that she should make no
attempts to the disturbance of the established government: the third,
that she should be publicly tried for her crimes, of which her enemies
pretended to have undoubted proof, and be sentenced to perpetual
imprisonment: the fourth was still more severe, and required that, after
her trial and condemnation, capital punishment should be inflicted upon
her.[****] Throgmorton supported the mildest proposal; but though
he promised his mistress's guaranty for the performance of articles,
threatened the ruling party with immediate vengeance in case of
refusal,[v] and warned them not to draw on themselves, by their
violence, the public reproach which now lay upon their queen, he found
that, excepting Secretary Lidington, he had not the good fortune to
convince any of the leaders.

* Keith, p. 414, 415, 429.

** Keith, p. 416.

*** Keith, p. 427.

**** Keith, p. 420.

v Keith, p. 428.

All counsels seemed to tend towards the more severe expedients; and
the preachers, in particular, drawing their examples from the rigorous
maxims of the Old Testament, which can only be warranted by particular
revelations, inflamed the minds of the people against their unhappy
sovereign.[*]

There were several pretenders to the regency of the young prince
after the intended deposition of Mary. The earl of Lenox claimed that
authority as grandfather to the prince: the duke of Chatelrault, who
was absent in France, had pretensions as next heir to the crown: but the
greatest number of the associated lords inclined to the earl of
Murray, in whose capacity they had entire trust, and who possessed the
confidence of the preachers and more zealous reformers. All measures
being therefore concerted, three instruments were sent to Mary, by the
hands of Lord Lindesey and Sir Robert Melvil; by one of which she was
to resign the crown in favor of her son, by another to appoint Murray
regent, by the third to name a council, which should administer the
government till his arrival in Scotland. The queen of Scots, seeing no
prospect of relief, lying justly under apprehensions for her life, and
believing that no deed which she executed during her captivity could be
valid, was prevailed on, after a plentiful effusion of tears, to sign
these three instruments; and she took not the trouble of inspecting any
one of them.[**] In consequence of this forced resignation, the young
prince was proclaimed king, by th