But deadly in thy hate—as desperate by thy love.
Mary and Essex, victims of thy ire,
Bright stars that fell by thy malignant breath,
Yet, yet I weep for thee—thy woman's weakness,
And thy jealous mind,—
O they were punishment enough—forgive,
Forgive, O mighty God! forgive.
Many have written on this subject, but certainly none more effectively than Miss Carstairs, although passages do occur in the magnificent historical poem of Mary Queen of Scots, by Margaretta Wedderburn, [ [3] ] which may admit of a comparison. We may instance that in which the unfortunate Mary is made to say,
In history, my foul catastrophe
Is told by Dr Robertson, and others,