Mary Queen of Scots, 1542-1587 - Various

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id="ulink_2e0e981e-17ee-5401-aa82-300a69225d9b">PREFACE

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      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. Documents 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 nobles 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 nobles 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 space 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 associated 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 assistance 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 Documents first printed in his "Casket Letters and Mary Queen of Scots."

      R. S. R.

      New College, Oxford,

       February 1899.

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      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 passage 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 lass and it will pass with a lass." And so he recommended himself to the mercy of Almighty God, 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 nobles and lords about him, and gave a little smile of laughter, then kissed his hand, and offered the same to all his nobles round about him; thereafter held up his hands to God, and yielded his spirit to God.

      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

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      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 God of His infinite goodness that His Highness may see not only the thing that his noble heart desires, but also that our Sovereign Lady be after this so endued with the graces of God 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

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      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 penmanship 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,

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