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
Ears which may serve for little Parenthesises to Historiographers who had not the occasion of being so well therewith acquainted Our Queen then Dowager of France retired her self by little and little further and further from the Court of France that it might not appear that she was any way compelled thereto as of a truth she was by the Queen Mother's rigorous dealing who alledged that she had been despised by her Daughter-in-law during the short Reign of King Francis the Second her Husband at the resignation of the House of Guise Monsieur de Martignes Monsieur Dosel Labrosse the Bishop of Amience and such other French-men as were lately carried out of Scotland in the English Ships resorted to our Queen and declared unto her the whole progress of affairs and the state of the Kingdom These as well as the rest of her friends advised her to return to Scotland encouraging her with the hopes of succeeding to the Crown of England rather then to endure the Queen Mother's disdain in France Desiring her as most conducing for her interest to serve the time to accommodate her self discreetly and gently to her own Subjects to be most familiar with my Lord James Prior of St. Andrews her natural Brother and with the Earl of Argile who had married Lady Jane Stuart her natural Sister and to use the Secretary Lidingtoun and the Laird of Grange most tenderly in all their affairs and in summ to repose most upon those of the Reformed Religion Thus those who were a little before cruelly persecuted are now to be esteemed for chiefest and truest friends Thus can God by his Divine Providence ranverse the finest practises and pretences of mighty Rulers and Potentates and turn all to the best to such as serve him with a sincere heart As on the other hand God abhorreth such Subjects as hypocritically under pretext of Religion take occasion to rebel against their native Princes for ambition greediness or any other Worldly respect The Prior of St. Andrews being advertised of the Queen his Soveraign's deliberation to return to Scotland and to use his and his friends advice He goeth himself to France requesting her Majesty to return to her own promising to serve her faithfully to the outmost of his power And returns again to Scotland to prepare the hearts of her Subjects against her home-coming After this her Majesty went to Janvile the Duke of Guise his dwelling place about the marches of Lorrain and at length went to visit the Duke of Lorrain at Nancy where I chanced to come shortly after in company of the Duke Casimir second Son to the Elector Palâ—â—ine But the Queen was already parted from the Court of Lorrain toward Janvile whither I took occasion to go to tender to her Majesty the offer of my most humble and dutiful service And the said Duke Casimir understanding that I was to ride thither did write a very kind Letter to her Majesty comforting her the best he could offering his service in case any in France should wrong or injure her and that he would bring to her aid upon her Letter Ten Thousand Men. Her Majesty was much refreshed with this friendly offer and she was pleased to give me thanks for the demonstrations I had given of being intirely devoted to her interest shewing me she had been made acquainted therewith while I was at the Court of France She desired me earnestly when I resolved to retire out of Germany to come home and serve her Majesty with very friendly and favourable offers So I returned back to the Duke Casimir who was about contracting a Marriage with the Duke of Lorrain's eldest Sister Which took not effect because the old Dutchess her Mother who was King Christierns Daughter of Denmark begotten upon the Emperour Charles his Sister who also lost the Kingdom of Denmark pretending to make it Hereditable whereas it was Elective The said King Christiernus was kept in Prison till his death This Dutchess his Daughter alledged that the Kingdom of Norway appertained unto her as Heir unto her Father and that the said Kingdom was Hereditary unto her Father albeit Denmark was not and intended then to marry her eldest Daughter unto Frederick King of Denmark and to give over with her said Daughter the Kingdom of Norway But the said Dutchess offered unto Duke Casimir her second Daughter which he refused and dealt with his Father to send me unto England to propose Marriage for him unto the Queen of England But I refused to undertake that Commission having ground to conjecture that she would never marry upon the reflection I made upon that story one of the Gentlemen of her Chamber had told me seeing she knowing her self unable for succession I supposed she would never render her self subject to any Man The said Duke was very much displeased at me because I refused About this time the Cardinal of Lorrain being at Trent took occasion to visit the old Emperour Ferdinand at Isbrack his dwelling place not far from Trent And there the said Cardinal proposed two marriages first the King of France Charles the Ninth to the eldest Daughter of Maximilian Son to Ferdinand lately chosen King of the Romans and co-adjutor to the Empire Then he proposed the Queen of Scotland Dowager of France to Charles Arch-duke of Austria brother to the said Maximilian The Queen was by this time returned to Scotland and apparently had been advertised by the said Cardinal that he had proposed the said marriage and it seems she had relished the Overture Her Majesty returning was gladly welcomed by the whole Subjects For at first following the counsel of her friends she behaved her self humanely to them all committing the chief handling of her affairs unto her Brother the Prior of St. Andrews whom afterward she made Earl of Murray and to the Secretary Lidingtoun as meetest both to hold the Countrey at her devotion and also to beget a strict friendship betwen her Majesty and the Queen of England For my Lord Murray had great credit with my Lord Robert Dudly who was afterward made Earl of Leicester And the Secretary Lidingtoun had great credit with the Secretary Cecil So that these four made a strict and sisterly friendship between the two Queens and their Countries So that there appeared outwardly no more difference but that the Queen of England was the Eldest Sister and the Queen of Scotland the Younger whom the Queen of England promised to declare second person according to her good behaviour So that Letters and correspondence past weekly betwixt them and at first there appeared nothing more desired by either of them then that they might see one another by a meeting at a convenient place whereby they might also declare their hearty and loving minds each to other For our Queen was so nettled with the hard usage she had met with from the Queen Mother of France who had likewise hardly used all her friends of the House of Guise that she was the more
Commission to the Queen of England to wit an answer to her demanded Alliance offensive and defensive with the Protestant Princes of Germany which formerly had been but obscurely answered unto her Ambassadour Sir Henry Knolls at the Dyet Imperial holden at Francfort in the year 1562. Excusing himself and the rest of the Princes his confederates who had but lately chosen Maximilian to be King of the Romans and Co-adjutor to the Emperour his Father seeing he had promised unto them to declare himself openly a Protestant so soon as he durst after the decease of his old Father Ferdinand and in the mean time had their promise to keep correspondence with him and to make no League with any forreign Prince without his consent and knowledge And that if they had done otherwise he might perchance have taken occasion thereupon to lay the blame upon them in case he did not as he had promised For they began to fear and doubt of his upright meaning in reference to Religion and yet thought not fit upon their part to give him any ground to lay the blame upon them but in case he kept not his promise after the decease of Ferdinand they should then presently make such Alliance with her as she had required which they durst not for the time discover unto her Ambassadour requesting her Majesty to keep this secret to her self She appeared satisfied with this excuse promising to discover it to none of her Council but she lamented that the Princes of Germany were so slow and tedious in all their deliberations Whereupon I began to praise them for their Truth Constancy Religion Ardour and quick execution after they had concluded any weighty matter But I set out most specially the Elector Palatine's humanity his treating of strangers upholding of Universities and how he was the mouth of his confederates to deal with all other neighbour Princes She answered that I had reason to speak so concerning him for he had written very much in my favour regretting that the inclinations I had to serve my native Queen had obliged me to leave him though he would gladly have retained me with him a longer space I told her Majesty what a great trouble it was to me to resolve to leave the service of so worthy a Prince that no consideration could have engaged me thereunto other then that duty I owed to my Soveraign who had commanded me to attend her affairs That for the better remembrance of him I desired to carry home with me his picture and the pictures of all his Son and Daughters So soon as she heard me mention the pictures she inquired if I had the picture of the Duke Casimir desiring to see it And when I alledged I had left the pictures in London she being then at Hampton Court and that I was ready to go forward on my Journey she said I should not part till she had seen all the pictures So the next day I delivered them all to her Majesty and she desired to keep them all night and she called upon my Lord Robert Dudly to be judge of Duke Casimir's picture and appointed me to meet her the next morning in her Garden where she caused to deliver them all unto me giving me thanks for the sight of them I again offered unto her Majesty 〈◊〉 the pictures so she would permit me to retain the Electors and his Ladys but she would have none of them I had also sure information that first and last she despised the said Duke Casimir Therefore I did write back from London to his Father and him in Cypher disswading them to meddle any more in that marriage And received great thanks afterward from the said young Duke who immediately married the Elector of Saxony's Eldest Daughter Albeit this may appear something from the purpose of the Queen our Sovereign yet it brings me home to her Majesty with some proposals of marriage to her self For the Queen of England entertained me very familiarly shewing me the Sisterly love that was betwixt her and the Queen our Soveraign how careful she was of her well-fare how desirous to see her well setled in her own Country with her Subjects and also well married That she was resolved to propose two persons for fit Husbands unto her whereby their amity might best stand and increase hoping that she would not marry without her advice promising upon her faith to write to me so soon as I was arrived at Scotland with her own hand that I might be a good instrument to move the Queen my Mistress to accept either the one or the other Now though she forgot to write unto me about it yet she sent instructions to Mr. Randolph to propose my Lord Robert Dudley as a very meet Husband for our Queen I supposed that my Lord Robert afterward Earl of Leicester had disswaded her from imploying me in that matter seeing Mr. Randolph was there already her Majesties Agent Now the Queen my Mistress to keep promise and correspondence with the Queen of England had sent and advertised her of the proposal made to her of a marriage with the Arch-duke Charles requiring her friendly advice and consent therein The Queen of England answered her by her Agent Mr. Thomas Randolph as followeth for after a little Preface he declares and gives in by writing this to be the Queen his Mistress's mind The Queen my Soveraign said he hath not only deeply advised about that proposal of marriage with your Majesty but hath also thought it necessary by me to shew you what she thinketh both meet and unmeet to be considered and seemingly to her by way of friendship to declare as a dear Sister who intends your Majesties honour and as a loving Friend who is careful of your well-fare Three special things her Majesty thinks fit to be considered in marriage First The mutual contentment betwixt both parties in respect of their private personages so that their love each towards one another may continue as well before God as Man Secondly That the person may be such as your Majesty being a Queen of a great Realm and multitude of People may be sure of an advantageous Alliance such as cannot be prejudicial to your Countries interest Thirdly She thinks fit that the choise be such that the amity which is now so strict betwixt the Queens Majesty and your Highness not only for your own persons but with both your Realms may be continued and not dissolved nor diminished Then he declares at length how that he doubts not but that her Majesty who was once already married will know how considerately to ponder the match that it may be meet for her self and her Subjects but as to what belonged unto the Queen his Soveraign it merited to be well considered It is true that the seeking out of a Husband to your Majesty is honourable and expedient a thing that her Majesty rellisheth much in your Highness albeit hitherto she hath not found such disposition in her self remitting
