banishment; whom the Queen, his fifter, in her diftressful circumftances, was fo gracious as to pardon for his treason and former offences; yet Morton, in his turn, was banished the kingdom. As he had now, however, two fuch good friends at court as Murray and Lethington, he was in hopes of being foon recalled by their affistance, or by a new plot from them in their turn. In a letter from Morton and Ruthven, then in exile at Berwick, dated the 2d of April 1566, to Sir Nicholas Throgmorton, they thus unfold their expectations. "Since we are in trouble for the relief of our brethren, and the religion*, we doubt not to find your favour, as our brethren "have done before, who were of late banish"ed; defiring you moft heartily, that by * Religion, we know, was always the pretext for Murray and Morton's actions; but what fort of religion it was which prompted these pious men to mur. ders and affaffinations, mankind may judge. yourself, and fuch others as you may procure, we may find favour at the Queen's Majefty your mistress's hands, "for remaining within hir Highness's The realm, until fuch time as we may be re"lieved by the help of our brethren, which we hope in God shall be shortly*" next step, therefore, of the Earl of Murray and Secretary Lethington (who had carefully, as we have feen, kept himself hid from view in this last plot), was to labour to have their affociate Morton reftored again to favour. For this purpose the propofal made by Murray and Lethington, first to the Earls of Huntly and Argyle, and after that to the Queen herself, falls here to be confidered. In the famous proteftation or declaration of the Earls of Huntly and Argyle, these two Noblemen declare, that in the month of December (the fame year) 1566, while *Goodall, vol. i. p. 264. VOL. II. the the Queen was refiding at the caftle of Craigmillar, the Earl of Murray and Secretary Lethington came into their apartment in the morning, "and lamenting the "banishment of the Erle of Mortoun, Lordis "Lyndfay and Rowen, with the reft of "thair faction, faid, that the occafioun "of the murthour of David, flane be thame "in prefence of the Quene's Majeftie, was "for to troubill and impefche the parlia 66 ment, qubairin the Erle of Murray and "utheris fould have bene foirfaltit, and declarit rebellis. And feeing that the "famin was chieflie for the weilfare of the "Erle of Murray, it fold be eftemit ingra"titude, gif he and his friendis, in reci proque manner, did not interpryfe all "that wer in thair puissance for relief of "the faidis banifhit: quhairfoir thay thocht, "that we, of our part, fould have bene as defyrous thairto as thay wer." "And we agreeing to the fame, to do all "that was in us for thair relief, provyding "that "that the Quene's Majeftie fould not be "offendit thairat: On this Lethington pro ponit, and faid, "That the neareft and "beft way till obtene the faid Erle of Mor"toun's pardoun, was, to promife to the "Quene's Majeftie, to find ane moyen to make "divorcement betwixt hir Grace and the King "bir husband, quba had offendit bir Hienes fa bielie in mony wayis." Quhairunto we answering, That we "knew not how that might be done; Lethington faid, the Erle of Murray being ever prefent," My Lord, cair zou not thairof. "We fall find the meane weill eneugh to "mak hir quite of him, fwa that ze and my "Lord of Huntlie will onlie behald the måtter, and not be offended thairat. And thairon we four, the Erles of Huntly, Argyle, Murray, and Secretary Lething"ton, paffed all to the Erle of Bothwell's "chamber, to underftand his advife on thir ແ things C 2 cu things proponit, wharein he ganefaid not, "mair than we." "Swa thairefter we paft altogidder to"wardis the Quene's Grace; quhair Le"thington, after recounting the King's "intollerabill offences, and his continew"ing everie day from evil to worse,"made the propofal to the Queen, as mentioned above, of making divorcement between the Queen and him. To this the Queen was averse, by reason it might perhaps prejudice her fon, and faid, "That peradventure he (Darnley) wald change "opinion, and that it wer better that scho "hirfelf for ane tyme paffit in France, abyding till he acknowledgit himself." Then Lethington taking the fpeache faid, "Madame, fanzie ze not we ar heir of "the principal of zour Grace's Nobilitie "and Counfal, that fall find the moyen, "that zour Majeftie fall be quyte of him "without prejudice of zour fone. And "albeit |