Encyclopaedia Britannica, or, a Dictionary of arts, sciences, and miscellaneous literature : enlarged and improved. Illustrated with nearly six hundred engravings > Volume 18, RHI-SCR

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[
Scotfnnd.
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^nUyfoown to the ancient clergy, were deep rounds
both to their pride and to their interefts. _ io a ^ ^ ma„ 0£ high rank, inordinate ambition, im-
menfe wealth, and who commanded numerous and war-
But he was yet to feel a ftreke ftilt
4$ 3
Son ours
conferred
on Lord
James
Stuart.
fpirit of flattery to the reigning power, they impute
the defedion of their friends 5 and againft the queen
they were animated with the bittereft ammouty.
poverty in which they were fulfered to remain inflamed
all their naflions. They induflrioufly fought to indulge
their rancour and turbulence j and inveterate habits ot
infult fortified them with a contempt of authority.
To the queen, whofe temper was warm, the rudenets
of the preachers was a painful and endlels inquietude,
which, while it foftered her religious prejudices, had
the good effea of confirming her conftancy to her
friends, and of keeping alive her gratitude for their ac¬
tivity. The lord James Stuart, who was mtitled to her
refpea and efleem from his abilities, and his proximity
to her in blood, had merited rewards and honours by his
public fervices and the vigour of his counfels. _ After
his fuccefsful difeharge of her commiflion as chief jui-
ticiary and lord lieutenant, (lie could not think of allow¬
ing him to defeend from thefe offices, withoutbeftowmg
on*him a folid and permanent mark of her favour. She
advanced him to the rank of her nobility, by conferring
on him the earldom of Mar. At the fame tune (he
contributed to augment his confequence, by facilitating
his marriage with Agnes the daughter .of the earl Ma-
rifeha! ; and the ceremonial of this alliance was cele¬
brated with a magnificence and oftentation fo extrava¬
gant in that age, as to excite the fears of the preachers
grtUL. . , offlLq-
like retainers. But he was yet 10 reel a
more feverely excruciating, and far more deftrudhve at
his confequence. I he opulent eflate of Mar, mIiicIi
Mary had ereded into an earldom, and conferred on
his rival, had been lodged in his family for feme time.
He confidered it as his property, and that it was never
to be torn from his houfe. This blow was at once to
infult molt fenfibly his pride, and to cut moft fatally the
finews of his greatnefs. 6$6
After employing againft the earl of Mar thofe arts He accufes
of detraction and calumny which are lo common in die lord
courts, he drew up and fubferibed a formal memorial,"^
in which he accufed him of aiming at the fovereignty ^eafoa%
of Scotland. This paper he prei'ented to the queen}
but the arguments with which he fupported his charge
being weak and inconclufive, (lie was the more confirm¬
ed in her attachment to her minifter. Huntly then
addreffing himfelf to the earl of Bothwel, a man difpofed
to defperate courfes, engaged him to attempt involving
the earl of Mar and the houfe of Hamilton in open
and violent contention. Bothwel reprefented to Mar
the enmity which had long fubfifted between him and ^
the houfe of Hamilton. It was an ooftacle to his And at-
greatnefs 5 and while its deftruaion might raife him to tempts to
the higheft pinnacle of power, it would be moft ac-j^mata
cep table to (be queen, tvbo, befide .be batted tvhielt
, avsg S.L, ? a -,:,u hU nrinces naturally entertain to tbeir fucceffors, ivas am-
Enmity of
the earl of
Huntly to¬
wards him.
An. 1562.
*55
Huntly:
preffes the
queen to
-reftore the
Popifli reli
gfon.
the land. They exclaimed with virulence againft his
riotous feafting and banquets 5 and the masquerades
which were exhibited on this occafion, attiaaing in a
ftill greater degree their attention, as being a fpecies of
entertainment hitherto unknown in Scotland, and which
was favourable to the profanenefs of gallantry, they
pointed againft them the keeneft ftrokes of their cenfure
and indignation.
The abilities of the earl of Mar, the afcendency he
maintained in the councils of his fovereign, and the di-
ftinClions which he had acquired, did not fail to expofe
him to uncommon envy. I be moft defperate of his
enemies, and the moft formidable, was the earl of Hunu-
ly. In their rivalffiip for power, many caufes of difguft
had arifen. The one was at the head of the Proteftants,
the other was the leader of the Papifts. On the death
of Francis II. Huntly and the Popifh faflion had fent
a deputation to Mary, inviting her to return to Scot¬
land, and offering to fupport her with an army of .20,000
men. Plis advances were treated with attention and
civilitv, but his offer was reje&ed. The invitation of
the Proteftants, prefented by the earl of Mar, was
more acceptable to her. Huntly had advifed her to de¬
tain his rival in confinement in France till the Catholic
religion (hould be re-eftablilhed in Scotland. This ad¬
vice {he not only difregarded, but careffed his enemy
with particular civilities. On her arrival in her own
country, Huntly renewed his advances, offering to her
to fet up the mafs in all the northern counties. He
. even converted in a preffing manner upon this fubjetft
with her uncles and the French courtiers who attended
her. Stilhno real attention was paid to him. He came
to her palace, and was received only with refpefr. He
was lord high chancellor without influence, and a privy
sountellor without truft.. The earl of Mar had the
princes naturally entertain to their fucceffors, was ani¬
mated by particular cautes of offence againft the duke
of Chatelherault and the earl of Arran. He concluded
his exhortation with making an unlimited offer of his
moft ftrenuous tervices in the execution of this flagi¬
tious enterprite. d-he earl of Max, however, abhor¬
ring the bafenefs of the project, fuipicious. of the fin-
cerity of the propoter, or fatisfied that his eminence
did not require the aid of fuch arts, rejected all Isis ad¬
vances. Bothwel, difappointed on one fide, turned him-
telf to the other. He praclited with the houte of Ha¬
milton to affaffinate the earl of Mar, whom they con-
fidered as their greateft enemy. 1 he bufinefs, he faid,
might be performed with eate and expedition. Ihe
queen was aceuftomed to hunt in the park oi Falkland 4
and there the earl of Mar, not fufpedling any danger,
and ill attended, might be overpowered and put to
death. The perfon of the queen, at the fame time,,
might be teized ; and by keeping her in cuftody, a
fantlion and tecurity might be given to their crime.
The integrity of the earLof Arran revolting againft this
confpiraey, defeated its purpotes. Dreading the perpe¬
tration of fo cruel an action, and yet tenfible of the refo-
lute determination of his friends, he wrote privately to
the earl of Mar, informing him of his danger. But
the return of Mar to his letter, thanking him for his
intelligence, being intercepted by the confpirators, Ar¬
ran was confined by them under a guard in Kenneil-
houte. He effefled his efcape, however, and made a ^.g
full difeovery of the plot to the queen. Yet as in aput fails
matter fo dark he could produce no witneffes and no in his at-
written vouchers to confirm his accufations, he, accord- tempt,
ing to the faftiion of the times, offered to prove his in¬
formation, by engaging Bothwel in fingle combat. And
though, in his examinations before the privy-council,
his