Secretary Anbapin For the King of Spain were the Duke of Alva Prince of Orange and Cardinal Granvel for Queen Mary of England were Commissioners William Bishop of Ely and Doctor Wotton The Commissioners made peace betwixt France Spain England and Scotland The Constable was much for the Peace the Cardinal of Lorrain desired the continuance of the Wars For by the Peace the Constable would get leave to come home to guide the King and Court again as he had formerly done By the continuance of the Wars he would remain still Prisoner leaving the Government of the King and Court of France to the Cardinal and the Duke of Guise his Brother Spain that was victorious took advantage of their strife and emulation France and England lost by the said Peace The King inclined most to the Constables Counsel England appeared desirous that Calis should be restored believing that the King of Spain would not agree till they had satisfaction of their demands Yet they were frustrate of their expectations At length perceiving the two great Kings careless of their satisfaction they appeared content with a scornful mean albeit it was not cast in by the Cardinal of Lorrain to wit that Calis should be restored to them at the end of eight years or else five hundred thousand Crowns And for payment of the said sum in case the said Town was not rendred unto them at the end of the time specified that in the mean time they should have three great men of France to be kept as Pledges for the restitution of the said Town Now the English Commissioners knew that nothing of this would be kept nevertheless they appeared content finding themselves abandoned by Spain So the Peace being concluded Spain obtained all their desires the Constable obtained liberty the Cardinal of Lorrain could not mend himself no more than the English Commissioners However the said Cardinal took this advantage of the said Peace that the first Article of the Peace obliged all of them to leave their partialities and join together to suppress the great number of Hereticks who were so increased through all their Dominions that it was thought hard enough to the Pope the Emperour the Kings of Spain and France together with the Queen of Scotland to reduce them again to the Catholick Faith The said Cardinal proposed to himself another advantage wherewith to recompense his losses for he thought at the end of eight years when England would look either to get Calice restored again to them or else the sum above specified he would cause his Sisters daughter the Queen of Scotland to be proclaimed righteous Queen of England and alledge that Queen Elizabeth was but a Bastard And that way he thought not onely Calice but all England should appertain to the Queen of Scotland As for the Pledges he resolved such men should be chosen that France would make little account of After the concluding of this Peace Ambassadors were sent to Flanders and England The Cardinal of Lorrain out of France to take the King of Spains Oath and to swear for the King of France his observation thereof The Secretary Dardois also was sent out of France to do the like in the name of the Dauphin of France and the Queen of Scotland his Spouse giving them this new stile In the name of Francis and Mary King and Queen of Scotland England and Ireland Dauphin and Dauphinois of Viennois Whereat the Duke D' Alva and Cardinal Granvel smiled saying this will breed some business ere it be long The Cardinal of Lorrain shortly after caused to be renewed all the Queen of Scotlands silver Vessels and engraved thereon the Arms of England The Marshal Montmorancy my Masters eldest Son was sent to England to swear the Peace and to take the Queen of Englands Oath So soon as Sir Nicholas Throgmorton understood of this new Stile and Arms usurped by the Queen of Scotland to which he said she had no right he being Ambassador from the Queen of England to France complained thereof to the King and Council of France though he got but Dutch excuses alledging that in Dutchland all the Princes Brothers Cousins or Children are stiled Princes or Dukes of that same House The Constable advised the King to Commission me to swear the Peace in Scotland But the Cardinal of Lorrain alledged Mounsieur Bettancourt Master of the Houshold to the Queen Regent was meeter because the Instructions tended to declare unto the Queen Regent how that the first and principal Article of the Peace was that the Pope the Emperour the Kings of Spain and France should join together to reduce again the most part of Europe to the Roman Catholick Religion and to pursue and punish with Fire and Sword all Hereticks who would not condescend to the same desiring the Queen Regent to do the same in Scotland and to begin in time before the Heresie should spread any further which was already too far spread by her gentle forbearance as had been reported to the King of France Praying her diligently to take course therein without fear or respect of persons seeing that no Country of it self was able to withstand the whole Forces of so many confederate Catholick great Princes It is above declared that all those Prelats who had great Rule and Authority for the time had assisted the Queen Regent in breaking the Contract of marriage with England and transporting the young Queen to France But the Archbishop of St. Andrews began to think that in case the young Queen died without succession to her body that the Earl of Arran his Nephew might the easilier be Crowned the Governour his Father being already in possession was against the transporting the Crown matrimonial to France And he having for the time the guiding bâ—â—h of the Governour his Brother and of the Country drew easily the most part of the Clergy upon his side Whereupon the Queen Dowager was compelled to address her self to a contrary faction to be the more in a capacity of compassing her design to wit to the Nobility and Barons who were become Professors of the Reformed Re ligion conniving at their secret Preaching for further ingratiating her self with them whereby the Protestants so increased that the most part of the Country became Professors of the Reformed Religion And such as had upon that accompt been formerly banished as upon account of the slaughter of the Cardinal were called home to fortifie the Faction that most furthered her designs In the mean time the Bishop of St. Andrews fell sick so that he lost his Speech and was given over for dead The Queen Dowager looks upon this as a fit opportunity of wresting the Government out of the Lord Hamiltons hands having the concurrence of the Lords that were Protestants and their dependents who were not a little incensed at the said Governour because he had been so influenced by his Brother as by his Council to endeavour the ruine of their Religion And the ways they took
Commission which was according to his hearts desire the Tears came over his cheeks crying alack for the loss of the King my good Master that he should not have seen before his death Scotland recovered again which he esteemed lost seeing you are thereby also frustrate of a good reward which this your service merited Now I have not such interest as I formerly had to advance you but if you will take such part as I have you shall be very welcome I answered that as I had been with him in his prosperity I would not desert him in his adversity Now there was no more appearance of concord betwixt the Queen Regent and the Congregation in Scotland For the King of France was raising Men to send thither The Congregation again sought help from England which they obtained the rather because the English Ambassadour resident in France had advertised his Mistress how that the Queen of Scotland and her Husband had taken the Style of England and Ireland and also had ingraven the Arms thereof upon their Silver Plate The Queen Regent and Monsieur Dosel with his French men inclose themselves within Leeth which they did fortifie to receive the French supply which was daily expected At length those who were besieged made a sally caused the Congregation to fly and took their Artillery till an Army from England came under the conduct of the Duke of Norfolk At which the Queen Regent being indisposed by the Sea Air at Leeth retired her self to the Castle of Edinburgh Where she took sickness and dyed during the time that Leeth was besieged both by Scotland and England regreting that she had occasioned to her self and the Kingdom so much unnecessary trouble by following the advice of her French friends During the Siege of Leeth all Scotch men who were in France were detested and divers of them upon suspicion made Prisoners Which obliged me to repair from the Constable's House to the Court to require License from the Queen my Soveraign to visit other Countries whereby I might be rendered more able afterward to do her Majesty agreeable service Which she granted and presenting me to the King her Husband I had a kiss of his hand and so took my leave The Constable my good Master recommended me to the Elector Palatine advising me to remain at his Court to learn the Dutch Tongue I was courteously received by the said Prince Elector and obtained such favour at his hands that he obliged me to attend at his Court as one of his Servants So soon as he heard of the death of King Francis the Second King of France who dyed at Orleance I was sent to condole for the said King's death as the custom of Princes is and rejoice with the new young King Charles the Ninth also to comfort our Queen and the Queen Mother The King's death made a great change the Queen Mother was glad at the death of King Francis her Son because she had no guiding of him he being wholly councelled by the Duke of Guise and the Cardinal his Brother the Queen our Mistress being their Sister Daughter So that the Queen Mother was much satisfied to be freed of the Government of the House of Guise and for this cause she entertained a great grudge at our Queen In the mean time the King of Navarr and Prince of Conde who were imprisoned and should have been executed three days after the Scaffold being already prepared were by the Queen Mother set at liberty The Constable also having been charged to come to Court expected no better measure he therefore gave if out that he was sick being carried in a Horse-Litter and making little Journeys he drew out the time so long by the way that in the mean time the King dyed Whereof being informed he leapt on a Horse and came frankly to Court and like a Constable commanded the Men of War who were upon the Guards The Duke of Guise and his Brother were commanded out of the Town The Queen Mother was glad at the Constable's coming seeing she found her self by his authority and friendship with the King of Navarr the more in a capacity to drive the House of Guise from Court The Estates were convened at Orleance and for the time the King of Navarr fell to be Tutor and Governour to the young King and the Countrey But the Queen Mother knowing his faculty handled the matter so finely by the Constables help that the King of Navarr procured from the Three Estates that the Queen Mother should be Regent of the Realm To whom he rendered up his place being satisfied to be but her Lieutenant She having attained this great point caused the Estates to require that an accompt should be made to them by the Duke of Guise the Marshal de St. Andres and the Cardinal of their intermission with the King's Rents and affairs of the King and Countrey Whereupon they left the Court binding themselves together to defend themselves against the Queen Mother's malice For in effect she was a deadly Enemy to all of them who had either guided her Husband or her eldest Son I was all this time at Orleance where I might see this change and had great favour of the King of Navarr for the Elector Palatine's sake who was his great friend The Queen Mother also highly esteemed the said Prince Elector dispatching me with great thanks and a gift worth a Thousand Crowns Our Queen in the mean timâ— seeing her friends in disgrace and knowing her self not to be much liked she left the Court and was a sorrowful Widow when I took leave of her at a Gentleman's House four miles from Orleance So I returned to Dutchland with many instructions from the Queen Mother and King of Navarr For she appeared to be inclined to profess publickly the reformed Religion thinking it the meetest way to retain the Government and guiding of the King of Navarr that being the only Faction which appeared able to gain-stand the House of Guise who were banded with the Pope and King of Spain The said Queen Mother likewise entertained some resolutions of joining with the Protestant Princes in Dutchland and with the Queen of England Count Egmont Prince of Orange Count Horn and such as had in the Low Countries embraced the Reformed Religion or stood up for the liberty of their Countrey I being returned to Dutchland received news out of England from Mr. Killegrew my old friend that the Peace was concluded in Scotland at the Siege of Lieth that the French men were to be carried to France in the Queen of England's Ships That the Queen of Scotland was to lay aside the Arms of England and the Congregation to have the free Exercise of their Religion I leave all the proceedings in the Wars in Scotland to be declared by such as were present who will probably write that whole History I shall only touch such things as I my self was imployed in which I did see with my Eyes and hear with my
a new faction upon to trouble the King and his Estate And whereas the said Davison had promised before to shew himself a kind Scotsman I perceived him clean altered and a perfect practiser against the quiet of this State whereof I advertised His Majesty After his return England appeared not to have such a fear as it had formerly had at the Earl of Arran For there was a meeting drawn on at the Borders betwixt the Earl of Hunsdon and the Earl of Arran Who had long and privy conference together to keep a great friendship betwixt the two Princes and Countries with a secret Plot That the Earl of Arran should keep the King unmarried for three years under this pretext That there was a young Maid of the blood in England who about that time would be ready for marriage whereupon the Queen would declare His Majesty Second Person This was a deceitful Traffique and kept secret from every Body the design thereof being to hinder the King to deal for any other honourable and profitable Match The Earl of Arran thinking himself setled being now in friendship with the Queen of Englond as he supposed moved His Majesty to send thither the Master of Gray who was entred in great favour and familiarity with His Majesty by some secret dealing and intelligence he had with the Queen his Mother in England by means of some of her friends in France For being there at his Travels and but lately returned he brought some Letters directed from Her Majesty to the King her Son and conveyed the answers back again by an interest he had in England with some who favoured Her Majesty He was a great dealer also between Her Majesty and some Catholicks in England He was a proper Gentleman of a Noble Spirit and fair Speech and so well esteemed by His Majesty that Arran thought fit to absent him from Court by this Ambassage Nevertheless he employed him also in the Course begun betwixt him and the Earl of Hunsdean And yet when he was at the Court of England so well esteemed and treated as was reported by such as were sent back it was alledged by some of the Master of Gray's friends that the Earl of Arran began to envy him and misrepresent him unto His Majesty as if he had discovered unto the Queen of England a great part of the Queen of Scotlands purposes and proceedings However the said Master returned again well rewarded and commended for his behaviour qualities and discretion unto the King's Majesty to the great increase of his Credit with the King Not long after his return he was informed what misreports had been made of him in his absence Which he recompensed the best he could with Court Charity at convenient times so that by little and little he began to Eclipse Arran The Master of Gray also forewarned His Majesty of a notable Person who was upon the way sent unto His Majesty by the Queen of England to do him honour and to bear him company to entertain a stricter friendship between that Queen and Him then any had ever been intended before And that the said Ambassadour called Mr. Wotton would not trouble His Majesty with Business or Country Affairs but would bear him company in his Pastimes of Hunting Hauking and Horse-riding and entertain him with friendly and merry Discourses as one come lately from Italy and Spain expert in Languages and Customs of Countries and a great lover of His Majesty's Title and Right to the Crown of England So that His Majesty was ingaged to love him before he did see him and caused with diligence to write to me to come and entertain the said Ambassadour At my return to Court I was the better taken with that Arran was under some Cloud The Master of Gray was then my great friend For His Majesty had told him that I had ever resisted the Earl of Arran's furious proceedings His Majesty desired me as I would do him acceptable Service to bear good company to the said Ambassadour declaring unto me all his properties and qualifications above specified willing me also to Banquet him at my house But after I had conversed certain days with him I remembred I had formerly seen him in France with Doctor Wotton who was there Ambassadour Resident for Queen Mary of England the time that she was married with King Philip of Spain During which time there were great suspicions and jealousies betwixt France and England For tho there was hot War between France and Spain yet the Peace continued still with the Queen of England who was lately married by the King of Spain She appeared still to keep the Peace with France though in the mean time she sent over to Flanders both Men and Mony to the help of the King her Husband The old Constable of France my Master who for the time had the whole management of the Country Affairs under King Henry the Second reproached the English Ambassadour for that the Queen his Mistress was doing her endeavour to break the Peace The Ambassadour excused his Mistress alledging That if any of his Country-men served in the Wars under the King of Spain that they would be found but Soldiers of Fortune ready to serve any Man for Mony She denied that she knew of their passing into Flanders or that she disbursed any Mony for the Wars Albeâ—t that there was ground enough ministred unto her by reciving and retaining in France all her Rebels and Fugitives giving them Pensions and Intertainment and stirring them up to enterprises against her Life and Estate This the Constable flatly denyed only he said That out of a general good will which was born to English-men in time of Peace they were suffered to live in the Country which bears the name of France because there should be Freedom and Franchise to every Christian. The Ambassadour being wise and subtil perceiving this answer to be but a shift and that Wars would inevitably follow these kind of suspicions he intended by some subtilty to Circumvent the Constable and for that effect had sent to England for his Brother's Son being One and Twenty years of Age as well to employ him as to teach him the French and Italian Languages This youth being arrived in France with an Irish Boy to be his Interpreter who could speak French both apparelled in mean array to be the less suspected to have any practice or policy in their minds Like a Forreign young Man he addressed himself to some of the King of France his Courtiers desiring Audience of His Majesty secretly as having a matter of great importance to propose The King again divers times directed him to deal first with the Constable At last when he came to the Constable he desired also of him that he might first declare unto the King his Errand which was of great importance although he knew that the King spoke with no Man in such matters until the Constable had first sounded him and then told his Opinion to
by the shiver of a Spear engaging with the Earl of Montegomery at the Iustings of his Daughter's Marriage with the King of Spain p. 28. And dies Eight days after ibid. Henry Prince King James his first Son born at Sterling 202. Herreis Lord is Imprisoned in the Castle of Edinburgh p. 101. Hume George turns William Kieth out of his place of Master of the Wardrobe when King James was in Denmark p. 182. Being Knighted is made Master of the Wardrobe p. 198. Hume Lord takes part with the Hamiltouns and Queens Faction p. 106. With whom the Regent Mortoun durst not meddle standing in awe of his Party p. 122. Dies shortly after being a Prisoner in Edinburgh Castle ibid. Hunsdon Earl hath a Conference on the Borders with the Earl of Arran p. 158. Contrives a secret Plot ibid. Huntley Earl is Chief of the new Faction about his Majesty p. 175. Endeavours to turn out the Master of Gray and Martland the Chancellor ibid. Procures the Gift of the Benefice of Dumfarmling ibid. Great disorders occasioned by the Dissention between him and other Earls p. 200. Is sent home hereupon p. 201. Triumphs and takes advantage of the Earl of Murray's Lands giving him just cause of Complaint ibid. Kills the Earl of Murray ibid. I JAmes the Fifth of Scotland his resolute Speech to the Prelates p. 4. Gives the Ward and Marriage of Kelly in Angus to the Second Son of the Lord Grange ibid. Gives ear to the Clergy to put off the Convention with King Henry the 8th at York ibid. Is forced to raise an Army to defend his Country upon that account p. 6. Is much troubled at the Defeat of his Army and useth severe Language against the Prelates who fearing his displeasure poison him with an Italian Posset ibid. His Character p. 7. James Lord Prior of St. Andrews the Natural Son of James the Fifth p. 25. Hears of Queen Mary's Resolution to return to Scotland and goes to France to request it p. 31. Returns to Scotland to prepare them for her Reception ibid. James the Sixth King born p. 69. When of Age he causeth the Heirs of the Lord Grange to be restored p. 123. Orders his bones to be taken up and honourably buried at Killingborn ibid. Is brought up at Sterling by Alexander Areskine and the Layd Mar p. 125. Hath Four Masters their Character ibid. The Earl of Mortoun being deposed he takes the Government into his own hands p. 128. Is surprised by the Lords in the House of Huntingtoun p. 132. Is conveyed afterward to Sterling and there retained ibid. Laments his mishandling during that Captivity ibid. Invites by Letters some of the Nobility to a Convention p. 133. Goes from Falkland to St. Andrews some few days before the Convention to the Earl of March p. 135. Thinks himself there at liberty ibid. Lodgeth in an old Inn there ibid. Becomes Master of the Castle p. 136. And declares his moderate intentions toward all the Lords ibid. Orders 4 Lords to retire and retains the rest as his Council ibid. Causeth a Proclamation to be made according to his moderate intentions p. 137. Returns the Author thanks as the only instrument of procuring his liberty ibid. Is gently inclined to all the Nobility and Treated particularly by the Earl of Gaury ibid. Solicits the Author to prevail with the Lord Gaury that the Earl of Arran might come to Court and kifs his hand p. 138. Promising he should not stay there ibid. Sends a Letter in Answer to Queen Elizabeth's p. 140. The Contents thereof p. 140 141 and 142. His Majesty is taken again p. 142. Gives Secretary Walsingham Audience p. 147. Sends a Letter to Queen Elizabeth promising not to bring again the Earl of Arran into Court p. 148. Is taken at the Road of Ruthven p. 149. And retain'd Captive ibid. Takes little care to prevent inconveniences yet obtains his liberty ibid. Assures the Author that he would Convene a Council of Lords at Edinburgh p. 150. His Dream concerning the Earl of Gaury p. 156. Writes for Melvil the Author to come and advise him p. 157. As also to come and entertain Wotton being sent to him by the Queen of England p. 159. Whom he loved before he saw by reason of the advantageous Character which the Master of Gray gave him ibid. Orders the Author to entertain the Danish Ambassadours 162. And because they were three in Commission wisheth him to choose two more to accompany him which he did ibid. Gives them Audience at Dumfarmling and is much dissatisfied at their ill handling ibid. Grows impatient to hear the Author speak against Wotton p. 164. Acquaints the Author that he was informed the King of Denmark's Descent was from Merchants ibid. But after he was informed of the truth he sends for the said Ambassadors p. 165. Promiseth them a speedy dispatch to their satisfaction ibid. Orders a Banquet for them is hindred from being present at it but being informed how matters stood goes thither and drinks to the King Queen and Ambassadors of Denmark to their great content p. 166. causeth their dispatch to be ready according to promise ibid. Sends to the Earl of Arran for a great Gold Chain which he got from Sir James Balfour to present it to the Three Ambassadors which was done accordingly ibid. Sends to agree with the Banished Lords at their coming to Sterling p. 169. Where it was agreed his Majesty should be in their hands and no rigour used to those about him ibid. Calls them Traytors at first but after grants them a Pardon ibid. Acknowledgeth the Earl of Arran to have been a bad Minister of State and that he should never be readmitted to Court p. 170. Hears the news of his Mothers Execution which highly displeas'd him p. 173. Convenes a Parliament desiring the Assistance of his Subjects ibid. When he at first hears they were about the Conviction of his Mother he sent Two Ambassadors on her behalf ibid. Sends for the Author to prepare him to go Ambassador to England ibid. Goes to the Western Borders to reform some disorders between the Maxwels and Johnstouns p. 175. Resolves to wait an opportunity to revenge his Mothers Death rather then trouble the Peace of the Kingdom of England ibid. Is Courted in Marriage by many great Princes p. 177. Asks Council of God by Prayer Fifteen days and then resolves to Marry the King of Denmark's Daughter ibid. Makes choice of the Author to go Ambassador to Denmark ibid. Perswades him to undertake that Embassy p. 178. Consents that his Brother the Lord Yungland should be joyned in Commission with him and gives him Commission by word of mouth ibid. Is angry-with the Author p. 179. Is advised to send to Queen Elizabeth to desire her Consent to his Marriage with Denmark ibid. Her Answer thereunto ibid. Is incensed with his Council for Voting against that Marriage ibid. Deals privately with those at Edinburgh to threaten the Council and Chancellor menacing him with Death if
the Queen's Lords are Routed p. 91. The King's Lords send for the Earl of Lennox to make him Regent in the room of Murray p. 104. They hold a Parliament at Sterling and the Queen 's at Edinburgh p. 113. Lords all written and unwritten for arrive at St. Andrew's to attend the Convention intended there by the King p. 136. Design to have the King in custody ibid. Lords met at Edinburgh pass a Vote unanimously being preoccupied by the Earl of Arran p. 153. Those Lords who designed the attempt on Sterling fly to England p. 157. Are forefaulted p. 158. They return and come to the Borders with Assistance p. 168. 3000 of the banished Lords enter Sterling fall on their knees and beg his Majesty's pardon p. 169. Which is granted ibid. The Lords gain great credit by their moderate behaviour p. 170. Lorrain Cardinal designs to promote Queen Mary to the Crown of England by alledging Queen Elizabeth to be Illegitimate p. 23. Causeth all Queen Mary's Silver Vessels to be engraven with the Arms of England ibid. After the conclusion of Peace is sent Ambassadour to Spain to take that King's Oath and to swear for his Master 's observing the same ibid. Proposeth two Matches to the Emperour of Germany p. 33. M MAcclean and others chief of the Highlands is subtilly brought to Court by the Chancellour p. 192. Are imprisoned in Edinburgh Castle accused of foul murther but get off ibid. Maitland Secretary is confin'd to his house with others p. 166. Opposeth the Author in Council p. 171. Mar Earl keeps the young Prince and will not deliver him to Bothwel p. 80. Is made Regent in the room of Lennox p. 111. Goes to Edinburgh to Convene the Lords in order to an Accommodation p. 118. In the mean time goes to Dalkieth and shortly after dies at Sterling ibid. Margil David one of the Duke of Lennox his Councellors p. 128. Marshal of Berwick besiegeth Edinburgh assisted by an English Army and all Scotland p. 120. Contends with the Ambassadour p. 121. Is forced to deliver up the Prisoners in Edinburgh Castle to the Regent being commanded by the Queen of England to do it ibid. Which he doth with much regret and returns to Berwick discontented ibid. The Laird of Cleesh having before offered them good Conditions to quit the Castle ibid. Takes the death of the Laird of Grange very much to heart by reason of the breach of his promise and thereupon quits his Employment of Marshal whose loss is much lamented being a worthy Captain ibid. Marshal Earl and others lodge within the Castle with his Majesty of Scotland p. 136. He and others retire to their Houses p. 137. Desires to supply the place of the Lord Atry as Ambassadour to Denmark p. 178. Which is granted ibid. But his Commission is so slender that he sends the Lord Dingual for a License to return or a power to conclude the Match with Denmark ibid. Which he receives and is presently dispatcht for Scotland by the Regent and Council and the Queen sent home with him well attended p. 180. But are driven by Tempest upon the Coast of Norway the winds being raised by the Witches of Denmark and the reason why ibid. Is not well thought of by the King upon the account of his Embasby to Denmark occasioned by the Chancellour's misrepresentation of him to his Majesty p. 182. Martland is made Chancellour in Scotland p. 175. Threatned to be kill'd p. 179. Hears of his Majesties discontent at the Queens delay of coming from Denmark and adviseth him to sail thither in person to fetch her home p. 181. Who goes with him privately ibid. Being at Denmark he deviseth many Reformations to be made at his Majesties return p. 182. Causeth the Lord Hume Earl Bothwel and divers others to be imprisoned for their disobedience during the absence of the King ibid. Misrepresents Sir Robert Melvil and envies him though a great friend to his promotion ibid. Emulation between the Council and him who design to turn him out p. 183. But prevents it being discovered ibid. Great hatred between him and the Duke of Lennox p. 198. He retires to his own House and is accused of several Crimes ibid. Procures again his Majesties favour and is re-introduced at Court p. 200. And at length reconciled to the Queen ibid. Mary Queen of Scotland the only Child left of King James the 5th p. 7. Born when he lay on his death-bed p. 7. After her Arrival in France great disputes arise about her Marriage between the two Factions in France but is at last wedded to the Dauphin p. 8. Proves a sorrowful Widdow after the death of her Husband p. 30. By degrees leaves the Court upon dislike ibid. Occasion'd by the Queen-Mother's rigorous dealing with her p. 31. Is advised to return to Scotland and behave her self moderately ibid. At length arrives in her own Country p. 32. Seems to approve of the Match proposed by Cardinal Lorrain between her and the Arch-Duke of Austria ibid. Advertiseth the Queen of England of this proposal desiring her advice p. 40. Which she Answers by Mr. Randolph ibid. and p. 41. Lays aside the thoughts of that Match p. 43. And the Reasons why ibid. Behaves her self very discreetly and gains great reputation in all Countries p. 53. Her Character p. 54. Is much taken with the Lord Darnly p. 56. Determines to marry him tho opposed by several Lords ibid. And is married to him accordingly p. 57. Is kept Prisoner by Douglas and his Party upon the murther of Rixio p. 65. Causeth the King to advise them to withdraw the Guards they had upon her ibid. So they went all to their home but the Queen King and some in their Retinue went at midnight to Dunbar p. 66. Subscribes Remissions for the Lord Murray and his Dependers lamenting the young King's folly ibid. Goes to Sterling to Ly In her time approaching p. 67. She mislikes the King who grows melancholick thereupon ibid. She is much troubled at that foul fact committed in her presence by killing her Servant Rixio to the endangering of her self and the Child in her Womb p. 74. Keeps her Chamber some time after the murther of her Husband Darnly p. 78. She wonders at the reports of her marriage with Bothwel but denies it ibid. Is forced to marry him the Nobility approving it and he having first Ravished her p. 80. Is married by Adam Bothwel after the Reformed Religion ibid. Resigns her self to the Lord of Grange and conveyed to Edinburgh p. 83. where she is respected by the Nobles but reviled by the vulgar ibid. Writes a Letter wherein she calls Bothwel her dear heart promising never to forsake him p. 84. Which being brought to the Lords by the Treachery of one of her Keepers they sent her to be secured in Lockleven ibid. Upon the Lord Lindsay's coming she subscribed to the Demission of the Government to the Prince and certain Lords named as Regents p. 85. Is conveyed from Lockleven
