UNWORTHY TRAITORS

I have said already how that my Lord Darnley was advised to suit license to come into Scotland, who at his first coming found the Queen in the Wemyss, making her progress through Fife. Her Majesty took well with him, and said that he was the lustiest and best proportioned long {tall} man that she had seen, for he was of high stature, long and small, even and upright; well instructed from his youth in all honest and comely exercises. And after he had hanted {frequented} a while in Court, he proposed marriage to her Majesty; which she took in evil part at the first, as she told me that same day herself, and how she had refused the ring which he then offered unto her, when I took occasion, as I had begun, to speak in his favour, that their marriage would put out of doubt their title to the succession. I cannot tell how he fell in acquaintance with Seigneur David {Rizzio}, but he also was his great friend at the Queen's hand; so that her Majesty took aye the longer the better liking of him, and at length determined to marry him. Which being known unto Queen Elizabeth, she sent and charged him to return; and also sent her ambassador, Sir Nicholas Throgmorton, into Scotland, both to dissuade the Queen to marry him, and in case the Queen would not follow her advice in her marriage, to persuade the lords and so many as were of her religion to withstand the said marriage, unless the Lord Darnley would promise and subscribe to abide at the religion reformed, which he had plainly professed in England. The Queen again perceiving the Queen of England's earnest opposition to all the marriages that were offered unto her, thought not meet to delay any longer her marriage. But my Lord Duke of Châtelherault, my Lords of Argyll, Murray, Glencairn, Rothes, and divers others, lords and barons, withstood the said marriage; who after they had made a mind to take the Lord Darnley, in the Queen's company, at the raid of Beath, and to have sent him into England, as they alleged—I wot not what was in their mind, but it was an evil-favoured enterprize, wherein the Queen was in great danger other than {that of} keeping or heartbreaking; and as they that had failed of their foolish enterprize, took on plainly their arms of rebellion, her Majesty again convened forces against them, and chased them here and there till at length they were compelled to flee into England for refuge, to her that had promised by her ambassadors to wear her crown in their defence, in case they were driven to any strait for their opposition unto the said marriage. Which was all denied at their coming to seek help; and when they sent up my Lord of Murray to that Queen, the rest abiding at Newcastle, he could obtain nothing but disdain and scorn; till at length he and the Abbot of Kilwinning, his companion in that message, were persuaded to come and confess unto the Queen upon their knees, and that in presence of the ambassadors of France and Spain, that her Majesty had never moved them to that opposition and resistance against their Queen's marriage.... Unto my Lord of Murray and his marrow {comrade} she said, "Now you have told the truth; for I nor none in my name stirred you up against your Queen; for your abominable treason might serve for example, to move my own subjects to rebel against me. Therefore pack you out of my presence; ye are but unworthy traitors."

1565.—April 29. Mary's Festivities.

Randolph to Cecil. Foreign Calendar, 1565.

Greater triumphs there never were in time of Popery than were this Easter at the resurrection and at her high mass. Organs were wont to be the common music. She wanted now neither trumpet, drum, nor fife, bagpipe nor tabor.... Upon Monday she and divers of her women apparelled themselves like burgesses' wives, went upon their feet up and down the town, and of every man they met they took some pledge for money towards the banquet; and in the lodging where the writer was accustomed to lodge was the dinner prepared, at which she was herself, with the wonder and gazing of men, women, and children.

[This celebration of Easter is important as being a factor in the growth of Protestant dislike of the Darnley marriage.]

"LESS COMFORT" FOR QUEEN MARY

Randolph to Cecil from Edinburgh, July 2, 1565 {date of end of letter}. Keith's History, vol. ii. p. 300.

I wrote that there was a convention appointed at St. Johnstone {Perth} the 22nd of this instant {i.e. June}, to which there were specially named these, the Duke, Earls Argyll, Murray, Morton, and Glencairn; only Morton came; the other some tarried at their houses, as the Duke, and Earl of Murray; other as Argyll and Glencairn came to Edinburgh the 24th to the Convention {General Assembly} of the Protestants there. With this her Grace is greatly offended, and layeth the whole fault hereof to the Earl of Murray and Argyll, which both had come to St. Johnstone, but that my Lord of Murray was assuredly advertised that it was intended that he should be slain there.... With my Lord of Murray I have lately spoken; he is grieved to see these extreme follies in his sovereign; he lamenteth the state of this country that tendeth to utter ruin; he feareth that the nobility shall be forced to assemble themselves together, to do her honour and reverence as they are in duty bound, but to provide for the State that it do not utterly perish.... The Duke, the Earl of Argyll, and he concur in this device; many other are like to join with them in the same; what will ensue let wise men judge.... The less comfort that this Queen be put in, that the Queen's majesty will allow of her doings, the sooner shall her Majesty bring that to pass here that she most desireth, and more at her Majesty's devotion than at this time she hath, there were never in Scotland. Some that already have heard of my Ladie's Grace {Lady Lennox's} imprisonment like very well thereof, and wish to the father and son to keep her company. The question hath been asked me. Whether if they were delivered us into Berwick, we would receive them? I answered that we could nor would not refuse our own, in what sort soever they come unto us.

A HASTY RIDE