The Durham daily globe., 1892-11-25
QUEEN lIARY'S HOUSE
AN HISTORIC OLD MANSION IN THE
ANCIENT TOWN OF JEDBURC.

Three Weeks Lay Sick of Fever-HeT
Near Approach to Death.
There is one house III Jedburg 10
which. above all others, strangers who
visit the ancient town are sure TO find
their way, AID that is the old and an
tlque mansion known as Queen Mary s
house. Many will therefore be pleased
to learn that steps are about to be taken
for the better preservation OF this his
roric cdiice. and for the Improvement OF
us surroundings. On Oct. 3, 1896, Mary
left HolyrOod to hold assizes at Jed
lIrg, the magistrates having been pre-
viOusly instructed to 'prepare meat,
drink and lodgings for men and horses,
and she arrived next day. The queen
was accompanied by her ministers Of
-tate, her law officers and by many Of
her mobiles, among whom were the Earls
of Moray, Huntly, Argyll, ROthes and
Caithuess, and the Lords Livingstone,
seton. Yester, Borthwick, Arbroath,
IuIne and SOmerville, besides a num-
Der Of harons and bishops. What stir
there must Rave been in the old border
burg on that occasion, and what
anxiety it would cost the worthy pro
Vost and magistrates 10 keep up the
rood name Of their town in the presence
Of SO many great persDnages, and even
royalty itself!
The assizcs continued for six success
-:ve days, and terminated without a
single execution. Mary presided at a
l,riyy council held on the 10th, and at
aYDthcr held on the following day. On
lHc 18th, after the pressure Of business
was over, she rode 10 Hermitage castle
10 see Boutwell,. who had been wounded
~ Little Jo. K Elliott" Of the park,
noted freebooter, and after comforting
with her wounded lieutenant for two
Lour3 i'll presence Of several Of her
npbles who accompanied her on the
Journey she returned to Jedburg the
same evening, having ridden more than
forty-tight miles. Next day Mary was
attacked with an intermittent fever,
which kept her PROSTATE for over a
fortnight. On the same day she took
III the sum Of six shillings was paid to
"ane boy passing from Jedburg with
ane mass OF writings Of our sovereign TO
the Earl Of Boutwell,"
The room in which Queen Mary lay
during her serious illness is, according
To tradition, small two windOwed
apartment in the turret, but Miss Strick-
land, in her Lives Of the Queens of
Scotland, says IN reference to this point
tuat ''tho spacious suite of apartments
on the opposite side of the staircase. one
OF which still bears the name Of the
guardrOom, is more likely to have been
occupied by royalty as anteroom, privy
chamber and bedroom" 1t is, however,
the small back apartment that is pointed
ont To visitors as Queen Mary's bedroom,
and it was there, if we are to credit ira
dition, where she lay nigh unto death,
attended by her French physician
Charles Nan.
On the Goth she LAY for dead" three
hours-her limbs cold and rigid, her
eyes closed, her mouth compressed, her
(, It and arms stiff. every one supposing
that the vital spark had fled. Master
Nau, who was IA perfect man of his
craft" would not, however, give the
matter mp, but resOrted to friction and
manipulation, which he continued for
some hours, until the queen recovered
again her sight and speech and got a
great sweating. " hen her illness had
assumed q mortal tendency she expressed
her Willingness to resign her spirit to
God. She wished to impress on her
mobiles the rrceSStv of living in unity,
aud that they shOuld do all III their
power to protect the infant prince-her
only tie to life. To Du Croix, the
French ambassador, she made a request
that he would ask bis royal master f,
rotcct her dear son, aud she also recon-
llendcd his protection to Queen Eliza
beth, as her nearest kiuSWOman
On the 2Sth Darnley arrived in jed
burg, but left again the next day, and it
= not certain that le was ever allowed
to see Mary. When she was recovering
lie weari~olle hours were beguiled by
one john Hume playing to her on the
lute and John Heron playing on the pipe
and "Quhissil," the former receiving
iHrty Shlllin|S for his services. the latter
iuIr pounds for his, As a thank offer
inI L. God for her recovery she caused
twenty pounds to be given to the poor of
tie burg, and the same day she wrote
II letter ordering materials for new
dress, which letter was to be sent to Ed
'nburgh "iE all possible haste"
What a curious Old World picture!
i5ut the scene again changes. On Nov.
"--eNaclly Il month after her arrival
Queen Mary left Jedburg. accompanied
by her mobiles. among whom was Both
well. ana with an escort Of Il Thousand
rorStmen. She arrived on the 2Oth at
Eral~lUllar castle, with sorrow. suffer
ing and captivity III the near future. and
IN tn" distance the bloody scaffold Of
EotteriuEay. -Four months after her
G@rartur" from our ancient burg" saws
q local chgUllicler, "her hu>b band. Lord
Dara!eN, WAS murdered; three months
more and She was the wife of Boutwell,:
yet twelve months, and she was lodged
as Il prisoner III the Castle of Carlisle. As
time rolled on and the clouds of misfor-
tune We're rolling dark and thick around
her. she WAS often heard TO exclaim. in
the anguish of a wounded spirit, Would
1lat had died in Jedburgr r"-ScotSman