the Convention ibid. Retires discontented to the Castles of Edinburgh and Sterling p. 155. His unworthy Carriage with many other particulars ibid. Seizeth on Gaury's Lands and divideth them among several others upon condition they would assist him in the ruin of the said Gaury p. 156. Confers with the Earl of Hunsdon on the Borders and Plots with him secretly p. 158. Grants all that is desired at the Conference with the Earl of Hunsdon to procure Queen Elizabeth's friendship p. 161. Is not courted by the Danish Ambassadors p. 163. Whereupon he becomes their Enemy ibid. Is in disfavour at Court p. 166. Imprisoned in St. Andrews Castle ibid. Sends his Brother to the Master of Gray promising a reward to procure his liberty p. 166. Which he soon did ibid. Is ordered to retire to his House ibid. Obtains liberty to return to Court p. 168. Flies p. 169. Comes again to Court p. 200. Is shortly after kill'd by James Douglas ibid. Stuart Sir William is Captain of Dumbartoun p. 129. Sussex Earl is sent from England to Berwick p. 104. Enters the Merse with his Forces and takes the Castle of Hume and 〈◊〉 p. 106. Is sent to Scotland upon the Birth of Prince Henry from Queen Elizabeth p. 203. T TAggot a Scientifical Man who prognosticated the year of his own Death by Palmestry p. 13. And dies at Geneva accordingly p. 14. Throgmorton Sir Nicholas Ambassador from England to France complains to the King and Council of the Queen of Scotland's new Usurped Style and Arms p. 23. But without success ibid. Acquaints Queen Elizabeth with it p. 29. Is sent Ambassador to Scotland to disswade Queen Mary from the Marriage with Darnly p. 56. Owns when return'd the promises he had made to those who would stop those proceedings without fear of Queen or Council p. 60. And comes off well ibid. Is incensed that he was an instrument to deceive the Banished Lords therefore adviseth them to beg their Queens Pardon and penn's a perswasive Letter to her Majesty of Scotland p. 60 61 62 and 63. A man of a deep reach and great prudence studying the Union of both Kingdoms p. 98. Reconcileth the Duke and the Regent ibid. Tulke Monsieur see Broderode U VIllamonte a French Gentleman sent to Mary Queen of Scotland to shew no favour to the Protestant Banished Lords p. 63. A De vice of Cardinal Lorrains larely return'd from the Council of Trent ibid. W WAchop Patriarch of Ireland p. 9. Went several times to Rome by Post tho blind ibid. Walsingham Sir Francis is sent to Scotland p. 147. His Character ibid. Is conveyed by the Author to St. Johnstoun ibid. Refuseth to discourse with any person about his Embassy but his Majesty p. 148. Is much troubled at the Earl of Arran's Court favour ibid. Returns to England and dies ibid. William Bishop of Ely and Dr. Wotton sent Commissioners for Queen Mary in the Treaty of Peace at Cambray between France and Spain p. 22. Wood John Secretary to Murray the Regent of Scotland p. 95. Is desired to press forward the Accusation of the Queen of Scotland p. 96. Produceth the Accusation of Queen Mary upon the desire of Cecil who delivered it upon conditions p. 96 and 97. Which was snatcht from him by the bishop of Orkny who gave it in to the Council p. 97. Procures all the Letters sent from the Duke of Norfolk to his Master which might tend to his ruin p. 99. Is well rewarded for his pains ibid. Worcester Earl is sent Ambassador from England to congratulate both their Majesties of Scotland p. 182. Norminstoun kill'd at the seisure of the Lords at Sterling p. 114. Witches taken in Lauthian who depose against the Earl Bothwel p. 194. They discourse with the Devil his form and shape described and are burnt ibid. Wotton Mr. sent by Queen Elizabeth to King James as Ambassador p 158. His parts and qualifications p. 159. His carriage in France when very young p. 159 160 and 161. Brothers Son to Dr. Wotton Ambassador from England to Spain p. 161. Fifty years old when he came into Scotland ibid. Becomes one of his Majesties Favourites tho he did more prejudice to his Majesty as to his affairs then any Englishman that arrived there before him ibid. Is sent thither to use all his wiles to disturb the two Kings namely of Denmark and Scotland and their Countries p. 161 and 162. Visits the Danish Ambassadors making large profers to lend them Gold and Silver p. 162. But secretly incenseth them with the Kings mean Opinion of their Master ibid. Acquaints them that King James designed to affront them with delays p. 163. Notwithstanding his double dealing with the King he gains his Majesties Ear p. 164. Makes a complaint to the King of the killing of Sir Francis Russel on the Borders p. 166. Which occasioned the Earl of Arran's Imprisonment ibid. Obtains with the assistance of his Scotch friends the chief management of King James's Affairs p. 167. His designs against the King defeated ibid. Flies to England without taking leave of his Majesty p. 168. Perswades the Noblemen of that Nation who were banished into England to return to their Native Country ibid. His dangerous and circumventing Practices p. 171. Wotton Doctor Ambassador from Mary the Queen of England who was Resident there when she was married to Philip King of Spain p. 159. Y YOung Peter King James's Almoner sent Ambassadour to Denmark p. 167. His Commission ibid. Returns with a friendly Answer p. 171. Being very well contented mith all Transactions there and as well rewarded p. 176. Is sent again to Denmark with the Laird of Barnbarrow in Commission ibid. Returns his Commission being lookt upon by the King of Denmark as insufficient 177. Sent a third time with an Embassy to the Danish King and the Dukes of Mecklenburgh and Brunswick upon the birth of Prince Henry p. 203. Returns with the reward of three fair Chains ibid. Yungland Laird the Author's Brother undertakes the Embassie to the King and Princess of Navarre 177. Is well treated and rewarded ibid. A Scholar and Linguist p. 178. A N Alphabetical Interpretation OF ALL THE Scotish WORDS and PHRASES Contained in this HISTORY A Aback to hold or keep back Accession Condescention Alwise although Anent about concerning as thereanent concerning the same Assize a Suit or Trial. Ay still or ever B Banded joyned together combining Best as the next best way or course Bond of Alliance a League or Truce Brangled Turmoiled Involv'd in Trouble Burroughs Burghers or Burgesses By-gones all that is past C Caution or Cautioner Bail or Surety Clan a Tribe or Family Compear Appear Comported Patiently bore Patiently Compts Accompts Conform Agreeable or Suitable to Conquer Credit to gain Credit Convoyance Conveyance Counselable one that is or will be Advised D Decourted discharged from the Court. Demission laying down or transferring to another Devilry Devilishness or Devilish Tricks Devotious addicted to very favourable to Ditty Doom or Damage Down-casting pulling down or demolishing Houses Dunting the stunning of Hammers c. E Effectuate effected or done Emit send forth Evangel the Gospel Evite Avoid F Factioners People of a Faction Fashion as done for the fashion that is done as usual and customary Forefault to find guilty in the absence of a person Forth-setting Advancement Promotion Fraudful Fraudulent Deceitful G Gain-stand Withstand H Hand-writ hand-writing Home-going returning home Hostlaries Inns. I Indwellers Inhabitants Insestments Inheritance Estate or Tenure Ingeny Ingenuity or Wit Justice Eyrs Iustice Itinerant L Leave-taking bidding farewel Leesings Lyes or Lying Tricks Liberate free at liberty Logh a watry sloughy place Longsom Tedious M Manyest the major part the most Miscontent Discontent Misconstructed Mis-interpreted Misgave miscarried Missives Letters Mostly for the most part Moyen Means or Course N Noticed Manifested O Octavians Eight Lords appointed to govern Scotland Onwaiter an Attendant Oultmost last or utmost Outgate a Way or Means Out-taking freeing from Prison P Practised dealt or laboured with to be brought over to a Party Perilled Endangered Perturbed disturbed Prejudged Forejudged Procedure Proceedings To Process to Sue Proponed Proposed R Refuse as he caused refuse i. e. he made them deny it Regrated regretted inwardly lamented or grieved for Righteous Heir True Heir S Salutary wholesom healthful healing Skittering skittish sinical silly Signatures written Instruments to be signed Steadable firm that will stand one in stead available Stormsted driven by Tempest into a Port or Harbour To Suit to beg or request T Time-coming for the future or time to come Timously in good or due time Tolerance Toleration Permission V Vengeable Revengeful Volt as a merry volt a merry pleasant countenance Unfriends Enemies Unwonable not to be won or courted to side with a Party Uptaking composing or taking up a business or difference W Ward or Warding Imprisonment Wel of Affairs the Good or Promotion of business While by-gone a long or considerable time since or past Whingar a Scottish Sword commonly called Whinyard Wrongously injuriously or wrongfully A Catalogue of some Books Printed for and to be Sold by Robert Boulter at the Turk's-Head in Corn-hill 1683. Folio BIshop Reynolds's Works Calderwood's History of the Reformation of the Church of Scotland from 1560 to 1625. Rushworth's Collections First Vol. His Second Volume Pharmacopoea Londinensis Sturmy's Magazine Curia Politiae Rea's Flora. Quarto Durham on the Revelations Baxter's Saints Rest. Owen of Justification Origen contra Marchionet Charles the Eighth A Play Lesley Historia Scotorum Man of Sin Lightfoot on Lucan Dr. Charleton's Anatom Lectures Flavel's Husbandry Boys's Sermons Pryun's Power of Parliaments Burnet's Thesaurus Behin's Remains Manley of Usury Brown against Quakers Seamans Calendar Mariners Calendar Seamans Practise Norwood's Trigonometria Large Octavo Pool's Nullity Wilson's Scriptures Durham of Scandal Dr. Trapham's Treatise of Jamaica Cloud of Witnesses Rutherford's Examen Sclater of Grace Bayfield De Capitis Danvers of Baptism Flavel's Two Treatises His Preparation for Sufferings Small Octavo Wars of Hungary History of Jewels Moral Gallantry Flavel's Saint Indeed Token for Mourners Roma Restituta Curious Distillatory History of Japan and Siam Looking-Glass for Children Hugh's Disputations Religio Stoici Petton on the Covenant Queens Wells Moreland of Interest Miltoni Logica Grey of Faith Sydenham's Works Rushworth's Solomons Remembrance Gale's Idea Binning's Miscellanies Kirkwood's Grammatica Norwood's Epitomy Gellibrand's Epitomy FINIS
Scotland thinking themselves far out-shot and thereby in a dangerous condition consulted together how to bring the King again to their opinion They resolved in the first place to offer to pay him yearly out of the Rents of the Kirk fifty thousand Crowns to maintain hired Souldiers beside the ordinary Subjects which obey the Proclamation in case the King of England should make Wars against Scotland because of the Kings not keeping the appointment at York They thought this would be an allurement to the King who liked well to be rich Yet they concluded that unless the matter were proponed and favourably interpreted to his Majesty by such as had his ear that would not do the business They bestowed therefore largely of their Gold to his familiar Servants and further promised unto Oliver Sinclar that they should cause him to be advanced to great Honours and to be made Lieutenant of the whole Army against England in case that King Henry would intend Wars against Scotland Which they affirmed he would not nor durst not having already so many Irons in the Fire This was communicated by the Prelates to the Minions at Court and chearfully condescended to by them who had by flattery gained greatest favour And chiefly by drawing of fair Maidens to the King and striving to be the first advertisers whose Daughter she was and how she might be obtained and likewise of mens Wives They waited a convenient time when the Treasurer should be absent who was a stout bold man therefore they durst not speak in his presence For he always offered by single combat and at the point of the Sword to maintain what he spoke At this time he was absent from Court for the King had given the Ward and Marriage of Kelly in Angus to his second Son and he was gone there to take possession thereof In his absence then this was proponed to the King and so backed by Oliver Sinclare and such of the Clergy as had been best acquainted with his Majesty as he was induced to give ear thereto They having added several other persuasions at such times as they brought unto him fair Maidens and mens Wives Then they took occasion in the next place to shew his Majesty that the Laird of Grange his Treasurer was also become a Heretick and that he had always a New Testament in English in his Poutch And likewise that he was become so proud and puft up by his Majesties savour that no man might abide him And that he was so extream greedy that he was unmeet to be Treasurer and too bold to have procured for his second Son the rich Ward and Marriage of Kelly worth Twenty thousand pound The King answered That he esteemed him to be a plain frank Gentleman that he loved him so well that he would give him again the said Ward and Marriage for a word of his mouth The Prior of Pittenweem replied and said Sir the heir of Keily is a lusty fair Lass and I dare pledge my life that if your Majesty will send for her presently that he shall refuse to send her to you The King affirming still the contrary there was a Missive written And the Prelates and their Faction devised that the said Prior of Pittenweem should carry the Letter and bring over the Maiden-heir of Kelly to the King But the Treasurer who knew him to be his deadly enemy refused to deliver her to him Alledging the said Prior to have been all his days a vile Whoremaster having deflowred divers Maidens therefore he thought him an unfit Messenger Who was so glad as he to return with this backward answer He and his Associates kindled up the King in so great choler against the Treasurer handling the matter so finely and hotly that they obtained a Warrant to charge the Treasurer to Ward within the Castle of Edinburgh Which they forgot not to do at his first coming to Court He again ghessed that leesings would be made against him therefore used great diligence to be with the King And notwithstanding of their charge past peartly in to his Majesty who was at his Supper in Edinburg but the King looked down upon him and would not speak to him nor know him He nevertheless steps forward and said Sir what offence have I done who had so much of your favour when I parted from you with your permission The King answered Why did thou refuse to send me the Maiden whom I wrote for and gave despiteful language to him I sent for her Sir said he there is none about your Majesty dare avow any such thing in my face As for the Maiden I said to the Prior of Pittenweem that I was well enough to be the Messenger my self to convey her to your Majesty but thought him unmeet whom I knew to be a forcer of Women and the greatest deflowrer of Wives and Maidens in Scotland The King said Hast thou then brought the Gentlewoman with thee Yes Sir said he Alass saith the King they have set out so many leesings against thee that they have obtained of me a Warrant to put thee in Ward but I shall mend it with a contrary command Then said the Treasurer lamentingly My Life Sir or Warding is a small matter but it breaks my heart that the World should hear of your Majesties facility For he had heard that in his absence they had caused the King to send to England and give over the intended Meeting at York Whereat the King of England was so offended in that he had been so publickly scorned and affronted that he sent an Army to Scotland to destroy it with Fire and Sword Albeit the King liked nothing of this War he was still kept in hope that it should tend to his great honour and advantage And that England had so much to do as would busie them elsewhere so that they would soon repent them and be compelled to sue for Peace ere it were long In the mean time their Gold was made ready the more to encourage the King and large promises of much more in case the War continued The King was engaged to raise an Army to defend his Country and Subjects who went to that War to shew their obedience much against their hearts But when they perceived Oliver Sinclare raised up upon mens shoulders and proclaimed Lieutenant over the whole Army at Salway Sands the Lords in dispight that the Court and Country should be governed by such mean men as were Pensioners to the Prelates refused to fight under such a Lieutenant but suffered themselves all to be taken Prisoners So the whole Army being overthrown the King took thereat great displeasure There was great murmurings in the Country that for pleasuring the Prelates the Kingdom should be thus endangered The report whereof and the justness of the complaint made the King burst out with some language against them who had given him so bad advice Which was carried over soon to their ears and they fearing the effects of his displeasure caused
every Repose and shall cause the Strangers to pay more than the custom is and that way shall save our own charges And accordingly the next day they went to put it in execution but I could not forbear laughing in my mind having understood so much French as to know what they were aiming at wherewith I acquainted the young Spaniard and so we were upon our guard yet the two Scotch men would not consent that I should pay for my self hoping that way to beguile the Bishop but the Spaniard and I wrote up every days accompt By the way riding thorough a Wood the two French men lighted off their Horses and drew out their Swords having appointed other two to meet them But beholding our countenance and seeing that we were making for our defence they made a Sport of it alledging that they had done it to try if we would be afraid in case we should be assaulted by the way But these two Rogues that met us left us at the next Lodging and when we came to Paris the two Scotch men never obtained payment of the Bishop for that they had disbursed because of their intended fraud We were 13 days in riding betwixt Brest and Paris where we arrived in the Moneth of April Within a Moneth after our arrival at Paris the Bishop of Valence was sent to Rome and because he took Post he left me behind him having Tabled me in a very good Ordinary and agreed with Masters to teach me the French Tongue and to Dance Fence and play upon the Lute I know not why he did not present me to the Queen as he had engaged albeit afterward he said that he was minded to make me his Heir The cause why he was at this time sent to Rome was this Pope Paul the Third had exchanged some Lands belonging to the Church for Parma and Placentia two Towns appertaining formerly to the Dutchy of Milan and gave them to his Son Piere Luis Farnes who married his eldest Son Octavio to the Bastard Daughter of the Emperour Charles the Fifth The said Piere Luis being murthered for his detestable Vices the next Pope Julius pretended to bring again the said two Towns to the Church in stead of the Church Lands that had been exchanged for them compelling the Duke Octavio finding himself unable to withstand the Popes forces to put the said Towns into the King of France his custody for he was in as great fear of the Emperour his Father-in-Law who had gotten possession of the Dukedom of Millan And for that effect he sent his Brother the Duke of Casters to France to whom King Henry of France gave his Bastard Daughter in marriage The King of France being as earnest to have an Estate in Italy as the Emperour was to hinder him from it by reason of Millan and Naples to which the King claimed a right though the Emperour had them in possession Therefore so soon as he did see the French Garrison within the Town of Parma he took part with the Pope Which made the K. of France endeavour to make a Peace with K. Edward VI. of England by the means of the Duke of Northumberland who had a strict Friendship with France having a hidden mark of his own that he shot at as his Proceedings afterward declared The Peace with England being concluded that King Edward should marry Elizabeth Eldest Daughter to Henry the Second of France and that he should give his consent that the Queen of Scotland who was betrothed to him should be married with Francis Dauphin of France in which Peace Scotland was also comprehended The Bishop of Valence was sent to Rome to endeavour to obliege the Pope to desert the Emperour but he returned without obtaining success in his Expedition which was the cause that the dealing betwixt the King of France and Oneel in Ireland ceased And in the mean time the King of France emits a Proclamation forbidding his Subjects to send to Rome for any Bulls or Confirmation of Benefices which together with the agreement with England put the Pope in great fear that France would become Protestants in despight as Henry the Eighth had lately done before He was the more confirmed in this opinion because an Army was shortly after made ready to pass into Germany to the aid of the Protestant Princes where King Henry himself did in person lead thousand men For then many of the Germans were become Protestants occasioned at first by the insolent avarice of the Pope and the shameless proceedings of his selling of Pardons and by the zeal and boldness of Martin Luther who being persecuted was maintained and assisted by the good Duke Frederick of Saxony the Landgrave of Hesse and other Princes of the Empire Whereupon the Emperour Charles the Fifth took occasion under pretext of maintaining the Catholick Roman Religion to pretend to bring the Empire and all the Dominions thereof as Patrimony to him and his posterity And therefore abandoned his Son-in-Law the Duke Octavio to the Popes discretion for to obtain the greater assistance from him against the Germans Which design the Emperor had once brought near to pass For after that he had vanquished the Protestants in Battle and taken Prisoner Duke John Frederick he passed thorough the most part of the Provinces and Free Towns of Dutchland and took from them their Liberties placing Officers at his pleasure and receiving from them of Gifts and Ransoms Sixteen hundred thousand Crowns and Five hundred Piece of Artillery Yet he doubted the Landgrave who was a valiant Prince and chanced to be absent from the said Battle therefore he dealt with Duke Maurice Godson to the said Landgrave to persuade his Godfather to come in under assurance and promise which the Emperour broke retaining the said Landgrave captive upon the subtlety of a Syllable This Duke Maurice was Cousin to the Captive Duke of Saxony and had obtained the Electorat of Saxony which the Emperour took from his Cousin and gave to him Whereupon he as a fine Courtier assisted the Emperour helping him greatly in his Victories against his Country and Friends for his own promotion But when the Landgrave called him Shelm Pultroon Traitor and deceiver of him whose Daughter he had married he made earnest suit to the Emperour for the Liberty of his Godfather though in vain The Emperour alledging no promise to have been broken to the said Landgrave causing the Letter of Promise and Pacification to be read in his presence in the Dutch Tongue wherein was a written word which admitted of two divers interpretations to wit this word Enig was interpreted by the Emperour Perpetual and by the Landgrave and Duke Maurice it was taken for Null or Nane But they could not help themselves for the Landgrave was two years so straitly kept by the Spaniards that oft in the night they held a light Candle to his face to be assured that he was sleeping and vexed him so that through despight he would spit in their faces
have appeared desirous of that marriage I should have offended both the Queens and lost their favour He intreated me to excuse him at her Majesties hands and to beg in his Name that she would not impute that matter to him but to the malice of his Enemies Being landed at London our Dinner was prepared by the Earl of Pembroke who being great Master yet humbled himself so far as to serve the said Table as Master of the Houshold himself He was a devout friend to my Queens Title of succeeding to the Crown of England After Dinner I took leave of the French Ambassadour and the Spanish having received divers advertisements from them My Lord of Leicester beside what he had spoke to me did write to my Lord of Murray to excuse him at the Queens hands The day appointed I received my dispatch from Secretary Cicil together with a Letter of Credit and a more ample Declaration of the Queens mind touching the same answers she had made me her self He gave me also a Letter to Secretary Lidingtoun For as is abovesaid Secretary Cicil and Leicester my Lord of Murray and Secretary Lidingtoun ruled both Queens and as yet kept good correspondence together When I took my leave Secretary Cicil conveyed me through the Close to the outer Gate of the Palace where he himself put a fair Chain about my Neck My Lady Lennox and Sir Nicholas Throgmorten sent many good advices to the Queen to be followed according as occasion offered My Lady Lennox sent also Tokens to the Queen a Ring with a fair Diamond she sent an Emerauld to my Lord her Husband who was yet in Scotland a Diamond to my Lord of Murray a Watch set with Diamonds and Rubies to the Secretary Lidingtoun a Ring with a Ruby to my Brother Sir Robert For she was still in good hope that her Son my Lord Darnly would come better speed concerning the marriage of our Queen then the Earl of Leicester She was a very wise and discreet Matron and had many favourers in England for the time At my return I found the Queens Majesty still at Edinbrugh To whom I declared at large my manner of proceeding with the Queen of England and gave her Majesty her answers to the special heads of my instructions in writing Her Majesty answered to the first that whereas the Queen thought the time very long since she received either word or writ from her whereby she might understand of her good estate and had sent me thither to visit her in her behalf that she thought the time as long albeit she had conceived some displeasure concerning the angry Letter Which was the greater in respect it appeared that she disdained the offer of the best good she had to give to wit the Man whom she esteemed as her Brother And whereas she had sent me to visit her she was more satisfied with my coming then she would have been with any other being formerly of her acquaintance with whom she could the more familiarly declare her inward mind to the Queen my Mistress seeing she could not meet with her self so soon as she desired As I might declare how familiarly she had conferred with me acquainting me with all her inward griefs and desires and how well she was satisfied and how willing to continue all good offices of amity and that she would for that effect send shortly down to the Border Commissioners who were named by her self to meet with my Lord of Murray and Lidingtoun As for the Parliament it was yet in doubt whether it held or not If it held the Queen should get no hurt in her Right neither directly nor indirectly but she should be forewarned in due time Then I shewed her Majesty at length of all other purposes that fell out occasionally betwixt that Queen and me together with the opinions and advertisements of divers of her friends in England as well Catholicks as Protestants I gave her at the desire of the Spanish Ambassadour the intimation of his Kings good will toward her Her Majesty was very glad that matters were brought again to this pass between her and the Queen of England having thereby occasion of getting intelligence from a great number of Noblemen and others her friends in England For she was also afraid that the blame of the discord would have been laid upon her if it had continued After that her Majesty had at great length understood all my management and proceedings in England she inquired whether I thought that Queen meant truly toward her inwardly in her heart as she appeared to do outwardly in her speech I answered freely that in my judgment there was neither plain dealing nor upright meaning but great dissimulation emulation and fear lest her Princely qualities should over soon chace her from the Kingdom as having already hindered her marriage with the Arch-duke Charles of Austria It appeared likewise to me by her offering unto her with great appearing earnestness my Lord of Leicester whom I knew at that time she could not want Shortly after my Lord of Murray and Bedford met near Berwick to treat concerning the marriage with Leicester with slenderer offers and less effectual dealing then was expected But the said Earl of Leicester had written such discreet and wise Letters unto my Lord of Murray for his excuses that the Queen appeared to have so good liking to him as the Queen of England began to suspect that the said marriage might take effect Her apprehensions of this occasioned the Lord Darnly his getting more readily license to come to Scotland in hope that he being a handsome lusty youth should rather prevail being present then Leicester who was absent Which license was procured by the means of the Secretary Cicil not that he was minded that any of the marriages should take effect but with such shifts to hold the Queen unmarried so long as he could For he perswaded himself that my Lord Darnly durst not proceed in the marriage without consent of the Queen of England first obtained to the said marriage his Land lying in England and his Mother remaining there So that he thought it lay in the Queen his Mistress her own hand to let that marriage go forward or to stay the same at her pleasure And in case my Lord Darnly should disobey the Queen of Englands command to return upon her call he intended to cause for fault him whereby he should lose all his Lands Rights and Titles that he had in England The Queens Majesty as I have said before after her returning out of France to Scotland behaved her self so Princely honourably and discreetly that her reputation spread it self in all Countries She was determined and of her self inclined to continue so unto the end of her life desiring to entertain none in her company but such as were of the best conversation abhorring all vice and vicious persons In this her resolution she desired me to assist her by affording her my good counsel what way was
conference If any be afraid of your Majesty thinking that you have an ill opinion of them the assurance by a trusty Minister of your good will whom they may credit will quickly put them out of doubt and make them favourable enough They who are constantly yours are easily retained at your devotion Those who heretofore have born any favour and by the late occurrences are any way brangled will be brought home again when they shall see your Majesty now when it is fallen in your hands to use rigour or mercy as you please rather incline to the most plausible part in shewing your magnanimity when you have brought your Subjects to submission and gentleness as the good Pastour to reduce his Sheep that were gone astray home again to the fold Those who are yet neutrals by the same means and true information of your interest by Law may all be won to your side This done when the matter comes in question your friends will earnestly press your interest at this Parliament and you will without controversie bear it away This device in so far as concerns your reconciliation with your Subjects is not a fetch for their favour but is thought expedient for your service by many who have no favour for them and are different from them in Religion For it will bring the Queen of England greatly to favour you when she shall see such an Union in your own Kingdom of the Head and whole Members together She will not know how to disturb your Majesties estate especially when the Reconciliation takes effect in the hearts of the Subjects in England who will think themselves in an happy condition if they should come under the Government of so benign a Princess who can so readily forgive great offences For albeit it must be acknowledged that my Lord of Murray hath by his inconsiderate carriage given your Majesty great ground of offence yet it is hard to perswade the Protestants that your quarrel against him hath any other foundation then that he differs from you in Religion Upon this ground they find themselves engaged to espouse his quarrel If then they perceived your Majesty graciously inclined to take him again unto favour and forgive what is by-past the Protestants in England would doubtless declare themselves more affectionate to your interest when they shall see more of their own Religion so clemently handled And that your Majesty may have experience that it is your advancement your friends would by this means procure and not the advantage of those with whom your Majesty is offended a middle way may be followed as is frequently used in such like cases where not only the multitude is spared but the chief authors are preserved It may please your Majesty to cause a Letter to be pen'd in good terms and form and publish the same by Proclamation declaring the just cause of your anger against all of them and that yet for declaring your own good nature above their deservings you are content to remit the whole except such principles as you please to reserve and except by name from the general Pardon And that with whom you will not take such severe order as you might in Law till you have further tryal and experience of their Penitence The persons so to be nominated and excepted shall depart out of England to what Countrey pleaseth your Majesty there to remain during your pleasure In this mean time if your Majesty find that this benign usage of yours shall produce such fruit as is here spoken your Majesty may further extend your favour as you find convenient and profitable for your self For your Majesty hath still the crimes lying above their heads In the mean time all who favour them in England will plead in their cause with your Majesty so far as their power extends as if they were Agents for your Majesty They will in no ways if they can eschew it be again in the Queen of Englands debt neither by obtaining of any favour at your hand by her intervention nor yet for any support in the time of their banishment But rather it may please your Majesty that their charges be allowed them of their own Lands By following this advice which in no ways can be prejudicial to your Majesty but will much conduce for your interest you may recover the greatest part of the Bishops of England many of the greatest Nobility and Gentlemen who are yet Neutral Their Names were declared to her Majesty in Cypher by whose means he alledged her Majesty should obtain so great an interest in England that albeit that Queen would appear against her she needed not to care For in sending but one thousand Men of her own out of four parts of England a sufficient number should join with them by whose forces without any strangers her Majesty should obtain the thing which is wrongfully refused and retained When her Majesty had seriously pondered this discourse it had great influence upon her to move her to follow the desire thereof as well for the good opinion she had of him who sent it as being of her own nature more inclined to mercy then rigour she being also wise and being convinced that it tended to the advancement of her affairs in England She was therefore fully resolved to have followed the advice thereof and to prolong the Parliament which had been called to forfault the Lords who had fled Rixio appeared also to have been gained for counselling her hereto My Lord Murray had sued to him very earnestly and more humbly then could have been believed with the present of a fair Diamond inclosed within a Letter full of repentance and fair promises from that time forth to be his Friend and Protector Which the said Rixio granted to do with the better will that he perceived the King to bear him little good will and to frown upon him Following this advice and advertisement given by Sir Nicholas Throgmorton the Queens Majesty sent my Brother Sir Robert Melvil to remain her Ambassadour in Ordinary at the Court of England to be ready at all occasions in case any thing were treated at the Parliament concerning the Succession and to pursue the Design laid down by Sir Nicholas and her other friends in England In this mean time there was a French Gentleman sent home here called Monsieur d' Villamonte with a Commission to treat with the Queen that in no wayes she should shew any favour to the protestant banished Lords Because that all Catholick Princes were bandied to root them out of all Europe Which was a device of the Cardinal of Lorrain lately returned from the Councel of Trent He had caused the King of France to write earnestly to that effect Which unhappy Message occasioned divers tragical accidents For the Queen was loath to offend her friends in France of the house of Guise albeit she would have done little at that time by her own pleasure to satisfie the King of France who was but young and