her heart and mind in that affair to be directed by the Almighty God But this herein her Majesty considereth that to seek out such a Husband as is sought for by your friends in the Emperours Linage will certainly procure at last some misunderstanding and give apparent occasion of dissolving the Concord that is now betwixt the two Nations and an interruption of such a course as otherwise might be taken to further and advance such a Title as your Highness hath to succeed to her Majesty to the Crown of England if she should depart without issue of her Body Then he useth some unfit perswasions and menaces threat'ning that some in England were going about with practices to set forward their pretended right to her Majesties prejudice which she by her discreet behaviour and conformity to his Mistresses pleasure might prevent by moving her thereby not only to proceed in the inquisition after your Majesties right and with her power to further the same but also to hinder that which appears to be to the contrary And now if your Majesty would know what kind of marriage would best content her and her Realm such a one as would breed no jealousie nor trouble betwixt your Majesties and your Countries as did the the marriage with the French King But rather it is to be wished that there might be found out some Nobleman of great birth in England who might be agreeable to you with whom her Majesty would more readily and more easily declare that she inclines that failing of Children of her own Body you might succeed to her Crown otherwise I do plainly tell you that my Soveraign can promise nothing in that matter tending to your satisfaction These were Mr. Randolph's first instructions and propositions unto the Queen concerning her marriage with the Arch-duke Charles But he had a secret Commission to my Lord of Murray and Secretary Lidingtoun to propose my Lord Robert Dudley and he desired me also to set forward his marriage with the Queen as meetest of all other By this kind of procedure it was apparent that the Queen of England did not relish this proposal of marriage of the Arch-duke Charles to our Queen She gave a farther and more clear demonstration thereof a little after by sending the Earl of Sussex to the Emperour's Court as well to congratulate his Coronation as indirectly to draw on the marriage of the Arch-duke Charles with her self And she was put in hope that it would take effect Yet this design was not so secretly managed but our Queen was thereof advertised by some of her friends in England And from hence arose inward griefs and grudges between the two Queens which within a little time bursted forth occasion thereof being given by the Queen of England For in a familiar Letter to our Queen she appeared therein to give her as formerly a friendly advice which our Queen thought but double dealing remembring as well her late disswading answer from the marriage of the Arch-duke Charles as her late practises in the Emperours Court The Queen of England's Letter was written at the desire of some of the House of Hamiltoun For after that Mr. Randolph had spoken as is above mentioned against the marriage of the Queen with the Arch-duke Charles and had alledged that some Noblemen in England would be fitter matches for her he proceeded so far with my Lord of Murray and Secretary Lidingtoun as to say What would you think of my Lord Robert Dudly for your Queen But finding small account to be made of him he advertised the Queen his Mistress thereof Whereupon liberty was granted to Matthew Earl of Lennox who dwelt then in England to go to Scotland as desirous to see the Queen and take course in some of his own affairs Now his Eldest Son my Lord Darnly was a lusty young Prince and apparently was one of the two that the Queen of England had told me she had in her head to offer unto our Queen as born within the Realm of England But to return unto the Letter written by the Queen of England unto our Queen she would appear therein to be very careful for the Queen her Sisters quiet Estate and Government desiring her to take heed that in shewing pleasure to the Earl of Lennox she did not displease the House of Hamiltoun seeing thereby trouble and strife might arise in her Country Sundry other such purposes she had which at some time would not have been taken in ill part but now all advices given by the Queen of England were misconstructed partly because of her being instrumental in hindring the marriage with Prince Charles and partly because David Rixio lately admitted to be her French Secretary was not very skilful in inditing French Letters which she did write over again with her own hand The answer then that our Queen did write unto the said Letter declared some suspicions and anger to have been taken and these she manifested in some harsh expressions which were constructed by the Queen of England as a violation of their former familiarity and Sisterly correspondence which had been ever kept up since the Queens return out of France Whereupon ensued so great a coldness that they left of for a considerable time from writing each to other as they had formerly done weekly by Post. So that the Queen resolved to send me to England to renew their outward friendship for in their hearts from that time forth there was nothing but jealousies and suspicions The Queen my Mistress thought that if their discord continued it would cut off all correspondence between her and her friends in England and that Queen had no inclination for War but by all means possible desired to shun trouble or any occasion of expences the King of Spain and she being already entered into controversie For he judged her a foinenter of the troubles in Flanders and the Low Countries and not without reason For she thought her self abandoned by the King of Spain at the late Peace made at Cambray and her chief Councellers thought it convenient for the interest of England that Factions should be nourished in France Flanders Scotland and Spain At my home-coming to Scotland I found the Queen's Majesty at St Johnstoun in the Year of God 1564 the fifth day of May. I was very favourably received by the Queens Majesty and presented unto her Letters from the Emperour Maximilian the Elector Palatine the Duke of Lorrain and Cardinal of Lorrain and Duke of Aumale all in my favours After that I had at length informed her that I found Maximilian was against the marriage of his Brother Charles she likewise understanding the Queen of Englands part therein as is above specified she altogether laid aside any further thoughts of the marriage with the Arch-duke Charles And whereas she had once resolved to have sent me to Germany she takes another resolution intending that I should be sent to England Though I was not yet resolved in setling my self
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
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
Ladies to me that I should be earnest to keep the Earl of Murray from joining with the other Lords Who the next morning found themselves greatly disappointed being left without any appearance of a pacification In the mean time I used my endeavours very effectually to keep my Lord Murray from joining with the late offenders I ingaged to him that in so doing I should procure a pardon to him and all his followers They on this manner being destitute of all assisters were compelled to flee unto England to Newcastle where in a manner they might find the other Lords nests yet warm A few days before my Lord Duke my Lords of Glencairn and Rothes had obtained their pardons For they were divided during their banishment and her Majesty found it not her interest to have so many Lords against her She had also now again indeavoured to draw the Earl of Murray from the Earl of Mortoun and his accomplices because he had for the time a great friendship and many dependers that she might be the more easily revenged upon that most detestable deed of murthering her Servant in her presence For she being big with Child it appeared to be done to destroy both her and her Child For they might have killed the said Rixio in any other part at any time they pleased My Lord Murray and his dependants desired me to carry their humble thanks unto her Majesty and to signifie unto her how willingly they acquiesced to her Majesties desire and how they had discharged themselves to such as had committed that vile act And that they promised her Majesty never any more to have to do with them or intercede for them I rencountred her Majesty coming from Dumbar to Hadingtoun and was very favourably received with great thanks for my care of her honour and wellfare That night in Hadingtoun she subscribed divers remissions for my Lord Murray and his dependers lamenting unto me the King's folly ungratitude and misbehaviour I excused the same the best I could imputing it to his youth which occasioned him to be easily led away by pernicious Councel laying the blame upon George Duglas and other bad Councellors praying her Majesty for many necessary considerations to remove out of her mind any prejudice against him seeing that she had chosen him her self against the opinion of many of her Subjects But I could perceive nothing from that day forth but great grudges that she entertained in her heart That night in Hadingtoun the King inquired of me if the Lord of Murray had written to him I answered That his Letter to the Queen was written in haste and that he esteemed the Queen and him but one He said he might have also written to me Then he enquired what was become of Mortoun Ruthven and the rest of that Company I told him I believed they were fled but I knew not whither As they have Brewed says he so let them drink It appeared to me that he was troubled he had deserted them finding the Queens favour but cold The next day they came to Edinbrugh and lodged within the Castle where some were apprehended and executed who had been in the Court of the Palace and had kept the Gates that night wherein Rixio was slain Her Majesty was now far gone with Child and went to Sterling intending to lye in there Thither the King followed her and from that to Allway At length she came back to the Castle of Edinbrugh It was thought that she fled from the King's company I travelled earnestly to help matters betwixt them and was therein so importunate that I was thought troublesome So that her Majesty desired my Lord of Murray to reprove me and charge me not to be any more familiar with the King Who went up and down all alone seeing few durst bear him company He was misliked by the Queen and by all such as secretly favoured the late banished Lords So that it was a great pity to see that good young Prince cast off who failed rather for want of good Counsel and Experience then from any bad inclinations It appeared to be fatal to him to like better of flatterers and ill Company then plain speakers and good Men Which hath been the wrack of many Princes