The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1855-11-03

On the prairie Ia the glade
Knew how to read them aud to love them,
Aud would sEE TnE rEISfER rAiD.
| Mary, Queen Of ScOts...Ilcr Escape from
LOchlcvcn Castle.
The Castle of Lochleven has been long
mouldcring in decay the strength Of those
compact round towers, which SO often re.
PEELED the English invaders, has yielded to
time tho steep stone steps leading TO the
state apartments have been transported, for
the purpose Of constructing dykes, to the
opposite shore, even the chamber occupied
by Mary Stuart is with difficulty to be dis
tingushcd in the surrounding mass of ru-
ins. The lake alone, with the exception Of
a few scattering habitations erected on its
banks which disturb not the faith Of histo-
rical associations, present the same aspects
that il were in other days, and We may
spare glance to the modest roof where the
! too early laincnted poet, Michael Bruce,
first saw the light, without losing the plea
surablc consciousness Of reality with which
we lngcr on the spot where Mary landed,
alter her memorable escape from LOChlcvcn,
that critical moment, the most ag,atcd,
perhaps the happicst Of her calamitous cX-
istencc.
il is natural that the lovers Of Scottish
history should approach these desolatci
walls with the expectation Of discovering
some local illustration of the mourn(ul
scenes which, in 1866, were here exhibited,
and which form in a manner the prelude to
Mary's tragedy. But although tradition di.
reefs our attention to the turrct in which the
Queen was lodged with Ca,harinc Kennedy,
the only female attendant who had been per
mitted TO accompany her, the filling up Of
the outline must be left to the crudilon or
the fancy Of the spectator We look in vain
for some vestigc of the place in which the
outraged Queen was dcspollcd Of the cnsigns
OF sovereignty; when struggling with Lind
says ruiiian grasp, she subscribed, unread,
the fatal deed Of abdication, and became a
cypher in Scotland 1t is for the poet only
to describe the cmbowcrcd window, under
which Murray stood the last time that he
exchanged with her All allcctiUnate farewell
when weeping on his neck, and melting with
parental tenderness, She earnestly lmplorcd
him to protect and cherish that child, who
had been made the innocent instrument Of
his mothers degradation. No ycstigo rc.
manned Of the royal canopy which. with
mock respect, was suspended from the bed
III which Mary lay, surrounded by 'cmalc
spies and sometimes rudcr scntinels, whom
the rigor Of her unkind, ungratcful brother
..',,,,',' ~ ""''' ""' ''"'''' NV
But, II the relics Of Mary's captivity have
pcriShcd, memorials of her escape are not
wanting; and after the lapse of more than
two hundred and fifty years, We are enabled
TO trace her steps, to observe, and IN manner
almost to witness the progress Of her dcllye-
rance. The fortress OF IochIcycn, situated,
as is well known, in Kinrosshre, was u
place Of considerable strength, and at an
early period had resisted many attacks Of
English invaders. The adventurous enter
prise Of the brave Nipont who, with four
gallant knights, by mastery manuuyre
had compelled Sir John dc llarIing to raise
the siege and return to England had been
celebrated more than two centuries, when
the castle came into the possession Of Sir
Robert Douglas, who had cspouScd the re
pudiatcd mistress Of James the Fifth, the
naughty lady Marguerite Erskine, mother Of
the regent Murray, and according to her own
testimony, the lawful though unacknowlcd-
gcd wife of the King Of Scotland Absurd
ns were these prctcnsions, they were not
without abcttOfS anu utlthuCTS among Mur-
rays professcd partisans but the arrogance
Of the lady manners rendered her generally
unpopular; nor was it without reason Mary
conceived for her an aversion which she ne.
yer betrayed to any other individual in Scot
land After the detection of the royal army
on Carbcrry hill, and the frightful indignites
to which she had been subjected at Edin.
burgh, the dclinqucncics of Lady Margucr.
ite ceased to be regarded, and it is probable
that Mary, with her wonted facility in be-
licying all she wished. allowed herself to cal.
culatc on receiving friendly offices from the
mother of Lord Murray she soon perceived,
however, that nothing prevailed with this
ilnpcrious dame like gold, and that by chin.
king a full purse, or displayngjcwcls which
were indirectly offered to her acceptance,
she should best enforce attention from her
vcnal hostess. Her next step was TO win
her nominal guardian, Sir William Douglas:
but his pusillanimty ballled her pcrsua-
sions, and though not less mcrccnary than
his mother, aud more humane, he was too
wary to hazard the diSplcasurc Of tho re-
gent, whom he rather feared than loved, for
the doubtful chance of establishing the su-
prcmacy and earning the gratitude of the
Queen of Scotland.
His younger brother George was of a ma.
ture more susceptible of generous sympa-
thics-from him Mary won pity by her
fears she engaged his friendship by her
confidence, and he engaged in her cause with
impassioned zeal, but his first attempt for
her relief miscarrcd, and served but to fur
nish prcteXts for treating the Queen with