Democratic standard. [volume] (Georgetown, Brown County, Ohio) 1837-1850, 1840-12-08
THE ESCAPE OF MARY, QUEEN
OF SCOTS, FROM LoCHLEVEN
FE nASTI r

OfA6 LII
Since her interview with Murray, the
.eap,iye Queen had exeTted all the pow
ers of fascination which she so remar-
kaby possessed to gain upon herkeepers'
The severe temper of the regents moth
or. the lady Of the castle, had yielded TO
tbeir influence, aud her son George Dou-
oas the Younger brother Of LOchleyen,
beipg sn,iilen BY her beauty, and Halter
ed bv her caresses, enthusiastically deVo-
,sd himself TO her interest. 1t was even
.sserted that he had aspired TO her hand;
that his mother talked Ofa divorce from
Bothwell; and Mary, never insensiOle
TO admiration, and sOlicitous to secure
his services, did not check h's
bopss. However this may be, Douglas
Cnr one time had bent. bis whole mind 10
the enterprise, and on one occasion, a
liule before this, had nearly succeeded;
but the Queen, who had assumed the ad-
dress Of laundress, was detected by the
extraordinary whiteness other hands, and
carried back into the boat which she had
entered, TO her prison. This discovery
had nearly ruined all, for Douglas was dis
missed from the castle, and Mary more
strictly watched; but nothing could dis.
courage her own enterprise, or the zeal
of her servant. He communicated with
iLord SeatOn and the Hamiltons; he car
ried on secret correspondence with the
Queen; he secured the services Of page
who waited on his mother, called little
Douglas, and by his assistance at length
effected his purpose. On the evening ol
the 2Rd OF May, this youth, in placing
pIatt, before the castellan, cOnirived tt
drop his napkin over the key of the gate
Of The, castle, aud carried it oft unpercel
we'd. He fastened TO the Queen, ant
hurrying down the outer gate, they
threw themselves into the little boa
which Law there flr service Of The garri
son. Al that moment Lord Seaton ant
some of her friends were iniently Obser
wing the castle from theiI cOncealment OF
a neighboring hill: party waited IN th'
village below, while nearer still mai
lay watching on the brink Of tho lake
They could gee female figure with Iw'
attendants, glide swiftly from the QUITE
gate. II was Mary herself, who, breath
less with delight and anxiety, sprang int
the boat, holding little girl Zone Of he
maidens) by the hand, while the page, b!
locking the gate behind them, Prevente
immediate pursuit. In moment he
white veil, with its brOqd red fringe, (th
concerted signal Of success, was see
Rlancing in the sun, the sign was recogn
zed and communicated, the little boa
rowed by the page and The Queen hersel
touched the shore, and Mary sPringin
out with the lighlness Of recovered free
dom, was received first by George DOl
qlas, and almost instantly ailer by Lor
Seaton and his friends. Throwing he
seIfon horseback, she rode at full spec
to the ferry, crossed the Firth, and gallo
ed 10 Niddry, having been met on I'll
road by Lord Claude Hamilton, with fift
horse. Here she took a few hours resi-
wrote hurried despatch 10 France, de-
patched Hepburn of Riccario to Dunba
with the hope that the castle would b
delivered TO her, and commanded lheI
10 proceed afterwards to Denmark, an
carry TO his muster (Bothwel) the new
of her deliverance. Then again takir
horse, see gOIloped 10 Hamilton, whel
she deemed herself in saIety.-7yIer
History of Scotland.