who by frequenting good Company would have proved gallant Men. About this time the Queen of England was taken with a great Fever that none believed she could live All that Kingdom was thereby in great perplexity But a strange thing is to be marked that two contrary Factions there had both determined unknown to other to send for our Queen and set the Crown of England upon her head My Brother Sir Robert Melvil was then Ambassadour there resident and I served in place of Secretary here at home because Secretary Lidingtoun was absent under some suspicion He sent home continual advertisements how to proceed and I again returned the answers at her Majesties direction Now began the Earl of Rothvel to be in great favour to the great dissatisfaction of many He and the Earl of Huntly and the Bishop of Rosse envied the favour that the Queen shewed unto the Earl of Murray for they were upon contrary courses The Queen on the other hand knew how generally he was well liked of both in England and Scotland and that she would be the better liked of in both Kingdoms that she shewed favour to him And as she resolved to follow the former advice and information sent her by Sir Nicholas Throgmorton so she forgat not the late help he had made her at his home-coming These two Earls with the foresaid Bishop took occasion when the time of her Majesties delivery drew near to perswade her to imprison my Lord of Murray to remain no longer then she should be delivered alledging that they were assuredly advertised that he and his dependers were resolved to bring in the banished Lords even at the very time of her Child-bearing For they thought if once he were warded they should find devices enough to cause him be kept and disgraced especially when he should be absent and not have opportunity of answering and resisting their Calumnies Whereof her Majesty gave me an accompt desiring me to mind her of their secret designs against Murray without any just cause flowing only from their own hatred who had devised his ruine The Earl of Mortoun was now in a hard condition though many of the Barons of Lauthran were his friends they could be little stedable to him Among the rest the Laird of Elphingstoun my Brother-in-law whose Mother was a Duglas of the House of Whittengem Upon accompt of this friendship the Earl of Mortoun caused to write unto my Sister the Lady Elphingstoun desiring her to perswade me to write in his favours to the Elector Palatine and other Princes of my acquaintance in Germany to suffer him to live in their Country For my Brother by her Majesties direction pressed the Queen of England to put them forth of her Kingdoms And
with these of my hands who he knew had no by-end then if they had proceeded from the most Learned Philosopher Therefore at his desire I promised to put them in writing to give him them to keep in his Pocket but he was Slain before I could meet with him After the Decease of the Regent England sent the Earl of Sussex to Berwick whither the Earl of Lennox came also at that same time as being sent for by the Lords of the King's Faction to be made Regent in place of the Earl of Murray The Earl of Sussex had with him the Forces of the North as if he had some enterprise to do and to take some advantage at this time when the Country wanted a Regent About that same time so many of the Lords as were banded and professed the Queens Authority caused to proclaim the same at Lithgow As yet they of the Castle at Edinbrugh professed the King's Authority albeit there were secret jealousies betwixt them and so many of the rest as had counselled the late Regent to apprehend the Secretary Lidingtoun and Sir James Balfour and who would also have ruined Grange because he appeared concerned in them two and also because his Vertues were envied and his Charge coveted by others They who were within the said Castle for the time were my Lord Duke of Chattellerault and my Lord Herris warded wrongfully as I have said therefore the Laird of Grange obtained a Warrant from the rest of the King's Lords to set them at liberty The Lord Hume was there to assist with those of the Castle with the Laird of Grange the Secretary Lidingtoun his Brother the Prior of Condingham three of my Brothers Sir Robert Captain David and Sir Andrew Melvil the Lairds of Drylow and Pittadrow Sir James Balfour the Lairds of Fernihast Buccleugh Wormistoun Parbroth and divers other Noblemen and Barons who came there at all occasions and were ready at a call when they had to do This Company directed me to Berwick toward the Earl of Sussex to know what he intended to do with his forces whether to assist any of the two Factions or to agree them I was friendly received by him well lodged and my expences by him defrayed wanting nothing He sent me his own night-Gown furred with rich furrings to make use of so long as I abode there Albeit I knew him to be a great Enemy to all Scots-men he appeared desirous to enter in great familiarity with me and as if he was desirous I should believe he had communicated to me his most secret thoughts alledging his plainness to me was upon the report he had heard by sundry of his Country-men to my advantage He said That his coming with his Forces was not to assist any faction nor to decide Questions and Titles that were among us but to serve the Queen his Mistress in obeying her Commands That if he did any enterprise at that time against any Scots-man it would be against his heart That of all Scots-men he liked best of of those who were within the Castle of Edinbrugh and their dependers especially because he knew them to have been friends to the Duke of Norfolk his near Cousin whose part he said he would plainly have taken if the said Duke had out of his own mouth communicated his enterprise to him as he had foolishly done by a Gentleman of his to whose credit he durst not commit the secrecy of that matter being of it self of so great concernment as stood him upon his life and heritage And that albeit he with his Forces came not to set out nor to fortifie any Faction in Scotland yet he durst be plain with me privately as with a true friend to declare that he did esteem the Queen of Scotland and the Prince her Son righteous Heirs to the Crown of England which his judgment he had shown to few of his own Country-men So I returned with no direct answer but with a firm opinion that he was sent to appear to set forward the Earl of Lennox to be Regent and to send word to the Lords of the King's side that he would assist them and send in Mr. Randolph thither with the Earl of Lennox and yet to deal with the Lords of the Queens Faction to encourage them to hold forward their factions course because the said Mr. Randolph had a great dealing with the House of Hamiltoun as he who convoyed the Earl of Arran now visited with the hand of God out of France through England home to Scotland to assist the Congregation He knew also what old and long hatred had been betwixt the Houses of Lennox and Hamiltoun and was deliberately directed secretly to kindle a fire of discord betwixt two strong Factions in Scotland which could not be easily quenched and to conform the Lord Hume who was not yet resolved to take part with the Queens Faction which England thought had not money enough yet to sustain long strife against the King's Faction The Earl of Sussex entred the Merse with his Forces and took the Castle of Hume and Falhastle full of riches and precious moveables that way moving the Lord Hume to take plain part with the Hamiltouns and the Queens Faction Whereby it may be seen that the conclusion was to hold Countries in discord by the craft of the Council of England for the time as I have before mentioned and which was now put in practice incontinent after the decease of the Earl of Murray For albeit the Earl of Lennox had his Lady Children and Estate in England they would not credit him supposing he would be a true Scots-man as he proved indeed afterwards I being in Berwick when the Earl of Lennox was so far toward Scotland to be Regent I thought it my duty to visit him For at his first in-coming before the marriage of his Son the Lord Darnly with the Queen he sent this present Colonel Stuart for my Brother Sir Robert and me and because my Brother was absent I went to him alone At which time he told me That his long absence out of the Country had made him as a stranger to the condition of the Country and that his Lady at his parting from her had desired him to take my Brother's counsel and mine in all his affairs as her Friends and Kinsmen So that being familiar enough with him formerly I visited him at this time and told him the state of the Country I disswaded him from taking upon him the Regiment fearing that it might cost him his life as matters were like to be handled as I should inform him more at length being once at home As for my self I promised to serve and assist him albeit I could not find that same resolution in those of the Castle of Endinbrugh He thanked me promising me to be my friend so far as lay in his power upon which he gave me his hand Then he inquired What was the Cause that those who were in the Castle would oppose him
I answered For no particular prejudice they had against himself but because the Lords who had sent for him without acquainting them therewith were not their friends and they suspected that in process of time they would move him to be their Enemy He said That the Laird of Grange had been always his great friend and had done him formerly great kindness I said I hoped he should yet be his friend after that he had setled himself in the Regiment and might have time to be rightly informed of every mans part Returning back from Berwick I met the Abbot of Dumfarmling sent by the King's Lords to England to meet with the Earl of Linnox in his passing by His chief Commission was so far as I could afterward inform my self to desire the Queen of England to deliver the Queen of Scotland to be kept by the King's Lords here at home seeing that she would not proceed otherwise according to the Accusation given in against her the time my Lord Murray was there Whereto the Queen of England made answer If they would find her sufficient Pledges for the security of the Queens life she would deliver her to be kept by them The Abbot alledged That would be hard to do for what in case the Queen dye in the mean time She answered My Lord I believed you had been a wise man you would press me to speak what is no ways necessary You may know Taat I cannot but for my honour require Pledges for that end I think you may judge also of your self what might be best for me Her meaning in this might be easily judged and understood The Earl of Lennox came to Edinbrugh shortly after me and after he had accepted the Government his first enterprise was to take Breechin which was kept by some Companies of Foot-men lifted by the Earl of Huntly to assist the Queens faction These Soldiers being advertised that the new Regent was coming to pursue them fled except a few who kept the Kirk and Steeple who were all hanged I had made my self ready to ride with the Regent but Mr. Randolph the English Ambassadour who came with the Earl of Lennox appearing to set him forward with his power hindred me from prosecuting that intention fearing that I would be an instrument of perswading the Laird of Grange and those in the Castle to come to an amicable agreement with the Regent For if those of the Castle and their dependers had assisted the Regent the Queens faction were so few and weak that they would not have been able to make a party answerable to the King's faction who were greatest in number and had the hearts of the Subjects on their side I was very loath to stay behind the Regent both because I had promised to assist him and also because I had obtained a promise of the Bishop of St. Andrews of the Lands of Lethem given by the Earl of Murray to Mr. Henry Balneavs whereof I had no Lease but Possession by reason that the Bishop was for the time in Dumbartoun forsaulted so the said Lands were in the Regent's power to dispose to any other yet he had promised that I should enjoy it I told Mr. Randolph that the said Land might be in danger to be disposed in case I were absent from the Regent Tush says