When Darnley complotted in the murder of the Queen’s
dearest counselor, Riccio, as the man sat at dinner with her on March 9, 1566, the
hopelessly explosive mixture had blown up and the shock wave soon would arrive at
the Queen’s forces being vigorously attacked. But first Darnley would be
viciously murdered in his turn, on February 10, 1567. Suspicion would fall on
the Queen’s new favorite counselor, the Earl of Bothwell, together with the
Queen herself.
Mary would attempt to escape her enemies in a wild flight
across Scotland. Her party would be captured and she soon imprisoned in
Lochleven Castle. There she was forced to sign papers abdicating her throne and
surrendering the custody of her infant child, James, or to stand trial for the
murder of her husband, with the guarantee that she would be found guilty and
executed.
While she would likely have been found guilty without the
inconvenience of a presumption of innocence regardless, a “casket,” left
behind by Bothwell as he fled, was discovered filled with incendiary personal papers.
There was little hope she would survive the revelations it contained regarding
the relationship between she and Bothwell. She signed the abdication.
Here, the Earl of Morton describes how the casket came to
be discovered.
The Earl of Morton's Declaration.[1]
The trew declaration and report of me, James, Earl of Morton, how a certain silver box overgilt containing diverse missive writings, sonnets, contracts, and obligations for marriage betwixt the Queen mother to our sovereign lord, and James sometime Earl Bothwell, was found and used. Upon Thursday the xix of June, 1567, I dinned at Edinburgh, the Laird of Lethington, secretary, with me. At time of my dinner a certain man came to me, and in secret manner showed me that three servants of the Earl Bothwell, viz. Mr. Thomas Hepburn, parson of Auldhamesokkes, John Cockburn, brother to the laird of Skirling, and George Dalgleish were come to the town, and passed into the castle. Upon which advertisement I on the sudden sent my cousin Mr. Archibald Douglas and Robert Douglas, his brother, and James Johnston of Westerrall, with others my servants, to the number of xvi or thereby, toward the castle to make search for the said persons, and, if possible were, to apprehend them. According to which my direction, my servants
passed, and at the first missing the forenamed three persons for that they were departed forth of the castle before their coming, my men then parting into several companies upon knowledge that the others whom they sought were separated, Mr. Archibald Douglas sought for Mr. Thomas Hepburn and found him not, but got his horse, James Johnston sought for John Cockburn and apprehended him, Robert Douglas seeking for George Dalgleish. After he had almost given over his search and inquisition a good fellow understanding his purpose came to him offering for a mean piece of money to reveal where George Dalgleish was. The said Robert satisfying him that gave the intelligence for his pains, passed to the Potterrow beside Edinburgh, and there apprehended the said George, with divers evidences and letters in parchment, viz. Earl Bothwell’s infeftments of Liddesdale, of the Lordship of Dunbar and of Orkney and Shetland, and divers others, which all with the said George himself, the said Robert brought and presented to me. And the said George being examined of the cause of his direction to the castle of Edinburgh, and which letters and evidents he brought forth of the same, alleged he was sent only to visit [examine] the Lord Bothwell, his master's clothing, and he had not more letters nor evidents than these which were apprehended with him. But his report being found suspicious and his gesture and behaviour ministering cause of mistrust seeing the gravity of the action that was in hand, it was resolved by common assent of the noblemen convened, that the said George Dalgleish should be surely kept that night, and upon the morn should be had to the Tolbooth of Edinburgh and there be put in the iron and torments for furthering of the declaration of the truth, wherein being set, upon Friday the xx day of the said month of June before any rigorous demeaning of his person, fearing the pain, and moved of conscience, he called for my cousin Mr. Archibald Douglas, who coming, the said George desired that Robert Douglas should be sent with him, and he should show and bring to light that which he had. So being taken forth from the irons, he passed with the said Robert to the Potterrow, and there, under the sceit [seat] of a bed took forth the said silver box, which he had brought forth of the castle the day before, locked, and brought the same to me at viii hours at night, and because it was late I kept it all that night. Upon the morn, viz., Saturday, the xxi of June, in presence of the Earls of Atholl, Mar, Glencairn, myself, the Lords Home, Sempill, Sanquhar, the Master of Graham, and the Secretary, and Laird of Tullibardine, Comptroller, and the said Mr. Archibald Douglas, the said box was broken open because we wanted the key, and the letters within contained sighted [i.e. examined] and immediately thereafter
delivered again into my hand and custody.
Since which time, I have observed and kept the same box, and all letters,
missives, contracts, sonnets, and divers writings contained therein fairly without
alteration changing adding or diminishing of anything found or received in the
said box. This I testify and declare to be undoubted truth.
This is the copy of that which was given to Mr. Secretary
Cecil upon Thursday the 8th of December 1586.
This is the true copy of the declaration made and presented
by the Earl of Morton to the Commissioners and Council of England sitting in
Westminster for the time, upon Thursday being the 29 of December 1568.
Subscribed with his hand thus, MORTON.
[1] Rait,
Robert S. Mary Queen of Scots, 1542-1587 (1900). 221-4. Citing Henderson, Thomas Finlayson. The Casket
Letters and Mary, Queen of Scots (1890), pp. 113-116, from fol. 216, Add.
MSS. 32,091, Brit. Mus.
Also at Virtual Grub Street:
No comments:
Post a Comment