she had read enough and commanded her to stop which Action was accounted by all to be rather insolent than new for they were not ignorant how arrogantly he used to carry himself to her frequently reproving her with more sharpness than her Husband durst adventure to do Few days after this the Cause of the Exiles was warmly debated in Parliament where some to gratify the Queen moving they might be punished as Traytors and others affirming they had done nothing which deserved so great Severity David in the mean time surrounded the Members one by one and endeavoured to penetrate the intention of each towards those that were banished if he should be chosen President by the rest of the Assembly not doubting openly to discover that the Queen would have them condemn'd and that whoever should oppose her would not only take pains to no purpose but incur her High Displeasure A RELATION Of the Death of DAVID RIZZI Chief Favorite to MARY Queen of Scots c. Written by the Lord RUTHEN IN the first the Lord Ruthen of Scotland a Man of forty and six Years was visited by the Hand of God with great trouble and sickness having two Infirmities the one called the Inflammation of the Liver and the other the Consumption of the Reins and Kidneys wherethrough he kept his Bed continually by the space of three months and was under the cure of Physicians as of the Queen's French Doctor Dr. Preston and Thomas Thompson Apothecary and was so feebled and weakned through the Sickness and Medicines that scarcely he might walk twice the length of his Chamber unsitting down In this mean time the King Husband to the Queen's Majesty of Scotland conceived hatred against an Italian called David Riccio and about the 10th day of February the said King sent his dear Friend and Kinsman George Douglas Son to Archibald sometime Earl of Angus and declared to the said Lord Ruthen how that the said David Riccio had abused him in many sorts and lately had staied the Queen's Majesty from giving him the Crown Matrimonial of Scotland which her Majesty had promised to him divers times before Besides many other Wrongs that the said David had done to him which he could not bear with longer and behoved to be revenged thereof And because the said Lord Ruthen was one of the Nobility that he confided and trusted most unto in respect that his Children and he were Sisters Children therefore he desired his Counsel and Advice what way was best to be revenged on the said David The said Lord Ruthen hearing the Message aforesaid gave answer to George Douglass that he could give no counsel in that Matter in respect he knew the King's Youth and Facility for he had sundry of the Nobility that had given him counsel for his own Honour and Weal and immediately he revealed the same again to the Queen's Majesty who reproved them with great anger and contumelious words So the said Lord Ruthen would have no medling with his Proceedings until the time he could keep his own counsel The said George departed with the said Lord's Answer to the King about the 12th of February The said King hearing the Answer was very miscontented and said It is a sore case that I can get none of the Nobility that will assist me against yonder false Villain Davie The said George answered The said Fault was in your self that cannot keep your own counsel Then the King took a Book and swore thereon that what Counsel soever the Lord Ruthen should give him he would not reveal neither to the Queen's Majesty nor to any others and immediately directed the said George to the said Lord Ruthen again declaring what Oath the King had made Notwithstanding the said Lord Ruthen was eight days thereafter e're he would give any counsel therein howbeit the said King sent the said George to him every day three or four times After eight days were past the which was toward the 20th day of February the said Lord Ruthen perceiving that the King 's whole Intent was but only the slaughter of Davie the said Lord resolved in his mind and considered that he had a good time to labour for certain of the Nobility his Brethren that were banished in the Realm of England and in Argile and specially the Earls of Argile Murray Glencarn and Rothes the Lord Boyd and Ocheltrie and Lairds of Pittarro and Grange with many other Gentlemen and Barons Wherefore so soon as the said George was directed again from the King to him the said Lord Ruthen answered That he could not meddle with the King's Affairs without that he would bring home the Noblemen before rehearsed who were banished only for the Word of God And after long reasoning and divers days travelling the King was contented that they should come home into the Realm of Scotland so that the said Lord Ruthen would make him sure that they would be his and set forward all his Affairs The said Lord gave answer to the King and bad him make his own Security and that he should cause it to be subscribed by the aforesaid Earls Lords and Barons Immediately thereafter the King directed the said George Douglass to the said Lord Ruthen with certain Articles which he desired the said Lord to put in form of Writing to be subscribed by the Lords banished the which the said Lord caused to be put in form And having consideration that the said King desir'd them to be bound to him the said Lord caused to be drawn certain Articles in the said Lords Names for the King's part towards them which the King himself reformed with his own hand in the Margent like as it is to be produced The Articles being penned for both Parties and the King reading and considering