4/ r o REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [CH. 45. rid her of one or both of the two men whom she hated worst in Scotland. But if this was her object she had mistaken her brother's character ; Murray was not a person to trample on the wretched or stoop to igno- ble game , he spoke to Darnley ' very modestly ' in the Queen's presence; and the poor boy might have yet been saved could he have thrown himself on the confidence of the one noble-hearted person within his reach. He muttered only some feeble apology how- ever, and fled from the Court 'very grieved/ He could not bear, so some one wrote, ' that the Queen should use familiarity with man or woman, especially the Lords of Argyle and Murray which kept most company with her.' 1 Lennox, as much neglected as his son, was September. . . living privately at Glasgow, and between Glasgow and Stirling the forlorn Darnley wandered to and fro, 'misliked of all,' helpless and complaining, and nursing vague impossible schemes of revenge. He had signed the articles by which he bound himself to maintain the Reformation; he now dreamt of taking from Mary the defence of the Church. He wrote to the Pope and to Philip complaining that the Queen of Scots had ceased to care for religion, and that they must look to him only for the restoration of Catholicism. His letters, instead of falling harmless by going where they were directed, were carried to Mary, and might have aggravated her animosity against him had it ad- Advertisements out of Scotland, August, 1566 . MS. Rolls House.
