Elizabeth; the various and extensive plots dence; and lo! Providence fought for the discovered for attaining these ends, and the nation that had sacrificed a royal head. The aid secretly and publicly given by the leagued mighty armament was shattered and dessovereigns of Europe to these plans and troyed more by the winds of heaven and the plots; the bloody and treacherous massacre waves which they control, than by the force of St. Bartholomew in France, showing what of man, and the attempt failed ingloriously might be expected from this band of royal and disgracefully. For the first time the assassins, of whom Mary was one; and the people of England felt their power and their preparation of the Spanish Armada to invade sovereign acknowledged it. And from these England, exhausted the patience of the na- events, from the falling of Mary's head, by tion and finally overcame the reluctance of the urgent demand of the nation, and the dethe queen to shed royal blood. Elizabeth feat of the Armada, began the true liberty plainly saw that to execute a sovereign would and the true greatness of England. Supstrengthen the spirit of freedom, already, in pose for one moment that Mary had not been her opinion, too strong, and it was not until slain, had survived Elizabeth, or had escathe question became one of self-preserva- ped; suppose her to have raised her force of tion-when it was either her life or Mary's Scotch and English adherents, and to have that must be lost-that she decided. No one joined the forces of Philip, with her claim ever did a deed that she thought necessary to the throne, Elizabeth out of the way and with more real reluctance. It was not until her son a minor and a blockhead: with her proof of a plot to raise insurrection while charms of person and powers of mind—her Philip invaded England, and a conspiracy to personal, political and religious influence, assassinate Elizabeth, to which Mary agreed and the forces of men and money from the by letter, assuring the Spanish king and the Spaniard, what might she not have done! English conspirators of her concurrence in How many would she have had to reward both plans, that Elizabeth would sign the and what a flood of revenge would have death-warrant. The English Council saw been poured out! What a different course more clearly than the queen the necessity of would history have run :-the history of the prompt action, and urged the trial and the world and the history of freedom. Where execution. The people demanded it, and would have been the many privileges and their demand was acknowledged. It was a the freedom of speech and opinion possessed pledge of freedom that the people of Eng- by our ancestors, the English, and ourselves. land gave the world, and a defiance hurled The fires of Smithfield would have been in the face of the allied sovereigns when the again lighted, and truth would have been head of one of their number rolled on the scaf-blotted and burned out, the subservient bishfold. Nothing could have served better both to ops and nobles of England would have gone exasperate and intimidate Philip than this over to the religion of the court; the Inquiconduct of Elizabeth: while preparing a force sition would have been established in Engto conquer England and release Mary and land as in Spain; the bloody Duke of Alva place her on a throne which she had regu- would have reënacted the massacre of the larly made over to him and his heirs, and Netherlands; St. Bartholomew's day might while his emissaries are busily exciting insur- have been celebrated on British soil when rection in Mary's favour, suddenly Elizabeth force could not overcome armed resistance; discovers his plots, makes them public, strikes England would have been a province of off the head of her prisoner, and calling on Spain; Scotland would have been torn by a her people for aid, puts her kingdom in a persecution, compared with which that of state of defence, and openly defies his power the Albigenses was merciful; this country as she had defeated his policy. The invader would never have been settled, or its colocame, and the whole English people threw nies would present the appearance that now itself heartily into the struggle. All the disgraces Mexico and South America, and world looked on to see this regicide queen, the world's history, in all that relates to proand this people, rejoicing in and consenting gress, would have rolled back many centuto the deed of death, punished by Provi-ries. What a bloody Mary she would have VOL. XIX---64 made! Equally unscrupulous and cruel, she | date the beginning of democracy. Never far surpassed the first Mary in talent, in mo- was a new and valuable principle established tives for revenge and in the power to ac- without a struggle-never was a new faith complish that revenge. We have drawn brought into existence without being sanctino fancy picture; the league of sovereigns fied by sacrifice. Men have offered thempledged to assist Mary and dethrone Elza- selves singly, or by scores and hundreds, to beth, bound together, (beside Mary's influ- cement their belief with their blood; or they ence,) the countries of France, Belgium, have, while freely offering