James Melville: Life Story

Melville was delighted that Mary and Moray were reconciled, and tried to persuade her to forgive Darnley, casting the blame on George Douglas for leading him astray – but his words fell on deaf ears. The Queen had nothing but a ‘great grudge’ in her heart against her husband. Darnley, failing to understand that he was now in a dangerous position, then worked himself up, complaining to Melville because Moray had written only to Mary, not recognising him as King.

Darnley enquired as to the whereabouts of Morton and the rest, to which Melville replied that he had no idea. The King’s answer was brusque – ‘as they have brewed, so let them drink,’ but Melville believed that Darnley regretted abandoning them. Her purpose won, Mary was being extremely cold. Hardly surprising, one might think, when her husband conspired against her, killed her friend in her presence, and allowed men to mishandle her – Ruthven even pointing a gun at her pregnant belly.

Melville tried to patch things up – he seems to have thought better of Darnley than did most others of his acquaintance – saying his folly was due to poor advice, and inexperience rather than ill-will. Mary became so fed up with Melville’s support of Darnley that Moray was dispatched to tell him to cease his interference.

A new character now enters centre-stage in the Scottish court, James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell. Bothwell was one of the few Scots lords who had never been paid by either France or England, and it appeared that, together with his confederates, the Earl of Huntly, and the Bishop of Ross, he was unhappy that Moray had been received back into favour. Mary was reverting to the advice that Melville and Throckmorton had given – to court Moray to appease the Protestant faction in England, but Bothwell suggested that Moray should be held under house arrest while Mary was in childbed, to prevent him inviting Morton and the other banished lords back home.

Melville claims to have dissuaded her from this notion, but his own position was awkward. His brother, Sir Robert, who was now ambassador to Elizabeth, had been asking the English government to send Morton out of England. At the same time, Melville’s sister, Margaret, who was married to Morton’s relative, Sir John Johnstone of Elphinstone, asked her brother to write to the Elector Palatine, to give Morton refuge. Melville showed the letters to the Queen, and discussed both Moray and Morton with her. She decided not to put Moray under arrest, but Melville was forbidden to do anything to help Morton.

A new ambassador came from England, none other than the Henry Killigrew, who had helped Melville following the Battle of St Quentin. At this point in his memoirs, Melville only mentions that Killigrew was an old friend, who had been known to him in France. He does not mention a warmer relationship, however, a couple of letters from both Melville and his brother Robert, suggest that the acquaintanceship was in fact, very close. Killigrew’s wife, Katherine Cooke, was the sister of Mildred Cooke, who was wife to Sir William Cecil, Elizabeth’s Secretary of State. Killigrew had been at the heart of English diplomacy since Elizabeth’s accession.

Killigrew was to confirm to Mary that Morton and the others had been sent publicly out of England (although, in fact, they were there in hiding, to the English government’s knowledge). He was also to congratulate Mary on her escape from the rebels, but was to question her about her dealings with the Irish chieftain, O’Neill.

The English government had also sent a spy, one Rokeby, who claimed to be a Catholic and a supporter of Mary’s right to the English succession. The plan was for him to worm his way into Mary’s confidence and report back to Cecil on her plans. Melville’s brother got wind of the plot and warned Melville and Mary, so that when Ambassador Killigrew huffed and puffed about Mary entertaining Rokeby, a rebellious English subject, Mary immediately had the spy arrested and all his papers taken, amongst which were found letters from Cecil.

Rokeby was clapped into prison, and Mary, continuing to hide her knowledge that he was a spy, told Killigrew that he had been apprehended to please Elizabeth, who could have him delivered to her custody as soon as she liked.

Anticipating the birth of her child, Mary again prepared to send Melville to England, drafting letters lacking only the information on the child’s gender, and requesting Elizabeth to send suitable god-parents, to promote friendship between them.