dence in his integrity, his endeavours could scarce have failed of being successful. Maitland and Kirkaldy came so near to an agreement with him, that scarce any thing remained except the formality of signing the treaty. But Morton had not forgotten the disappointment he met with in his pretensions to the regency; his abilities, his wealth, and the patronage of the court of England, gave him greater sway with the party than even the regent himself; and he took pleasure in thwarting every measure pursued by him. He was afraid that, if Maitland and his associates recovered any share in the administration, his own influence would be considerably diminished; and the regent, by their means, would regain that ascendant which belonged to his station. With him concurred all those who were in possession of the lands which belonged to any of the queen's party. And his ambition, and their avarice, frustrated the regent's pious intentions, and retarded a blessing so necessary to the kingdom as the establishment of peace.

Such a discovery of the selfishness and ambition which reigned among his party made a deep impression on the regent, who loved his country, and wished for peace with much ardour. This inward grief broke his spirit, and by degrees brought on a settled melancholy, that ended in a distemper of which he died on the 29th of October, 1572. He was perhaps the only person in the kingdom who could have enjoyed the office of regent without envy, and have left it without loss of reputation. Notwithstanding their mutual animosities, both factions acknowledged his views to be honourable, and his integrity to be uncorrupted.

REGENT MORTON.

THIS crafty politician first begins to form a conspicuous figure in Scottish history, at the interesting scene which opens upon the violent measures assumed by the queen-dowager against the reformers. It is said by our historian, however, that he fluctuated in a state of irresolution, and did not act heartily for the common cause. He was one of the ambassadors sent by the parliament to Elizabeth, to testify their gratitude for that seasonable and effectual aid which she had afforded them, and to negotiate a marriage between her and the earl of Arran.

This nobleman became one of the contrivers of the conspiracy which the odious behaviour of Rizio had induced against his life, and, although lord high chancellor of the kingdom, undertook to direct an enterprise carried on in defiance of all the laws of which he was bound to be the guardian. No man so remarkable for wisdom, and even for cunning, as the earl of Morton, ever engaged in a more unfortunate enterprise. Deserted basely by the king, who afterwards denied his knowledge of the conspiracy by public proclamations, and abandoned ungenerously by Murray and his party, he was obliged to fly from his native country, to resign the highest office, and to part with one of the most opulent fortunes in the kingdom.

In 1566, Morton and the other conspirators obtained, through the influence of Bothwell, the pardon of their sovereign, and leave to return into Scotland. But instead of adhering to that nobleman in his flagitious conduct, as had been confidently expected, he joined the association which had for its object his expulsion from the kingdom, and the protection of the young prince. When the

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army of the confederates, and that of the queen lay on the field of Pinkey, in expectation of battle, Du Croc, the French ambassador, who was in the field, laboured, by negotiating both with the queen and the nobles, to put an end to the quarrel without the effusion of blood. He represented to the confederates the queen's inclinations towards peace, and her willingness to pardon the offences which they had committed. Morton replied with warmth, that they had taken arms not against the queen but against the murderer of her husband; and if he were given up to justice, or banished from her presence, she should find them ready to yield the obedience which is due from subjects to their sovereign. Glencairn added, that they did not come to ask pardon for any offence, but to punish those who had offended. These haughty answers convinced the ambassador that his mediation would be ineffectual, and that their passions were too high to allow them to listen to any pacific propositions, or to think of retreating after having proceeded so far.

Through the means of Morton, the celebrated casket, containing the letters and sonnets of Mary, was seized, and exhibited in defence of the measures pursued by his party; and he was afterwards appointed one of the commissioners on their part to the conference at York. He was thereafter named one of the ambassadors from the regent Lennox in 1570, to meet the commissioners of queen Mary and queen Elizabeth, in settling the articles of the proposed treaty between them. They prepared for their journey as slowly as Elizabeth herself could have wished. At length they arrived at London, and met the commissioners of the two queens. Mary's ambassadors discovered the strongest inclination to comply with every thing that would remove the obstacles which stood in the way of their mistress's liberty. But when Morton and

his associates were called upon to vindicate their conduct, and to explain the sentiments of their party, they began, in justification of their treatment of the queen, to advance such maxims concerning the limited powers of princes, and the natural rights of subjects to resist and to control them, as were extremely shocking to Elizabeth, whose notions of regal prerogative, as has been formerly observed, were very exalted. With regard to the authority which the king now possessed, they declared that they neither had nor could possibly receive instructions, to consent to any treaty that tended to subvert, or even to impair it in the least degree. This declaration she affected to consider as an insuperable difficulty; and finding that there was no reason to dread any danger from the French king, who had not discovered that eagerness in support of Mary which was expected, the reply made by Morton furnished her with a pretence for putting a stop to the negotiation, until the regent should send ambassadors with more ample powers.

Upon Morton's return to Scotland, and the death of the regent Lennox, he became a candidate for the regency, but was rejected for Mar, a character less able, though more disinterested and amiable. Disappointed in his pretensions, however, he afterwards took pleasure in thwarting every measure pursued by the new regent, and, by his factious measures, contributed to that settled melancholy which brought the worthy Mar to the grave.

No competitor now appeared against Morton. The queen of England powerfully supported his claim, and notwithstanding the fears of the people, and the jealousy of the nobles, he was elected regent, the fourth who in the space of five years had held that dangerous office.

As the truce had been prolonged to the first of January, this gave him an opportunity of continuing

the negotiations with the opposite party, which had been set on foot by his predecessor. They produeed no effects, however, till the beginning of the next year.

Though Morton did not desire peace from such generous motives as the former regent, he laboured, however, in good earnest to establish it. The public confusions and calamities, to which he owed his power and importance when he was only the second person in the nation, were extremely detrimental to him now that he was raised to be the first. While so many of the nobles continued in arms against him, his authority as regent was partial, feeble, and precarious. The divided situation of the queen's party gave the regent great advantage in his negotiations; and although he could not conciliate matters with Kirkaldy and his associates, yet, under the mediation of the English ambassador, he brought over Chatelherault and Huntly to own his power and authority.

After the reduction of Edinburgh castle, and the surrender of Kirkaldy and his associates, the civil wars were brought to a close. Though the kingdom was now settled in profound peace, many of the evils which accompany civil war were still felt. The restraints of law, which, in times of public confusion, are little regarded even by civilized nations, were totally despised by a fierce people, unaccustomed to the regular administration of justice. The disorders in every corner of the kingdom were become intolerable; and, under the protection of the one or the other faction, crimes of every kind were committed with impunity. The regent set himself to redress these, and by his industry and vigour order and security were re-established in the kingdom. But he lost the reputation due to this important service, by the avarice which he discovered in performing it; and his own exactions