he I am Tutour at this time to the Regent I shall not only warrant you that but shall cause you get a better gift In the mean time he promised to write a Letter unto the Regent who had already taken journey to secure the same to me and to let him know that he had stayed me to draw on an agreement between my friends in the Castle and him therefore desiring him not to dispose the said Lands to any other But though I knew him to be a double dealer and a sower of discord yet I could not believe that he would abuse me in any thing having received so great obligations from me during his banishment in France for Religion during the Reign of Queen Mary Neither would I blot Paper with this much concerning my particular were it not to declare the strange practises of Princes in matters of State Now at Mr. Randolph's desire I stayed His first proposition to me was to desire the Captain of the Castle to agree with and assist the Regent I told him That I supposed he might be brought to that through time but not so hastily And that same answer I brought to him from him with a request from the Laird of Grange That he would be plain with him for there had been also great friendship betwixt them in France After some Ceremonies and Protestations of Secrecy he said Tell your friend this from Mr. Randolph but not from the English Ambassadour That there is no lawful Authority in Scotland but the Queens she will prevail at length and therefore it is his interest as the safest course to join himself to her Faction This was the help he made to the Regent who believed that his only Ambassage was to advance his Authority I appeared to be very well satisfied with this wholesom advice and went up to the Castle and told the Captain and his associates no more then I assured them of at my return from Berwick The Laird of Grange was still resolved to own the King's Authority seeing to be factious under pretext of owning the Queen during her absence and captivity might do her more ill then good and occasion great bloodshed among the Subjects by the malice of the Ring-leaders of the Court of England and partialities of a few in Scotland and was therefore expecting a fit opportunity of making agreement betwixt the parties In the mean time I went up and down betwixt those of the Castle and Mr. Randolph who gave me another Commission to wit In case the two Queens of England and Scotland agree betwixt themselves to appoint an English-man Captain of the Castle of Edinbrugh and send unto him a Letter subscribed by both their hands to him to render up the same to him whom they Commissionate him to deliver it whether he would for great advantage to himself give it to the person who should be appointed This in great anger he refused to hear and this was all the good agreement that Mr. Randolph and I made during the Regent's absence And instead of minding the Regent not to dispose the foresaid Lands he dealt with the Tutor of Pitcur that he might seek a gift of the said Lands from the Regent informing him that I wanted a right thereto When the Regent was returned to Edinbrugh I remembred Mr. Randolph of his promise and informed him a way how I might get them He answered That he found the Regent so stubborn and of so ill a nature that he could not deal with him Then I told him That I was abundantly sensible of his practises and that whereas it appeared that he would cause me not only to abandon the Regent but to be
commonly suspitious Mr. Randolph who lay at Lieth having his own Jealousies of an intention of accommodation knew the only way to stop it was to bring again the Earl of Mortoun who he knew would violently oppose it and use the utmost of his endeavours to render that Design ineffectual He therefore dealt earnestly with the Regent to give the said Bishoprick of St. Andrews to the Earl of Mortoun alledging to her That the Queen his Mistress had written to him for that effect and that she would recompence it to him with greater advantage That he would cause her hand-writing to come to him thereabout and that she would be much dissatisfied if he refused that her desire When the Regent had upon Mr. Randolph's desire granted this he incontinently advertised the Earl of Mortoun thereof who immediately came to Court and smelling the foresaid design of agreement he used all the contrary practices he could to hinder it For as he had fished that Benefice in troubled Waters he hoped by such means to fish much more And finding that I was much inclined to draw forward the accommodation one of his Devices was to cause the Councel to Vote and direct the Earl of Buchan to take me Prisoner out of my own house But I was at a Marriage in Fordel where the said Earl came with whom I went willingly tho I had as many Friends there as offered to chace him back again without his Errand but I would not prejudge my just Cause For the Earl of Buchan was of a gentle and discreet Nature and assured me they had nothing to lay to my charge but to see if I could be a good Instrument of Concord He desired me when I was in Lieth to send up to the Castle of Edinbrugh and alledg that my Life was in hazard in case they would not render up the Castle to the Regent I answered It was a Childish thing in them to propose such a thing to me seeing they could not but know that my Friends in the Castle were angrier at me than they were because I did not take part with them However the Laird of Grange was dissatisfied when he heard that I was taken For he knew how far I was injur'd seeing I had several times perswaded him to take part with the Regent and how far I had reasoned against the Secretary and Sir James Balfour in their proceedings with the Queens Faction For seeing she was Captive so that neither could she help them nor they her it would but occasion her to be the stronglier guarded and kept more straitly in England For hearing that there was a Faction risen up in her Name it would cause them to suppose that she was in hope of sudden liberty by some Practices with the Subjects of England Sir William Balfour alledged That her Majesty had Friends in France and other Parts who would be more encouraged to do for her if they understood that a number of the Nobility did own her Authority I said That her only Friends were in England and France that those who were in England durst not as yet appear seeing there would be a special Eye held over them and her French friends would do her no good the Queen Mother who had the chief Rule of that Country being her great Enemy and the House of Guise neither able to help her nor yet were they her sure friends as I shall shew more at length anon I was declaring that the Laird of Grange was angry at my taking I being so frank for the Regent and he so willing to join with him That same night he sent down a Woman from the Castle to Lieth with a Ticket to me That he was resolved to come that same night at mid-night and relieve me out of their hands that he had sent that Woman to know how I was kept and where I was lodged The Regent's Camp lay between Lieth and Edinbrugh and many of the Noblemen and Barons lodged in Lieth for every one had not Pavilions to lodge in the Camp The Laird of Grange had appointed a Boat to lye at Grantoun and had resolved to come sailing up to Lieth Harbour as if it had been a Boat come from Fiffe and thought without stroke to come to my Lodging and take me out of my Keepers hands and go up the water again to a part where he had Horsemen in readiness to carry me up to the Castle with him But I would upon no accompt condescend thereto assuring him That I was in no danger and that my Lord Bughan had promised when I pleased to let me slip away which I would not do but desired daily to come to a Tryal Many of the Lords marvelled wherefore I was taken seeing they knew That since the Regent's entry to Scotland I had ever assisted him The Regent himself was much therewith dissatisfied so that after inquiry it was found that few of the Councellors knew of my taking The Earl of Mar a true Nobleman said That the Earl of Buchan for embracing such a Commission was madder than the former Earl his Father who was known not to be very wise But the Earl of Mortoun sent me word That nothing should ail me more then his own heart For the fashion they desired me to find Caution that I should serve the King's Majesty and his Regent and so I was dismissed and never brought before the Council Of a truth I could see no reason to set up two Factions to destroy the Country seeing I knew That though the one party professed to be for the Queen it was so far from conducing to her advantage that I knew it had a quite contrary effect so long as she was Captive nor yet could I see any out-gate for those who professed her Authority and who were compelled thereto for their own defence For whereas they would gladly have assisted the King's Lords if they would have accepted of them finding themselves refused necessity drew them to defend themselves under the name of some Authority not true love to the Queen And therefore I thought them the less to be relyed upon The rest of my reasons why the Queen could expect no help out of France from her own friends nor yet from the Queen Mother were these The Queen Mother had not been well used so long as our Queen's Husband Francis the Second lived The Council and States of France desired not the Union of this Isle For a proof hereof after that my Brother Sir Robert when he returned the first time of his Ambassage out of England brought the hand-writings of twenty five principal Earls and Lords in England to set the Crown of England upon the Queen of Scotland's head For the Captains in the particular Shires were already named and by those Lords set down in that Paper who were to be in readiness to march forward whenever they should be charged only they waited the Queens opportunity and advertisement when to stir Upon this intelligence the Queen
and great bruits of an alteration Whereupon a Letter was written to me by Colonel Stuart at His Majesty's Command ordaining me with all diligence to repair to Court or in case I was not recovered of my Ague whereof I had been long sick that I might write my Mind and Opinion to His Majesty in a Letter what was like to fall out concerning the great Rumour and Bruits of an apparent alteration And being by reason of my foresaid Distemper unable for Travel I sent my return in Writing shewing His Majesty that there was an universal miscontent with great bruits not without appearance of probability of a sudden change occasioned by the misbehaviour of such as were managers at Court and by the great straits and desperate Estate of those who were pursued being men of Quality Active and Experienced And a greater number then could be born down or mastered as I had frequently shewn His Majesty before without respect of feud or favour but simply for His Majesty's Service Intreating His Majesty again to set forward his former acceptable intentions which he had resolved to do when he went to St. Andrews Seeing there was no other course advisable for setling his troubled Estate This kind of language was the better liked because of so many Advertisments that came daily to His Majesty's Ears These bruits made His Majesty be upon his Guard and to use means to get intelligence The lingring of the Earl of Gaury in Dundie gave ground of suspicion His Majesty had also been advertised That he had laid aside his intentions of going abroad according to his former resolutions and that he was designing to wait upon the in-coming of the banished Lords His Majesty also dreamed a Dream that he saw the Earl of Gaury taken and brought in Prisoner before him by Colonel Stuart And he thought his Estate was thereby settled which indeed for that time came true because the Lords who had taken Sterling so soon as they understood of the taking of the Earl of Gaury fled incontinently out of Sterling and at last out of the Country Believing that the said Earl had been taken willingly supposing his affection to have been so great to His Majesty as being his near kinsman come of the House of Angus his Mother being a Natural Daughter of the said House that he would be thereby induced to discover the whole design He not having been upon