=34. Fall of Arran.=--Arran's triumph did not last long. A fray took place on the Border in which an Englishman, _Lord Russell_, was slain. Arran was accused of having been the chief cause in this affair, and he was ordered to withdraw from Court. Then the banished lords, thinking this a good opportunity for them to return, went northward, joined the _Hamiltons_ and _Maxwells_ on the Border, came to Stirling and made their way into the presence of the king, who was forced to seem pleased to see them, as they had eight thousand men to support them, November 4, 1585. A Parliament was called soon after, in which three important pieces of business were done. Gowrie's children were restored to the honours forfeited by the treason of their father; Arran was stripped of all his dignities, and a new league was made with England. =35. Death of Mary.=--The captive Queen, whose influence in the affairs of her own country had ceased with the surrender of _Edinburgh_, had, during her long imprisonment, been the cause of many plots against the peace of England and the life of Elizabeth. For her share in _Babington's_ Plot, the object of which was the assassination of Elizabeth, she was tried, found guilty, and condemned to death. She was beheaded at Fotheringhay, February 8, 1587. Though James made some show of feelings of grief and anger at the news of his mother's death, no steps were taken to avenge it, and the matter soon seemed to be forgotten. =36. Marriage of the King.=--As James was now of age, his counsellors were looking about for a suitable wife for him. _Frederick the Second King of Denmark_ had lately sent offering to pay up the money for which the _Orkney_ and _Shetland Isles_ had been given in pledge, and as Scotland had no wish to give them back, it was thought that the difficulty might be got over by choosing one of his daughters, who would most likely bring the islands as her dowry. This proposal was agreed to by Frederick. His daughter _Anne_ was betrothed to James, and _Keith_, the _Earl Marshal_, was sent to Copenhagen to act as proxy for the King in the marriage ceremony and to bring home the bride. On their way home the wedding party were storm-stayed and obliged to put into a Norwegian Port, and the King, to the surprise of every one, suddenly made up his mind to go himself to fetch his bride. He joined her at Upslo, but as nothing could make him brave the long sea voyage again till the winter was over they returned together to Copenhagen, and did not come to Scotland till the next spring, May 1, 1590.