that she did not see the trap, and
immediately offered to prove her innocence to the satisfaction of
her sister Elizabeth; but scarcely had she in her hands Mary Stuart's
letter, than from arbitress she became judge, and, naming commissioners
to hear the parties, summoned Murray to appear and accuse his sister.
Murray, who knew Elizabeth's secret intentions with regard to her rival,
did not hesitate a moment. He came to England, bringing the casket
containing the three letters we have quoted, some verses and some other
papers which proved that the queen had not only been Bothwell's
mistress during the lifetime of Darnley, but had also been aware of the
assassination of her husband. On their side, Lord Herries and the Bishop
of Ross, the queen's advocates, maintained that these letters had
been forged, that the handwriting was counterfeited, and demanded, in
verification, experts whom they could not obtain; so that this great
controversy, remained pending for future ages, and to this hour nothing
is yet affirmatively settled in this matter either by scholars or
historians.

After a five months' inquiry, the Queen of England made known to the
parties, that not having, in these proceedings, been able to discover
anything to the dishonour of accuser or accused, everything would remain
in statu quo till one or the other could bring forward fresh proofs.

As a result of this strange decision, Elizabeth should have sent back
the regent to Scotland, and have left Mary Stuart free to go where she
would. But, instead of that, she had her prisoner removed from Bolton
Castle to Carlisle Castle, from whose terrace, to crown her with grief,
poor Mary Stuart saw the blue mountains of her own Scotland.

However, among the judges named by Elizabeth to examine into Mary
Stuart's conduct was Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk. Be it that he was
convinced of Mary's innocence, be it that he was urged by the ambitious
project which since served as a ground for his prosecution, and which
was nothing else than to wed Mary Stuart, to affiance his daughter
to the young king, and to become regent of Scotland, he resolved to
extricate her from her prison. Several members of the high nobility of
England, among whom were the Earls of Westmoreland and Northumberland,
entered into the plot and under, took to support it with all their
forces. But their scheme had been communicated to the regent: he
denounced it to Elizabeth, who had Norfolk arrested. War