1567.--April 19. Mary's Capture by Bothwell. [The Register of the Privy Council tells that, on February 12th, the Queen offered to the first revealer of the crime, "although he be one culpable and participant of the said crime," a reward of two thousand pounds and "ane honest yeirlie rent." Public opinion pointed to Bothwell as the murderer, and anonymous placards appeared in the streets of Edinburgh accusing him. Lennox approached the Queen demanding a trial. On March 1st (in reply to his letter of February 26th) Mary wrote asking a list of names. He sent, on the 17th, the names of Bothwell, Sir James Balfour, David Chalmers, John Spens, Francis Bastian, John de Bourdeaux, and Joseph Riccio,--the last four were attendants on the Queen. On March 28th the Privy Council fixed the trial for April 12th. On the 11th, Lennox wrote asking a postponement of the trial and the imprisonment of the persons he had named, or whom he might suspect. The request was not granted, and the trial took place on the 12th. The Earl of Argyll, hereditary Lord-Justice, took his place as President of the Court, and the Earl of Caithness was Chancellor of the jury. Lennox put forward his demand for a postponement, which was refused, Bothwell urging that the Privy Council had fixed an early date in accordance with Lennox's own request. No witnesses were produced by the prosecution, and Bothwell was acquitted. He then challenged to single combat any one who might accuse him, and the challenge was not accepted. In the Parliament which met on the 16th, various confirmations of grants were made--the Castle of Dunbar to Bothwell, the Earldom of Angus to Bothwell's nephew, and various lands to Sir Richard Maitland of Lethington. No Parliament had assembled since Mary's marriage to Darnley, and, accordingly, the restoration of Murray and Morton to their titles and estates was confirmed by statute. Although Parliament thus put its seal on Bothwell's acquittal, by securing Dunbar to him, the popular impression of his guilt was in no way lessened.] _THE AINSLIE BOND_ A Bond by a Number of the Nobility to promote Bothwell's Marrying of Queen Mary. _Anderson's Collections_, vol. i. pp. 107-112, from Cott. Lib. Calig., C. i. fol. 1.