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88 The only portrait we can take as at all worthy of consideration is the Blairs College portrait. The following interesting note is from the Official Catalogue:—

Superior to all the other portraits here as a work of art, and bearing on the face of it the stamp of personality, it stands out from the i-est because of a certain air of queenly presence that distinguishes it. To the artist it has evidently been a labour of love. It resembles many of the portraits of Hans Holbein in the distinction with which the subject is placed on the canvas, in the dignity and beauty of the com- position, in the fine drawing of the head and hands, and in searching delineation of character. Sympa- thetically treated in low tones, it fittingly conveys a characteristic impression of the Queen. The exe- cution is quaintly painted in the background of the portrait, symbolising her tragic fate. It is not the wondrous charm of Queen Mary's beauty that is given, but a presentment of the woman who had suffered such long and grievous imprisonment, and who was soon to be led forth to a shameful death.

The wonder is that after all she had passed through she should still look so queenly, dignified, and noble. Complete and characteristic, therefore, as this portrait is in regard to a certain aspect of Queen Mary, we must supplement the impression ere we can form a true conception of her personality. Fortunately the means are at hand in the memento collected in the Bishop's Castle. Relics of liatrcd, bloodshed, and duplicity abound ; but all that has

been gathered relating to Mary Stewart shows only tokens of love, purity, and womanly virtue. Take, for example, the leading-strings of her son, James VI. They testify to her artistic ability in design; and her piety and love are indicated by the inscrip- tion she has worked on them : May God send His angels to guard and bless thee in all thy ways.

Then, again, the sustaining power that her reli- gion must have been in her life is surely shown in the letters ^vritten a few hours before her execution. One of these is on view in the Bishop's Castle. Both the character of the thoughts expressed, and the clear unfaltering decision of the handwriting, prove that Queen Mary, in her darkest and bitterest trials, had a stronger than mere human support. It may be inferred how accomplished and artistic she was from the art quality of the sewed works she left, specially when we remember the very low state of art in this country at that time. 2em