the same he was contented therewith and subscribed his part and delivered it to the said Lord Ruthen who sent the other Articles to the Earl of Murray and the remanent being within England and to the Earl of Argile and the remanent being with him in the West who subscribed the same and sent them to the said Lord Ruthen to be kept till their meeting with the King and every one to have their own part The Tenour whereof followeth Certain ARTICLES to be fulfilled by James Earl of Murray Archibald Earl of Argile Alexander Earl of Glencarne Andrew Earl of Rothes Robert Lord Boyd Andrew Lord Ocheltrie and their Complices to the Noble and Mighty Prince Henry King of Scotland Husband to our Sovereign Lady Which Articles the said Persons offer with most humility lowliness and service to the said Noble Prince for whom to God they pray c. Imprimis THE said Earls Lords and their Complices shall become and by the Tenour hereof become true Subjects Men and Servants to the Noble and Mighty Prince Henry by the Grace of God King of Scotland and Husband to our Sovereign Lady That they and all others that will do for them shall take a leyal and true part with
to cross David's Designs if the Marriage should succeed with the consent of the Queen of England and of the Nobility of Scotland the first that he should lose the Honour of being accounted the Author the second that provision would be made for the Security of Religion whereas if the Queen would join her self with the Council of Trent he promised himself Honours Benefices infinite Treasures and uncontrouled Authority For these reasons he left nothing unattempted to precipitate the Marriage and effected it the Scots being not well pleased and the English most highly offended Fol. 209. In the mean time David finding the Court cleared of the principal Persons of the Nobility that he might confirm his intemperate hopes of Power còntinually laboured by rash Advice to excite the Queen to use the coercive Power of the Sword against the Heads of the several Parties assuring her that if a few were removed the rest would not dare to attempt any thing But conjecturing that the Queen's Guards being Scotsmen would not easily consent to the Murder of the Nobility he made it his principal business to turn them out from that Post and to introduce Foreigners which has almost ever been the rise of all Tyranies into that Body To that end a motion was first made to send for Germans that Nation being esteemed to be of great fidelity to their Masters but David having attentively consider'd the matter concluded it to be more commodious for the carrying on of his Designs that Italians should be admitted to that Imployment being perswaded that Men of the same Nation with himself would not only be more intirely under his Power but that having no tincture of any Religion they would be also the most proper Instruments of embroiling Affairs and making no distinction between what is just and what unjust might easily be driven to perpetrate any kind of Villany besides which men indigent and wicked born and educated under Tyrants accustomed to unjust War and who being far from home esteemed nothing in Britain dear to them seemed most fit to support the Innovations intended To this end he began by degrees to send for vagabond Souldiers from Flanders and other Countries upon the Continent who came single and at different times that what was doing might not appear but to offend one of these was more dangerous than to offend the Queen In the mean time as the Power and Authority of David with the Queen increased daily so the King became daily more contemtible to her and to treat him yet with greater indignity David was substituted to sign divers publick Acts in the place of the King Fol. 209. The Queen not contenting her self to have raised David from the meanest obscurity and exposed him to the view of the People in this high degree of Elevation contrived another way of honouring him in a domestick and more familiar manner She had for some Months admitted more Persons than had been usual at her Table that David might have a place there with less envy on account of the number of those who received that honour not doubting by this shew of Popularity the numerous company and daily use the strangeness of the Spectacle would by degrees not only wear off but the Stomach of the stoutest be insensibly accustomed to suffer any thing At last David with only one or two more was permitted to eat with her yet that the straitness of the Place might in some measure diminish the Envy of the Action they sometimes eat in a little Closet and sometimes in David's Chamber But instead of lessening the Publick Envy by these means they increased their own Infamy confirmed former Suspicions and afforded matter for sinister Discourses Another thing fell in also to inflame the minds of Men already disposed to believe the worst that David for surpassed the King in rich Furniture Cloths number and goodness of Horses which Indignity seemed so much the greater by how much his Face contributed more to destroy the effect of every Ornament about him than any of those Advantages to grace his Person Therefore the Queen since she could not correct the faults of Nature endeavours by heaping Honours upon him to advance him into the highest Order of Men that the Meanness of his Birth and his personal Deformity might lie concealed under the cover of a fortuitous Nobility but most especially that by this means having a right of voting in the publick Assemblies he might be enabled to