peers and two bishops assembled in the Queen's Parliament at Edinburgh: But contemptible as was their appearance, they boldly passed an act attainting two hundred of the Prince's friends who were assembled at Stirling. Their spirited proceedings were succeeded by a bold and hazardous enterprise.

In the midst of all the security which their rank and number inspired, Lennox and his partisans were surprised at Stirling, early on the morning of the 3d September, by the shouts of the enemy in the heart of the town. In a moment, the houses of the principal nobility were surrounded and their inmates secured. No resistance was made by any one except the Earl of Morton; who defended his house till he was forced out of it by the flames.

The noise and uproar in the town reached the castle. The Earl of Marr, with only thirty soldiers, sallied out and fired upon the enemy; of whom the officers only kept together in a body, the private men having dispersed in quest of plunder. The townsmen quickly armed themselves, and joined the Earl of Marr; when the assailants, in their turn, panic-struck or overpowered, fled or sur rendered themselves. Lennox was killed, as was supposed, by command of Lord Claud Hamilton. "Think on the Arch bishop of St Andrew's!" was the cry of the Queen's friends; and the Regent fell a sacrifice to his memory..

Marr was elected to the regency; and concluded a truce with the Queen's party, by means of the French and English ambassa dors: But he was unfit for the storms of faction which desolated the kingdom. Being a nobleman of a generous spirit, he was so affected with melancholy at the distracted state of his country, A.D. that he died. He was succeeded in the regency by the 1572. Earl of Morton, who acted in concert with Elizabeth ; : and she in return exerted herself more openly for the King's interests than she had hitherto done..

The captive Queen's influence rapidly declined in both kingdoms. Her partisans in Scotland were glad to submit to the King's authority, and accept of an indemnity for all past offences.. Kirkaldy, who commanded Edinburgh castle, alone scorned to submit. Sir William Drury marched from Berwick with troops and cannon, and reduced the castle, after a siege of thirty days: But, contrary to the articles of capitulation, Kirkaldy was delivered into the hands of Morton, who condemned him to be hanged

at the cross of Edinburgh. Maitland of Lethington soon after died a voluntary death.

The tranquillity which succeeded was of short duration. The nobles were divided into factions; the Regent's avarice excited disaffection to his authority; and the Protestant clergy complained of encroachments on their narrow revenue, which increased the discontents of the other orders. Finding his situation untenable, Morton resigned his authority into the hands of the young King; who, though but eleven years of age, assumed the administration.

Tired of the inactivity of private life, Morton appeared again at court, and acquired a great ascendant in the council; for though he resumed not the title of Regent, he exercised all the authority of that office. The opposite party took up arms on pretence of delivering their Prince from captivity; but a reconciliation was effected by the English ambassador.

The Count d'Aubigney, cousin-german to the Prince's father, had been born and educated in France; and being a young man of good address and a sweet disposition, he was despatched to Scotland by the Duke of Guise, in order to detach James from the English faction. The accomplished Frenchman no sooner appeared at Stirling, than he gained the affection of the young Monarch. Connecting himself with James Stewart of the house of Ochiltree, a man of indifferent character, who was a Royal favourite, he represented to the King the injustice that had been done to his mother in her deposition and subsequent confinement. James listened to these suggestions; and, notwithstanding his remonstrances, Morton was arrested, accused as an accomplice in the late King's murder, and condemned to suffer as a traitor.

The unfortunate nobleman admitted that Bothwell had communicated to him the atrocious design; but he pleaded that the Queen had acquiesced, and desired his concurrence; and he denied that he had ever expressed any approbation of the murder.

Apprized of Morton's condemnation, Elizabeth interceded in his behalf; and, to enforce her arguments, she ordered a military force to the Borders. The Earls of Argyll, Marr, Angus, Montrose, and Glencairn, entered into an engagement to defend the prisoner's life, even by force of arms. But those measures served only to hasten his execution. He submitted to his fate with great

fortitude, and left a reputation less sullied through incapacity than from want of probity and virtue.

The influence of the Royal favourites over the young King was but an insecure foundation of authority, while the majority of the nobles and all the clergy were discontented with their administration. A solemn fast was appointed by the Assembly of the Church, on account of the danger to which the church and the kingdom were exposed from the pernicious example of the King's counsellors. A conspiracy of the nobles was formed for seizing James's person; and the design being kept secret, succeeded without opposition. Of this conspiracy, the leaders were the Earls of Marr and Gowrie, the Lords Lindsay and Boyd, the Masters of Oli- . phant and Glencairn, with several ecclesiastics.

When the King found himself detained a prisoner, he wept ; but the Master of Glammis observed, sarcastically, "No matter for his tears; better that boys weep than bearded men.” These words the King never forgave: He found it prudent, however, to submit to his present condition. A Convention of the Estates, and an Assembly of the Church, were convoked to ratify the security of the conspirators. A protracted and fruitless negotiation for Mary's release and restoration to a limited authority, was opened between the French and English ambassadors; but the Privy Council of Scotland, influenced by the ecclesiastics, rejected all treaty of accommodation.