the first design of any enterprise but drawn in afterwards by the craftiness of others Upon these considerations His Majesty had compassion upon him and had no intentions of taking his Life But the Earl of Arran was fully resolved to have his Lands and therefore to make a Party to assist him in that design he ingaged to divide them with several others upon condition that they would assist him in the design of ruining him Which afterwards he did having by this means procured their Consent and Votes At his death upon the Scaffold he shewed himself a devout Christian and a resolute Roman much regrated by all who heard his grave Harangue and did see his constant End After his death there was quietness for a while though without appearance of long continuance to such as took up matters right During this little while of fair Weather there was a Parliament held to forfault the banished Lords wherein these were chiefly instrumental who hoped to raise their particular Fortunes upon the ruine of their Neighbours Among others it pleased His Majesty to write for me I was by him graciously received and remembring some of my Speeches he took me into his Cabinet and inquired how I now relished his proceedings I answered That he had reason to thank God and no good management and that I was assured there would be yet more enterprises That they who took Sterling and had retired again would never cease to make enterprise upon enterprise till they might see themselves in a better security His Majesty replied That they had gained so little by their last in-coming that he believed they would never commit such a folly again I answered That had not the accidental taking of the Earl of Gaury fallen out their enterprise would have been more successful For they suspected he was taken by his own desire to bewray their enterprise That otherwise they had gained their intent seeing some who were then about His Majesty would have concurred with them to lay aside the Earl of Arran whom they assisted for aw and not for love they hating his insolency and seeing no Outgate how to stand by him And that there had for that effect been secret promises made to them by instruments who went betwixt them But seeing the Earl of Gaury in hands and the said Lords thereby so discouraged as to fly away such as had made the said secret promises took up a new deliberation shewing themselves their greatest Enemies While in the mean time they but waited an opportunity of advancing their intentions About this time the Lord Burleigh chief Ruler in England caused send in one Mr. Davison to be an Agent here to see what business he could brew who was afterward made Secretary For after the decease of Walsingham Secretary Cicil being advanced to be Lord Burleigh and great Treasurer of England two Secretaries were chosen one called Mr. Smith and this Davison whose Predecessor was a Scotsman Upon which consideration he was thought more able to conquer credit here He had been in Scotland before and was at my house in company with Sir Henry Killegrew my old friend when he was Resident in Scotland At which time he acknowledged to me that he was come of Scotsmen and was a Scotsman in his heart and a favourer of the King 's Right and Title to the Crown of England He desired me to keep all secret from Mr. Killegrew promising if he could find the means to be employed here that he would do good Offices His Majesty was for the time at Falkland and wrote for me to be directed to ride and meet the said Davison Whom I was commanded to Convoy to Coupar there to remain till his Majesty had time to give him Audience Afterward I Convoyed him to my own house and from that to Falkland where His Majesty found his Commission to small avail But because Walsingham had refused at his being here to speak with the Earl of Arran albeit the said Earl had offered by me to give satisfaction to him in all his desires so that he would confer with him Which Walsingham still refused but Mr. Davison was directed at this time to deal with the Earl of Arran to see what advantage might be had at his hand For my Lord Burleigh was not content that Walsingham was so precise therefore Davison entred into familiarity with him and was made his Gossip and heard his frank offers and liked well of them For after that the Lords were fled to England and forfaulted the Council of England thought they had some ground to build
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
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
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'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 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
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
him to be poisoned having learned that Art in Italy called an Italian Possit The Cardinal David Beaton was with his Majesty in the time of his death and caused to be written the Form of a Testament at his own pleasure being dictated by himself which upon that reason was afterward annulled The King of England could not forget this injury and displeasure done him of the Kings breaking of his promise He was much troubled at his death his Wars were rather to have moved the Estates of Scotland to know that his favour and friendship had been better for them than his feud He was still in hope to have gained him with consent and advice of the best of his Subjects to have joined in a Bond Offensive and Defensive For he had received information of the Kings worthy qualities and rare natural endowments and entertained a marvellous great love and liking of him Thinking he could not have left the Kingdom in a better hand than to his own Sisters Son nearest in bloud unto him and meetest of any to build up a fair Monarchy to be first begun in a manner in his own person In respect that for his time which he looked would be but short his Nephew would have been but his Coadjutor and Lieutenant under him and after him possess the whole under one Religion one Law and one Head And thought that thereby France should never afterward have the occasion of stirring up the one Country against the other and that the Pope should be secluded from gathering up such sums of Silver from his Subjects for Confirmation of Benefices or for Bulls or Dispensations For his wrath and vengeance against the Pope was exceeding great who had made him many promises and had broken them all fearing as said is to offend the Emperour who was so great and mighty a Prince Therefore the King of England seeing he had now altogether lost the hopes of the Scots alliance and concurrence he compelled the Gentlemen of England to exchange their Lands with the Lands of Abbies Cloisters and other Temple Lands giving them more than their own that so the said Lands should never return to the Kirk without a manifest Rebellion or a dangerous subversion of the whole state of the Kingdom And to be revenged upon the said Cardinal David Beaton who he thought had disappointed him of all the hope he had of Scotland he dealt with Sir George Douglass and the Earl of Angus who were but lately returned out of England where they had resided during the time of their banishment till the death of King James V. These two Brothers appearing to be of the Reformed Religion persuaded Norman Lesly Master of Rothes the young Laird of Grange and John Lesly of Parkhill who had been persecuted by the said Cardinal for Religion after he had taken their Preacher Mr. George Wishard and burnt him at St. Andrews These I say were easily stirred up to slay him whom they were persuaded to be an Enemy to the true Religion to the welfare of the Country and to themselves in particular This proud Cardinal was slain then in his Castle at S. Andrews and so ended all his practices having obtained nothing but vain travel for his pretences and sudden death Having been the occasion of the death of a worthy King who was inclined to Justice and gave no credit to his Officers in their two special points to reward and punish For whoever did him good service he would see them rewarded yea albeit they chanced to be absent and as to punishing of Evil Doers so soon as he had heard the complaint he leapt upon his Horse and did ride to the parties himself with a few company ere they could be aware of him and he would see sharp execution So that he was deservedly both loved and feared He was very couragious well favoured and shapen of a middle stature very able of body But evil company fell about him entering out of Child-hood into furious Youth enticing him to Harlotry striving who should spie out for him the fairest Maidens and likewise at length mens Wives with them he abused his body to the offence of God and divers good Subjects For which he was not left unpunished for he had but two young Sons and they died both within eleven hours so that at his decease he had but one Daughter called Mary born when he was upon his Death-bed King Henry VIII of England having onely one Son called Edward he and the Estates of both Countries desiring still this whole Isle of Britain to be united in one Monarchy made a contract of marriage between the said two which was afterward broken upon our part her Majesty being transported unto France by the West Seas Whereupon ensued great War between the two Kingdoms which was afterwards agreed upon this condition that Edward should marry Elizabeth eldest Daughter to Henry II. of France and Francis his Son should marry our Queen My Lord Hamilton was advanced to the Government of the Country by the Laird of Grange Treasurer Mr. Henry Balnears and others that were of the Reformed Religion whenas he appeared to be a true Gospeller But he had been afterward soon altered by the Abbot of Pasly his Bastard-brother and became a great Persecuter of Gods Word and had been by the persuasions of the said Abbot and Cardinal easily drawn to break the said Contract of Marriage made between King Edward and our Queen After that the young Queen came to France there was great disputing whether the Marriage with the Dauphine should take effect or not For at that time there were two Factions in the French Court first the Brethren to the House of Guise as the Duke of Guise and the Cardinal of Lorrain brothers to our Queen Dowager and uncles to our young Queen Mary pressed earnestly to set forward the said Marriage with France the old Constable Duke of Montmorancy was of opinion that it was meetest to give her in marriage to some Duke or Prince in France and to send them both home to Scotland to keep that Country in good obedience Because when Princes are absent and far from their own ruling their Countries by Lieutenants most commonly the Subjects of such Countries use to rebel which if Scotland should do it would be hard and costly to get them reduced And thereby in stead of making France the better of the Marriage with the Dauphin it might make it to be in a far worse case The House of Guise again desiring to have their Sisters Daughter Queen of France to augment their reputation and credit alledged it would be both honourable and profitable to the Crown of France to have this addition And that there were Revenues in abundance to maintain Garrisons within the Kingdom to hold the Subjects under obedience building Citadels and having the whole strength in their hands Herein they prevailed she being married unto the Dauphine John de Monluck Bishop of Valence was sent Ambassador from France
