MURRAY'S REBELLION.
Murray had now gone too far to recede, though, had he been so inclined,
Mary's leniency would willingly have given him the opportunity. Mr John
Hay, who had formerly acted as her ambassador in England, and who was one
of her brother's personal friends, was sent to him to declare the good
will which both the Earl of Lennox and Darnley bore towards him. Mary even
avowed her readiness to bring to trial any one he would accuse of having
conspired against his life; but he had no evidence to prove that such a
conspiracy had ever existed, much less to fix the guilt upon any
individual. He had made the accusation originally, only the better to
conceal his own nefarious purposes; for Murray well understood the
practical application of Machiavel's maxim,--"Calumniare audacter aliquid
adhaerebit."
Acting in concert with this nobleman, Elizabeth now sent more imperative
orders than before for the return of Lennox and Darnley. But the former
answered, that, considering his wife had been committed to the Tower for
no fault on her part, he thought it unlikely that the climate of England
would suit his constitution; and the latter said boldly and gallantly,
that he now acknowledged duty and obedience to none but the Queen of
Scots, whom he served and honoured; and though Elizabeth chose to be
envious of his good fortune, he could not discover why he should leave a
country where he found himself so comfortable. Randolph coolly replied,
that he hoped to see the wreck and overthrow of as many as were of the
same mind; "and so turning my back to him, without reverence or farewell,
I went away."[100] The disaffected Lords, on their part, as soon as they
heard of Mary's marriage, and the proclamations in which she conferred
upon her husband the rank and title of King, renewed their complaints with
increased bitterness. The majority of their countrymen, however, saw
through their real motives; and even Knox allows it was generally alleged,
that these complaints were "not for religion, but rather for hatred, envy
of sudden promotion or dignity, or such worldly causes." The recalling of
the Earls Bothwell and Sutherland, and the restoring Lord Gordon to the
forfeited estates and honours of his father, the Earl of Huntly, was
another source of exasperation. From the tried fidelity of these noblemen,
Mary knew she could depend upon their services; though Bothwell,
personally, as we have already seen, was far from being agreeable to her.
To put in the clearest point of view the utter worthlessness of all the
grounds of offence which Elizabeth and the Scottish rebels pretended at
this time to have against Mary, a short and impartial account of a message
sent by the English Queen, early in August 1565, and of the answer it
received, will be read here with interest. The person who brought this
message was one of Elizabeth's inferior officials, of the name of
Tamworth, "a forward, insolent man," says Camden, and, with marked
disrespect, chosen for this very reason. He was ordered not to acknowledge
Darnley as King, and to give him no title but that which he had borne in
England; but Mary, "having smelt," as Camden adds "the nature both of the
message, and of the animal who brought it," would not admit him into her
presence. His objections were therefore committed to writing, and the
answer given in similar form. On the part of Elizabeth it was stated, that
her Majesty had found Mary's late proceedings, both towards herself and
towards her subjects, very strange, upon diverse grounds. These, as they
were brought forward, so were they replied to methodically and _seriatim_.
_First_, Elizabeth took God to witness, that her offer to Mary, of any of
her own subjects in marriage, was made sincerely and lovingly; and that
she was grieved to hear that Mary, listening to false council, had been
made to think otherwise.--To this it was answered, that the Queen of Scots
did not doubt Elizabeth's sincerity and uprightness in her offer of a
husband from England, and that no counsel had been given to induce her to
change her opinion. _Second_, Elizabeth was much surprised, that
notwithstanding the offer made by Mary to Sir Nicolas Throckmorton, to
delay her marriage till the middle of August, that she might have longer
time to prevail upon Elizabeth to consent to it, she had consummated that
marriage without giving her Majesty any intimation, on the 29th of July,
and had thereby disappointed both Elizabeth and some foreign princes, who
thought as strangely of the alliance as she did.--To this it was answered,
that it was true, that though Mary's resolution was fixed before Sir
Nicolas Throckmorton came into Scotland, she had, nevertheless, promised
to delay her marriage in the hope that the doubts entertained by
Elizabeth, as to the propriety of the said marriage, might in the
meantime, be removed; but that this promise was made expressly on the
condition, that Commissioners should be appointed on both sides to discuss
the matter, and that, as Elizabeth refused to nominate any such
commissioners, Mary was relieved from her promise; that further, she had
good reasons, known to herself and her own people, with which no other
prince needed to interfere, for consummating her marriage at the time she
did; and that, with regard to foreign princes thinking the alliance
strange, she had a perfect knowledge of the opinions, and had obtained the
express consent of the principal and greatest princes in Christendom.
