It was over at last-over in shame and disgrace. In consideration of his illness and of Elizabeth's known regard for him, Killegrew intended to have received Maitland as his own guest; but the rage of the people against him when he was brought down out of the Castle was so violent that he was in danger of being torn in pieces, and he was sent for his own safety under a strong guard to Drury's quarters at Leith. His fate and that of the others were referred to Elizabeth's consideration; but a letter from Alva was found in the Castle which showed how deeply they had been implicated in the late conspiracies, and, in forwarding it to Burghley, Killegrew was unable to advise that either he or Grange or Hume should be spared. Maitland had burnt the greater part of his correspondence on the last night of the siege; but this letter, which remained, and others of equal importance from France, removed the last traces of uncertainty, if uncertainty remained, as to the real meaning of the long and obstinate resistance of the Castle. The Edinburgh ministers preached daily that God's plague would rest on such as should pronounce favour for traitors. The unthankfullest thing which could come from England would be a suit for suspending the execution.' And Killegrew's own opinion was that they were fitter for God than for the world.' 2

เ

Elizabeth, who could never bring herself without reluctance to consent to executions, after thanking Drury for his services, regretted that she should be called on to express an opinion for the punishment of offences done in another Prince's kingdom;' but since the fate of

1 Drury to Cecil, June 1.

Killegrew to Burghley, June 5.-MSS. CONWAY.

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the prisoners was referred to her, she said she must have
'particulars in writing of the quantity and quality of
the charges against them;' and she desired Killegrew to
see them 'lodged' meanwhile 'where they should be in
no danger of murder from their mortal enemies.' She
commended Lady Argyle to the care of Morton. She
was 'loath,' as she said, 'to interfere between husband
and wife,' but she feared if the Countess was carried off
to Inverary she might come to a hard end there. Eli-
zabeth intended clearly to save them all if she could;
but before her letters reached Scotland one, at least,
was beyond the reach of her protection or of Morton's
vengeance. Eleven days after the surrender Maitland
died, and it was generally believed that, to save himself
from the ignominy of the scaffold, he had taken poison.2
He was constitutionally more likely than any of his
contemporaries to have taken refuge in a Roman death;
but although the particular letter in which Sir William
Drury describes his end is not preserved, yet Killegrew
mentioned it two days after in a tone in which he would
hardly have spoken of something so unusual as suicide,
and the popular rumour was probably unfounded.
'Lidington,' wrote Lord Burghley, 'is dead from his
natural sickness, being also stricken with great melan-
choly, which he conceived of the hatred that he did see
all his countrymen bear towards him since he came out
of the Castle, in such sort as Sir William Drury was
forced to keep a strong guard to save him in his own
lodging from the fury of the people.' 4

1 Elizabeth to Killegrew, June 8;
Elizabeth to Morton, June 9.-MSS.
CONWAY.

2 Memoirs of Sir James Melville.
3 Killegrew says, in a letter of the
13th of June to Sir T. Smith, ‘Of

Lidington's death my Lord General did advertise.'-MSS. CONWAY.

4 Burghley to the Earl of Shrewsbury, June 14.-Illustrations of English History, vol. ii.

His companions remained in confinement at Holyrood in Morton's sole charge. The English guns were reshipped; the shot were gathered up again; a bawbee being paid for every bullet which was brought in.1 Sir Wm. Drury led back his troops to Berwick, and Killegrew carried to London an intimation that Morton was ready now to undertake the dispatch of Mary Stuart.2 Mr. Thomas Cecil, after his lesson in the wars, went back to the great house at Burghley; and religion in Scotland began to prosper marvellously. The long fever of uncertainty was past. The few recusant Papists

1

Drury to Burghley, June 5.MSS. Scotland.

2 I shall bring with me some articles touching the League, and I hope somewhat touching the great matter whereof I thought good to forewarn your Honour.'- Killegrew to Burghley, June 26.

'I have thought good to put in memory how the ground of the trouble yet remains in her Majesty's hands and power, whereunto I doubt not but her Highness will put order when she finds time; and thereanent I must leave to be further curious till I receive knowledge of her Majesty's pleasure.'

On the margin opposite this passage there stands, in Burghley's hand, 'The removing of the Bosom Serpent.'-Morton to Burghley, June MSS. Scotland.

26.

3 A fact memorable only as having furnished occasion for the Steward there to write a letter to Lord Burghley, in which we catch a glimpse worth observing of old Mrs. Cecil:-

My duty to your Honour,-Yesternight, about three of the clock, Mr. Thomas Cecil came home well

and merry, God be thanked; and
my Mistress, your mother, was come
to Burghley two hours before him.
The gown that you would make it
must be for every day; and yet be-
cause it comes from you, except you
write her to the contrary, she will
make it her holiday gown, whereof
she hath great store already, both of
silk and cloth. But I think, Sir, if
you make her one of cloth with some
velvet upon it, with your letters to
desire her for your sake to wear it
daily, she would accustom herself
with it, so as she would forget to go
any longer in such base apparel as
she hath used to have a delight in,
which is too mean for one of a lower
state than she is of. She likes well
of all things as yet; but for that
there is not one that is in the minis-
try to do service daily there, which
she much desires, that she may serve
God twice a day; you may have at
your pleasure from Cambridge some
one that, from lack of exhibition,
would be glad for a year or two to
do service there daily, which would
much content her.'-Peter Kemp to
Lord Burghley, June 7.-MSS. Hat-
field.

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CHAP XXIII

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came in, and made their peace; and it remained only for justice to be executed upon one who, next to Maitland, was responsible for all the blood that had been shed. The letters found in the Castle, when Elizabeth saw them, deprived her of an excuse for interfering; Morton told Burghley that 'the future quiet of Scotland depended on her consent;' and she felt that she had trifled long enough, and that she must now leave the Regent to do what he thought best.

เ

The most passionate intercessions were made by others for Grange's life. His relations offered any security which Morton might desire, that he should cause no more trouble. His hail heritage and the band of manrent of all his friends' was placed at Morton's disposal, if only his life could be spared. But the Regent, 'considering what had been and daily was spoken by the Preachers, that God's plague would not cease till the land was purged of blood;' considering 'the demands of those who, by the death of their friends, the destruction of their houses, the taking away of their goods, could not be satisfied by any offer made to him in particular,' 'deliberated to let justice proceed.' 1

Thus it was that on the 3rd of August the second Wallace, as Grange had fondly called himself, was drawn in a cart from Holyrood to the cross in the High Street. David Lindsay, who had carried to the Castle the last fruitless message from Knox, attended him at his own request. The first part of the prophecy had been but too well fulfilled; the words had now become precious with which Knox had received his answer-that for 'the body there was no longer hope, but that there was mercy for the soul.' Grange told Lindsay that,

1 Morton to Killegrew, August 5. —MSS. Scotland.

when the moment came, 'he hoped to give him a sign of that assurance, according to the speech of the man of God.' He was hung with his face looking up the street towards the Castle. It was four in the afternoon, and the August sun shone full behind him; but, as the cart drove from under him, the body swung slowly round. The light gleamed upon his face. He raised his hands slowly, dropped them, and died.1

So fell the curtain upon the cause of Mary Stuart in Scotland. Many a murderous struggle lay yet before the people there, as the Prince grew to manhood, and became the plaything of fresh intrigues; but never more was sword drawn there to bring back the murderess of Kirk o Field to the throne which she had forfeited.

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August