第2章

MymostofbadandgoodIfindinsolitude。

Butwheresoe’erIstay，Inmeadoworincopse，WhetheratbreakofdayOrwhenthetwilightdrops，Myheartgoessighingon，Desiringonethat’sgone。

IfsometimestotheskiesMywearygazeIlift，HisgentlyshiningeyesLookfromthecloudydrift，Orstoopingo’erthewaveIseehiminthegrave。

OrwhenmybedIseek，And-sleepbeginstosteal，AgainIhearhimspeak，AgainhistouchIfeel；

Inworkorleisure，heIseverneartome。

NootherthingIsee，Howeverfairdisplayed，BywhichmyheartwillbeAtributarymade，NothavingtheperfectionOfthat，mylostaffection。

Heremakeanend，myverse，Ofthisthysadlament，WhoseburdenshallrehearsePureloveoftrueintent，Whichseparation’sstressWillneverrenderless。“

“Itwasthen，“saysBrantorne，“thatitwasdelightfultoseeher；

forthewhitenessofhercountenanceandofherveilcontendedtogether；butfinallytheartificialwhiteyielded，andthesnow-likepallorofherfacevanquishedtheother。Foritwasthus，“headds，“thatfromthemomentshebecameawidow，Ialwayssawherwithherpalehue，aslongasIhadthehonourofseeingherinFrance，andScotland，whereshehadtogoineighteenmonths’time，toherverygreatregret，afterherwidowhood，topacifyherkingdom，greatlydividedbyreligioustroubles。Alas！shehadneitherthewishnorthewillforit，andIhaveoftenheardhersayso，withafearofthisjourneylikedeath；forshepreferredahundredtimestodwellinFranceasadowagerqueen，andtocontentherselfwithTouraineandPoitouforherjointure，thantogoandreignoverthereinherwildcountry；butheruncles，atleastsomeofthem，notall，advisedher，andevenurgedhertoit，anddeeplyrepentedtheirerror。“

Marywasobedient，aswehaveseen，andshebeganherjourneyundersuchauspicesthatwhenshelostsightoflandshewasliketodie。

Thenitwasthatthepoetryofhersoulfoundexpressioninthesefamouslines：

“Farewell，delightfullandofFrance，Mymotherland，Thebestbeloved！

Foster-nurseofmyyoungyears！

Farewell，France，andfarewellmyhappydays！

TheshipthatseparatesourlovesHasborneawaybuthalfofme；

Onepartislefttheeandisthroe，AndIconfideittothytenderness，Thatthoumay’stholdinmindtheotherpart。“’

[Translator’snote-Ithasnotbeenfoundpossibletomakearhymedversionoftheselineswithoutsacrificingthesimplicitywhichistheirchiefcharm。]

ThispartofherselfthatMaryleftinFrancewasthebodyoftheyoungking，whohadtakenwithhimallpoorMary’shappinessintohistomb。

Maryhadbutonehoperemaining，thatthesightoftheEnglishfleetwouldcompelherlittlesquadrontoturnback；butshehadtofulfilherdestiny。Thissameday，afog，averyunusualoccurrenceinsummer-time，extendedallovertheChannel，andcausedhertoescapethefleet；foritwassuchadensefogthatonecouldnotseefromsterntomast。ItlastedthewholeofSunday，thedayafterthedeparture，anddidnotlifttillthefollowingday，Monday，ateighto’clockinthemorning。Thelittleflotilla，whichallthistimehadbeensailinghaphazard，hadgotamongsomanyreefsthatifthefoghadlastedsomeminuteslongerthegalleywouldcertainlyhavegroundedonsomerock，andwouldhaveperishedlikethevesselthathadbeenseenengulfedonleavingport。But，thankstothefog’sclearing，thepilotrecognisedtheScottishcoast，and，steeringhisfourboatswithgreatskillthroughailthedangers，onthe20thAugustheputinatLeith，wherenopreparationhadbeenmadeforthequeen’sreception。Nevertheless，scarcelyhadshearrivedtherethanthechiefpersonsofthetownmettogetherandcametofelicitateher。Meanwhile，theyhastilycollectedsomewretchednags，withharnessallfallinginpieces，toconductthequeentoEdinburgh。

