Life of Mary Queen of Scots, Volume 2 (of 2)Bell, Henry Glassford
History
Life of Mary Queen of Scots, Volume 2 (of 2)
Bell, Henry Glassford
Mary, Queen of Scots, 1542-1587
In the midst of these festivities, Mary had various cares to perplex her,
and various difficulties to encounter. When she first came to Stirling,
she found that Darnley had not chosen to go, as usual, to the Castle, but
was residing in a private house. He left it, however, upon the Queen's
arrival, and took up his residence in the Castle with her,--a fact of some
consequence, and one which Murray has himself supplied.[9] But Darnley's
sentiments towards Mary's ministers, continued unchanged; and it was
impossible to prevail upon them to act and associate together, with any
degree of harmony, even in presence of the ambassadors. Mary was extremely
anxious to prevent her husband from exposing his weakness and waywardness
to foreigners; but he was as stubborn as ever; and though he had given up
thoughts of going abroad, it was only because he hoped to put into
execution some new plot at home. Surrounded by gayeties, he continued
sullen and discontented, shutting himself up in his own apartment, and
associating with no one, except his wife and the French envoy, Le Croc,
for whom he had contracted a sort of friendship. To heighten his bad
humour, Elizabeth, according to Camden, had forbidden Bedford, or any of
his retinue, to give him the title of King. The anger inspired by his
contempt of her authority, on the occasion of his marriage, had not yet
subsided; and there is not a state paper extant, in which she acknowledges
Darnley in other terms than as "Henry Stuart, the Queen of Scotland's
husband." It seems likely that this, added to the other reasons already
mentioned, was the cause why Darnley refused to be present at the
christening of his son.[10] Mary had another cause of vexation. The
baptism was to be performed after the Catholic ritual, and the greater
part of her nobility, in consequence, not only refused to take any share
in the ceremony, but even to be present at it. All Mary's influence with
Murray, Huntly, and Bothwell, was exerted in vain. They did not choose to
risk their character with the Reformers, to gratify her. "The Queen
laboured much," says Knox, "with the noblemen, to bear the salt, grease,
and candles, and such other things, but all refused."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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