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her　off　and　has　lain　with　her。〃



Yet　two　circumstances　were　still　opposed　to　this　marriage：　the　first；

that　Bothwell　had　already　been　married　three　times；　and　that　his

three　wives　were　living；　the　second；　that　having　carried　off　the

queen；　this　violence　might　cause　to　be　regarded　as　null　the　alliance

which　she　should　contract　with　him：　the　first　of　these　objections　was

attended　to；　to　begin　with；　as　the　one　most　difficult　to　solve。



Bothwell's　two　first　wives　were　of　obscure　birth；　consequently　he

scorned　to　disquiet　himself　about　them；　but　it　was　not　so　with　the

third；　a　daughter　of　that　Earl　of　Huntly　who　been　trampled　beneath

the　horses'　feet；　and　a　sister　of　Gordon；　who　had　been　decapitated。

Fortunately　for　Bothwell；　his　past　behaviour　made　his　wife　long　for　a

divorce　with　an　eagerness　as　great　as　his　own。　　There　was　not　much

difficulty；　then；　in　persuading　her　to　bring　a　charge　of　adultery

against　her　husband。　　Bothwell　confessed　that　he　had　had　criminal

intercourse　with　a　relative　of　his　wife；　and　the　Archbishop　of　St。

Andrews；　the　same　who　had　taken　up　his　abode　in　that　solitary　house

at　Kirk　of　Field　to　be　present　at　Darnley's　death；　pronounced　the

marriage　null。　　The　case　was　begun；　pushed　on；　and　decided　in　ten

days。



As　to　the　second　obstacle；　that　of　the　violence　used　to　the　queen；

Mary　undertook　to　remove　it　herself；　for；　being　brought　before　the

court；　she　declared　that　not　only　did　she　pardon　Bothwell　for　his

conduct　as　regarded　her；　but　further　that；　knowing　him　to　be　a　good

and　faithful　subject；　she　intended　raising　him　immediately　to　new

honours。　　In　fact；　some　days　afterwards　she　created　him　Duke　of

Orkney；　and　on　the　15th　of　the　same　monththat　is　to　say；　scarcely

four　months　after　the　death　of　Darnleywith　levity　that　resembled

madness；　Mary；　who　had　petitioned　for　a　dispensation　to　wed　a

Catholic　prince；　her　cousin　in　the　third　degree；　married　Bothwell；　a

Protestant　upstart；　who；　his　divorce　notwithstanding；　was　still

bigamous；　and　who　thus　found　himself　in　the　position　of　having　four

wives　living；　including　the　queen。



The　wedding　was　dismal；　as　became　a　festival　under　such　outrageous

auspices。　　Morton；　Maitland；　and　some　base　flatterers　of　Bothwell

alone　were　present　at　it。　　The　French　ambassador；　although　he　was　a

creature　of　the　House　of　Guise；　to　which　the　queen　belonged；　refused

to　attend　it。



Mary's　delusion　was　short…lived：　scarcely　was　she　in　Bothwell's　power

than　she　saw　what　a　master　she　had　given　herself。　　Gross；　unfeeling；

and　violent；　he　seemed　chosen　by　Providence　to　avenge　the　faults　of

which　he　had　been　the　instigator　or　the　accomplice。　　Soon　his　fits　of

passion　reached　such　a　point；　that　one　day；　no　longer　able　to　endure

them；　Mary　seized　a　dagger　from　Erskine；　who　was　present　with

Melville　at　one　of　these　scenes；　and　would　have　struck　herself；

saying　that　she　would　rather　die　than　continue　living　unhappily　as

she　did；　yet；　inexplicable　as　it　seems；　in　spite　of　these　miseries；

renewed　without　ceasing；　Mary；　forgetting　that　she　was　wife　and

queen；　tender　and　submissive　as　a　child；　was　always　the　first　to　be

reconciled　with　Bothwell。



Nevertheless；　these　public　scenes　gave　a　pretext　to　the　nobles；　who

only　sought　an　opportunity　for　an　outbreak。　　The　Earl　of　Mar；　the

young　prince's　tutor；　Argyll；　Athol；　Glencairn；　Lindley；　Boyd；　and

even　Morton　and　Maitland　themselves；　those　eternal　accomplices　of

Bothwell；　rose；　they　said；　to　avenge　the　death　of　the　king；　and　to

draw　the　son　from　hands　which　had　killed　the　father　and　which　were

keeping　the　mother　captive。　　As　to　Murray；　he　had　kept　completely　in

the　background　during　all　the　last　events；　he　was　in　the　county　of

Fife　when　the　king　was　assassinated；　and　three　days　before　the　trial

of　Bothwell　he　had　asked　and　obtained　from　his　sister　permission　to

take　a　journey　on　the　Continent。



The　insurrection　took　place　in　such　a　prompt　and　instantaneous

manner；　that　the　Confederate　lords；　whose　plan　was　to　surprise　and

seize　both　Mary　and　Bothwell；　thought　they　would　succeed　at　the　first

attempt。



The　king　and　queen　were　at　table　with　Lord　Borthwick；　who　was

entertaining　them；　when　suddenly　it　was　announced　that　a　large　body

of　armed　men　was　surrounding　the　castle：　Bothwell　and　Mary　suspected

that　they　were　aimed　at；　and　as　they　had　no　means　of　resistance；

Bothwell　dressed　himself　as　a　squire；　Mary　as　a　page；　and　both

