MORTON
664
MORTON"
was made regent of the kingdom, and Morton reinstated in the office of lord chancellor. He continued in this situation during the regencies of Murray, Lennox, and Mar, and was indeed a principal actor in all matters of importance whicli took jjlace in their time; and on Mar's death, at the end of the j'ear 1572, Morton was himself appointed regent of the kingdom. While in the regency Morton played an important part for the eccle- siastical history of Scotland. The court and the Kirk were at this time involved in much controversy, because the former was bent upon the introduction of the epis- copacy. The conflict had begun previous to the death of Knox (November, 1572), for the purpose of securing to the Church the revenues of the episcopal sees; and a convention of superintendents and other ministers fa- vorable to the design had been held in Leith in August, 1572, and had declared that the titles of bishop and archbishop should be restored, provided that witii the restoration of titks no greater authority was delegated than was possessed by the superintendents, and that they be elected bj' the ministers of the respective dio- ceses. The primary object was to prevent the property passing into the hands of the nobles and courtiers. But the (ieneral Assembly, which convened shortly after the convention, condemned the innovation, and hence arose a conflict with the regent, who favored the action of the convention which he had been instrumental in calling. He had himself an interest in the suceosslid issue of this movement; he cared less for the Church's interest than he did for his own, his object being osten- sibly to place these bishops in positions to draw the in- come of the benefice, but really to secure for himself and other nobles a larger part of the revenues from those ecclesiastics whom he should help to elevate to such stations; and hence these episcojjal incumbents were called tulchan bishops — a tulchan being a calfskin stuffed with straw, which the country people set up be- side a cow to induce her to give her milk. The bishop, it was said, had the title, but my lord had the milk. This conflict between the tulchan episcopacy and the Church establishment, supported by legal enactments, continued until the close of the earl's regency, when it was brought to a successful termination for the Kirk's interests by the efforts of that worthy follower of John Knox, the learned and resolute and noble-souled An- drew Melville (q. v.). See Scotland, Chchcu ok. In this struggle with the Kirk, as well as in secular af- fairs, INIorton disjjlayed great vigor and ability, yet at the same time his ambition, his avarice, and rajjacity, and his general want of principle, became apparent to all; he was now at once feared and hated; and linding himself becoming odious to the nation, and knowing that the young king, James VI, desired to assume the reins of government, Morton finally resigned the re- gency in March, 1578. Subsequently obtaining posses- sion of the castle of Stirling, with the person of the king, he recovered his authority, and by the help of queen Elizabeth retained it for some time ; but at length the king's new favorite, captain Stewart, who, as Rob- ertson says, shunned no action, however desperate, if it led to power or favor, charged him in the king's pres- ence with being accessory to the murder of Darnley, and thus procured Morton's incarceration. Elizabeth used every endeavor in favor of Morton, but the greater the solicitude which she showed for his safety, the more eagerly did his enemies urge his destruction ; and being carried by captain Stewart, then earl of Arran, into Ed- inburgh, he was, on June 1, 1581, brought to trial, found guilty, and condemned to death. Wlicn that part of the verdict was read which, besides linding that he had con- cealed, found that he was also accessory to the murder, he repeated tho words with veliemence, and then ex- claimed, "God knows it is not so." The next morning, speaking of the crime for which he was condemned, he admitted that on his return from England, after the death of Hizzio, IJothwcU had informed iiim of tiic conspiracy against Darnley, which the queen, as he told him, knew
of and approved, but he had no hand in it. And as to revealing the plot, '• To whom," said he, " could I reveal itV To the queen? She was aware of it. To Darn- ley? He was such a babe that there was nothing told to him but be would tell to her again; and the two most powerful noblemen in the kingdom, Bothwell and Huntly, were the perpetrators. I foreknew and con- cealed the plot, but as to being art and part in its ex- ecution, I call God to witness I am wholly innocent." When his keepers told him that the guards were attend- ing, and all was in readiness, he replied, " I thank my (iod, I am ready likewise." On the scaffold his behav- ior was calm, his countenance and voice unaltered, and after some time spent in acts of devotion, he was be- headed by the instrument called the Maiden, June 3, 1581. See Froude, I/ist. of England, vii, 306 sq. ; viii, 250 sq. ; x, 53 sq. ; xi, 96, et al. ; Burke, Peeraf/e of Enijland; Burton, Hist, of Scotland; liobertson. Hist, of Scotland; Spottiswood, //i»V.o/"//ie Church of Scotland, ii, 171-195; Butler, Manual of Ecclvs. Hist, ii, 550-553; English Cyclopcedia (Biographical Department, vol. iv,