Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 7.djvu/457

 1566.] THE MURDER OF DARNLE Y. 437 his earliest manhood had been her mother's stanchest friend ; Bothwell, when the English army was before Leith though untroubled 'with faith in Pope or Church or Grod, had been more loyal than the Catholic lords ; and though at that time but a boy of twenty- two he had fought the cause of France and of Mary of Lorraine when Huntly and Seton were standing timidly aloof. Afterwards when Mary Stuart returned, and Murray and Maitland ruled Scotland, Bothwell continued true to his old colours, and true to the cause which the Queen of Scots in her heart was cherishing. Hating England, hating the Reformers, hating Murray above all living men, he had early conceived projects of carrying off his mistress by force from their control nor was she her- self supposed to have been ignorant of his design. The times were then unripe, and Bothwell had retired from Scotland to spend his exile at the French Court, in the home of Mary Stuart's affection ; and when he .. July, came back to her out of that polished and evil atmosphere, she found his fierce northern nature varn- ished with a thin coating of Parisian culture, saturated with Parisian villany, and the Earl himself with the single virtue of devotion to his mistress, as before he had been devoted to her mother. Her own nature was altogether higher than BothwelPs; yet courage, strength, and a readiness to face danger and dare crime for their sakes, attract some women more than intellect however keen, or grace however refined. The affection of the Queen of Scots for Bothwell is the best evidence of her innocence with Rizzio. As soon as she had become strong enough to move