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 234 MARY STUART and as she was supported by the French and Spanish ambassadors, the English queen had to abate her pretensions. Murray was desirous of pardon, and appears to have been sincerely anxious to return to his allegiance ; but Mary was resolved on his destruction, and on that of most of his associates. She was now much under the influence of David Rizzio, one of those clever Italian adventurers who then swarmed over Europe, and who filled every kind of employment in all countries, from that of the statesman to that of the spy. The queen's love for Darnley was of brief endu- rance, his worthlessness having soon become apparent. They quarrelled, and Darnley af- fected to believe he had been dishonored by Rizzio. Darnley wished for the crown mat- rimonial, meaning an equal share in the royal authority, which Mary had promised him in the days of their attachment. This promise she now refused to keep, and Darnley attrib- uted her decision to Rizzio. She had also joined the league of the Catholic sovereigns of the continent to exterminate Protestant- ism. Darnley entered into a vast conspiracy, of which the murder of Rizzio was a mere item, but the only one that was successfully executed. His chief abettors were Lord Ruthven, the earl of Morton, chancellor of Scotland, the earl of Lennox, Darnley's father, Lethington, Lord Lindesay, and John Knox. The conspiracy was known to Elizabeth and her ministers. On the evening of March 9, 1566, several of the conspirators entered the room where Mary was supping, with Rizzio and others, in Holy- rood palace, and dragged the Italian to the entrance of the presence chamber, on the stairs of which he was slain, receiving 56 wounds. Darnley was one of the most active of those who entered the queen's cabinet ; he tore Riz- zio from the hold he had on the queen's gar- ments, and held her while his associates de- spatched the Italian. Mary was for a time the prisoner of the conspirators, but by deceiving Darnley she effected her escape. Murray re- turned, and while she was reconciled to him and his immediate friends, she pursued the murderers of Rizzio with implacable resent- ment. Seventy of them, headed by Morton, fled to England ; Lennox was banished from the court, and Lethington deprived of his office. She no longer disguised her hatred of Darnley. On June 19 she gave birth to her only child, afterward James VI. of Scotland and James I. of England. At this time her connection with the earl of Bothwell commenced. He was powerful, bold, unscrupulous, and accomplish- ed, and it was natural that Mary should wish to secure his services ; but her enemies charge that she entertained a criminal passion for him. Be that as it may, she showed him high favor, while she treated her husband more contemptu- ously than ever. A plan for the destruction of Darnley was formed by Lethington, who wished to gratify the queen by ridding her of her hus- band, either by divorce or by murder, and to effect the restoration of Morton and his asso- ciates. Bothwell joined the conspiracy, as did other great nobles. Murray did not oppose it. It is charged that it was communicated to the queen, and that she offered no serious oppo- sition to it. A bond to cut off the king, and to protect each other, was drawn up and signed by the conspirators. Morton, on his return, was ready to join them if he could have the queen's written warrant, which Bothwell sought to obtain, but unsuccessfully. Darn- ley was then ill of the smallpox at Glasgow. There he was visited by Mary, and a recon- ciliation was apparently effected. On his re- covering sufficiently to travel he was removed to the provost's house at Kirk of Field, near Edinburgh, where Mary attended him with much apparent kindness, passing several nights under his roof. This house was blown up by gunpowder on the night of Feb. 9, 1567, while the queen was attending a masquerade at Holy- rood palace. Of Bothwell's guilt of this mur- der there is no doubt whatever, but Mary's part in it is not so clear ; and the main point in that " Marian controversy " which has con- tinued to the present time turns upon the ques- tion of her participation in Bothwell's con- spiracy. The impression at Edinburgh was unfavorable to her, and did not lack expres- sion ; and her indifference, and her refraining from any exertion to punish those who were loudly accused by the general voice, deepened the belief in her guilt. Instead of complying with Lennox's demand for the arrest of Both- well, she heaped favors upon the murderer. Public opinion, as pronounced both at home and abroad, compelled her to order that Both- well should be tried ; but his trial was a mockery, the government acting scandalously in his behalf, and he was acquitted. New and signal marks of favor were bestowed upon him, and the whole power of the government was in his hands. He sought to marry the queen, and was divorced from his wife. At a tavern supper, to which he invited many of the nobles and others, he procured, partly by intimidation and partly by falsehood, their signatures to a bond declaring him innocent, and recommending the queen to marry him. On April 24, while returning from Stirling to Edinburgh, she was seized by Bothwell, and conducted to his castle of Dunbar. She was allowed to return to Edinburgh on May 3, when Bothwell's divorce was completed. Her intention to marry him was then announced. He was made duke of Orkney, and on May 15 they were married. This marriage created universal disgust. A conspiracy which had been formed against Bothwell, composed of the chief nobles, now assumed a serious mag- nitude, and hostilities broke out early in June. The confederates seized Edinburgh, and when the two armies met on Carberry hill, June 15, Mary was deserted by most of her troops, and was compelled to surrender. Bothwell fled, and never returned. The queen was com-