Councellors the most part of them his Enviers and secret Enemies praying the Duke not to conceive such an Evil Opinion of him but requesting him to draw the Regent apart and enter with him upon those Terms which afterward the Regent would shew him and he should amplifie and set it out the best he could The Duke asked if the Regent would keep secret and being thereof assured by Lidingtoun the next day he took occasion to enter into discourse with the Regent about their first Friendship and Familiarity contracted at Lieth during the Siege and helping to put the Frenchmen out of Scotland Then after that the Regent had promised Secrecy and assured him that their first Friendship should stand till the end of his Life the Duke began to declare how that he would be a Faithful Subject to the Queen his Mistress so long as she lived but that she was too careless what might come after her about the well and quiet of her Country tho it was the Interest of the Kingdom of England more to notice the same by determining the Succession to prevent Troubles that might otherwise ensue That tho they had divers times essayed to do something therein at every Parliament but that their Queen had thereat evidenced a great discontent and hindred the same shewing thereby that she cared not what Blood was shed after her for the Right and Title of the Crown of England which consists only in the Persons of the Queen and King of Scotland her Son which had been put out of doubt e're then if matters had not fallen out so unhappily at home and yet he and other Noblemen of England as Fathers of the Country were minded to be careful thereof watching their opportunity But that they wondred what could move him to come there and accuse his Queen for albeit she had done or suffered harm to be done to the King her Husband yet there was respect to be had to the Prince her Son upon whom he and many in England had fixed their Eyes as Mr. Melvil who had been late Ambassadour there could testifie He therefore wished that the Queen should not be accused nor dishonoured for the King her Sons cause and for respect to the Right they both had to succeed to the Crown of England And further the Duke said I am sent to hear your Accusation but neither will I nor the Queen my Mistress give out any Sentence upon your Accusation And that you may understand the verity of this Point more clearly you shall do well the next time that I require you before the Councel to give in your Accusation in Writing to demand again my Mistress's Seal and Hand-Writing before you show your folly that in case you Accuse she shall immediately Convict and give out her Sentence according to your Probation otherwise that you will not open your Pack Which if her Majestie shall refuse to grant unto you which undoubtedly she will do then assure your self that my Information is true and take occasion hereupon to stay from further accusation The Regent took very well with this Advice of the Dukes and kept it secret from all his Company save Secretary Lidingtoun and me to whom that same Night he imparted it shewing us his inclination to follow the same in which Resolution we confirmed him At the next meeting with the Council when the Duke demanded the Accusation to be given in the Regent asked for his Security the Queen of Englands Seal and Hand-Writing as was before advised of which the rest of his Faction gave Lidingtoun the full blame because it drew on a delay until the Post was sent to the Court and returned the Queens answer Being come it was told that she was a true Princess her Word and Promise would be abundantly sufficient The Secretary Cicil and Mr. John Wood Secretary to the Regent thought strange of this manner of procedure therefore it was advised to desire the Lords on both sides to go from York toward the Court that the matter might thereto be treated where the Queen was able to give more ready Answers and Replies In the mean time the Regent finding the Information the Duke of Norfolk gave him concerning the Queen of Englands Answer to be true he entred further into Communication with him and in presence of Lidingtoun it was agreed betwixt them as followeth That he in no wayes should accuse the Queen That the Duke should obtain to him the Queens Favour with a confirmation of the Regency The Duke and He were to be as sworn Brothers of one Religion shooting continually at one mark with the mutual intelligence of one anothers minds the one to Rule Scotland the other to Rule England to the Glory of God and well of both the Countries and their Princes so that Posterity should report them the happiest two Instruments that ever were bred in Brittain The Duke was then the greatest Subject in Europe not being a free Prince For he ruled the Queen and all those who were most familiar with her He also ruled the Councel and ruled two Factions in England both Protestants and Papists with the City of London and whole Commons The Great Men who were Papists were all his near Kinsmen whom he entertained with great Wisdom and Discretion the Protestants had such proof of his Godly Life and Conversation that they loved him intirely The Regent being arrived at the Court of England which was for the time at Hampton-Court he was daily pressed to give in his accusation especially by those who were about him when all thought strange that he was so slow in doing thereof until they were advertised by one of the Lords of the Queens Faction of all that had past betwixt the Regent and the Duke of Norfolk For the Duke by a secret hand had advertised our Queen and she again shewed it to one of her most Familiars who advertised the Earl of Mortoun thereof He took this very ill that the Regent had done this without acquainting him or any of his Society of his design But e're he or any of his Company would seem to understand any thing of the matter they laid their heads together and caused Mr. John Wood to inform Secretary Cicill of all that had past desiring him to press forward the Accusation wherein of himself he was abundantly earnest They again left nothing undone for their part to effectuate the same putting him in hope that the Queen would give him her Hand-Writing and Seal that she should convict the Queen in case he accused her Others of the finest of them persuaded him that she would never give her hand-writing or Seal for that end putting him to a strait to see what he would do in case he obtained his desire Mr. John Wood said That it was fit to carry in all the Writs to the Councel and he would keep the Accusation in his bosom and would not deliver it till first the thing demanded of the Queen was granted The
because they were three joined in Commission he willed me to choose any other two whom I thought meetest to bear them company with me I named unto His Majesty the Laird of Segie and William Shaw Master of Wark First At Dumfarmling they Congratulated His Majesty in the King their Master's Name with a long Discourse of the old Amity Bond and mutual Friendship between the two Kings and their Kingdoms And last of all they required the Isles of Orkny to be restored again to the Crown of Denmark alledging they were mortgaged to be redeemed again for the Sum of Fifty Thousand Florins Their coming and demand was diversly scanned some supposing Wars would ensue unless the said Isles were rendred others thought that their intention was to bring on a marriage with the King of Denmark's Daughter Now albeit His Majesty was determined to treat them well and honourably they were nevertheless mishandled rufled and delayed here the space of Months to their great charge and discontent for they lived upon their own expences and were not defrayed by His Majesty as all other Ambassadours of that Nation have been since When they were appointed to part out of Dumfarmling toward St. Andrews there to get their dispatch His Majesty ordered to tell them That he would send them Horses out of his own Stable to ride upon The day of their parting being come they sent away their Baggage and Officers before them and were booted themselves waiting upon His Majesty's Horses and because they came not in due time they went forward on foot The King was much dissatisfied when he understood how they were handled and caused his Horses to follow fast after them and overtake them When they came to St. Andrews divers appointed days of Council and Covention were broken unto them which were promised to be kept for their dispatch for obtaining whereof they were very earnest Then Men were appointed to deride them at their Lodgings and before their Windows when they lookt out to the street So that nothing was left undone which could enrage them or stir them up to choller Only Mr. Wotton the English Ambassadour visited them frequently and did well and favourably entertain them comforting them at all occasions appearing to be sorry that they were so abused He offered to lend them Gold and Silver largely for the great friendship that he knew to be between the Queen his Mistress and the King of Denmark For he was assured of good payment and thought to purchase credit at their hands by his apparent friendly dealing At length under great secrecy he said he would not conceal from them that he had heard the King speak disdainful language of their Country and Customs and also That some of his Gentlemen had heard the King speak evil of their King undervaluing him as being descended of a Race of Merchants And he further assured them That he and his Council were resolved to keep them long here without any dispatch to affront and weary them Then again the said Ambassadour and two of his Gentlemen informed his Majesty of these hard Speeches of the reproachful dealing they had met with from King and Council reflecting upon their Master He informed him also of the rude manners and drunkenness of those that were about His Majesty who had the like scornful language of the King of Denmark his Country and Ambassadours moving His Majesty to make the less of them Whereby they were stirred up to such a rage that I had much to do to keep them two or three several times from going to their Ships to have returned to their King without any answer and to have given him an accompt of the disdainful usage they had met with and the injury thereby done to him The Earl of Arran was also their great Enemy because they made no court to him but rather slighted some of their Company having known him in Sweden a Common Soldier So that he was as ready as the rest to mock and deride them albeit at that same time the Ring-leaders about the Court were Combined together with the English Ambassadour against him The principal of the three Ambassadours was a wise grave and ancient Councellor The second was furious in his Speeches The third cried out The King our Master is affronted we must be revenged I took the first apart requesting him to hear me patiently for he spoke good Dutch but mine was not so good Therefore I desired that he would more notice my meaning then my words and be more careful to cause his friendly Commission to take effect that he might return home with happy success then to withdraw abruptly to be called unhappy Instruments of discord at the pleasure of a few scornful Factioners who had laid their heads together to cause them part dissatisfied and to be as instrumental in doing evil as they were minded at their coming to do good I told him how that the Queens Majesty of England was a wise well inclined and politick Princess and that there were as many honest and good Men in England as in so much bounds in the whole World abeit there was in it divers Opinions and Factions shooting at sundry marks as is done in all other parts And because that their Queen would never marry to have Succession of her own Body they were all very desirous to know who after her should Reign over them The most part of the Country expects that it shall be our King and wisheth his welfare and prosperity as being righteous Heir to the Crown of England both by the Father and Mother's side But those who at present have the chief management of the Court shoot at other particular marks of their own minding to set forward some of themselves or of their friends to brook the Kingdom And for that cause they make all the opposition they can to our King because of their unmerciful dealing to his Mother for the which they fear some day to be punished when he comes to be King of England For all these respects they endeavour to keep him from marriage and from all forreign Friendship and Alliance This Ambassadour of England is a very ill Instrument both himself and his Gentlemen and hunting daily with His Majesty makes the worst reports they can The Ambassadour of Denmark answered to that marvelling that Mr. Wotton should make such report of them he offering them so great friendship and giving them daily intelligence how they were scorned and mocked both by the King and his Council to his great regret offering to lend them mony and to do all other pleasures to them that lay in his power I replied He knew well enough that he would get good payment and great thanks For the King of Denmark was esteemed a worthy Prince and his Ambassadours worthy to be honoured but the guiders of the Court of England desire not that our King should think or esteem so of them wishing him to have but few Friends and many Enemies Then
I assured him That the King's Majesty and all his Subjects except some who were corrupted by England were determined to entertain and increase a continual friendship with the King and Country of Denmark Praying their wisdoms-couragiously to resist and not feebly and foolishly to give place to the said crafty practices of their scornful enviers by retiring abruptly thereby suffering themselves to be made evil Instruments directly against their own Intention and Commission and they should shortly see good success to follow thereupon to their great contentment Promising unto them for my part That I should go instantly unto his Majesty and with all hazard that might be should discover unto him how both he and they were deceitfully abused by the double dealing of the English Ambassadour and such Courtiers as assisted him Upon this discourse and promise they went to councel all three together as their custom was And after long conference they gave me answer That their coming was for to do good Offices And albeit they had suffered sundry injuries they would be sorry to be made Instruments of discord so far against their Commission and Intention and therefore would yet stay upon hope of better handling and upon my promise albeit to that hour few or none had been kept to them After this I shewed unto His Majesty what great inconveniencies might ensue upon the long delaying and ill handling of the Danish Ambassadours And yet that I marvelled not that he made so little accompt of them in respect of the great care and fine practices that were used to make him undervalue them by the English Ambassadour and his Assistants who had His Majesty's Ear for the time At the first His Majesty was impatient to hear this language spoken of Persons he had so good liking of and said that he was informed That the King of Denmark was descended but of Merchants and that few made accompt of him or his Country but such as spoke the Dutch Tongue For this was put in his head to prevent any of my perswasions in their favour lest they should get place or credit I answered That neither could the King of France or Queen of England speak Dutch and yet they made great accompt of the King and Country of Denmark France having their Ambassadour lying there and paying yearly to the King of Denmark a great Sum of Gold to the value of Twenty Thousand Crowns His Majesty said The more shame was his I said Rather to the King of France who must buy his kindness Neither could the Queen of England said I speak Dutch yet she made much accompt of the King and Country of Denmark and durst not offend him nor none of his Ships both by reason of the straight passage at Elsoonure and also because he had great Ships to make himself amends in case she did him or his any wrong I said moreover That whereas it hath been reported to Your Majesty the Race of their Kings not to be of Noble and Royal Blood I shall shew Your Majesty that it is but manifest invention to cause you to despise them For this late King Frederick is descended of an Old and Royal stock to wit Christianus of Denmark the first of that name who had two Sons and one Daughter called Margaret married into Scotland to James the Third his Eldest Son John was King after him his second Son Frederick was King of Norway and Duke of Holstein Iohn had a Son called Christianus the Second also King of Denmark who married Charles the Fifth his Sister who did bear him two Daughters Whereof the Eldest was given in marriage to Frederick Elector Palatine the Second to the Duke of Millain and afterward being a Widow married the Duke of Lorrain Himself was taken and kept in Prison by his Subjects for some rigorous Execution upon his Barons and his Father's Brother Frederick was made King After this Frederick the Earl of Altenbourg was chosen by assistance of the Town of Lubeck but Christianus the Third Son to the said Frederick put him out and conquered the Kingdom Nevertheless this Christianus being a good Prince would not change their old Priviledges but caused himself to be chosen and likewise his Son Frederick in his time to Reign after him who is now present King and hath sent this honourable Ambassage to Your Majesty as to his good friend and kinsman descended of the Kingly Race of Denmark And whereas he requires again the Isles of Orkny it is for the discharge of his Oath because every King of Denmark at his Election is sworn to claim again the said Isles which he hath done for the fashion and for no other effect but to draw on a greater familiarity and friendship Or else he had not sent so honourable a Company but rather an Herauld of Arms if he had been earnestly bent either to get the said Isles or to quarrel about them After that His Majesty had heard this Discourse far different to his former Informations he was exceeding glad and said he would not for his head but that I had shewn the verity unto him and that same afternoon he sent for the said Ambassadours and acquainted them how near Allied he was to the King of Denmark He excused their long delay and promised instantly to see them dispatched himself and that within three or four days He called for Wine and did drink to them and sent them home very well content and satisfied to their Lodgings He commanded a Banket to be prepared for them which His Majesty's Controller and Officers were quietly forbidden to do alledging the scantness of Provisions Which the Laird of Segie and I perceiving we dealt with the Earl of March who prepared a great Banquet for them in His Majesty's Name to the great dissatisfaction of Mr. Wotton and his Partisans who durst not appear And though they would not suffer His Majesty to be present at the Banquet but to Dine in his own Chamber yet His Majesty being informed by me how matters went he rose from his own Dinner and went to the Banquet-house and drank to the King Queen and Ambassadours of Denmark and so contented them And he caused their dispatch to be in readiness conform to his promise But when I advertised His Majesty That there was no Present prepared for to reward them withal he was wonderfully troubled saying They who had the management of his affairs were resolved to affront him Now at this time was the Earl at Court not so much in favour as formerly During the which time there chanced a strange misrule to fall out at a day of meeting upon the Borders which was set between the two Wardens where Sir Francis Russel upon the English side was killed Whereupon the English Ambassadour took occasion to lay the blame upon the Earl of Arran alledging That the Laird of Fernthast who was Warden upon the Scots side had married the Earl of Arran's Brother's Daughter And that the said Earl had caused the
thereto as not much valuing the Scottish King 's fickle friendship or feud so long as France and she kept their Peace and Friendship together Which was done only to disgrace and discredit the King with the King of France So that there proceeded no more from the said intended Bond. And I was not a little satisfied that my hands had been free thereof Likewise when the bruit was of the Spanish Navy in the year 1587 that they were coming to these parts I was ordered to be sent to Spain which Voyage I happily also eschewed Now to return again to Mr. Archibald Douglas he returned back to England to remain Ambassadour there for His Majesty By the which means he obtained the greater Credit with the Queen His Majesties Mother to her no small prejudice the same contributary to her ruine he having discovered several passages betwixt her and himself and other Catholicks of England tending to her liberation Which were made use of against Her Majesty for taking her life So soon as my Brother Sir Robert was sent there to use sharp and boasting Language to see if that might save the Queens life he discharged Mr. Archibald of the Office of Ambassadour This I set down in a parenthesis to shew how far a good King was abused and misled by minions whom he liked well to his great hurt and dishonour In the mean time for some disorder upon the West Border betwixt the Maxwels and Johnstouns His Majesty went there to reform their disobedience But some Houses were kept out and would not render unto him Whereupon Mr. John Martland being made Chancellor the Master of Gray and other Favourers of the English Faction did counsel His Majesty to send to Berwick because it was alledged to be nearest to borrow Cannons to besiege the said house Which Guns were readily and gladly lent by the Governour of Berwick Which apparently he durst not have done without knowledg and consent of the Queen and Councel who judged thereby that His Majesty had forgot the great boast that was made at the fore-named Parliament concerning the revenge of His Mother's death For after His Majesty had riply considered the best and worst of that deed remembred himself of the many Friends he had in England who had no hand in his Mother's Death he thought it not just to trouble the Peace and Quiet of the Kingdom for the deed of a few who guided the Queen and Court he being thereof himself apparent Heir And also because the Queen was of good years and not like to live long he was resolved to abide his time to be revenged upon his Enemies As for the Queen his good Sister she had sworn and purged herself of the death of his Mother being deceived by her Councel and Secretary Davison whom she committed to the Tower of London This was the way of conveyance of that ugly unkindly Murther Shortly after this there was a great Bruit of the Spanish Navy bound to land in England Scotland or Ireland And then also were entred about His Majesty a new Faction whereof the Earl of Huntly was chief who had lately married the Duke of Lennox's Sister This new Faction aspired by little and little to shoot out the Master of Gray the Chancellour and others their dependers and to retain part of those who were in Court before where there were divers conspiracies to kill the Chancellour And such as had assisted him were to be removed because they did stick too long by the Court The Earls of Huntly Bothwel and others thought to have taken the King and kept him And albeit two of their Enterprises had failed yet they were desirous to be nearest His Majesty at the in-coming of the Spaniards And in the mean time they resolved to cause the King send Sir John Seatoun to Spain But His Majesty would have none to be sent but me Whereupon the Chancellor and my Brother Sir Robert did write to me desiring me not to refuse the imployment because they said his Majesty would have one there of his own Religion who would not be corrupted in whom he could trust Yet His Majesty had no inclination to deal with Spain and I had as little desire to undertake the Voyage albeit Sir George Douglas desired the said Commission as one who had assisted His Majesty's Mother yet it took no effect The Earl of Huntly in the mean time procured a Gift of the Benefice of Dumfarmling which was lately taken from the Master of Gray now decourted and given to him How that the Spanish great Navy was three years in making their preparations and were sufficiently and substantially furnished with Men Ammunition and all sorts of necessaries is now manifest to all Europe What was their intent and purpose was so secret that the Chieftams of the Army knew no more but as they should understand by the opening of their stamped instructions at every appointed landing Place Many were of opinion that they were first disappointed by the Duke of Parma Governour of Flanders who had behaved himself in his Charge so circumspectly in his promises so truly in his enterprises so stoutly that he won the hearts of his Soldiers and the favour of his Enemies so that he was suspected by the King of Spain to entertain designs of Usurping the Estate of Flanders And therefore he was minded to remove him out of that great and rich Government He being hereupon discontent as was alledged neither furnished the said Army Victuals nor assisted them with Ships nor would he suffer them to land in his bounds At least they were so jealous of him that they landed not but were lying at Anchor where Sir Francis Drake by a stratagem subtilly devised of a Ship full of Powder with a burning Link which kindled up the Powder so soon as the English Ship was driven by a direct vehement Wind within the midst of the Spanish Ships burning thereby several of the greatest of them and causing the rest to cut the Cables of their Anchors for hast to eschew the fury of the fire And in the mean time God sent such a vehement storm of Wind that the whole Navy was blown and broken upon divers Coasts of our Isles and of Ireland and their Wreck was the greater that they wanted their Anchors It is before mentioned That Mr. Peter Toung Almoner to His Majesty and Colonel Stuart were returned from Denmark well rewarded and contented with every thing that they had seen and chiefly with the fair young Princess and also how they had put the King of Denmark in hope that the King should the next Summer send thither an honourable Ambassage to deal further to the increase of a greater Amity And for this effect the Bishop of St. Andrews the Laird of Segie and I were named to be sent But I was retired and had no will to medle perceiving His Majesty's affairs so retarded by such as had greatest handling about him Therefore upon my refusal the Chancellour advised
same night by the way was advertised by one of the Earl of Bothwel's company that he was already in Fiffe and would be in Falkland against Supper-time Upon which advertisement he sent his Gentleman called Robert Auflock to acquaint his Majesty therewith and to request him to enter within the Tower in due time When the said Robert declared the matter unto his Majesty they all laughed him to scorn calling him a fool The said Robert returning malecontent to be so mocked met the Earl of Bothwel and his Company upon the highth of the Lummonds when it was already dark night and turned incontinently as if he had been one of their Company He used great diligence to be first at his Majesty Entring within the Palace of Falkland he closed the Gates himself and cryed continually to cause his Majesty enter within the Tower who at length believed him and mocked him no more The Earl of Bothwel at his coming had Potards to break up Gates and Doors It was not without ground alledged That some of those who shot out of the Tower for his Majesties defence charged their Culverins with Paper But some of his Majesties Houshold Officers shot out Bullets which gave the Earl and his Company a great scare as also his being within the Tower before he was surprised And supposing that the Country would gather together the said Earl and his Company retired and fled none pursuing them Whereas a few might easily have overtaken and overthrown them That same night I lay in my Boots upon my Bed expecting word from Falkland where there was one left to be ready for that effect At whose back-coming I with other friends and neighbours did ride to Convene the Country about Coupar to have rescued his Majesty But the King immediately sent me advertisement that the Earl was fled yet he desired me to bring these forward whom he knew I would Convene for his relief as they did to the number of 3000 that afternoon Thus God miraculously delivered his Majesty as he had done divers times before About this time came to his Majesty an honest Gentleman from Ireland called who made offers of consequence to his Majesty Whereof the Queen of England was incontinently advertised and desired to require the said Gentleman to be delivered to her Which the most part of the Council councelled his Majesty to do But the Justice Clark my Borther and I were of a contrary opinion Which deed did great harm to the settlement of his Majesty's Affairs in England and Ireland This I speak with great regrate because it was so far against his Majesties own mind and yet he suffered it to be done because the chief Ring-leaders advised it who have been always won to the devotion of England Now the Prince being born at Sterling the day of in the year his Majesty thought fit to send Ambassadours to England Denmark France and Flanders to require their Ambassadours to be sent to the Baptism of the Prince his first-born Son The Council were commanded to nominate such as were meetest to be sent on that message as they did Yet some obtained that Commission who were very unmeet for that Errand as Sir William Keeth for he could neither speak Latine French nor Flemings The Laird of Easter Weems procured to carry the Commission to France and also to England because he was to go thither about his own Affairs being the King of France his Servant But Mr. Peter Young sped best who sent to Denmark and to the Dukes of Mecklburg and Brunswick for he got three fair chains But the King of France nor the Queen of England gave nothing which they would have been ingaged to do if Ambassadours had been sent to them express Neither sent the King any Ambassadours here at that time The Queen of England was once resolved to have done the same till she was advertised by her own Ambassadour in France that the King was resolved to send none Then very late she sent the Earl of Sussex to let us see that she would ever be a ready friend when France would refuse and lye back On the other part the Dukes of Mecklburg and Brunswick were discontent that they were so far slighted as not each of them to be thought worthy of an Express A special day was appointed for Solemnizing the said Baptism The Ambassadors of Denmark and Dutchland arrived almost together His Majesty had sent for me to be there at their coming to receive them and to entertain them But the Ambassadours of Mecklburg and Brunswick would not ride out of Leeth in company with the Danish Ambassadour when they were Convoyed up to Edinburgh but desired a Convoy apart A few days after them arrived the Ambassadours of the Estates of the Low-Countries to wit Monsieur de Broderod and Monsieur Fulk great Treasurer of Holland and Zeland who landed at New-haven where I was well accompanied to receive them having Horse and Footmantles in readiness to carry them up to Edinburgh to their Lodgings A little before the landing of the said Ambassadours the day of the Baptism was delayed because there was neither word of an Ambassadour from France or Ireland and the King's Chappel in the Castle of Sterling which was cast down to be built again in a better form was not yet compleated So that the Ambassadours were ordered to remain in Edinburgh till all might be put in good order Therefore his Majesty appointed the Master of his Houshold and my Lord Tungland my Brother together with me to entertain them upon his charges and also to bear them company After that they had tarried longer in Edinburgh there being no appearance of any Ambassadours from France or England we were commanded with some others of the Council to Convoy them to Sterling where his Majesty made his excuse that they were so long delayed at Edinburgh But they alledged they had great contentment in our company Which his Majesty forgot not to declare before the whole Council giving me thanks alledging that I had done him good Offices and this among the rest which he would never forget and that he had three other of my Bothers all fit for such matters and for forreign Affairs Now being in doubt of the English Ambassadour's the Ceremony was to be Solemnized without longer delay In the mean time there came word that the Earl of Sussex was upon his journey toward Scotland for the Queen his Mistress on whom the action stayed The day of the Solemnity there was great business for their Honours and Seats that being agreed there was an empty Chair set before the rest for the King of France his Ambassadour The order of the Banquet and Triumph I leave to others to set out When the Ambassadours had Audience of the Queens Majesty I was appointed to stand a little behind and next unto her Majesty To the English Danish and Dutch Ambassadours her Majesty made answer her self But though she could speak seemingly French yet she
