Mary

Queen of Scots, was born at Linlithgow Palace, near Edinburgh, December 8, 1542, and was executed at Fotheringay Castle, England, February 8, 1587. Her birth came but a few days before the death of her father, James V, at Solway Moss. A few months later, while still a babe in arms, she was crowned with ceremony at Stirling Castle. During her infancy Scottish affairs were managed by ambitious noblemen, known as regents. When six years old she was betrothed to Francis, the son and heir of the French king. In 1548 she was sent to Paris to be brought up in the brilliant and shameless court which revolved about Catharine de Medici. Ten years later she was married to Francis. Mary's mother was Mary of Lorraine, a member of the Guise family. It should be remembered that Mary was actually queen of Scotland. Her husband was the prospective king of France. Her ambitious uncles, the Guises, induced the newly married couple to assert a claim to the English throne, to which Mary had some faint title. This claim was received with approbation by the Catholics of England, and made the Protestant queen, Elizabeth, who had just ascended the throne, Mary's enemy for life. In the year following the marriage Mary's husband was called to the throne of France under the name of Francis II. He died in 1560. Mary set sail from Calais for Leith, the port of Edinburgh. She is said to have wept as the shores of France faded from her sight. Elizabeth had refused her a peaceful safe conduct, and, in fact, sent out ships to intercept her, but Mary reached Leith and Edinburgh in safety.

During her absence the Scottish Reformation had taken place. Presbyterianism was now the established Church of Scotland. Mary acquiesced in the new order of things, but obtained permission to follow the teachings and practices of her own church in private. Her reign began auspiciously. She was a woman of vivacity, wit, youth, and wondrous beauty. Her hand was sought in marriage, not only by the noblemen of Scotland, but by princes of Europe and the ambitious nobles of Elizabeth's court. It is believed that her popularity and reputation for beauty further excited the English queen's jealousy. Had Mary married a respectable man at home and settled down to attend to the affairs of the kingdom, her life would have been different. Mary, however, was but a woman at the head of a turbulent body of ambitious, unprincipled nobles,-the Catholic queen of a Protestant country. Her private conduct soon degenerated into a tissue of deceit, intrigue, and it is believed, shameless living, without parallel even in the family history of the de Medicis. In 1562 a young noble who had come in her train from France was found in her bedchamber for the second time and expiated his offense on the scaffold.

Two years later Mary was married privately to a young Lord Darnley, a man utterly without character or intellect. Their marriage was celebrated in public July 29, 1565. On the ninth of the following March her private apartments were invaded at the instigation, it is believed, of Darnley, and David Rizzio, an Italian who served her in the capacity of secretary, was dragged forth and slain at the very threshold of her waiting room. In the midst of the scandal brought upon the court by this occurrence, her son, James, afterward James I of England, was born. About this time Mary formed an attachment for Bothwell, a disreputable Scottish nobleman. An attempt was made to get rid of Darnley, it is believed by poison. This failing, he was lodged in an outlying building where the queen saw him for the last time, leaving him sick in body and in mind. That night the building was blown up with an explosion of gunpowder that shook Edinburgh to its very center. The dead bodies of Darnley and a page were found the next day. They had apparently been strangled. There is little doubt that Bothwell and his servants performed the deed. There is the strongest belief that Mary was privy to it. At all events, she put off from time to time judicial inquiry into the cause of Darnley's death, shielded Bothwell from prosecution, permitted him to intercept her when she was out riding one day, and ended by marrying the detestable scamp.

The sight of Mary and Bothwell riding down the streets of Edinburgh together in gay spirits was too much for the Scots. Her nobles rose in arms. Bothwell fled to the Orkneys, thence to Denmark, where he was seized and imprisoned. Mary was shut up in Loch Leven Castle. Murray was appointed regent. Mary corrupted George Douglas, the son of her jailor, and effected her escape. While she was making for Dumbarton Castle with a few thousand adherents, she was intercepted by the regent at Langside, near Glasgow. Her followers were scattered. Mary fled across the English border and threw herself upon the mercy of Queen Elizabeth. She was detained first in some state. She was removed finally to Fotheringay Castle. During Mary's imprisonment Elizabeth was in fear of a Catholic uprising. Spain and France were supposed to be ready to grant Mary assistance at any time. Whether Mary herself took an actual part in certain uprisings is still a matter of dispute. When these accusations were brought home to Mary, she defended herself before the English lawyers with great skill for a period of two days. Finally, however, the privy council of England decided on her death. Queen Elizabeth, after many delays, and with apparent reluctance, signed the death warrant.

The details of Mary's death excited a world-wide interest. She sent mementos to her friends, forgetting no one. She walked to the hall of execution with a firm step and met her fate at the hands of the headsman with a fortitude becoming one descended from a long line of princes. Her remains were buried at Peterborough. In 1612, her son having in the meanwhile become James I of England, her body was conveyed to Westminster and buried in a sumptuous tomb in the chapel of Henry VII. Whatever her failings may have been, hers is without doubt the most observed of all the tombs in that great edifice.

Mary spoke and read four languages, Latin, French, Italian, and English. She had a winning voice, and was a singer of remarkable sweetness. Her body was well formed, her carriage stately. She showed to advantage on horseback and was a graceful dancer. She had a small, well formed hand. She delighted in embroidery and needlework. Her complexion was clear, her features sharp. She had hazel eyes of wonderful brilliancy.

See Elizabeth; Marie Antoinette