Passing over the Queen's expedition into Fifeshire and the capture of Castle Campbell, "the castle of gloom", a formidable stronghold belonging to her rebel brother-in-law, the Duke of Argyle, the historical part of the narrative hastens on to the final act, the march to Dumfries and the Lords' retreat across the Border. The inglorious termination of the rebellion has been pithily summed up by Sir James Melville in his Memoirs: "Her Majesty again convened forces to pursue the rebels, till at length they were compelled to flee into England for refuge, to her who promised by her ambassadors to wear her crown in their defence, in case they were driven to any strait for their opposition unto the marriage".[181] The poet is scarcely less concise in his record of an event which he could neither hide nor gloss over, but upon which he evidently had no wish to dwell:-- We came to Domfreis to attempt our might, but all was in vane, our foos were awaie; there was none there that wold us resiste, nor yett affirme that I did gainesaye. * * * * * They unable to abide or resist my might entred perforce into th'inglishe pale. In Carlile they all were constrayned to light, where the Lord Scrowpe entreated them all; and th'Erle of Bedforde leivetenante generall of th'inglish northe, whose fervent affection I ever dreaded to deale in this action, whose noble hart enflamed with ruthe to see theis Llords driven to dystresse, sought the meanes he could to advance the truthe. * * * * * What racke, Randolphe? Thou thie selffe knowes I retorned a victore without any blows. Though this seemed to indicate a point where the _Fantasie_ might come to a fitting close, it is drawn out for fully a hundred lines in order that the moral of the whole narrative may be duly brought home to the reader. So far as Mary herself is concerned, the gist of her long homily may be given in her concluding words:-- 'Tis fittest for a prince, and such as have the regyments of realmes, there subjects hartes with myldnes to convince, and justice mixt, avoydinge all extremes; ffor like as Phebus with his cherefull beames do freshlie force the fragrant flowers to floryshe, so rulers' mildness subjects love do noryshe. The poet's own moralizing, with which, as with an epilogue, the whole poem is brought to an end, is wider in its application. The dangers which beset greatness and the advantages which accompany "golden mediocrity" are its leading theme, and are set forth in a passage which brings together a number of familiar illustrations drawn from inanimate nature:--