Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 7.djvu/390

370 REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [CH. 44- domestic tragedy was revealed before the astonished eyes of Europe. Towards the close of 1565 rumours went abroad in Edinburgh, coupled with the news that the Queen was enceinte, that she was less happy in her marriage than she had anticipated. Shp Tmd expected Darnley to be passive in her handstand she was findingj;hatjie was too foolish to be controlled : a proud, ignorant, self- willed boy was aT the best an indifferent companion to an accomplished woman of the world ; and when he took upon himself the airs of a king, when he affected to rule the country and still more to rule the Queen, he very soon became intolerable. The first open difference between them arose from the appointment of Bothwell as lieutenant-general in preference to Lennox. The Lennox clan and kindred, the Douglases, the Euthvens, the Lindsays, who were linked together in feudal affinity, took the affront to themselves ; and Darnley, supported by his friends, showed his resentment by ab- senting himself from the Court. ' The Lord Darnley/ wrote Randolph on the 2oth of December, 1 'followeth his pastimes more than the Queen is content withal ; what it will breed hereafter I cannot say, but in the mean time there is some mislik- iiig between them/ It was seen how Darnley, at the time of his marriage, grasped at the title of King. As he found his wishes thwarted he became anxious, and his kins- 1 Scotch MSS. Bolls House.