others and not with them Item as touching Sir Iames Balfour he saw not his Subscription but I warrant you he was the principal Counsellour and deviser Item he said I confess that it is the very providence of God that has brought me to his Judgment for I am led to it as an horse to the stall for I had ships provided to flie but could not escape Item he said let no man do evil for counsel of great men or their Masters thinking they shall save them for surely I thought that night that the deed was done that although knowledge should be got no man durst have said it was evil done seeing the hand writ and acknowledging the Queens mind thereto Item Speaking of the Queen in the Tol-booth he said God make all well but the longer dirt is hidden it is the stronger Who Lives our Deaths will be thought no news Item In the Conclusion he confessed he was one of the principal doers of the Death and therefore is justly worthy of Death but he was assured of the Mercy of God who called him to repentance ITem Talla confessed ut supra agreeing in all Points as concerning the Persons number and blowing up into the Air. Item He affirmed that in Seton my Lord Bothwell called on him and said What thought you when you saw him blown in the Air Who answered Alas my Lord why speak you that for when ever I hear such a thing the words wound me to death as they ought to do you Item That same time he saw Sir Iames Balfour put in his own name and his Brother 's unto my Lord Bothwel's Remission Item He knew of the Deed doing three or four days ere it was done or thereabout Item He said after that I came to the Court I left the reading of God's Word and embraced Vanity and therefore has God justly brought this on me Wherefore let all Men shun evil Company and to trust not in Men for ready are we to embrace evil as ready as Tinder to receive fire And further in the Tol-booth he required Iohn Brand Minister of the Congregation to pass to my Lord Lindsey and say My Lord heartily I forgive your Lordship and also my Lord Regent and all others but specially them that betrayed me to you for I know if you could have saved me you would desiring as ye will answer before God at the later Day to do your diligence to bring the rest who were the beginners of this Work to Justice as ye have done to me for ye know it was not begun in my head but yet he praises God that his Justice has begun at me by the which he has called me to repentance ITem Dagleish said as God shall be my Judge I knew nothing of the King's Death before it was done for my Lord Bothwell going to his Bed after the taking off of his Hose which was stocked with Velvet French Paris came and spake with him and after that he tarried on me for other Hoseâ— and Cloaths and his riding Cloak and Sword which I gave him and after that came up to the Gate to the Lord of Ormiston's Lodging and tarried for him and thereafter that he passed to a Place beside the Black Friars and came to the slope of the Dike where he bid me stand still and as God shall be my Judge I knew nothing while I heard the Blast of Powder and after this he came home lay down in his Bed while Mr. George Hacket came and knocked at the Door and if I die for this the which God Judge me if I knew more what shall be done to the Devisers Counsellers Subscribers and Fortifiers of it FINIS The Queen offereth to be Bawd to her own Husband Cousin Germans Item to the Duke of Norfolk c. This bearer will tell you somwhat upon this Huntley Bothwel's own Wife A Head. The Queens Heart Another wife If this be not true spere at Gilbert Bawfoord
Talk much more familiar than she had used in six or seven Months before At the Coming in of Paris she broke off her Talk and prepared to depart This Paris was a young Man born in France and had lived certain Years in the Houses of Bothwel and Seton and afterward with the Queen Whereas the other Keys of that Lodging were in custody of the King's Servants Paris by feigning certain fond and slender Causes had in keeping the Keys which Bothwel kept back of the Back-Gate and the Postern He was in special Trust with Bothwel and the Queen touching their secret Affairs His Coming as it was before agreed among them was a Watch-word that all was ready for the Matter As soon as the Queen saw him she rose up immediately and feigning another Cause to depart she said Alas I have much offended toward Sebastian this Day that I appeared not in a Mask at his Marriage This Sebastian was an Arvernois a Man in great Favour with the Queen for his Cunning in Musick and his merry Jesting and was married the same Day The King thus left in a manner alone in a desolate place the Queen departeth accompanied with the Earls of Argyle Huntley and Cassiles that attended upon her After that she was come into her Chamber after Midnight she was in long Talk with Bothwel none being present but the Captain of her Guard. And when he also withdrew himself Bothwel was there left alone without other Company and shortly after retired into his own Chamber He changed his Apparel because he would be unknown of such as met him and put on a loose Cloak such as the Swartrytters wear and so went forward through the Watch to execute his intended traiterous Fact. The whole Order of the doing thereof may be easily understood by their Confessions which were put to death for it Bothwel after the Deed was ended that he went about returned and as if he had been ignorant of all that was done he got him to bed The Queen in the mean time in great Expectation of the Success how finely she played her part as she thought it is marvel to tell for she not once stirred at the Noise of the Fall of the House which shook the whole Town nor at the fearful Out-cries that followed and confused Cries of the People for I think there happened to her not any new thing unlooked for till Bothwel feigning himself afraid rose again out of his Bed and came to her with the Earls of Argyle Huntley and Athole and with the Wives of the Earls of Athole and Murray and with the Secretary There while the monstrous Chance was in telling while every one wondered at the thing that the King's Lodging was even from the very Foundation blown up into the Air and the King himself slain In this Amazedness and confused Fear of all sorts of Persons only that same Heroical Heart of the Queen maintained it self so far from casting her self down into base Lamentations and Tears unbeseeming the Royal Name Blood and Estate that she matched or rather far surmounted all Credit of the Constancy of any in former times This also proceeded of the same Nobility of Courage that she set out the greater part of them that were about her to enquire out the manner of the doing and commanded the Soldiers that watched to follow and she her self setled her self to rest with a Countenance so quiet and Mind so untroubled that she sweetly slept till the next Day at Noon But lest she should appear void of all Naturalness at the Death of her Husband by little and little at length she kept her close and proclaimed a Mourning not long to endure The Common People not certainly knowing whether she laughed or lamented were divided into sundry Imaginations sith it was perillous dealing with the disguising of the Court either in knowing it to seem to mock it or in not cunningly dissembling to seem to know it While some talked of one sort some of another in the mean time of any Enquiry to be had of the Murther there was no mention made at all At length the Day following in the After-noon when both Shame and Fear constrained them thereto Bothwel the principal Doer of the vile Act with certain others that were privy to the same assembled together with the Earl of Argyle for that he is by Inheritance the Justice to deal with Crimes punishable by Death First As though they had been utterly ignorant of all that ever was done they begin to wonder at the strangeness of the matter such as never was heard of and incredible Then they begin a little to be busie about their Enquiry they sent for a few poor silly Women that dwelt thereabout which poor Souls standing in doubt whether it were better for them to tell or hold their peace though they daintily tempered their Speech yet when they had blabbed out somewhat more than the Judges looked for they were dismissed again as Fools that had but indiscreetly prated for their Testimonies though they touched some Folks shrewdly yet they were such as they might easily set light by Then were called and examined the King's Servants that were of his Houshold such as were left undestroyed by that cruel Chance They denied that they had the Keys in keeping Being examined who had them they said The Queen So the Enquiry for Manners sake was adjourned but indeed suppressed for fear lest if they proceeded further the Secrets of the Court might happen to be disclosed Yet lest the Matter should seem not to be regarded out goeth a Proclamation with Rewards promised to him that could give Information of it But who durst accuse the Queen Or which was in a manner more perillous Who durst detect Bothwel of such an horrible Offence especially when he himself was both Doer Judge Enquirer and Examiner Yet this Fear which stopped the Mouth of every Man in particular could not restrain the whole Multitude in general for both by Books set out and by Pictures and by Cries in the dark Night it was so handled that the Doers of that mischievous Fact might easily understand that those Secrets of theirs were come abroad And when every Man was now out of doubt who did the Murther and who gave furtherance unto it the more that they laboured to keep their own Names undisclosed so much the more the People's Grudge being restrained brake out the more openly Though they took upon them as if they regarded not these things yet sometimes the Rumours so inwardly pricked them to the quick that they could by no means hide their Anger Therefore discontinuing their searching for the King's Death they begin a new Enquiry far more earnest against the Authors of Books and the Slanders of Bothwel as they themselves termed them These Examinations were so rigorously put in Execution as neither Money nor Labour of Men nor Horses was spared about it All the Painters were called together all that earned their Living