James remained not long in captivity: Impatient of restraint, he made his escape to St Andrew's, where he summoned his friends to attend him. The Earls of Argyll, Montrose, and Rothes, hastened to pay their duty to their Sovereign; while the conspirators Angus, Hamilton, Marr, and Glammis, fled to England, and were protected by Elizabeth. The Earl of Gowrie, though pardoned for his late offence, was kept in prison; and, on some new accusa⚫tion, was condemned and executed.

Arran, the Royal favourite, who had been confined, was now released, and recalled to court. His cruel and vindictive temper seems not to have been mollified by his misfortunes. Many innocent persons suffered from his tyranny; but his violent conduct soon rendered the party of the exiled lords very popular. Being assisted by Elizabeth, they made two successive attempts on Stirling castle, whither the King had fled for refuge; and prevailed. They obtained pardon soon after, and were reinstated in their ho

nours and fortunes; while the Royal minions were dismissed. Arran was degraded from authority, deprived of the estate and title he had usurped; and Elizabeth, pleased with this change of affairs, maintained a good correspondence with the new court and ministry of James.

The threatening aspect of foreign relations, induced Elizabeth to cultivate the friendship of the young King; and the more effectually to accomplish her purpose, she prevailed upon him to accept of a pension, equivalent to his claim upon the inheritance of his grandmother the Countess of Lennox, lately deceased. A treaty of mutual defence was also concluded, as the religion and liberty of both kingdoms were openly menaced by the combination of all the Catholic princes in Europe.

The rigorous restraints that had been imposed upon the captive Queen of Scots, pushed her into enterprises which threatened the repose and authority of Elizabeth. Her impatience of revenge concurring with religious zeal, engaged her in designs which af forded her vigilant enemies a pretence for effecting her final ruin. The English seminary at Rheims had wrought themselves to a high pitch of rage against Elizabeth. Intoxicated with admiration of the power and infallibility of the Pope, who had excommu ́nicated and deposed Elizabeth, these fanatics regarded her assassination as the most meritorious of all enterprises; and they taught, that they who perished in an attempt so pious, should certainly obtain the glorious and incorruptible crown of martyrdom.

There soon appeared wretches who were daring enough to undertake the perilous enterprise. One John Savage made a vow to attempt the life of Elizabeth. For this purpose, he was sent over to England, with recommendations to the more zealous Catholics. About the same time, John Ballard, a priest of the seminary at Rheims, formed the project of dethroning Elizabeth, and restoring the Catholic religion in England by force of arms. Under the assumed name of Captain Fortescue, he came to England, and bent his endeavours to effect at once an assassination, an insurrection, and an invasion.

Anthony Babington, a young gentleman of Derbyshire, was the first person in England to whom Ballard disclosed his intentions. Babington was a zealous Catholic. He had been persuaded, while on a visit at Paris, to interest himself in Mary's deliverance; and, - after his return, he was recommended to the captive Queen as a

person worth engaging in her service. She therefore wrote him a letter, full of friendship and confidence. Ardent in his temper and zealous in his principles, Babington considered that he was bound in honour to devote himself entirely to her service. Encouraged by his ready acquiescence, Ballard discovered to him the design of Savage; and was pleased to observe, that, instead of being shocked at the diabolical purpose, he thought it insecure while intrusted to a single hand: He therefore proposed to join five others with Savage, in the desperate undertaking. So meritorious did he reckon it, and so confident was he of success, that he caused a picture to be drawn, in which he was represented standing amidst his six confederates, with a motto importing that their -common danger was the bond of their fidelity.

In pursuance of his design, Babington successfully employed himself in increasing the number of his associates; and he secretly drew into the conspiracy many Catholic gentlemen discontented with the present government. On the same day that Elizabeth was to be assassinated, Babington proposed, with the aid of one hundred horse, to rescue Mary from her guards, whilst she was airing on horseback.

These diabolical designs were happily detected by the vigilance of Walsingham, the secretary of state, who had engaged two persons to insinuate themselves into the confidence of the conspirators. But the extent of the ramifications was not fully discovered, till Giffard, a seminary priest, came over to England and made a tender of his services to Walsingham. Babington and his associates engaged this priest to communicate their designs to the captive Queen, and to obtain her approbation.

Their letters were conveyed to her through a chink of the wall of her apartment, by means of a brewer who supplied the family with ale. Her answers were returned in the same manner; in which Mary expressed her approbation of the exertions of her friends; assuring them of her favour, and of all the rewards it should ever be in her power to confer upon them.

All these letters were carried by Giffard to the Secretary; and they were deciphered by means of Philips his clerk. To obtain full insight into the plot, a postscript, in the same hand and cipher, was subjoined to a letter of Mary's, desiring Babington to inform her of the names of the English gentlemen engaged in the conspiracy; which was complied with. Elizabeth was furnished