The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1893-03-29
Queen Mary's House.

which, above all others, strangers who
visit the ancient town are sure to find
their way, and 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.
toric edifice. and for the imnrovement ~
its surroundings. On Oct. 8 1886, 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, Bosthwick, Arbroath,
Hume and Somerville, besides a num-
Der of barons and bishops. What a 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
single execution. Mary presided at a
privy council held on the 10th, and at
another held on the following day. On
the 10Th, 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
fortnight On the same day she took
i'll 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 Olives of the Queens of
| Scotland" says in reference to this point
that "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,
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 Goth 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 fol
some hours, until the queen recovered
again her sight and speech and got q
great sweating. When her illness haG
assumed mortal tendency she expressed
her willingness to resign her spirit t.
God. She wished to impress on hel
mobiles the necessity of living in unity
and that they should do all in theil
power to protect the infant prince-hel
only tie to life. To Du Croix, tn,
French ambassador, she made reques
that he would ask his royal master /,
protect her dear son, and she also recon
mended his protection to Queen Eliza
beth, as her nearest kinswoman.
On the 29th Darnley arrived in Jed
burg, but left again the next day, and i
is not certain that he was ever allowed
to see Mary. When she was recoverin!
the wearisome hours were beguiled b,
one John Hume playing to her on tn
lutte and John Heron playing on the pip
and "quhissil," the former receiving
forty shillings for his services, the latte
: four pounds for his. AS thank offer
ing to God for her recovery she cause
twenty pounds to be given to the poor @
the burg, and the same day she wrot
letter ordering materials for neN
dress, which letter was to be sent to Ed
inburgh Gin all possible haste"
What q curious Old World picture
But the scene again changes. On Nov
9-exactly month after her arrival
Queen Mary left Jedburg, accompanie
I by her mobiles, among whom was Boil
, well, and with an escort Of thousan
horsemen. She arrived on the goth 6
Craigmillar castle, with sorrow, suffe
= ing and captivity in the near future, an
in the distance the bloody scaffold {
Fotheringay. -Four months after ht
departure from our ancient burg" sa,
local chronicler, "her husband, Lor
Darnley, was murdered; three month
more and she was the wife of Bothwel
yet twelve months, and she was lodge
as a prisoner in the Castle of Carlisle. 4
time rolled ON and the clouds of misfo
tune were rolling dark and thick arouI
her, she was often heard to exclaim,
the anguish of wounded spirit, Won
!, that had died in Jedburgp "-Scotsma
ar0" Growing old" should only met
= growing wiser, sweeter, better, col
MI Meter in all the oualities of true man