Chapter III: Introduction: vii

I. DRAMATIS PERSONÆ 1

II. THE MINOR CHARACTERS 28

III. THE CHARACTERS BEFORE RICCIO’S MURDER 45

IV. BEFORE THE BAPTISM OF THE PRINCE 71

V. BETWEEN THE BAPTISM AND THE MURDER 105

VI. THE MURDER OF DARNLEY 123

VII. THE CONFESSIONS OF PARIS 154

VIII. MARY’S CONDUCT AFTER THE MURDER 171

IX. THE EMERGENCE OF THE CASKET LETTERS 193

X. THE CASKET LETTERS 208

XI. THE LETTERS AT THE CONFERENCE OF YORK 237

XII. THE LETTERS AT WESTMINSTER AND HAMPTON COURT 266

XIII. MARY’S ATTITUDE AFTER THE CONFERENCE 283

XIV. INTERNAL EVIDENCE OF THE LETTERS 290

XV. THE SIX MINOR CASKET LETTERS 322

XVI. THE CASKET SONNETS 344

XVII. CONCLUSIONS AS TO THE LETTERS AND THE POSSIBLE FORGERS 346

XVIII. LATER HISTORY OF CASKET AND LETTERS 365

_APPENDICES_

A. THE SUPPOSED BODY OF BOTHWELL 371

B. THE BURNING OF LYON KING OF ARMS 374

C. THE DATE OF MARY’S VISIT TO GLASGOW 379

D. THE BAND FOR DARNLEY’S MURDER 381

E. THE TRANSLATIONS OF THE CASKET LETTERS 385

THE CASKET LETTERS: