mary stuart-第3章

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would　compel　her　little　squadron　to　turn　back；　but　she　had　to　fulfil

her　destiny。　　This　same　day；　a　fog；　a　very　unusual　occurrence　in

summer…time；　extended　all　over　the　Channel；　and　caused　her　to　escape

the　fleet；　for　it　was　such　a　dense　fog　that　one　could　not　see　from

stern　to　mast。　　It　lasted　the　whole　of　Sunday；　the　day　after　the

departure；　and　did　not　lift　till　the　following　day；　Monday；　at　eight

o'clock　in　the　morning。　　The　little　flotilla；　which　all　this　time　had

been　sailing　haphazard；　had　got　among　so　many　reefs　that　if　the　fog

had　lasted　some　minutes　longer　the　galley　would　certainly　have

grounded　on　some　rock；　and　would　have　perished　like　the　vessel　that

had　been　seen　engulfed　on　leaving　port。　　But；　thanks　to　the　fog's

clearing；　the　pilot　recognised　the　Scottish　coast；　and；　steering　his

four　boats　with　great　skill　through　ail　the　dangers；　on　the　20th

August　he　put　in　at　Leith；　where　no　preparation　had　been　made　for　the

queen's　reception。　　Nevertheless；　scarcely　had　she　arrived　there　than

the　chief　persons　of　the　town　met　together　and　came　to　felicitate

her。　　Meanwhile；　they　hastily　collected　some　wretched　nags；　with

harness　all　falling　in　pieces；　to　conduct　the　queen　to　Edinburgh。



At　sight　of　this；　Mary　could　not　help　weeping　again；　for　she　thought

of　the　splendid　palfreys　and　hackneys　of　her　French　knights　and

ladies；　and　at　this　first　view　Scotland　appeared　to…her　in　all　its

poverty。　　Next　day　it　was　to　appear　to　her　in　all　its　wildness。



After　having　passed　one　night　at　Holyrood　Palace；　〃during　which；〃

says　Brantome；　〃five　to　six　hundred　rascals　from　the　town；　instead　of

letting　her　sleep；　came　to　give　her　a　wild　morning　greeting　on

wretched　fiddles　and　little　rebecks；〃　she　expressed　a　wish　to　hear

mass。　　Unfortunately；　the　people　of　Edinburgh　belonged　almost

entirely　to　the　Reformed　religion；　so　that；　furious　at　the　queen's

giving　such　a　proof　of　papistry　at　her　first　appearance；　they　entered

the　church　by　force；　armed　with　knives；　sticks　and　stones；　with　the

intention　of　putting　to　death　the　poor　priest；　her　chaplain。　　He　left

the　altar；　and　took　refuge　near　the　queen；　while　Mary's　brother；　the

Prior　of　St。　Andrews；　who　was　more　inclined　from　this　time　forward　to

be　a　soldier　than　an　ecclesiastic；　seized　a　sword；　and；　placing

himself　between　the　people　and　the　queen；　declared　that　he　would　kill

with　his　own　hand　the　first　man　who　should　take　another　step。　　This

firmness；　combined　with　the　queen's　imposing　and　dignified　air；

checked　the　zeal　of　the　Reformers。



As　we　have　said；　Mary　had　arrived　in　the　midst　of　all　the　heat　of　the

first　religious　wars。　　A　zealous　Catholic；　like　all　her　family　on　the

maternal　side；　she　inspired　the　Huguenots　with　the　gravest　fears：

besides；　a　rumour　had　got　about　that　Mary；　instead　of　landing　at

Leith；　as　she　had　been　obliged　by　the　fog；　was　to　land　at　Aberdeen。

There；　it　was　said；　she　would　have　found　the　Earl　of　Huntly；　one　of

the　peers　who　had　remained　loyal　to　the　Catholic　faith；　and　who；　next

to　the　family　of　Hamilton；　was；　the　nearest　and　most　powerful　ally　of

the　royal　house。　　Seconded　by　him　and　by　twenty　thousand　soldiers

from　the　north；　she　would　then　have　marched　upon　Edinburgh；　and　have

re…established　the　Catholic　faith　throughout　Scotland。　　Events　were

not　slow　to　prove　that　this　accusation　was　false。



As　we　have　stated；　Mary　was　much　attached　to　the　Prior　of　St。

Andrews；　a　son　of　James　V　and　of　a　noble　descendant　of　the　Earls　of

Mar；　who　had　been　very　handsome　in　her　youth；　and　who；　in　spite　of

the　well…known　love　for　her　of　James　V；　and　the　child　who　had

resulted；　had　none　the　less　wedded　Lord　Douglas　of　Lochleven；　by　whom

she　had　had　two　other　sons；　the　elder　named　William　and　the　younger

George；　who　were　thus　half…brothers　of　the　regent。　　Now；　scarcely　had

she　reascended　the　throne　than　Mary　had　restored　to　the　Prior　of　St。

Andrews　the　title　of　Earl　of　Mar；　that　of　his　maternal　ancestors；　and

