As the time of her accouchement drew near, she
was advised by the Lords of Council to remain in
the fortress and await it; and a former admirer
of Mary?s, the young Earl of Arran (captain of the
archers), whose love had turned his brain, was
sent from his prison in David?s Tower to Hamilton.
STORE WHICH FORMERLY STOOD OVER THE BARRIER-GATEWAY OF EDINBURGH CASTLE.
(From tke Original ~ G W in tht Mwccm of tht So&& of Antiquaries of Scofkrul.)
A French Queen shall beare the some
And he from the Bruce?s blood shall come
To rule all Britainne to the sea,
As near as to the ninth degree.?
According to the journalist Bannatyne, Knox?s
secretary, Mary was delivered with great ease by
On the ground floor at the south-east corner of thc
Grand Parade there still exists, unchanged anc
singularly irregular in form, the room wherein, a1
ten o?clock on the morning of the 19th of June
1566, was born James VI., in whose person thc
rival crowns of hlary and Elizabeth were to bc
united. A stone tablet over the arch of the 016
doorway, with a monogram of H and M and the
date, commemorates this event, unquestionably thc
greatest in the history of Britain. The royal arms
of Scotland figure on one of the walls, and an orna.
mental design surmounts the rude stone fireplace,
while four lines in barbarous doggerel record the
birth. The most extravagant joy pervaded the
entire city. Public thanksgiving was offered up in
St. Giles?s, and Sir James Melville started on the
spur with the news to the English court, and rode
with such speed that he reached London in four
days, and spoiled the mirth of the envious Elizabeth
for one night at least with the happy news.
And an old prophecy, alleged to be made by
CIPHER OF LORD DARNLEY AND QUEEN MARY.
(Over entrancr fo tkr RvaZ Apartments, ddidurglr Castle.)
Thomas the Rhymer, but proved by Lord Hailes
to be a forgery, was now supposed to be fulfilled-
<? However it happen for to fall,
The Lycn shall be lord of all 1
the necromantic powers of the Countess ot
John Earl of Athole, who was deemed a sorceress,
and who cast the queen?s pains upon
the Lady Reres, then in the Castle. An interesting
conversation between Mary and Darnley took
place in the little bed-room, as recorded in the
?Memoirs? of Lord Herries Daniley came at
two in the afternoon to see his royal spouse and
child. ?? My lord,? said the queen, ?God has
given us a son.? Partially uncovering the face of
the infant, she added a protest that it was his and
no other man?s son. Then turning to an English
gentlemar, present, she said, ? This is the son who,
I hope, shall first unite the two kingdoms of Scotland
and England.? Sir William Stanley said,
?Why, madam, shall he succeed before your majesty
and his father?? ?Alas !? answered Mary, ?his
father has broken to me,? alluding to the conspiracy
against Rizzio. ?? Sweet madam,? said
Darnley, ?is this the promise you made--that
you would forget and forgive all ? ?I ? I have forgiven
all,? replied the queen, ?but will never
forget. What if Faudonside?s (one of the assassins)
pistol had shot? What would have become of
both the babe and me ? ?? ? Madam,? replied
Darnley, ?these things are past.? ?Then,? said the
queen, ? let them go.? So ended this conversation.
It is a curious circumstance that the remains of
In infant in an oak coffin, wrapped in a shroud
marked with the letter I, were discovered built up
in the wall of this old palace in August, 1830,
but were re-consigned to their strange place of
jepulture by order of General Thackeray, comnanding
the Royal Engineers in Scotland.
When John Spotswood, superintendent of Lo-
:hian, and other Reformed clergymen, came to
:ongratulate Mary in the name of the General
kssembly, he begged that the young Duke of