her Brother and most dearly loving her Husband was afraid forsooth lest her Brother should in the Night have been assaulted by the King whom she her self had disarmed Disarmed said I Yea she had disfurnished him of all convenient Company for his Estate and made him to be shaken up with a Woman's Scolding and that by one of her own Train one who was past all Shame and of prostitute Unchastity She feared much lest the young Man destitute of Friends beset with all sorts of Miseries should make Assault in the Night-time Upon what Person The Queen's Brother a Man of great Reputation and Power and in highest Favour with all Estates And where should he have assaulted him In a most strong Castle whereupon the Deed being done neither was Way for him to slee nor Means of Refuge to the Queen's Mercy For what Cause should he assail him There was no Enmity between them but such as she had sowed What say you if she coveted that thing most which she most feigned her self to fear For to what purpose else sent she for her Brother to come to her in the Night-time unarmed Why did she not advise him of this one thing at least that because he was to pass by and hard by the King's Door he should in any wise put on his Armour Why did she not either fore-warn him of the Danger or deferr the Calling of him till the next Morning No no she had a more subtile Purpose in hand She had but newly sent the King inflamed as she hoped with Hatred of the Earl Murray So thought she it not unlikely but that the King kindled with fresh Displeasure rash by Fervour of Youth lightly believing her by Excess of Love would have adventured to slay his supposed Enemy naked unaccompanied and unarmed So sent she the King raging in Anger to commit the Slaughter and practised to draw the Earl Murray naked unaccompanied unwarned to be suddainly trapp'd in Treason This was her Meaning this was her Desire but wicked Counsels how subtile soever they be are not always prosperous What meant this that after her Deliverance of Child at which time other Women do chiefly comfort themselves in the Lovingness of their Husbands and confess that they find some Ease of Pain by sight of them she at the same time driveth her Husband away What else shall we say she meant thereby but as the Poet saith for pure Love God wot she shut him out of Doors But this tender Creature that either shutteth out her Husband or as soon as he is come chaseth him away again whose Stomach turned at the sight of him who is suddainly taken with Pangs at his presence when she was in the Pinnace amongst Pirates and Thieves she could abide at the Poop and be content to handle the boisterous Cables Now ask I whom she loved and whom she hated For that at Aloe she drove away the cumbersome Interrupter of her Pastime that again when he came to her at Edinburgh she rejected him I blame her not I am content to believe she did it not for Hate to her Husband but for her Fancy's sake That again at Iedworth she suffered him not to come at her let it be born withal for not without Cause she feared lest the force of her Sickness would increase at sight of him whose Death she so earnestly desired That she gave special Commandment that no Man should lodge him no Man should relieve him with Meat or Drink that she in a manner forbad him the use of Fire and Water This is undoubtedly a Token of outrageous Hatred But it seemeth she feared the very Infection of her Husband if he were in any place near her That she sent him back from Cragmillar to Sterline I complain not but that she bereaved him of all his Necessaries that she took him from his Servants that she abated the Allowance of his Expences that she alienated the Nobility from him that she forbad Strangers the Sight of him and as much as in her lay took from him even while he lived the Use of Heaven Earth and Air this I say I know not what to call it Unnaturalness Hatred barbarous Fierceness or outrageous Cruelty That when he went from Sterline she took away all his Plate let it be pardoned for what need had he of Silver that carried with him present Death in his Bosom But this I beseech you to consider what great Indignation of all Men it hath kindled that when the King poor Soul made hard shift to live in Desolation Sorrow and Beggary whilst that Bothwel like an Ape in Purple was triumphantly shewed to the Ambassadors of Foreign Nations even that same Partner of her Husband's Bed not so much for the Love of himself as for Despight of her Husband was carried abroad set out with all kind of Ornaments even that adulterous Partner I say that neither in Birth nor in Beauty nor in any honest Quality was in any wise comparable with her disdained Husband Now let them deny that here were Tokens of Hatred But how great and how unappeasable this Hatred was even by this ye may gather Her Husband so oft shut out so oft sent away with Despight driven to extream Poverty banished into a desolate Corner far from the Court far from the Presence of Men spoiled of his Servants and Houshold-furniture bereaved in a manner of his daily necessary Sustenance yet by no Injuries can be shaken from her by no fear of Death can be withdrawn but with Serviceableness and Patience he assayeth if not to overcome yet at least somewhat to asswage the violent Cruelty of her unkind Courage In the mean time what doth this good gentle Wife this merciful Queen that is at the beholding of Men's Miseries so kind and pitiful Neither is she once moved with the loving Doings nor with the wretched Plight nor with the miserable Wofulness of her Husband nor appeased by Time nor satisfied with Torments but rather with his Serviceableness she is irritated with his humble Prayers she is more inflamed and at every time of his Coming she deviseth some new Increase of spightful Dishonour wherein when she had spent the uttermost of all her Force Wit and Bitterness of Nature when she saw the poor young Gentleman neither to give over by fainting being oppressed with Poverty and though he were despised of all Men and so often thrown into open Perils neither to despair nor otherwise more cruelly to make away himself at length as it were glutted with the sight of his Miseries and Torments she determined presently to rid him of his Calamities her self of Irksomness and her Adulterer from Fear and so by certain special Persons thereto appointed she caused him to be poisoned that being absent from her he might so die with less Suspicion But of the Poison I will say more in another Place When this Practice fram'd not fully to her Desire she goeth her self to Glascow that whom being absent she could