rounded in my Ear to declare her answer to the Ambassadour of the States of Holland Then every one of them by order gave their Presents The Jewels of Perecious Stones the Queen received in her own hand and then delivered them unto me to put them again in their Cases and lay them upon a Table which was prepared in the mids of the Chamber to set them upon The Queen of England's had a great show being a fair Cupboard of Silver overguilt cunningly wrought and some Cups of massy Gold The Ambassadour of the States presented a Golden Box wherein was written in Parchment in Letters of Gold A gift of a yearly Pension to the Prince of five thousand _____ by year with great Cups of massy Gold two especially which were so weighty that it was all that I could lift them and set them down upon the said Table I leave it to others to set down the weight and value But I say these which were of Gold which should have been kept in store to posterity were soon melted and disposed But if they had been preserved as they ought to have been those who advised to break them would have wanted their part All these Ambassadours being dispatched and well rewarded those of Denmark were advised by John Lindsay of Monmuire to cause with all diligence send new Ambassadours to require the Contract of marriage made in Denmark to be fulfilled Alledging that the Chancellour who had made it had left out the Rents of the Abby of Dumfarmling fraudfully and had taken in fee to himself all the Lordship of Mussilburgh For this end two Ambassadours were sent from Denmark upon whom I was appointed to attend to see them well entertained As they were well instructed so they happened upon a meet time for the Chancellour was for the time decourted and my Brother was Ambassadour for his Majesty in England So the Chancellour was caused to renounce his part And because my Brother Sir Robert was absent young Sir Robert his Son and I obliged us that his part which was 13 Chalders of Victual should be also renounced at his return which was accordingly done His Majesty promised to him as much heritage in an other part in respect that his gift was obtained long before the Contract of marriage Divers others who had portions of these Lands were likewise compelled to renounce either voluntarily or by a new Law made for that effect FINIS AN Alphabetical Table OF THE Principal MATTER contained in this BOOK A ABot of Dumfarmling is sent by the King's Lords to meet the Earl of Lennox in his passage to England p. 106. His Message to the Queen and her Answer thereunto ibid. Hastens to the King at St. Andrews where he behaves himself with great dissimulation 135. Endeavours by Gold to curry favour with Colonel Stuart 137. Is after Imprisoned in Lockleven ibid. Admiral of France his death conspired by Captain Charry p. 38. but being discovered is killed by Monsieur Chattelier ibid. Ambassadors sent from Denmark three joined together in Commission to King James arrive in Scotland p. 162. Their Commission and Demands ill usage and delays visited by Mr. Wotton who was very kind to them ibid. Upon his instigation they inform his Majesty of Reflections upon their Master by his Subjects and of their rudeness p. 163. The Ambassadours slight the Earl of Arran having known him in Denmark but a private Soldier ibid. Are Banquetted in his Majesties name 165. Take leave of his Majesty 166. Part well satisfied after they had received their Presents on Ship-board from the hands of the Author James Melvil p. 167. Promising to be good instruments of Amity ibid. Ambassadours arrive in Scotland from several parts upon the birth of Prince Henry p. 202. Their several rich Presents to the Queen at that time p. 204. Are all dispatcht and well rewarded ibid. Areskine Alexander the Governour of King James during his Minority p. 125. Is made Master of Mar. p. 126. Arran Earl see James Stuart Athol Earl made Chancellour p. 126. Hath 1000 men ready to take St. Johnstoun but being dissuaded from it by the Author desires him to write to his Majesty for a License for him and his to remain at home p. 169. Which he did and procur'd for him ibid. Is written unto to come to the Parliament at Lithgow p. 170. Atry Lord Uncle to the Earl of Marshal nominated by the King's Council to go Ambassadour to Denmark with the Author to Treat about the King's Marriage p. 177. Comes to Court but finds the Council not so earnest as his Majesty p. 177 and 178. Returns home excusing himself as sickly and Aged p. 178. Aubonie Lord returns from France p. 127. Being the King's Favourite ibid. is made Lord Dalkieth and after Duke of Lennox 128. A short Character of him ibid. led by evil Counsel to dangerous courses p. 131. Understanding that his Majesty was in the hands of the other Lords he retires to Dumbartoun p. 132. Passeth through England to France p. 133. And dies shortly after ibid. B BAlfour Sir James Captain of Edinburgh Castle p. 81. delivers the Castle of Edinburgh to the Laird of Grange p. 90. Is taken out of his own House and committed by the Regent's order p. 100. Wins the Regent's familiars with Gold p. 102. Balnears Henry turns from the Protestant to the Popish Religion p. 7. And by the perswasion of Abbot Pally breaks the intended Match between Prince Edward and Mary Queen of Scots ibid. Barnbarrow Laird sent Ambassadour to Denmark upon the Author's refusal p. 176. Returns with his Fellow-Commissioner their Power being insufficient having no Commission to conclude ibid. Bassingtoun a Learned Scots-man and Travellour his Story concerning the Affairs of England and Scotland p. 92. Bastien a French-man at the Banquet after the Baptism of King James devised a Machine that gave great distate and disturbance p. 76 and 77. Beaton David Cardinal makes King James the Fifth's Will when dying which he dictated which was therefore annulled p. 6. is slain in his Castle at St. Andrews p. 7. by the complotting of Sir George Douglas c. ibid. Bedford Earl one of Queen Mary's surest Friends in England p. 76. Arrives in Scotland with several other Persons of Quality ibid. departs and they are all rewarded 77. desires the Author to beseech the Queen to entertain the King as formerly and not to slight him ibid. Bettancourt Master of the Houshold to the Queen Regent of Scotland brings instructions to destroy Hereticks p. 24. which she observes being menaced ibid. Bishop of St. Andrews designed Ambassadour for England p. 194. Disdained and dishonoured in England p. 150. The reason ibid. Is nominated to be sent Ambassadour to Denmark p. 176. Bishop Thomas a Scotsman sends a Letter from England to the Authour about the report of the Queen's marriage with her Husband's Murtherer together with his Character disswading her from it p. 79. Which he shew'd the Queen and was forced to
the Castle of Edinburgh p. 174. Desires a Commission to go Ambassador for England but is denied ibid. The Council of England conclude to take away the life of Mary Queen of Scotland Prisoner in England p. 171. Falsly alledging that She practiced against the State p. 172. Think fit to secure his Majesty in Scotland in the hands of the Banished Lords that so they might seek his life or keep him a perpetual Prisoner but herein prove defeated ibid. Fall down upon their knees with many of the Nobility Alledging that her life as well as their lives and fortunes was in hazard by reason of the practises of Queen Mary ibid. Received the Summons from Secretary Davison and give her warning to prepare for Death the Night before ibid. A Council Conven'd about the dissention of several Lords p. 200. De Crook Monsieur is sent Ambassador to the French King from Scotland with a Letter about the foulness of the Murther of their King p. 82. Receives an Answer from the Lords with a resolution to use all diligence to detect the Murtherers ibid. Crauford Captain Accuseth Secretary Lidington of the Murther of the late King of Scots p. 100. He being at that time Servant to the Earl of Lennox Alledging his Commission for so doing from the said Earl his Master p. 110. Crauford Lord is Committed to the Custody of the Lord Hamiltoun p. 170. Cunningham James Captain a discreet Man Servant to the Lord of Marr then Regent in Scotland p. 115. D DArnly Son to the Earl of Lennox a Handsom Beardless Lady-fac'd Man p. 48. Procures a License from the Queen of England to go to Scotland p. 53. His intention therein ibid. Proposeth a Marriage to Queen Mary who refuseth a Ring he presented to her p. 56. Which the Queen seems to disrelish ibid. Becomes acquainted with Rixio who was his great Friend to the Queen of Scots ibid. Finds the Queen cold in her favours after her confinement upon the murther of Rixio p. 66. Follows the Queen though slighted whithersoever she went p. 77. Goes to Glascow falls sick being suspected to have poison given him by a Servant of his own ibid. Is brought from thence to Edinburgh to recover his health p. 78. Dies and how ibid. Davison is sent Agent into Scotland and afterward made Secretary to Queen Elizabeth p. 157. Professeth himself a Scot ibid. Remains at Coupar till he had Audience which he had at Falkland ibid. But proves deceitful p. 158. Returns to England ibid. Receives the written Summons for the Execution of Queen Mary with a strict charge not to deliver it without her express Command p. 172. But being deceived by the Council of England delivers it ibid. For which he is Committed to the Tower by Queen Elizabeth for disobeying her orders upon that account p. 175. Dingual Lord is sent to King James for a License to return or a Commission to conclude the Match with Denmark p. 179. Finds his Majesty at Aberdeen the Chancellour and most part of the Council being absent p. 180. So that he obtained a full power to conclude the said Match ibid. Dosel Monsieur Lieutenant in Scotland for the French King p. 24. a passionate Man p. 25. Douglas Archibald is cleansed of the late King's murther in Scotland p. 174. Frequents the Court familiarly ibid. returns to England to remain Ambassadour there ibid. Hath great reputation with Mary Queen of Scotland yet injureth her Cause in England and is discharged of his Embassy upon the Arrival of Sir Robert Melvil in England ibid. Douglas George the Natural Son of the Lord Angus enters the King's Closet with the Lord Ruthven the Queen being present and with the King's Dagger struck him p. 64. And afterwards drew him into the outer Hall and kill'd him p. 65. Conveys the Queen to Lockleven as a Captive to the King's Lords p. 90. Hath the House of the Castle delivered to him p. 121. Douglas Sir George desires to have the Commission for Ambassadour to Spain p. 175. But is denied ibid. Douglas James the Natural Son of the Earl of Mortoun p. 127. Kills the Earl of Arran in Revenge of his Uncle's death the Earl of Mortoun 200. Drake Sir Francis by a stratagem of a Ship full of Powder with a burning Link fires the Spanish Navy and discomfits them p. 176. Drumhafel Laird Master of King James his Houshold when young p. 125. Draws the Earl of Arguile and Athol to Sterling p. 126. Is discharged out of Court ibid. Assures the Earl of Grange that the Duke of Lennox designed to kill him p. 131. though it prov'd false p. 133. Is imprison'd by the procurement of the Earl of Arran and his Lady p. 137. Du Bartas Monsieur famous for his French Poesie arrives in Scotland p. 176. Proposeth a marriage with the King of Scots and the Princess of Navarre ibid. Resides at Falkland with the King p. 177. Dundee Earl is sent one of the Ambassadours to Denmark about the King's marriage p. 179. Dudly Lord Robert afterward made Earl of Leicester is proposed by Mr. Randolph as a fit Match for Mary Queen of Scotland p. 40. E EAster Weems Laird goes with a Commission to England and France p. 203. Is a Pensioner to the French King ibid. Elizabeth Queen of England sends Instructions to Mr. Randolph her Ambassadour in Scotland to propose the Lord Robert Dudly as a fit Match for Mary Queen of Scotland p. 40. Disrelisheth the proposal of a Match between Queen Mary and Charles the Arch-Duke of Austria p. 41. Which appears by her sending the Earl of Sussex to the Emperor's Court to draw on the marriage of the Arch-Duke with her self ibid. This occasion'd grudges between the Two Queens of England and Scotland p. 42. She designs Darnly for Queen Mary's Husband ibid. Creates the Lord Robert Dudly Earl of Leicester and Baron of Denbigh p. 47. Is distemper'd with a Fever insomuch that her life is question'd p. 67. Disturbed at the Birth of the Prince Queen Mary's Son p. 69. Yet promiseth to be Gossip to him by proxy of Lords and Ladies p. 70. Upon her fair promises Queen Mary flies to England but she would not see her though she often desired it p. 92. Causeth her to be kept Prisoner till she lost her life after a tedious confinement ibid. Is Reproached by the Ambassadours of Foreign Princes for her unprincely dealing with Queen Mary p. 93. Having obtained her desires upon the Accusation of Queen Mary received great content having now matter sufficient to shew Foreign Ambassadours why she detained the Queen p. 97. Is glad of the Queen's dishonour yet sends privately to comfort her upon her false Accusation ibid. Her Answer to the Abbot of Dumfarmling upon his Propositions p. 106. Sends an Ambassadour to the King of Scots when confin'd offering him her Assistance p. 132. Sends a sharp Letter to King James p. 139. The Contents thereof p. 140. Receives intelligence of a Magnificent Embassy from Denmark to
to Hamiltoun p. 90. After the loss of the Battle of Langside she quite loseth her courage never thinks her self secure till she arrives in England p. 92. Is kept Prisoner in the North parts here p. 99. Endeavours to get her self declared second person of England p. 152. but it proves ineffectual ibid. Receives warning of her death from the Council the night before p. 172. Her carriage and deportment thereupon ibid. Takes her death patiently and dies couragiously p. 173. Receives divers strokes with the Ax through the Executioner's cruelty ibid. Master of Glams is Treasurer of Scotland p. 198. Designes to get the Office from Sir Robert Melvil and manage the Treasury solely ibid. Master of Gray is in great favour with the King of Scots and why p. 158. His Character ibid. Is sent Ambassadour to England and returns with great Credit and Approbation notwithstanding he is misrepresented by the Earl of Arran whom he begins by degrees to Eclipse ibid. Acquaints his Majesty that Mr. Wotton a Man of great Parts is upon his journy from the Queen of England and upon what account p. 158 159. Procures the Earl of Arran's liberty p. 166. Is rewarded for it with the Abby of Dumfarmling ibid. At which the English Ambassadour is enraged but afterward reconciled to him ibid. He retires to Dunkel p. 168. Is sent for again to Court p. 169. And in as great favour as ever ibid. Is deprived of his Benefice of Dumfarmling p. 175. And discharged from the Court ibid. Maurice Duke God-son to the Landgrave of Hesse p. 11. perswades his God-father to come to the Emperor who retains him Captive ibid. Is Cousin to the Duke of Saxony and obtains the Electorate as a gift from the Emperor p. 12. Sollicits the Emperor for the liberty of his God-father but in vain ibid. Lays Siege to Magdeburgh being the Emperor's Lieutenant ibid. A subtile man ibid. Surpriseth the Emperor at Isburgh compels him to fly so clearly out of Dutchland that he never set foot in it again p. 13. Yet he and the Emperor is after reconciled and lay Siege to the Town of Metz tho to no purpose ibid. Maximilian King of the Romans by his Politick carriage between Protestant and Catholick obtains the Empire p. 33. Is skill'd in several Languages p. 34. Proves an enemy to the Match with his Brother Charles the Arch-Duke of Austria and the Queen of Scots though seemingly a friend p. 35. Melvil Sir Andrew one of the undertakers to keep the Castle of Edinburgh p. 120. Is Master of the Houshold to Queen Elizabeth p. 173. After Master of the Houshold to King James p. 180. Marries Jane Kennedy who had been a long time in England with Queen Mary ibid. Melvil Sir James the Author and Brother to Sir Andrew Melvil is sent by the Queen-Mother with the Bishop of Valence to be Page of Honour to her Daughter there Married to the Dauphin p. 8. The kindness of Odocart's Daughter to him promising him Marriage p. 9. His pleasant Discovery of the Two Scots-mens Deceit to whose care he was committed in their Iourney to Paris p. 10. Is design'd to be promoted by the Bishop but prevented and by what means p. 14. Is entertain'd in the Service of the Constable of France by the consent of the Bishop of Valence p. 15. Is Commissionated by the French King and afterward by the Constable to go into Scotland and the purport of his Commission p. 25 and 26. Endeavours to be inform'd of the Prior of St. Andrews intentions who declares his mind to him at large p. 27. In his return to France meets with an English Mathematician and the Discourse between them p. 27 and 28. Gets licence of the Queen of France to Travel the reason thereof he takes his leave p. 29. Is recommended to the Elector Palatine by the Constable his Master and entertain'd as one of his Servants ibid. And is thereupon sent by the Elector to Condole the death of Francis the 2d French King ibid. Receives great Favour from the King of Navarre and Queen Regent dispatching him back with thanks and a gift p. 30. Returns visits the Queen of Scotland Mary in her return home at Janvile with a comfortable Letter from Duke Casimire p. 31. Receives thanks from the Queen for it with favourable offers when return'd from Travel ibid. Is desired by the Duke and his Father to go into England about a Match with that Queen and the Duke but refuseth p. 32. And why ibid. Receives a Letter from Scotland to inquire about the Arch-Duke of Austria p. 33. Is sent for by Maximilian and goes with a Letter from the Elector to him p. 34. The passages between them ibid. Finds the proposition of a Match with the Arch-Duke would prove ineffectual and therefore presseth for a dispatch which at length he obtains p. 35. Receives a Letter from Maximilian to the Queen of Scots ibid. Is sent by the Prince Elector to the Queen-Mother of France with an Answer and Picture to her Propositions of a Match between her Son Charles the 9th and Maximian's eldest Daughter p. 36. Is introduced into her Presence by the Constable ibid. Is profer'd very large offers of Preferment by the Queen Mother if he would reside there p. 38. Receives Letters from Queen Mary to return home ibid. Parts with a Commission to the Queen of England p. 39. Presents the Pictures of Casimire and his Relations to the Queen ibid. Which she returns next day p. 40. Refusing to accept of them ibid. Writes back to his Father and himself a disswasive from that Marriage and receives thanks ibid. Returns into Scotland and presents the Queen with Letters from Forraign Princes p. 43. Receives great proffers from the Queen but refuseth them and upon what ground ibid. Is sent with instructions to Queen Elizabeth and her Friends to procure a Reconciliation ibid. The instructions at large p. the 44th and 45th Being Arrived at London he next morning receives his Answer from the Queen p. 46. Perswades her Majesty to tear the angry Letter she intended to send to Queen Mary in answer to hers p. 47. Which she did ibid. The private Conference between the Queen of England and Melvil being a Character of the Two Queens full of diversion p. 47 48 and 49. Takes his leave and returns to Scotland with many Presents p. 52. Acquaints his Queen with Queen Elizabeth's Answer ibid. After the Queens Marriage begs leave to Travel which she refuseth p. 58. Upon her promises stayes and adviseth her p. 59. Officiates as her Secretary Lidington being absent upon some suspicion p. 67. Rides Post to London to give an account to the Queen of the Birth of a Son in Scotland p. 69. Has a satisfactory Audience p. 70. Shews a Letter to her Majesty from Tho. Bishop against her Marriage with Bothwel and is forced to fly for it p. 79. But returns Bothwel's rage being allayed ibid. Is afterward taken Prisoner when Bothwel seized
p. 198. Is threatned with death by the Captain of the Guards p. 199. But the Queen stood his Friend ibid. Sends his Servant to acquaint the King with Bothwel's Conspiracy against him in Falkland for which he is derided p. 202. Sir Robert is sent Ambassadour to England from King James p. 204. Mortoun Earl is challenged to fight by Lord Herreis upon the account of the King's death p. 100. Appoints 4 men to kill Grange at the entrance of the Regent's Lodgings without the Regent's privity p. 101. Has a great Faction in the Country though disappointed of the Regency p. 116. But is made Regent after the decease of the Earl of Mar by the assistance of England p. 118. Promiseth to the Agreement with the Lords of the Castle of Edinburgh but steers another course p. 120. Anticipates the Marshal of Berwick and gets an Answer from the Queen of England to have the Prisoners taken at Edinburgh Castle and a Commission for their Execution before he could send p. 121. Triumphs a while being with great Assistance from England p. 123. His whole study is to gain riches from England and Scotland p. 123. Of which England too late repented ibid. Holds the Country in a more setled Estate then it had been in for many years p. 124. Grows proud despiseth the Nobility commits several wrongs and prosecutes several Lords ibid. exposeth the Earl of Orkny to great hardship p. 126. Yields easily to his deposition from the Regency retiring to Lockleven ibid. But by his designs gets in again to be Master of the Court ibid. Is Accused by James Stuart of the late King's Murther p. 127. Is condemned at the Assize for it 128. And dies resolutely ibid. Murray Earl takes part with Bothwel p. 201. And is kill'd at his own House Murray Lord and Bedford meet at Berwick about the marriage of Queen Mary with Leicester p. 53. With slenderer offers then expected from him ibid. Murray being one of the banished Lords is sent for from Newcastle and re-entertain'd by the Queen p. 65. Retires from Court p. 78. Obtains leave to go to France before the Queen married Bothwel p. 80. Is appointed by the Queen first Regent of the young Prince p. 85. Whereupon he is sent for from France by the Lords ibid. Accepts the Regency of the Prince after a Refusal p. 87. Enters at first sight upon such injurious Reproaches of her Majesty as were like to break her heart ibid. Takes the Forts and Castles into his hands p. 90. Clears the Borders of Thieves and holds Iustice in Evre ibid. Goes to England accompanied with many Lords to accuse Queen Mary p. 93. Is privately dissuaded from it by the Duke of Norfolk p. 94 and 95. 'T is agreed that he shall by no means proceed in that Accusation p. 95. Breaks his word with the Duke and comes from the Council-House with Tears in his Eyes p. 97. Is despised by the Queen of England for his intention to Accuse her detested by the Duke reproached by his Friends living at Kingston penyless and unregarded p. 97. Is reconciled to the Duke p. 98. Has 2000 l. of the Queen for which the Duke becomes surety and afterward paid it 99. Takes leave of the Queen but discovers again all that ever past between the Duke and himself p. 99. Promising to send the Queen those Letters he should receive in Scotland from him ibid. Sends for Secretary Lidingtoun as being of Council with the Duke of Norfolk resolving to accuse him and writes for him to come to make a dispatch for England p. 100. Being come is Accused before the Privy Council of the late King's Murder and Imprisoned ib. Is misled though well inclined by vain pretences to his own and the ruine of others p. 102. Gives ear to flatterers ibid. Dissembles with Grange and Lidingtoun ibid. His Character p. 103. Is shot by Hamiltoun and dies the same night ibid. N NOrfolk Duke sent with an Army out of England to help the Congregationists p. 29. He and several other Councellors sent down to York to hear the Regent's Accusation of his Queen and be Iudges thereof p. 94. Privately dissuades the Regent from Accusing the Queen for the King her Son's sake p. 95. Is the greatest Subject in Europe not being a free-born Prince p. 96. Ruling the Queen and all ibid. His purposes discovered to the Queen whereby the Regent lost the Duke's favour yet speaks boldly to her Majesty p. 98. Is prevailed with to enter into friendship again with the Regent upon promise of his future secresie ibid. Acquaints the Regent with his resolution to marry the Queen of Scots and that he had a Daughter fitter for the King then any other p. 98 and 99. Becomes Security for 2000 l. which Murray the Regent of Scotland received from the Queen of England which he after paid p. 99. Is sent for by the Queen to come to Court being again deceived by the Regent then in Scotland applies himself to Secretary Cecil who told him there was no danger so that he rode with his Train only ibid. Is seized by the Treachery of Cecil and after a tedious Captivity dies of the Reformed Religion p. 100. Normand Lesly gains great honour in the Wars between Henry the Second of France and the Emperour p. 17. O OChiltrie Lord and divers others in revenge of the death of the Earl of Murray takes part with Earl Bothwel p. 201. Adviseth him to Seize on his Majesty in his Palace at Falkland ibid. Octavians in Scotland who and why so called p. 191. Octavio Duke Son-in-law to the Emperour Charles the Fifth is left to the Pope's discretion and why p. 11. P PArliament Proclaimed at Lithgow for the restitution of the banished Lords p. 170. Parma Duke Governour of Flanders wins the hearts of his Soldiers and Enemies by his prudent behaviour p. 166. Is suspected by the Spanish King to have a design on Flanders which caused him to deny the Spaniard Victuals Ships and landing in his Territories ibid. Paul the Fourth Pope breaks off the five years Truce between the French King and the Emperour p. 19. Peace concluded between Scotland and England and upon what Terms p. 30. Pool Cardinal appointed to be Mediator between the Two Princes p. 16. Prelates of Scotland endeavour to win King James by large proffers and perswasions to their Opinion p. 4. They exasperate his Majesty against the Treasurer by their insinuations p. 5. But he gets well off ibid. Prior of St. Andrews the Lord James Natural Son to James the Fifth King of Scotland p. 25. Afterwards Earl of Murray p. 32. Prior of Pittenweem a great debaucher of Women and Maidens p. 5. Protestants grown very numerous in Scotland p. 24. Q QUeen Mother of France is glad at the death of Francis the Second her Son he being wholly ruled by the Duke of Guise and the Cardinal his Brother p. 29. Whereupon she dischargeth the King of Navarre and Prince of Conde who had
a Scaffold erected for their Execution ibid. Is made Regent by the Three Estates during the minority of Charles the Ninth p. 30. Seems inclinable to the Protestant Religion intending to joyn with the Protestant Princes ibid. Makes a Peace after the battle of Drues p. 36. Queen Regent of Scotland receives the Government from Hamiltoun p. 24. Issues out a severe Proclamation against Protestants ibid. Is disturbed at the discourse of the Prior of St. Andrew's and others and resolves to persecute the more p. 25. Sends to France about the disorders in her Country for help ibid. She during the Controversie with the Congregation retires with Monsieur Dosel and other French-men to Lieth which is fortified expecting French supplies p. 29. But being indisposed retires to the Castle of Edinburgh atd dies with regret that she followed the advice of her French friends ibid. Queen of Scotland married to King James from Denmark is Crowned p. 184. Shews Melvil no great countenance at first p. 194. But at length seems well satisfied with his Service ibid. Is offended with the Chancellour for delaying her Marriage with the King of Scots p. 198. Usually speaks in favour of those Officers that are misrepresented to the King p. 199. Is offended with the Chancellour but reconciled p. 200. Gives the English Danish and Dutch Ambassadours Audience p. 204. St. Quintin and several other Towns lost by the French to the Spaniard p. 22. R RAndolph Thomas Queen Elizabeth's Agent in Scotland p. 40. Denies the Queen of England made any promises to those who would oppose the Marriage of the Queen of Scots p. 60. Is sent with the Earl of Lennox Ambassadour unto Scotland to set him forward with his power p. 107. Is a double dealer and Sower of Sedition ibid. Glories that he had kindled such a fire in Scotland as would not easily be extinguished p. 109. Designs to have Mortoun Regent in the lieu of Lennox but failed p. 115. Returns home and why ibid. Is sent again Ambassadour to Scotland p. 127. Hears that the Author was designed to be sent Ambassador into England and opposeth it proposing other persons in that juncture of time p. 173. Rixio David a mean fellow who came to Scotland with the Ambassador of Savoy is made Secretary to the Queen of Scots p. 54. A Musician perswaded to sing with others the occasion of his promotion ibid. Is suspected to be Pensioner and Favourite to the Pope p. 55. Is kill'd in the Queens Presence to her great regret she being with Child by consent of the King p. 64. Russel Sir Francis Warden of the English Borders p. 166. Is kill'd at a meeting between the two Wardens ib. Ruxbie sent to sift what he could get out of Mary Queen of Scots as to her right to the Crown of England p. 68. Which he is to send to Mr. Secretary Cecil p. 68. Addresseth himself to the Scots Queen ibid. Writes to Cecil in her prejudice p. 69. Is promised a reward but his intrigues are discovered and he secured ibid. S SEatoun Comptroller to King James of Scotland p. 198. Segie Lord made one of the Kings Council p. 138. Chosen to accompany Melvil in the entertainment of the Danish Ambassador p. 162. Senarpon Monsieur Lieutenant in Normandy for the French King p. 160. Shaw William Master of Wark is chosen to accompany Melvil in his entertainment of the Danish Ambassadors with the Lord of Segie p. 162. Skeen a Lawyer chosen to go to Denmark with the Author p. 178. Sinclare Oliver promised by the Clergy to be made Lieutenant of the Army against England if King Henry the 8th should War against Scotland p. 4. Is proclaimed Lieutenant over the whole Army yet the Lords disdaining so mean a person would not fight under him but suffered themselves to be taken Prisoners p. 6. Simson Amy a Midwife and Witch p. 194 Is burnt with others p. 195. Smith is made Secretary to Queen Elizabeth p. 157. Sommer Secretary to the English Ambassador in France p. 160. Spanish Navy is rumour'd to be bound for England Scotland and Ireland p. 175. Is three years preparing ibid. The Commanders knew nothing of the Design but what they understood by the opening of their instructions at every Landing place p. 175 and 176. A violent storm of Wind dissipates the whole Navy and many of their Vessels suffer'd Shipwrack ibid. Spiny Lord and the Master of Glams at variance p. 198. Spiny is in great favour with his Majesty ibid. For which he is envied and accused as a dealer with Bothwel for which he is displaced and imprisoned ibid. But escapes out of a Window in Dalkieth by the help of a Danish Gentlewoman whom he afterward married ibid. Is in disfavour with the King p. 199. Spinze Lord is Gentleman of the Chamber to King James p. 198. Stuart Colonel is sent to St. Andrews with Mr. John Colvil p. 133. Is made Captain of King James his Guards p. 137. Writes to the Author to repair to Court p. 156. Is one of the Kings Council p. 138. Rides to overthrow the Banished Lords at their entry upon the Borders p. 168. But his design is frustrated ibid. Is committed to the care of the Lord Maxwel being in danger for espousing too violently the Earl of Arran's Interest p. 170. Obtains leave to go to Denmark about his own Affairs being that Kings Pensioner p. 171. Has a Commission to treat about the Marriage of King James with the Eldest Daughter of the King of Denmark ibid. Goes to Denmark several times at his own charge to complete his Masters Marriage with the King of Denmark's Daughter p. 177. Stuart James Son to the Lord Oghiltrie a Favourite in Scotland p. 126. Perswades the King to a Progress p. 127. Accuses the Earl of Mortoun of the late Kings Murther ibid. Takes upon himself the Title of Earl of Arran p. 128. Marries the Earl of March his Relict ibid. Casts off his true friends p. 129. His Character p. 131. Is kept Prisoner by the Lords in the Custody of the Earl of Gaury p. 133. Obtains the favour of being confin'd to his own House at Kinneal p. 137. adviseth the King but is opposed by Gaury ibid. Gets access to Court and stays there contrary to promise ibid. Is reconciled to Colonel Stuart by the Authors means p. 139. He and Melvil the Author clash in Council p. 139. His insolent carriage p. 142. He and Gaury are reconciled by his Majesty ibid. He and his Wife ruling all perswades his Majesty to go to Sterling p. 143. He is Captain of the Castle and Provost of the Town ibid. Adviseth his Majesty to send the Author Ambassador to Queen Elizabeth intending thereby to ensnare him ibid. Desires a familiar Conference with Secretary Walsingham who refuseth it p. 148. At which being incensed he puts several Indignities upon him ibid. Endeavours to be made Chancellor and Captain of the Castle of Edinburgh p. 152. Useth his Craft to pervert the effect of
