Gsi 
E N G L A N D. 
perfuafive terms, to forgive that vehemence of pafllon 
which had hurried him into this outrageous behaviour; 
called to her mind the loyal fervices which he had per¬ 
formed ; reprefented in ftrong terms the inveterate ma¬ 
lignity of his enemies; and declared that nothing but the 
queen’s favour, exemplified in tier acceptance of his hand, 
could fecure him from the effetls of their hatred. Her 
reludtunce not being overcome by his artful infinuations, 
he produced the bond which the affociated nobility had 
figned. Finding his add re lies fo ftrongly famSioned, and 
not being aware of the perfidious views of the chief fub- 
fcrihers of the bond, ffie began to relax in her oppofition 
to his propofals, and promifed to gratify him with the 
matrimonial union. A mere pro mile not being fo valid 
a fecurity as he wiflied, he had recourfe to “ extraordi¬ 
nary and unlawful means (fays Melvil in his Memoirs) 
for the completion of his willies. Partly by artifice, and 
partly by force, he triumphed over her chaftity. He foon 
after procured a divorce from his wife ; and Mary having 
promoted him to the dukedom of Orkney, the nuptials 
between him and his fovereign were folemnized at Edin¬ 
burgh. 
Bothwell, in the mean time, though an undoubted 
agent in the murder, was fuffered by the rebellious no¬ 
bles to remain at Dunbar, unmolefted, near a fortnight; 
a circumftance which may be confidered as corroborative 
of the opinion of thofe who have attributed the contriv¬ 
ance of that deed to Murray and Morton. The latter, 
who, in the abfence of the former, directed the motions 
of the infurgentSj dreaded the regular condemnation of 
Bothwell, left lie (hould difclofe fuch particulars as might 
injure the reputation of his fecret accomplices. He there¬ 
fore connived at the retreat of this obnoxious nobleman, 
who, apprehenfive of the ftroke of affaffination, put to fea 
with a tew vefl'els, and commenced the practice of naval 
depredation. Being purfued by Kirkaldy of Grange, he 
efcaped to Norway, where he was thrown into prifon for 
an a6t of piracy. He died in confinement fome years af¬ 
terwards ; and, on his death-bed, made a folenin declara¬ 
tion of queen Mary’s innocence of the murder of Darn- 
ley, in which, fays Keith, in the Appendix to his Hiftory, 
“ he affirmed, the earls of Murray and Morton, fecretary 
Maitland, and other perfons of diftindtion, were concerned 
with him.” 
This fatal alliance, however, was the deftrudtion of 
Mary. The principal nobility met at Stirling ; and an 
affiociation was formed for protecting the young prince 
her fon, and punilhing the king’s murderers. Lord Hume 
was tlie firft in arms ; and, leading a body of eight hun¬ 
dred horfe, fuddenly environed the queen in the caftle of 
Borthwick, and conducted her to Edinburgh, amidft the 
infultsof the populace. From thence ffie was lent a pri- 
foner to the caftle of Lochlevin, (ituated on a lake of that 
name. Here Mary, by her charms and promiles, engaged 
a young gentleman of the name of Douglas to affift 
in making her efcape ; and this he effected by conveying 
her in difguW’e in a fmall boat, roued by himfelf. The 
news of her enlargement being foon fpread abroad, the 
loyalty and love of her people feemed to revive once 
more. As Bothwell was no longer affociated in her 
cuufe, many of the nobility figned a bond of affiociation 
for her defence; and in a few days ffie faw herfelf at the 
head of fix thoufand men. 
The earl of Murray, her brother, who had been de¬ 
clared regent, was not How in aflembiing forces againft 
her; and, although his army was inferior to that of the 
queen, he boldly took the field. A battle was fought at 
Langfide, near Glafgow, A. D. 1568, which proved de- 
cifive in hrs favour. Mary, now totally ruined, fled 
from the field of battle with great precipitation ; and 
came with a few attendants to the borders of England, 
vainly hoping for protection from Elizabeth. With 
thefe hopes ffie embarked on board a fiffiing boat in Gal¬ 
loway, and landed the fame day at Workington in Cum¬ 
berland, about thirty miles diftant from Carlifie, whence 
x 
ffie immediately difpatched a meffenger to "London, erav 
ing protection, and defiring liberty to vifit the queen. 