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 her self married had she ever minded to have taken a Husband But being determined to end her life in Virginity she wished that the Queen her Sister might marry him as meetest of all other with whom she could find in her heart to declare her second person For being matched with him it would best remove out of her mind all fears and suspicions to be offended by any usurpation before her death Being assured that he was so loving and trusty that he would never permit any such thing to be attempted during her time And that the Queen my Mistress might have the higher esteem of him I was required to stay till I should see him made Earl of Leicester and Baron of Denbigh which was done at Westminster with great solemnity the Queen her self helping to put on his Ceremonial he sitting upon his knees before her with a great gravity But she could not refrain from putting her hand in his neck smilingly tickling him the French Ambassadour and I standing by Then she turned asking at me How I liked him I answered that as he was a worthy Servant so he was happy who had a Princess who could discern and reward good Service Yet says she you like better of yonder long Lad pointing toward my Lord Darnly who as nearest Prince of the Blood did bear the Sword of Honour that day before her My answer was That no Woman of spirit would make choice of such a Man who more resembled a Woman then a Man For he was handsom beardless and Lady faced And I had no will that she should think that I liked him or had any eye or dealing that way Albeit I had a secret charge to deal with my Lady Lennox to endeavour to procure liberty for him to go to Scotland where his Father was already under the pretext of seeing the Countrey and conveying the Earl his Father back again to England Now I found the Queen of England was determined to treat with my Sovereign first concerning her marriage with the Earl of Leicester and for that effect she promised to send Commissioners unto the Borders In the mean time I was very favourably and familiarly used For during nine days that I remained at the Court it pleased her Majesty to confer with me every day and sometimes thrice in a day in the morning after Dinner and after Supper Sometimes she would say that seeing she could not meet with the Queen her good Sister to confer with familiarly that she was resolved to open a good part of her inward mind to me that I might shew it again unto the Queen She told me she was not so much offended with the Queens angry Letter as that she seemed so far to disdain the marriage of my Lord of Leicester which she had caused Mr. Randolph to propose to her I answered That it was probable he had let fall something thereof to my Lord of Murray and Lidingtoun but that he had never proposed the matter directly to her self and that as well her Majesty as those who were her most familiar Councellors could conjecture nothing thereupon but delays and driving off time concerning the declaring of her to be second Person which would be clearly tryed at the meeting of the Commissioners above specified She replied That the tryal and declaration thereof would be hasted forward according to the Queens good behaviour and applying her self to follow her pleasure and advice in her marriage And seeing the matter concerning the said declaration was so weighty and of so much import she had ordered some of the best Lawyers in England diligently to search out who had the best right and she heartily wisht it might be found to be her dear Sister rather than any other I said I was very confident that her Majesty was ingenuous in that Declaration and that my Mistress expected no other at her hand But I lamented that even the wisest Princes did not sufficiently pry into the hidden designs of their familiar Councellors and Servants except it were such an honourable and rare Prince as Henry the Eighth her Majesties Father of happy memory who of his own head was determined to declare his Sisters Son King James the Fifth Heir apparent to the Crown of England failing Heirs to be gotten of his own Body while her Majesty was not yet born but only her Sister Queen Mary and that for the earnest desire he had to unite this whole Island She said she was glad he did it not I said that then he had but one Daughter and expected no more Children and yet he had not so many suspicions in his head as your Majesty hath though you are certainly convinced you will never have any Children seeing your Majesty declares your self resolved to dye a Virgin Yes says she I am resolved never to marry if I be not thereto necessitated by the Queen my Sister 's harsh behaviour toward me I know the truth of that Madam said I you need not tell it me Your Majesty thinks if you were married you would be but Queen of England and now you are both King and Queen I know your spirit cannot endure a Commander She appeared to be so affectionate to the Queen her good Sister that she expressed a great desire to see her And because their so much by her desired meeting could not be so hastily brought to pass she appeared with great delight to look upon her Majesties picture She took me to her Bed-chamber and opened a little Cabinet wherein were divers little pictures wrapped within Paper and their Names written with her own hand upon the Papers Upon the first that she took up was written My Lord's Picture I held the Candle and pressed to see that picture so named she appeared loath to let me see it yet my importunity prevailed for a sight thereof and found it to be the Earl of Leicester's picture I desired that I might have it to carry home to my Queen which she refused alledging that she had but that one picture of his I said your Majesty hath here the Original for I perceived him at the farthest part of the Chamber speaking with Secretary Cicil Then she took out the Queens picture and kissed it and I adventured to kiss her hand for the great love therein evidenced to my Mistress Se shewed me also a fair Ruby as great as a Tenis Ball I desired that she would either send it or my Lord of Leicester's picture as a Token unto the Queen She said if the Queen would follow her counsel that she would in process of time get all she had that in the mean time she was resolved in a Token to send her with me a fair Diamond It was at this time late after Supper she appointed me to be with her the next morning by Eight of the Clock at which time she used to walk in her Garden She inquired several things of me relating to this Kingdom and other Countries wherein I had travelled She caused me
for fifteen days Therefore she welcomed me with a merry volt and thanked me for the diligence I had used in hasting to give her that welcome intelligence All this she said before I had delivered unto her my Letter of Credence After that she had read it I declared how that the Queen had hasted me towards her Majesty as one whom she knew of all her friends would be most joyful of the glad news of her delivery albeit dear bought with the peril of her life she being so sore handled that she wished she had never been married This I said by the way to give her a little scare from marriage For so my Brother had counselled me because sometimes she boasted to marry the Arch duke Charles of Austria when any Man pressed her to declare a second person Then I requested her Majesty to be a Gossip to the Queen to which she gladly condescended Your Majesty said I will now have a fair occasion to see the Queen whereof I have heard your Majesty so oft desirous Whereat she smiled saying she wished that her estate and affairs might permit her In the mean time she promised to send both honourable Lords and Ladies to supply her room Then I gave her Majesty in my Queen's name most hearty thanks for her friendly visiting and comforting her by Mr. Henry Killegrew She inquired if I had left him in Scotland and what was the cause of his long stay I answered That the Queen took her Chamber shortly after his arrival which was the chief cause of his delay But I had in Commission to tell her Majesty something thereabout to satisfie her mind in the mean time and to thank her Majesty for the putting away of the Scots Rebels out of her Country albeit there were some Reports that they were yet secretly entertained by some of her Subjects though I hardly believed that any of her Subjects durst be so bold or so disobedient She affirmed they were out of her Dominions and if it might be otherwise tryed out it should not pass without rigorous punishment I told her Majesty that upon her desire and Ambassadours complaint the Queen had caused to apprehend Mr. Ruxbie and had ordered him to be delivered to her Majesty whenever she should please to send for him And as concerning Oneel she had no dealing with him nor knew that there had been any Servant of his sent to my Lord Arguile until Mr. Killegrew's coming that she caused to enquire at the said Earl who acknowledged that Oneel had sent one unto him about private purposes betwixt themselves but that she did neither see nor speak with that Man nor had any dealing with any Man in Ireland Her Majesty seemed to be well satisfied with the matters of Ireland and concerning Mr. Ruxbie but she forgot to send for him Before I took my farewell in order to my return I entred with her Majesty concerning the Title For my Lord of Leicester was become my Queens avowed friend and had been twice in hand with the Queen of England a little before my coming desiring her to declare my Mistress next Heir Alledging it would be her greatest security and cried out in anger that Cicil would undo all Likewise the Duke of Norfolk the Earl of Pembroke and several others shewed themselves openly her friends after they understood the birth of the Prince So that her Majesty's matters in England were hopeful and therefore I was advised to say unto her Majesty That I was assured she had formerly delayed the declaring the Queen second person only till she might see such Succession of her body as now God had graciously granted intreating her Majesty to embrace that fair offered opportunity of satisfying the minds of many as well in England as in Scotland who desired to see that matter out of doubt And the rather because that the Queen my Mistress would never seek any Place or Right in England but by her Majesties favour and furtherance She answered That the birth of the Prince was a great Spur to cause the most skilful Lawyers in England to use greater diligence in trying out that matter which she esteemed to belong most justly to her good Sister and that she wished from her heart that it should be that way decided I replied That at my last being with her I found her Majesty upon the same tearms but that as I had brought her good news from the Queen I was very desirous to be so happy as to carry home with me unto her Majesty the good tydings of that so long delayed Declaration She answered she was resolved to satisfie the Queen in that matter by those Noblemen she was resolved to send unto Scotland for the Baptism of the Prince All this I perceived to be but shifts and so took my leave because my Brother was to remain there The next day her Majesty sent unto me her Letter with the Present of a fair Chain My Brother gave me the advice of her Majesties friends together with his own instructions how to proceed after my coming home as followeth First That he is in such suspicion for his handling there by the advertisements of Mr. Ruxbie and practises of her Enemies that her Majesty must signifie to Mr. Killegrew that she is minded shortly to call him home else he fears he shall be commanded to return Secondly That her Majesty require the Earl of Leicester and Secretary Cicil to be sent to be her Gossips as fittest instruments to perfect all Articles and good Offices of Amity betwixt them Item That Mr. Killegrew be well treated and rewarded that he may make good report to hold off discord that intelligence may continue and desire him to declare unto the Earl of Leicester and Secretary Cicil that it cannot stand with good friendship to be so long fed with fair words without effect Item That her Majesty cast not off the Earl of Northumberland albeit as a fearful and facile man he delivered her Letter to the Queen of England neither appear to find fault with Sir Henry Pearcie as yet for his dealing with Mr. Ruxbie which he doeth to gain favour at Court being upon a contrary faction to his Brother the Earl Item That Mr. Ruxbie be well kept and sent far North to some secure part that he give no hasty intelligence for he hath already written unto Secretary Cicil by Sir Henry Pearcy his convoyance that he can discover all your practises and secrets Let my Lord Arguile entertain Oneel as of himself the Queen not appearing to know thereof The Secretary Cicil devised strange practises against the meeting which because my Lord of Leicester discovered unto the Queen his Mistress Cicil stirred up the Earl of Sussex to forge a quarrel against him but the Queen took the Earl of Leicester's part and finally agreed them and also Leicester and Ormond Item That her Majesty should write two Letters with Mr. Killegrew to my Brother the one that he might shew unto the
