Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 9.djvu/75

 1569-] ENGLISH PAR TIES. 6 1 safely married first. According to Norfolk, the first step should be a request from Murray and his friends for his sister's release. Murray, to whom neither the marriage nor the restoration was welcome in itself, knew his sister too well to take her back till her hands were tied. His part was in every way a most difficult one ; but, on the whole, he preferred to act as if these secret intrigues had no existence, and, at all events, as long as he was Regent of Scotland he resolved to do his own duty there. On the failure of the conference at Edinburgh, Huntly proclaimed Mary Stuart in the north of Scotland, Lord Fleming held Dumbarton in her name, and Argyle refused to acknowledge the King's government. The Regent, to secure Edin- burgh, sent Chatelherault and Herries to the Castle, and prepared to take the field. The rumour that the Queen was coming back had been circulated everywhere with the worst effects. As a prelude to active measures he issued a proclamation containing a true account of the results of the investigation at Hampton Court. He said that he had been called before the Queen of Eng- land to answer to a charge of high treason. After dili- gent trial it was found and declared that he and the noblemen who had acted with him had done nothing ' which did not become honest and faithful subjects of their bounden duty for the appeasing of God's wrath and for the common weal of their native country/ ' The charges against them had been dismissed, and his own government willed to continue/ ' He had been compelled to manifest and declare the truth that the