of Craigmillar..

Queen's Conduct.

MA

ALUM minatum et damnum fecutum, say the lawyers, is a most certain prefumption of guilt, which nothing but the most positive evidence of the contrary can Of the malum minatum by Murray

remove.

VOL. II.

to the Lord Darnley, carried even fo far into execution, it is impoffible to produce

a more clear proof than by the preceding teftimonies; nor was the actual murder of that prince fo very remote from this period, as in the leaft to weaken that prefumption. Murray's rebellion and banishment was in October 1565; and Darnley's murder happened in the beginning of the year 1567, 10th February; that is, fcarce fixteen months diftant, and within less than eleven months after Murray was recalled from his banishment.

We have fhewn the traces and steps of this confederacy of Murray, Morton, and Lethington, as early as from the Queen's return from France to her kingdom of Scotland and we have also seen, from Randolph's letter, that although Morton did not openly join Murray in his rebellion, yet he was ftrongly fufpected by the Queen at that time. The plan of these

confum

8

confummate politicians was not fo fhallow, as openly to embark altogether, to risk their whole ftock in one bottom: one adventure might fail, but fo long as they kept a reserve at home, affairs might be retrieved, and their unwearied attempts be at laft crowned with fuccefs. Hitherto the traces of this confederacy appear only faint; we shall fee gradually, as we advance, the light break in; by the aid of which we shall endeavour, step by step, to follow them into their dark retreat.

par

In the beginning of April 1566, the liament was to have met; to which the Earl of Murray and his accomplices were fummoned to appear, in order to their attainder, on account of their rebellion. To prevent this blow, and likewise to follow out the main fcheme, a new plot is devised by their friends, Morton and Lethington.

The Queen was, at this time, above fix months advanced in her pregnancy; when, on the evening of the 9th of March, as she fat at fupper in her own private apartment, in the palace of Holyrood-house, in the prefence of the King, and the Countess of Argyle; her fecretary David Rizzio, and two or three domestics in waiting; the Earl of Morton, the Lords Lindsay and Ruthven, at the head of 500 men, in complete armour, of a fudden make themselves mafters of the palace, while Ruthven, at the head of a few ruffians, with their daggers drawn, rush into the room, overturn the table at which the Queen fat, and stab to the heart Rizzio, who had taken refuge at her feet; then dragging the fhrieking wretch to the door, they lay him dead with numberless wounds *. After this they re

turn

* Buchanan is the only cotemporary author who has ventured to commit to writing the fcandalous tale of an amour between the Queen and Rizzio; which, when

examined

turn to the Queen, almost dead, as may be well imagined, with fear, threaten her with inftant death, and upbraid her in the

current.

moft

examined into, hath not the shadow of truth, or even probability, to fupport it. Yet fuch is the malignity of party-prejudice, that with many this ftory paffes Had there been the least ground for such calumny, we are pretty certain, that the Queen's accufers, Murray and Morton, would not have omitted fo important an article in the black accufation which they afterwards published againft her; and, what seems pretty remarkable, even Buchanan, in his libel called the Detection, has not the fmallest infinuation of any fuch amour, Whence then could this ftrange calumny take its rife? Let us examine this matter a little. Upon the departure of Raulet, the Queen's fecretary for foreign letters, this man Rizzio, who appears to have been a man of parts, was promoted to his place; hoc prætextu, fays Buchanan, fecretius & feorfum a vulgo agere cum Regina poffet: and upon this ground has Buchanan raised his notable ftory of the Queen's

amour.

The time of Rizzio's coming into favour with the Queen, is by all our hiftorians agreed, and even by Buchanan himself, to have been while her marriage with Lord Darnley was in agitation: when her