Heresies and that it was fit that timously he should prevent the spreading thereof seeing the same would contribute much for his advantage while he might enrich himself by their Estates the names of whom they gave up in a sheet of Paper Which the King put in his Pocket thinking it a very profitable Proposition and therefore with all diligence to be executed The Laird of Grange had been lately made Treasurer and was in great favour with the King He had not yet discovered himself to be a Favourer of the Evangel but the King esteemed him true and desirous to advance his profit and very secret therefore he thought fit to make him privy to this profitable Overture He shewed unto him the written Roll of the Noblemen and Barons names who were given up to be burnt for Heresie telling him what great advantage he would make thereby Whereat the Laird of Grange began to smile and the King to enquire whereat he did laugh The Treasurer desired liberty from his Majesty to tell him the truth Whereat the King drew out his Sword saying merrily to him I shall slay thee if thou speak against my profit Then he put up his Sword commanding him to shew him what reasons he could alledge against the Prelats Proposition The Treasurer declared what troubles his Majesty had been tossed in during his Minority for the Government first between the Queen his Mother and the Lords then betwixt divers Factions of the Lords How that he had been couped from hand to hand sometimes kept against his will as Captive sometimes besieged sometimes brought to battle against his will by the Duglasses to fight against the Earl of Lenox and his best Friends who were slain coming to relieve him the Prelates being Partners for their ambition sometimes with one Faction sometimes with another And how that they could never agree among themselves nor let his Majesty take rest until the Duke of Albany was chosen Governour and brought out of France who had enough to do also For he would have fain done pleasure to France and raised a great many Scotchmen to enter into England who were making Wars in France but he got a rebuke when he when he was at the Border for they would march no further Alledging that the King was but young and Sister Son to King Henry That they saw no reason to enter into War with England to endanger their King and Country to serve France being the King his Father had to no purpose lost his life in their quarrel having entered into England with an Army against his good Brother whereby the whole Country was endangered After that this Duke retired himself your Majesty took the Government in your own hands at the Age of 13 years Yet they clapped again about you and kept you two years as captive And now you are but lately come to your liberty and your Country is not yet so well setled as were needful Albeit your Majesty hath done very much in so short space as to settle the Highland Islands and the Borders It were a dangerous thing if your Nobility should get intelligence that such greedy Fetches should be put in your head under pretext of Heresie to spoil them of their Lives Lands and Goods Wherein you may endanger your own Estate at the instance of these whose Estates are in peril who would hazard you and yours to save their own The Prelates I mean who fear that your Majesty at the example of the King of England of Denmark and several Princes of the Empire will make the like reformation among them Therefore they have no will of your familiarity with the King of England nor that your Estate should be so setled that your Majesty might put order to the abuses of the Kirk Did not one of your Predecessors called S. David give the most part of the Patrimony of the Crown to the Kirk erecting the same into Bishopricks and rich Abbacies Whereby your Majesty is presently so poor and the Prelates so rich so prodigal so proud that they will suffer nothing to be done without them And are also so sworn to the Pope of Rome when they get their Benefices confirmed that they ought not to be credited in any thing that toucheth the Popes Profit or Preferment The Venetians the wisest people in Europe will not suffer any Prelate albeit he be a born man of the Town to abide or stand in their Council-house when they are at Council because they know them to be so strictly sworn to the Pope Then he declared the gross abuses of the Roman Kirk and the ungodly lives of the Scots Prelates which the King and whole Country might see Therefore saith he if your Majesty would be well and be rich you may justly take home again to the profit of the Crown all vacan Benefices by little and little as they may fall by decease of every Prelate He told his Majesty anent his promise to the Ambassador of England there would come great trouble and Wars if it were not kept For King Henry VIII was a couragious Prince and high conceited and appeared to have for the Time an upright meaning his occasions pressing him thereto Having so great turns in hand and so many enemies without succession saving the foresaid Daughter Being corpulent and fat there was small hopes of his having any heirs That therefore it was his interest to be in a good understanding with him being his eldest Sisters Son nearest of blood and ablest to maintain and unite the whole Isle of Britain As for the retaining King James I. in England that was a far different case it was not the like time he was not the Kings Sisters Son nor his apparent heir And what hard success the King his Father had for making War against the King of England his good Brother was too manifestly felt by the whole Subjects And little better to be looked for in case a new unnecessary War be made for your Majesties staying away from the intended Meeting at York The King took such delight in this language that he determined to follow the advice given therein And at his first meeting with the Prelates who had then very great rule in the Country he could not contain himself any longer when they came hoping to see their Plots put in execution After many sore reproofs that they should have advised him to use such cruelty upon so many Noble men and Barons to the peril of his own Estate Wherefore said he gave my Predecessors so many Lands and Rents to the Kirk Was it to maintain Haulks Dogs and Whores to a number of idle Priests The King of England burns the King of Denmark beheads you I shall stick you with this Whingar And therewith he drew out his Dagger and they fled from his presence in great fear The King resolved fully to keep his promise with his Uncle the King of England thinking it both his honour and advancement so to do The Prelates of
any promise be made to them and not kept the King nor I are not to be blamed If they desire any other Lieutenant in place of Dosel the King will send one who I hope shall please them After that the Constable had ended his instructions the King laid his hand upon my shoulder and said do as may Cousin hath directed you and I shall reward you So I kissed his Majesty's hand and taking my leave I went through England and found the Queen Regent within the old Tower of Falkland Because that same day her Army under Duke Hamilton and Monsieur Dosel was ranged in battel upon Couper Moor against the Lords of the Congregation at what time her Majesty made a hard complaint unto me of her disobedient Subjects And even as I was speaking with her the Duke and Monsieur Dosel returned from the said Moor without Battel Whereat the Queen was much offended thinking they had lost a very fair occasion I laid my self wholly out to be informed if my Lord James intended as was reported of him to make himself King Mr. Henry Balneavs was then in great credit with him and loved me as I had been his own Son by reason of some acquaintance I had with him in France and small services I had done him there during his banishment He first acquainted me fully so far as he knew of my Lord James his intention and encouraged me to be plain with the said Lord James assuring me of secresie and honest and plain dealing He was a godly learned wise and long experimented Councellor He went with me to the said Lord Prior having shew'n him my Commission which was very acceptable to him he delayed not to advise with any other of his Councel what answer he should give me but instantly and plainly told me his mind in presence of the said Mr. Henry First he declared what acceptable service he and his associates had done to the Queen Regent chiefly of late when the Bishop of St. Andrews had drawn the most part of the Clergy against the transporting the Crown Matrimonial to France Albeit he had been mainly instrumental of sending the Queen thither and in perswading the Governour his Brother to break the Contract of Marriage with Edward of England He told what liberty of Conscience her Majesty had granted unto them until the time that the Master of her Houshold Monsieur Bettancourt returned from France with the news of the Peace and that though since that time she had changed her behaviour and countenance toward him and those who had done her best service he knew well enough that it proceeded not from her own nature but was occasioned by the perswasions and threat'nings of her Brother and friends in France And further he rehearsed unto me all her and their former proceedings whereof mention is made already affirming still his good will to her Majesty's service And he further declared That the more effectually to remove all suspicions from his Sovereign and her Husband of his design'd Usurpation he was content to banish himself perpetually out of Scotland if it would please the Queen and the King of France to grant him and his associates such liberty as the Queen Regent had permitted them till the home-coming of Bottancourt Providing that his rents might come to him to France or any other Countrey where he should reside And for security hereof he offered that sufficient pledges of the Noble-mens Sons in Scotland should be sent to France So that no King nor Queen of Scotland did ever receive more chearful obedience then her Majesty should do notwithstanding of her absence With this answer I took my Journey through England to France and at Newcastle fell in company with an English man who was one of the Gentlemen of the Queens Chamber a Man well skill'd in the Mathematicks Negromancy Astrology and was also a good Geographer Who had been sent by the Council of England to the borders to draw a Map of such Lands as lye between England and Scotland which part was alledged to be a fruitful Soil though at that time it served for no other purpose but to be a retreat to thieves For Queen Elizabeth of England was lately come to the Crown and had been advised by her Council to this course as tending not only to the enlarging of her bounds but rendering these parts civil I know not the reason why they followed it not though I conjecture that the variance which fell out between the Two Kingdoms hindered it The English man and I by the way entered into great familiarity so that he shewed me sundry secrets of the Country and of the Court. Among other things he told me that King Henry the Eighth had in his life-time been so curious as to enquire at Men called Diviners or Negromancers what should become of his Son King Edward the Sixth and of his two Daughters Mary and Elizabeth That answer was made unto him again that Edward should dye having few days and no Succession and that his Two Daughters should the one succeed the other That Mary his eldest Daughter should marry a Spaniard and that way bring in many strangers to England which would occasion great strife and alteration That Elizabeth should Reign after her who should marry either a Scottish man or a French man Whereupon the King caused to give poison to both his Daughters but because this had not the effect he desired for they finding themselves altered by vehement vomitings and purgings having suspected poison had taken remedies he caused to proclaim them both bastards But the Women that attended about Queen Mary alledged that her matrix was consumed For she was several times supposed to be with Child to King Philip of Spain yet brought forth nothing but dead lumps of flesh Therefore to be revenged upon her Father the English man told me that she had caused secretly in the night to take up her Father's bones and burn them This the honest Gentleman affirmed to be truth though not known to many He was a Man of great gravity about fifty years of age When he came to London he shewed me great kindness and made me a present of some Books Upon my return to France I found a great change King Henry the Second being hurt in the head with a shiver of a Spear by the Count of Montgomery at the Triumphal Justings of his Daughter's marriage with the King of Spain dyed Eight days after at Paris And the Constable my Master was commanded to retire him from Court to his House by the new King Francis the Second Husband to our Soveraign who was wholly guided by the Duke of Guise and the Carâ—â—â—al Lorain competitors to the said Constable in Court Emulation Which occasioned that my Voyage and the answer I had got was all in vain for the House of Guise were the chief instruments of all the troubles in Scotland When I did shew the Constable at his House the answer of my
in Scotland seeing small probability of advantage and greater appearance of troubles and disorders then I could ever imagine to find at my home-coming And I was somewhat loath to lose the occasion and offers of great preserment that had been made to me in France and other parts But I found the Queen my Sovereign so urgent and of her self well inclined and indued with so many Princely vertues that I could not find in my heart to leave her requiring so earnestly my help and assistance to draw the hearts of her Subjects to her which were alienated upon account of difference in Religion I knew she stood in need to gain friends and that it was much her interest to keep correspondence with the Queen of England so that I resolved rather to serve her my native Queen for little profit then any other Prince in Europe for great advantage I found her naturally more liberal then her Revenues allowed her For she not only setled upon me in pensions one thousand Marks yearly out of her Revenues in France but she also offered me the heritage of her Lands in Aghtermughtie which I refused to accept alledging I could better want it then she Though another hearing of so liberal an offer a little after sought and obtained it Thus I was ingaged to resolve to wait upon her commands and to lay aside all hope of any other preserment in France and other Countries albeit for the time I had no heritage but my service So within a few weeks I was dispatched to England with these following Instructions out of the Queens own mouth to deal with the Queen of England with the Spanish Ambassadour and with my Lady Margaret Douglass and with sundry friends she had in England of different opinions The general Instructions were written with the Secretary Lidingtoun's own hand subscribed by her Majesty as follows Instructions to our familiar Servitor James Melvil presently directed to our dearest Sister the Queen of England Given at Edinbrugh the 28 th of September 1564. IN the first after that you have presented our Letters and our commendations in most hearty manner you shall declare unto our good Sister That having been upon my progress towards the Northmost parts of our Realm this two months during which time we have had neither Letter nor other Advertisement from our good Sister Therefore for continuation of the mutual Intelligence betwixt us by all good Offices of amity we resolved to direct you towards her to visit her on our behalf to inform her of our health and good estate that at your return you may be able to report the like of her unto us she being the person in the World to whom next our self we wish most good luck and prosperity Item That by Letters of my Lord Robert to Lidingtoun as also of her Secretary to Our Brother Murray and to Lidingtoun We have perceived that Our said good Sister finds some fault with Our Letters written to her in answer of hers in the Earl of Lennox's matter as if We had taken her motion therein in evil part We are most sorry that Our Letters have been so interpreted for of a truth We had no other meaning of her in that matter then that her Advertisement came from a friendly mind and was both worthy of thanks and to be answered with the like good will as We believe We did in Our Letter albeit We remember not presently the very words or substance thereof For We use not to reserve any Copy of Our familiar Letters written with Our own hand whereof We now repent because of that Letter For if We had any Copy thereof We might now clear Our selves of that doubt viz. What words therein could give her ground of offence Therefore you shall pray her in Our Name to let you see in that Letter what words they are which have offended her that you thereupon declaring my meaning may put her out of any such suspicion It is true at the receipt of the Letter We were somewhat offended and judged We had good cause seeing it appeared that Our Nobility were grieved with Our License granted to the Earl of Lennox that his coming was like to disturb the peace and quiet of Our Realm Our Brother and Lidingtoun shew unto Us that they perceived by their Secretaries Letters that they were also thought partakers in this matter and that they mistaking also his coming desired the stay thereof to be procured by these undecent means Though they protested the contrary unto Us and indeed We have better proof of their fidelity toward Us then that We can suspect any such double dealing from their hands they being so far obliged to Us and so much intrusted by us We thought Our selves little indebted to that person whosoever he was that made such report of Our Subjects that they would make known their grievances to any other then Our selves These and the like considerations moved Us to great choller which probably might have occasioned Us to write the more freely and that We were not curious to cover Our passions writing to her with whom We esteemed Our Selves so familiar that We had ground to believe she would take all in good part that proceeded from Us especially what was no ways designed for her offence Therefore you shall pray her to put away all such opinions if she hath conceived any and if there be any word in Our Letter having two senses so that any one may be misconstrued and so give to her occasion of offence intreat that she will rather interpret the same to the gentlest signification and not take it in the worst sense And then I doubt not but the whole Letter shall appear to her as it was by Us conceived and directed that is from one dear friend to another We have further hereupon imparted Our mind to you by mouth which you may enlarge as occasion requires You may desire her to give you an answer conform to the substance of Lidingtoun's Letters written to my Lord Robert and Mr. Cicil. Especially concerning the drawing on another meeting of Men of credit fully instructed with both Our minds and to deal so plainly and frankly as all suspicion may have an end You must also inform your self diligently concerning the proceedings and intentions of this present Parliament of all such as can give you any knowledg therein for what cause it is called what is to be treated in it how longit will fit Endeavour to inform your self if any thing touching Us will be therein handled You may say to that Queen as out of your own head that your Mistress expects that she will suffer nothing to be treated therein that may directly or indirectly tend to Our prejudice We not being by her forewarned thereof She knows that as well Our self as our Ministers whom We have at any time directed to these parts have ever depended upon her only advice and followed the same in all points And seeing the special matter
moved in the beginning of the last Parliament was the establishing of the Succession and that it 〈◊〉 probable that the Subjects would yet be earnest to be at a certainty in that point And if she omits so good an occasion of doing something for Us whereby the World may understand that she useth Us and esteems Us as her next Cousin and only Sister the World will think that her amity is not so great as We take it to be And such as envy our familiarity and would have it broken will hence take occasion to speak that our friendship is rather in words then deeds Mary R. Being arrived at London I lodged near the Court which was at Westminster My Host immediately gave advertisment of my coming and that same night her Majesty sent Mr. Hatton afterward Governour of the Isle of Wight in her name to welcome me and to shew me that the next morning she would give me Audience in her Garden at eight of the Clock She had been advertised by the Earl of Bedford Governour of Berwick that I was upon the way That same night I was visited by Sir Nicholas Throgmorton one of my old and dearest friends by long acquaintance First during his banishment in France in the Reign of Queen Mary and afterward while he was Ambassadour in France for this Queen where I was for the time Pensioner to King Henry the Second and Servant to the Constable This Sir Nicholas was my dear friend and had procured a Pension for me from his Mistress to help to entertain me on my Travels when I had willingly banished my self the Court of France so long as there were Civil Wars between France and Scotland He was a devout friend to the Queen my Mistress and to her Right and Title to the Succession to the Crown of England From him I had full information of affairs and friendly advice how to proceed with the Queen and every Courtier in particular For he was a special instrument of helping my Lord of Murray and Secretary Lidingtoun to pack up the first friendship betwixt the two Queens and betwixt the Earl of Murray and Lord Robert and between the two Secretaries Albeit he had no great kindness either for my Lord Robert or Secretary Cicil yet he knew that nothing could be done without them Among other counsels he gave me advice to use great familiarity with the Ambassadour of Spain in case I found the Queen his Mistress hard to be dealt with alledging that it would be a great Spur to move the Queen of England to give our Queen greater and more speedy contentment in her desire then yet she had done The next morning Mr. Hatton and Mr. Randolph late Agent for the Queen of England in Scotland came to my Lodging to convoy me to her Majesty who was as they said already in the Garden With them came a Servant of my Lord Robert's with a Horse and Footmantle of Velvet laced with Gold for me to ride upon Which Servant with the said Horse waited upon me all the time that I remained there I found her Majesty walking in an Alley And after I had kissed her hand and presented my Letter of Credence I told her Majesty in French the effect of my Commission as near to the foresaid Instructions as I could and sometimes being interrupted by her demands I answered as I judged most pertinent The reason why I spoke French was that being but lately come home I could not speak my own Language so promptly as was requisite Her first demand was concerning the Letter that the Queen had written to her with such despiteful Language that she thence conjectured all friendship and familiarity to have been given up Which had made her resolve never to write any more but another as despiteful which she took out of her pocket to give me to read she having had it ready written to shew it me She told me she had hitherto delayed to send it because she thought it too gentle till she had written another more vehement for answer to the Queens angry Bill For my part I appeared to find such hard interpretation to be made upon the Queen's loving and frank dealing very strange I told her Majesty that my Mistress could not call to mind what words they were which had given her such offence Whereupon she brought forth the Queens Letter giving it me to read Which when I had perused I said I could find therein no offensive word when I considered the familiarity had formerly been betwixt them Alledging that albeit her Majesty could speak as good French as any who had not been out of the Country that yet she was out of use of the French Court Language which was frank and short and had frequently two significations which familiar friends took always in the best part Intreating her Majesty to tear the angry Letter which she thought to have sent in answer And in revenge of the Queens I protested that I should never let her Majesty know that her true plain meaning had been so misconstructed Having tossed some words upon this matter she being desirous of an honest colour or pretext she appeared the more readyily satisfied in that point For the fear she had that friendship and correspondence should altogether break off our Queen being the first seeker to renew and continue the same by sending me thither thereby evidencing that she did not stand upon Ceremonies with her Eldest Sister in my presence then she did rent her angry Letter with promise of such friendly and frank dealing in times coming as all her good Sister's dealings and proceedings should be interpreted to the best Thus the old friendship being renewed she inquired if the Queen had sent any answer to the proposition of marriage made to her by Mr. Randolph I answered as I had been instructed That my Mistress thought little or nothing thereof but expected the meeting of some Commissioners upon the Borders with my Lord of Murray and the Secretary Lidingtoun to confer and treat upon all such matters of greatest importance as should be judged to concern the quiet of both the Countries and satisfaction of both their Majesties minds For seeing your Majesty cannot so soon find the opportunity of meeting betwixt your selves so much desired which in it self is not so expedient until all other jealousies be first removed and all former doubts cleared by your most trusty and familiar Councellors the Quen my Mistress as I have said is minded to send for her part my Lord of Murray and the Secretary Lidingtoun and expects that your Majesty will send my Lord of Bedford and my Lord Robert Dudley She answered It appeared that I made but small account of my Lord Robert seeing that I named the Earl of Bedford before him but said that e're long she would make him a far greater Earl and that I should see it done before my returning home For she esteemed him as her Brother and best friend whom she would
being by this time almost wholly of the Reformed Religion took a dislike of the King because of this he having formerly professed the Reformed Religion in England Hence were occasioned rumours that there was some design on foot for planting again in Scotland the Roman Catholick Religion there being ground of suspicion that Rixio was a Pensioner of the Popes And at this same time the Pope sent Eight Thousand Crowns in Gold to be delivered to our Queen which augmented these suspicions But the Ship wherein the said Gold was did Ship-wrack upon the Coast of England within the Earl of Northumberland's bounds who alledged the whole to appertain to him by just Law which he caused his Advocate to read unto me when I was directed to him for the demanding restitution of the said Sum in the old Norman Language Which neither he nor I understood well it was so corrupt But all my intreaties were ineffectual he altogether refusing to give any part thereof to the Queen albeit he was himself a Catholick and otherwise professed secretly to be her friend After that the Queens Majesty had married my Lord Darnly she did him great honour her self and desired every one who expected her favour to do the like and to wait upon him So that for a little time he was well accompanied and such as sought favour by him sped best in their Suits But because he had married without advice of the Queen of England my Lady Lennox his Mother was committed to the Tower of London where she was kept for a long time All this time I attended still upon the Queen but with less familiarity then formerly And seeing my service for the time no more needful humbly begged liberty of the Queen to return to France and other places where I had spent the greatest part of my life But this her Majesty absolutely refused to grant expressing some desire to know what could move me to desert her service I said the time was full of suspicions and that I was confident I could do her more service abroad then at home as matters had fallen out She answered that she knew I could do her more service at home then any Servant she had if I pleased but that I had left off using my wonted freedom with her in giving her my opinion of her proceedings I told her Majesty I was somewhat apprehensive that my opinions would be unpleasant to her but she affirmed the contrary telling me that I had Enemies who used their endeavours to imprint a bad Character of me in the King as if I had been a favourer of the Earl of Murray which she had put out of the King's head as being better acquainted with my nature and conditions Saying that she knew well that I had a liking to the Earl of Murray but not to his actings of taking up Arms against her That she was assured that I loved her ten times better then him She said moreover that if any did endeavour to misrepresent her as much to me that she wisht I should give them no more credit against her then she had done or should do against me She advised me to wait upon the King who was but young and give him my best counsel as I had formerly done to her which might help him to shun many inconveniencies And she gave me her hand that she would take all in good part whatever I did speak as proceeding from a loving and faithful Servant Desiring me also to befriend Rixio who was hated without a cause The King also told me who they were who had spoken to him in my prejudice And said they were known to be such common lyars as their tongue was no slander By these and such like means the Queens Majesty obliged me more and more to be careful to be serviceable to her And I judged my self ingaged as the greatest demonstration I could give of my being faithful to her to give her my opinion what use she might make for her own advantage of the harsh usage the Earl of Murray and his associates had received in England How uncourteously that Queen had used them before the French and Spanish Ambassadours she having broken all her fair promises unto them First I told her Majesty that ever since her return to her own Countrey she had been endeavouring to get her Nobility and whole Subjects intirely affected to take part with her in all actions whatsoever and chiefly against England in case she might have occasion of imploying them Though she could never hitherto obtain her desire because of the secret bond and promise was made among them when the English Army was at the Siege of Lieth helping to put the Frenchmen out of Scotland Now said I Madam the occasion is offered whereby your Majesty may bring your desired intention to pass if you could find in your heart either to pardon the Earl of Murray and his associates or at least to prolong the Parliament wherein they are to be forfaulted untill your Majesty may duly advise and see whether it will be more your interest to forfault them or give them ground of hope of obtaining your pardon according to their carriage for the future To this she answered now when they could do no better they sought her but when she sought their concurrence such as Subjects owe to their native Prince they would not hear her no more would she now notice their Suits I said whensoever they were to make their Suits it should not be by me but this I propose of my self to your Majesty who can choose the best and leave the worst in all accidents Seeing it is no little matter to gain the whole hearts of all your Subjects and also of a good number in England who favour them and their Religion who would admire such Princely vertues When they should see so pregnant a proof of your Majesties being able to Master your own passions and affections all will then conclude that you were most worthy to reign over Kingdoms finding you so ready to forgive and so loath to use vengeance especially against Subjects already vanquished and not worthy of your wrath If your Majesty consider seriously clemency at such a time will be found most convenient and that part of Justice called Equity more profitable then rigour For extremity frequently brings on desperate enterprises At this her Majesty entred into choller saying I defie them what can they do or what dare they do Madam says I with your Majesties pardon my proposition is in obedience to your own Commandment to shew you my opinion at all times for the weal of your affairs Then she said she thanked me granting that it was a good advice and necessary to be done if she could in so far command her self But that yet she could not find in her heart to have to do with any of them upon divers considerations intreating me nevertheless to continue giving her my advice at all occasions For albeit she did not follow
