Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 7.djvu/291

 1565.] THE EMBASSY OF DE SILVA. 271 But neither these offers, tempting as they would have been a few weeks before, nor the admonitory cau- tions of the Duke of Alva, came in time to save Mary from the rash course into which she was plunging. The presence of Lennox and Darnley had lashed the Scottish factions into fury, and Queen and Court were within the influence of a whirlpool from which they could no longer extricate themselves. The lords on all sides were calling their retainers under arms. The Earl of Murray, at the expense of forfeiting the last remains of his influence over his sister, had summoned Bothwell to answer at Edinburgh a charge of high treason. Bothwell would have defied him had he dared; but Murray appeared accompanied by Argyle and 7000 men on the day fixed for the trial ; and the Hepburn was once more obliged to fly. On the other hand, Mary was lavishing on Darnley the most extravagant demonstrations of affection. He was ill, and with con- fiding carelessness she installed herself as his nurse at his bedside. She accused her brother, when he remon- strated, of ' seeking to set the crown on his own head/ Argyle and Murray durst not appear together at the Court, ' that if need were the one might relieve the other/ The miserable Chatelherault could only mutter his feeble hope that he might die in his bed; while Lennox boasted openly, e that he was sure of the great- est part of England, and that the King of Spain would be his friend.' Lennox's men went openly to mass, and ' such pride was noted in the father and the son ' that they would