Atsightofthis，Marycouldnothelpweepingagain；forshethoughtofthesplendidpalfreysandhackneysofherFrenchknightsandladies，andatthisfirstviewScotlandappearedto-herinallitspoverty。Nextdayitwastoappeartoherinallitswildness。

AfterhavingpassedonenightatHolyroodPalace，“duringwhich，“

saysBrantome，“fivetosixhundredrascalsfromthetown，insteadoflettinghersleep，cametogiveherawildmorninggreetingonwretchedfiddlesandlittlerebecks，“sheexpressedawishtohearmass。Unfortunately，thepeopleofEdinburghbelongedalmostentirelytotheReformedreligion；sothat，furiousatthequeen’sgivingsuchaproofofpapistryatherfirstappearance，theyenteredthechurchbyforce，armedwithknives，sticksandstones，withtheintentionofputtingtodeaththepoorpriest，herchaplain。Heleftthealtar，andtookrefugenearthequeen，whileMary’sbrother，thePriorofSt。Andrews，whowasmoreinclinedfromthistimeforwardtobeasoldierthananecclesiastic，seizedasword，and，placinghimselfbetweenthepeopleandthequeen，declaredthathewouldkillwithhisownhandthefirstmanwhoshouldtakeanotherstep。Thisfirmness，combinedwiththequeen’simposinganddignifiedair，checkedthezealoftheReformers。

Aswehavesaid，Maryhadarrivedinthemidstofalltheheatofthefirstreligiouswars。AzealousCatholic，likeallherfamilyonthematernalside，sheinspiredtheHuguenotswiththegravestfears：

besides，arumourhadgotaboutthatMary，insteadoflandingatLeith，asshehadbeenobligedbythefog，wastolandatAberdeen。

There，itwassaid，shewouldhavefoundtheEarlofHuntly，oneofthepeerswhohadremainedloyaltotheCatholicfaith，andwho，nexttothefamilyofHamilton，was，thenearestandmostpowerfulallyoftheroyalhouse。Secondedbyhimandbytwentythousandsoldiersfromthenorth，shewouldthenhavemarcheduponEdinburgh，andhavere-establishedtheCatholicfaiththroughoutScotland。Eventswerenotslowtoprovethatthisaccusationwasfalse。

Aswehavestated，MarywasmuchattachedtothePriorofSt。

Andrews，asonofJamesVandofanobledescendantoftheEarlsofMar，whohadbeenveryhandsomeinheryouth，andwho，inspiteofthewell-knownloveforherofJamesV，andthechildwhohadresulted，hadnonethelessweddedLordDouglasofLochleven，bywhomshehadhadtwoothersons，theeldernamedWilliamandtheyoungerGeorge，whowerethushalf-brothersoftheregent。Now，scarcelyhadshereascendedthethronethanMaryhadrestoredtothePriorofSt。

AndrewsthetitleofEarlofMar，thatofhismaternalancestors，andasthatoftheEarlofMurrayhadlapsedsincethedeathofthefamousThomasRandolph，Mary，inhersisterlyfriendshipforJamesStuart，hastenedtoadd，thistitletothosewhichshehadalreadybestoweduponhim。

Butheredifficultiesandcomplicationsarose；forthenewEarlofMurray，withhischaracter，wasnotamantocontenthimselfwithabarrentitle，whiletheestateswhichwerecrownpropertysincetheextinctionofthemalebranchoftheoldearls，hadbeengraduallyencroacheduponbypowerfulneighbours，amongwhomwasthefamousEarlofHuntly，whomwehavealreadymentioned：theresultwasthat，asthequeenjudgedthatinthisquarterherorderswouldprobablyencounteropposition，underpretextofvisitingherpossessionsinthenorth，sheplacedherselfattheheadofasmallarmy，commandedbyherbrother，theEarlofMarandMurray。

