Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1892-12-02
QUEEN MARY'S HOUSE
AN HISTORIC OLD MANSION IN THE
ANCIENT TOWN OF JEDBURG.

Three Weeks Lay Sick of a Fevor-Her
Near Approach to Death.
There is one house in Jedburg to
which, above all others, strangers who
visit the ancient town are sure to find
their way, and that is the old and an
tique 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
toric edifice, and for the improvement Of
its surroundings. On Oct. 3, 1856, Mary
left Holyrood to hold assizes at Jed
burg, 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
state, her law officers and by many of
her mobiles, among whom were the Earls
of Moray, Huntly, Argyll, Rothes and
Caithness, and the Lords Livingstone
Seton, Yester, Borthwick, Arbroath,
Hume and Somerville, besides a num-
Der of barons and bishops. What stir
there must have been in the old border
burg on that occasion, and what
anxiety it would cost the worthy pro-
vost and magistrates to keep up the
good name of their town in the presence
of so many great personages, and even
royalty itself!
The assizes continued for six success
sive days, and terminated without a
single execution. Mary presided at a
privy council held on the 10th, and at
another held on the following day. On
the 16th after the pressure of business
was over, she rode to Hermitage castle
to see Boutwell, who had been wounded
by Little Jock Elliott" of the park, a
noted freebooter, and after comforting
with her wounded lieutenant for two
hours in presence of several of her
mobiles who accompanied her on the
journey she returned to Jedburg the
same evening, having ridden more than
forty-eight miles. Next day Mary was
attacked with an intermittent fever,
which kept her PROSTATE for over a
ill the sum of six shillings was paid to
Zane 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 Widowed
, apartment in the turret, but Miss Strick-
land, in her Lives of the Queens of
Scotland" says in reference to this point
that 1.-The 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
, out to visitors as Queen Mary's bedroom,
r and it was there, if we are to credit ira
dition, where she lay nigh unto death.
attended by her French physician
Charles Nau.
On the 26th she clay for dead" three
, hours-her limbs cold and rigid, her
. eyes closed, her mouth compressed, her
feet and arms stiff, every one supposing
: that the vital spark had fled. Master
Nau, who was "a perfect man of his
/, craft" would not, however, give the
matter up, 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. When her illness had
: assumed a mortal tendency she expressed
, her willingness to resign her spirit to
God. She wished to impress on her
mobiles the necessity of living in unity,
and that they should do all in 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 his royal master I.
r protect her dear son, and she also recon-
/, mended his protection to Queen Eliza
beth, as her nearest kinswoman.
,, On the 2Sth Darnley arrived in jed
burg, but left again the next day, and il
is not certain that he was ever allowed
( to see Mary. When she was recovering
the wearisome hours We're beguiled by
4 one John Hume playing to her on the
lutte and John Heron playing on the pipe
and "quhissil," the former receiving
/, forty shillings for his services. the latter
a four pounds for his. AS a thank offer
ing to God for her recovery she caused
e twenty pounds to be given to the poor OF
t the burg, and the same day she wrote
letter ordering materials for a new
1 dress. which letter was to be sent to Ed
= inburgh lin all possible haste"
What curious Old World picture
! But the scene again changes. On Nov
9-exactly month after her arrival
/ Queen Mary left Jedburg, accompanied
/ by her mobiles, among whom was Both
well, and with an escort of a thousand
horsemen. She arrived on the Goth al
l Craigmillar castle, with sorrow, suffer
: ing and captivity in the near future, and
in the distance the bloody scaffold OF
' Fotheringay. -Four months after hel
6 departure from our ancient burg" says
. local chronicler, cher husband, LORD
l Darnley, was murdered; three months
, more and she was the wife of Boutwell,
T yet twelve months, and she was lodged
d. as prisoner iii the Castle of Carlisle. Al
time rolled ON and the clouds of misfor
tune We're rolling dark and thick around
her, she was often heard to eXclaim, il