THE

WORKS

OF

WILLIAM ROBERTSON, D.D.

FELLOW OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY, AND PRINCIPAL
OF THE UNIVERSITY, Of Edinburgh,

HISTORIOGRAPHER TO HIS MAJESTY FOR SCOTLAND,

AND

MEMBER OF THE ROYAL ACADEMY OF HISTORY
AT MADRID.

TO WHICH IS PREFIXED,

AN ACCOUNT OF HIS LIFE AND WRITINGS,

BY DUGALD STEWART, F.R.S. EDIN.

A NEW EDITION.

IN TWELVE VOLUMES.

VOL. III.

LONDON:

PRINTED FOR CADELL AND DAVIES; F. C. AND J. RIVINGTON; G. WILKIE;
J. NUNN; J. CUTHELL; CLARKE AND SONS; LONGMAN, HURST, REES,
ORME, AND BROWN; E. JEFFERY; J. BOOKER; J. AND A. ARCH; S. BAGSTER;
BLACK, PARBURY, AND ALLEN; J. AND T. GRAY; JOHN RICHARDSON;
J. M. RICHARDSON; CARPENTER AND SON; R. H. EVANS; J. MURRAY;
W. PHILLIPS; W. STEWART; J. MAWMAN; BALDWIN, CRADOCK, AND JOY;
OGLE AND CO.; GALE AND FENNER; R. S. KIRBY; W. H. REID ; AND W. GINGER,

1817.

Printed by A. Strahan, Printers-Street, London.

THE

HISTORY

OF

SCOTLAND

DURING THE REIGNS OF

QUEEN MARY and of KING JAMES VI.

TILL

HIS ACCESSION TO THE CROWN OF ENGLAND:

WITH

A REVIEW OF THE SCOTTISH HISTORY PREVIOUS TO THAT PERIOD;
AND AN APPENDIX CONTAINING ORIGINAL PAPERS.

VOL. III.

1

THE

HISTORY

OF

SCOTLAND.

BOOK VII.

WHILE Scotland was torn by intestine fac- BOOK

VII.

1584.

ton's con

zabeth.

tions, Elizabeth was alarmed with the rumour of a project in agitation for setting Mary at liberty. Francis Throkmorton, a Cheshire gen- Throkmor tleman, was suspected of being deeply concerned spiracy in the design, and on that suspicion he was taken against Eliinto custody. Among his papers were found two lists, one of the principal harbours in the kingdom, with an account of their situation, and of the depth of water in each; the other, of all the eminent Roman Catholics in England. This circumstance confirmed the suspicion against him, and some dark and desperate conspiracy was supposed just ready to break out. At first he boldly ayowed his innocence, and declared that the two papers were forged by the Queen's ministers, in order to intimidate or ensnare him; and he even endured the rack with the utmost fortitude. But