MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTS.

THIS princess was born in 1542. She was but a week old when her father James V. died at the age of thirty; his illness being mainly caused by grief and indignation at two defeats he had sustained from the English, and which were attributable in part to the reluctance of his own nobles to second his views.

While still an infant, Mary was betrothed to the Dauphin or heir of the French monarchy, then a child like herself. In consequence of this arrangement, she was sent, when five years old, to her mother's native land of France to be educated. At first she was placed in a convent, where her progress surprised her teachers, while her many charms delighted them; but she did not remain there long. In early girlhood this brilliant and beautiful creature was removed to the terribly corrupt French Court, then presided over by the infamous Catherine de Medicis.

At the age of sixteen Mary was married with great splendour to the Dauphin, who had been her early playmate. The next year the King of France died, and Mary was crowned with her young husband, who now ascended the throne as Francis II. But this brightness was soon overcast. At eighteen she became a widow, and it was decided that she should return to her own kingdom of Scotland.

Elizabeth was then ruling in England, and she was deeply offended with Mary, who had been persuaded by her uncles to assume the title and the Arms of the Queen of England. Childish and absurd as this pretension may seem to us, it was fraught with danger to Elizabeth. The Pope had released her subjects from their allegiance, and many Roman Catholics considered that the marriage of Anne Boleyn was unlawful, and if it were so, then Elizabeth could not reign, and her cousin Mary would be the next heir.

By the treaty of Edinburgh, in 1560, Mary had been

required to renounce the title so impertinently claimed. Elizabeth had signed the treaty almost immediately, but Mary was persuaded to find excuses for delay. By withholding her signature, she implied that the English queen was a usurper; and when, after declining compliance for a year, she asked permission to travel through England on her way home to Scotland, she received a prompt refusal, Elizabeth declaring that she would grant no favour until Mary had performed a simple act of justice.

At Mary's age, we feel that the responsibility of her great folly must rest more with her uncles than with herself; but at any rate it was a bad beginning of the intercourse between her and Elizabeth.

With a heavy heart and with many tears, the beautiful young queen sailed away from the French shores. As long as they were in sight, she uttered her sorrowful farewells to her "dear France," exclaiming many times, "I shall never see thee more." And thus with sad forebodings she left

"The land where her dead husband lay, the land where she had known

The quiet convent's hushed repose, and the splendour of a throne.

The past was bright like those dear hills so far behind her bark;

The future, like the gathering night, was ominous and dark."

She landed in Scotland before she was nineteen, "a stranger to her subjects, without experience, without allies, and almost without a friend." The absence of the luxury and elegance to which she was accustomed, offended her; and in the polished, profligate court of France, she had been taught to regard with abhorrence the Protestant religion, which was now the predominant one in Scotland. Unhappily its leaders treated her with much harshness and intolerance, and the beginning of her reign seemed as unpromising as possible; yet for four years her government was successful, owing

to the wise management of her half-brother, Lord Moray, aided by her own powers of fascination.

But evil followed fast on her rash marriage with Lord Darnley, a weak-minded and worthless youth. It led to a breach with Moray and the Protestant lords, some of whom took up arms against her, and were banished in consequence. At the same time the jealousy of the nation was roused by her evident wish to restore the Roman Catholic religion.

She soon quarrelled with her contemptible husband, who was greatly incensed at the partiality shown by Mary for her secretary Rizzio, an accomplished Italian musician, but who displayed a foolish presumption in his conduct. At last Darnley and some wicked noblemen who likewise hated Rizzio, resolved on his murder, and seized him in the queen's presence, as she sat at supper with some of her household. In vain he clung to her robes for protection. They dragged him into the next room, where the foul deed was done. When Mary knew that he was dead, she said that she would no longer weep, but would think of revenge.

Her only son, afterwards James I. of England, was born a few months later; and there was some show of a reconciliation between her and her husband, especially after he had been very ill of small-pox. When he was recovering, she persuaded him to remove to Edinburgh, where he occupied a lonely house near the city, and there Mary often visited him. One night when she was absent, his dwelling was blown up, and Darnley's dead body was found near the ruins.

Few doubted that he had been murdered; few doubted that the murderer was Lord Bothwell, whom the queen had lately treated with marked favour; and some believed that she too was concerned in the crime. Bothwell was brought to trial, but it was so conducted as to be a complete farce, and he was acquitted.

Soon afterwards, when the queen was on a journey, he met her at the head of an armed band, and carried

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her off by apparent violence, though it was suspected that she was a willing captive. Three weeks later she was publicly married to him. Then the storm burst.

Many of her nobles revolted, and the opposing forces gathered in battle array at Carberry Hill; but seeing that her cause was hopeless, she surrendered herself, and was compelled to part from Bothwell.

She was then imprisoned in Loch Leven Castle, and forced to resign her crown on behalf of her infant son. It was a harsh imprisonment, and she sought to regain her freedom by flight. Once she failed-a glimpse of her delicate white hand betraying that the dress of a laundress which she wore, was a disguise. The second attempt was more fortunate, and aided by some of the noble family of Douglas, she made good her escape.

The battle of Langside followed, where Mary was defeated and ruined. To avoid falling into the hands of her subjects, she fled to England and threw herself on the protection of Elizabeth, who refused to see her unless she could clear herself from the charge of being involved in Darnley's murder. For this purpose a conference was appointed of noblemen and gentlemen, both Scotch and English, some of whom were Mary's faithful friends, but no adequate defence was made on her behalf. Her guilt has never been distinctly proved, though there is much evidence to support it.

Mary was not twenty-six, but she had been twice crowned, and three times wedded; and now her stormy career as a queen was ended, for during the remaining nineteen years of her life she was a state prisoner in England. In strict justice, Elizabeth had no right to keep her in captivity; but while we admit this, we must also remember that Elizabeth had to deal with an exceptional and most difficult case. She lived in constant peril from the enmity of the Roman Catholic powers, and if Mary were free, she would naturally seek for help from France or Spain, and thus bring Elizabeth's enemies to the borders of her kingdom.

But the danger was not removed by keeping the poor young queen a prisoner. Mary became a rallying point for all who, from political or religious motives, were opposed to Elizabeth; and it was only by unceasing vigilance that treasonable plots were prevented from being carried out. Then came the discovery of schemes to take Elizabeth's life, which roused the fiercest anger in England, strengthening the feeling that the queen would never be safe while Mary lived.

The Babington conspiracy in 1586 brought matters to a crisis. This scheme included the murder of Elizabeth and the liberation of Mary. It is certain the latter was in correspondence with the conspirators, but it is a disputed point whether she was a party to the proposed assassination. Though some of the proceedings at her trial would in modern times be called flagrantly illegal, there was a good deal of evidence against her. She defended herself with the spirit and intelligence which never forsook her; but her doom was sealed, and she was beheaded at Fotheringay Castle, February 8, 1587, calm and dignified to the last.

Elizabeth has been severely censured for this execution, though it was one which her ministers urged, and for which the country clamoured, believing that only thus could her life and throne be rendered secure. Still, when we recall Mary's evil training in her youth, and her great misfortunes, we cannot withhold the pity for which, during three centuries, that beautiful face has rarely pleaded in vain.

QUESTIONS.-Who was Mary, Queen of Scots ? Give some account of her early life and training. In what way did she oppose Elizabeth? Who were her husbands? What was the result of her marrriage with Bothwell? Why did Elizabeth keep her a prisoner? Why was she put to death?