kind of Writings were for that time devised to overthrow and cast down some intelligences which were discovered by Ruxbie and some reports raised by Enemies that my Brother by his practises and perswasions had kindled a great fire and had raised a great faction in England he did not deny but he had dealt with many to win what favour he could to his Mistress but that he had done nothing that could offend the Queen of England and that he had no Commandment to enterprise any thing which could be displeasing to her by this means Ruxbie's intelligence was suppressed and my Brother suffered to stay still in England whereby the Queens friends so increased that many whole Shires were ready to Rebell and their Captains already named by the Election of the Nobility About this time her Majesty was advertised by my Brothers Letters that the Earl of Bedford was upon his journey toward Scotland with an honourable Company As also the Ambassadour of France and Savoy for the Baptism of the Prince which moved her Majesty to pass to Sterling with the Prince for the solemnizing thereof but she was still sad and pensive for the late foul act committed in her presence so irreverently she being their born Queen and thereby in hazard of losing the fruit of her Womb so many great sighs she would give that it was pity to hear her and few there were to endeavour to comfort her Sometime she would declare part of her grief to me which I essayed the best I could to asswage by telling her that I thought the greater multitude of friends that she had got in England should cause her to forget in Scotland the lesser number of Enemies and unruly offenders unworthy of her wrath and that her excellent qualities in Clemency Temperance and Fortitude should not suffer her mind to be possest or supprest with the remembrance of offences but that rather she should bend up her spirit by a Princely and Womanly behaviour whereby she might best gain the hearts of the whole people both here and in England humbly requesting her Majesty first to consult with her God next with her honour and thirdly with her interest in the establishing of her state and in joining the two Kingdoms in a happy Monarchy which she knew to be so near effectuate in her person seeing also the banished estate of the offenders so miserable they not having a hole to hide their head in nor a peny wherewith to buy their Dinner that the most noble natures would think them sufficiently punished that it was a comely thing for a woman to be pitiful and to want vengeance I leave it said I Madam to your own judgment whether presently it be more for your honour and advancement of your interest to cease from any desire or persuit of any further revenge whereupon may ensue more desperate enterprises or to give place unto necessity and reason to rule over the beastly passions of the mind For as Princes are called divine persons so no Prince can pretend to this Title but he who draws near the nature of God by godliness and good Government being slow to vengeance and ready to forgive It is manifestly known that wise Princes entertain no longer feud at their Enemies then they see it may be needful for the weal of their Affairs and State and they change their favour and hatred according to time and occasions Your Majesty may remember that many things might have been better managed I speak this with love and reverence Your Majesty might have been as well obeyed as ever was any King in Scotland if you had taken such Princely care as was requisite You know how that by your Majesties own express Commandment I did shew you long before what inconveniencies were like to fall out upon the grudges I perceived before the slaughter of Rixio and God is my witness I did what lay in my power to have them eschewed and prevented And since that time your Majesty hath repented that my advice was not followed I pray God that the like repentance fall not out again too late At my being in England your adversaries were beginning to vaunt upon vain reports that our Westerly winds had blown East among them so that my Brother and I had enough to do to beat it out of the heads of divers who were devotedly addicted to the advancement of your Title This communing began at the entry of her Supper in her Ear in French when she was casting up great sighs refusing to eat upon any perswasion that my Lord of Murray and Mar could make to her The Supper being ended her Majesty took me by the hand and went down through the Park of Sterling and came up through the Town ever reasoning with me upon their purposes And albeit she took hardly with them at the first she began to alter her mind thinking fit that my Lord of Bedford should intercede for her Rebels they to be banished out of England and Scotland during her pleasure and so to be by time reconciled to them according to their future deportments and for her part she purposed to proceed with such a gracious Government as should win the victory over her self and all her Competitours and Enemies in time-coming which she could have done as well as any Prince in Europe But alas she had bad Company about her for the Earl of Bothwel who had a mark of his own that he shot at as soon as he understood of her wife and merciful deliberations he took occasion to bring in the Earl of Mortoun and his associates thereby to make them his friends and by them to fortifie his faction For apparently he had already in his head the resolution of performing the foul murther of the King which he afterwards put in execution that he might marry the Queen Both which he brought to pass to his own utter wrack and confusion and thereby great trouble and mischief upon the Country and was also at last the Queens wrack and the hinderance of all our hopes in the hasty obtaining of all her desires concerning the Crown of England The Queens Majesty being advertised that the Earl of Bedford was come to Berwick on his Journey to the Baptism sent me well accompanied with diligence to meet him at Coldingham to be his first Convoy and to inform him rightly of all her proceedings and to overthrow all evil brutes invented by the malice of her adversaries For as I have said it was a perverse time and the more that the number of her friends increased in England the more practises her Enemies made and the more lyes were invented against her But the good Earl gave me more credit then he did to any wrong report that was made For he was at this time become one of the surest and most affectionate friends she had in England There came with him Mr. Cary eldest Son to my Lord of Husdean Mr. Hattoun greatest in favour with the Queen of England for
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
and himself was found dead lying a little distance from the House under a Tree He desired me to go up and see him how that there was not a hurt nor a mark on all his Body But when I went up to see him he had been taken into a Chamber and kept by one Alexander Durham but I could not get a sight of him The bruit began to rise that the Queen would marry the Earl of Bothwel who had six months before married the Earl of Huntly's Sister and that for this design he was resolved to part with his own Lady Whereat every good Subject who loved the Queens honour and the Prince's safety had sore hearts thinking thereby her Majesty would be dishonoured and the Prince in danger to be cut off by him who had slain his Father But few or none durst speak in the contrary yet my Lord Herreis a worthy Nobleman came to Edinbrugh well accompanied and told her Majesty what reports were going through the Country of the Earl of Bothwel's murthering the King and how that she was to marry him requesting her Majesty most humbly upon his knees to remember her honour and dignity and the safety of the Prince which all would be in danger if she married the said Earl with many other great perswasions to shew the utter wrack and inconveniencies would be thereby occasioned Her Majesty appeared to wonder how these reports could go abroad seeing as she said there was no such thing in her mind He beg'd her Majesties pardon and prayed her to take his honest meaning in a good part And immediately took his farewell fearing the Earl of Bothwel should get notice thereof He had fifty Horse with him for the time and caused each of them to buy a new Spear at Edinbrugh and so rode home I was resolved to have said as much to her Majesty but in the mean time there came a Letter to me from one Thomas Bishop a Scottishman who had been long in England and was a great perswader of many in England to favour her Majesties Title He used oft to write unto my Brother and me informations and advertisements At this time in his Letter to me he used even the like Language that my Lord Herreis had spoken but more freely because he was absent in another Country He adjured me to shew the said Letter unto her Majesty declaring how it was bruited in England that her Majesty was to marry the Earl of Bothwel who was the murtherer of her Husband who at present had a Wife of his own a Man full of all Vice which reports he could not believe by reason that he judged her Majesty to be of far greater knowledge then to commit such a gross oversight so prejudicial every way to her interest and the noble mark he knew she shot at Seeing if the married him she would lose the favour of God her own reputation and the hearts of all England Ireland and Scotland with many other disswasions and examples of History which would be tedious to rehearse I had been some days absent but upon receipt hereof I went to Court to shew this Letter to her Majesty protesting that she would take it in good part After that her Majesty had read the said Letter she gave it me again without any more speech but called upon the Secretary Lidingtoun and told him that I had shewed her a strange Letter desiring him also to read it He asked what it could be She answered a device of his own tending to the wrack of the Earl of Bothwel He took me by the hand and drew me aside to see the said Letter which when he had read he asked what had been in my mind for says he so soon as the Earl Bothwel gets notice hereof as I fear he will very shortly he will cause you to be killed I said it was a sore matter to see that good Princess run to utter wrack and no body to be so far concerned in her as to forwarn her of her danger He said I had done more honestly then wisely and therefore I pray you says he retire diligently before the Earl of Bothwel comes up from his Dinner Her Majesty told him at her first meeting having first ingaged him to promise to do me no harm Notwithstanding whereof I was inquired after but was slown and could not be found till his fury was slaked For I was advertised there was nothing but slaughter in case I had been gotten Whereat her Majesty was much dissatisfied telling him that he would cause her be left of all her Servants whereupon he renewed his ingagements that I should receive no harm whereof I being advertised I went again unto her Majesty shewing her that she had never so much injured me as by thinking that I had invented the said Letter assuring her that it came from the said Thomas Bishop and that albeit it had not come from him I thought it my duty to have freely told her Majesty my opinion in all reverence and humility which was contained in the said Letter but I found she had no mind to enter upon this subject Shortly after her Majesty went to Sterling and in her back-coming betwixt Lithgow and Edinbrugh the Earl of Bothwel rancountered her with a great Company and took her Majesties Horse by the Bridle his men took the Earl of Huntly the Secretary Lidingtoun and me and carried us Captives to Dumbar All the rest were permitted to go free There the Earl of Bothwel boasted he would marry the Queen who would or who would not yea whether she would her self or not Captain Blachater who had taken me alledged that it was with the Queens own consent The next day in Dumbar I obtained permission to go home Afterward the Court came to Edinbrugh and there a number of Noblemen were drawn together in a Chamber within the Palace where they all subscribed a paper declaring that they judged it was much the Queens interest to marry Bothwel he having many friends in Louthian and upon the Borders which would cause good order to be kept And then the Queen could not but marry him seeing he had ravished her and lain with her against her will I cannot tell how nor by what Law he parted with his own Wife Sister to the Earl of Huntly A little before this the Earl of Murray had desired liberty to go to France the Secretary Lidingtoun had been long in suspicion absent from Court and was brought in again by my Brother Sir Robert's perswasion for the great credit and handling he had with many Noblemen in England favourers of her Majesties Title albeit that he had as great credit himself yet he would not follow the custom of ambitious Courtiers who would ingross all to themselves unwilling to suffer a Companion He knew also that he was suspected because the Earl Bothwel was not his friend Thus Lidingtoun was again brought in but not long after the Earl of Bothwel thought to have slain him in