a Conspiracy when both the force of Laws whereof themselves were Governours was utterly extinguished and the Minds of the most part of Men were either snared with partnership of the mischievous Fact or carried with Hope or Forestalled with Rewards or discouraged and bridled with Fear of so great a Power on the other part But how soever this be yet it will be good to see throughly both the order of the doing the unadvisedness inconstancy and end of their Devices For thereby shall ye perceive that there wanted not desire to hide the Fact but that the fury of a distracted Mind overthrew all the Order of their Counsels while sometime as desirous to beguile publick Fame they endeavoured to keep close their intended Mischief yet they dealt therein so openly as careless of their Estimation they seemed to make small account how Men judged of their Doings For at his preparing to go to Glascow the Poison was given him secretly and they thought they had sufficiently well provided that he should in his absence from them be consumed with pining sickness But the rest of their Dealings toward him were so cruelly handled that though his Disease should have happened to be natural yet it would have been suspected for poisoning For he her Husband the Father of her only and first-born Child the Father I say of that Son whose Christening was solemnized with that great Pomp and Glory being escaped away in a manner naked out of his House flaming in fire tormented by the way with grievous pain when he lay at Glascow of a dangerous sickness likely to die What did his excellent good Wife the while What did she At the first news of it did she haste to him in post Doth she with her Presence with her friendly familiar Speech or with her loving Countenance comfort him in sickness When she cannot stay him in Life cometh she to receive his last Breath Closeth she his Eyes at his dying Doth she the other kind Duties of honest Matrons No But she that had now let him escape to go and die and hoped that he could not linger out his unhappy Life much longer she goeth a quite contrary way into another Country in progress and with her fair Adonis she visiteth Noble-men's Houses and staineth the Houses that harboured them with the Spots of their Unchastities and just about the time of her Husband's Death as she guessed by the strength and working of the Poison she returns to Sterline When the Matter wrought not so fast as she expected for the Strength of his Youth had wrestled with the Soreness of his Pain lest she should seem to have altogether forsaken her Duty she daily prepares to go to Glascow but never goeth At the last disappointed of the Hope that she had conceived in her Heart she taketh her self to other Devices She cometh to Edinburgh and there calleth to Counsel her Adulterer and a few other privy of those Secrets There they decree that in any wise the King must be slain yet were they not fully advised with what kind of Death he should be murthered which may easily be gathered by her Letter wherein she partly compareth her self to Medea a bloody Woman and a poisoning Witch Also by another of her Letters wherein she asketh Advice about the Poisoning of him The King who had already tasted of her lovely Cup doubting whether he were better any more to believe her flattering Speeches or to fear the shrewdness of her Nature though sometimes he despaired not of her Reconciliation yet was evermore fearful and suspicious but when he saw that neither his Life nor his Death were in his Power he was constrained to purse up his passed Injuries to dissemble his present Fear and to feign himself some Hopes for time to come So was he led out not as a Husband but carried out as a Coarse or rather drawn as it were to the Shambles The Queen gloriously shewing her self in pompous manner goeth before in Triumph over the young Gentleman vexed with all kind of Miseries tormented with Poison entrapped with Treasons and drawn to Execution There follows after the triumphant Carr the ancient Enemies to his Father's House brought thither on purpose that they also might feed their Eyes with that woful Spectacle and whose Death at hand they looked for they might in the mean time take pleasure of the Sorrow of his Heart And that no Ceremony of solemn Sacrifices might be wanting Iohn Hamilton Archbishop of St. Andrews was present as their Priest a Man before defiled with all kind of Wickedâ—ess pamper'd with the Spoils and Murthers of his Country-men an old Conqueror of many murthering Victories The People all along the Way looking pitiously shewed a Fore-telling of no good Luck to come The Queen's Companions could neither tell their