E N G L A N D. 
written by Mary to Bothwell. If thefe were genuine, 
little doubt would remain .of the guilt of that princefs'. 
A controverfy has long tub ft fled on this fubjedt ; and au¬ 
thors of eminence have appeared on both lides ot the 
queftion. Some have maintained, that the letters and 
poems are the real compofitions of Mary ; while others, 
after a very accurate examination, have proved to the 
general fatisfadtion, that they were forged under the anf- 
picesof the earls of Murray and Morton, whom, not only the 
moft refpedtable friends of the injured queen, but many 
of the criminals who fuffered death for their agency in 
the murder of Darnley, accufed of having planned that 
nefarious deed. 
Thefe pretended productions of Mary were (hewn by the 
regent to Elizabeth’s commilfioners,/ in a private inter¬ 
view ; a circumfiaoce which does not reflect a very high 
character of the candour of the earl and his colleagues, 
who thus clandeftinely tampered with the Engljfh dele¬ 
gates in the confideration of that important evidence, 
which ought to have been firft produced in open court. 
They had before expreffed an unwillingnefs to exhibit in 
form this grand head of accufation, till they had receiv¬ 
ed an explicit anfvver on the following points : Whether 
the commilfioners were authorifed to give a final decree 
in the caufe ; and wliether Elizabeth would protect the 
accufers of Mary from that refentment which the latter 
princefs would naturally feel againfl her adverfaries. To 
thefe interrogatories an evafive reply was given by the 
Englifii deputies, who, at the defire of the regent, fent 
to Elizabeth for further inftrudtions. It was in this in¬ 
terval of delay, that Murray had privately opened to 
them his budget of evidence, that they might communi¬ 
cate their opinion of it to their fovereign, who would 
then fee how far they were difpofed to concur in the plan 
which Ihe and the earl appear to have concerted for ob- 
ftrufiting the vindication of Mary’s character. From the 
account which they gave Elizabeth of the papers, fhe 
was inclined to think that they confidered them as for¬ 
geries ; a circumftance which did not coincide with her 
views. Hence fhe vvas induced to recal the commiffion 
which file had granted, and to evoke the caufe to Weft- 
winder, where the proceedings would be more immedi¬ 
ately under her eye. A new commilfion was then ilfued, 
in which, though the duke of Norfolk and his two col¬ 
leagues were re-appointed, five other delegates were 
named, in whofe fubferviency Elizabeth placed greater 
confidence. /Thefe Were, the lord-keeper Bacon, the 
earls of Arundel and Leicefter,* Clinton the high-admi¬ 
ral, and fecretary Cecil. 
Mary being now called upon by the Englifh cornmif- 
fioners to date her anfvver to the various charges fet forth 
by Murray, declined entering into any fuch defence or ex¬ 
planation, unlefs in the prefence of Elizabeth, who alone 
could be confidered as her equal, and confequently of'pro- 
pofing to her any kind of interrogatory. This privilege 
being refufed, Mary perfided in demanding Elizabeth’s 
protection as an injured queen; and (he delired either to 
be afiifted in her endeavours to recover her crown, or that 
liberty (hould be given her for retiring into France, there 
to make trial of the friendfhip of other princes. But Eli¬ 
zabeth, aware of the danger which attended both thefe 
propofals, was fecretly refolved to detain her in captivity; 
and the queen of Scots was fent to Tutbury caftle, in the 
county of Stafford, and put under the cuftody of the earl 
of Shrewsbury; there (he beguiled her royal prifoner 
with the hopes of one day coming into favour; and that, 
unlefs her own obftinacy prevented, an accommodation 
might at laft take place. But the defignsand arts of Eli¬ 
zabeth had no fuch pacific views: while (he kept up the 
moil friendly correfpondence with Mary, and expreffed 
the warmed proteftations of fincerity, (he was far from 
affifling her caufe, or rendering her the fmalled fervice. 
It was her intered to keep the factions in Scotland alive, 
and to weaken the power of that redlefs and turbulent 
nation: for this purpole (lie deprelfed the party of the 
V ol. VI, No. 380. 
