e name of James VI. He was soon
after crowned at Stirling, and the earl of Morton took in his name
the coronation oath; in which a promise to extirpate heresy was not
forgotten. Some republican pretensions, in favor of the people's power,
were countenanced in this ceremony;[***] and a coin was soon after
struck, on which the famous saying of Trajan was inscribed, Pro me; si
merear, in me; "For me; if I deserve it, against me."[****] Throgmorton
had orders from his mistress not to assist at the coronation of the king
of Scots.[v]

* Keith, p. 422, 426.

** Melvil, p. 85. Spotswood, p. 211. Anderson, vol. iii. p.
19.

*** Keith, p. 439, 440.

**** Keith, p. 440. Append, p. 150.

v Keith, p. 430

The council of regency had not long occasion to exercise their
authority. The earl of Murray arrived from France, and took possession
of his high office. He paid a visit to the captive queen, and spoke to
her in a manner which better suited her past conduct than her present
condition. This harsh treatment quite extinguished in her breast any
remains of affection towards him.[*] Murray proceeded afterwards to
break, in a more public manner, all terms of decency with her. He
summoned a parliament; and that assembly, after voting that she was
undoubtedly an accomplice in her husband's murder, condemned her to
imprisonment, ratified her demission of the crown, and acknowledged her
son for king, and Murray for regent.[**] The regent, a man of vigor and
abilities, employed himself successfully in reducing the kingdom.
He bribed Sir James Balfour to surrender the Castle of Edinburgh:
he constrained the garrison of Dunbar to open their gates; and he
demolished that fortress.

But though every thing thus bore a favorable aspect to the new
government, and all men seemed to acquiesce in Murray's authority, a
violent revolution, however necessary, can never be effected without
great discontents; and it was not likely that, in a country where the
government, in its most settled state, possessed a very disjointed
authority, a new establishment should meet with no interruption or
disturbance. Few considerable men of the nation seemed willing to
support Mary, so long as Bothwell was present; but the removal of that
obnoxious nobleman had altered the sentiments of many. The duke of
Chatelrault, being disappointed of the regency, bore no good will
to Murray; and the same sentiments were embraced by all his nu