604 



SCOTLAND. 



IJistorj. divided into factions ; and finding his situation unte- 

 ~"V~~ ' nable, Morton resigned his authority into the hands of 

 the young king, who, though but eleven years of age, 

 assumed the admin istration. 



The count d'Aubigney was dispatched to Scotland 

 by the duke of Guise, in order to detach James from 

 the English faction. He gained the affection of the 

 young monarch, and, notwithstanding his remon- 

 strances, Morton was arrested, accused as an accom- 

 plice in the late king's murder, and condemned to suf- 

 fer as a traitor. He admitted that Bothwell had com- 

 municated to him the atrocious design; but pleaded 

 that the queen had acquiesced and desired his concur- 

 rence, and denied that he had ever expressed any ap- 

 probation of the murder. Apprized of Morton's con- 

 demnation, Elizabeth interceded in his behalf, and or- 

 dered a military force to the borders. But those mea- 

 sures served only to hasten his execution. 



The influence of the royal favourites over the young 

 king was such, that a conspiracy was formed for seiz- 

 ing James's person. A convention of estates, and an 

 assembly of the church, were convoked to ratify the 

 security of the conspirators. A protracted and fruitless 

 negotiation for Mary s release and restoration to a li* 

 mited authority, was opened between the French and 

 English ambassadors; but the privy council rejected 

 all treaty of accommodation. James made his escape 

 to St. Andrews, where he summoned his friends to at- 

 tend him. Argyll, Montrose, and Rothes, hastened to 

 pay their duty to their sovereign ; while the conspira- 

 tors, Angus, Hamilton, Mar, and Glammis, fled to 

 England, and were protected by Elizabeth. The earl 

 of Gowrie was kept in prison, and on some new accu- 

 sation, was condemned and executed. Arran and his 

 violent conduct soon rendered the party of the exiled 

 lords popular. Being assisted by Elizabeth, they made 

 two successive attempts on Stirling castle, whether the 

 king had fled for refuge, and prevailed. They obtained 

 pardon soon after, and were re-instated in their hon- 

 ours and fortunes, while the royal minions were dis- 

 missed. Arran was degraded ; and Elizabeth, pleased 

 with this change, maintained a correspondence with 

 the new ministry of James. The more effectually to 

 accomplish her purpose, she prevailed upon him to ac- 

 cept of a pension, and a treaty of mutual defence was 

 also concluded. 



. The rigorous restraints imposed upon the captive 

 queen of Scots, pushed her into enterprises which 

 threatened the repose of Elizabeth. The English semi- 

 nary at Rheims had wrought themselves to a high 

 pitch of rage against Elizabeth, and regarded her as- 

 sassination as the most meritorious of enterprises. For 

 this purpose John Savage was sent over to England, 

 and John Ballard, a priest of Rheims, formed the pro- 

 ject of dethroning her, and restoring the catholic reli- 

 gion in England. Anthony Babington, to whom Bal- 

 lard disclosed his intentions, had been persuaded to 

 interest himself in Mary's deliverance; and he was re- 

 commended to the captive queen as a person worth 

 engaging in her service. Encouraged by his ready 

 acquiescence, Ballard discovered to him the design of 

 Savage, and proposed to join five others with him in 

 the desperate undertaking. Babington successfully 

 employed himself in increasing the number of his as- 

 sociates, and drew into the conspiracy many discon- 

 tented catholic gentlemen. On the same day that Eli- 

 zabeth was to be assassinated, Babington proposed to 

 rescue Mary from her guards. 



These designs were detected by Walshingham ; but 



the extent of the ramifications was not fully discovered 

 till Gifford, a priest, came over to make him a tender s T" 1 

 of his services. Babington and his associates engaged 

 this priest to communicate. their designs to the captive 

 queen, and -Mary expressed her approbation of the ex- 

 ertions of her friends, assuring them of reward. These 

 letters were carried by Gifford to the secretary, and 

 were deciphered. 



Ballard was apprehended ; the other conspirators 

 were speedily discovered and thrown into prison. The 

 leaders made a full confession, and fourteen were con- 

 demned and executed. Elizabeth now determined to 

 bring Mary to a public trial, as being accessary to the 

 conspiracy. Her papers were accordingly seized, her 

 principal domestics arrested, and her two secretaries 

 sent prisoners to London. Forty commissioners, with 

 five other judges, were sent by the English court to 

 Fotheringay castle, to hear and decide this cause. 



Mary protested against the authority of the commis- 

 sioners, but was persuaded to appear to hear and to 

 give answer to the accusations that should be preferred 

 against her ; but she still refused to acknowledge the 

 jurisdiction of the court. The chancellor vindicated 

 his authority, by pleading the supreme jurisdiction of 

 the English laws over every one who resided in Eng- 

 land. 



The crown lawyers proved that she had allowed 

 herself to be addressed as queen of England ; that she 

 had corresponded with some noblemen, in the view of 

 engaging the Spaniards to invade the kingdom ; that 

 she had proposed to transfer her right to the crown of 

 England to Philip of Spain, should her son refuse to 

 become a catholic ; and that she had concurred in the 

 design of assassinating Elizabeth. 



The chief evidence against the queen arose from the 

 declarations of her servants. She demanded that they 

 should be confronted with her ; and concluded with 

 the most solemn denial of having ever entertained or 

 concurred in the illegal design against Elizabeth's life. 

 Her objections were over-ruled, and her requests 

 evaded. 



Having finished the trial, the commissioners ad- 

 journed to the star chamber, where they delivered 

 their verdict of guilty against Mary. Sentence of 

 death was then pronounced against the captive queen; 

 but a declaration was published on the same day by 

 the judges, that <e this sentence did nowise affect or 

 derogate from the title and honour of James, king of 

 Scotland, and that he was in the same place, degree, 

 and right, as if the sentence had never been pro- 

 nounced." 



Notwithstanding Elizabeth had now brought affairs 

 with Mary to that crisis which she had long ardently 

 desired, she felt a reluctance to execute the sentence, 

 resisted the solicitations of her ministers, and affirmed 

 that her people's safety only induced her to hesitate a 

 moment in pardoning all the injuries she had received 

 from the queen of Scots. 



That the execution of the sentence might appear to 

 be the general wish of the nation, Elizabeth summoned 

 a new parliament, which unanimously voted an ad- 

 dress, praying that the sentence might be executed, 

 without delay ; and this resolution was published by 

 proclamation. No sooner was Mary's sentence gene- 

 rally known, than great efforts were made by foreign 

 princes to prevent its execution. The young king of 

 Scots wrote a letter to Elizabeth, remonstrating against 

 the injustice of the whole procedure. The Master of 

 Gray and Sir Robert Melville were dispatched to en- 



