70 OLD AND NEW EDINBURGH. [Holyrood.
orders, who was on his way to Scotland at the
time of the murder. Darnley?s unsuccessful attempt
to obtain the crown-matrimonial roused
all the vengeance of himself and his father, who
now determined to put Rizzio to death and
deprive Mary of the throne.
How and why the conspiracy spread belongs
to history; suffice it that it was on the evening
of Saturday, the 9th of March, 1566, the conspirators
determined to strike the blow, in terms
of their ?Articles? with ?the noble and mighty
Prince Henry, King of Scotland, husband to our
sovereign Lady,? signed 1st March, 1566; and
they seem to have entered the palace unnoticed by
the sentinels, for Mary had, since 1562, a gardedu-
corps of seventy archers, under Sir Arthur
Erskine of Scotscraig.
In the dusk of the spring evening the Earl of
Morton arrived with 500 of his personal retainers,
and on being joined by the other lords, his
accomplices, assembled secretly in the vicinity of
the palace, into which they had passed, Morton,
ordering the gates to be locked, took possession of
the keys, while Damley, George Douglas, known as
the Postulate (i.e., a candidate for some office), the
Lords Lindsay and Ruthven, were waiting to proceed
to the queen?s apartments in the Tower of
James V., where they expected to find their victim.
It had been originally intended to murder Rizzio
in his own apartment, a plan abandoned for the
double reason that they might have failed to find
him, as he frequently slept in the room of his
brother Joseph, and that to slay him under
Mary?s eyes would malign and terrify her more.
At this time she, altogether unsuspicious,
was at supper in the closet with her sister the
Countess of Argyle, her brother Robert, Commendator
of Holyrood, her Master of the Household,
the Captain of the Archers, and Rizzio, while two
servants of the Privy Chamber were waiting by a
side-table, at which, Camden states, Rizzio was
seated. Ascending the private staircase, Darnley
entered alone, and kissing the queen, seated himself
by her side; but a minute scarcely elapsed
when Ruthven drew aside the tapestry, entered,
and without ceremony threw himself into a chair.
He was in full armour, with his sword drawn, and
looked pale, wan, and ghastly, having been long
a-bed with an incurable disease. Mary, now far
advanced in pregnancy, repressed her terror, and
. said, ?My lord, hearing you were still ill, I was
about to visit you, and now you enter our presence
in armour. What does it mean?? ?( I have been
ill indeed,? replied the savage noble, sternly; ? but
am well enough to come here for your good.?
?
.
cc You come not in the fashion of one who meaneth
well,? said Mary. ? There is no harm intended to
your grace, nor any one but yonder poltroon,,
David.? rcWhat hath he done?? ?Ask the
king, your husband, madam.? Mary now assumed
an air of authority, and demanding an explanation
of Darnley, commanded Ruthven to begone. On
this, the Master of the Household and the captain
of the archers attempted to expel him by force,
but he brandished his sword, exclaiming, Lay no
hands on me-for I will not be so handled ! ?
Another conspirator, Kerr of Faudonside, now
burst in with a horse-petronel cocked, and the
private stair beyond was seen crowded by others.
cc Do you seek my life? ? exclaimed Mary, on
finding the weapon levelled at her breast. ccNo,?
replied Ruthven ; ?? but we will have out yonder
villain, Davie.? He now tried to drag forth
the hapless Italian, who had retreated into the
recess of a window, a dagger in one hand, and
with the other clinging to the skirt of the interposing
queen. ?If my secretary has been guilty
of any misdemeanour,? said she, ?he shall be
dealt with according to the forms of justice.?
? Here is justice, madam ! ? cried one, producing
a rope, from which we learn by Knox and the
work of Prince Lebanoff, that the first intention
had been to hang Rizzio. Fear not,? said the
queen to him ; cc the king will not suffer you to be
slain in my presence, nor will he forget your faithful
services.?
?? A Douglas !-a Douglas ! ?? was now resounding
through the palace, as Morton and his
vassals rushed up the great staircase and burst into
the presence-chamber, the light of their glaring
torches and flashing of their weapons adding to the
terror of the little group in the closet. The
supper-table, which had hitherto interposed between
Rizzio and his murderers, was now overturned before
the queen, and had not the Countess of Argyle
caught one of the falling candles, the room would
have been involved in darkness.
on this fatal night was dressed in black figured
damask, trimmed with fur, a satin doublet,
russet velvet hose, and wore at his neck a niagnificent
jewel- never seen after that night - now
clung in despair to the weeping queen, crying,
U Giusfizia 1 Giusiizia 1 Sauve ma vie, madame,
-sauzIe ma vie f ?
But he was stabbed over her shoulder by George
Douglas with the king?s own dagger, and other
daggers and swords followed fast. By force the
usually half-drunken Darnley tore the queen?s skirt
from the clutch of the poor bleeding creature, who,
amid ferocious shouts and hideous oaths, was
Rizzio, who.
