Stuart dynasty

126 The Stuart Dynasty.
The difficulties and dangers of the dethroned Queen were
enhanced by several events which occurred during her cap-
tivity. (1) The Papal Bull launched by Pius V. against
Queen Elizabeth on February 25, 1569,* wherein were
reiterated the thunders and anathemas with which Paul IV.
had greeted the English Queen's accession in 1558. (2)
The rising of the Earls of Northumberland and Westmore-
land in the north of England, and the succeeding rebellion
of Leonard Dacre's which ushered in the year 1570. (3) The
assassination of the Eegent Murray in the streets of Lin-
lithgow, on January 23, 1570, by Hamilton of Bothwellhaugh,
to whom Mary Stuart granted a pension out of her French
dowry, thus subjecting herself to a grave charge — the only
distinct one, — which her enemies have but too completely
proved.!
The Eegent Murray is regarded with very different eyes
by two opposing schools of historians, neither of which can
discern any via media between the crown of martyrdom which
Mr. Froude would confer, J and the ignominy to which
Messrs. Ffosack and Skelton consign his memory. Sir James
Melville, however, who probably knew Murray better than
most of his contemporaries, believed that fidelity to the
Protestant faith was the mainspring of his early conduct,
however mistaken.
Sir James's own words are worth recording : — " Himself
was at the first of a gentle nature, well inclined, good, wise,
stout. In his first uprising his hap was to light upon the
best sort of company ; his beginning was full of adversity ;
true honest men stuck by him because he was religiously
educated and devoutly inclined. But when he became
Eegent flatterers for their profit drew near him, and put him
ujd into too good an opinion of himself. His old true friends,
who would reprove and admonish him, thereby lost his favour.
I wuuld sometimes say to him that he was like an unskilful
player in a tennis court, running ever after the ball, whereas
an expert player will discern where the ball will light, or
where it will rebound, and with small travel will let it fall on
his hand or racquet."§ An apt simile, which will be appre-
ciated by some who read these pages. The study of Murray's
character raises the interesting question whether one so spoilt
* ' Hatfield Calendar,' part i. p. 400.
f Hosack's ' Mary Queen of Scots. A brief Statement,' p. 60.
% Froude's 'History of England,' edition 1866, vol. ix. p. 581.
§ Sir James Melville's 'Memoirs,' edition 1683, p. 103.