And yet it is not entirely free from the flutter of a French artist. Here, and in almost all the great houses of Scotland, we have pictures of queen Mary; but their authenticity is often doubted from the circumstance of her hair. In one it is auburn, in another black, and in another yellow. Notwithstanding however this difference, it is very poffible, that all these pictures may be genuine. We have a letter preserved *, from Mr. White, a fervant of queen Elizabeth, to Sir William Cecil, in which he mentions his having feen queen Mary at Tutbury castle, "She is a goodly perfonage," fays he, "bath an alluring grace, a pretty Scottish Speech, Searching wit, and great mildness. Her hair of itfelf is black; but Mr. Knolls told me, that she wears bair of fundry colours." This house was formerly, like most of the great houses in Scotland, built in the form of a castle, It belonged then to the noble family of Douglas; and was once the gloomy retreat of a celebrated chief of that name- the earl of Morton; who was regent of the kingdom * See Hayne's ftate-papers, p. 514. E 4 nominally nominally under James; but really under Elizabeth. That artful princess, having imprisoned Mary, conducted the affairs of Scotland, through this minister, as the pleased, Elizabeth was not nice in the choice of her inftruments. Moral failings, in men of abilities, were no blemishes. Morton's character is marked in history with those vices which unbounded ambition commonly ingrafts upón the fiercer paffions; cruelty, and revenge; to which we may add an insatiable avarice. Popular odium at length overpowered him, and he found it necessary to retire from public life. This caftle was the fcene of his retreat; where he wished the world to believe, he was fequeftered from all earthly concerns. But the terror he had impressed through the country during his power was fuch, that the common people ftill dreaded him even in retirement. In paffing towards Dalkeith, they generally made a circuit round the castle, which they durft not approach, calling it, the lion's den. While he was thus fuppofed to be employed in making his parterres, and forming his terraces, he was planning a scheme for the revival of his power.. It fuddenly took effect, effect, to the astonishment of all Scotland. But it was of fhort continuance. In little more than two years, he was obliged to retreat again from public affairs; and ended his life on a Scaffold. SECT. |