tending reformation of religion.' There were too many persons in England and Scotland who were interested in dividing the Protestant noblemen from the English Court. The Queen's words were carried round to rend still further what remained of the old alliance; and Randolph, discredited on all sides, could but protest to Cecil against the enormous mischief which Elizabeth's want of caution was producing.1

April.

It appeared as if the Queen had veered round once more and was again throwing herself wholly into Mary Stuart's interests. She replied to the letter which the Queen of Scots addressed to her from Dunbar by sending Melville to Scotland with assurances of sympathy and help; she wrote to Darnley advising him 'to please the Queen of Scots in all things,' and telling him that she would take it as an injury to herself if he offended her again; she advised Murray 'to be faithful to the Queen his sovereign' under pain of her own displeasure. As to the second set of fugitives who had taken shelter in England-Morton, Ruthven, and the rest-she told Bedford that she would neither acquit nor condemn them till she was more fully informed of their conduct, and that for the present they might remain under his protection; but she insisted that they must move to a distance from the frontier, and Melville was allowed to promise Mary Stuart' that they should meet with nothing but rigour.'

1 Randolph to Cecil, June 17. The letter is addressed significantly 'To Mr Secretary's self, and only for himself.'-Burghley Papers, vol. i.

3

2 Sir R. Melville to Elizabeth, April 1: Scotch MSS. Rolls House. 3 Elizabeth to Bedford, April 2: MS. Ibid.

De Silva informed Philip that the terror of the scene through which she had passed had destroyed the hope which the Queen of Scots had entertained of combining her subjects against the Queen of England. She had

found them a people fierce, strange, and changeable; she could trust none of them; and she had therefore responded graciously to the tone which Elizabeth assumed towards her.' In an autograph letter of passionate gratitude Mary Stuart placed herself as it were under her sister's protection; she told her that in tracing the history of the late conspiracy she had found that the lords had intended to imprison her for life, and if England or France came to her assistance they had meant to kill her; she implored Elizabeth to shut her ears to the calumnies which they would spread against her, and with engaging frankness she begged that the past might be forgotten; she had experienced too deeply the ingratitude of those by whom she was surrounded to allow herself to be tempted any more into dangerous enterprises; for her own part she was resolved never to give offence to her good sister again; nothing should be wanting to restore the happy relations which had once existed between them; and should she recover safely from her confinement she hoped that in the summer Elizabeth would make a progress to the north, and that at last she might have an opportunity of thanking her in person for her kindness and forbearance.' 2

De Silva to Philip: MS. Simancas.

2 The Queen of Scots to Elizabeth, April 4: Scotch MSS. Printed by LABANGFF, vol. vii. p. 300.

This letter was sent by the hands of a certain Thornton, a confidential agent of Mary Stuart, who had been employed on messages to Rome. A very evil and naughty person, whom I pray you not to believe,' was Bedford's credential for him in a letter of the 1st of April to Cecil. He was on his way to Rome again on this present occasion. The public in Scotland supposed that he was sent to consult the Pope on the possibility of divorcing Darnley; and it is remarkable that the Queen of Scots at the close of her own letter desired Elizabeth to give credit to him on some secret matter which he would communicate to her. She perhaps hoped that Elizabeth would now assist her in the dissolution of a marriage which she had been so anxious to prevent.

It was not till her return to Edinburgh that the whole circumstances became known to her which preceded the murder; and-whether she had lost in Rizzio a favoured lover, or whether the charge against her had been invented by Darnley to heat the blood of his kindred—in either case his offence against the Queen was irreparable and deadly, and every fresh act of baseness into which he plunged increased the loathing with which she regarded him. The poor creature laboured to earn his pardon by denouncing accomplice after accomplice. Maitland's complicity was unsuspected till it was revealed by Darnley. He gave up the names of three other gentlemen whom only he and no man else knew to be privy.' Maitland's lands were seized, and he had him

'Randolph to Cecil, April 2: Scotch MSS. Rolls House.

self to fly into the Highlands. One of the three gentlemen was executed; but the Queen while she used his information repaid his baseness with deserved scorn. The bond which he had signed was under her eyes; and the stories which he had told against her were brought forward by the lords in their own justification. While distrust and fear and suspicion divided home from home and friend from friend, the contempt and hate of all alike was centred on the unhappy caitiff who had betrayed both parties in turn; and Darnley, who was so lately dreaming of himself as sovereign of England and Scotland, was left to wander alone about the country as if the curse of Cain was clinging to him.'

Meanwhile Elizabeth was reaping a harvest May. of inconveniences from her exaggerated demon

strations of friendliness. The Queen of Scots taking her at her word demanded that Morton and Ruthven should be either surrendered into her hands, or at least should not be permitted to remain in England. Elizabeth would have consented if she had dared, but Argyle and Murray identified their cause with that of their friends. Murray was so anxious that they should do well that 'he wished himself banished for them to have them us they were.' Though they had generously begged him to run no risks in their interest, he had told his sister 'that they had incurred their present danger only on his

·

1 He is neither accompanied nor looked upon by any nobleman; attended by certain of his own servants and six or eight of his guard,

he is at liberty to do or go what or where he will.'—Randolph to Cecil, April 25: Scotch MSS. Rolls House.

2

account;' while Argyle sent word to Elizabeth that if she listened to the Queen of Scots' demands he would join Shan O'Neil.' Vainly Elizabeth struggled to extricate herself from her dilemma; resentment was still pursuing her for her treachery in the past autumn. She dared not shelter the conspirators, for the Queen of Scots would no longer believe her fair speeches, and de Silva was watching her with keen and jealous eyes; she dared not surrender or expel them lest the last Englishman in Ireland should be flung into the sea. She could but shuffle and equivocate in a manner which had become too characteristic. Ruthven was beyond the reach of human vengeance: he had risen from his sick bed to enact his part in Holyrood, he had sunk back upon it to die. To Morton she sent an order, a copy of which could be shown to the Queen of Scots, to leave the country; but she sent with it a private hint that England was wide, and that those who cared to conceal themselves could not always be found.3 Argyle she tried to soothe and work upon, and she directed Randolph to deal with him.' She understood, she said, 'that there was a diminution of his good will towards her service, and specially in the matter of Ireland,' and that 'he alleged a lack of her favour in time of his need.'

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1 Randolph to Cecil, May 13 and | dores en su Reyno, como oygo estan May 23: MS. Ibid. en Newcastle.'-De Silva to Philip, May 18: MS. Simancas.

2 Con todas las promesas y demostraciones que esta Reyna ha hecho a la de Escocia al presente de la prometer ayuda y serle amiga y no consentir estos ultimos conspira

VOL. VII.

3 Morton to Cecil, May 16; Leicester to Cecil, July 11: Scotch MSS. Rolls House.

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