manage those Councils as the Queen should direct And because it was thought necessary to advance gradually and that he might not seem to be an indigent and mercenary Senator their first attempt was made upon a Lordship called by the Seots Malvil and situated near Edinburgh The Possessor of the Lordship with his Father-in-law and such Friends as were thought to have the most influence upon him were sent for to the Queen who endeavoured to prevail with the Lord to deliver up his Possession quietly and to induce his Father-in-law with the rest of his Friends to perswade him so to do But this way not taking effect as was desired the Queen interpreted their refusal as an affront to her and which was more pernicious David was highly offended The People for these things were not done in the dark began to deplore the present Evils and to expect worse every day If men of the most antient Families and Honour might be expelled from the Seats of their Ancestors at the will of an indigent Rascal The old men called to mind and frequently mentioned the time when Cockeran after the barbarous Murder of the King's Brother was advanced from a Porter to the Earldom of Marr and filled the whole Kingdom with Fire and Sword which Desolation terminated in the Death of the King and almost total Sâ—â—bversion of the Kingdom To these things which were publick men in private Discourses added many more as is usual in undecent and scandalous cases But the King resolving to credit nothing save what he should discover by himself being informed that David was gone into the Queen's Chamber he went to the Door of which he always carried a Key and contrary to custom finding it to be bolted within he knocked but no one answering he departed in a great rage and being agitated by most violent Passions passed the greater part of the Night without Sleep Fol. 210. About that time Letters were brought from the Queen of England in which many things concerning the present state of Affairs in Scotland were kindly and prudently treated with a gentle and affectionate admonition to her Kinswoman to lay aside her Passion and to entertain more moderate Counsels The Queen understanding that the Lords knew such Letters were arrived and that no one doubted the Contents called divers of them to her hoping the favour would be interpreted to proceed from inclination and began to read them in their presence But as she was in the course of her reading David openly admonished her that
the said Noble Prince in all his Actions Causes and Quarrels against whomsoever to the uttermost of their Powers and shall be Friends to his Friends and Enemies to his Enemies and neither spare their Lives Land Goods nor Possessions 2. Item The said Earls Lords and their Complices shall at the first Parliament and other Parliaments that shall happen to be after their returning within this Realm by themselves and others that have Voice in Parliament consent and by these Presents do consent now as then and then as now to grant and give the Crown matrimonial to the said Noble Prince for all the days of his Life And if any Person or Persons withstand or gainsay the same the said Earls Lords and their Complices shall take such part as the said Noble Prince taketh in whatsoever sort for the obtaining of the said Crown against all and whatsoever that let or deny as shall best please the said Noble Prince 3. Item The said Earls Lords and their Complices shall fortify and maintain the said Noble Prince in his just Title to the Crown of Scotland failing of Succession of our Sovereign Lady and shall justify and set forward the same at their utmost Powers And if any manner of Person will usurp or gainsay the just Title then the said Earls Lords and their Complices shall maintain defend and set forwards the same as best shall please the said Noble Prince without fear of Life or Death and shall seek and pursue them the Usurpers as shall please the said Noble Prince to command to extirp them out of the Realm of Scotland or take or slay them 4. Item As to the Religion which was established by the Queen's Majesty our Sovereign shortly after her arrival in this Realm whereupon Acts and Proclamation was made and now again granted by the said Noble Prince to the said Earls Lords and their Complices they and every of them shall maintain and fortify the same at their uttermost Powers by the help supply and maintenance of the said Noble Prince And if any Person or Persons will gainsay the same or any part thereof or begin to make Tumult or Uproar for the same the said Earls Lords and their Complices to take a full true and plain part with the said Noble Prince against the said Contemners and Usurpers at their uttermost 5. Item As they are become true Subjects Men and Servants to the said Noble Prince so shall they be leyal and true to his Majesty as becometh true Subjects to their natural Prince and as true and faithful Servants serve their good Master with their Bodies Lands Goods and Possessions and shall neither spare Life nor Death in setting forward all things that may be to the Advancement and Honour of the said Noble Prince 6. Item The said Earls Lords and their Complices shall labour at the Queen of England's hands for the relief of the said Noble Prince his Mother and Brother by themselves and such others as they may procure to the uttermost of their power that they may be reliev'd out of Ward or remain in England freely or repair into Scotland as they shall think most expedient without stop or impediment to her self her Son their Servants