_Third_, Elizabeth was astonished how Mary, in direct opposition to the
conditions of the treaty of peace, existing between England and Scotland,
could detain her Majesty's subjects, Lennox and Darnley in Scotland,
having allured them thither under a pretence of suits for lands, but in
reality to form an alliance without her Majesty's consent and
license,--an offence so unnatural, that the world spoke of it, and her
Majesty could not forget it.--To this it was answered, that Mary marvelled
not a little at the Queen, her good sister, insisting any further upon
this head, for she did not understand how it could be found strange that
she detained within her realm the person with whom she had joined herself
in marriage, or a Scottish Earl, whom Elizabeth herself named by his
Scottish title, the more especially as they both came to her with
Elizabeth's consent and letters of recommendation; and that she had no
doubt that the world spoke as sound sense would dictate, judging that her
detaining of them was in no ways prejudicial to any treaty of peace,
existing between the two realms, since no annoyance was intended towards
Elizabeth, her kingdom, or estate. _Fourth_, Elizabeth wondered that
Mary's ambassador, Mr John Hay, came to ask to be informed of her
Majesty's objections to the marriage, and of what she wished to be done,
but had no authority either to agree to, or refuse her requests; and she
therefore supposed that he had been sent more as a piece of empty form,
than for any useful purpose.--To this it was answered, that Mary, though
willing to hear Elizabeth's objections, if any such existed, and to
endeavour to remove them, had yet expressly declared, that she would make
such endeavour only through the medium of commissioners mutually agreed
on; and that she was still so convinced of the expediency of the match,
that though now married, she was still willing, if Elizabeth wished it, to
have its propriety discussed by such commissioners. _Fifth_, Elizabeth
begged that an explanation might be given of a sentence in one of Mary's
French letters, which she found somewhat obscured, and which ran
thus,--"Je n'estimerois jamais que cela vienne de vous, et sans en
chercher autre vengeance, j'aurois recours a tous les princes mes allies
pour avec moi vous remonstrer ce que je vous suis par parentage. Vous
savez assez ce que vous avez resolu sur cela."--To this it was answered,
that Mary, by the whole of her letter, as well as the passage in question,
meant no other thing but to express her desire to remain in perfect
friendship and good intelligence with the Queen her sister, from whom she
expected such treatment as reason and nature required from one princess to
another, who was her cousin; and that if, as God forbid, other treatment
were received, which Mary would not anticipate, she could do no less than
lay her case before other princes, her friends and allies. _Sixth_,
Elizabeth was grieved to see that Mary encouraged fugitives and offenders
from England, and practised other devices within her Majesty's realm; and
that, in her own kingdom, seduced by false counsellors and malicious
information, she raised up factions among the nobility.--To this it was
answered, that if the Scottish Queen really wished to offend Elizabeth,
she would not be contented with such paltry practices as those she was
accused of towards English subjects;--and that, with regard to her
proceedings in her own realm, as she had never interfered with Elizabeth's
order of government, not thinking it right that one state should have a
finger in the internal policy of another, so she requested that Elizabeth
would not meddle with her's, but trust to her discretion, as the person
most interested, to preserve peace and quietness. _Seventh_, Elizabeth
warned Mary to take good heed that she did not proceed in her intention to
suppress and extirpate the religion already established in Scotland, or to
effect the suppression of the Reformed faith in England, for that all such
designs, consultations, intelligences, and devices, should be converted to
the peril and damage of those that advised and engaged in them.--To this
it was answered, that Mary could not but marvel at Elizabeth's fears for a
religion upon which no innovation had ever been attempted, but for the
establishment of which every arrangement had been made most agreeable to
her Scottish subjects; that as to an intention to interfere with the
spiritual faith of England, she never heard of it before; but that, if any
practices to such effect could be condescended on, they should instantly
be explained and altered; and that, with regard to her designs,
consultations, intelligences and devices, such as she really engaged in,
would be found no vainer or more deceitful than those of her neighbours.
