Mary Stuart was still unable to act without her brother and Maitland; and the Earl of Murray was a better Protestant than Knox believed him to be, and Maitland's broad statesmanship had little in common with the scheming conspiracies which were hatched in the chambers of priests. Maitland's single object was the union of the realms, where Scotland, in compensation for the surrender of its separate independence, would have the pride of giving a sovereign to its ancient enemy. While therefore he was zealous for the honour of his mistress, he had no interest in those collateral objects of religious revolution and personal revenge of which Mary was in such keen pursuit. With the Darnley connection, as it appeared afterwards, he had no sympathy, unless Darnley was freely offered by Elizabeth and the choice was freely sanctioned by the two Parlia ments. So far therefore Maitland was ill suited for the Queen of Scots' purposes; on the other hand, he was by far the ablest minister that she possessed. He was fanatically eager—so far as a man of so cool and clear an intellect could be fanatical about anything-to secure the English succession for her; and aware of his value, she named him with her brother to meet the English commissioners and consider in form Elizabeth's proposals. The conference was to be kept secret from the world. The Queen of Scots would go to Dunbar in the middle of November. The two ministers would leave her as if for a few days' hawking on the Tweed, and the Governor of Berwick would invite them to visit him. Lord Bedford and Randolph were to represent. England; and Elizabeth's instructions to them are a fresh evidence of the feelings with which she regarded Leicester. When Leicester's name was first officially mentioned, Maitland had urged on Cecil the propriety of leaving Mary's choice of a husband as little restricted as possible. If Elizabeth objected to a foreign prince she must at least permit a free selection among the Scotch and English nobility. Besides Darnley there was Norfolk, there was Arundel-each more eligible than the son of the parvenu Northumberland; and Elizabeth had no right to demand more than a marriage which did not threaten herself or the liberty of England. But Elizabeth's heart was fixed on Leicester, and she could see no merit anywhere but in him. Among all English noblemen,' she said, in giving her directions. to the commissioners, she could see none for her own contentation meeter for the purpose than one who for his good gifts she esteemed fit to be placed in the number of kings and princes; for so she thought him worthy and if he were not born her subject, but had happened with these qualities to be as nobly born under some other prince as he was under herself, the world should have well perceived her estimation of him. The advantage of the marriage to the Earl of Leicester would not be great, but to the Queen of Scots it would be greater than she could have with any other person. The Earl would bring with him no controversy of title to trouble the quietness of the Queen of Scots, and she preferred him to be the partaker of the Queen of Scots? fortunes, whom, if it might lie in her power, she would make owner and heir of her own kingdom. She had already placed a check on all other pretenders to the succession; and whatever sovereign might do in the direction of the matter for her sister's advantage should not be wanting. If after her recognition the Queen of Scots should desire to reside in England she would herself bear the charge of the family both of her and of the Earl of Leicester as should be meet for one sister to do for another.' But Elizabeth admitted that before the recognition, could be carried through Parliament the Queen of Scots must first accept the indispensable condition. She should receive the prize which hung before her eyes only when she was Leicester's wife, and till that time she must be contented with a promise that she should not be disappointed. 'If she require to be assured first,' Elizabeth continued with an appearance of mournful sincerity, if she will not marry till an Act of Succession in her favour has been actually passed, 'you may of yourselves say it may work in us some scruple to imagine that in all this friendship nothing is more minded than how to possess that which we have; and that it is but a sorrowful song to pretend more shortness of our life than is cause, or as though if God would change our determination in not desiring to marry, we should not by likelihood have children. We can mean no better than we do to our sister; we doubt not that she shall quietly enjoy all that is due to her, and the more readier we are so to do, because we are so naturally disposed with great affection towards her, as before God we wish her right to be next to us before all other.'1 Mary Stuart herself meanwhile was in close communication with Lady Lennox, and was receiving from her more and more assurances of the devotion of the English Catholics. Randolph, on his return to Edinburgh from London, found Maitland open-mouthed at the suspension of the prosecution of Hales for his book on the succession. The Scotch Court had expected that he would have been 'put to death as a traitor.' Randolph protested against the word 'traitor' inasmuch as it implied 'the certainty of the Queen of Scots' claim,' which many in England did not believe to be certain at all.' 'Hales has not deserved death,' he said, ' and imprisonment was the worst which could be inflicted.' Maitland spoke menacingly of the disaffection among the Catholics. Randolph 'bade him not make too much account of conspirators;' 'the behaviour of the Scotch Court,' he said, 'was so strange that he could only suppose they meant to quarrel with England;' 'and with these words they grew both into further choler than wisdom led them."2 Mary's own language was still smooth, affectionate, and confiding; but Maitland and even Murray protested beforehand that when the commission met they would agree to no conditions and accept no marriage 1 Elizabeth to Bedford and Randolph, October 7, 1564: Scotch MSS Rolls House. Randolph to Cecil, October 24: Scotch MSS. Rolls House. for their mistress unless her title was first fully admitted and confirmed. Darnley's name was not mentioned; but 'it was through the mouths of all men that it was a thing concluded in the Queen's heart;' and Randolph was under the mistaken impression that Maitland was as much in favour of it as his mistress.1 November. 'Their object,' Randolph, on the 7th of November, wrote to Elizabeth, 'is to have the Lord Darnley rather offered by your Majesty than desired of themselves;' 'but your Majesty I am assured will consider the unfitness of the match for greater causes than I can think of any-of which not the least will be the loss of many a godly man's heart that by your Majesty enjoyeth now the liberty of their country, and know but in how short a time they shall lose the same if your Majesty give your consent to match her with such an one as either by dissention at home or lack of knowledge of God and his word may persecute them that profess the same.'2 The Scotch Protestants comprehended instinctively the thousand dangers to which they would be exposed. The House of Lennox was the hereditary enemy of the Hamiltons, who had headed the Revolution of 1559. Darnley was known to be a Catholic; and his marriage with Mary Stuart was well understood to mean a Catholic revolution. 'The terrible fear is so entered into their hearts,' continued Randolph, 'that the Queen tendeth only to Randolph to Cecil, October 31: Scotch MSS. Rolls House. |