and Moveables 7. Item The said Earls Lords and their Complices shall by themselves and others that will do for them labour and procure at the Queen of England's hands that the said Noble Prince may have her kindness good-will and assistance in all his Majesty's honourable and just Causes against whatsoever Foreign Prince Certain Articles to be fulfilled by the Noble and Mighty Prince Henry King of Scotland Husband to our Sovereign Lady of his Majesty's mere Clemency and good will to James Earl of Murray Archibald Earl of Argile Alexander Earl of Glencarne Andrew Earl of Rothes Robert Lord Boyd Andrew Lord Stuart of Ocheltrie remaining in England c. Item FIRST The said Noble Prince shall do his good will to obtain them one Remission if they require the same for all Faults and Crimes by-past of whatsoever quality or condition they be And if that cannot be obtained at the first time shall persevere in suing of the same until it be obtained and at the last shall give them a free remission of all Crimes so soon as we are placed by their help and supply to the Crown Matrimonial And in the mean time shall stop and make Impediments so much as lieth in us that they be not called nor accused for whatsoever Crime And presently remits and forgives the aforesaid Earls Lords and their Complices all Crimes committed against us of whatsoever quality or condition they be and do bury and put the same in Oblivion as they had never been And shall receive them at their returning thankfully and with heartiness as others our true and faithful Subjects and Servants 2. Item We shall not suffer by our good wills the foresaid Lords and their Complices to be called or accused in Parliament nor suffer any Forfeitures to be laid against them but shall stop the same at our uttermost Power And if any Person or Persons pretend otherwise we shall neither consent to the holding the Parliament nor yet shall grant to their Forfeiture willingly but shall stop the same to our uttermost Power as said is 3. Item That the said Earls Lords and their Complices returning within the Realm of Scotland we shall suffer or permit them to use and enjoy all their Lands Tackes Steedings and Benefices that they or any of them had before their passage into England And if any manner of Persons do make them Impediments in the peaceable enjoying of the said Lands Steedings Tackes Benefices and Possessions it being made known to us we shall fortify and maintain them to the uttermost of our Powers to the obtaining of the same 4. Item As to the said Earls Lords and their Complices Religion we are contented and consent that they use the same conform to the Queen's Majesty Act and Proclamation made thereupon shortly after her Highness's return out of France And if any Person or Persons pretend to make them Impediment thereunto or to trouble them for using the same Religion we shall take part with the aforesaid Earls Lords and their Complices at our uttermost Power And after their returning upon their good bearing and service to be done to the said Noble Prince shall by their advice consent to the stablishing the Religion now professed and shall concur with them if any persons do withstand them Item We shall fortify and maintain the said Earls Lords and their Complices as a natural Prince should do to his true and Obedient Subjects and as one good Master should fortify and maintain his true and natural Servants against whatsoever in all their just Causes Actions and Quarrels All this while the King kept secret from the Queen's Majesty the whole Proceedings and as her Majesty sought by subtil means to learn of him what was in his mind so crafted he with her to
every day before Dinner and after Dinner ye would come to my Chamber and pass time with me and thus long time ye have not done so and when I come to your Majesty's Chamber ye bear me little company except Davie had been the third Marrow and after Supper your Majesty hath a use to set at the Cards with the said Davie till one or two of the Clock after midnight and this is the entertainment that I have had of you this long time Her Majesty's answer was It was not Gentlewomens duty to come to their Husbands Chamber but rather the Husband to come to the Wive's Chamber if he had any thing to do with her The King answered How came ye to my Chamber at the beginning and ever till within these few Monthsâ— that Davie fell in familiarity with you or am I failed in any sort of my Body or what disdain have you at me or what Offence have I made you that you should not use me at all time alike seeing that I am willing to do all things that becometh a good Husband to do to his Wife For since you have chose me to be your Husband suppose I be of the baser degree yet I am your Head and ye promised Obedience at the day of our Marriage and that I should be equal with you and participant in all things I suppose you have used me otherwise by the perswasions of Davie Her Majesty answered and said that all the shame that was done to her that my Lord ye have the weight thereof for the which I shall never be your Wife nor lie with you nor shall never like well till I gar you have as sore a Heart as I have presently Then the Lord Ruthen made answer and besought her Majesty to be of good comfort and to treat her self and the King her Husband and to use the Counsel of the Nobility and he was assured her Government should be as well guided as ever it was in any King's days The said Lord being so feebled with his Sickness and wearied with his Travel that he desired her Majesty's pardon