TheEarlofHuntlywasthelessdupedbytheapparentpretextofthisexpedition，inthathisson，JohnCordon，forsomeabuseofhispowers，hadjustbeencondemnedtoatemporaryimprisonment。He，notwithstanding，madeeverypossiblesubmissiontothequeen，sendingmessengersinadvancetoinvite-hertorestinhiscastle；andfollowingupthemessengersinperson，torenewhisinvitationvivavoce。Unfortunately，attheverymomentwhenhewasabouttojointhequeen，thegovernorofInverness，whowasentirelydevotedtohim，wasrefusingtoallowMarytoenterthiscastle，whichwasaroyalone。ItistruethatMurray，awarethatitdoesnotdotohesitateinthefaceofsuchrebellions，hadalreadyhadhimexecutedforhightreason。

ThisnewactoffirmnessshowedHuntlythattheyoungqueenwasnotdisposedtoallowtheScottishlordsaresumptionofthealmostsovereignpowerhumbledbyherfather；sothat，inspiteoftheextremelykindreceptionsheaccordedhim，ashelearnedwhileincampthathisson，havingescapedfromprison，hadjustputhimselfattheheadofhisvassals，hewasafraidthatheshouldbethought，asdoubtlesshewas，apartytotherising，andhesetoutthesamenighttoassumecommandofhistroops，hismindmadeup，asMaryonlyhadwithherseventoeightthousandmen，toriskabattle，givingout，however，asBuccleuchhaddoneinhisattempttosnatchJamesV

fromthehandsoftheDouglases，thatitwasnotatthequeenhewasaiming，butsolelyattheregent，whokeptherunderhistutelageandpervertedhergoodintentions。

Murray，whoknewthatoftentheentirepeaceofareigndependsonthefirmnessonedisplaysatitsbeginning，immediatelysummonedallthenorthernbaronswhoseestatesborderedonhis，tomarchagainstHuntly。Allobeyed，forthehouseofCordonwasalreadysopowerfulthateachfeareditmightbecomestillmoreso；but，however，itwasclearthatiftherewashatredforthesubjecttherewasnogreataffectionforthequeen，andthatthegreaternumbercamewithoutfixedintentionsandwiththeideaofbeingledbycircumstances。

ThetwoarmiesencounterednearAberdeen。MurrayatoncepostedthetroopshehadbroughtfromEdinburgh，andofwhichhewassure，onthetopofrisingground，anddrewupintiersonthehillslopeallhisnorthernallies。Huntlyadvancedresolutelyuponthem，andattackedhisneighbourstheHighlanders，whoafterashortresistanceretiredindisorder。Hismenimmediatelythrewawaytheirlances，and，drawingtheirswords，crying，“Cordon，Cordon！“pursuedthefugitives，andbelievedtheyhadalreadygainedthebattle，whentheysuddenlyranrightagainstthemainbodyofMurray’sarmy，whichremainedmotionlessasarampartofiron，andwhich，withitslonglances，hadtheadvantageofitsadversaries，whowerearmedonlywiththeirclaymores。ItwasthentheturnoftheCordonstodrawback，seeingwhich，thenorthernclansralliedandreturnedtothefight，eachsoldierhavingasprigofheatherinhiscapthathiscomradesmightrecognisehim。Thisunexpectedmovementdeterminedtheday：theHighlandersrandownthehillsidelikeatorrent，draggingalongwiththemeveryonewhocouldhavewishedtoopposetheirpassage。ThenMurrayseeingthatthemomenthadcomeforchangingthedefeatintoarout，chargedwithhisentirecavalry：

Huntly，whowasverystoutandveryheavilyarmed，fellandwascrushedbeneaththehorses’feet；JohnCordon，takenprisonerinhisflight，wasexecutedatAberdeenthreedaysafterwards；finally，hisbrother，tooyoungtoundergothesamefateatthistime，wasshutupinadungeonandexecutedlater，thedayhereachedtheageofsixteen。