l of
Bothwell, between January and April 1566-1567. The nature of these
documents--authentic, forged, or partly forged, partly genuine--has been
the theme of much discussion. If authentic throughout, they afford
perfect proof of Mary's complicity in the murder of her husband, Henry,
Lord Darnley. The topic is so perplexing, and possibilities are so
delicately balanced, that inquirers may change their views, and modify
or reverse their opinions, on the appearance of each fresh document that
is brought to light; or even upon a new consideration of existing
evidence. Controversy centres round a very long and singular undated
epistle called "The Glasgow Letter" or "Letter II." If Mary wrote all of
this, or even wrote some compromising parts of it, she was certainly
guilty. But two questions remain to be settled--(1) did her accusers at
one time possess another version of this letter which if it existed was
beyond doubt a forgery? and (2) is not part of Letter II. a forged
interpolation, based on another document, not by Mary?

The whole affair has been obscured and almost inextricably entangled, as
we shall see, by the behaviour of Mary's accusers. Of these Maitland of
Lethington was consenting to Darnley's murder; the earl of Morton had,
at least, guilty foreknowledge; the regent Moray (Mary's natural
brother) had "looked through his fingers" at the crime, and for months
remained on intimate terms with the criminals. He also perjured himself
when putting before Elizabeth's commission of inquiry at Westminster
(December 1568) a copy of the confession of Hepburn of Bowton (Cotton
MSS. British Museum. Caligula C.I. fol. 325). This is attested as a
"true copy," but Moray, who had been present when Bowton was examined
(December 8, 1567), knew that the copy presented at Westminster
(December 1568) had been mutilated because the excised passages were
damning to Lethington and the earl of Morton, accomplices in the crime
of Darnley's murder, and accomplices of Moray in his prosecution of his
sister. (See in Cambridge University Library, MS. Oo. 47, fol. 5 et seq.
Compare the MS. copy of the confession in the British Museum, Cotton
MSS. Caligula, C.I. fol. 325, printed in Anderson's _Collections_, vol.
ii. pp. 183-188.)

If Moray the righteous could act thus, much more might the murderer
Morton perjure himself in his averment that there had been no tampering
with the Casket Letters in his custody. We cannot, in short, believe
Mar