Life of Mary Queen of Scots, Volume 2 (of 2)

225

Tytler, vol. i. p. 144.

226

There is preserved at Hamilton Palace, a small silver box, said to be the very casket which once contained the Letters. Laing, who appears to believe in the genuineness of this relic somewhat too hastily, mentions, that “the casket was purchased from a Papist by the Marchioness of Douglas (a daughter of the Huntly family) about the period of the Restoration. After her death, her plate was sold to a goldsmith, from whom her daughter-in-law Anne, heiress and Dutchess of Hamilton, repurchased the casket.”

“For the following accurate and satisfactory account of the casket,” adds Mr Laing, “I am indebted to Mr Alexander Young, W. S., to whom I transmitted the description of it given in Morton’s receipt, and in the Memorandum prefixed to the Letters in Buchanan’s ‘Detection.’”

“‘The silver box is carefully preserved in the Charter-room at Hamilton Palace, and answers exactly the description you have given of it, both in size and general appearance. I examined the outside very minutely. On the first glance I was led to state, that it had none of those ornaments to which you allude, and, in particular, that it wanted the crowns, with the Italic letter F. Instead of these, I found on one of the sides the arms of the house of Hamilton, which seemed to have been engraved on a compartment, which had previously contained some other ornament. On the top of the lock, which is of curious workmanship, there is a large embossed crown with fleurs de lis, but without any letters. Upon the bottom, however, of the casket, there are two other small ornaments – one near each end, which, at first sight, I thought resembled our silver-smiths’ marks; but, on closer inspection, I found they consisted each of a royal crown above a fleur de lis, surmounting the Italic letter F.’” – Laing, vol. ii. p. 235.

Upon this description of the box, it may be remarked, that it does not exactly agree with the account given of it by Buchanan; for it would appear, that in the casket preserved at Hamilton, there are only two Italic F’s; while Buchanan describes it as “a small gilt coffer, not fully a foot long, being garnished in sundry places with the Roman letter F, under a king’s crown,” an expression he would not have used, had there been only two of these letters. Besides, there seems to have been a king’s crown above each; but on the coffer at Hamilton, there is only one crown on the top of the lock, and not above the letter F. Antiquarians, however, have investigated subjects of less curiosity, and have been willing to believe upon far more slender data.

227

Goodall, vol. ii. p. 87.

228

Goodall, vol. ii. p. 140.

229

Goodall, vol. ii. p. 235; and p. 257.

230

The authentic “Warrant” and “Consent,” has been already described, supra, vol. ii. p. 95, and may be seen at length in Anderson, vol. i. p. 87.

231

Laing, Appendix, vol. ii. p. 356.

232

See in further corroboration of the facts stated above, a Letter of Archibald Douglas to the Queen of Scots, in Robertson’s Appendix, or in Laing, vol. ii. p. 363.

233

“Nec ullam hac in causa reginæ accusationem intervenire.” – See the King of Denmark’s Letter in Laing, vol. ii. p. 328.

234

Goodall, vol. ii. p. 382.

235

Keith, Appendix, p. 141.

236

Jebb, vol. ii. p. 227. – Keith, Appendix, p. 143.

237

See the New Monthly Magazine, No. LIV. p. 521.

238

Lesley’s “Defence” in Anderson, vol. i. p. 40.

239

Miss Benger, Appendix, vol. ii. p. 494.

240

Buchanan, book xix. – Stuart, vol. i. p. 460.

241

Robertson, Appendix to vol. i. No. xxii.

242

Anderson, vol. iv. Part I. p. 120 and 125.

243

Keith, Appendix, p. 145.

244

Jebb, vol. ii. p. 671.

245

Anderson, vol. ii. p. 185.

246

Anderson, ibid. p. 187. – Laing, vol. ii. p. 296.

247

Laing, Appendix p. 323.

248