themselves to sufSpain with her world-wide possessions, Por- fer and secure their end, like the Druids of a tugal, Italy, part of Germany, the power of new faith, wisely and ruthlessly struck terror the Pope, and the order of the Jesuits. We into their opponents, by selecting some vicare within the bounds of probability, in our tim from their most important ranks. As estimate of the result, when we consider the such we regard the execution of Mary,—the forces that could have been used in case of first sacrifice of a faith not to be established success, and the character of that age of the without struggle and bloodshed. A victim, world. Mary's life was important to the too, selected on totally different principles cause of despotism; her death was all-im- from those of Holy Writ; one not without portant to the cause of freedom. We may spot or blemish-one not pure and perfect; thank God that she died; for the nations now but a sacrifice spotted and impure, full of enjoy the happiness and freedom which it blemishes and evils, offered up in warning was her aim to destroy; and we believe her and in vengeance instead of in supplication deserving of death as an individual and a and submission. In such a sacrifice the sovereign. She had been accessory to the fierce wolf takes the place of the innocent death of her husband-she therefore deserv- lamb-the ravening lion that of the playful ed death; she had ruled with tyranny in her kid-and the subtle, malignant serpent the own land-she therefore deserved death. pair of harmless turtle doves. Had Mary been slain by her own subjects, Mary disregarded truth like a Stuart. it would not have proved so valuable a les- Strange, that a family should possess such son, nor have been so important an historical an hereditary disregard to keeping their fact. The annals of Scotland possess many word. We have shown how the casket letregal murders, and this might have been ters prove her dissimulation, and how her classed among them. It was highly impor- promises to Darnley were fearfully belied in tant to the cause of human liberty, that she act; her history shows that all her promises should die at the time and for the cause nar- to govern well were disregarded, and that rated. England and Europe never forgot where she possessed the power she oppresthe lesson, that the sovereign of one country, sed her subjects and broke her word. In detained prisoner in another, to whose throne England we find her deceiving by her letshe was heir apparent, was, for planning the ters, professing love to the foolish Duke of assassination of the reigning sovereign, and Norfolk, until she had entangled him in conplotting against the liberties of the people by spiracies and lost him his head; writing to encouraging a foreign invasion, brought to Elizabeth that her health was rapidly failing trial, condemned and executed; and that the and that she expected speedy death, and on whole nation joyfully approved the deed and the same day writing secretly to her friends rose in arms against the invader. And it that she was in perfect health and could ride was moreover seen that the nation conquered as far and handle her crossbow as well as in the struggle, and from that time began a ever. We find her, when encouraging Philip long career of prosperity and renown. It of Spain to invade England, making over to was the first instance where a royal head him by regular deed her kingdom of Scotwas made amenable to justice-where the land and her claims to the throne of Engblood of a sovereign was shed in a legal man- land in case her son continued a Protestant, ner and in the face of a nation. (the letter still exists in the collection made This great principle was first practically by Prince Labanoff,) and yet her last mesmace known in Mary's case; and from it we sage to her son was that sent from the scaf fold, to the effect that "she had never done cence was so apparent that her apologists any thing to prejudice the welfare of his living two hundred years afterwards consider kingdom or his quality as king, nor derogate it as easily proved as that the sun shines at in any respect from our sovereign preroga- midday. Again, we must believe that the tive." pupil of the Guises and of Catharine de MeWhat a history of lying, better illustrated dicis, (the worst woman the world ever saw) than any of Mrs. Opie's tales, might be made brought up in the most cruel and licentious from the records of this House of Stuart. court in Europe-herself an associate with Consider, then, her own deceitfulness; her very evil men in very evil times-who showson James I., that base son of a bad mother, ed kindness, to say the least of it, to one with his fondness for what he called king- who murdered her husband-who, soon after craft, and other men call lying; her grand- the murder was feasting and enjoying herson, the man called a martyr, yet who was self in the murderer's company, and who any thing but a martyr to the cause of truth- very soon after allowed herself to be marthe man whose Parliament found that they ried to him-whose letters show the strong must either fight him or trust him, and who, affection she held for him, and whose course