Page:A biographical dictionary of eminent Scotsmen, vol 7.djvu/211

Rh accompanied by lord Herries and a few other trusty friends, rode off at full speed, nor ever drew bridle until she had reached Dundrennan Abbey in Galloway, sixty miles distant from the field of battle. Here she remained for two days, uncertain whither to proceed. Resolving at length to throw herself on the protection of Elizabeth, she embarked, with a train of eighteen or twenty persons, on board a fishing boat, and sailing along the shore until she arrived at Workington, in Cumberland, was there landed with her suite. From Workington she proceeded to Cockermouth, twenty-six miles distant from Carlisle, where she was met by the deputy of the warden of these frontiers and a number of gentlemen of rank and respectability, and conducted with every mark of respect to the castle of Carlisle. This honourable treatment, however, was but of short duration. Mary was now in the hands of her bitterest and most inveterate enemy, Elizabeth, and though not yet aware of it, the conviction of its truth was very soon forced upon her. From Carlisle Mary was, by Elizabeth's orders, removed to Bolton, where she was strictly guarded, and forbidden to hold any communication with her Scottish subjects. Elizabeth had previously refused to admit Mary to a personal interview, alleging, that she was under a suspicion of having been accessary to the murder of Darnley, and that, until her innocence of that crime was established, she could not afford her any countenance, or bestow upon her any mark of favour. Affecting an anxiety for Mary's honour, Elizabeth now proposed that an examination of evidence should be gone into, to prove either the truth or falsehood of the allegation. Three sets of commissioners were accordingly appointed for this purpose, one by Elizabeth, as umpires or judges, one by Murray and his party as defenders, and one by Mary as plaintiff. These met at York on the 4th of October, 1568, bestowing upon their proceedings the gentle name of Conference.

From York the Conference, unattended yet with any decisive result, was removed to Westminster, where it was again resumed, and finally, after several disingenuous proceedings on the part both of Elizabeth and Murray's commissioners, was brought to a close without being terminated. Without any conclusive or satisfactory evidence of her guilt, or any decision having been pronounced on the evidence which had been led, Mary was, though not formally, yet virtually condemned to perpetual imprisonment.

The unfortunate queen was now moved from castle to castle as notions of caprice or fancied security dictated, and with diminished comforts and enjoyments at each remove, until she was finally stripped, not only of all personal liberty, but of every consolation which could make life endurable. Her letters of remonstrance to Elizabeth under this treatment are pathetic in the last degree, but they had no effect upon her to whom they were addressed. For eighteen years the severities to which she was exposed were left not only uninvestigated, but were gradually increased to the end of her unhappy career.

On the 25th of September, 1586, Mary was removed from Chantly to the castle of Fctheringay, with a view to her being brought to trial before a commission appointed by Elizabeth, on a charge of having abetted a conspiracy, in which the chief actor was one Anthony Babington, and which had for its object the assassination of Elizabeth and the liberaticn of the captive queen. The trial commenced on the 15th of October, but was afterwards adjourned to the Star Chamber at Westminster, where on the 25th of the same month it was finally adjudged that "Mary, commonly called queen of Scots and dowager of France, was accessary to Babington's conspiracy, and had compassed and imagined divers matters within the realm of England, leading to the hurt, death, and destruction of the royal person of Elizabeth, in opposition to the statute formed for her protection." Mary had been charged with abetting a