Sadness nor hide their Gladness when the heinous Outrage of the vile Fact intended held their unmeasurable Joy in suspence upon expectation of the Success Thus led they him to Edinburgh not into the Queen's Palace Why so Lest the Infection of the pestilent Disease forsooth might hurt her young Son As though they that be poison'd were also to be shunn'd for fear of Infection But the truer Cause was this lest his Presence should trouble them in interrupting their free enjoying their Pleasures and their Consultations about his Murther Whither then is he led Into the most desolate part of the Town some time inhabited while the Popish Priests Kingdom lasted but for certain Years past without any Dweller in such an House as of it self would have fallen down if it had not been botched up for the time to serve the turn of this Night's Sacrifice Why was this place chiefly chosen They pretended the wholsomness of the Air. O good God! Going about to murther her Husband seeketh she for a wholsom Air To what use Not to preserve his Life but to reserve his Body to Torment Here to tend her wisely diligent Attendance and her last Care of her Husband's Life she feareth lest he should by Preventing Death be delivered from pain she would fain have him feel himself die But let us see what manner of wholsomness of Air it is Is it among dead Men's Graves to seek the preserving of Life For hard by there were the Ruins of two Churches on the East side a Monastery of Dominick Friars on the West a Church of our Lady which for the desolateness of the place is called The Church in the Field on the South-side the Town-Wall and in the same for commodious passage every way is a Postern door on the North side are a few Beggars Cottages ready to fall which some time served for Stews for certain Priests and Monks the name of which place doth plainly disclose the form and nature thereof for it is commonly called Thieves Lane. There is never another House near but the Hamilton's House which is about a Stone 's cast distant and that also stood void Thither removeth the Archbishop of St.
endeavoureth to divert all Suspicions from her she goeth to her Husband she kisseth him she giveth him a Ring for Pledge of her Love she talketh with him more lovingly than she was wont to do and promiseth more largely she feigneth that she had great Care of his Health and yet her companying whither Adulterer she surceaseth not They that more nearly noted these things prognosticated no good thing to come For how much the greater Tokens that the Queen shewed of reconciled Affection so much the more Cruelty did every Man in his Heart fore conceive of all her Intentions For else whence cometh that sudden Change so great Care for him whom she had poisoned the Month before whom even lately she not only wished dead but desired to see him die whose Death she set her Brother yea both her Brethren to procure and she like a Master of Mischief thrust forth the King to fight and her self in the mean time prepared for his Burial Not past a few Months before she her self was desirous to die because she loathed to see the King alive Whence cometh now this sudden Care of his Health I looked she should say she was reconciled to him Were you reconciled to your Husband whom you sent away into that Desart that Camp of Furies as the Poet calleth it For whom among Brothel houses of Harlots among Beggars Cottages among Thieves lurking-holes you prepared a House so open to pass through that you left therein more Entries than Men to shut them you that allured and assembled Russians to his Slaughter and Thieves to his Spoil You that drove away his Servants that should have defended his Life You that thrust him out naked alone unarmed among Thieves in danger to be slain When in all this miserable State of your Husband your Adulterer in the mean time dwelt in your Palace daily haunted your Chamber Day and Night all Doors were open for him whilst your poor Husband debarred all Company of the Nobility his Servants forbidden to come at him or sent away from him was forsaken and thrust away into a solitary Desart for a mocking Stock and I would to God it had been for a mocking Stock only Of his other Servants I enquire not I do not curiously question why they went away why they then especially forsook the King when he chiefly needed their Help and Service when he was newly recovered When he began to go abroad and had no other Company Of Alexander Durain I cannot keep Silence whom you had for his Keeper and your Spy. What was there for him to espy Was there any thing for him to bring News of to an honest Matron loving to her Husband faithful in Wedlock and fearful of a Partner of his Love Feared she lest he a young Gentleman beautiful and a King should cast wanton Eyes upon some other Woman in her Absence No God wot for that was it that she most desired for she her self had practised to allure him thereto before she her self had offered him the Occasions and of her self shewed him the means This was it that most grieved her while she was seeking Causes of Divorce that she could not find in him so much as any slender Suspicion of Adultery Why then were Spies set about him to watch him Was it not that none of the Nobility none of his Servants nor any Stranger at all should come at him that no Man should speak with him that might disclose the Treason and forewarn him of his