Mary Queen of Scots 1542-1587 Part 1

Mary Queen of Scots 1542-1587.

by Various.

PREFACE

The life of the Queen of Scots presents so many different lines of interest, that, in a volume of the present size, it is necessary to make and adhere to a selection from among the numerous possible varieties of treatment. The attention of the reader has, therefore, been concentrated upon the six active years in Mary's life, from her arrival in Scotland in August 1561, to her imprisonment in Lochleven Castle in June 1567. Doc.u.ments bearing on the "English Wooing" and the other events of Mary's minority and residence in France have, accordingly, been omitted, except in so far as they are required for an intelligible introduction to the main theme of the book. Most of them, indeed, would be more relevant to a volume having for its subject the history of the Scottish Reformation. It is hoped that such extracts as have been chosen will, with the connecting notes, be sufficient to indicate the position of affairs in 1561. The struggle which had convulsed Scotland for twenty years, was, on its theoretical side, a contest between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism. On its practical side, it was a rivalry between two political parties; the one, headed by the Queen-Dowager, Mary of Guise, and Cardinal Beaton, aiming at the maintenance of the ancient alliance with France; and the other, led by the Protestant n.o.bles and the reformed clergy, striving towards an understanding with England. Before Mary's arrival, the popular, or English Party, had made good its position, and the understanding between the n.o.bles and Queen Elizabeth continued undisturbed. Such wish or power as Mary possessed for the re-establishment of a definite alliance with France, was lessened by her personal dislike to Catharine de Medici, and by her position as nearest heir to the English throne.

The Editor's main aim has been to place before the reader, as fairly as possible, the evidence for the divergent views of Mary's life and character. For this purpose, considerable s.p.a.ce has been devoted to the Conferences at York and Westminster, in 1568 and 1569, which, although themselves outside the period specially chosen, yet refer to the events that fall within it. The selection of extracts has also been influenced by a desire to give prominence to the condition of Scotland at the time, and to the religious difficulty a.s.sociated with the person of John Knox; while an attempt has been made to bring into relief the personality of the rival queens.

The Editor desires to acknowledge the courtesy of the Right Reverend Monsignor Chisholm, Rector of Blairs College, Bishop-Designate of Aberdeen, who has sanctioned the reproduction of the Blairs portrait. He has also to acknowledge the a.s.sistance of Professor W.

L. Davidson of Aberdeen; Mr. Herbert Fisher, Fellow of New College; and the Editor of the series, who have read the proof-sheets. Mr.

Swinburne's translation of Mary's last poem (p. 239) is printed by kind permission, and Mr. T. F. Henderson has allowed the Editor to use the Doc.u.ments first printed in his "Casket Letters and Mary Queen of Scots."

R. S. R.

NEW COLLEGE, OXFORD, _February 1899_.

Mary Queen of Scots

SECTION I

FROM MARY'S BIRTH TO HER RETURN TO SCOTLAND FROM FRANCE

_CONTENTS_

1. Lindsay's account of her birth and her father's death.

2. Her education and character in France.

(_a_) Letter of the Privy Council of Scotland.

(_b_) Conn's List of her accomplishments.

3. Lesley's account of her Betrothal and Marriage.

4. Lesley's account of the death of Mary of Guise.

5. The disputed clause in the Treaty of Edinburgh.

6. Act of the Scots Parliament establis.h.i.+ng the Reformation.

7. Quotations from the English and Venetian diplomatic correspondence narrating (_a_) The Death of Francis II., and its effect on Mary.

(_b_) The negotiations between Elizabeth and Mary.

(_c_) The attempt to capture Mary on her way to Leith.

The Birth of the Queen.

_Lindsay of Pitscottie: History of Scotland_, Ed. of 1778, p. 275.

[Mary was born at Linlithgow on December 2nd, 1542. Her father, James V., was dying at Falkland, broken-hearted after the defeat at Solway Moss. The reference in the following pa.s.sage is, of course, to the succession of the House of Stewart to the Crown, through Marjory Bruce. King James died on December 8th.]

_DEATH OF JAMES V._

By this the post came to the King out of Linlithgow, showing to him good tidings, that the Queen was delivered. The King enquired whether it was a man-child or a woman. The messenger said: "It is a fair daughter." The King answered: "Adieu, farewell; it came with a la.s.s and it will pa.s.s with a la.s.s." And so he recommended himself to the mercy of Almighty G.o.d, and spake little from that time forth, but turned his back unto his lords, and his face unto the wall.... In this manner he departed.... He turned him upon his back, and looked, and beheld all his n.o.bles and lords about him, and gave a little smile of laughter, then kissed his hand, and offered the same to all his n.o.bles round about him; thereafter held up his hands to G.o.d, and yielded his spirit to G.o.d.

On the death of James V. the Earl of Arran was made Regent, and negotiations were commenced by Henry VIII. for the marriage of the infant Queen of Scots to his son, afterwards Edward VI. After much discussion, a treaty to this effect was concluded in July 1543 between the Scots and English Commissioners. The relations of the two countries, however, almost immediately became strained, and war broke out in the end of the year, and in 1547 a treaty of alliance was made between Scotland and France against England, the Scots to receive French help against the English forces, and to marry their Queen to the Dauphin. Mary landed in France in August 1548. The Earl of Arran was made Duke of Chatelherault by Henry II., but ceased to be Governor of Scotland in April 1554, when the Queen Mother, Mary of Guise, became Regent.

_THE LITTLE QUEEN_

1550--April. Queen Mary's Life in France--Character of the Queen.

