SCOTLAND. 



land was included. Shortly after this, cardinal Beaton fell 

 a facritice to the hatred of the reformers, who were parti- 

 cularly incenfed againil him for the barbarous execution of 

 one of their champions, named Wifhart. This event proved 

 fatal to the Catholic religion, and to the French interell in 

 Scotland ; for though a large party in the nation ilill con- 

 tinued zealoutly attached to both, the lofs of fo bold and 

 Ikilful a leader rendered their influence and exertions much 

 lefs efFeflive. 



In September 1547, Henry VIII. being deceafed, the 

 proteftor, Somerfet, in purfuance of the intentions of his 

 late mafter, entered Scotland with a large army, and having 

 engaged the Scots, commanded by the regent in perfon, 

 at Pinkey, neai- Muflelburgh, gained a complete vidlory. 

 Above ten thoufand men fell on this day, which was 

 fcarcely lefs difallrous to Scotland than the fatal one of 

 Floddon. The viftory, however, was of little advantage 

 to the proteftor, whofe cruel ravages only increafed the 

 averfion of the Scots to unite with England ; and induced 

 them to form a clofe alliance with France. The queen 

 dowager, who, after the death of Beaton, took a confiderable 

 fhare in the direftion of affairs, feized every opportunity to 

 promote this objeft. By her advice ambaffadors were fent to 

 the court of Henry II. to offer the young queen in marriage 

 to the dauphin ; and accordingly a treaty was concluded, 

 by which the parties were betrothed, and the Scots became 

 bound to fend Mary to receive her education in France. 

 In vain did a few patriots remonflrate againil fuch extra- 

 vagant conceflions, by which Scotland was made a French 

 province ; and Henry, from an ally, raifed to be mafter of 

 the kingdom. 



While Mary was enjoying the pleafures of the court of 

 France, the only fcene in which fhe ever experienced the 

 fmiles of fortune, Scotland, firfl under the regency of 

 the earl of Arran, who had been dignified with the title of 

 duke de Chatellerault, and afterwards of the queen dowager, 

 Mary de Guife, was rent by faftions, and experienced all 

 the direful effedls of religious and feudal diffentioiis. The 

 whole time which had elapfed from the death of James V. 

 had been a feafon of anarchy, during which parties had 

 rifen and fallen in rapid fuccellion. To the commotions 

 fo common in every country, while the feudal fyllem was 

 in its vigour, and in none more than in Scotland, may be 

 added thofe caufed by the coUifion of the principles of the 

 reformation, with the iuterells of a powerful hierarchy. 

 Throughout Europe the wealth of the church was exor- 

 bitant ; but in Scotland it fo far exceeded the jufl propor- 

 tion, that not lefs than half of the national property was 

 pofl'efl'ed by ecclefiaftics. The mode of its difpofal like- 

 wife confiderably increafed their influence. Church lands 

 being let on leafe, at an eafy rate, and pofleffed by the 

 younger branches of the great families, many eltates in all 

 parts of the kingdom were held of the church. This ex- 

 traordinary (hare in the national property was accompanied 

 by a proportionable weight in the national councils. The 

 number of temporal peers being fmall, and the lefl'er barons 

 and reprefentatives of boroughs feldom attending, the eccle- 

 fialtical members formed a very confiderable body in the 

 Scottifh parliaments, in which they poffefied all the influence 

 that exorbitant wealth and fuperior talents could give. 



A hierarchy eflablifhed on fo firm a bafis, with fo many 

 pillars for its fupport, it was difficult to overturn. The 

 progrefs of the reformation, however, gave a ferious alarm 

 to the clergy, and the fword of perfecution was effeftually 

 drawn in defence of the privileges and emoluments of the 

 Catholic church. 



In fpite of all thefe difUcuIties, however, the reformed 



religion was eftablilhed in Scotland, by aA of parliament, 

 in 1560, and the exercife of religious worfhip, accord- 

 ing to the rites of the Popifh church, was prohibited, 

 under the penalty of forfeiture of goods for the firlt, banifh- 

 ment for the fecond, and death for the third offence. 

 " Such llrangers," fays Dr. Robertfon, " were men at 

 that time to the fpirit of toleration, and to the laws of 

 humanity ; and with fuch indecent halte did the very perfons 

 who had jufl efcaped the rigour of eccleCaftical tyranny 

 proceed to imitate thofe examples of feverity, of which 

 they themfelves had fo julUy complained." The new 

 fyilem of church government, however, was yet to be 

 modelled ; and in this bufinefs Knox, a popular preacher, 

 of a rude but energetic eloquence, of rigid morals, and 

 republican ferocity, had a principal Ibare. This reformer 

 had long refided at Geneva, and confidered the fyltem of 

 church government eftabliflied by Calvin in that city, as the 

 moit perfeft model for imitation. He, therefore, recom- 

 mended it to his countrymen, and fucceeded ia accomplifh- 

 ing its eltablifhment. 



When Mary returned to Scotland, fhe was received by 

 her fubjcfts with every demonllration of joy. Never did a 

 prince afcend a throne under circumltances of greater diffi- 

 culty, or conduit herfelf at iirll with more prudence. Find- 

 ing the Proteftant religion completely eitablifhed over the 

 whole kingdom, fhe very properly took into power the moft 

 eminent men of that party ; and, to remove all dread of moleft- 

 ation from the minds of their followers, fhe formally declared, 

 " that until fhe fhould take final orders concerning religion, 

 with advice of parliament, any attempt to alter or fubvert 

 the religion which Ihe found univerfally praftifed in the 

 realm, fhould be deemed a capital crime." The diviiion of 

 the property of the church, and the fettlement of the 

 Proteftant revenues, however, foon gave rife to animofities ; 

 and the queen, in her anxiety to pleale both partie.i, loft the 

 confidence of the Papills by her conceflions to the Protef- 

 tants, while the latter were offended at the fmall fhare of 

 fpoil which was declared to accrue to them. Difientions 

 broke out among the nobility ; and particularly between the 

 earls of Marr and Huntley. The latter, who was a zealous 

 Catholic, preffed the queen to rcftorc popery ; and finding 

 his counfels negledled by the influence of Marr, firlt attempted 

 to afTalTinate him, and thereafter raifed the ftandard of rebel- 

 lion againft his fovereign. The earl of Murray marched to 

 oppofe him, and after a bloody conteft put his forces to the 

 rout. 



The year following thefe tranfaftions, Mary, who was 

 defirous of entering into a more intimate correfpondence with 

 Ehzabeth, employed Maitland to defire a perfonal interview 

 with her, but the Englifh queen declined the m.eeting. In 

 1563, the Scottifh fovereign avowed her determination to 

 contraft a fecond marriage, an event for which the nation 

 in general was extremely anxious, in order that the crown 

 might be continued in the right line of its ancient poffeffors. 

 Many fuitors of great eminence, among the princes of 

 Europe, prefented themfelves ; but thefe were all re- 

 jefted in favour of Henry Stuart, lord Darnley, elded 

 fon of the earl of Lenox, who had been forced to feek 

 refuge in England in the reign of James V. The royal 

 nuptials were celebrated in July 1565, in conformity 

 to the rites of the church of Rome ; and liot content 

 with elevating this undeferving man to her bed, the queeu 

 ifTued proclamations at the fame time, conferring upon him 

 the title of king of the Scots. All thofe who had oppofed 

 the marriage were treated with great feverity ; particularly 

 the earl of Murray, who, having taken up arms, was de- 

 feated, and compelled to fly the kingdom. 



With 



