Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 11.djvu/456

 440 REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [CH. 66. tion that he had conspired a second time against the person of his Sovereign. When he saw that all waa over he made a free confession, and in a natural resent- ment at his desertion, he said, perhaps untruly, perhaps half truly, that if he had succeeded this time, and if he had listened to English overtures, both the King and his mother would have been put to death. 1 If he hoped to save himself by the revelation, he was mistaken. He was carried to Stirling immediately on the surrender, and a court was extemporized for his trial, of which Colonel Stewart, who had taken him prisoner, was President. Argyle, who had been his friend, declined to sit ; even Huntly, though he was present, did not vote ; but of his literal guilt, if guilt could be said to attach to any kind of political action in the anarchy of 1 ' Le feu Conte de Gowry estant 1'an passe sur le poinct d' avoir la tete tranchee pour la mesme con- spiration que ces seigneurs Escossoys, deslors complices du diet Gowry, ont a present executee, deposa et conferra voluntairement au maistre de Gray, qui m'eu advertist par lut- tres encores extantes, qu'en Angle- terre (je ne veulx noinmer par qui) il avoit este faict projects et arreste de nous faire mourir raoy et mon filz en ung mesme jour.' Marie Stuart a M. de Chateauneuf, 8 decembre, 1585 : LABANOFF, vol. vi. When it is considered how extremely con- venient James's death would have been, how many misgivings he had caused and was still causing to Eng- lish statesmen, how bitterly both countries had suffered from Eliza- beth's interference to save Mary Stuart, how universal had been the expectation that James would not emerge alive out of the confusions of Scotland, it is not unlikely that this way out of their difficulties had pre- sented itself to more than one emi nent politician, and that small in- quiry would have followed had it been reported that the young King had died of some sudden disorder. Beyond doubt this would have been his fate, and the Queen of Scots' fate also, everywhere in Europe in any previous century. Times were changing, but the traditions of the old ways survived, and many a wist- ful eye might be cast back at them.