Historical notes on the Lennox or Darnley jewel, the property of the Queen

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1594, when she and her husband were anxious to
bring about their son's marriage to Mary, Randolpli,
the Enghsh Ambassador in Scotland, not only repre-
sented the Countess of Lennox as a Roman Catholic,
and her son and husband, Darnley and Lennox, of the
same religion, but reminded Sir William Cecil, in one
of his letters, of the extraordinary influence which Lady
Lennox had exercised over the late Queen Mary. " To
" think," said he, " that my Lord Darnley should marry
" this queen, and his motlier bear that stroke with
" her, that she bore with Queen Mary, which she is
" like to do, as you can conjecture the causes why would
" alienate as many minds from the Queens Majesty,
" my sovereign, by sending home as great a plague
" into this Country, as that, which to her great honor,
" and perpetual love of the godly, she drove out of the
" same, when the French were forced to retire them-
" selves." ' Next day, Randolph in writing to Cecil,
expressed his vehement suspicion of Lennox's religion.
' Extract from a MS. letter, Scottish Correspondence, State Paper
Office, 14th Dec. 1564. Randolph to Sir William Cecil.