Danger This same very Alexander how carefully she saveth when she goeth about to kill her Husband How late she sendeth him away when the rest were gone even at the very Point of her Husband's Death when she had now no more need of Espials For the day before the Murder was committed there was none of the Ministers that were privy to her secret Councils left behind but only Alexander He when he saw that Night no less doleful than shameful to approach prepareth as himself thought a fine subtil Excuse to be absent so as rather Chance might seem to have driven him out than he himself willing to have forsaken his Master He putteth Fire in his own Bed straw and when the Flame spread further he made an out-cry and threw his Bedding half singed out of the King's Chamber But the next day when that Excuse served not so handsomly as he desired for that in the Queen's hearing the King very sweetly entreated him not to leave him alone that Night and also desired him to lie with himself as he had often used to do for the King entirely loved him above all the rest Alexander in Perplexity wanting what to answer added to his first Excuse Fear of Sickness and pretended that for commodious taking of Physick for his Health he would lie in the Town When this would not yet serve him the Queen added her Authority and told the King That he did not well to keep the young Man with him against the Order of his Health and therewithal she turned to Alexander and bade him go where was best for him And forthwith as soon as the Word was spoken he went his Way I will not here precisely trace out all the Footings of these wicked doings neither will I curiously enquire whether that former Day 's Fire were happened by Casualty or kindled by Fraud Neither will I ask why he that had so often been received to lie in the King 's own Bed doth now this only Night especially refuse it Let us suppose that Sickness was the Cause thereof This only one thing I ask what kind of Sickness it was that came upon him at that very instant and before Morning left him again without any Physicians help and whereof neither before nor since nor at that present there ever appeared any Token But I trust though he hold his Peace ye all sufficiently understand it In the Man guilty in Conscience of the mischievous Intention Fear of Death overcame Regard of Duty Had it not been that Alexander before time a Spy and Tale-bearer now a Forsaker and Betrayer of his Master was joined to her in Privity of all these wicked doings would not the Queen so cruel in all the rest have found in her Heart to bestow that one Sacrifice upon her Husbands Funerals While these things were in doing the Night was far past and my Lady Rerese a lusty valiant Souldieress before Sign given cometh forth into the Field out of Array abroad she goeth getteth her to Horse-back and though she were somewhat afraid as one that foreknew the Storm to come yet she sate still upon her Horse tarrying for the Queen but yet a good pretty way from the House In the mean time Paris cometh Then the Communication brake and they rose to depart For by and by upon sight of him came to her Remembrance that heinous Offence that without great Propitiations could not be purged forsooth that the Queen had not danced at the Wedding-feast of Sebastion the
nothing by it for what the Examiners would have had kept secret that the People cried out openly that which they suppressed burst forth and that which they cloaked in secret it breaketh out into broad light But there was a Proclamation set forth with pardon of the Fact and promise of Reward to him that would utter it Why who had been so mad that he durst in so manifest peril of his Life bear Witness or give Information against the Judges themselves in whose power lay his Life and Death It was likely forsooth that they which had murdered a King would spare him that should disclose the Murderer especially when all Men saw that the Enquiry of the King's Slaughter was quite omitted and the other Enquiry severely pursued concerning Books accusing the Slaughter What manner of Judgment it was whereby Bothwel was quitted you have heard forsooth by himself procured the Judges by himself chosen the Accusers by himself suborned lawful Accusers forbidden to be present unless they would yield their Throats to their Enemies Weapons the Assize appointed neither to a day according to the Law of the Land nor after the manner of the Country nor to enquire of the Murder of the King but of such a Murder as was alledged to be committed the day before that the King was slain Here when Bothwel by his Friendship and Power and the Queen by Prayer and Threatning travailed with the Judges do you now expect what Sentence Men chosen against Law and against the Custom of the Land have pronounced In their Judgment they touched the matter nothing at all only this they have declared That it was no lawful Judgment in this that with a special Protestation they provided That it should not be prejudicial to them in time to come Then that all Men might understand what it was that they sought by Sword Fire and Poison they jumble up Marriages one is Divorced another is Coupled and that in such posting speed as they might scant have hasted to furnish a Triumph of some Noble Victory Yet that in these unlawful Weddings some shew of lawful Order might be observed the goodly Banes were openly