Mary, Queen of Scots, 1542-1587; Queens -- Scotland -- Biography; Scotland -- History -- Mary Stuart, 1542-1567
Moray did not send the ‘authentick’ record of Paris’s deposition to Cecil
till October, 1569, though it was taken at St. Andrews on August 9 and
10.[162] When Moray at last sent it, he had found that Lethington
definitely refused to aid him in betraying Norfolk. The day of
reconciliation was ended. So Moray sent the ‘authentick’ deposition of
Paris, which he had kept back for two months, in hopes that Lethington
(whom it implicated) might join him in denouncing Norfolk after all.
Paris, we said, was examined (there is no record showing that he ever was
tried) at St. Andrews. On the day of his death, Moray caused Sir William
Stewart, Lyon King at Arms, by his own appointment, to be burned for
sorcery. Of _his_ trial no record exists. He had been accused of a
conspiracy against Moray, whom he certainly did not admire, no proof had
been found, and he was burned as a wizard, or consulter of wizards.[163]
The deposition of Paris on August 10 is in the Record Office, and is
signed at the end of each page with his mark. _We are not told who heard
the depositions made._ We are only told that when it was read to him
before George Buchanan, John Wood (Moray’s man), and Robert Ramsay, he
acknowledged its truth: Ramsay being the writer of ‘this declaration,’
that is of the deposition. He wrote French very well, and was a servant of
Moray. There is another copy with a docquet asserting its authenticity,
witnessed by Alexander Hay, Clerk of the Privy Council, who, according to
Nau, wrote the old band against Darnley (October, 1566), and who was a
correspondent of Knox.[164] Hay does not seem to mean that the deposition
of Paris was taken in his presence, but that II. is a correct copy of
Number I. If so, he is not ‘guilty of a double fraud,’ as Mr. Hosack
declares. Though he omits the names of the witnesses, Wood, Ramsay, and
Buchanan, he does not represent himself as the sole witness to the
declaration. He only attests the accuracy of the copy of Number I. Whether
Ramsay, Wood, and Buchanan examined Paris, we can only infer: whether they
alone did so, we know not: that he was hanged and quartered merely on the
strength of his own deposition, we think highly probable. It was a great
day for St. Andrews: a herald was burned, a Frenchman was hanged, and a
fourth of his mortal remains was fixed on a spike in a public place.
Paris said, when examined in August, 1569, that on Wednesday or Thursday
of the week of Darnley’s death, Bothwell told him in Mary’s room at Kirk
o’ Field, Mary being in Darnley’s, that ‘_we Lords_’ mean to blow up the
King and this house with powder. But Bowton says, that till the Friday,
Bothwell meant to kill Darnley ‘in the fields.’[165] Bothwell took Paris
aside for a particular purpose: he was suffering from dysentery, and said,
‘Ne sçais-tu point quelque lieu là où je pouray aller...?’ ‘I never was
here in my life before,’ said Paris.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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