James Melville: Life Story

Melville was deeply impressed with Mary. He admired her both personally, and as a monarch. On her return from France, she was determined to conduct herself and her kingdom so ‘honourably’ and ‘discreetly’, that her good reputation would spread around Europe. She enjoined Melville to advise her, should she make a wrong step. He refused, saying that she had plenty of advisors, including Moray and Lethington. Mary answered that the court was full of flatterers, and she needed someone she could trust to give her honest counsel.

Fearing to trust entirely in princes, Melville was somewhat hesitant, but accepted the Queen’s command. From autumn of 1564, he became her chief advisor on foreign affairs – writing most of her letters, and reading everything she received from foreign rulers. He presents the Queen as intelligent and quick-witted, as well as somewhat lonely at the Scottish court, which was smaller and less sophisticated than that of France. Nevertheless, Mary was winning friends both at home and abroad.

Into this happy situation crept the seeds of disaster in the shape of David Rizzio. Rizzio, a Savoyard, became one of Mary’s musicians, then her French secretary. His familiarity with the Queen, his Catholic faith, his elegant, foreign ways, and most of all, his contempt for Mary’s nobles, created rivalry and animosity.

The courtiers would shove him as they passed him in corridors, complaining he was always with the Queen and that he meddled with all of the country’s business, rather than just writing letters in French. Instead of keeping out of politics, Rizzio became embroiled as suitors paid him to put forward their pleas to the Queen – this was perfectly normal and not seen as corruption, but there was a limit, and Rizzio, in the view of the Scottish court, overstepped it.

Rizzio, seeing the growing animosity against him, asked Melville’s advice. He recommended that Rizzio stand back when the nobles were present, and show them more deference. He then decided that Mary, having asked him to give her advice when she went wrong, would now hear it plain and simple: she should cease favouring Rizzio, and not permit him to be insolent to her Lords.

Mary denied that Rizzio was involved in her business, beyond her French correspondence, but promised to think on Melville’s words.

Meanwhile, Lord Darnley was pressing his suit, supported by Melville. Mary turned him down initially, but Darnley persuaded Rizzio to speak in his favour, too. Mary was keen to marry to have an heir, and she was attracted to Darnley. On paper, it was a good match, Darnley was attractive, healthy, well-educated and had a strong claim to the English throne, as well as a moderate claim to the Scottish one.

Darnley was widely believed to be a Catholic, although in England he had conformed to the Reformed church established by Elizabeth – again, this should have made him a good choice – Catholic enough for Mary, Protestant enough for her nobles, who were largely of the reformed faith. Eventually, Mary decided to proceed.

Elizabeth sent frantic messages via Sir Nicholas Throckmorton for Darnley to return – or for Mary’s nobles to hold out against it until Darnley could be persuaded to confirm allegiance to the Protestant faith.

Mary, angry at further interference in her kingdom, and seeing Elizabeth did not want her to marry at all, ignored the demands to send Darnley back and married him on 29 ^th July, 1565. Her Lords, however, took Elizabeth’s money, and broke out into open rebellion – Mary’s half-brother, the Earl of Moray, angry at losing his place as her chief advisor; the Duke of Chatelherault, who had been Governor during her childhood, and the Earls of Argyll, Glenrothes and Glencairn concocted a plot to capture Darnley.

Queen Mary dressed herself in armour, and, together with Darnley, now proclaimed as Henry, King of Scots, led her troops in what became known as the ' Chaseabout Raid', as the royal army pursued the rebels hither and yon. The rebels escaped over the border into England, where their failure was greeted by Elizabeth with a refusal to acknowledge any involvement, and a public dressing-down for Moray, in front of the French and Spanish ambassadors. Moray was forced to confirm Elizabeth’s denials, to satisfy France and Spain, who had both accused her of interfering in other kingdoms.

The Scots Lords were concerned that with Mary, Darnley and Rizzio, all Catholics (although, as noted, Darnley (as we will continue to call him here) was rather flexible in religion) that they would attempt to reconcile Scotland to Rome. Abroad, the Pope and the Catholic monarchs of Europe had similar ambitions, although Mary had consistently kept her word not to try to overturn the Scottish Reformation. Pope Pius IV sent Mary 8,000 crowns in furtherance of his hopes, which she never received, as the ship containing it was wrecked on the coast of Northumberland. Melville was sent to the Earl of Northumberland to ask him to return it, but, despite the Earl (Henry Percy) being a Catholic and, in theory, a supporter of Mary, he hung onto the cash.