to sit down upon a Coffer and called for a drink for God's sake so a French man brought him a Cup of Wine and after that he had drunken the Queen's Majesty began to rail against the said Lord Is this your Sickness Lord Ruthen The said Lord answered God forbid that your Majesty had such a Sickness for I had rather give all the moveable Goods that I have Then said her Majesty if she died or her Barn or Common-weal perished she should leave the revenge thereof to her Friends to revenge the same upon the said Lord Ruthen and his Posterity for she had the King of Spain her great Friend the Emperor likewise and the King of France her good Brother the Cardinal of Lorrain and her Unkels in France besides the Pope's Holiness with many other Princes in Italy The said Lord answered that these noble Princes were over-great Personages to meddle with such a poor man as he was being her Majesty 's own Subject and where her Majesty said that if either she her Barn or the Commonweal perished the said Lord Ruthen should have the weight thereof the said Lord answered that if any of the three perished her Majesty's self and her particular Counsel should have the weight thereof and should be accused as well before God as the World for there was no man there within that Palace but they that would honour and serve her Majesty as becometh true Subjects and would suffer no manner harm to be done to her Majesty's Body than to their own Hearts and if any thing be done this night that your Majesty mislikes charge the King your Husband and none of us your Subjects which the King confessed was of verity In the same instant one came knocking fast at the Queen's Chamber-door declaring that the Earls Huntly Athol Bothwel Cathness and Sutherland with the Lords Fleming Levingstone Secretary Tillibarn the Comptroller and Laird of Grant with their own Servants and Officers of the Palace were fighting in the Close against the Earl of Morton and his Company being on the King's Party The King hearing the same would have gone down and the Lord Ruthen staid him and desired him to intreat the Queen's Majesty and he would go down and take order amongst them So the said Lord passed to the Close born under the Arm and before his coming the Officers were dwong into their Houses and the Lords were holden in at the Gallery Door by the Earl of Morton and others being with him and were constrained to pass up to the Gallery and to their Chambers So the said Lord Ruthen passed up to the Earl Bothwell's Chamber where he found the Earls of Huntley Sutherland Cathness the Laird of Grant and divers others to whom he shewed that the whole Proceeding that was done that night was done and invented by the King's Majesty 's own devise like as his Hand written was to shew thereupon and how he had sent for the Lords that were banished in England and Argyle who would be there before day And because there was some Enmity unreconciled betwixt the Earls of Huntly and Bothwell and the Earls of Argyle and Murray and their Colleagues the said Lords promised in their names that it should be mended at the sight of two or three of the Nobility they doing such like to them whereupon the said Earls of Huntley and Bothwell gave the Lord Ruthen their hands and received his for th' other part and after they had drunken the said Lord Ruthen took his leave of them and passed to the Earl of Athol's Chamber accompanied with the Earls of Cathness Sutherland and the Laird of Grant and found with the said Earl the Comptroller Secretary Mr. Iames Balfour and divers others and because of the Familiarity and Kindness betwixt the Earl of Athol and the Lord Ruthen the said Earl began to be angry with the said Lord for that he would not shew him what Enterprise soever that he had to do whose answer was that it was the King's Action and the King's Devise and that none of them had further medling therewith than the King had commanded like as his Hand written did testify Yet the said Earl enquired further upon the said Lord Ruthen why he would not let him wit thereof the said Lord answered it was the King's Secret and feared if he had given knowledg thereof he would have revealed it to the Queen's Majesty which might have been a hindrance of the purpose and caused the King have holden me an unhonest man for my part The said Earl perceiving that all that was done was the Kings own deed desired the said Lord Ruthen to pass to the King and get him leave to pass to his Country and so many as were presently in the Chamber with him In this mean time the Earls of Bothwell and Huntly taking a fear of the other Lords returning out of England
and Argyle and because they were hardly imprisoned before thought it better to escape too than to remain so they went out at a low Window and passed their ways In the mean time while the Lord Ruthen was with the Earl of Athol the King declared to the Queen's Majesty that he had sent for the Lords to return again whereunto she answered she was not in the blame that they were so long away for she could have been content to have brought them home at any time had not been for angering the King and to verify the same when her Majesty gave a remission to the Duke the King was very miscontent therewith whereto the King answered that it was true that the King was miscontented then but now he was content and doubted not but she would also be content to persevere in the good mind to them as she had done before At the same time came the Provost of Edenburgh and a great number of men of the Town with him in Arms to the