_Eighth_ and _lastly_, Elizabeth wished that Mary would not show herself
so given to change, as to conceive evil of the Earl of Murray, whose just
deserts she had so long acknowledged, for that by indifference and
severity, there were plenty examples to prove, that many noble men had
been constrained to take such measures for their own security, as they
would otherwise never have resorted to; and that these were _part_ of the
reasons why Elizabeth was offended with Mary.--To this it was answered,
that Mary wished her good sister would not meddle with the affairs of her
Scottish subjects any more than Mary meddled with the affairs of
Elizabeth's English subjects; but that, if Elizabeth desired any
explanation of her conduct towards Murray, it would be willingly given, as
soon as Elizabeth explained her motives for committing to the Tower Lady
Margaret, Countess of Lennox, mother-in-law and aunt of Mary; and that, as
soon as Elizabeth stated any _other_ grounds of offence, they should be
answered as satisfactorily as the above had been.[101]
Having thus triumphantly replied to the English Queen's irritating
message, Mary, in the true spirit of conciliation, had the magnanimity to
propose that the following articles should be mutually agreed upon. On the
part of the King and Queen of Scotland,--_First_, That their Majesties
being satisfied of the Queen their sister's friendship, are content to
assure the Queen, that during the term of her life, or that of her lawful
issue, they will not, directly or indirectly, attempt any thing
prejudicial to their sister's title to the Crown of England, or in any way
disturb the quietness of that kingdom. _Second_, They will enter into no
communication with any subject or subjects of the realm of England, in
prejudice of their said sister and her lawful issue, or receive into their
protection any subjects of the realm of England, with whom their sister
may have occasion to be offended. _Third_, They will not enter into any
league or confederation with any foreign prince, to the hurt, damage, and
displeasure of the Queen and realm of England. _Fourth_, They will enter
into any such league and confederation with the Queen and realm of
England, as shall be for the weal of the princes and subjects on both
sides. And, _Fifth_, They will not go about to procure in any way,
alteration, innovation, or change in the religion, laws, or liberties of
the realm of England, though it should please God at any time hereafter to
call them to the succession of that kingdom. In consideration of these
offers, the three following equally reasonable articles were to be agreed
to, on the part of England;--_First_, That by Act of Parliament, the
succession to the Crown, failing Elizabeth and her lawful issue, shall be
established first, in the person of Mary and her lawful issue, and failing
them, in the person of the Countess of Lennox and her lawful issue, as by
the law of God and nature, entitled to the inheritance of the said Crown.
_Second_, That the second offer made by the King and Queen of Scotland be
also made on the part of England; and, _Third_, That the third offer shall
be likewise mutual. To have agreed to these liberal articles would not
have suited Elizabeth's policy, and we consequently hear nothing farther
concerning them.
On the 15th of August 1565, Murray summoned the rebellious nobles to a
public meeting at Ayr, where it was resolved that they should assemble
together in arms on the 24th. Mary in consequence issued proclamations,
calling upon her loyal subjects to come to Edinburgh, with their kin,
friends, and household, and provided for fifteen days, on the 25th of
August. On that day she left Edinburgh with a numerous force, and marched
to Linlithgow. Before leaving the capital, measures were taken to prevent
the discontented there from turning to advantage the absence of their
sovereign. The Provost, who was entirely under the management of Knox, and
strongly suspected to favour the rebels, was displaced, and a more
trust-worthy civic officer appointed in his stead. Knox himself, a few
days before, had, been suspended from the discharge of his clerical
duties, in consequence of a seditious and insulting sermon he delivered
before the young King, who paid him the compliment of attending divine
service in St Giles's church, a Sunday or two after his marriage. In this
sermon the preacher, among other things, said, that God had raised to the
throne, for the sins of the people, boys and women; adding, in the words
of Scripture,--"I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall
rule over them: children are their oppressors, and women rule over them."
