Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 7.djvu/393

 1566.] THE DARNLEY MARRIAGE. 373 case of difficulty ; 1 while among the Congregation as was seen in one of Randolph's letters the worst con- struction was placed on the relations between the Queen and the favourite. Thus a King's party and a Queen's party had shaped themselves within six months of the marriage : Scotland was the natural home of conspiracies, for law was powerless there, and social duty was overridden by the more sacred obligation of affinity or private bond. On the J3th of February (the date is important) Ran- dolph thus wrote to Leicester : ' I know now for certain that this Queen repent eth her marriage, that she hateth the King and all his kin; I know that he knoweth himself that he hath a par- taker in play and game with him ; I know that there are practices in hand contrived between the father and the son to come by the crown against her will ; I know that if that take effect which is intended, David, with the consent of the King, shall have his throat cut within these ten days. Many things and grievouser and worse are brought to my ears, yea of things in- tended against the Queen's own person/ 2 It was observed on the first return of Lennox that 1 ' The Duke of Chatelherault, finding so favourable address, hath much displeased both the King and David and others. If there should between her and the Lord Darnley arise such controversy as she could his father, who is in great misliking not well appease, the Duke's aid she of the Queen. She is very weary of would use.' Drury to Cecil, Febru- ary 1 6 : Cotton. MSS. CALIG. B. 10. 2 Printed in TYTLER s History him. Thus it is that those that de- pend wholly on him are not liked of her, nor they that follow her in like manner aie not liked of him, as i of Scotland.