An Inquiry, Historical and Critical, Into the Evidence Against Mary, Queen of Scots: And an Examination of the Histories of Dr. Robertson and Mr. Hume, with Respect to that Evidence, Volume 1

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T. Cadell, 1790 - 422 pages
 

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Page 237 - No maxim seems to be more certain than this, That a forger is often apt to prove too much, but seldom falls into the error of proving too little. The point which the queen's enemies had...
Page 319 - Then followed the qucftions that are put to him, with his anfwers, all in French; but by what perfon, or what authority, he was thus queftioned and examined, does not appear. From which it is evident, that that examination and confeffion was not judicial. And what is moft furprififig, it does not mention any perfon whatever that was prefent when it was taken.
Page 126 - that at the time of the producing, showing, and reading of all these foresaid writings, there was no special choice nor regard had to the order of the producing thereof: but the whole writings lying altogether upon the council table, the same were one after another showed rather by hap, as the same did lie upon the table, than with any choice made, as by the natures thereof, if time had so served, might have been.
Page 246 - Lady Lennox began to consider the subject more seriously. Robertson either did not know, or chose to conceal the fact, that she saw cause soon after receiving Mary's letter decidedly to change her opinions. In 1578, Mary wrote to the Archbishop of Glasgow to this effect : — " The Countess of Lennox, my motherin-law, died about a month ago. This good lady, thanks to God, has been in very good intelligence and correspondence with me for the last five or six years. She has confessed to me, by diverse...
Page 101 - writings be, thay ar false and feinzeit, forgit, and " inventit, be thameselfis, onlie to my dishonour and " sclander : and thair ar divers in Scotlande, baith men " and women, that can counterfeit my handwriting, " and write the like maner of writing quhilk I use, " as weil as myself, and principallie sic as ar in cum
Page 374 - ... what shall become of him, I know not, but it is greatly to be feared, that he can have no long life amongst this people.
Page 181 - i at the time of his execution took it upon his death, as he fhould anfwer before God, that he never carried any fuch letter, nor that the queen was participant, nor of council in the caufe...
Page 185 - I fliall only quote two or three examples ' from the firft letter, and refer to his book for the reft. * I. The Scotch fays proverbially, in letter firft...
Page 227 - On the whole we can fcarce refufe our aiient to what he fays, that there appears, in the Scotch copy of the letter, a fpirit, and fo happy a turn of phrafe, altogether peculiar to that language, and fo very...
Page 328 - ... who forced that Princess out of her kingdom, were the greatest villains in nature ; or that she was the most infamous of women. These are two scales of a balance, equally poised ; you cannot load the one without lightening the other precisely to the same degree. In the same manner, whatever serves to acquit the Queen, aggravates the guilt of her enemies in the same proportion ; and whatever serves to load the Queen, extenuates their crime in a like degree.

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