proclaimed for publishing whereof though the Minister of the Church was threatned with Death if he did it not yet at the time of his publishing himself openly protested That he knew Cause of Exception why that Marriage was not lawful But in such a Multitude assembled how few were they that knew it not Sith all could remember well that Bothwel had then alive two Wives already not yet Divorced and the third neither lawfully Married nor orderly Divorced But that was not it that was intended to observe the Ceremonies of lawful Order but as they do use in Interludes they provided a certain shew or disguised counterfeiting of common usage For he that hath oft brokeâ— all Humane Laws and hath cast away all Conscience and Religion could easily neglect the Course of God's Law. Now I suppose I have briefly declared in respect of the greatness of the matter and yet perhaps in more words than needed the plainness of the profes considered of what purpose by what counsel and upon what hope that heinous murder was attempted with what cruelty it was executed by what tokens advertisements testimonies and letters of the Queen her self the whole matter is proved and so plainly proved that it may be as openly seen as if it lay before your eyes yet will I shew forth the testimony of the whole people which I think worthy not to be neglected For several men do commonly deceive and are deceived by others but no man deceiveth all men nor is deceived by all This testimony of the people is this When at the Queens going abroad among the people the greatest part of the Commons were wont to make Acclamations wishing her well and happily with such Speeches as either Love enforceth or Flattery inventeth now at her going after the Kings slaughter to the Castle through the chief and most populous Street of the Town there was all the way a sad glooming silence And when any woman alone of the multitude had cryed God save the Queen another by and by so cryed out as all men might hear her So be it to every one as they have deserved Albeit these things were thus done as I have declared yet there are some that stick not to say that the Queen was not onely hardly but also cruelly dealt with that after so detestable a fact she was removed from her Regency and when they could not deny the fact they complained of the punishment I do not think there will be any man so shameless to think that so horrible a fact ought to have no punishment at all But if they complain of the grievousness of the penalty I fear lest to all good men we may seem not to have done so gently and temperately as loosly and negligently that have laid so light a penalty upon an offence so heinous and such as was never heard of before For what can be bone cruelly against the authour of so outragious a deed wherein all laws of God and man are violated despised and in a manner wholly extinguished Every several offence hath his punishment both by God and man appointed and as there be certain degrees of evil deeds so are there also encreases in the quantities of punishments If one have killed a man it is a deed of it self very heinous What if he have killed his familiar friend what if his father what if in one soul fact he hath joyned all these offences together surely of such a one neither can his life suffice for imposing nor his body for bearing nor the Judges policy for inventing pain enough for him Which of these faults is not comprised in this offence I omit the mean common matters the murdering of a young gentleman an innocent her countrey-man her kinsman her familiar her Cousin-german Let us also excuse the fact if it be possible She unadvisedly a young Woman angry offended and one of great innocency of life till this time hath slain a lewd young man an adulterer an unkind husband and a cruel King. If not any one but all these respects together were in this matter they ought not to avail to shift off all punishment but to raise some pity of the case But what say you that none of these things can so much as be falsly pretended The fact it self of it self is odious in a woman it is monstrous in a wife not onely excessively loved but also most zealously honoured it is uncredible and being commited against him whose age craved pardon whose hearty affection required love whose nighness of kindred asked reverence whose innocency might have deserved favour upon that young man I say in whom there is not so much as alledged any just cause of offence thus to execute and spend yea to exceed all torments due to all offences in what degree of cruelty shall we account it But let these