In the same style of allusions grossly personal, he remarked, that "God
justly punished Ahab, because he did not correct his idolatrous wife, the
harlot Jezabel." It is singular, that Knox never thought of objecting to
Mary's marriage with Darnley, till he found that his patron, the Earl of
Murray, to whom he was now reconciled, did not approve of it. He had said
only a few months before that--"The Queen being at Stirling, order was
given to Secretary Lethington to pass to the Queen of England, to declare
to that Queen, Mary was minded to marry her cousin, the Lord Darnley; and
the rather, because he was so near of blood to both Queens; for, by his
mother, he was cousin-german to the Queen of Scotland, also of near
kindred and the same name by his father;--his mother was cousin-german to
the Queen of England. Here, mark God's providence: King James V., having
lost his two sons, did declare his resolution to make the Earl of Lennox
his heir of the crown; but he, prevented by sudden death, that design
ceased. Then came the Earl of Lennox from France, with intention to marry
King James's widow; but that failed also: he marries Mary Douglas; and his
son, Lord Darnley, marrieth Queen Mary, King James V.'s daughter: and so
the King's desire is fulfilled, viz.--the crown continueth in the name and
in the family." Knox had changed his opinion (as even Knox could sometimes
do), both when he preached the above-mentioned sermon, and when, towards
the end of August 1565, he said, that the Castle of Edinburgh was
"shooting against _the exiled for Christ Jesus' sake_."[102]
From Linlithgow, Mary advanced with an increasing force, first to
Stirling, and then to Glasgow. Here she was within a short distance of the
rebel army, which, mustering about 1200 strong, had taken its position at
Paisley; "a fine pleasant village," says Keith, "five miles W.S.W. from
Glasgow." But Murray, not venturing to attack the Royalists, made a
circuit at some distance and, by a forced march, arrived unexpectedly at
Edinburgh, where he hoped to increase his force. In this hope he was
grievously disappointed. Finding that the Provost, who was taken by
surprise, had not sufficient strength to keep him without the walls, he
entered the city by the West Port, and immediately despatched messengers
for assistance in every direction, and, by beat of drum, called upon all
men who wished to receive wages "for the defence of the glory of God," to
join his standard. But Knox confesses, that few or none resorted to him,
and that he got little or no support in Edinburgh; although the preacher
himself did all he could for his patron by prayers and exhortations, in
which he denominated the rebels "the best part of the nobility, and chief
members of the Congregation."[103] The truth is, that the current of
popular opinion ran directly in favour of Mary; for the _godly_ Earl's
real motives were well understood.
As soon as the Queen was made aware that she had missed her enemies, she
marched back in pursuit of them, at the head of 5000 men, as far as
Callender. Murray could only fly from a power which he knew he was not
able to withstand. Alarmed by Mary's speedy return, he left Edinburgh, and
again passing her on the road, led his followers to Lanark, and from
thence to Hamilton. With indomitable perseverance, the Queen retraced her
steps to Glasgow, expecting Murray would make an attempt upon that city.