_Register of the Privy Council of Scotland._

_Item._--Thereafter the said Master of Erskine shall report to the King {of France}, how rejoiced the Queen's Grace and my Lord Governor were of the news of our Sovereign Lady's welfare, and to hear that the King's Highness was so well contented with her Grace, and that she was so able to increase in virtue, and that the King's Majesty takes such consolation, seeing the beginning of her up-bringing to have been so good, that he hopes some day to see his son the husband of one of the most virtuous princes that man can desire: beseeching G.o.d of His infinite goodness that His Highness may see not only the thing that his n.o.ble heart desires, but also that our Sovereign Lady be after this so endued with the graces of G.o.d that she may by her birth {offspring} make his Highness to be called the grandfather of one of the most virtuous princes in the world, and king long to reign prosperously over both realms.

_HER ACCOMPLISHMENTS_

Her Education and Accomplishments.

_Conaeus._ (_Jebb: De Vita ac Rebus_, vol. ii. p. 15.)

Her main course of study was directed towards the attainment of the best European languages. So graceful was her French that the judgment of the most learned men recognised her command of the language; nor did she neglect Spanish or Italian, although she aimed rather at an useful knowledge than at a pretentious fluency. She followed Latin more readily than she spoke it. The charm of her poetry owed nothing to art. Her penmans.h.i.+p was clear, and (what is rare in a woman) swift. Her excellence in singing arose from a natural, not an acquired, ability to modulate her voice: the instruments she played were the cittern, the harp, and the harpsichord. Being very agile, she danced admirably to a musical accompaniment, yet with beauty and comeliness, for the silent and gentle movement of her limbs kept time to the harmony of the chords.

She devoted herself to learning to ride so far as it is necessary for travelling or for her favourite exercise of hunting, thinking anything further more fitted for a man than for a woman.... Several tapestries worked by her with wonderful skill are yet to be seen in France, dedicated to the altars of G.o.d, especially in the monastery in which she was nurtured on her first arrival in the kingdom.

_THE "HANDFASTING"_

1558.--April. Mary's Betrothal and Marriage to the Dauphin.

_Lesley's History of Scotland_ (_Bannatyne Club_, pp. 264-5).

All things necessary for the marriage of the Queen of Scots with the Dauphin being prepared, and the whole n.o.bility and estates of the realm being convened at Paris, upon the 20th day of April 1558, in the great hall of the palace of the Louvre, in presence of King Henry of France, of the Queen his wife, and a great number of cardinals, dukes, earls, bishops, and n.o.blemen, the "fianzellis," otherwise called the handfasting {betrothal}, was made with great triumph, by the Cardinal of Lorraine, between the excellent young Prince Francis, eldest son to the most valiant, courageous, and victorious prince, Henry, King of France, and Mary, Queen, inheritor of the realm of Scotland, one of the fairest, most civil and virtuous princesses of the whole world, with great solemnity, triumph, and banqueting; and upon the next Sunday, being the 24th of April, the marriage was solemnised and completed betwixt them by the Cardinal of Bourbon, Archbishop of Rouen, in Notre Dame Kirk of Paris; where the Bishop of Paris made a very learned and eloquent sermon, in presence and a.s.sistance of the King, Queen, and many prelates, n.o.blemen, ladies, and gentlemen of all estates and callings, with most excellent triumph, and the heralds crying with loud voices three sundry times, "Largess"; casting to the people great quant.i.ty of gold and silver of all kinds and sorts of coin, where there was great tumult of people, every one troubling and pressing others for greediness to get some part of the money. After which there were as great solemnities used in the kirk, with as great dignity and reverence as was possible, which being done, they entered into the bishop's palace, where there was a sumptuous and princely dinner prepared for the whole company; and after they had dined, there was used a princely dancing, called the ball royal, to the great comfort and pleasure of all being there present; and how soon the ball was ended, they pa.s.sed to the great hall of the palace royal, where they supped with so great magnificence, pomp, and triumph, that none of the a.s.sistance there had ever seen the like; and there presently was given to the Dauphin the t.i.tle of King Dauphin, so that he and the Queen were called the King and Queen Dauphin.

_PROGRESS OF EVENTS_

[In connection with the marriage settlements, an a.s.surance was given to the Scots Parliament of the maintenance of its liberties, and of the succession of the nearest heir, in case of Mary's death without issue. (_Acts_ ii. 508-519.) But, at the same time, Mary was induced to sign three doc.u.ments transferring her rights, in case of her decease without issue, to the King of France, his heirs and successors. See Labanoff, "Lettres, Instructiones et Memoires de Marie Stuart," vol. i. pp. 50-56.]

Events moved rapidly between 1558 and Mary's return to Scotland in 1561. In November 1558 Mary Tudor died, and Henry II. caused Francis and Mary to a.s.sume the arms of England. In June 1559 Henry II. died, and Francis II. succeeded. Meanwhile, in Scotland, the Reformation was making progress. In 1559 the Protestants formed themselves into "the Congregation of the Lord," and signed the National Covenant to abolish Roman Catholicism. After the death of Henry II., when it seemed probable that the Guises would guide the government of Scotland, the discontent broke into open rebellion.

The insurgents obtained help from Elizabeth, and proposed a marriage between the English Queen and the Earl of Arran, the heir of the Duke of Chatelherault, who stood next in the order of succession to the Scottish throne. The Queen-Dowager took refuge in Edinburgh Castle, and had the a.s.sistance of French troops. The Lords of the Congregation and their English allies commenced the siege of Leith, but with small success. The illness of Mary of Guise led to the conclusion of peace, and to the formulating of the Treaty of Edinburgh, which was the cause of a long dispute between Elizabeth and Mary Stuart.