Page images
PDF
EPUB
[ocr errors]

queen Elizabeth, notwithstanding her refufing to answer and be tried ; and the sentence being confirmed by the English parliament, and their defire moreover added, that it might be put in execution; James ordered it to be represented to queen Elizabeth how unjust he held that proceeding against his mother,

(*) Spotf

461.

2. Though most of the minifters being hereupon commanded to leave the city in 24 hours, and forbid to preach in his majesty's dominions, on pain of death, complied, owning themfelves convinced of the truth of the confpiracy; yet we find Mr. Robert Bruce faying, he would reverence his majesty's reports of that accident, but could not fay he was perfwaded of the truth of it. (k) 3. Ofborn tells us, no Scotchman you could meet be- wood, p. yond fea but did laugh at it, and the Peripatetic politicians faid, the relation in print did murder all poffibility of credit. But I will not (adds he) wade farther in this business, not knowing how dangerous the bottom may prove, being by all mens relations foul and bloody, having nothing to palliate it but jealousy on the one fide, and fear of the other. (1) And indeed the relation of (1) Works of this affair in Spotfword is confufed and marvellous. The Francis Ofborn, Efq; drawing the king to Perth, the getting him from dinner to examine a ftranger; the difcourfe of Gowry's brother with him; and his ftout and gallant behaviour (which in no other part of his life appeared); and his caufing the two brothers to be killed, when he might with the fame ease have fecured them; the denials of Gowry's fervants of their knowledge of the affair; and the tale of the earl's girdle, are circumftances which are not eafily to be fwallowed by the inquifitive or fceptical.

4. Burnet himself allows, that this confpiracy was charged at that time by the puritans in Scotland on the king, as a contrivance of his to get rid of that earl,

who

P. 535. 8vo.
Lond. 1673.

See alfo
Calderwood,

P. 45

(m) Burnet, p. 22 See

a very ho

nourable

character of

Neville, to fecretary Cecyll, in

mother, and that it did neither
agree with
the will of God, who prohibited to touch
his anointed ones; nor with the law of na-
tions, that an abfolute prince should be fen-
tenced and judged by fubjects; that if she
would be the first to give that pernicious ex-
ample of profaning her own and other prin-
ces diadems, fhe fhould remember that both
in nature and honour it concerned him to
be

who was then held in great esteem. (m) And afterwards he fays, it was not eafy to perfuade the nation of the truth of this confpiracy: for eight years before that time, king James, on a fecret jealoufy of the earl of Gowry, from Murray, then efteemed the hand fomeft man in ScotSir Henry land, fet on the marquis of Huntley, who was his mortal enemy, to murder him; and by a writing all in his own hand, he promised to fave him harmless for it. He Winwood's fet the house in which he was on fire, and the earl flyftate papers, ing away, was followed and murdered, and Huntley fent Gordon of Buckey with the news to the king. Soon after, all who were concerned in that vile fact were pardoned, which laid the king open to much cenfure: and this made the matter of Gowry to be lefs believed.

Vol. I. p.

$56.

5. Sir Henry Neville, in a letter to Mr. Winwood, dated Nov. 15, 1600, from London, writes, "Out of "Scotland we hear there is no good agreement between "the king of Scots and his wife, and many are of opi"nion, that the discovery of fome affection between "her and the earl Gowry's brother, (who was killed morials of "with him) was the trueft caufe and motife of all that "tragedy." (n)

(*) Winwood's me

affairs of

ftate in the reigns of E

4

And Mr. Winwood, in a letter to fecretary Cecyll, lizabeth and from Paris, dated 17 May, 1601, O. S. fays, "The king James ambassador of Scotland hath been advertized of I. Vol. I. σε dangerous practice against the Scots king; that "lately one called Glarnet, hath been fent out of Scot

P. 274. Fol.

Lond. 1725.

"land,

be revenged of fo great an indignity; which if he should not do, he fhould peril his credit both at home and abroad (a).-But (a) Spotfthese threats were not regarded by Elizabeth, wood, P. nor were they of any fervice to his mother; for she was executed in pursuance to a war

