"The secund wyf of the said Lord George (Marie Pieris, ane Frenche
woman, quha come in Scotland with Quene Marie, dochter to the Duik of
Gweis) bair to him tua sonnis and ane dochter ... the dochter Marie."
This extract from Sir Richard Maitland's _History of the House of Seton_
gives us the parentage of the fourth of the Maries.[97] She was the
daughter of a house in which loyalty and devotion to the Stuarts was
traditional. In the darkest pages of their history the name of the
Setons is always found amongst those of the few faithful friends whom
danger could not frighten nor promises tempt from their allegiance. In
this respect Mary Seton's French mother was worthy of the family into
which she was received. At the death of Marie de Guise, Dame Pieris
transferred not only her services, but her love also, to the infant
Queen, and stood by her with blind devotion under some of the most
trying circumstances of her short career as reigning sovereign. The
deposition of French Paris gives us a glimpse of her, attending on Mary
and conferring secretly with Bothwell on the morning after the King's
murder. At a later date we find her conspiring with the Queen's friends
at what was known as the council "of the witches of Atholl", and
subsequently imprisoned, with her son, for having too freely expressed
her loyalty to her mistress.[98] We may, therefore, almost look upon it
as the natural result of Mary Seton's training, and of her family
associations, that she is pre-eminently the Queen's companion in
adversity. It seems characteristic of this that no individual mention
occurs of her as bearing any part in the festivities of the Court, or
sharing her mistress's amusements. Her first appearance coincides with
the last appearance of Mary Livingston in connection with Mary Stuart.
When the Queen, after her surrender at Carberry, was ignominiously
dragged in her nightdress through the streets of her capital, her
faltering steps were supported by Mary Livingston and Mary Seton. At
Lochleven, Mary Seton, still in attendance on her mistress, bore an
important part in her memorable flight, a part more dangerous, perhaps,
than Jane Kennedy's traditional leap from the window, for it consisted
in personating the Queen within the castle, whilst the flight was taking
place, and left her at the mercy of the disappointed jailers when
faithful Willie Douglas had brought it to a successful issue.[99] How
she fared at this critical moment, or how she herself contrived to
regain her liberty, is not recorded; but it is certain that before long
she had resumed her honourable but perilous place by the side of her
royal mistress. It is scarcely open to doubt that the one maid of honour
who stood with the Queen on the eminence whence she beheld the fatal
battle of Langside was the faithful Mary Seton.
Although, so far as we have been able to ascertain, Mary Seton's name
does not occur amongst those of the faithful few who fled with the Queen
from the field of Langside to Sanquhar and Dundrennan, and although the
latter actually states in the letter which she wrote to the Cardinal de
Lorraine, on the 21st of June, that for three nights after the battle
she had fled across country, without being accompanied by any female
attendant, we need have no hesitation in stating that Mary Seton must
have been amongst the eighteen who, when the infatuated Mary resolved on
trusting herself to the protection of Elizabeth, embarked with her in a
fishing smack at Dundrennan, and landed at Workington. A letter written
by Sir Francis Knollys to Cecil, on the 28th of June, makes particular
mention of Mary Seton as one of the waiting-women in attendance on the
Queen, adding further particulars which clearly point to the fact that
she had been so for at least several days:--
Now here are six waiting-women, although none of
reputation, but Mistress Mary Seton, who is praised by
this Queen to be the finest busker, that is to say,
the finest dresser of a woman's head of hair, that is
to be seen in any country whereof we have seen divers
experiences, since her coming hither. And, among other
pretty devices, yesterday and this day, she did set
such a curled hair upon the Queen, that was said to be
a perewyke, that showed very delicately. And every
other day she hath a new device of head-dressing,
without any cost, and yet setteth forth a woman gaylie
well.[100]
For the next nine years Mary Seton disappears almost entirely in the
monotony of her self-imposed exile and captivity. A casual reference to
her, from time to time, in the Queen's correspondence, is the only sign
we have of her existence. Thus, in a letter written from Chatsworth, in
1570, to the Archbishop of Glasgow, to inform him of the death of his
brother, John Beton, laird of Creich, and to request him to send over
Andrew Beton to act as Master of the Household, Mary Stuart incidentally
mentions her maid of honour in terms which, however, convey but little
information concerning her, beyond that of her continued devotion to her
mistress and her affection for her mistress's friends. "Vous avez une
amye en Seton," so the Queen writes, "qui sera aussi satisfayte, en
votre absence, de vous servir de bonne amye que parente ou aultre que
puissiez avoir aupres de moy, pour l'affection qu'elle porte à tous
ceulx qu'elle connait m'avoyr esté fidèles serviteurs."