believing him utterly unworthy of trust, had also shows that she risked and lost her to overcome him by force, and whose fond- crown by his love; whose whole history ness for falsehood finally brought him to the proves that she possessed the capacity for block. The second Charles, who came in every crime except apostacy and fear-we was with a lie to the non-conformists in respect must believe this woman to be pure and perreligious privileges, and to the nation in res- secuted. A more bold, courageous woman pect to liberty, and who kept up the habit never lived; her very crimes show courage; through his life-whose and when she committed falsehood, she lied death very crowned by an act of deceit. The last of on a grand scale, for a great purpose, and them promised to keep the laws of the land, was pertinacious and consistent in her menand endeavoured in every way to overturn dacity. them; living a lie, and finally losing his kingHer seven years course in Scotland show dom because he could not speak the truth. a boldness of spirit and a defiant courage The memoirs of the House of Stuart is a that would well become the most eminent of history of royal falsehood and of royal mis- her brave ancestors; and her persevering attempts to release herself, her almost sucMary Stuart was not a weak, warm heart-cessful efforts to dethrone Elizabeth, and the ed unfortunate woman; such persons are not manner in which she arranged conspiracy so persecuted. A beautiful, loving, fascinat-after conspiracy with the princes of Europe ing female, true to herself and her womanly and the rebels of England, exhibit an amount instincts, never had the enemies or misfor- of energy, patience, dissimulation, unflagtunes that she had. Such a character as her ging courage and unfailing confidence in her apologists give her, and such a life as her own skill and her own resources, that prove history exhibits-such a nature as they make the great strength of her mind and the firm her to have, producing such results as hers decision of her character. And this was did, and leading through such a course to kept up for twenty years without despair or such a fate, is an anomaly in the moral go- despondency. fortune. vernment of the world, it is a blot on God's Yet her apologists say that we must becreation, a slander on his Providence. See lieve that this woman, thus reared, thus acthow the case stands: to believe Mary the ing, thus writing, was pure in the face of an innocent woman they make her to be, we amount of evidence that would convict any must think the best men of all England and person in any court. Any one who believes Scotland were knaves and liars; to believe her guiltless (and we have brought only a tithe one woman's purity, we must think that the of the evidence) must possess a degree of crewhole Scottish nation were in some singular dulity that is sufficient to furnish forth a domanner convinced (they being eye-witnesses zen sceptics; and at the same time have a too) of the guilt of a person whose inno- faith in assailed virtue that is not even as a grain of mustard seed, and yet removes her character, it is that she showed little or mountains. If Mary was not guilty, then by no fondness for her son. And the endeavor the same process of proof, we assert that made by her to put him in Bothwell's hands Madame de Brinvilliers, who poisoned her after her marriage, knowing well what his husband, married her lover, and whose casket fate must be in the hands of this usurper, of letters was also found, was innocent of shows a depth of depravity almost inconall crime. The two characters are not un-ceivable in a woman and a mother. like; both were young, beautiful, bold and For Bothwell to possess him would have bad; both were alike unfortunate, for a pub- been the readiest means of overcoming the lic execution and public execration was the other party, by depriving them of a rallying lot of each. point and excuse for resistance. They were Some stress has been laid upon the fact the party of the young prince against the that Bothwell during their short married life queen; Bothwell would have used him to is said to have ill-treated Mary. Bothwell destroy this party alone, and have kept him married the Queen of Scotland to possess alive until a son was born of his own, and the crown; the whole nation rose up against then-what would have been his fate? One this modern Macbeth, who added to the shudders to think of a mother consenting to crime of the king's murder, the adultery such a surrender; and yet Mary was a beauand the marriage with the murdered man's tiful woman! We accuse her of being a wife. No wonder their spousals were un- bad queen, of ruling tyrannically and of eshappy; no wonder they were in a state of tranging her subjects from her; and they discord, while the world stood aghast at the tell us her court was a scene of gaiety, and rapid succession of crime upon crime, so that that she had devoted friends among its freeven Catharine offered, if Mary was sent quenters. We say that she wrought ill to over from the castle of Lochleven, to confine Scotland, and we are told that she loved her in a convent for life; so much hurt was France. We say that