Elizabeth's words with a straightforward but irritating irony, she said that by God's grace it should appear to the world that her designs, consultations, and intelligences would prove as substantial and no more vain and deceitful than such as her neighbours themselves had at any time taken in hand;' while as to Murray's restoration, she had never yet meddled between the Queen of England and her subjects; but now, 'induced by her good sister's example,'' she would request most earnestly for the release and restoration to favour' of her mother-in-law the Lady Margaret, Countess of Lennox.1

Had Philip of Spain been at Mary's shoulder he would have advised her to spare her sarcasms till an armada was in the Channel or till Elizabeth was a prisoner at her feet. As soon as she had made sure of Darnley he would have recommended her to omit no efforts for conciliation. She need not have relinquished one emotion of hatred or one aspiration for revenge; but she would have been taught to wait upon time to soothe down the irritation which she had roused, to cajole with promises, and to compel Elizabeth by the steady if slow pressure of circumstances to give way step by step.

But Mary Stuart was young and was a woman. Her tongue was ready and her passions strong. Philip cared sincerely for Romanism, Elizabeth cared for English liberty, the Earl of Murray cared for the doctrines

1 Answer of the Queen of Scots to Tamworth: Printed in KEITH.

of the Reformation; Mary Stuart was chiefly interested in herself, and she was without the strength of selfcommand which is taught only by devotion to a cause. So confident was she that in imagination she had already seated herself on Elizabeth's throne. To the conditions of friendship offered by Tamworth, she replied in language which could scarcely have been more peremptory had she entered London at the head of a victorious army. Not condescending to notice what was demanded of herself, she required Elizabeth immediately to declare her by Act of Parliament next in the succession; and failing herself and her children, to entail the crown on Lady Margaret Lennox and her children as the persons by the law of God and nature next inheritable.' The Queen of England should bind herself 'neither to do nor suffer to be done either by law or otherwise' anything prejudicial to the Scottish title; to abstain in future from all practices with subjects of the Scottish Crown; to enter no league and contract no alliance which could affect the Queen of Scots' fortunes unfavourably. On these terms, but on these alone, she would consent to leave Elizabeth in undisturbed possession during her own or her children's lifetime; she would abstain from encouraging the English Catholics to rise in rebellion in her behalf, and from inviting an invasion from Spain or France;1 and she condescended to promise to throw dust in the eyes of the Protestants in both countries—although she was receiving the sup

1 Offer of the King and Queen of Scotland, by Mr Tamworth, August, 1565: Scotch MSS. Rolls House.

port of the Pope and seeking the support of the King of Spain in the sole interests of Romanism-that in the event of herself and her husband succeeding to the throne of England, the religion established there by law should not be interfered with.

An answer, every sentence of which must have stung Elizabeth like a whip-lash, might have for the moment satisfied Mary Stuart's passion; but her hatred of her sister of England was passing into contempt, and she believed she might trample upon her with impunity.

Tamworth having received his message desired to return with it to England. He applied for a passport, which was given him signed by Darnley as King of Scotland; and Elizabeth had forbidden him to recognize Darnley in any capacity but that of the Queen's husband. He desired that the wording might be changed: his request was refused. He requested that a guard might escort him to the Border: it could not be granted. He set out without attendance and without a safeconduct he was arrested and carried prisoner to Hume Castle.

The lords at Stirling had been already so perplexed by Elizabeth's timidity that they had broken up and dispersed. Argyle and Murray retired to the western Highlands, and sent an earnest message that unless they could be immediately relieved they would be overthrown.1 The arrest of Tamworth added to their dismay. Yet in spite of past experience they could not

1 Tamworth to Cecil and Leicester, August 10: Scotch MSS., Rolls House

believe Elizabeth capable of breaking promises so emphatically and so repeatedly made to them. They wrote through Randolph that they were still at the Queen of England's devotion. They would hold out as long as their strength lasted; but it was already tasked to the uttermost, and if left to themselves they would have to yield to superior force.

The catastrophe came quicker than they anticipated. The friends of the Congregation were invited by circulars to meet at Ayr on the 24th of August. On the 25th the Queen of Scots-after a tempestuous interview with Randolph, who had demanded Tamworth's release -mounted her horse and rode out of Edinburgh at the head of 5000 men to meet her enemies in the field. Darnley, in gilt armour, was at her side. She herself carried pistols in hand and pistols at her saddlebow. Her one peculiar hope was to encounter and destroy her brother, against whom, above and beyond his political opposition, she bore an especial and unexplained animosity.1

1 'I never heard more outrage- | nor yet for that she now speaketh— ous words than she spoke against that he would take the crown from my Lord of Murray. She said she her, as she said lately to myself—but would rather lose her crown than that she knoweth that he knoweth not be revenged upon him. She has some such secret fact, not to be some further cause of quarrel with named for reverence sake, that standhim than she cares to avow.'-Ran- eth not with her honour, which he dolph to Cecil, August 27: MS. so much detesteth, being her brother, Rolls House. Shortly after, Ran- that neither can he show himself as dolph imagined that he had dis- he hath done, nor she think of him covered the 'further cause.' The but as of one whom she mortally hatred conceived against my Lord of hateth, Here is the mischief, this Murray is neither for his religion is the grief; and how this may be

With the money sent her from abroad she had contrived to raise six hundred 'harquebussmen,' whom the 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.'1

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

solved and repaired it passeth man's | have laid herself open to remark wit to consider. This reverence, for all that he hath to his sovereign, that I am sure there are very few that know this grief; and to have this obloquy and reproach of her removed, I believe he would quit his country for all the days of his life.' -Randolph to Cecil, October 13: MS. Ibid.

The mystery alluded to was apparently the intimacy of Mary Stuart with Rizzio, which was already so close and confidential as to provoke calumny. In the face of Randolph's language it is difficult to say for certain that Mary Stuart had never transgressed the permitted limits of propriety; yet it is more likely that a person so careless of the opinions of others, and so warm and true in her friendships, should

through some indiscretion, than that she should have seriously compromised her character. It seems certain that Murray intended to have hanged Rizzio. Paul de Foix asked Elizabeth for an explanation of the Queen of Scots' animosity against her brother :

'Elle s'estant ung peu teue, et secoué sa teste, me respondit que c'estoit pour ce que la Royne d'Escosse avoit esté informée que le Comte de Murray avoit voullu pendre ung Italien nommé David qu'elle aymoit et favorisoit, luy donnant plus de credit que ses affaires et honneur ne devoient.'-Paul de Foix au Roy: TEULET, vol. ii.