Theweddingwasdismal，asbecameafestivalundersuchoutrageousauspices。Morton，Maitland，andsomebaseflatterersofBothwellalonewerepresentatit。TheFrenchambassador，althoughhewasacreatureoftheHouseofGuise，towhichthequeenbelonged，refusedtoattendit。
Mary’sdelusionwasshort-lived：scarcelywassheinBothwell’spowerthanshesawwhatamastershehadgivenherself。Gross，unfeeling，andviolent，heseemedchosenbyProvidencetoavengethefaultsofwhichhehadbeentheinstigatorortheaccomplice。Soonhisfitsofpassionreachedsuchapoint，thatoneday，nolongerabletoendurethem，MaryseizedadaggerfromErskine，whowaspresentwithMelvilleatoneofthesescenes，andwouldhavestruckherself，sayingthatshewouldratherdiethancontinuelivingunhappilyasshedid；yet，inexplicableasitseems，inspiteofthesemiseries，renewedwithoutceasing，Mary，forgettingthatshewaswifeandqueen，tenderandsubmissiveasachild，wasalwaysthefirsttobereconciledwithBothwell。
Nevertheless，thesepublicscenesgaveapretexttothenobles，whoonlysoughtanopportunityforanoutbreak。TheEarlofMar，theyoungprince’stutor，Argyll，Athol，Glencairn，Lindley，Boyd，andevenMortonandMaitlandthemselves，thoseeternalaccomplicesofBothwell，rose，theysaid，toavengethedeathoftheking，andtodrawthesonfromhandswhichhadkilledthefatherandwhichwerekeepingthemothercaptive。AstoMurray，hehadkeptcompletelyinthebackgroundduringallthelastevents；hewasinthecountyofFifewhenthekingwasassassinated，andthreedaysbeforethetrialofBothwellhehadaskedandobtainedfromhissisterpermissiontotakeajourneyontheContinent。
Theinsurrectiontookplaceinsuchapromptandinstantaneousmanner，thattheConfederatelords，whoseplanwastosurpriseandseizebothMaryandBothwell，thoughttheywouldsucceedatthefirstattempt。
ThekingandqueenwereattablewithLordBorthwick，whowasentertainingthem，whensuddenlyitwasannouncedthatalargebodyofarmedmenwassurroundingthecastle：BothwellandMarysuspectedthattheywereaimedat，andastheyhadnomeansofresistance，Bothwelldressedhimselfasasquire，Maryasapage，andbothimmediatelytakinghorse，escapedbyonedoorjustastheConfederateswerecominginbytheother。ThefugitiveswithdrewtoDunbar。