immediately　taking　horse；　escaped　by　one　door　just　as　the

Confederates　were　coming　in　by　the　other。　　The　fugitives　withdrew　to

Dunbar。



There　they　called　together　all　Bothwell's　friends；　and　made　them　sign

a　kind　of　treaty　by　which　they　undertook　to　defend　the　queen　and　her

husband。　　In　the　midst　of　all　this；　Murray　arrived　from　France；　and

Bothwell　offered　the　document　to　him　as　to　the　others；　but　Murray

refused　to　put　his　signature　to　it；　saying　that　it　was　insulting　him

to　think　he　need　be　bound　by　a　written　agreement　when　it　was　a

question　of　defending　his　sister　and　his　queen。　　This　refusal　having

led　to　an　altercation　between　him　and　Bothwell；　Murray；　true　to　his

system　of　neutrality；　withdrew　into　his　earldom；　and　let　affairs

follow　without　him　the　fatal　decline　they　had　taken。



In　the　meantime　the　Confederates；　after　having　failed　at　Borthwick；

not　feeling　strong　enough　to　attack　Bothwell　at　Dunbar；　marched　upon

Edinburgh；　where　they　had　an　understanding　with　a　man　of　whom

Bothwell　thought　himself　sure。　　This　man　was　James　Balfour；　governor

of　the　citadel；　the　same　who　had　presided　over　the　preparation　of　the

mine　which　had　blown　up　Darnley；　and　whom　Bothwell　had；　met　on

entering　the　garden　at　Kirk　of　Field。　　Not　only　did　Balfour　deliver

Edinburgh　Castle　into　the　hands　of　the　Confederates；　but　he　also　gave

them　a　little　silver　coffer　of　which　the　cipher；　an　〃F〃　crowned；

showed　that　it　had　belonged　to　Francis　II；　and　in　fact　it　was　a　gift

from　her　first　husband；　which　the　queen　had　presented　to　Bothwell。

Balfour　stated　that　this　coffer　contained　precious　papers；　which　in

the　present　circumstances　might　be　of　great　use　to　Mary's　enemies。

The　Confederate　lords　opened　it；　and　found　inside　the　three　genuine

or　spurious　letters　that　we　have　quoted；　the　marriage　contract　of

Mary　and　Bothwell；　and　twelve　poems　in　the　queen's　handwriting。　　As

Balfour　had　said；　therein　lay；　for　her　enemies；　a　rich　and　precious

find；　which　was　worth　more　than　a　victory；　for　a　victory　would　yield

them　only　the　queen's　life；　while　Balfour's　treachery　yielded　them

her　honour。









CHAPTER　IV



Meanwhile　Bothwell　had　levied　some　troops；　and　thought　himself　in　a

position　to　hold　the　country：　accordingly；　he　set　out　with　his　army；

without　even　waiting　for　the　Hamiltons；　who　were　assembling　their

vassals；　and　June　15th；　1567；　the　two　opposed　forces　were　face　to

face。　　Mary；　who　desired　to　try　to　avoid　bloodshed；　immediately　sent

the　French　ambassador　to　the　Confederate　lords　to　exhort　them　to　lay

aside　their　arms；　but　they　replied　〃that　the　queen　deceived　herself

in　taking　them　for　rebels；　that　they　were　marching　not　against　her；

but　against　Bothwell。〃　　Then　the　king's　friends　did　what　they　could

to　break　off　the　negotiations　and　give　battle：　it　was　already　too

late；　the　soldiers　knew　that　they　were　defending　the　cause　of　one

man；　and　that　they　were　going　to　fight　for　a　woman's　caprice；　and　not

for　the　good　of　the　country：　they　cried　aloud；　then；　that　〃since

Bothwell　alone　was　aimed　at；　it　was　for　Bothwell　to　defend　his

cause〃。　　And　he；　vain　and　blustering　as　usual；　gave　out　that　he　was

ready　to　prove　his　innocence　in　person　against　whomsoever　would　dare

to　maintain　that　he　was　guilty。　　Immediately　everyone　with　any　claim

to　nobility　in　the　rival　camp　accepted　the　challenge；　and　as　the

honour　was　given　to　the　bravest；　Kirkcaldy　of　Grange；　Murray　of

Tullibardine；　and　Lord　Lindsay　of　Byres　defied　him　successively。

But；　be　it　that　courage　failed　him；　be　it　that　in　the　moment　of

danger　he　did　not　himself　believe　in　the　justice　of　his　cause；　he；

to　escape　the　combat；　sought　such　strange　pretexts　that　the　queen

herself　was　ashamed；　and　his　most　devoted　friends　murmured。



Then　Mary；　perceiving　the　fatal　humour　of　men's　minds；　decided　not　to

run　the　risk　of　a　battle。　　She　sent　a　herald　to　Kirkcaldy　of　Grange；

who　was　commanding　an　outpost；　and　as　he　was　advancing　without

distrust　to　converse　with　the　queen；　Bothwell；　enraged　at　his　own

cowardice；　ordered　a　soldier　to　fire　upon　him；　but　this　time　Mary

herself　interposed；　forbidding　him　under　pain　of　death　to　offer　the

least　violence。　　In　the　meanwhile；　as　the　imprudent　order　given　by

Bothwell　spread　through　the　army；　such　murmurs　burst　forth　that　he

clearly　saw　that　his　cause　was　for　ever　lost。



That　is　what　the　queen　thought　also；　for　the　result　of　her　conference

with　Lord　Kirkcaldy　was　that　she　should　abandon　Bothwell's　cause；　and

pass　over　into　the　camp　of　the　Confederates；　o