Stuart dynasty

148 THE STUART DYNASTY.
suitable to her condition. Queen of Scotland she
remained by right, and she proceeded to entitle her-
self to the Scottish throne by the strong argument of
possession. It is said that the well-known romantic
voyage to her northern dominions was undertaken
in the teeth of adverse advice given by the astute
Maitland of Lethington and others capable of discern-
ing the course of events in Scotland. We read : —
" I have shown your honours letters unto the Lord
James, Lord Morton, Lord Lethington ; they wish,
as your Honour doth, that she might be stayed yet
for a space ; and, if it were not for their obedience'
sake, some of them care not though they never saw
her face." *
Anyhow, the enmity of England's Protestantism
was certain to assail the sovereign who was regarded
by mankind as a pivot of the coming Catholic League
which was to extirpate heresy throughout Europe.
Mary's position as a representative of the house of
Guise insured this, notwithstanding her own well-
known desire to exercise toleration towards those
differing from her in religion. That she made a
promise of this description to her subjects, and kept
it faithfully, was probably the cause of her ultimate
destruction, for it has been discovered of late years
that although Mary remained the centre of Catholic
intrigue to her death, yet she never signed the
famous League of 1565, which ultimately led to the
Huguenot massacres in France and the attempts of
* Randolph to Cecil, Aug. 9, 1561. Ten days before Mary Stuart
landed at Leith.