utter Court of the Palace of Holyrood-House where the King called out of the Window to them commanding them to return to their Houses like as they did for he declared to them that the Queen's Majesty and he were in good health The Lord Ruthen being come up to the Queen's Chamber again where the King was beside her he shewed them that there was no hurt done and that the Lords and all others were merry and no harm done Then her Majesty enquired what was become of Davie The said Lord Ruthen answered that he believed he was in the King's Chamber for he thought it not good to shew her as he died for fear of putting her Majesty in greater trouble presently Then the Queen's Majesty enquired of the said Lord what great kindness was betwixt the Earl of Murray and him that rather than he and the remanent should be forfaulted that he would be forfault with them Remember ye not said she what the Earl of Murray would have had me done to you for giving me the Ring The said Lord Ruthen answered that he would bear no quarrel for that cause but would forgive him and all others for God's sake and as to that Ring it had no more virtue than another and was one little Ring with a pointed Diamond in it Remember ye not said her Majesty that ye said it had a virtue to keep me from poisoning yea Madam said he I said so much that the Ring had that virtue only to take that evil opinion out of your head of Poisoning which you conceived that the Protestants would have done which the said Lord knew the contrary that the Protestants would have done no more harm to your Majesty's Body than to their own Hearts but it was so imprinted in your Majesty's mind that it could not be taken away without a contrary impression Then said her Majesty to the the said Lord what Fault or Offence have I made to be handled in this manner Inquire said he at the King your Husband Nay said she I will enquire of you who answered Madam it will please your Majesty ye well remember that ye have had this long time a few number of privy Persons and most special Davie a Stranger Italian who have guided and ruled you contrary the Advice of your Nobility and Counsel and especially against these Noblemen that were banished Her Majesty answered were ye not one of my Council what is the cause that ye should not have declared if I had done any thing amiss against them that became me not The said Lord answered because your Majesty would hear no such thing for all the time that your Majesty was in Glascow or Dumfriese let see if ever ye caused your Council to sit or to reason upon any thing but did all things by your Majesty's self and your privy persons albeit the Nobility bare the Pains and Expences Well said her Majesty ye find great fault with me I will be contented to set down my Crown before the Lords of the Articles and if they find I have offended to give it where they please Then answered the Lord Ruthen and said God forbid Madam that your Crown should be in such hazard but yet Madam who chose the Lords of the Articles Not I said she Saving your Majesty's Reverence said the Lord Ruthen ye chose them all in Seaton and nominated them And as for your Majesty's Council it hath not been suffered to wait freely this long time but behoved to say what was your Pleasure And as to the Lords of the Articles your Majesty chose such as would say whatsoever you thought expedient to the Forfaulters of the Lords Banished And now when the Lords of the Articles have sitten fourteen days reasoning on the Summons of Treason have ye found a just Head wherefore they ought to be forfaulted No Madam not so much as one Point without false Witness be brought in against them whereunto she gave no answer The said Lord Ruthen perceiving that the Queen's Majesty was weary he said to the King Sir it is best ye take your leave at the Queen's Majesty that she may take rest So the King took his good-night and came forth of the Queen's Chamber and we with him and left none there but the Ladies Gentlewomen and the Grooms of the Queen's Majesty's Chamber And so soon as the King came to his own Chamber the said Lord Ruthen declared the Message he had from the Earl of Athol to the King that he might have license to return home to Athol Which the King was loth to do without he gave him a Band that he should be his The Lord Ruthen answered that he was a true Man of his Promise and would keep the thing he said as well as others would do their Hand-writing and Seal Then the King desired the said Lord Ruthen to fetch the Earl of Athol to him which he did And after the King and Earl of Athol had talked together he desired the said Earl to be ready to come whensoever he should send for him His answer was that whensoever it pleased the Queen's Grace and him to send for him that he would come gladly And the said Earl desired the King that he might speak with the Queen's Majesty which the King refused And then the said Earl took his good night and passed to his Chamber and the Lord Ruthen with him where he made him ready and his Company to pass forth like as they did and in his company were the Earls of Sutherland and Cathness the Master of Cathness the Secretary and Controler Mr. Iames Balfour the Laird of Grant with divers others Immediately the King directed two Writings subscribed with his hand on Saturday after the slaughter of Davie to certain men of Edenburg bearing Office for the time charging them to convene Men in Arms and make watch within the Town upon the Calsay and to suffer none others to be seen out of their Houses except Protestants under