re, that he should stand high in her
favor. It was chiefly through his active exertions that she now
effected her escape; and she soon found herself at the head of a body
of men, chiefly his clansmen, sufficiently powerful to bring the
murderers of Rizzio to punishment. It is a striking instance of her
clemency, that only two persons were executed for this crime.

Three months after the murder, she gave birth to a son, afterwards
James I. of England; at whose christening Elizabeth stood godmother,
notwithstanding her envious and repining exclamation, that "the queen
of Scots should be mother of a fair son, while she was only a barren
stock." Even this joyous event could not dispel the melancholy of
Mary, who now suffered so much from the conduct of Darnley as often to
be seen in tears, and was frequently heard to wish herself dead. The
lords of her council urged a divorce, but she would not listen to
this. "I will that you do nothing," said she, "by which any spot may
be laid on my honor or conscience; but wait till God, of his goodness,
shall put a remedy to it." Finding the queen immovable on this point,
Bothwell, who had now conceived the ambitious project of succeeding
to his place, resolved to murder Darnley, who was just recovering from
the smallpox, and was lodged, for the benefit of fresh air, at a house
called the Kirk-of-field, near Edinburgh. His illness and lonely
situation touched the tender heart of Mary. She visited him
constantly, and bestowed on him the kindest attentions. She brought
her band of musicians to amuse him. She seldom left him during the
day, and usually passed the night in the house. But on Sunday, the 9th
of February, on taking leave of him for the night, she went to the
palace of Holyrood, to be present at the marriage of two of her
servants. While engaged in these festivities, the house in which her
husband slept was blown up, and his lifeless body was found in a
garden at some distance. Every thing pointed to Bothwell as the author
of this crime; but he, after a trial had before a jury composed of the
first noblemen of the kingdom, was acquitted.

Bothwell's next object was to marry the queen; and the steps he took
for this purpose were too extraordinary, and apparently unnecessary,
to have had her connivance. We are told that, as she was returning to
Edinburgh, she was met by Bothwell at the head of a large body of
retainers, who forcibly dispersed her small retinue, and carried her