66 



JOURNAL OP THE PLYMOUTH INSTITUTION. 



the journal of proceedings of the "Westminster commissioners on 

 the day of production of the Casket Letters. I^otice in minutes of 

 production of Casket and Letters by Murray and colleagues after 

 some hesitation respecting consequences, and reference particularly 

 in these minutes to letters one and two. 



II. I^otice of objections to testimony of French Paris. Paris 

 not produced at Westminster ; not relied upon by Buchanan in his 

 "Detectio." Professor Schiern, from records of Danish govern- 

 ment, believes him to have been delivered up to Capt. Clark, 

 Murray's agent, on the 30th October, 1568, in time to have been 

 at the Westminster conference, which did not close till the middle 

 of December, 1568. But Murray may have relied more, in the 

 first instance, upon Nelson and Crawfurd's evidence as being ser- 

 vants of Lord Darnley ; and he expresses his confidence to Queen 

 Elizabeth, that Paris' s testimony, late as it was produced, could not 

 be impeached. 



Hosack next attempts to invalidate jS'elson's evidence on the 

 ground of inconsistency with the recently- discovered inventory of 

 the furniture of Kirk o' Field. The inventory states the king's 

 chamber was furnished with *'a violet velvet bed, ornamented 

 with gold and silver lace." Nelson states the queen had substi- 

 tuted " an old travelling bed" for " a bed of black figured velvet." 

 But where is the inconsistency? Might not a violet -coloured 

 velvet bed be easily mistaken for black ? Hosack' s reference to 

 Earl Morton's execution on the evidence of Bothwell's testament, 

 apparently in proof of the authority of that will, is inconclusive. 

 Hosack at length admits that for two years the queen and Bothwell 

 were the only persons charged with Darnley's murder, but main- 

 tains that afterwards the circle was made to widen, so as to embrace 

 nearly all the nobility. But after all the chief weight of the 

 evidence rests on the queen's own conduct — more even than on 

 letters or oral testimony. Hosack makes no reference to the dis- 

 covery claimed by Eroude of the French originals of the two notes 

 of the queen respecting the abduction. The protestation of the 

 Earls of Huntley and Argyll at least proves that the queen under- 

 stood she should be "made quyte" of Darnley without any trouble 

 to herself, though she bargains for "no blot to her honour and 

 conscience." Can we believe that the subtle, pleasure- seeking 

 daughter of Catherine de Medici is the timid and innocent being 

 whom Hosack has tried to paint? And can we hold her low 



