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 Gordon ('Diary' handed in by Moray at Westminster, printed in, Collections, ii. 271). On the evening previous to the murder they with Mary paid a visit to Darnley; and shortly after the explosion at Kirk o'Field, Huntly called on Bothwell in his apartments, whence they went in the morning together to inform the queen of the occurrence (Deposition of Walter Powrie in, Collections, ii. 170, and of John Hepburn, ib. p. 187). The secrets of that interview, whatever they may have been, were therefore known to Huntly. He was also frequently seen in the company of Mary and Bothwell at Seton, whither soon after the funeral of Darnley she had gone for a change of air. According to a statement of Drury, Mary and Bothwell shot at the butts against Huntly and Seton for a dinner at Tranent, which the latter had to pay (Drury to Cecil, 28 Feb. 1566-7). In the next step towards the attainment of his high hopes Bothwell was completely dependent on Huntly's assistance. Their alliance had been cemented by the marriage of Bothwell to Huntly's sister, but he now was asked by Bothwell to aid him in escaping from these bonds of wedlock. The condition was restoration to his estates, and Huntly did not scruple. He not only allowed, but requested and urged, his sister, Lady Jane Gordon, to present a petition for divorce from Bothwell on account of his adultery (De Silva to Philip II, quoted in, History, cab. ed. viii. 112). The scheme was in progress even before Bothwell's trial. Huntly, though Bothwell's constant companion, was one of the commissioners for the trial; and after his acquittal an act of parliament was passed on 19 April 1567 restoring Huntly to his estates. The second contract for marriage between Mary and Bothwell, dated Seton, 5 April (one of the ‘Casket’ documents, and asserted by the defenders of Mary to be a forgery), was stated to be in Huntly's handwriting, and bore his signature as a witness. Being written in Scotch, it was probably the document shown (if any was shown) to the lords in Ainslie's tavern to induce them to sign the band for the marriage. The divorce between Huntly's sister and Bothwell was not then completed, but this mattered as little to Huntly as to the other lords, and he signed the band. In the further stages of Bothwell's wooing, Huntly appears as his principal confidant and associate. He was in attendance on the queen in her journeys to and from Stirling when she went to visit the prince, and, there cannot be any doubt (whatever may have been the case with Mary), was fully aware of Bothwell's intention to carry her off, and arranged with Bothwell the details. The ‘Casket’ letters represent him as having, however, great doubts of the success of the project, and therefore at first advising Bothwell against it. With Maitland of Lethington and Sir James Melville he was taken in custody by Bothwell when the queen was captured, and was brought to Dunbar (Sir, Memoirs, p. 177). After they reached Dunbar, Huntly and Bothwell turned in fury upon Maitland for having previously spoken disrespectfully of Bothwell's aspirations to the queen's hand, and he was only saved from instant death by the queen thrusting herself between him and their sword-points, and swearing that if ‘a hair of Lethington's head did perish’ she would make Huntly both forfeit his estates and lose his life (Drury to Cecil, 6 May, according'to information given him by Maitland). Huntly and Melville were released next morning, but Maitland was retained a prisoner. Huntly accompanied Bothwell and Mary on their entrance into Edinburgh from Dunbar on 6 May 1567, three days after sentence of divorce had been pronounced between Bothwell and Lady Jane Gordon on the ground of Bothwell's adultery (Diurnal of Occurrents, p. 110). Until the marriage he was frequently in Bothwell's company (see curious description of a scene at supper on the night previous to the ceremony in, Memoirs, p. 178), was one of the few noblemen present at the ceremony on 16 May, and signed his name as a witness.

The scandal caused by the marriage may possibly have led Huntly to enter immediately afterwards into communication with Morton and the confederate lords (Drury to Cecil, 20 May 1567), if he did open up communication with them. In any case his communications had no practical result. When the confederate lords were approaching Edinburgh, after the flight of the queen and Bothwell from Borthwick to Dunbar, Huntly and others offered to assist the citizens in defence of the town, but, finding that the citizens would not avail themselves of the offer, they took refuge in the castle under the protection of Sir James Balfour (Diurnal of Occurrents, p. 113;, Memoirs, p. 92). Balfour was himself already in correspondence with the confederate lords, and as soon as conditions were arranged he let Huntly and the ‘rest of the queen's friends that were within out at the postern gate safe’ (, ib.) Huntly hastened north to collect his followers, and it was because they did not arrive in time that Mary entered into parley with the confederates at Carberry Hill. After Mary was sent to Lochleven, Huntly joined