But finding there was no safety for him in this part of Scotland, he
suddenly turned off towards the south, and with as little delay as
possible, retired into Dumfries-shire. Here, being near the Borders, he
expected that Elizabeth would send him succour from England, and at all
events, he could at any time make good his retreat into that country. The
principal noblemen with him were the Duke of Chatelherault, the Earls of
Argyle, Glencairn, and Rothes, and the Lords Boyd and Ochiltree. Morton
and Maitland remained with the Queen; but the fidelity of both is much to
be suspected, though the command of the main body of the Royal army was
intrusted to the former. The Earl of Lennox led the van, and the Queen
herself rode with her officers in a suit of light armour, carrying pistols
at her saddle-bow; "her courage," says Knox, "manlike, and always
increasing." She did not think it worth while to follow Murray into
Dumfries-shire, but preferred leading her army through Fife, to St
Andrews, taking possession, on the way, of Castle Campbell, the seat of
the rebel Lord, Argyle.
Elizabeth in the mean time was far from being inattentive to the interests
of her servants in Scotland. Randolph wrote to Cecil, that if she would
assist them with men and more money, he doubted not but one country would
receive both the Queens; by which he meant, that the rebels would thus be
able to fulfil their design, of sending Mary prisoner into England.[104]
The Earl of Bedford informed his mistress of the arrival of her friends on
the Borders, and hinted to her that their cause was evidently not very
popular in Scotland, and that their force was much inferior to that of
Mary. Elizabeth's letter, in answer, is as artful a piece of writing as
has ever proceeded even from a female pen. Afraid that she might go too
far in assisting the losing party, she resolved to make it be believed
that she acted against them, whilst in truth she secretly encouraged and
supported them. With this view, she wrote to Bedford, that in consequence
of his representations, as well as those of Randolph and others, she sent
him three thousand pounds; one thousand of which was to be paid
immediately to Murray, in the most private way possible, and as if it came
from Bedford himself. The remainder was to be kept till occasion required
its expenditure. "And where, we perceive," she continued, "by your sundry
letters, the earnest request of the said Earl of Murray and his
associates, that they might have at least 300 of our soldiers to aid them,
and that you also write, that though we would not command you to give them
aid, yet if we would but wink at your doing herein, and seem to blame you
for attempting such things, as you, with the help of others, should bring
about, you doubt not but things would do well,--we are content, and do
authorize you, if you shall see it necessary for their defence, to let
them (as of your own adventure, and without notification that you have any
direction therein from us), to have the number of 300 soldiers, wherein
you shall so precisely deal with them, that they may perceive your care to
be such as, if it should otherwise appear, your danger should be so great,
as all the friends you have could not be able to save you towards us. And
so we assure you, our conscience moveth us to charge you so to proceed
with them; and yet we would not that either of these were known to be our
act, but rather to be covered with your own desire and attempt." Having
further mentioned, that she had written lately to Mary, to assure that
princess of her esteem and good will, Elizabeth boldly affixed her
signature to this memorable record of unblushing duplicity.[105]
But Mary was not to be lulled into dangerous security. All her operations
during this campaign were, as Robertson has remarked, "concerted with
wisdom, executed with vigour, and attended with success." At St Andrews,
she issued a proclamation, exposing the hollowness of the grounds upon
which arms had been taken up against her, and showing that religion was
only made a cloak to cover other more ungodly designs. Alluding, in
particular, to the Earl of Murray, upon whom she had bestowed so many
benefits, this proclamation stated, that his insatiable ambition was not
to be satisfied with heaping riches upon riches, and honour upon honour,
unless he should also continue to have, as he had too long had, the Queen
and the whole realm in his own hands, to be used and governed at his
pleasure. "By letters sent from themselves to us," Mary says, "they make
plain profession that the establishment of religion will not content them,
but we must per force be governed by such council as it shall please them
to appoint unto us." "The like," she adds, "was never demanded of any our
most noble progenitors heretofore, yea, not even of governors or regents;
but the prince, or such as occupied his place, ever chose his council of
such as he thought most fit for the purpose. When we ourselves were of
less age, and at our first arrival in our realm, we had free choice of our
