1565 October CHAP IX they were determined to hear from Elizabeth's own lips an explanation of their desertion. Murray himself and the Abbot of Kilwinning were chosen as the representatives of the rest, and Bedford after an affectation of opposition, which he did not carry beyond a form, sent to the Queen on the 17th of October to prepare for their appearance in London. Pressed by the consequences of her own faults Elizabeth would have concealed her conduct if possible from her own eyes; least of all did she desire to have it thrown in her teeth before all the world. She had assured Paul de Foix at last that she would give the lords no help, and would wait to be attacked. She wished to keep clear of every overt act which would justify the Queen of Scots in appealing to France and Spain. She had persuaded herself that Mary Stuart's army would disperse in a few days for want of supplies, that the lords would return over the Border as easily as they had crossed it; and that she could assist them with money behind the scenes without openly committing herself. These plans and hopes would be fatally disconcerted by Murray's appearance at the court, and she sent Bedford's courier flying back to him with an instant and angry command to prevent so untoward a casualty. 'She had said again and again that she would give no aid that should break the peace. The coming up of the Earl of Murray would give manifest cause of just complaint to the Queen of Scots;' and she added with curious self exposure, 'neither are these kind of matters in this open sort to be used.' If Murray had not yet set out she required Bedford 'to stay him by his authority;' if he had started he must be sent after and recalled." 1 Paul de Foix to the King of France, October 16.-TEULET, vol. ii. October The harshness of Elizabeth's language was softened by CHAP IX the Council, who expressed their regret that the com- 1565 mon cause had not hitherto had better success;' they promised their own support so far as their power and credit might extend;' but they entreated Murray 'patiently to accommodate himself to her Majesty's resolution.'1 goes to Unluckily for Elizabeth, Murray had anticipated the Murray prohibition, and had followed so closely behind the an- London. nouncement of his approach that the couriers charged with the letters of the Queen and Council met him at Ware. He opened the despatch which was addressed to himself, and immediately sent on a note to Cecil regretting that he had not been sooner made aware of the Queen's wishes, but saying that as he had come so far he should now remain where he was till he was informed of her further pleasure. Embarrassed, irritated, and intending at all hazards to disavow her connexion with the lords, Elizabeth, since Murray had chosen to come to her, resolved to turn his presence to her advantage. When she had once made up her mind to a particular course she never hesitated on the details, whatever they might cost. The Earl of Murray was told that he would be received; he went on to London, and on the night of his arrival the Queen sent for him, and arranged in a private interview the comedy which she was about to enact.2 CHAP IX The following morning, the 22nd of October, he was admitted to an audience in public, at which de Foix and October de Mauvissière, who had by this time returned from 1565 Elizabeth receives form; Scotland, were especially invited to be present. De Silva describes what ensued, not as an eye-witness, but from an account which was given to him by the Queen herself.1 Elizabeth having taken her place with the Council and Murray in the ambassadors at her side, the Earl of Murray entered modestly dressed in black. Falling on one knee he began to speak in Scotch, when the Queen interrupted him with a request that he would speak in French, which she said she could better understand. Murray objected that he had been so long out of practice that he could not properly express himself in French; and Elizabeth, whose object was to produce an effect on de Foix and his companion, accepted his excuse for himself; but she said that although he might not be sufficient master of the idiom to speak it, she knew that he understood it when he heard it spoken; she would therefore, in her own part of the conversation, make use of that language. She then went on to express her astonishment, that, being declared an outlaw as he was, by the Queen of Scots, the Earl of Murray should have dared to come unlicensed into her presence. The Queen of Scots had been her good sister, and such she always hoped to find her. There had been differences between them which had made Mary Stuart herself, and the Courts 1 The account in Sir James Melville's Memoirs is evidently taken from the official narrative, with which in most points it verbally agrees. De Silva's is but little different. The one variation of importance will be noticed. October licly denics couraged lion. her fear for their friendship; but the King of France had CHAP IX kindly interposed his good offices between herself, her 1565 sister, and her sister's subjects; and the two ministers who had been his instruments in that good service being at the moment at her court, she had requested both them and others to attend on the present occasion to hear what she was about to say. She wished it to be gene- and pubrally understood that she would do nothing which would that she give just offence to the Queen of Scots, or which would had enimpair her own honour. The world, she was aware, was the rebelin the habit of saying that her realm was the sanctuary for the seditious subjects of her neighbours; and it was even rumoured that she had instigated or encouraged the insurrection in Scotland. She would not have done such a thing to be sovereign of the universe. God, who was a just God, she well knew, would punish her with the like troubles in her own country; and if she encouraged the subjects of another prince in disobedience, He would stir her own people into insurrection against herself. So far as she knew, there were two causes for the present disturbances in Scotland: the Queen of Scots had married without the consent of her Estates, and had failed to apprize the princes her neighbours of her intentions; the Earl of Murray had attempted to oppose her, and had fallen into disgrace. This was the first cause. The second was that the Earl of Lennox and his house were opposed to the reformed religion; the Earl of Murray feared that he would attempt to destroy it, and with his friends preferred to lose his life rather than allow what he believed to be the truth to be overthrown. The Earl had come to the English court to request her to intercede with his sovereign that he might be heard in his defence. There were faults which proceeded of malice which deserved the rigour of justice-one of October CHAP IX these was treason against the person of the sovereign; 1565 and were she to understand that the Earl of Murray had meditated treason, she would arrest and chastise him according to his demerits: but she had known him in times past to be well-affectioned to his mistress; he had loved her, she was confident, with the love which a subject owes to his prince. There were other faultsfaults committed through imprudence, through ignorance, or in self-defence, which might be treated mercifully. The Earl of Murray's fault might be one of these; she bade him therefore say for which cause he had instigated the late disturbances.' Elizabeth had exercised a wise caution in preparing Murray for this preposterous harangue. He commanded himself, and replied by calling God to witness of the loyalty with which he had ever served his sovereign: she had bestowed lands, honour, and rewards upon him far beyond his desert; he had desired nothing less than to offend her, and he would have stood by her with life and goods to the utmost of his ability. Elizabeth then began again: 'She held a balance in her hand,' she said; 'in the one scale was the sentence of outlawry pronounced against him by the Queen of Scots, in the other were the words which he had just spoken. But the word of a Queen must outweigh the word of a subject in the mind of a sister sovereign, who was bound to show most favour to her own like and equal. The Earl had committed actions deserving grave reprehension: he had refused to appear when lawfully summoned; he had taken up arms, and had made a league with others like himself to levy war against his sovereign. She had been told that he was afraid of being murdered, but if there had been a conspiracy against him he should have produced the proofs of it in his sovereign's presence.' |