letters we have quoted, some verses and some other papers which
proved that the queen had not only been Bothwell's mistress during the
lifetime of Darnley, but had also been aware of the assassination of her
husband. On their side, Lord Herries and the Bishop of Ross, the queen's
advocates, maintained that these letters had been forged, that the
handwriting was counterfeited, and demanded, in verification, experts
whom they could not obtain; so that this great controversy, remained
pending for future ages, and to this hour nothing is yet affirmatively
settled in this matter either by scholars or historians.

After a five months' inquiry, the Queen of England made known to the
parties, that not having, in these proceedings, been able to discover
anything to the dishonour of accuser or accused, everything would remain
in statu quo till one or the other could bring forward fresh proofs.

As a result of this strange decision, Elizabeth should have sent back the
regent to Scotland, and have left Mary Stuart free to go where she would.
But, instead of that, she had her prisoner removed from Bolton Castle to
Carlisle Castle, from whose terrace, to crown her with grief, poor Mary
Stuart saw the blue mountains of her own Scotland.

However, among the judges named by Elizabeth to examine into Mary
Stuart's conduct was Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk. Be it that he was
convinced of Mary's innocence, be it that he was urged by the ambitious
project which since served as a ground for his prosecution, and which was
nothing else than to wed Mary Stuart, to affiance his daughter to the
young king, and to become regent of Scotland, he resolved to extricate
her from her prison. Several members of the high nobility of England,
among whom were the Earls of Westmoreland and Northumberland, entered
into the plot and under, took to support it with all their forces. But
their scheme had been communicated to the regent: he denounced it to
Elizabeth, who had Norfolk arrested. Warned in time, Westmoreland and
Northumberland crossed the frontiers and took refuge in the Scottish
borders which were favourable to Queen Mary. The former reached
Flanders, where he died in exile; the latter, given up to Murray, was
sent to the castle of Lochleven, which guarded him more faithfully than
it had done its royal prisoner. As to Norfolk, he was beheaded. As one
sees, Mary Stuart's star had lost none of its fatal influence.

Meanwhile the regent had re