MURRAY, or MORAY, JAMES STUART, Earl of A Scotch statesman. Ile was the natural son of dames V., of Scotland. and half-brother of Mary, Queen of Scots. Des tined for an eeelesiast Iva I life, he was educated from 1541 to 1544 at Saint Andrews, awl early received ecclesiastical benefices. Ile acemnpanied his sister to France in 154S. returning the following year to gain as a youth military ex and renown by driving a strong party of English front the coast with great loss. It is probable that be began to sympathize with estants as early as 1552, and it is certain that he was an attendant un lectures in 155.5, and joined pith others in urging his return from Geneva the following year. Front 1550 on he was the eonsistent leader of the Scotch reformers. and after 1558 till his death he was the most powerful single factor in Scotch politics. He was present at marriage to the Dauphin of France, afterwards Francis II., and wits sent to France in 15(11 to invite the widowed Mary, after the death of (lie Queen Regent. to return to Seotland as its Queen. For a few years Lord dames Stuart, as chief minister and adviser. seemed to subordinate his own ambition to the good of Scolland, the preservation of his religion, the future union of England and Scotland. and the success of his reign. In 1502 Mary created him Earl of Mar, and shortly after Earl of _Murray. When it became evident that she would not lie ac knowledged by Elizabeth as her successor. Mary
turned to a Catholie alliance, which forced Mur ray to break with his sister. and a series of intrigues awl began. .11 first. inclined to favor the marriage of Mary with Darnley, he soon saw that it meant huh suprenmey, hence lie opposed it finally by an appeal to arias. but was defeated and forced to take refuge in England (15651. In 1500, after intriguing with Bothwell. professing at the same time friendship for Darnley, and being cognizant, at least, of the plan to murder Ilizzio, Murray returned to Edinburgh to regain his power. For the moment wardly reconciled to his sister. lie went to France, but returned shortly at the request of the lords, who had taken arms, to become Regent of the Kingdom. After escape from prison, lie defeated her forces at Langside, near Glasgow, 150S, and on her flight to England lie became one of the commissioners sent to that country to conduct the negotiations against her. Later, however, 1w urged Elizabeth to permit :\lary to return to Scotland, lint was assassinated in 1570 by Hamilton of Bothwellhaugh, before his plans had matured. lie was a cold, ambitious man, endowed with great abilities, personally moral. but in polities without scruples. Consult authorities cited under STUART,