Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 9.djvu/415

 THE RIDOLFI CONSPIRACY. 401 So far Mary Stuart. It is necessary to remember that she was no subject of Elizabeth's ; that in the eyes of Elizabeth she was still Queen of Scotland, unlaw- fully deprived of her crown by her subjects for crimes of which, after a formal examination, she had not been declared to be guilty. So far as Scotland was concerned therefore Elizabeth had no right whatever to complain of her using any means and inviting any assistance to compel the recognition of her authority there. In Eng- land, her position was so utterly anomalous that it was hard to say whether she could or could not be regarded justly as subject to the laws ; and could the causes which brought her there have been forgotten, she would have been entitled morally to use any means whatever to re- cover her freedom. She indeed seeing her crimes condoned by Peers and Prelates, by the Vicar of Christ upon his spiritual throne, might easily have persuaded herself that she my secretary, to the Castle of Dun- bar and afterwards to the Castle of Edinburgh. I was there detained against my will until he had pro- cured a pretended divorce between himself and his wife, the Lord Huntly's sister, and he then forced me to marry him. I therefore en- treat his Holiness to take order for my relief from this indignity, either by a process at Rome or by a com- mission sent into Scotland.' If the Queen of Scots wished to marry again it was no doubt neces- sary for her to free herself from a troublesome engagement. Yet the VOL. IX. versatile lady had but two months before been in correspondence with Bothwell himself. Buchanan, who had gone to Copenhagen to endea- vour to prevail on the King to give up Bothwell to the Regent, ascer- tained that the Queen of Scots had both written to the Earl herself and had written to the King to entreat him not to listen to Buchanan's per- suasions. Buchanan told Cecil that if he took the trouble, he might in- tercept some of her letters. Bucha- nan to Cecil, January 19. From Copenhagen : MSS. Scotland, Holla House. 26