65fl 
queen, which had now power to prevail ; and in the mean 
time procured her adverfary, the ear! of Lenox, to be ap¬ 
pointed regent in the room of Murray, who had fullered 
a merited fate. 
Thus every event which promifed to be favourable to 
Mary, was prematurely cut off by the infidious vigilance 
of Elizabeth. The duke of Norfolk, who enjoyed the 
liighed title of nobility in England, vvas at this time a 
widower; and, being of a fuitable age to efpoufe the 
queen of Scots, made him defirous of the match. But 
the obtaining Elizabeth’s confent, previous to their nup¬ 
tials, was a circumdance eflential to his aims : yet, while 
this nobleman made almod all the nobility of England 
confidants to his paffion, he never had refolutiomto open 
his intentions to the queen. On the contrary, in order 
to fupprefs the furrnifes that were currently reported, he 
fpoke contemptuoufly of Mary to Elizabeth. This du¬ 
plicity only fe'rved to inflame the queen’s fufpioions; 
who, on enquiry, finding this intercourfe dill going on, 
(lie had him committed to the Tower. 
But the duke of Norfolk had too many partifans in the 
north, to be confined without an effort for his releafe. 
The earls of Wedmoreland and Northumberland had pre¬ 
pared meafures for a rebellion ; had communicated their 
delign to Mary ; had entered into a correfpondence with 
the duke of Alva,' governor of the Low Countries, 
and had obtained his promife of men and ammunition. 
But the vigilance of Elizabeth was not to be eluded: 
orders were immediately lent for their appearance at 
court; and now the infurgent lords, perceiving their plan 
difeovered, were obliged to begin their revolt before 
matters were ripe for its execution. They accordingly 
publiflied a manifefto, in which they alleged that no in¬ 
jury vvas intended againfl: the queen, to whom they vowed 
unlhaken loyalty ; but that their foie aim vvas to re-efla- 
blifh the religion of their anceftors, to remove all,evil 
counfellors from about the queen’s perfon, and to reftore 
the duke of Norfolk to his liberty, and to the queen’s fa¬ 
vour. Their number amounted to four thouland foot, 
and fixtecn hundred horfe ; and they expected to be 
joined by all the catholics in England. But they foon 
found themfelves miftaken : the queen’s conduct had 
gained the general good-will of the people, and fhe began 
to perceive that her furefl truft was in the juftice of her 
actions. The duke of Norfolk himfelf, for whofe fake 
they had revolted, ufed every method that his circum- 
ftances would permit, to alfift the queen; the infurgents 
were obliged to retire to Hexham ; and, hearing that re¬ 
inforcements were npon their inarch to join the royal 
army, they had no other expedient but to difperfe. The 
earl of Northumberland fled into Scotland, and vvas con¬ 
fined by the regent to the caflle of Lochlevin ; Weft, 
moreland, after attempting to excite the Scots to revolt, 
was obliged to efcape into Flanders. This rebellion was 
followed by another, fomented by lord Dacres, but witl\ 
as little fuccefs.' Some feverities were ufed againfl thefe 
revolters ; and, it is faid, that no lefs than eighty (offered 
by the hands of the executioner. The queen was lo well 
fatisfied with the duke of Norfolk’s behaviour, that (he 
releafed him from the Tower, A. D. 1569, and allowed, 
him to return home, after exacting a promife that lie 
would not proceed any further in his pretentions to the 
queen of Scots. But this fatal promife involved his life. 
He had not been releafed above a year, when new pro- 
j e£ts were fet on foot by the enemies of the reforfned reli¬ 
gion, fecretly fomented by Rodolphi, an inftrqmeht of the 
pope, in concert with the bifliop of Rofs. It vvas pro¬ 
posed that Norfolk lhould renew his addrefles to Mary, 
to which it is probable he was prompted by paffion ; 
while the duke of Alva engaged to fend over a body of 
fix thouland foot, and four thouland horfe, to enable 
Norfolk to recover Mary’s liberty. This fcheme vvas fo 
fecretly conducted, that it had entirely efcaped both the 
vigilance of Elizabeth, and of Cecil, who now bore the 
title of lord Burleigh, It was difeovered merely by ac. 
8 D cident ; 