this she might perchance do better at another time I answered that it was only the consideration of her interest that made me appear so concerned Many Noblemen being banished and so near as New-castle having many other Noblemen at home of their kindred and friends so malecontent as I knew them to be for the time made me fear some attempt towards an alteration For I told her I had heard dark speeches that we should hear news e're the Parliament was ended Her Majesty answered that she likewise wanted not advertisements of the like rumours but that our Countrey-men were talkative I vsed the same freedom with Rixio for then he and I were under great friendship But he evidenced a disdain at all danger and despised counsel so that I was compelled to say I feared over late Repentance You have heard that Sir Nicholas Throgmorton was one of the two English Ambassadours who were sent hither to stay the marriage and to make many promises in his Mistresses Name to so many as would resist the same which promises were afterward denied by the Queen of England and by Mr. Randolph But Sir Nicholas Throgmorton stood neither in awe of Queen or Council to declare the verity that he had made such promises to them in her Name whereof the Councellors and craftiest Courtiers thought strange and were resolving to punish him for avowing the same promise to be made in his Mistresses Name had not he wisely and circumspectly obtained an Act of Council for his Warrant which he offered to produce And the said Sir Nicholas was so angry that he had been made an instrument to deceive the Scots banished Lords that he advised them to sue humbly for pardon at their own Queens hand and to ingage never again to offend her for satisfaction of any Prince alive And because as they were then stated they had no interest he penned a perswasive Letter and sent unto her Majesty as followeth YOur Majesty hath in England many friends of all degrees who favour your Title but for divers respects Some for very Conscience sake being perswaded that in Law your Right is best some for the good opinion they have conceived by the honourable report they have heard of your vertues and liberality the consideration whereof ingageth them to esteem your Majesty most worthy to Govern some for factions who favour your Religion some for the ill will they bear to your competitour seeing their own danger if Lady Kátharine should come in that place Of these some are Papists some Protestants and yet however they differ among themselves in Religion or other particulars they are both of one mind for the advancement of your Title Your Majesty hath also divers Enemies for various respects not unlike to the other whose study hath always been and will be unless they be made friends to hinder any thing that may tend to your advantage In one point all concur both Friends and Enemies yea the whole People that they are most desirous to have the Succession of the Crown declared and assured that they may be at a certainty only the Queen her self is of a contrary opinion and would be glad the matter should always be in suspence Your un-friends have done what they could to take the advantage of the time to your prejudice And for that end pressed the holding of the Parliament which was before continued till October last Knowing assuredly that if the Parliament held the Succession of the Crown would be called in question And they thought the time served well for their purpose when there was division and trouble in your own Realm and no good understanding betwixt you and the Queen of England And her Subjects your friends for eschewing that inconvenience and winning of time to give your Majesty place to work and remove all impediments so far as wisdom may have found the means to drive it off till the next spring Now their advice is that in the mean time your Majesty indeavour by wisdom to assure your self of the whole Votes or at least of the best and most considerable of the Parliament when ever the matter shall be brought in question Which may be done by retaining the hearts of those you have gained already recovering of those who are brangled winning of the neutrals and so many of your adversaries as may be gained for it is not to be supposed that all can be won who are already so far addicted to the contrary Faction but when the cause of their aversion is removed the effect will cease Generally your Majesty will do well to forbear any act that will offend the whole people and use such means as will render your most acceptable to them Strangers are universally suspected to the whole people against which your Majesty hath in your marriage wisely â—â—â—â—ided by abstaining to match with a forreign Price So do they 〈…〉 your Majesty to abstain from any League or Confederacy with 〈…〉 forreign Prince that may offend England till you have first esâ—yed what you can purchase by the benevolence of the born Subjects thereof Not that they would desire your Majesty to forfeit your friendship with France and Spain but rather that you should wisely entertain them both to remain at your devotion in case afterward you have need of their favour Nevertheless it is their wish that the same may rather remain in general terms as heretofore then that you proceed to any special act which may offend England which you cannot with honour bring back again when you would As many of your adversaries as are addicted to the contrary Faction for hatred of your Religion may be gained when they see your Majesty continue in the temperance and moderation you have hitherto used within your own Realm in matters of Religion without innovation or alteration As many as by misreports have been carried to the contrary Faction may by true report be brought back again when they shall hear of your clemency used towards your own Subjects which vertue in Princes of all others most allures the hearts of people to favour even their common Enemies As many as can deal warily and discreetly with your friends of both the Religions and are only addicted for Conscience sake to my Lady Katharine being perswaded of the preference of your Title in Law may be gained to your Majesty by contrary perswasions and by adducing of such reasons and arguments as may be alledged for proof of your good cause whereof there are abundance to be had Some your Majesty will find in England who will hazard as far as they dare to serve your turn in this behalf But because it is so dangerous to Men to deal in and may endanger Lives and Lands if they be seen earnest medlers travelling in that point so as would be necessary it will require such instruments of your own when time comes who may boldly speak without danger and with whom the Subjects of England dare freely communicate their minds and enter into
they durst not go to France where the Queen had so many friends This I did shew unto her Majesty that she might be the more confirmed how groundless that report was made by the foresaid Lords against Murray Wherewith she appeared well satisfied resolving to continue her kindness for my Lord Murray but withal she charged me not to write in favours of Mortoun In the mean time Mr. Henry Killegrew was sent hither Ambassadour from the Queen of England who was in great suspicion of her estate finding so many of her Subjects favourers of our Queen The said Ambassadour complained against one Mr. Ruxbie who was harboured in Scotland being a Rebel and a Papist Declaring how that the Queen his Mistress had commanded Mortoun and his Complices forth of her Country Which was done by open Proclamation to please the Queen and her Ambassadour who cryed out continually for her suffering them to abide so long in England Yet as we afterward understood they were secretly over-lookt upon condition that they would keep themselves quiet Mr. Killegrew alledged also that the Queens Majesty had been practising with Oneel in Ireland who had his Ambassadour presently in Edinbrugh in company of the Earl of Arguile And Thirdly he complained of some disorders upon the Borders made by Scotishmen But the principal pretext of his Commission was to comfort the Queen over her late troubles to congratulate her freedom and good success over her wicked and rebellious Subjects It may appear sufficiently by that Queens former proceedings that all the Sisterly familiarity was ceased and in place thereof nothing but jealousies suspicions and hatred And yet they kept an outward correspondence for keeping up Neighbourhood and Intelligence The Scots Ambassadour for the time in England had so good hap that his credit was great for he was esteemed sure and secret Which caused a great number of the Nobility Protestants and Papists to Communicate their inward minds and secretest intentions unto him Mr. Randolph had not the like credit in Scotland but only with some of the simplest sort of the Ministers For this Ruxbie was sent in hither to appear to be a zealous favourer of her Majesties Right and Title to the Crown of England He was to endeavour to speak with the Queen and to take an occasion of informing her Majesty of the great friendship divers of the Catholicks had for her who durst not deal with the Scots Ambassadour being a Protestant but that he would deal himself betwixt her Majesty and them All this was to essay what he could draw out of her Majesty to give advertisement thereof to Secretary Cicil. He addressed himself unto the Queens Majesty by the Bishop of Ross who was a Catholick The said Bishop desireing her Majesty to be secret What he learned for the time I cannot tell but he did write sundry intelligences unto the Secretary Cicil which did prejudice But this fine contrivance was not so secretly kept but my Brother Sir Robert had knowledge thereof and also of a Letter that the Secretary Cicil wrote again unto Scotland to the said Mr. Ruxbie promising to see him rewarded and desiring him to continue in his diligence Of all which my Brother by his good intelligence was so well advertised that in due time he gave her Majesty and me information thereof He gave his advice how to carry for the future in that affair So that when Mr. Killegrew made his complaint upon the receit of Mr. Ruxbie her Majesty incontinently caused him to be apprehended and all his Cyphers and Writings among the which was found the Letter written by Secretary Cicil above mentioned Ruxbie finding himself discovered fell immediately upon his knees granting himself worthy of a thousand deaths humbly craving pardon Her Majesty caused him to be so secretly and straitly kept that the English Ambassadour could get no intelligence for what cause he was apprehended until that the Queen did shew him her self that upon his complaint to satisfie the Queen her good Sister she had caused to apprehend the said Ruxbie who should be delivered so soon after his return as it should please her Sister to send for him But as this Mr. Ruxbie was secured so was the complaint made against him kept secret For her Majesty was advised to appear altogether ignorant of any of his practises against her devised by Secretary Cicil it not being thought her interest to put that shame upon one who professed so much to be her friend Nor was it time to cast of intelligence so long as it was found profitable to entertain it as it would have indeed proved had not such unhappy chances fallen out shortly after The Queens Majesties reckoning being near run out she caused me to dispatch for England to be in readiness to give an accompt of the news of her delivery to that Queen leaving a Blank in her Letter to be filled up either with a Son or a Daughter as it should please God to grant unto her And to require the Queen of England to send hither in her name such of hers as she knew to be best instruments for entertaining good love and friendship betwixt them to be Gossips as also to satisfie her concerning the most part of Killegrew's demands All the while I lay within the Castle of Edinbrugh praying night and day for her Majesties good and happy delivery of a fair Son This prayer being granted I was the first who was thereof advertised by the Lady Boin in her Majesties Name to part with dilligence the 19th of June 1555 betwixt Ten and Eleven in the morning By Twelve of the Clock I took Horse and was that night at Berwick The fourth day after I was at London and did first meet with my Brother Sir Robert who that same night sent and advertised Secretary Cicil of my arrival and of the Birth of the Prince desiring him to keep it quiet till my coming to Court to shew it my self unto her Majesty who was for the time at Greenwich where her Majesty was in great mirth dancing after Supper But so soon as the Secretary Cicil whispered in her Ear the news of the Prince's birth all her mirth was laid aside for that night All present marvelling whence proceeded such a change for the Queen did sit down putting her hand under her Cheek bursting out to some of her Ladies That the Queen of Scots was Mother of a fair Son while she was but a barren stock The next morning was appointed for me to get Audience at what time my Brother and I went by Water to Greenwich and were met by some friends who told us how sorrowful her Majesty was at my news but that she had been advised to shew a glad and cheerful countenance Which she did in her best Apparel saying That the joyful news of the Queen her Sister's delivery of a fair Son which I had sent her by Secretary Cicil had recovered her out of a heavy sickness which she had lyen under
Queen of England the other that he might shew unto the Secretary Cicil. Item To advertise my Brother what he should do more for my Lady Lennox whose liberty might do much good Now to conclude seeing the great mark which her Majesty shoots at let her Majesty be more careful and circumspect that her desires being so near to be obtained be not all over-thrown for lack of secrecy good management and Princely behaviour having so many factious Enemies lying in wait to make their advantage of the least appearance that can be made Shortly after my coming home Mr. Killegrew the English Ambassadour obtained his dispatch with a friendly answer to his contentment and a fair Chain and with him her Majesty sent these two Letters following to my Brother by his own advice that he might take occasion to let the Queen of England see the one and Mr. Cicil the other partly to serve to put some doubts out of their minds ingendered by Mr. Ruxbie's advertisements for as I have said the Bishop of Ross made the said Ruxbie's address to the Queen for neither he nor the Earl Bothwel desired her Majesties affairs to prosper under my Brother's management because he was not of their Faction so that by their means Ruxbie got that intelligence as put all her Majesties affairs once in a venture until my Brother 's extraordinary intelligence from such as were most intimate with the Queen of England made him cause to apprehend the said Ruxbie with his whole Letters and Memoires as said is so are many good Princes handled and commonly their truest Servants decourted by the envy and craft of their factious Enemies for wicked men who have lost their credit by trumpery and tricks whereby they get no place to do good service to Princes essay to creep unto their favour by wiles flattery and other unlawful means wherby they may decourt such as surmount them in vertue and honest reputation her Majesties Letter to my Brother was as followeth TRusty and well-beloved We Greet you well Whereas your Brother James hath told Us of the friendly and faithful advice given unto you and him by Mr. Secretary Cicil toward the continuation of the amity betwixt the Queen Our good Sister and Us tending also to Our own particular advantage We thought meet to send these few lines to you that you may thank him heartily in Our Name and declare unto him Our meaning and intention as you find opportunity touching the three Points that he did mention at that time The first as we understand touching our towardliness to them of the Religion The second touching strict justice to be observed upon the Borders The third that we will endeavour by no other means to come to the Succession of the Crown of England but by the favour and forth-setting of our good Sister As to the first you shall answer in Our Name That since Our return out of France We have neither constrained nor persecuted any for cause of Religion nor yet minds to do their credit with Us being so manifest that they are intrusted with the principal Offices and bear the chiefest charges in the Kingdom and principally imployed in our most urgent Affairs before all others Sir Nicholas Throgmorton can testifie what he hath seen and heard at his being here thereanent howbeit that contrary Brutes are blown abroad by the malice and practises of our Enemies To the second concerning the borders it is most certain that the principal Officers on both the sides are special instruments of all the disorders taking occasion upon Our late troubles when as they perceived that we might not so well take order with them as We were willing as now when it hath pleased God to grant unto Us more quietness Desiring him also to procure at the Queen his Sovereign's hands that the like diligence be taken for her part as shall be seen used by Us and then we doubt not but that both he she and all other who complain shall be satisfied As to the third and last head you shall shew unto him the tenor of Our other Letter for satisfaction to the Queen and Our other Friends in these parts So with my friendly commendations to him and his wife I commit you to the protection of the Almighty From the Castle of Edinburgh this Year 1566. TRusty and Well beloved We Greet you well We have received great comfort and contentment by the Declaration your Brother hath made to Us of the Queen Our good Sister 's continual affection and constant love towards Us which she hath now shewn unto you and your Brother at his coming as also by her Letters unto Our Self Likewise for the grant she hath made to be Our Gossip and promises to send so honourable a Company of Lords and Ladies for solemnizing the same in her Name for which in Our behalf you shall give her Majesty most hearty thanks and shew unto her that We desire nothing to be done therein but as may conduce best for her advantage and least to her expence praying her always that the principal Man whom it will please her to send be such a one as We have by long experience known to have been most familiar with her to whom We may the more freely open Our mind and signifie divers things which We intended to have spoken by mouth unto her self if God had granted Our desired meeting As concerning Oneel Ruxbie and all other matters We hope that Mr. Killegrew will satisfie her sufficiently and also how that We desire to have no advancement in that Country but by her only means and help hoping and intending so to direct our course and behaviour toward her as she shall have cause more and more to procure earnestly and carefully her self all things that may further Our Weal and Advancement in this Country that Kingdom or any other In the which hope We will do our best to follow such measures as may please her and to avoid all things that may offend her and We give our most strict command unto you to do the like so long as you remain there And wherever you be about Our service even as I gave you Commandment of before nevertheless in the mean time entertain most kindly and discreetly all those in that Country who profess to bear good will unto Us and to our Title yet in such sort as neither you nor they offend the Queen Our good Sister And if there chance to come to you any hasty or seditious persons admonish them gently to cease and if they forbear not shew unto them that We have promised to the Queen to declare the Names and Practises of such unto her and that we will not fail to do it indeed if they cease not So shall it be known that such as are about to sow discord between the Queen our good Sister and Us doth it rather upon particular respects and for their own advantage then for any design to advance her Affairs or Ours These
the time and one called Mr. Lignish greatest in favour with the Duke of Norfolk and a good number of Knights and Gentlemen of York-shire with the most part of the Captains of Berwick Her Majesty was sufficiently informed by my Brother's writing to her and me what kind of language and entertainment was most proper for the Earl and each of them When all the rest of the Ambassadours were come they repined to see the English-men more friendly and familiarly used then themselves For then we had more to do with England then with France And the French Earl who was sent was no Courtier but a simple Man And Monsieur de Morat the Duke of Savoy his Ambassadour being far of came after the Baptism During their abode at Sterling there was daily Banqueting Dancing and Triumph And at the principal Banquet there fell out a great grudge among the English-men for a Frenchman called Bastien devised a number of Men formed like Satyrs with long Tails and whips in their hands running before the meat which was brought through the great Hall upon a Machine or Engine marching as appeared alone with Musicians clothed like Maids singing and playing upon all sorts of Instruments But the Satyrs were not content only to make way or room but put their hands behind them to their Tails which they wagged with their hands in such sort as the English-men supposed it had been devised and done in derision of them weakly apprehending that which they should not have appeared to understand for Mr. Hattoun Mr. Lignish and the most part of the Gentlemen desired to Supp before the Queen and great Banquet that they might see the better the Order and Ceremonies of the Triumph But so soon as they perceived the Satyrs wagging their Tails they all sate down upon the bare floor behind the back of the Table that they might not see themselves derided as they thought Mr. Hatton said unto me if it were not in the Queens presence he would put a Dagger to the heart of that French knave Bastien who he alledged had done it out of despight that the Queen made more of them then of the Frenchmen I excused the matter the best I could but the noise was so great behind the Queen's back where her Majesty and my Lord of Bedford did sit that they heard and turned about their faces to enquire what the matter meant I informed them that it was occasioned by the Satyrs so that the Queen and my Lord of Bedford had both enough to do to get them appeased It fell out unhappily at such a time and the English Gentlemen committed a great over sight to notice it as done against them But my Lord of Bedford was discreet and interpreted all things to the best My Lord of Bedford was rewarded with a rich Chain of Diamonds worth two thousand Crowns Mr. Cary with a Chain of Pearl and a Ring with a fair Diamond Mr. Hattoun had a Chain with her Majesties Picture and a Ring Mr. Lignish and five other of Quality had each of them Chains I was commanded with many others to attend them towards the Road. They parted all very well content and satisfied with the Queens Majesty but lamented that they perceived the King so much slighted My Lord of Bedford desired me to request her Majesty to entertain him as she had done at the beginning for her own honour and the advancement of her affairs which I forgot not to do at all occasions After the Baptism and parting of the Ambassadours her Majesty desirous to put good order upon the Borders sent the Earl of Bothwel before who in the pursuit of Thieves was hurt Her Majesty past afterward to Jedbrugh her self where the Earls of Bothwel and Huntly enterprised the slaughter of the Earl of Murray but the Lord Hume came there with forces and prevented that enterprise Her Majesty returned by the Merse and desired to see Berwick afar off where she was honoured with many shots of Artillery and Sir John Foster Warden upon the English Border came and conferred with her Majesty for keeping of good order And the mean time while he was speaking with her Majesty on Horse-back his Courser did rise up with his formost Legs to take the Queens Horse by the Neck with his Teeth but his Feet hurt her Majesties Thigh very ill Incontinent the Warden lighted off his Horse and sate down upon his knees craving her Majesties pardon For then all England did much reverence her her Majesty made him to rise and said that she was not hurt yet it compelled her Majesty to tarry two days at the Castle of Hoome untill she recovered again The King followed her about whithersoever she rode but got no good countenance So that finding himself flighted he went to Glascow where he fell sick it being alledged that he had got poison from some of his Servants In the mean time the Earl of Bothwel ruled all at Court having brought home the banished Lords and packed up a quiet friendship with the Earl of Mortoun After her Majesties return to Edinbrugh she reconciled the Earls of Huntly Bothwel Arguile and others From that her Majesty went to Sterling to see the Prince and returned again to Edinbrugh whither the King was afterward brought and lodged in the Kirk-field as a place of good Air where he might best recover his health But many suspected that the Earl of Bothwel had some enterprise against him few durst advertise him because he told all again to some of his own Servants who were not all honest Yet Lord Robert Earl of Orkny told him that if he retired not hastily out of that place it would cost him his life which he told again to the Queen and my Lord Robert denied that ever he spoke it This advertisement moved the Earl of Bothwel to haste forward his enterprize he had before laid a train of Powder under the House where the King did lodge and in the night did blow up the said House with the Powder but it was spoken that the King was taken forth and brought down to a Stable where a Napkin was stopped in his mouth and he therewith suffocated Every body suspected the Earl of Bothwel and those who durst speak freely to others said plainly that it was he Whereupon he drew together a number of Lords of his dependers to be an Assize which cleansed and acquitted him some for fear some for favour and the greatest part in expectation of advantage This way being assailed he remained still the greatest favourite at Court My Lord of Murray was retired from the Court several days before Her Majesty kept her Chamber for a while I came to the door the next morning after the murther and the Earl of Bothwel said that her Majesty was sorrowful and quiet which occasioned him to come forth He said the strangest accident had fallen out which ever was heard of for Thunder had come out of the sky and had burnt the King's House
your travel For first they will never meet together and next there will never be any thing else but dissembling and secret hatred for a while and at length Captivity and utter wrack to our Queen from England My Brother answered he liked not to hear of such devilish news nor yet would he in any sort credit them as being false ungodly and unlawful for Christians to meddle with Bassintoun answered good Mr. Melvil entertain not that harsh opinion of me I am a Christian of your own Religion and fear God and purposeth never to cast my self on any of the unlawful Arts that you mean but so far as Melancthon who was a godly Theologue hath declared lawful and written concerning the natural Sciences which are lawful and daily read in divers Christian Universities in the which as in all other Arts God gives to some less and to others clearer knowledge by the which knowledge I have attained to understand that at length the Kingdom of England shall of right fall to the Crown of Scotland and that at this instant there are some born who shall brook Lands and Heritages in England But alas it will cost many their Lives and many bloody Battels will be fought e're things be settled or take effect and by my knowledge says he the Spaniards will be helpers and will take a part to themselves for their labour which they will be loath to leave again After that the Queens Majesty had demitted the Government when she was Captive in Lockleven in such manner as is rehearsed my Lord of Murray being the first of the Regents of whom I have said something already I intend now to follow forth and shew a part of his proceedings and to begin where I left at her Majesties retreat to England After the Battel of Langside the Regent went through the Country and took up the Escheats and Houses of those who had assisted at the said Battel and caused to cast down divers of their houses distributing their Lands to his Servants and dependers The Council of England being crafty and in special the Secretary Cicil they knew what kind of Men had most credit about him for the time and thereupon took occasion to deal with the least honest most ambitious and covetous of that number and Society who had joined and banded themselves together to assist each other whereby to advance themselves and to disgrace all such true and honest men as had assisted and helped him in all his former troubles This sort of Men were soon perswaded and corrupted to move the Regent to pass unto England and accuse their native Queen before the Queen and Council of England to the great dishonour of their Country and Prince For the Queen of England who had no just cause to retain our Queen who had fled to England in hope of getting shelter and the assistance which had been so oft promised her both before and after her Captivity in Lockleven was very desirous to have some colour and pretext whereby she might make answer to the Ambassadours of sundry Princes who reproached her for her unkindly and unprincely proceedings therein Because the most part of those who had the Regent's Ear were gained to this opinion and the number few who were of a contrary mind he went forward to England accompanied with the Earl of Mortoun the Lord Lindsay the Laird of Lockleven the Bishop of Orkny the Abbot of Dumfarmling Mr. James Macgil Mr. Henry Balnears Mr. George Buchanan the Laird of Pittarrow George Duglas Bishop of Murray Mr. John Wood the Regent's Secretary a great Ring-leader Mr. Nicholas Elphinstoun Secretary Lidingtoun Alexander Hay Alexander Hume of North-Berwick the Laird of Cleesh with divers other Barons and Gentlemen who went there to see the fashion some to wait upon the Regent and Lords and some who could not get the Regent disswaded from this extream folly at home went with him to England to see if by any assistance of such as were friends there to the Union of the Isle and to the Title of Scotland he might be stayed from that accusation For those who were the Queens Lords who came there to defend the Queens part had no credit nor familiarity with the chief faction in England concerning the Title nor durst open their minds but to such as by long acquaintance they were well assured of their honesty and secrecy The names of the Queens Lords were the Lord Herreis the Lord Boid the Lord Fleeming the Lord Livingstoun the Bishop of Ross and some others with my Brother Sir Robert who attended to do all the good he could The Duke of Norfolk the Earl of Sussex and several other Councellors were sent down to York to hear the Regent's Accusation and to be as Judges between the King and Queen's Lords The first day of meeting the Duke of Norfolk required that the Regent should make Homage in the King's Name to the Crown of England thinking he had some ground to demand the same seeing the said Regent there to plead his Cause before the Councel of England Whereat the Regent grew red and knew not what to answer but Secretary Lidingtoun took up the Speech and said That in restoring again to Scotland the Lands of Huntingtuon Cumberland and Northumberland with such other Lands as Scotland did of old possess in England that Homage should gladly be made for the said Lands but as to the Crown and Kingdom of Scotland it was freer than England had been lately when it payed St. Peter ' s Penny to the Poor It appeared still that the Duke drave off time with us as having no inclination to enter upon the terrors of Accusation What was in his head appeared afterward but he was long in a suspence with whom to deal For he thought as he afterward said he neither did see honest men nor wise men At last he resolved to enter in Conference with Secretary Lidingtoun to whom he said That before that time he had ever esteem'd him a Wise man until that now he came before Strangers to accuse the Queen his Mistress as if England were Iudge over the Princes of Scotland How could we find in our hearts to dishonour our Kings Mother or how could we answer afterward for what we were doing seeing it tended to hazard the King her Sons Right to England intending to bring his Mothers honesty in question It had been rather the Duty of you his Subjects sayes he to cover her Imperfections if she had any remitting unto God and Time to punish and put Order thereto who is the Only Iudge over Princes Lidingtoun as he might well do purged himself and declared he came there to endeavour to stop the said Accusation which the Laird of Grange and divers others had endeavoured to do in vain before the Regent's coming out of Scotland And that now he would be glad of any help to hinder that shameful deliberation of the Regents pushed thereto by a company of greedy rash and careless