Elizabeth, previoufly informed of her misfortunes, deli¬ 
berated upon the proper methods of proceeding, and re- 
folved, at laft, to aft in a friendly yet cautious manner. 
She fent orders to lady Scrope, lifter to the duke of Nor¬ 
folk, to attend on the queen of Scots; and foon after dif¬ 
patched lord Scrope and fir Francis Knolles, to pay her 
all poffible refpeCt. Notwithftanding thefe marks of 
kindnefs, the queen refufed to admit Mary into her pre¬ 
fence, until ffie had cleared her character from the foul 
afperiions with which it was ftaioed. 
Mary was now to undergo an examination before com- 
miliioners; her rival Elizabeth was to be the umpire; 
and the accufation was to be undertaken by her brother 
Murray, the Scottifh regent. This extraordinary con¬ 
ference, which was to deliberate on the conduCt of a fo¬ 
reign queen, was managed at York ; three commiffioners 
being appointed by Elizabeth, nine by the queen ot Scots, 
and five by the regent, in which he himfelf was included. 
The prejudices entertained by Elizabeth againft her 1111- 
liappy kinfwoman, were now evident in her conduCt in 
the appointment of commiffioners, and in the teliimony 
which (lie admitted or rejected on thofe occafions. When 
the different commiffions had been read, Mary’s reprefen- 
tatives entered a protefi, importing, that, though fhe 
had confented to refer the dil'putes between herfelf and 
her rebellious fubjeCts to the arbitration of the queen of 
England, file had no idea of acknowledging any fupe- 
riority in that princefs, but was herfelf an independent 
fovereign. The Englifh commiffioners, on the other 
hand, declared, that, though they received this proteft, 
they would not fuffer it to prejudice that right of feudal 
fuperiority which the fovereigns of England had always 
claimed over Scotland. A paper was afterwards prefent- 
ed to the court by Mary’s deputies, containing a ftate- 
ment of the aCts of treafon and rebellion committed 
againft her by her brother’s faCtion, and of the fucceffive 
injuries which had been heaped upon her. The regent, 
in his turn, accufed Mary of having countenanced the 
iniquitous fchemes of the earl of Bothwell, fo as to ren¬ 
der it neceffary for her nobles to inlift on his difmillion 
from her fociety ; mentioned tire fteps which had been 
taken againft the earl, as well as againft the queen, whofe 
partiality for him juftified them in depriving her of her 
liberty ; and affirmed that Ihe had voluntarily religned 
her crown to her fon, from the difguft which the fatigues and 
inquietudes of royalty had excited in her mind ; that the 
parliament had functioned her refignation ; and that the 
national affairs had been conducted with order and tran¬ 
quillity, till fome turbulent individuals had releafed her 
from her confinement, and taken arms againft the young 
king. 
The omiflion of the charge of murder againft the Scot¬ 
tifh queen, which the regent had before induftrioufly pro¬ 
pagated, gave great furprife to many. But, exclufive of 
the fuppofition that lie was fcrupulous of advancing an 
accufation which he knew to be incapable of proof, he 
had lately had fecret conferences with the duke of Nor¬ 
folk, which may account for his filence on this head. 
The duke, commiferating the fate of Mary, of whole re- 
ftoration he was fincerely delirous, and whofe ptrfon he 
wiftied to poftefs, remonftrated with the regent on the in¬ 
famy to which lie would fubjeft himfelf by a public ac¬ 
cufation of his filler and his fovereign; allured him that 
Elizabeth had refolved not to give a definitive fentence 
in the caufe, whatever evidence might be adduced on 
either fide ; and hinted the danger not only of being de- 
ferted by that queen, but of being expofed to the fevereft 
vengeance of Mary, if Ihe lliould ever regain her crown. 
The earl liftened to thefe obfervations, fays Melvil, and 
gave the duke a promife that he would not produce thofe 
documents which, he pretended, would convict Mary of 
adultery and minder. The documents here alluded to 
confifted of letters and fonnets, fuppofed to have been 
written 
