THE LIFE OF

b’2

when the vacancy occurred in the see of Orkney , which he was selected to fill *His immediate predecessor was Bishop Reid; a most distinguished prelate,statesman and patron of letters ; president of the College of Justice ; and oneof the unfortunate ambassadors who were sent to arrange the preliminaries ofMary ’s marriage with the Dauphin. Most of these, and among the rest BishopReid, died, under strong suspicions of poison, on their way home in 1558.

Among the Merchiston papers I found, what had hitherto escaped observa-tion, the bishop’s part of a correspondence with his brother-in-law and sister,which he seems to have commenced on taking possession of his see about theend of the year 1559, f and to have continued until he went to join QueenMary in France on the eve of her return to Scotland . These letters furnishsome curious glimpses of affairs, and contain the only notices of our philosopherwhen a child hitherto discovered. They are chiefly interesting, however, inthe light they cast upon the private character of one of those statesmen, who,if the fair fame of Mary Queen of Scots was the victim of a vile political ca-bal, had been an arch-conspirator against her. To look into the bosoms ofthose who spread with infinite art their toils around her, has by that veryart, been rendered indispensable to her exculpation ; though it is consolatoryto find that such minute inspection is equally necessary to determine her guilt,which yet remains a question the most interesting in the history of Scotland .Into the bosom, therefore, of this wily bishop we shall look as far as pos-sible ; and by comparing his letters with his political career, add anotherproof to the duplicity at least of Mary ’s accusers. If it was through evil coun-sel that she married Bothwell, this uncle of our philosopher counselled thatact. If guilty passion prompted her,—he pronounced the blessing of the Pro-testant church over them, and joined their hands. If she was innocent,—hefoully and falsely accused her. If the casket contained forgeries,—he was deep-ly an accessory to the most heinous instance of that crime that ever outragedjustice and humanity. If it contained incontestible proofs that this young andbeautiful queen was a hardened, unshrinking murderess,—then he had beensilent when he ought to have spoken, and is not free from the imputation ofan accomplice.

* From the Register of the privy-seal (xxx. 11.) it appears that Adam Bothwell was preferredto all the temporalities of the see of Orkney on the 11th October 1559. II e i s designed Bishopof Orkney in the grant; and must have been elected by the chapter some time previous to that date.

•j- Some of these letters do not mention the year in which they were written ; but, upon com-