esteemed so wise should have had seeing he might have obtained his intent without the help of England having all Scotland at his Devotion saving that few number without the Castle who would likewise have agreed upon any reasonable condition Thus the Castle of Edinbrugh was straitly besieged with an English Army under the Conduct of the Marshal of Berwick assisted by all Scotland These within seeing they could not be received upon any composition debated so long as they had victuals and water For their Draw-well dryed by the drouthy Summer and they had no other water but what they fetched letting men with Cords down o're the Walls and Rock of the Castle to a Well on the west side which was afterward poysoned whereby so many as escaped the Shot dyed and the rest fell deadly sick Yet the Laird of Grange undertook with Eight persons to keep the Castle untaken by force of the which number were the Lord Hume my two Brothers Sir Robert and Sir Andrew the Laird of Pittadrow and his Brother Patrick This resolution being taken the Laird of Chesh and Matthew Colvil his Brother were sent to the Castle under the pretext of making offers of agreement but their design was to get intelligence of the State of the House and to seduce the Soldiers who were yet alive which they did so that some fled out over the Walls and others were shut forth For the Captain thought the house in a better condition both for Victuals and otherwise when they were forth The Marshal of Berwick seeing no appearance to succeed entred into contention with the Ambassador alledging that the Queen his Mistress would be dishonoured and said he would wait no longer whereupon they without entred on a new Communing and sent up again the Laird of Cleesh to offer them good conditions to come forth with their Armour and Bag and Baggage which was agreed to and that they should be restored to their Lands and because for the time they were in other mens possession it was referred to themselves whether they would go to England with the Marshal of Berwick or remain in Scotland among their friends until the promise made them of restoring them to their Lands might be fulfilled The Englishmen desired that the Castle should be put in their hands but Grange sent secretly to Captain Hume and Captain Crauford desiring them to come and ly within the Bulwark betwixt the House and the English men and to those he delivered the Castle and his person to the Marshal to go with him to England until all promises might be kept to him and the rest by the Queen of Englands means In this manner they came forth after that George Duglas natural Brother to the Regent had received the House they had all their Swords and Weapons about them and were three dayes at liberty My Brother Sir Robert lay with me at his own Lodging the Laird of Grange and the Secretary Lidingtoun remained yet with the Marshal of Berwick at his Lodging for their greater security because that the people of the Town of Edinbrugh were greatly their Enemies For except a few that tarried within the Town during the Civil Troubles between the Parties that lay in Edinbrugh and Lieth the most part of the richest Men and Merchants left the Town and went to Lieth to take part with the Regent therefore their houses were spoiled upon which account they did bear great hatred to those in the Castle But at the end of three dayes they were all laid hands upon and taken as Prisoners For some of their most malitious enemies put it easily in the Regents head and the Ambassadors that it was well done to move the Queen of England to cause to deliver the whole Prisoners to the Regent to be disposed upon at his pleasure alledging they had no surety but a naked promise which they needed not to keep and because these of the Castle confided wholy on the Marshals promise the Ambassador was advised to prevent the Marshals Writing so that er'e he did write to the Queen thereabout her Letter came to him to deliver up the Prisoners who had been in the Castle to the Regent And he durst not disobey her Command the same being so peremptory tho he obeyed it with much regret and great reluctancy by reason of his promise and returned malecontent to Berwick And they in the Castle were Committed to strait ward and thereafter new Letters were purchased by the Regent from the Queen that he might execute them which she willingly permitted for she would gladly have been quit of my Lord Hume and Grange as being two true Scotsmen unwonable to England to do any thing prejudicial to their King or Country and of the Secretary Lidingtoun but he dyed at Lieth after the old Roman fashion as was said to prevent his coming to the Shambles with the rest As for the Lord Hume the Regent durst not meddle with him he standing in awe of Alexander Hume of Manderstoun Coildinknows and the Good man of North Berwick and the rest of that name who boasted with very proud Language He dyed shortly after being warded in the Castle of Edinbrugh Mr. Killegrew the English Ambassador desired no other reward for his labour but the preservation of my Brother Sir Robert's life for he was obliged formerly to him and me The Composition was kept to all the rest of the mean Gentlemen The Priour of Coldingham and Laird of Drylaw were afterwards set at liberty Sundry of the Captains of Berwick went up to the Castle by the breach beat down in the fore Wall by the Canons that they might say that they had won the Maiden Castle But this was after that the house was delivered over to the Regents Brother yet he would not suffer them to enter there with any number On this manner both England and the Regent were revenged upon that worth Champion whom they had sometimes in great estimation who had done such notable service in France being Captain of an hundred light Horsemen that he was extolled by the Duke of Vendome Prince of Conde and Duke of Aumale Governors and Colonels then in Picardy that I heard Henry the 2d point unto him and say yonder is one of the most Valiant Men of our Age. Also the King used him so familiarly that he chose him commonly upon his side in all pastimes he went to and because he shot far with a great Shaft at the Butts the King would have him to shoot two Arrows one for his pleasure The great Constable of France would never speak to him uncovered and that King gave him an honourable Pension whereof he never sought payment England had proof of his Valour frequently against them upon the Borders where he gave them divers ruffles In a single Combate he vanquished the Earl of Rivers's Brother between the two Armies of Scotland and England He afterward Debated manfully the liberty of his Country against the French men when they intended to
then about me perceiving my grief and miscontent offered even then to relieve me whensoever I would desire to be at greater liberty Whereupon I made you then that answer whereof you make mention in your Letter as I gave the like answer to the French Ambassadour Nevertheless I was ever resolved at a fit time to relieve my self for my honour as I have done lately following another saying of Isocrates willing Princes to hazard rather to dye honestly then to ring shamefully for how I did ring for the time you might know by your Cousin Mr. Cairo in whose ear I rounded my familiary inward grief because he said you desired him to require it at me apart promising that it should be secretly kept from all others albeit I used not such freedom with Mr. Bowes Indeed I subscribed such Writs and Letters as the said Lords presented to me for the time was unfit to dispute too precisely upon Circumstances that were determined by these who were Masters of me and the State This Answer I suppose will satisfie your own reasonable and equitable Judgment discreetly considering the same with your self apart I doubt if it will be so interpreted by others of your Councel who have particular designs of their own to whom because I impute the whole hard Language contained in your angry Letter and not to your self and gentle inclination I think it not needful now to write an Answer unto every part of the same So attending patiently upon your better intelligence and information in these matters I will rather retain in my memory your former fruitful friendship then now start at any wrong set Syllable or sowre sentence placed in your paper at the partial instance of others As concerning that which toucheth the Duke of Lennox his godly end hath declared his honest meaning Whose death I might justly lay upon such as forcibly removed him from my presence nevertheless I resolve to put all by-gones in Oblivion neither to compel any man to take a faultless Pardon Where you desire that I proceed no further until a trusty Messenger may come from you I intend to stay from doing any thing till then that you may justly be offended with Albeit Isocrates advises Princes speedily to execute such turns as good Councel thinks necessary to be done wishing that he who shall be sent may be as willing to work the effects of true love and friendship betwixt us as I am assured it is both our hearts desire and intention whereto I pray the Lord to grant increase continuance and happiness to his glory and to the well peace and quiet of both our Realms The Secretary Walsingham was he of whom mention is made in her Majesties Letter to be sent in here but he was long by the way by reason that he was sickly In the mean time Mr. Bowes who was Ambassador resident at Edinbrugh had received this Letter by the ordinary Post and returned the Answer He declared many Commendations from my Lord Burly and several of the Council of England to my Brother Sir Robert and me alledging that they were glad to hear that such men were about His Majesty that were of their Religion and with whom they were long acquainted wishing many such to be in Court About this time the Earl of Arran obtained the keeping of the Castle of Stirling and insinuated himself so far upon His Majesty that he took upon him the whole management of affairs and caused sundry Noblemen to be banished as the Earls of Mar Angus and the Master of Glains and divers others And by his insolency he drove the Earl of Gaurie from Court far against his Majesties intention who sent me for him to his house to bring him again to Court which was for the time at Coupar in Fyffe where His Majesty agreed him and the Earl of Arran But no conditions promised were kept to Gaurie so that he was so vexed that he resolved to leave the Country I have already declared how loath I was that either His Majesty should leave the Lords who were about him or that I should in any wise be a medler again in publick affairs considering the many alterations I had seen by long and hurtful experience yet the affection I had for His Majesty engaged me not to refuse his Commands being my native Prince and Master and I his humble Subject and sworn Servant first as his domestick as being one of the Gentlemen of his Chamber and a Member of his Privy-Council But after his Majesty being taken I was no more admitted by his Keepers who thought fit for their security to place such men about him as were intirely at their Devotion As for my part as I was sorry that His Majesty should be used any other way then at his own pleasure so I was much satisfied to be permitted to live quietly at home the rest of my days yet being called again by His Majesty I waited upon his Commands Now again perceiving His Majesties most acceptable Proclamations slyly and cunningly changed contrary to His Majesties merciful intentions by issuing out contrary Proclamations and intending violent persuits against these concerned in the Road of Ruthven whereby too great a number of Noblemen and Gentlemen despaired of their Safety and Lives in a lamenting manner I remembred his Majesty how he was abused and what great inconveniencies were like to ensue Thereupon His Majesty upon my relation appeared very sorrowful and assured me of his resolutions to amend these disorders but it was his misfortune to advise thereabouts with these who underhand were chief instruments therein Believing that because he loved them they also loved him and the well of his affairs They again making some appearance of intentions of satisfying his expectation indirectly by means of too many who depended upon the Earl of Arrans extraordinary Credit and Favour the contrary to his Majesties princely and upright meaning was brought about so that many Noblemen left the Country and all honest men left the Court to the great satisfaction of the Earl of Arran and his Wife who had the greater opportunity of guiding all And that they might the easier set forward this course they perswaded His Majesty to pass to Stirling whither they knew few or none durst repair who were not at his Devotion he being Captain of the said Castle and Provost of the Town after I had frequently warned His Majesty of the storm I did foresee coming I retired my self from Court. His Majesty being at Stirling asked frequently for me regretting that I was not continually with him Whereupon the Earl of Arran advised that I should be sent ambassador to the Queen of England upon some pretended affair as well to absent me from His Majesty who he perceived had some favour for me as to take occasion upon my return to bring me in disgrace as if I had been guilty of some mis-management because he knew that as matters stood I could do no good at that time And
done me service Julius Pollux Master to Caesar points out a true Prince to be of Divine Countenance Godly Merciful Just Equitable Careful of his Affairs Constant in his Deeds true in his Promises Subject unto reason Master over his Affections fatherly towards his Subjects of easie Access gentle to be spoken to ready to forgive slow to punish princely liberal subtil secret and sharp of ingeny Now because it appeareth your Majesty in youth hath been sufficiently versed in many of these vertuous precepts I wish from my heart that such impressions may be as well taken of them that are presently about you seeing that Princes are commonly deemed to be like those whom they make most their familiars Therefore Sir for eschewing all those evils and to put the nearest Remedy unto all the appearing inconveniencies it is fit so soon as it may please your Majesty to pass to Edinbrugh to convene the most ancient of your Nobility and Barons of best reputation by whose advice together with those that are already in Court your Country may be quieted and your Subjects satisfied For now as matters are handled to speak of Clemency by causing them to take remissions it will want Credit and be ill interpreted as not conform to your Majesties first Declaration The Emperor Adrian inquired after men of great age and experience and helped himself by their many perils Alexander Severus would perform no matter of importance but with advice of the most ancient and best experimented He never went out of Rome unaccompanied with four or five of the most honourable ancient and grave personages that none should need to fear that he would commit any Error He never suffered the Senate to conclude any weighty purpose unless Fifty of them had been present He caused all his Counsellors to put their Opinions in writing to see if any were possest with passions or partialities He changed oft his familiarity with sundry of the Senate lest he who had alwayes his ear might be overcome with importunate pursuits or partiality The urgent necessity of the time most Noble and Excellent Prince causeth me to be so tedious Humbly craving pardon and heartily kissing your Majesties hands I pray the Eternal God grant you long and happy life From Halhil this 15th of October 1583. Your Majesties most Humble And Obedient Servitour James Melvil When I came to Stirling and shewed his Majesty this Letter he not only liked well of it but ingaged to follow the advice therein contained He lamented to me the partial dealing of those about him Only he said that my Brother Sir Robert was upon a sound course for quieting of the Estate and that some Noblemen against whose partialities he had opposed himself had discorded with him in his Majesties presence It pleased his Majesty also to tell me that the cause why I was written for was to be sent to England to travel with the Queen there for entertainment of mutual Amity and encrease of her favour and good will concerning the Title and Succession to the Crown of England and assistance to help to establish his troubled Estate perturbed by the insolence and partialities of his Subjects bred and ingendred among them during his minority I answered that I judged it was a very unmeet time seeing I knew as matters stood in Scotland that England would make no account of him nor of any that would be sent from him until first he would let it be seen and heard that he could settle his own Estate and by his wise and prudent management render his own Subjects obedient to his Commands this being done they would honour and esteem him And that the best and readiest way to obtain also one day the Crown of England was to guide Scotland so well that they might find ground some day to wish to be under the Government of such a Prince By this kind of Language and his Majesty pondering what ground I had to use the same he was satisfied that my Voyage should be stayed till a more convenient time So I returned from Court to my own house It is mentioned here above in the Queen of Englands Letter how that she was minded to send a Trusty Servant unto his Majesty willing him to stay from any strict proceeding against the Lords who were pickt at for the Road of Ruthven until the Arriving of the said Ambassador who was the Secretary Walsingham a Counsellor of worthy qualities who had great Credit with the Queen of England But he was of a sickly Complexion and was not able to endure riding Post therefore he was long by the way being carried in a Charriot So that during his longsome Voyage the Earl of Arran went ay forward forgetting the tenour of the Queen of Englands Letter So soon as his Majesty was advertised of the Arrival of Sir Franers Walsingham I was sent for to come to Court and directed to ride and welcome him in his Majesties name to bear him company and Convoy him about by Stirling to St. Iohnstoun where his Majesty thought fit to give him Audience Desiring me also to say unto him that his Majesty was very glad of the coming of such a notable Personage who was known to be indued with Religion and Wisdom whom he had ever esteemed as his special friend being assured that his tedious travel in his long Voyage being diseased as he was tended to more substantial points for the confirmation of the amity between the Queen his Sister and him then had been performed at any time before The Secretary Walsingham answered me again that the great desire he had to establish an assured Amity betwixt the two Princes and Countries moved him to undertake the Embassage himself his Majesty being the Prince in the World that he loved next unto the Queen his Mistress and wished most to see and be acquainted with And that he hoped his Commission should succeed the better that he had met first with me his old friend and only acquaintance in Scotland For we had been Companions abroad upon our Travels and divers times when I was sent to or passed thorow England he would have me to lodge and lye with himself at London which occasioned that we had more familiar Conferences Whereupon I did write two several Letters that his Majesty might be the better provided to make answer to such heads as I knew he would propose Then we took our Journey thorow Lithgow to Stirling and from that to Pearth He had heard that my Lord Seatoun and Livingstoun were written unto to Convoy him but he requested me to stay them that he might have the more Conference by the way with me otherwise he would be compelled to entertain the Noblemen I judged it probable that his design in this was to let see his own Train For he was Sevenscore Horse in Company Being near the Court his Majesty sent out two of the Council to meet him to wit my Lord of Doun and my Brother Sir Robert The
the King what answer were fittest to make At length he said he would declare the matter unto the Constable under promise of great secrecy causing the Constable by this niceness to suspect some practice When he gave him Audience he caused me to be present beside him At their meeting in the Constable's Cabinet his Irish Interpreter was put forth against his will as appeared But he was so instructed by the Ambassadour his Uncle to use such forreign and rude fashions Yet again e're he began to propose his Errand he desired secrecy The Constable being an old wise experimented Councellor put him a little aside and rounded in my Ear to know if ever I had seen this young Man before I answered That I had observed him the preceding day at long conference with one Mr. Sommer Secretary to the English Ambassadour Then the Constable thought that he should handle the matter well enough for he instantly conjectured that all this niceness proceeded from the Ambassadour to intrap him So calling the young Man again he desired him to shew what he had to say Mr. Wotton began to declare the great miscontentment that was in England not only for bringing in the proud Spaniard to Rule over them but also for the alteration of Religion made by Queen Mary moving many to Rebel and others to remove off the Country who nevertheless were all well received and treated by the King's Majesty of France Whereby he had gained the hearts of the third part of England so devoutly towards him that they would gladly put the Crown of England on his head getting liberty in Religion to be quit of the Spanish Tyranny and terrible Inquisition which was feared would also be established in England And for the first proof of their good will and gratitude a number of Lords and Knights who durst not write had sent him secretly with an Overture to put the strong Town of Calis into his hands with the whole Earldom of Oye At this the Constable made a start and said Know you not my friend that there is a sworn Peace betwixt your Queen and my Master The other replied again how that the Queen of England aided secretly whith Mony and Men the King of Spain her Husband in his Wars of Flanders against France Which the Constable alledged that she denied by her Ambassadour willing him however to tell out the rest of his Commission Then said he My Lord the means how you may get Calis is this First The most part of the Town is of the Reformed Religion and are Malecontents having refused to receive a Garison of Spaniards And they are friends to those who have sent me and keep correspondence with them only the Towns Ship keeps the Town keeping Watch and Ward being unskilful in handling their Arms. Therefore the King shall cause Monsieur Senarpon his Lieutenant in Normandy to lye in ambuscade at such a Wood within a mile and an half of the Town at an appointed day then a Ship well furnished with Armed Men shall lye at Anchor half a mile from the Town And some of them clothed like Marriners shall come on Land and have Swords and Pistols under their Cloaths and shall wait about two of the Afternoon at which time the Ports of the Town are opened to let Men in and out Part of those who attend the Ports will be at their Dinner when one or two will come before the rest to open the Gates Thus the Gates being easily seised upon let one of the Company shoot off a Culverin that the Ship may hear and shoot a Cannon to cause Monsieur de Senarpon with his Company advance In the mean time there shall be a mutiny raised in the Town by our friends and partners so that the Town shall be obtained without stroke After that the Constable had heard all this long discourse he said That it was a very probable design and he doubted not but it might be easily effectuated but in respect of the sworn Peace the King his Master would not nor should never have his consent to break it But that he was much ingaged to the Noblemen who did bear him so much good will and as for him who had taken so great pains the King should reward him willing me to remember to cause give mony to the young Gentleman So he gained nothing at the Constable's hand and never came again to seek his reward but was afterward manifestly known to be Brother's Son to Doctor Wotton Ambassadour as said is This is he now who was sent hither to bear His Majesty company as one who will not meddle with Practises but with Pastimes But when I forewarned His Majesty to beware of him and told how that he being little above Twenty years old was imployed to beguile the wise old Constable Now he was Fifty years and His Majesty but Twenty it was to be feared he would endeavour to beguile him Yet His Majesty would not believe me but believed the said Mr. Wotton to have a great kindness for him and so he became one of his most familiar Minions waiting upon him at all Field-pastimes and in appearance he despised all busie Councellors and medlers in matters of State as he was instructed by such as said he would please His Majesty best to appear such But he had more hurtful fetches in his head against His Majesty then any English-man that ever came in hither had at any time before You have heard before of a meeting that was drawn on at the Borders betwixt the Earl of Hunsdean and Arran where at their secret conference Arran was required by the craft of the Lord Burleigh and his faction in the English Council to stop the King from any marriage for three years upon many fair counterfeited promises One whereof was That he should be declared Second Person upon his marriage of the forenamed English Lady of the Blood At which Arran granted all that was desired he was so glad to procure the Queen of England's friendship About that time the Queen of England by her intelligence from Denmark was advertised of a great and magnifick Ambassage to be sent from Denmark to Scotland viz. Three Ambassadours with Sixscore Persons in Two gallant Ships Whether she suspected or had heard that it was to draw on a marriage I cannot tell But this far I learned that her Council judged it was to confirm at least a greater friendship betwixt the two Kings and their Countries which was one of the Causes that moved them to send this Mr. Wotton to Scotland to use all his wiles to disturb and hinder any greater Amity that might proceed from the said Commission and Negotiation between their two Kings and their Countries For England trusted nothing to the Earl of Arran's promise for they esteemed him as an inconstant Man as is already declared So soon as the Danish Ambassadours arrived by Ship in this Country His Majesty ordered me to entertain them and bear them company And
slaughter to be made that the Borders might break loose In this complaint the said Ambassadour was well assisted by the Master of Gray and his Companions So that the Earl of Arran was Commanded to Ward within the Castle of St. Andrews and was kept strictly there three or four days So that being in fear of his life he sent for Colonel Stuart the Laird of Segie and me and lamented to us his hard handling purging himself as he might justly do of that accident that fell out upon the Borders requesting us to intercede for his liberty He declared unto us a secret to be shewn unto His Majesty in case his life was taken from him which was a promise made unto the Queen of England That the King should not marry with any for the space of three years whereof I have formerly made some mention Nevertheless he forgot not to travel for himself for he sent his Brother Sir William to the Master of Gray at midnight promising to get unto him the Abbey of Dumfarmling so that he would obtain his liberty at His Majesty's hand Which was incontinently granted and also the said Benefice disposed unto the said Master Whereupon the English Ambassadour was in a great rage at the Master but their discord was afterward agreed Only Mr. John Maitland Secretary and the Justice Clerk and the Earl of Arran were ordered to retire home to their houses But before Arran's journey His Majesty was informed to desire him with all possible diligence to lend him a great Gold Chain which he had got from Sir James Balfour which weighed Fifty-seven Crowns to be given unto the Danish Ambassadours Which if he had refused to do he would have lost His Majesty and in delivering it he lost the Chain In the mean time the Ambassadours understanding that their dispatch was in a readiness took their leave of His Majesty who was also ready to part from St. Andrews I informed His Majesty not to deliver them the Dispatch because the Chain was not yet come For they were minded incontinently to make Sail having stayed so long and that the Winter Season was at hand Albeit that I had shewn to one of their familiar Servants that certain rewards were to come within two days praying them to stay so long Which they would not grant to do but went to their Ships Whither I promised to bring their dispatch which I requested His Majesty to cause deliver into my hand to be kept till the Chain should come which was divided in three parts for it was large When I came to their Ships they were going to Supper Which being done I delivered to them their answer in writing with the Chains and some excuses for their long stay and small reward So they parted well satisfied assuring me that they would be good instruments of Amity Albeit by the harsh usage they had first met with they had once resolved otherwise They were not commanded to speak of marriage whereof there was some groundless bruit The King their Master had fair Daughters with any whereof it was supposed the claim of Orkny would go They thanked me for the good Offices they had received from me seeing my staying them from parting discontent had preserved the two Countries from being ingaged in War Which they said they would not fail to declare unto the King their Master with whom they would not fail to make me acquainted not doubting but that the King my Master would one day say That I had done him good Service So I did take leave having rewarded the Gunners Trumpeters and Musicians At my return to Court I acquainted His Majesty that the Danish Ambassadours had set Sail for their own Country very well contented I gave him a particular accompt of all Speeches that past betwixt them and me at their parting Whereupon His Majesty took occasion shortly after to send one to Denmark offering that Commission to me which I shifted perceiving those who had His Majesty's Ear and had most Credit with him to be altogether averse from his marriage that way holding still one course with England I named Mr. Peter Young Almoner as very fit for that Errand who was sent to Denmark to thank that King and to see his Daughters that he might make report again of his liking of them with a promise That e're long His Majesty would send a more honourable Ambassage The Earl of Arran being sent home as said is the English Ambassador and his Scotch friends as the Master of Gray Secretary Maitland and the Justice Clark had chief credit and handling of His Majesty's Affairs The said Ambassadour had procured such favour and familiar access about His Majesty at all times that he was upon an enterprise to have brought in secretly the banished Lords to have fallen down upon their knees in the Park of Sterling before His Majesty at such a time as they should have so many friends in Court as that His Majesty should have remained in their hands as Masters of the Court for the time But this enterprise failed him for they durst not yet take such hazardous course till they might lay their Plots more substantially Then the said English Ambassadour interprised to transport His Majesty out of the Park of Sterling unto England And failing thereof His Majesty was to be detained by force within the Castle of Sterling Whither Companies of Men were sent to be there at an appointed day of which design my Brother Sir Robert got intelligence and told it incontinently to the King's Majesty giving him the Names of the chief enterprisers And because it came to one of their Ears who stoutly affirmed the contrary my Brother offered to maintain the truth thereof by Combat Which His Majesty would not permit because at last the person granted it to His Majesty Whereupon my Brother perswaded His Majesty with great difficulty to depart out of Sterling for ten or fifteen days and hunt at Kincairdin before the enterprise were ripe Which so soon as the Ambassadour understood he fled in great fear and haste without Good night or leave-taking of His Majesty Well instructed and furnished with the promises of such as had assisted him in our Court to perswade the Noblemen who were banished in England to come home where they should find friends enough before them at Court to put His Majesty in their hands The Master of Gray also absented himself and went to Dunkel and there remained with the Earl of Athol And upon some bruits of enterprises there was a Proclamation set out in His Majesty's Name by such as had his Ear to purchase to themselves the more Credit to be true and careful Councellors to His Majesty Which Proclamation was afterward delayed by craft that the banished might prevent the day and come in and get the King in their hands whereby they might discharge the Proclamation at their pleasure In the mean time I received a Letter to be at His Majesty with all possible
