1807.] 
of the number, of passing too severe a 
judgment upon che character and conduct 
of the Scottish queen. 
II. Upon the next of the heavy charges 
against this unfortunate princess, the two 
great historians are so well agreed, and 
that agree ment 15,1n My oplnou, founded 
on evidence so sure and solid, that upen 
this head there seems little temptation 
to enlarge. I speak of ber criminal at- 
tachment to Bothwell, and her participa- 
tiun in the murder of the ie her hus- 
-band. This beautiful and captivating 
woman, upon whose mind and ed na= 
ture had bestowed her choicest gifts, 
whose charms were heightened by all 
the attractions of education and of 
art, but whose pidable fate it was to 
be brought up in the bosom of an 
elegant, indeed, but corrupt and profi- 
gate court, abandoned to all the exe 
eesses of pleasure, and at the same time, 
sunk into the depths of the most barba- 
rous and bloody superstition, seemed at 
this pertod of her life to exist only for 
love; love too often destitute not merely 
of principie, but careless even of the ap- 
pearauces of decorum. Her passion for 
Darnley, winle it lasted, she indulged 
with every possible degree of iimpra- 
dence, totally biuid to those vices and de- 
fects, which were so conspicuous ia the 
character of that young prince. ‘‘ Noman, 
(says Randolph, in a letter to the Kari of 
Leicester, July 13,1565), pleaseth her, that 
contenteth net him; and what may [ say 
more, she hath viven over to lum her 
whuvle will to be ruled and guided as him- 
self best liketh.” In afew months her 
love changed to hatred, and her aifectiens 
were transferred, and too probably her 
honour sacrificed, to Rizzio, aman in 
every view base, odious, and contemptible. 
Very soon atter the murder of Rizzio, in 
the same spirit of infatuation, she fixed 
her passionate regards upon the Earl of 
Bothwell. ‘ About this time (says Dr, 
Robertson, p. 163, i. e.in a few weeks sub- 
sequent to the death of Rizzio) a new ta- 
vourite grew into credit with the queen, 
and soon gained an ascendant over he: 
heart; which encoure aged his enterprising 
genius to form designs that proved jatal 
to himself, and the occasion of all Mary’s 
subsequent misfortunes. This was James 
Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell.” 
It must be remarked that after an in- 
terval of some months from the assassi- 
nation of Rizzio, the queen’s affairs had 
taken a very favourable turn; and she 
had yet an opportunity of retrieving her 
character in the opinion of the world, and 
ef conciliating the esteem and affection 
Belsham’s Comparison between Robertson and Hume. 425 
of her subjects. ‘ The friends of the 
queen of Scois, (says Mr. Hume, vol. v. 
p- 104) multiplied every dayin England, 
fhe court itself of Elizabeth was full of 
her avowed partizans. Mary’s behaviour 
also, so moderate towards the protestants, 
and so gracious towards allmen, had pro- 
cured her universal respect : and the pub- 
lic was willing to ascribe any unprudences 
into which she had fuller, to her youth 
and inexperience. But all these flattering 
prospects were biasted by the subsequent 
incidents, where her egregious indiscre= 
tions, shall i say, or atrocious crimes, 
‘threw her from the height of her pros- 
perity, and involved her in infamy and im 
ruin,’ 
Alter. relating with his characteristic 
clearness and animation the particulars 
of the queen’s treacherous conduct re- 
specting her husband, the assassination 
of the king and her subsequent nefarious 
marriage to Bothwell, Mr. Hume thus 
proceeds: :—¢ The news of these trans- 
actions being carried to foreign coun= 
tries, filled Hurope with amazement, and 
threw infamy not only on the principal 
actorsin them, but also on the whole nae 
tion, who seemed, by the:r submission 
and silence, and even by their declared 
approbation, to give their sanction to 
these scandalous “practices. The Scots 
who resided abroad, met with such re- 
roaches that they durst no where appear 
in public, It was every where said, that 
even though no particular and direct 
proofs had as a been produced of the. 
queen’s guilt, the whole tenor of her late 
conduct was sufficient not only to beget 
suspicion, but to produce entire convic~ 
tion against ber. ‘Lhat no woman who 
had any regard to her character, woald 
allaw a man, publicly accused of her 
hushand’s murder, so much as. to ap- 
proach her presence, far jess give hima 
share in ber counsels, and endow him 
with favour and authority. That an ace 
guittal merely in the absence of ac- 
cusers, was very ill fitted to satisfy the 
public, especially if that absence pro- 
ceeded ain a designed precipitation of 
the sentence, and from the terror which 
her known friends! up for the criminal had 
infused into every one. Theat the very 
mention of her marriage to such a person. 
in such circumstauces was horrible; and 
the contrivances of extorting a consent 
from the nobility, and of concerting @ 
rape, were gross ar cifices, more proper to 
discover her guilt than prove her inno- 
cence: that where a woman thus shews @ 
consciousness of merited reproach, and 
ingtcad of correcting, provides only thin 
glasses 
ee 
a 
a a ae mabe 