The royal prisoner's correspondence for the year 1574 gives us another
glimpse of her faithful attendant, "qui tous les jours me fayct service
tres agreable," and for whom the Archbishop is requested to send over
from Paris a watch and alarum. "La monstre que je demande est pour
Seton. Si n'en pouvez trouver une faite, faites la faire, simple et
juste, suyvant mon premier mémoyre, avec le reveil-matin à part."[101]
Three years must again elapse before Mary Seton's next appearance. On
this occasion, however, in 1577, she assumes special importance, and
figures as the chief character in a romantic little drama which Mary
Stuart herself has sketched for us in two letters written from her
prison in Sheffield to Archbishop Beton.
It will be remembered that when, in 1570, death deprived Queen Mary of
the services of John Beton, her Master of the Household, she requested
that his younger brother should be sent over from Paris to supply his
place. In due time Andrew Beton appeared at Sheffield and entered upon
his honourable but profitless duties. He was necessarily brought into
daily contact with Mary Seton, for whom he soon formed a strong
affection, and whom he sought in marriage. The maid of honour, a
daughter of the proud house of Winton, does not appear to have felt
flattered by the attentions of Beton, who, though, "de fort bonne
maison", according to Brantôme,[102] was but the younger son of a
younger son. Despairing of success on his own merits, Andrew Beton at
last wrote to his brother, the Archbishop, requesting him to engage
their royal mistress's influence in furtherance of his suit. The Queen,
with whom, as we know, match-making was an amiable weakness, accepted
the part offered her, and the result of her negotiations is best
explained by her own letter to the Archbishop:--
According to the promise conveyed to you in my last
letter, I have, on three several occasions, spoken to
my maid. After raising several objections based on the
respect due to the honour of her house--according to
the custom of my country--but more particularly on the
vow which she alleges, and which she maintains, can
neither licitly nor honourably be broken, she has at
last yielded to my remonstrances and earnest
persuasions, and dutifully submitted to my commands,
as being those of a good mistress and of one who
stands to her in the place of a mother, trusting that
I shall have due consideration both for her reputation
and for the confidence which she has placed in me.