council at our pleasure; and now, when we are at our full majority, shall
we be brought back to the state of pupils and minors, or be put under
tutelage? So long as some of them bore the whole swing with us
themselves, this matter was never called in question; but now, when they
cannot be longer permitted to do and undo all things of their appetite,
they will put a bridle in our mouths, and give us a council chosen after
their phantasy! To speak it in plain language, they would be king
themselves; or at the least, leaving to us the bare name and title, take
to themselves the whole use and administration of the kingdom."[106]
After levying a small fine of two hundred marks from the town of Dundee,
which had given some countenance to the malcontents, Mary and Darnley
returned to Edinburgh. They there received such accounts of the increasing
strength of the rebels, as induced them to determine on marching
southwards. Biggar was named as the place of rendezvous for the lieges,
and they flocked in such crowds to join the standard of their sovereign,
that the Queen was enabled to advance towards the Borders at the head of
an army of 18,000 men. Before this greatly superior force, Murray and his
partisans, including his 300 English soldiers, retired to Carlisle. He was
closely followed thither, upon which his troops dispersed, and he himself
and his friends sought refuge by flying further into England. Mary, after
visiting the castle of Lochmaben, left Bothwell, with some troops, to
watch the Borders; and, on the 18th of October, returned to Edinburgh with
the rest of her army.[107]
Of the rebellious nobles thus forced into exile, the Duke of
Chatelherault alone was able or willing to make his peace immediately. He
and his sons were pardoned, on condition of their living abroad--a degree
of leniency extended to them by Mary, in opposition to the wishes of the
house of Lennox, which was anxious for the entire ruin of the
Hamiltons.[108] Murray and the rest, being kindly received by Bedford,
fixed their residence at Newcastle, whence the Earl himself, and the Abbot
of Kilwinning, were deputed to proceed to the English court, and lay the
state of their affairs before Elizabeth, upon whose patronage they
conceived they had peculiar claims. It was, however, no part of
Elizabeth's policy to befriend in their adversity those with whom she had
associated herself in more prosperous days. As soon as she heard that
Murray was on his way to her court, she wrote to stop him, and to inform
him that it was not meet for him to have any "open dealing" with her. But
at Bedford's earnest entreaty he was allowed to continue his journey, the
object of which, he said, was to make some proposals for the "common
cause."[109] It was nevertheless a long while before he could obtain an
audience of the Queen; and when that honour was at length conceded to him,
she had the confidence to ask him, with an unruffled countenance, how he,
being a rebel to her sister of Scotland, durst have the boldness to come
within her realm? Murray, in reply, ventured to speak of the support he
had all along received from her; but as this was betraying her policy to
her continental neighbours, it exasperated her to such a degree, that she
declared he and his friends should never obtain any thing from her but
scorn and neglect, unless he made a public recantation of such an
assertion. With this demand both the Earl and the Abbot had the meanness
to comply; and though Sir Nicolas Throckmorton interfered in their behalf,
and openly avowed that he had been sent into Scotland expressly to make
offers of assistance to the rebel lords, he could not save them from the
degradation which Elizabeth inflicted. They appeared before her when she
was surrounded by the French and Spanish ambassadors, and impiously
affirmed, upon their knees, that her Majesty had never moved them to any
opposition or resistance against their own Queen. As soon as they had
uttered this falsehood, Elizabeth said to them,--"Now ye have told the
truth; for neither did I, nor any in my name, stir you up against your
Queen. Your abominable treason may serve for example to my own subjects to
rebel against me. Therefore, get ye out of my presence; ye are but
unworthy traitors."[110]
Sir James Melville, speaking of this affair, says, with his usual
quaintness, that "Mary chasit the rebel lords here and there, till at
length they were compellit to flee into England for refuge, to her that
had promised, by her ambassadors, to wair (expend) her Croun in their
defence, in case they were driven to any strait for their opposition to
the said marriage."--"But Elizabeth," he adds, "handlit the matter sae
subtilly, and the other twa sae blaitly, that she triumphed both over
them and the ambassadors." The deputation returned quite chop-fallen, to
their friends at Newcastle, where they lived for some time in great
poverty, and very wretchedly. Such were the more immediate results of this
piece of juggling on the part of Elizabeth, and justly unsuccessful
rebellion on that of Murray.