they had both Him and his Servants in their power they had used no rigour nor vengeance His Majesty remembred how frequently I had forewarned him of this and the like accidents that I said would follow upon the Earl of Arran's rash proceedings He acknowledged he had been a bad Instrument and declared that he should never have more Place or Credit about him He desired me to wait at Court and help to do all good Offices betwixt him and his Nobility And to tell them the truth who was to blame for their trouble as having occasioned the same seeing he had great prejudice and no advantage thereby it being far from his inclination to seek any Man's Life Lands or Goods but only the peace and quiet of the Country and the settling of the Subjects among themselves Which I could testifie for a truth the verity thereof consisting within my knowledge His Majesty told me also how he had shewn unto the Noblemen my honest and friendly advices toward them and that I opposed my self continually to the Earl of Arran's proceedings He desired me also to help to satisfie the Ministers who were seeking to be restored unto their former free Assemblies which he had forbidden them at the advice of the Earl of Arran The same being one of the occasions of all the following troubles which were chiefly grounded upon the dissatisfaction of the Ministers by whom the Country was influenced So that I tarried a while at Court till matters began to take some setling Divers of the Lords also were earnest with me to stay offering me great kindness saying That His Majesty had told them every Man's part and behaviour in relation to their Banishment and Persecution And that I was ever for a moderate Course desiring and pressing as His Majesty's interest an Act of Oblivion to be Past for all by-gones during his Minority The said Lords therefore caused me to propose some of their suits to His Majesty whom in nothing they would press beyond his own pleasure But the Council was of different opinions concerning the restoring of the Ministers to their former Priviledges and Freedoms where I was brought in to give my Opinion The greatest part thought fit to delay them for a time chiefly such as had remained about His Majesty and had said too much before to the contrary But they had yet some private designs hatching in their heads which could not be brought about if the Country were wholly in Peace Which they knew would be were the Ministers satisfied My Opinion was That His Majesty was not to be blamed that the Noblemen were banished or the Ministers Priviledges taken from them seeing all these insolencies were committed by evil Instruments who ruled over His Majesty's good mind to satisfie their own Ambition Who now being fled and absent I knew no reason why the Ministers should not be restored to their former Priviledges as well as the Noblemen to their Lands and Honours the one being no less contributive to the setling of the Kingdom as the other Seeing if this were omitted the blame would still lye upon His Majesty and the Country would be still in trouble The Secretary Maitland was against this Opinion for he had formerly spoken too much on the contrary But the rest of the Noblemen and the Council thought my Opinion best But yet at that time it was not followed nor granted at that Parliament Yet shortly after it was found His Majesty's interest and conducing for fully Establishing Peace in the Country that the Ministers should be restored to all their former Priviledges It is above-mentioned That the Mr. Almoner was sent to Denmark Shortly after Colonel Stuart took occasion to go thither about his own affairs for he had a Pension of the King of Denmark He obtained also some writing whereby he was Commissioned to speak of the King's marriage with the King of Denmark's Eldest Daughter And they both returned with so good and friendly answers that there was little more mention made of the restitution of the Isles of Orkny The King of Denmark was also put in hope by them that His Majesty would send the next Summer an honourable Ambassage to Denmark to deal further in these matters I have shewed already the dangerous practices of the English Ambassadour Mr. Wotton and a part of their effects but the principal is yet behind The Council of England having concluded to take the Life from the Queens Majesty his Highnesses Mother after she had been many years kept Captive in England thought first to get the King her Son in their hands and to put him in hope that he should obtain the Crown of England the rather that he was within their Country And in the mean time to be sure that he should not be able to revenge his Mother's death but might be as a pledge among them in case his Country-men or his Forreign and French friends would pretend to menace them or to make War for his Liberty or in revenge of her death For in that case they might threaten to cut him off if for his Cause they should be troubled And however it were through time it was suspected that they intended to take his life also after that they had laid their Plots how to make him odious to the People by false counterfeit Letters and alledged practices as they had craftily and deceitfully alledged upon his Mother against the State But finding this their design of carrying him to England discovered by my Brother's intelligence the said Ambassadour fled as said is And for the next best thought fit to see His Majesty put in the hands of the most part of the Nobility who were banished for the time and during their banishment had been sheltered in England who they thought by fitted Instruments might be stirred up to take his Life at least to keep him in perpetual Prison in revenge of the injury had been done them But herein they were disappointed For they used themselves so moderately and discreetly that they sought nothing but their own native Country and Lands and that they might have access to serve and obey their Prince without any further vengeance or rigour against their particular Enemies As their actions and proceedings have sufficiently declared since to the great increase of their favour with His Majesty and estimation of the whole Country It hath been rarely or never seen in any Country that there have been so great alterations with so little bloodshed as hath been in Scotland in this Kings time Now those who were Enemies to our Queen and King's Title to the Crown of England seeing some of their fetches to fail them entred in deliberation what way to proceed to take the Queen's life The Council of England a great part of the Nobility and States fell down upon their knees humbly requesting Her Majesty to have compassion upon their unsure Estate albeit she should slight her own Alledging That her life was in hazard by the practices of the
Harangues in Latine that he was a good true stout Man like a Dutch-man Then His Majesty was content that he should go with me After that I had tarried long at Court and could see no preparation for our Dispatch neither Mony nor Ship making ready the appointed time wherein we should have been in Denmark being past to wit before the first of May. For it was so ordered by the King of Denmark e're he dyed that in case that day was not kept that they might think themselves but scoffed This moved me to employ my friends at Court to cause another be named in my place seeing so many suiting to get the said Commission And the Chancellour gave me such terrors as he could for his part Now the Farl of Marshal was desirous to supply the place of his Uncle my Lord of Atry and His Majesty was content that he should be sent thither Whereupon I took occasion to represent to His Majesty That the said Earl was very well qualified for that imployment and that he would go the better contented if he might have in Commission with him some of his own friends and acquaintance His Majesty answered That it was his part to chuse his own Ambassadours that the Earl of Marshal should have the first place as a Nobleman but that he would repose the chief handling with the Regent and Council of Denmark upon me Then I declared That the appointed time was past and that yet there was no appearance of any preparation of Mony or Ship wherewith His Majesty was very angry I named the Laird of Barnbarrow or Mr. Peter Toung as very fit to be imployed in the Commission with the Earl of Marshal because they had been there already But he would not hear thereof for the blame had been wrongously laid upon their insufficiency it being alledged That their mismanagement was the occasion that matters formerly took not the desired success Would not this kind of Court dealing scare any man from medling in such weighty matters where such men are preferred to have the special credit about a Prince who mind only their own designs and not the Prince's advantage Those who at present ordered Affairs counselled His Majesty first to send to the Queen of England and require her advice and consent to the said marriage with Denmark who they knew would not only disswade him from the said marriage but also stay him from any marriage as she and her Council had ever done and dealt both with his Mother and himself When I understood of this new delay I obtained license to go home to my house and make me ready against the next warning In the mean time the season of the year was well spent The Queen of England's answer returned not to marry with Denmark She said That she had credit with the King and Princess of Navarre that she would imploy the same for effectuating that marriage which was much more His Majesty's interest In the mean time she did write to the King of Navarre to hold back the marriage of his Sister three years for such frivolous pretexts as carried no reason Upon this answer of England our Council was Convened and inticed to Vote against the marriage of Denmark Whereat His Majesty took such a despight that he caused one of his most familiar Servants to deal secretly with some of the Deacons of the Craftsmen of Edinbrugh to make a mutiny against the Chancellour and Council threat'ning to slay him in case the marriage with the King of Denmark's Daughter were hindered or longer delayed This boasting and fear caused a new resolution to be taken that the Earl of Marshal should be dispatched with diligence with the Constable of Dundie and the Lord Andrew Kieth whom the said Earl requested His Majesty to send with him Which His Majesty granted the more easily because he found so many difficulties in the matter and some of my friends had informed him that it would be very satisfactory to me that some other were imployed Now it was yet a long time before the Earl of Marshal could be ready and dispatched Then as to his dealing with the Council of Denmark his power to conclude was so limited and his Commission so slender that he was compelled to send back again my Lord Dingual either for a License to come home or for a sufficient power to conclude Where it chanced that he found His Majesty at Aberdeen and the Chancellour and most part of the Council absent Which was a great furtherance to get a full power to conclude the Contract and Ceremony of the marriage by the Earl of Marshal who was incontinently dispatched by the Regent and Council of Denmark and the Queen sent home with him well accompanied But the tempestuous winds drave them upon the Coast of Norway where they Landed and stayed a long time for fair Winds and Weather Which storm of Wind was alledged to be raised by the Witches of Denmark as by sundry of them was acknowledged when they were for that cause burnt That which moved them thereto was as they said a blow which the Admiral of Denmark gave to one of the Bayliffs of Copenhaven whose Wife consulting with her associates in that Art raised the Storm to be revenged upon the said Admiral His Majesty had heard that they were upon the Sea and left nothing undone to make all in a readiness to receive the Queen and her Company honourably But in the mean time was very impatient and sorrowful for her long delay laying the blame thereof upon the Chancellour and such others of his Council as had plainly Voted against the said marriage and thereby had delayed the dispatch of the Ambassadours so long untill the Season of Sailing upon the Seas was near past The storms were also so great here that a Passage-Boat perished betwixt Bruntland and Lieth wherein was a Gentlewoman called Jean Kennedie who had been long in England with the Queen His Majesty's Mother and was since married to Sir Andrew Melvil of Garvock my Brother Master of His Majesty's Houshold Which Gentlewoman being discreet and grave was sent for by His Majesty to be about the Queen his Bed-fellow She being desirous to make diligence would not by the storm be stopped the Sailing of the Ferry where the vehement storm drave a Ship forcibly upon the said Boat and drowned the Gentlewoman and all the Persons except two This the Scotish Witches confessed to His Majesty was procured by them In that Boat also I lost two Servants Now His Majesty remained quietly in the Castle of Craigmillar dissatisfied as said is with the greatest part of his Council He could neither sleep nor rest In the mean time he directed Colonel Stuart to my Brother Sir Robert and me charging us to take care of his mishandled Estate in time-coming lamenting that he had been abused by such as formerly he had too much trusted to and that he had always found us faithful and careful of his welfare
He therefore desired us to sit down and advise how he might best put remedy to things by-past and prevent such inconveniencies in time coming seeing he had determined hereafter to repose most upon our Council Our answer to His Majesty was That we had great reason to render His Majesty most humble thanks for the favourable opinion he entertained of us which we should endeavour to deserve and were very sorry for the displeasure His Majesty had taken praying His Majesty to take patience seeing that as he had always reposed upon God and not Man that the same God would mend his Estate as he had oft-times done before That our care should be presently how to receive the Queen honourably who was upon the Sea we daily looking for her landing and next how to treat and reward the Noblemen of Denmark Her Majesties Convey That being done and they returned back to their Country it would be best time to take order with the Affairs of the Kingdom conform to His Majesty's desire with the concurrence of so many of the Council as His Majesty had found most faithful and least factious But we did not think fit to take upon us the whole burthen in respect that hath been always the chief cause of the wrack of Scots Kings especially of all His Majesty's own troubles in laying the whole burthen of his Affairs upon any one or two who most commonly for greediness and ambition abuse good Princes and few or none dare controul them for fear of their great Authority and Credit The Chancellour being advertised of His Majesty's discontent and displeasure as said is made preparation to go off the Country and caused it come to His Majesty's Ears that he would Sail himself and bring home the Queen with him And that they were all but Triflers who were with her He forgot not to Anoint the hands of some who were most familiar with His Majesty to interpret this his design so favourably that it made the King forget all by-gones and by little and little he informed him so well of the said Voyage and the great charges he had bestowed upon a fair and swift sailing Ship that His Majesty was moved to take the Voyage himself and to sail in the same Ship with the Chancellour with great secrecy and short preparation making no Man privy thereto but such as the Chancellour pleased and such as formerly had all been upon his Faction He had also heard an incling of a word That His Majesty in the time of his high displeasure had said That he would lay the burthen of his Affairs upon my Brother and me whereat he had a great envy and despight and was the cause why His Majesty made me not privy to his Voyage He was very discontent when His Majesty had appointed my said Brother Robert to be left Vice-Chancellour and Convene the Council in His Majesty's absence to hold hand with the Duke of Lennox my Lord Hamiltoun Bothwel and other Noblemen with the Officers of the Crown and to Rule the Country in His Majesty's absence Three other Ships sailed with His Majesty wherein was the Justice Clerk Carmichal the Provost of Lincludin Sir William Kieth George Hume Iames Sandiland with all His Majesty's Ordinary Servants The weather was rough enough for it was in the beginning of Winter But the last day was so extream stormy that they were all in great hazard but His Majesty landed that same night at in Norway where the Queen was abiding the turning of the Wind and where he accomplished his marriage in person But he could not be perswaded to return to Scotland that Wiuter by reason of the raging Seas and storm he had sustained a little before The Queen and Council of Denmark being advertised that His Majesty was resolved to abide all that Winter sent and requested him to come to Denmark Whither he went by Land with the Queen his new bride and behaved himself honourably and liberally by the way and at the Court of Denmark where he tarried during his abode there But the Company who were with His Majesty put him to great trouble to agree their continual janglings strife pride and partialities The Earl of Marshal by reason that he was an ancient Earl and had been employed in this honourable Commission thought to have the first place next unto His Majesty so long as he was there The Chancellour by reason of his Office would needs have the preheminence There were also contentions betwixt him and the Justice Clark The Constable of Dundie and my Lord Dingwal could not agree about place George Hume did quietly shoot out William Kieth from his Office of Master of the Wardrobe At length they were all divided into two Factions The one for the Earl of Marshal the other for the Chancellour who was the stronger because the King took his part So that the Chancellour triumphed and being yet in Denmark devised many Reformations to be made and new Forms and Customs to be set forward at His Majesty's return As to have no Privy Council but the Exchequer and the Nobility to be debarred from it Sundry of the Lords of the Session to be put out who he judged had no dependence upon him and others his Creatures put in their room He caused a Proclamation to be pen'd which was sent home to be proclaim'd before His Majesty's return That none of the Nobility should come to Court not being sent for and then to bring with them six persons and no more Likewise every Baron to bring but four Likewise he resolved to cause Ward such as had been unruly and disobedient during His Majesty's absence as the Earl Bothwel the Lord Hume and divers Borderers and Highland Men. The next Spring His Majesty came home and Landed at Lieth well accompanied with the Admiral of Denmark and divers of the Council and many other Gentlemen All whom His Majesty treated honourably and after the Queens Coronation they were magnificently rewarded with more then twelve Golden Chains and many Medals of Gold with His Majesties Picture His Majesty at his landing was pleased to send to me to bear them company which I did until their parting to His Majesty's great contentment In the mean time the Earl of Worcester was sent Ambassadour from England to Welcome and Congratulate both their Majesties with some Presents unto the Queens Majesty Upon whom I was commanded by His Majesty to attend diligently all the time of his being here and at his parting he was presented with a Ring of seven great Diamonds He parted well satisfied and so did all his Company His Majesty was pleased at leasure to declare unto me his whole Voyage and proceedings during his absence He said that he wished that I had been sent alone Ambassadour to Denmark in place of the Earl of Marshal and the two who were joined with him he was so ill informed of the said Earl I answered That I understood that the Earl for his part had behaved himself
that Marriage was hindred upon which he sends the Earl Marshal with 2 other Persons to Denmark ibid. Hears of their being at Sea with the Queen and makes preparations for her Reception and being impatient at their long delay lays the fault on his Council p. 180. Directs Colonel Stuart to Sir Robert Melvil and the Author charging them to take care of his Estate in his absence p. 180 and 181. Is perswaded to go in person to Denmark p. 181. Sails to Denmark in person to fetch the Queen and leaves Sir Robert Vice-Chancellor ibid. Three Ships went with him besides his own he lauds at Norway where the Queen waited for a Wind and there Celebrates the Marriage ibid. Returns not that Winter is sent for to Denmark whither he went by Land with his new Queen where he behaves himself libe rally and honourably by the way and at the Court of Denmark ibid. Is much troubled to make those Officers of State agree that were with him there p. 182. Returns the next Spring with the Admiral of Denmark and other Persons of Quality ibid. Treats them all honourably and after the Queens Coronation dismisseth them Magnificently Rewarded ibid. Sends for the Author at his Landing ibid. Repents his anger with Sir Robert Melvil and turns it against the Chancellor who incensed him against Sir Robert p. 183. Rewards the Strangers nâ—â—ly after the Queens Coronation and Banqueting to their great satisfaction p. 184. Desires Sir Robert Melvil and the Author to advise upon some good Rules for the establishing Affairs before his going to Denmark p. 185. Is abused upon the account of Maclean and other Highlanders p. 192 and 193. Sends for Melvil the Author to wait upon the Queen promising him rewards p. 193. takes occasion at Table to discourse advantageously of the Author to his Queen p. 193 and 194. Secures himself in Edinburgh after Bothwel's Attempt on the Palace p. 197. Thinks Sir Robert Melvil not fit for his Office yet continues him still p. 199. Is design'd to be seized at Falkland by Bothwel and his Party p. 201. And miraculously delivered by God from that Conspiracy p. 202. Determines to send Ambassadors to England Denmark France and Flanders about the Birth of his Son Prince Henry p. 203. Requiring them to send Ambassadors to solemnize the Baptism of his first born Son ibid. The Ambassadors are sent p. 203. Jane Kennedie the Wife of Sir Andrew Melvil was a long time in England with his Majesties Mother p. 180. Is sent for by him to wait upon the young Queen who making hast was drowned in the Passage-Boat in a great Storm which was raised by the Witches of Scotland as appears by their own Confession to his Majesty ibid. John de Monluck Bishop of Valence is sent Ambassador from France to the Queen-Mother of Scotland p. 8. Goes first to Ireland by his Masters Command and why ibid. A pleasant story of his Harlot ibid. Was formerly Ambassador from the French King to the great Turk Solyman p. 9. After his Arrival at Paris is sent to Rome p. 10. And wherefore p. 10 11 12 and 13. But to no effect p. 11. Learns the Mathematicks of Cavatius other Sciences by Taggot another knowing Man p. 13. K KEer Henry one of the Counsellors of the Duke of Lennox p. 128. Keeth Sir William is sent Ambassador to Flanders upon the Birth of Prince Henry p. 203. Kieth Andrew Lord is sent Ambassador with the Earl of Marshal to Denmark at the request of the said Earl p. 179. Killegrew Henry is sent Ambassador from England to Scotland p. 68. Complains against Mr. Raxby as a Rebel and Papist harboured there ibid. Upon which he was secured p. 69. Is dispatch't with a friendly Answer some time after p. 72. He carries two Letters from Queen Mary to Sir Robert Melvil in England and to what intent p. 72 73 and 74. Is hasted Ambassador to Scotland after Mr. Randolphs return to England p. 115. Desires the preservation of Sir Robert Melvil's Life as a reward for his labour p. 122. King of Denmark marrieth his eldest Daughter to the Duke of Brunswick p. 177. Excuseth to King James laying the blame upon his Ministers ibid. But promiseth to dispose of his Second Daughter to him if he would send his Ambassadors thither but in the interim dies leaving the same Commission with the Council and Regents ibid. King of Navarre is Governour for the time of the young French King Charles the 9th p. 30. Procures of the Three Estates assembled at Orleans that the Queen-Mother should be Regent of the Realm ibid. King of Spain enters the Frontiers of France with a great Army p. 20. Kings of Scotland never grew rich since they left the High-Lands to dwell in the Low-Lands p. 193. But ever since diminished which his Majesty found true ibid. Knolls Sir Henry is sent Ambassador from Queen Elizabeth at the Dyet Imperial held at Franckfort Anno 1562 p. 39. L LEicester Earl Queen Mary's avowed Friend p. 71. And several other Persons of Quality ibid. Lennox Duke endeavours to free the King of Scots but is chased into the House of Ruthven and saved by the intercession of the Earl of Gaury p. 132. Retires to Dumbartoun ibid. Afterward goes to France and dies p. 133. Lennox Earl is sent for to be made Regent of Scotland in the room of the Earl of Murray p. 104. Proves a true Scotsman p. 106. After he had accepted of the Regency he takes Breechin and hangs the Soldiers found in the Kirk and Steeple p. 107. Is shot in the Back in the Enterprize of taking the Lords Prisoners at Sterling p 114. Dies in few days after and makes a godly end ibid. Lennox Lady the Mother of Darnly King of Scotland is Committed to the Tower and kept there a long time because he Married the Queen of Scots without Queen Elizabeth's advice p. 58. Lidingtoun Secretary to Queen Mary and of great Credit with Secretary Cecil p. 32. He with the Prior of St. Andrews procures a fair Correspondence between the 2 Queens of England and Scotland ibid. And p. 33. He retires with other persons being in danger of their lives p. 65. Goes from Court p. 100. Is Accused of the late King's murther and Imprisoned ibid. Is brought by the Regent to Edinburgh and delivered to the Lord Grange to be a Prisoner ibid. Is set at liberty by the King's Lords p. 105. Taken Prisoner after the surrender of Edinburgh Castle p. 121. dies at Lieth to prevent his coming to the Shambles with the rest p. 122. Logie a young man Gentleman of the Chamber to King James p. 198. Is Accused and Imprisoned for dealing with Earl Bothwel ibid. Lords called the Queen's Lords as the other the King's meet together at Dumbartoun to procure their Soveraign's liberty being against the King's Lords p. 88. Binding themselves in a Bond ibid. They issue out proclamation on both sides to Convene their friends p. 90. Meet and fight but
the Queen p. 80. Refuseth at first to be sent Commissioner by the Lords who concluded to Crown the Prince to the Lords Assembled at Hamiltoun but at last accepts p. 85. Declares their Answer at Sterling p. 86. Is sent to meet the Lord Murray at Berwick upon his return from France to advise him p. 87. Is sent by another Party with contrary Instructions ibid. Deviseth with others a remedy for his preservation and brings into a good opinion with the People p. 102. Is sent to Berwick to the Earl of Sussex and why p. 105. Receives an Answer ibid. Visits the Regent the Earl of Lennox there p. 106. Disswades him from the Regency as dangerous ibid. Is taken Prisoner by the Earl of Bughan p. 111. Whom the Laird Grange would have released by force but he disapproves of it ibid. Finds Bail to serve his Majesty and the Regent and is discharged p. 112. Is sent by the Regent Marr to Edinburgh to make an Accommodation between them and him p. 117. Which they were all inclinable to ibid. And after Marr's death by the Regent Mortoun p. 118. Proferreth himself a Pledge that the Castle of Edinburgh should be delivered by the Laird Grange to the Regent p. 119. Loseth the Regents favuor by telling his faults freely p. 124. Is ordained to hold the Iustice-Eyre of West Lauthian with other persons at Edinburgh p 1. 31. Is sent for by his Majesty p. 133. Goes to wait upon him though resolved to lead a contemplative life ibid. Discourseth with his Majesty about the State of all Countries p. 134. Prevails with the Bishop of St. Andrews to entertain his Majesty in the Castle p. 135. Adviseth him to go into the Castle for his security p. 136. Is acknowledged by his Majesty to be the sole Procurer of his liberty p. 137. His Council is much depended upon by the King p. 138. Is made one of his Council ibid. Opposeth the Earl of Arran's new invented Proclamation in the Council-House p. 139. Is made Gentleman of his Chamber and a Member of the Privy-Council p. 142. Is writ to by his Majesty to attend him and obeys p. 143. Takes a long Letter with him to put him in mind of his Promises the Contents thereof p. 143 144 145 and 146. Arrives at Sterling and disswades his Majesty from sending Ambassadors to England for that present p. 146. Which his Majesty condescends to and he retires ibid. Is sent for again to conduct Secretary Walsingham to his Audience p. 147. Is appointed with four more to endeavour the understanding his intentions p. 147 and 148. Refuseth the Office of Secretary offered him p. 149. Is deprived of all employment by the Earl of Arran's means though contrary to his Majesties promise p. 150. Yet is ordered to prepare for an Embassy to England and Pens the Speech he intends to pronounce to the Queen ibid. The Contents p. 150 151 and 152. A large Conference is held between King James and him about his Affairs p. 153 and 154. Is left by his Majesties manager p. 154. He entertains a smart discourse with the Earl of Arran p. 155 Is resolv'd upon that account to attend no longer then the end of the Convention ibid. Is sent for by his Majesty and graciously receiv'd p. 157. Conducts Davison the English Agent to his Audience at Falkland ibid. Adviseth his Majesty that Davison endeavours the disturbance of that Kingdom p. 158. Is sent for to entertain Mr. Wotton p. 159. Gives an account of his carriage and designs in France at the age of 21 p 159 160 and 161. Gives his Majesty caution to be wary of him but is not taken notice of p. 161. Is appointed with Two more to entertain the three Danish Ambassadors p. 162. Pacifies the first of the 3 with discourse for Indignities offered them p. 163 and 164. Gives an account of the King of Denmark's Genealogy p. 165. Which undeceives the King of Scotland and satisfies him ibid. Goes on Board of the Ambassadors from Denmark being upon their departure with Presents p. 167. Takes leave of them rewards the Officers declaring the particulars to his Majesty ibid. Shifts off his going Ambassador to Denmark ibid. Is sent for to Court p. 168. Is sent upon a framed Errand to Dunkel and his Commission p 168 and 169. At his return forewarns his Majesty of what would follow the Earl of Arran's rash proceedings p. 170. Is for an Act of Oblivion and restoring the Banished Lords but Opposed p. 171. Is sent for to go to England to confirm the League with Queen Elizabeth p. 173. But endeavours to avoid it ibid. Is discharged of that Embassy p. 174. And design'd Ambassador to Spain p. 175. but has no desire for that Voyage ibid. Is nominated to go to Denmark which he likewise declines p. 176. Is desired by Du Bartas the French Poet to go with a Commission to the King of Navarre p. 177. But refuseth it ibid. Seeing no preparations for his dispatch to Denmark he obtains licence and prepares himself for the next Order p. 179. Is sent for by his Majesty at his landing in Scotland p. 182. Is Commanded to attend the Earl of Worcester Ambassador from England sent to Congratulate both their Majesties at their Arrival ibid. Is acquainted with his Majesties proceedings in his Voyage p. 182 and 183. He and Sir Robert Melvil set down some Rules for the management of his Affairs by his order from p. 185 to p. 192. Is sent for to Falkland and acquaint him that he is design'd to wait upon the young Queen p. 193. Which he did several years p. 194. He and his Brother Sir Robert advertised his Majesty of a design against him by Bothwel and his Complices p. 197. Which was slighted ibid. Is one of the Privy Council and Gentleman of her Majesties Chamber p. 198. Is appointed with others to entertain Ambassadors from Forraign Parts upon the British of Prince Henry p. 203. Is also appointed to attend the Two Ambassadors from Denmark about the performance of the Contract of Marriage p. 204. Melvil Sir Robert is sent Ambassador in Ordinary into England by Queen Mary p. 63. And upon what account ibid. Is taken Prisoner with others after the Surrender of Edinburgh Castle p. 121. Is made one of the King's Council p. 138. Gets intelligence of the English Ambassadors designs against King James p. 167. Acquaints his Majesty therewith ibid. Offers by Combat to justifie it p. 168. But is prevented by his Majesty ibid. Is sent Ambassadour with another to treat about the Accusation of the Queen of Scots p. 173. Speaks boldly and had been detained Prisoner but for the interest of the Master of Gray in England ibid. Is left Vice-Chancellor of Scotland during his Majesties absence at Denmark p. 181. Though calumniated and threatned to be imprisoned and have his Office taken through the Chancellour's means p. 183. Gives his Majesty notice of Bothwel's design against him p. 197. Is made Deputy-Treasurer