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A Lost Chapter in the History of Mary Queen of Scots, Recovered
A Lost Chapter in the History of Mary Queen of Scots Recovered Author:John Stuart Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: II. THE EARL OF BOTHWELL—HIS DIVORCE FROM LADY JANE GORDON—HIS MARRIAGE TO THE QUEEN; AND ITS RESULTS. The first part of the history of the Dispensation has s... more »hown that it was procured to enable the Earl of Bothwell and Lady Jane Gordon to complete their marriage, notwithstanding of their relationship to each other within the forbidden degrees; and in most cases we should have heard no more of such a document after its primary purpose had been fulfilled. But, in the present instance, the most curious and important events with which it came to be connected have yet to be related. The marriage, as we have seen, was celebrated on the 22d of February 1566, and in little more than a year the Earl of Bothwell became the husband of the Queen, while Lady Jane Gordon was still alive. The circumstances which led up to this event—the turning- point in the Queen's life—have been related by many writers, and in such wise as to make them fit in with opposing theories of her motives and conduct. On the present occasion it will not be necessary to dwell on them in detail, except in their relation to the Dispensation. It has been noticed that at one time the prepossessions of the Queen were against Bothwell, but it is plain that ere long his powerful position and steady adherence toher interests attracted the royal regard, inspiring Mary with the feeling that among the turbulent nobles by whom she was harassed, there was at least one on whose strong and steady arm she could lean.1 To glance first at the public events which naturally led her to this mind, we may say that they date specially from the murder of Rizzio, in March 1566, when Bothwell with Huntly united in maintaining the cause of the Queen. The result of Both well's increasing importance was obvious throughout the celebrat...« less