In view of her imminent return,
Mary's supporters began to bestir themselves in a fashion that boded ill
for the future peace of the country. At Stirling the bishops met in
council to consider their best policy; and we have it from one of their
own number that they were acting in concert with the earls Huntly,
Athol, Crawford, Marischal, Sutherland, Caithness, and Bothwell. As the
result of their counsels, a proposal was sent to Mary which she had the
prudence to reject in her own interest as well as in the interest of her
kingdom. The proposal was that she should land at some point on the
northern coast where the earls would be ready to support her with twenty
thousand men. As a safer course for the immediate future, Mary chose the
advice proffered to her by the party for the present in the ascendant.
Through the lord James Stewart as their deputy, the Protestant leaders
urged upon her the necessity of leaving religion as she would find it,
and of adopting as her advisers the persons now at the head of affairs.
When at length, on August 19, 1561, Mary landed at Leith, it appeared
that at least for the time she was content to take things as she found
them. That she would accept them as definitive, no one, and least of all
John Knox, could so far delude himself as to believe.
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