Woman as she Howbeit you cause me to be somewhat like unto her in any thing that touches you or that may preserve and keep you unto her to whom only you appertain if it be so that I may appropriate that which is won through faithful yea only loving of you as I do and shall do all the days of my life for pain or evil that can come thereof In recompense of the which and of all the evils which you have been cause of to me remember you upon the place here beside I crave with that you keep Promise to me in the Morn but that we may meet together and that you give no faith to suspicions without the certainty of them And I crave no other thing of God but that you may know that thing that is in my Heart which is yours and that he may preserve you from all evil at least so long as I have life which I repute not precious unto me except in so far as it and I both are agreeable unto you I am going to bed and will bid you good Night Advertise me timely in the Morning how you have fared for I will be in pain until I get word Make good watch if the Bird get out of the Cage or without her Mate as the Turtle I shall remain alone to lament your absence how short that soever it be This Letter will do with a good Heart that thing which I cannot do my self if it be not that I have fear that you are in sleeping I durst not write this before Ioseph Bastian and Ioachim that did but depart even when I began to write Another Letter to Bothwel concerning the departure of Margaret Carwood who was privie and a helper of all their love MOn coeur helas faul li que la follie d' une femme dont vous cognoissez assez l' in gratitude vers moy soit cause de vous donner deplasir c. MY heart alas must the folly of a woman whose thankfulness toward me you do sufficiently know be occasion of displeasure unto you considering that I could not have remedied thereunto without knowing it And since that I perceive it I could not tell it you for that I knew not how to govern my self therein For neither in that nor in any other thing will I take upon me to do any thing without knowledge of your will. Which I beseech you let me understand for I will follow it all my life more willingly than you shall declare it to me And if you do not send me word this night what you will that I shall do I will rid my self of it and hazard to cause it to be enterprised and taken in hand which might be hurtful unto that whereunto both we do tend And when she shall be married I beseech you give me one or else I will take such as shall content you for their conditions but as for their tongues or faithfulness toward you I will not answer I beseech you that an opinion of another person be not hurtful in your mind to my constancy Mistrust me but then I will put you out of doubt and clear my self Refuse it not my dear life and suffer me to make you some proof by my obedience my faithfulness constancy and voluntary subjection which I take for the pleasantest good that I might receive if you will accept it and make no ceremony at it for you could do me no greater outrage nor give more mortal grief Another Letter sent from Sterling to Bothwell concerning the practice for her Ravishment MOnsieur helas pourquoy est vostre fiance mise en pessonné si indigne pour so up conner ce qui est entierement vostre I' enrage vous m' aviez promise c. ALas my Lord why is your trust put in a person so unworthy to mistrust that which is wholly yours I am mad You had promised me that you would resolve all and that you would send me word every day what I should do you have done nothing thereof I advertised you well to take heed of your false Brother in law he came to me and without shewing me any thing from you told me that you had willed him to write to you that that I should say and where and when you should come to me and that that you should do touching him and thereupon hath preached unto me that it was a foolish enterprise and that with mine honour I could never marry you seeing that being married you did carry me away and that his folks would not suffer it and that the Lords would unsay themselves and would deny that they had said To be short he is all contrary I told him that seeing I was come so far if you not withdraw your self of your self that no perswasion nor death it self should make me fail of my promise As touching the place you are too negligent pardon me to remit your self thereof unto me Chuse it your self and send me word of it And in the mean time I am sick I will differ as touching the matter it is too late It was not long of me that you have not thought thereupon in time And if you had not more changed your mind since mine absence than I have you should not be now to ask such resolving Well there wanteth nothing of my part and seeing that your negligence doth put us both in the danger of a false Brother if it succeed not well I will never rise again I send this Bearer unto you for I dare not trust your Brother with these Letters nor with the business He shall tell you in what state I am and judg you what amendment these new ceremonies have brought unot me I would I were dead for I see all goeth ill You promised other manner of matter of your foreseeing but absence hath power over you who have two strings to your bow Dispatch the Answer that I fail not and put no trust in your Brother for his enterprise for he hath told it and is also quite against it God give you good night Another Letter to Bothwell for the Practice and Device to excuse the Ravishing DU lieu de l'heure je m' en rap porte à vostre frere à vous je le suiuray ne fauldray en rien de ma part Il trouve beauc oup de difficultez c. OF the Place and Time I remit my self to your Brother and to you I will follow him and will fail in nothing of my part He findeth many Difficulties I think he doth advertise you thereof and what he doth advertise you for the handling of himself As for the handling of my self I heard it once well devised Methinks that your Services and the long A mity having the good will of the Lords do well deserve a Pardon if above the duty of a Subject you advance your self not to constrain me but to assure your self of such place nigh unto me that other Admonitions or