as　that　of　the　Earl　of　Murray　had　lapsed　since　the　death　of　the

famous　Thomas　Randolph；　Mary；　in　her　sisterly　friendship　for　James

Stuart；　hastened　to　add；　this　title　to　those　which　she　had　already

bestowed　upon　him。



But　here　difficulties　and　complications　arose；　for　the　new　Earl　of

Murray；　with　his　character；　was　not　a　man　to　content　himself　with　a

barren　title；　while　the　estates　which　were　crown　property　since　the

extinction　of　the　male　branch　of　the　old　earls；　had　been　gradually

encroached　upon　by　powerful　neighbours；　among　whom　was　the　famous

Earl　of　Huntly；　whom　we　have　already　mentioned：　the　result　was　that；

as　the　queen　judged　that　in　this　quarter　her　orders　would　probably

encounter　opposition；　under　pretext　of　visiting　her　possessions　in

the　north；　she　placed　herself　at　the　head　of　a　small　army；　commanded

by　her　brother；　the　Earl　of　Mar　and　Murray。



The　Earl　of　Huntly　was　the　less　duped　by　the　apparent　pretext　of　this

expedition；　in　that　his　son；　John　Cordon；　for　some　abuse　of　his

powers；　had　just　been　condemned　to　a　temporary　imprisonment。　　He；

notwithstanding；　made　every　possible　submission　to　the　queen；　sending

messengers　in　advance　to　invite…her　to　rest　in　his　castle；　and

following　up　the　messengers　in　person；　to　renew　his　invitation　viva

voce。　　Unfortunately；　at　the　very　moment　when　he　was　about　to　join

the　queen；　the　governor　of　Inverness；　who　was　entirely　devoted　to

him；　was　refusing　to　allow　Mary　to　enter　this　castle；　which　was　a

royal　one。　　It　is　true　that　Murray；　aware　that　it　does　not　do　to

hesitate　in　the　face　of　such　rebellions；　had　already　had　him　executed

for　high　treason。



This　new　act　of　firmness　showed　Huntly　that　the　young　queen　was　not

disposed　to　allow　the　Scottish　lords　a　resumption　of　the　almost

sovereign　power　humbled　by　her　father；　so　that；　in　spite　of　the

extremely　kind　reception　she　accorded　him；　as　he　learned　while　in

camp　that　his　son；　having　escaped　from　prison；　had　just　put　himself

at　the　head　of　his　vassals；　he　was　afraid　that　he　should　be　thought；

as　doubtless　he　was；　a　party　to　the　rising；　and　he　set　out　the　same

night　to　assume　command　of　his　troops；　his　mind　made　up；　as　Mary　only

had　with　her　seven　to　eight　thousand　men；　to　risk　a　battle；　giving

out；　however；　as　Buccleuch　had　done　in　his　attempt　to　snatch　James　V

from　the　hands　of　the　Douglases；　that　it　was　not　at　the　queen　he　was

aiming；　but　solely　at　the　regent；　who　kept　her　under　his　tutelage　and

perverted　her　good　intentions。



Murray；　who　knew　that　often　the　entire　peace　of　a　reign　depends　on

the　firmness　one　displays　at　its　beginning；　immediately　summoned　all

the　northern　barons　whose　estates　bordered　on　his；　to　march　against

Huntly。　　All　obeyed；　for　the　house　of　Cordon　was　already　so　powerful

that　each　feared　it　might　become　still　more　so；　but；　however；　it　was

clear　that　if　there　was　hatred　for　the　subject　there　was　no　great

affection　for　the　queen；　and　that　the　greater　number　came　without

fixed　intentions　and　with　the　idea　of　being　led　by　circumstances。



The　two　armies　encountered　near　Aberdeen。　　Murray　at　once　posted　the

troops　he　had　brought　from　Edinburgh；　and　of　which　he　was　sure；　on

the　top　of　rising　ground；　and　drew　up　in　tiers　on　the　hill　slope　all

his　northern　allies。　　Huntly　advanced　resolutely　upon　them；　and

attacked　his　neighbours　the　Highlanders；　who　after　a　short　resistance

retired　in　disorder。　　His　men　immediately　threw　away　their　lances；

and；　drawing　their　swords；　crying；　〃Cordon；　Cordon！〃　pursued　the

fugitives；　and　believed　they　had　already　gained　the　battle；　when　they

suddenly　ran　right　against　the　main　body　of　Murray's　army；　which

remained　motionless　as　a　rampart　of　iron；　and　which；　with　its　long

lances；　had　the　advantage　of　its　adversaries；　who　were　armed　only

with　their　claymores。　　It　was　then　the　turn　of　the　Cordons　to　draw

back；　seeing　which；　the　northern　clans　rallied　and　returned　to　the

fight；　each　soldier　having　a　sprig　of　heather　in　his　cap　that　his

comrades　might　recognise　hi