she married a fool, even her callous nature by the discovered quarrelled with him for just cause, and then crimes and the disgraceful conduct of her had him murdered; they deny that she was daughter-in-law. History contains many cognizant of the murder, and accuse one of characters more complete in crime than her lovers to whom she had showed much Mary, none so unfortunate in their crimes; kindness. she was too bold a criminal and too little We say that she soon after married the able to conceal her intentions. Indeed she murderer, and they tell us that she, a wolost her head because she was guilty of be- man and a queen, was compelled. We show ing found out. the wretched state of Scotland, and they The curse of misfortune seems to have tell us that she played and danced graceclung to her and to all with whom she had fully. We speak of her crimes, and they to do; from the cradle to the grave she tell us of her beauty. We show her unnatcaused misery and misfortunes to others, ural conduct to her child, and they tell us her very birth broke her father's heart. that she spent the years of her captivity in Like a true Stuart she brought death or in- fattening poodles and feeding birds. We jury to her most devoted adherents, and we point to her history in its stern facts, and hear of no sorrow for the many gallant men they exhibit the romances that have been whose heads had been brought to the block written to prove her innocence. We show by her conspiracies; no compunction even that she wore the habit of truth but lightly, for the fate of the unhappy Duke of Norfolk, and they present us with a fashion of headto whom she had promised her hand as the gear, worn by the ladies and called after her price of her release. We discover nothing name. of this kind in her conduct or in her secret She was a true Stuart, and when we recall correspondence, nor do we find one natural that name and mean a king, we think of all wish or feeling toward the son she bore to a that was graceful and beautiful in person and hated father. Indeed, if one thing more carriage, dignified and affable in conduct, than another could give rise to detestation of brave on the battle-field or on the scaffold; yet insincere in private and public morality, | cruel, deceitful, disregardful of truth, careless of the public good so long as their private ends and pleasures were gained, false, vicious, obstinate and sensual. A character brilliant and unsuccessful; that might shine in a subordinate station, yet never could prosper on a throne. A character well suited to a courtier, yet not for a king. We may rejoice that this family existed, for it is incalculable the amount of public good, in advancing the cause of freedom, that this unlucky house of Stuart has unintentionally done. They deserve the same praise that Judas the betrayer of his Lord deserves, who wrought great good to mankind, while carrying out his own selfish ends by villian ous means. In a word then, we sum up the character of Mary Stuart when we say that beside possessing beauty, brilliancy, wit, taste, skill and courage, she was a bad queen, a base woman, an unfaithful wife, an unnatural mother. This blow struck for liberty by one sovereign upon another, although done by the request of the people and for the good of the nation, may be described as one of a monarchical character. A royal person was tried by command of another royal person; yet the trial was conducted by private persons, and the result was a defiance to confederated kings and the spread of new opinions among the people. A VISION OF DARKNESS. "See from each clime" the people "incense bring, A dreamer for writing a dream so strange, When 'tis stamp'd as with fire on the brain : If the transfer to paper may give it a range, And dissipate torturing pain? A lady was borne in a car along The streets of a far-famed city- It came from a creature whose mantle of black Wove a tissue of arrogance, pride, and state- And slaves bravely mangled and gored. Was any thing e'er so adroitly done- For the writer,) so powerfully traced! That few who have read it can praise it too much: Are your nerves imperturbably braced? "I got up the ruse that yer gals' were playing- And bloodhounds to scenting the prey. When baffled, in spirit a perfect ‘Kehama,' To the Scotch belong the honour of beginning the development of this principle of resistance; the English carried it on, and throughout Scotland and England the principles of liberty took root; and the Puritan mind of both nations, stimulated by their suc-. When Quimbo was dragging his victim along, cess and the results of it, were now ready Whose wounds were yet stinging from whip and from to advance a step farther, and only waited for the opportunity. That opportunity was afforded by the conduct of James and Charles, the son and grandson of Mary Stuart. thong, Endured for the right, while refusing the wrong, With all sorts of words at command, Appropriate phrases you gave to the wretch Whose purpose was fix'd to the uttermost stretch "You counted the lashes laid on with their might- But some things you've done which I cannot approve : As you now and then lifted your voice above In a kind of ejaculation. |