Factions and different interests prevailing among the great, every thing ran into disorder and confusion, loyalty and obedience to the royal authority were no longer regarded, but despised and abused. The earl of Bothwell was forced to fly into Denmark to save his life. The queen was reproached as his accomplice, in the murder of Darnley, carried prisoner to Lochlevin, and treated on the road with the utmost scorn and contempt. She was committed to the care of Murray's mother, who had been concubine to king James V. and whose insults added greatly to her affliction.
Queen Elizabeth sent Sir Nicholas Throckmorton into Scotland, to expostulate with the conspirators about this barbarous treatment of their queen, and consult measures to restore her to her liberty. But he returned, without being able to obtain any satisfaction, or relief for her.
After she had been imprisoned eleven months at Lochlevin; and forced to comply with unreasonable terms, highly detrimental to her honour and interest, she made her escape from thence to Hamilton Castle, where there was drawn a sentence, declaratory that the grant extorted from her majesty in prison was actually void from the beginning. Whereupon such numbers of people came in to her assistance, that within two or three days she had got an army of at least 6000. Murray, on the other side, used the utmost expedition in preparing to attack the queen before she became too formidable: and when they joined battle, her army, consisting chiefly of new-raised men, was defeated, and she obliged to save herself by flight; travelling 60 miles in one day
