given
to publish in the church the banns between the queen and the duke of
Orkney; for that was the title which he now bore; and Craig, a minister
of Edinburgh, was applied to for that purpose. This clergyman, not
content with having refused compliance, publicly in his sermons
condemned the marriage, and exhorted all who had access to the queen,
to give her their advice against so scandalous an alliance. Being called
before the council to answer for this liberty, he showed a courage which
might cover all the nobles with shame, on account of their tameness
and servility. He said that, by the rules of the church, the earl of
Bothwell, being convicted of adultery, could not be permitted to marry;
that the divorce between him and his former wife was plainly procured
by collusion, as appeared by the precipitation of the sentence, and
the sudden conclusion of his marriage with the queen; and that all the
suspicions which prevailed with regard to the king's murder, and the
queen's concurrence in the former rape, would thence receive undoubted
confirmation. He therefore exhorted Bothwell, who was present, no
longer to persevere in his present criminal enterprises; and turning his
discourse to the other counsellors, he charged them to employ all their
influence with the queen, in order to divert her from a measure which
would load her with eternal infamy and dishonor. Not satisfied even with
this admonition, he took the first opportunity of informing the public,
from the pulpit, of the whole transaction; and expressed to them his
fears that, notwithstanding all remonstrances, their sovereign was still
obstinately bent on her fatal purpose. "For himself," he said, "he had
already discharged his conscience; and yet again would take heaven
and earth to witness that he abhorred and detested that marriage as
scandalous and hateful in the sight of mankind; but since the great, as
he perceived, either by their flattery or silence, gave countenance to
the measure, he besought the faithful to pray fervently to the
Almighty that a resolution, taken contrary to all law, reason, and good
conscience, might, by the divine blessing, be turned to the comfort and
benefit of the church and kingdom." These speeches offended the court
extremely; and Craig was anew summoned before the council, to answer for
his temerity in thus passing the bounds of his commission. But he told
them, that the bounds of his commission were the word of God, good laws,