rant

351.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

"land, with letters to Bothwel, to haften home with diligence, where he should find fufficient affiftance. "The principal party who employed this party is the Queen of Scotland. And letters have been inter"cepted out of England from mafter Gray, that the "death of Gowry fhould fhortly be revenged." (0) (0) Id. p. Thefe paffages compared, may poffibly give the reader 326. fome light in this affair. A gallant, or a supposed one flain, was caufe fufficient to induce a lady to give her husband trouble, and nothing fo likely as this to excite her to revenge.-These are the reasons which may induce fome perfons to doubt about the truth of Gowry's confpiracy; whether they are fufficient the confiderate reader will determine. However, one reflection naturally arifes from this fubject, viz. that the people entertained but a very poor opinion of James's veracity and honefty. The minifters, we fee, could not be induced to give thanks for his deliverance, out of a diftruft of his account, till fear of their own safety brought them to a compliance; and the general belief of the people of that nation, both at home and abroad, was, that 'twas mere contrivance in order to fcreen himself from the guilt and infamy he muft otherwise have lain under. Unhappy fituation this! truly worthy of commiferation. For a prince believed falfe, treacherous, and bloody, must be defpifed, hated and contemned, and can expect nothing but unwilling obedience from his fubjects. And it must be confeffed, James had given but too much reafon to them, to view him in thefe lights.

rant directed to fecretary Davidson (F), the feventh of February following: though Elizabeth pretended it was quite contrary to

her

(F) She was executed in pursuance of a warrant, &c.] The fentence paffed on her was approved by the English parliament, and earnestly preffed by it to be put in execution. Nor was any one more earneft in the matter than Elizabeth herfelf; for the deemed Mary's life incompatible with her own fafety, and therefore determined to shorten it. But it was a matter of much delicacy, and what he would have been glad to have been excufed from appearing in. She would fain therefore have had her put out of the way by Sir Amias Paulet, and Sir Drue Drury, and had it hinted to them by the fecretaries Davidson and Walfingham. But they were too wife to be caught, and too honeft to execute fo barbarous a deed, and therefore boldly refused, to the queen's no fmall mortification. Mr. Tindal feems to intimate fomething of a doubt about the genuineness of the letters (a) Rapin's here referred to (a), but I think without reafon. For biftory of England, to me they have all the marks of genuineness, and are tranflated by perfectly agreeable to that dexterity and management Tindal, Vol. for which Elizabeth was fo famous.- When these arts failed, the warrant in the hands of Davidson, fignFol. Lond. ed by the queen, was made ufe of by the council, the queen being not openly acquainted with it, and Mary, by means of it, had her head fevered from her body.So that James's conduct could not fave his mother, nor could Henry III. of France, by his ambassador, respite the execution of her fentence, but a violent death was her fate. But, if what hiftorians tell us is true, 'tis no wonder Elizabeth paid fo little regard to the folicitations in the behalf of the unfortunate Mary. For 'tis affirmed, that Bellievre, the French ambaffador, whatever in public he pretended, had private orders to folicit the death of the queen (6). And Gray, the Scotch envoy, on this occafion, is faid likewife in private, to advife the making her away, faying, a dead woman bites not (c).

II. p. 134.

in the notes.

3733.

(b) 'Id. Vol.

11. p. 122.
(c) Id. p.
131. Win-

paper, Vol. I.
P. II.

her intentions, feemed greatly grieved at it,' and turned out, and fined the fecretary by reason of it (G).

Indeed,

(G) Though Elizabeth pretended it was contrary to her intentions, and turned out and fined the fecretary by reafon of it.] The execution of Mary could not be concealed, nor was it thought proper by Elizabeth to juftify it. She therefore threw the blame upon poor Davidfon, and made him fuffer for being an inftrument in bringing about what the most of all defired. She denied not, but fhe commanded him to draw a warrant under the great feal for the queen of Scots' execution; but after it was done, she seemed angry: however she left it in his hands, without telling him what he should do with it. Whereupon the council being consulted by Davidfon, it was unanimously resolved to execute the warrant, and accordingly it was carried to Fotheringay, and produced the defired effect. Elizabeth, in the mean time, pretended she had changed her mind; but none of her counsellors talked to her, upon the fubject, or attempted to hinder the execution, as they certainly would have done, had they not been fatisfied in her intentions. But when the wished-for event took →) place, then Elizabeth pretended great forrow, and profeffed her difinclination towards it; and to convince the world thereof, she wrote to the Scotch king, by a coufin of hers, and had Davidfon cited into the Starchamber, where he was fined 10,000l. and imprisoned during the queen's pleafure. Though the herfelf "could not deny, but that which she laid to his charge 66 was done without hope, fear, malice, envy, or any "refpect of his own, but merely for her fafety both "of state and perfon." (a) This fentence on David- (a) Cabula, P. 232. Fol fon was very fevere, and carried the diffimulation to a Lond. 1663 great pitch, for the man loft his poft, and lay'd long in prifon. So hard and difficult is the fervice of princes! So dangerous complying with their inclinations, for C

there

« PreviousContinue »