ments, 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.' 1

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

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

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: they were determined to hear from Elizabeth's own lips

1 Murray to the Council, October 14: Scotch MSS. Rolls House.
2 Murray to Cecil, October 14: MS. Ibid.

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; 1 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

1 Paul de Foix to the King of France, October 16: TEULET, vol. ii.

1

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

The harshness of Elizabeth's language was softened by the council, who expressed their regret that the common 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.' 2

Unluckily for Elizabeth, Murray had anticipated the prohibition, and had followed so closely behind the announcement 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 connection 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

1 Elizabeth to Bedford, October | letter is signed by Norfolk, Pem20: Scotch MSS. Rolls House. broke, Lord William Howard, and Cecil.

2 The Council to Murray, October 20: Scotch MSS. Rolls House. The

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.1

The following morning, the 22nd of October, he was admitted to an audience in public, at which de Foix and de Mauvissière, who had by this time returned from 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."

Elizabeth having taken her place with the council and 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.

1 'Yo fué avisado que la noche | herself, and the Courts of France antes desta platica el de Murray and Spain, states that the Queen estuvó con ella y con el secretario received Murray openly and none Cecil buen rato, donde se debió con- otherwise.' The consciousness that sultar lo que pasó el dia siguiente.'she had received him otherwise exDe Silva to Philip, November 5. plains words which else might have And again, 'La Reyna oyó al de seemed superfluous. Murray la noche que llegó en secreto, y otro dia hizó aquella demostracion delante del Embajador de Francia.' Same to the same, November 10: MS. Simancas. A report of the proceedings in the Rolls House, which was drawn up for the inspection of Mary Stuart

2 The account in Sir James Mel ville's Memoirs is evidently taker 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.