Therefore, being anxious to gratify you in so good an
object, I have taken it upon myself to obtain for her
a dispensation from her alleged vow, which I hold to
be null. If the opinion of theologians should prove to
coincide with mine in this matter, it shall be my care
to see to the rest. In doing so, however, I shall
change characters, for, as she has confidently placed
herself in my hands, I shall have to represent not
your interests, but hers. Now, as regards the first
point, our man, whom I called into our presence,
volunteered a little rashly, considering the
difficulties which will arise, to undertake the
journey himself, to bring back the dispensation, after
having consulted with you as to the proper steps to be
taken, and to be with us again within three months,
bringing you with him. I shall request a passport for
him; do you, on your part, use your best endeavours
for him; they will be needed, considering the
circumstances under which I am placed. Furthermore, it
will be necessary to write to the damsel's brother, to
know how far he thinks I may go without appearing to
give too little weight to the difference of degree and
title.[103]
After having penned this interesting and well-meaning epistle, the Queen
communicated it to Mary Seton, to whom, however, it did not appear a
fair statement of the case, and for whose satisfaction a postscript was
added:--
I have shown the above to the maiden, and she
accuses me of over-partiality in this, that for
shortness' sake, I have omitted some of the
circumstances of her dutiful submission to me, in
making which she still entertained a hope that some
regard should be had for her vow, even though it prove
to be null, and that her inclination should also be
consulted, which has long been, and more especially
since our captivity, rather in favour of remaining in
her present state than of entering that of marriage. I
have promised her to set this before you, and to give
it, myself, that consideration which is due to her
confidence in me. Furthermore, I have assured her
that, should I be led to persuade her to enter into
that state which is least agreeable to her, it would
only be because my conscience told me that it was the
better for her, and that there was no danger of the
least blame being attached to her. She makes a great
point of the disparity of rank and titles, and
mentions in support of this that she heard fault found
with the marriage of the sisters Livingston, merely
for having wedded the younger sons of their peers, and
she fears that, in a country where such formalities
are observed, her own friends may have a similar
opinion of her. But, as the Queen of both of them, I
have undertaken to assume the whole responsibility,
and to do all that my present circumstances will
allow, to make matters smooth. You need, therefore,
take no further trouble about this, beyond getting
her brother to let us know his candid opinion.
With his mistress's good wishes, and with innumerable commissions from
her ladies, Andrew Beton set out on his mission. Whether the
dispensation was less easy to obtain than he at first fancied, or
whether other circumstances, perhaps of a political nature, arose to
delay him, twice the three months within which he had undertaken to
return to Sheffield had elapsed before information of his homeward
journey was received. He had been successful in obtaining a theological
opinion favourable to his suit, but it appeared that Mary Seton's
objections to matrimony were not to be removed with her vow. This seems
to be the meaning of a letter written to Beton by Mary Stuart, in which,
after telling him that she will postpone the discussion of his affairs
till his return, she pointedly adds that Mary Seton's letters to him
must have sufficiently informed him as to her decision, and that she
herself, though willing to help him by showing her hearty approval of
the match, could give no actual commands in the matter. A similar letter
to the Archbishop seems to point to a belief on Mary's part that, in
spite of the dispensation, the match would never be concluded, and that
Beton would meet with a bitter disappointment on his return to
Sheffield. It was destined, however, that he should never again behold
either his royal lady or her for whom he had undertaken the journey. He
died on his way homewards; but we have no knowledge where or under what
circumstances. The first intimation of the event is contained, as are,
indeed, most of the details belonging to this period, in the Queen's
correspondence. In a letter bearing the date of the 5th of November she
expresses to the Archbishop her regret at the failure of her project to
unite the Betons and the Setons, as well as at the personal loss she had
sustained by the death of a faithful subject and servant.[104]
With this episode our knowledge of Mary Seton's history is nearly
exhausted. There is no further reference to her in the correspondence of
the next six years, during which she continued to share her Queen's
captivity. About the year 1583, when her own health had broken down
under the hardships to which she was subjected in the various prisons to
which she followed Mary Stuart, she begged and obtained permission to
retire to France. The remainder of her life was spent in the seclusion
of the abbey of St. Peter's, at Rheims, over which Renée de Lorraine,
the Queen's maternal aunt, presided.
The last memorial which we have of Mary Seton is a touching proof of the
affection which she still bore her hapless Queen, and of the interest
with which, from her convent cell, she still followed the course of
events. It is a letter, written in October, 1586, to Courcelles, the new
French Ambassador at Holyrood; it refers to her long absence from
Scotland, and concludes with an expression of regret at the fresh
troubles which had befallen the captive Queen.
I cannot conclude without telling you the extreme
pain and anxiety I feel at the distressing news which
has been reported here, that some new trouble has
befallen the Queen, my mistress. Time will not permit
me to tell you more.[105]
It may be supposed that what the faithful maid of honour had heard was
connected with Babington's conspiracy and its fateful failure.