHAP IX lives, her Majesty both for her private love towards 1565 those that were noblemen, and of her princely honour and clemency towards such as were tyrannically persecuted, Elizabeth would receive them into her protection, save their per- leads the sons and their lives from ruin, and so far would give them aid and succour;' she would send a commissioner to Scotland to intercede with the Queen, and with him also an army to be used as her Majesty should see just occasion given to her."

The lords had become 'desperate of hope and as men dismayed; they had repented bitterly of 'having trusted so much to England:" Chatelherault, Glencairn, Kirkaldy-all in fact save Murray-desired to make terms with Mary, and were feeling their way towards recovering her favour at the expense of the Queen of England-whom they accused of betraying them. When Melville returned with Elizabeth's answer it was interpreted into a fresh promise of interference in their behalf, not only by the lords-whom anxiety might have made sanguine-but by the bearer of the message to whom Elizabeth had herself spoken. They immediately recovered their courage, broke off their communications with the Queen of Scots, and prepared to continue their resistance.

Elizabeth would have done better if she had spoken less ambiguously. Mary Stuart, who had paused to ascertain what they would do, set out at once for the Border with Athol, Bothwell, and a motley force of 18,000 men. She rode in person at their head in steel bonnet and corselet, with a dagg at her saddlebow," declaring that

1 Answer to Robert Melville, October 1.-Scotch MSS. Rolls House.

2 Bedford to Cecil, October 5.-MS. Ibid.

3 Randolph to Cecil, October 13.-MS. Ibid.

Lords.

1565 October

CHAP IX all who held intercourse with England should be treated as enemies to the realm;' while Darnley boasted that he was about to be made the greatest that ever reigned in the isle of Britain." Ritzio was still the presiding spirit in Mary's council chamber. You may think,' wrote Randolph, what the matter meaneth that a stranger and a varlet should have the whole guiding of the Queen and country." The army was but a confused crowd: of loyal friends the Queen could really count on none but Bothwell, young Athol, and perhaps Huntly; the rest were as like to turn against her as stand by her.' She perhaps trusted to some demonstration from Berwick to kindle them into enthusiasm through their patriotism; but Elizabeth disappointed equally both her enemies and her friends; she would give no excuse to the Queen of Scots to complain that England had broken the peace. The 'few hundreds' with whose assistance the lords undertook to drive their sovereign back to Edinburgh were not forthcoming; the army more than half promised to Melville was a mere illusion; and Bedford was confined by his orders to Carlisle, where he was allowed only to reMurray and ceive Murray and his party as fugitives: they had now therefore no resource except to retreat into England; the Queen of Scots following in hot pursuit glared across the frontier at her escaping prey, half tempted to follow them and annihilate the petty guard of the English commander: but prudence for once prevailed; she halted and drew back.

his friends

tly to

England.

So ended the insurrection which had been undertaken

1 Randolph to Leicester, October 18.-Scotch MSS. Rolls House.

2 MS. Ibid.

3A few hundred men would have kept all right. I fear they will

break with us from words which she has used, and we are all unprovided,'-Bedford to Cecil, October 13. MS. Ibid.

an army

1565

October

monstrates.

at Elizabeth's instigation, and mainly in Elizabeth's in- CHAP IX terests. Having failed to prevent the catastrophe, she would gladly now have heard no more of it; but she was not to escape so easily. Even among her own subjects there were some who dared to speak unpalatable truths to her. Bedford, who had been sent to the north with Bedford rewhich he believed that he was to lead to Edinburgh, wrote in plain stern terms to the Queen herself, 'that the lords, in reliance upon her Majesty's promise, had stood out against their sovereign, and now knew not what to do;' while to Cecil-not knowing how deeply Cecil was responsible for the Queen's conduct-he wrote in serious sorrow. In a previous letter he had spoken of 'the Lords of the Congregation,' and Elizabeth had taken offence at a term which savoured of too advanced a Protestantism.

1

The poor noblemen,' he now said, 'rest so amazed and in so great perplexity they know not what to say, do, or imagine. My terming them Lords of the Congregation was but used by me because I saw it received by others; for that it is not plausible I shall omit it henceforth, wishing from my heart the cause was plausibly received, and then for terms and names it should be no matter. The Earl of Murray I find constant and honourable, though otherwise sore perplexed-poor gentleman, the more the pity. As her Majesty means peace we must use the necessary means to maintain peace; albeit I know that the Queen useth against the Queen's Majesty our sovereign all such reproachful and despiteful words as she can; besides her practices with foreign realms, which her Majesty's father, I am sure, would have thought much of. Yet as her Majesty winketh at the

1 Bedford to the Queen, October 13.-Scotch MSS. Rolls House. ELIZ. II.

Р

1565

CHAP IX same, I must know what I am to do, whether in dealing with the wardens on the Border I am to recognize comOctober missions signed by the Lord Darnley as King of Scotland.'1

Randolph appeals to Leicester.

Randolph, ashamed and indignant at the deception of which he and Throgmorton had been the instruments, insisted that the Queen of Scots meant evil, and nothing but evil,' and that however long she was borne with she would have to be brought to reason by force at last. 'You, my lord,' he wrote anxiously to Leicester, 'do all you can to move her Majesty; it is looked for at your hand, and all worthy and godly men of this nation shall love and honour you for ever; let it be handled so that this Queen may know how she has been misguided and ill-advised to take so much upon her-not only against these noblemen, but far above that if she had power to her will.' 2

But it was from Murray himself that Elizabeth had to encounter the most inconvenient remonstrances. To save England from a Catholic revolution and to save England's Queen from the machinations of a dangerous rival, the Earl of Murray had taken arms against his sovereign, and he found himself a fugitive and an outlaw, while the sacred cause of the Reformation in his own country had been compromised by his fall. His life was safe, but Mary Stuart having failed to take or kill him was avenging herself on his wife; and the first news which he heard after reaching England was that Lady Murray had been driven from her home, and within a few weeks of her confinement was wandering shelterless in the woods. Submis

1 Bedford to Cecil, October 13 and October 26.-Scotch MSS. Rolls House. 2 Randolph to Leicester, October 18.—MS Ibid.

sion and soft speeches would have been his more prudent CHAP IX part, but Murray-a noble gentleman of stainless honour -was not a person to sit down patiently as the dupe of timidity or fraud.

He wrote shortly to the English Council to say that in reliance on the message brought him by Sir Robert Melville, he had encouraged his friends to persevere in resistance, at a time when they could have made their peace; and through their Queen's cold dealing' both he and they were now forced to enter England. If there was an intention of helping them he begged that it might be done at once, and that Scotland might be saved from ruin.1

By the same messenger he wrote more particularly to Cecil-' He did not doubt,' he said, 'that Cecil understood fully the motives both of himself and his friends. They had enterprised their action with full foresight of their sovereign's indignation, being moved thereto by the Queen of England and her Council's hand writ directed to them thereupon.' The 'extremities' had followed, as they expected. The Queen of Scots would now agree to no condition, relying on the Queen of England's coldness.' He was told that the Queen's Majesty's conscience was not resolved to make open war without further motive and occasion. The Queen's Majesty was perfectly aware that he had undertaken nothing for any particularity of his own, but for good affection to follow her own counsel; her Majesty had been the furtherer and the doer, and he with the other noblemen had assisted therein to their power.'

2

Nor were the lords contented with written protests:

1 Murray to the Council, October 14.-Scotch MSS. Rolls House.

2 Murray to Cecil, October 14.-MS. Ibid.

1565 October