Makers of History

Mary Queen of Scots

BY

JACOB ABBOTT

WITH ENGRAVINGS

NEW YORK AND LONDON

HARPER & BROTHERS PUBLISHERS

1904

Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1848, by

Harper & Brothers,

In the Clerk's Office of the Southern District of New York.

Copyright, 1876, by Jacob Abbott.

Dumbarton Castle, on the Clyde.

MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS.

PREFACE.

The history of the life of every individual who has, for any reason,attracted extensively the attention of mankind, has been written in agreat variety of ways by a multitude of authors, and personssometimes wonder why we should have so many different accounts of thesame thing. The reason is, that each one of these accounts isintended for a different set of readers, who read with ideas andpurposes widely dissimilar from each other. Among the twenty millionsof people in the United States, there are perhaps two millions,between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five, who wish to becomeacquainted, in general, with the leading events in the history of theOld World, and of ancient times, but who, coming upon the stage inthis land and at this period, have ideas and conceptions so widelydifferent from those of other nations and of other times, that amere republication of existing accounts is not what they require.The story must be told expressly for them. The things that are to beexplained, the points that are to be brought out, the comparativedegree of prominence to be given to the various particulars, will allbe different, on account of the difference in the situation, theideas, and the objects of these new readers, compared with those ofthe various other classes of readers which former authors have had inview. It is for this reason, and with this view, that the presentseries of historical narratives is presented to the public. Theauthor, having had some opportunity to become acquainted with theposition, the ideas, and the intellectual wants of those whom headdresses, presents the result of his labors to them, with the hopethat it may be found successful in accomplishing its design.

CONTENTS.