time and indigent of mony thought he would be very fortunate if again he could obtain the Dukes friendship and pardon so he was brought easily and secretly unto the Duke by Sir Nicholas At which time he granted his offence excusing himself the best he could by the craft and importunity of some of his Company The Duke helped him to frame his excuse alledging That he knew how his gentle nature was abused by the craft and concurrence of some of the Council of England who had joined with some about him That if he would for the future keep touch and be secret they should take a course with all those who had drawn on that draught The Regent promised as far as could be devised so that a greater friendship was packed up between them then ever The Duke had before told him That he was resolved to marry the Queen our Mistress and that he should never permit her to come to Scotland nor yet that he should ever Rebell against the Queen of England during her time Also that he had a Daughter who would be meeter for the King then any other for many Reasons Now the Duke took in hand to cause the Queen his Mistress to give unto my Lord Regent Two thousand pound sterling for the which Sum he became Cautioner and was afterward compelled to pay it After that the Regent had got this mony and had taken his leave of the Queen he was advised by such as had great credit about him to tell the Queen all things that had past again betwixt the Duke and him And to do it the more covertly it was devised That the Queen of England should send for him pretending to give him some admonition about some order to be observed upon the Border This being done and all things discovered to the Queen with a promise so soon as he came to Scotland and had received any Letters from the Duke by Cyphers or otherwise he should send them to England by an Express In the mean time the Duke wrote unto our Queen advertising her again of the new friendship between him and the Regent who was become very penitent and had been formerly deceived by craftier men then himself desiring her to let him pass by without any harm done to him or any in his company by the way At that time the Duke commanded over all the North parts of England where the Queen our Mistress was kept and so might have taken her out when he pleased And when he was angry at the Regent he had appointed the Earl of Westmerland to lye in his way and cut off himself and so many of his company as were most bent upon the Queens Accusation But after the last agreement the Duke sent and discharged the said Earl from doing us any harm yet upon our return the Earl came in our way with a great Company of Horse to signifie to us that we were at his mercy After the Regents safe return to Scotland Mr. John Wood his Secretary peocured upon the first occasion to be sent to England with all the Letters that had been sent from the Duke of Norfolk which could tend to undo him He desired Mr. Henry Balneavs to cause the Regent to give him the Bishoprick of Murray void for the time though he pretended it was neither for ambition nor covetousness of the Rents but that he might have an honourable Style to set out the better his Ambassage The said Mr. Henry being indeed such a man as Mr. John would appeared to have been was very angry and never liked him ester that my Lord Lindsay vented himself That he was one of the number who gave the Regent counsel so to do alledging that such promises as were made to the Duke of Norfolk for fear of life ought not to be kept A little after that Mr. John was come back to Scotland well rewarded for his pains the Duke was sent for by the Queen to come to Court Whereupon first he posted in haste to Secretary Cicil to demand his counsel for he reposed much upon him they being joined in one course The other made answer That there was no danger he might come and go at his pleasure no man would or durst offend him Which made the Duke ride up quietly only with his own train whereas otherwise he would have been well accompanied In the mean time Secretary Cicil informed the Queen That the necessity of the time obliged her not to omit this occasion but to take the matter stoutly upon her self and incontinent command her Guard to lay hands upon the Duke or else no other durst do it which if she did not at this time her Crown would be in peril The Queen following this counsel the Duke was taken and secured when he thought all England was at his Devotion who after long Captivity was Executed ending his Life devoutly in the Reformed Religion Shortly after Mr. John Wood's returning out of England there was a great Convention held at Pearth where the Regent was resolved to accuse Secretary Lidingtoun as being of Councel with the Duke of Norfolk but he had so many friends for the time that they durst not lay hands on him albeit from that hour forth he retired from the Court and remained with the Earl of Athol where the Regent entertained him with friendly Letters And upon a time being at Sterling he wrote for him to come and make a dispatch for England whither being come Captain Crauford was directed to accuse him before the Privy Council of the late King's murther and being accused of so odious a Crime he was committed to Ward Sir James Balfour was also taken out of his own House when he expected no such thing Then my Lord of Doun wrote to the Laird of Grange to be upon his guard for the Regent was resolved to take the Castle of Edenbrugh from him and make the Laird of Drumwhasel Captain thereof Which advertisement he had formerly given to Grange as also of the design to take the Secretary and Sir James Balfour But at the first he would not give credit thereto but now when he did see the Advertisement take effect he began to think that the Regent was strangely missed he would have been satisfied to have wanted the Castle and to have left the Court were it not for the desire he had to save the Lives of Secretary Lidingtoun and Sir James Balfour having upon his Honour engaged to protect the said Sir James upon his rendring up the Castle to him He knew they were wrongfully pursued only by the Malice and Envy of their Enemies for their Offices Sir James Balfour being taken sent unto the Laird of Grange minding him how he had joyned with the Lords and Regent upon the Trust he reposed on his Fidelity more than on all their Seals and Hand-writings which he had to produce Whereupon the Laird of Grange sent a Gentleman to the Regent but the Regent purged himself and alledged the Councel were
instrumental in perswading the Laird of Grange to be upon a contrary Faction I would not be that instrument neither would I desert the King's interest though he should cause all the rest of my Lands to be taken from me Seeing that Grange could not be moved to join with the Queens Faction according to the desire of the Court of England for the rest of that Kingdom was sorry to see this kind of dealing the English Ambassadour perswaded the Regent to irritate and incense him by all manuer of slights done to himself and his dependers In the mean time my Lord Duke the Earls of Arguile and Huntly addressed themselves unto him making their moan That they being Noblemen of the Country of considerable Interest were refused to be admitted in the Society of the rest who sought their ruine under pretext of the King's Authority by the Regent the Earl of Mortoun and others not their friends requesting him to be their Protector and to assist them during the King's minority Telling him how that they at first would gladly have joined with the King's Lords for maintaining the King's Authority but could not get place nor be admitted Thus Grange finding himself neglected with the King's Lords and sought after by the Queens he was compelled to declare with that side at length having with him the Lord Hume male-content Also Secretary Lidingtoun and Sir James Balfour spurring him on to take that course he was resolved to take that side for his next refuge he having been among the rest summoned to be forfaulted Now the two furious Factions being in this manner framed their hatred and rage grew greater and greater For Mr. Randolph knew the animosities which were among the Nobility and the nature of every one in particular by his frequent coming and his long residence in Scotland And among the Ladies he had a Mother and a Mistress to whom he caused his Queen frequently to send Commendations and Tokens He also used his craft with the Ministers offering Gold to such of them as he thought could be prevailed with to accept of his offer but such as were honest refused his gifts He gave largely to all such as he knew were able to serve him in his design of kindling this fire and his endeavours were so successful that the two parties were not only stirred up to fight and shed one anothers blood but would revile each other with injurious and blasphemous words and at length fell to the down-casting of each others Houses to which England gave no small assistance having sent in a number of Men of War to throw down Hamiltoun This was occasioned by some probability that appeared of a Reconciliation of the two Factions by the endeavours of some of the most prudent Ministers who did all they could to prevent the ensuing troubles And they foresaw that this prejudice was done to the Hamiltouns to inrage them so as there might be no hope of agreement when they should see themselves so far injured Now as Nero stood upon a high part of Rome to see the Town burning which he had caused to be set on fire so Mr. Randolph delighted to see such a fire by his craft kindled in Scotland which was in all probability like to burn it up And in his Letters to some of the Court of England he gloried that he had kindled a fire in Scotland which could not be easily extinguished Which when it came to the knowledge of Sir Nicholas Throgmorton he wrote to my Brother Sir Robert and me advertising us how we were handled expressing his detestation both at Secretary Cicil directer and Mr. Randolph as executer All the honest Men in England were sorry at it of which number there are as many within that Country as in any other so much bounds in Europe My Brother and I did shew the Letters we had received from Sir Nicholas to the Laird of Grange and so many within the Castle as we knew to be secret which they easily believed as being Men of great understanding who had noticed Mr. Randolph's proceedings Whereupon there were some secret meetings drawn on between my Lord Hume and my Lord Ruthven as near kinsmen The Lord Ruthven was in greatest favour with the Regent for the time being also Treasurer he was desired to come and speak with my Lord Hume during the hottest of the Civil Wars At which time Secretary Lidingtoun and my Brother Sir Robert came into communing with the Lord Ruthven after that he and the Lord Hume had spoken a space together and did shew him how the Regent was used by England and how this Kingdom was abused by the tricks of a few for advancing their selfish ends and also how that the Earl of Mortoun had desired secretly to come at midnight accompanied with Mr. Archibald Douglas to the Castle of Edinbrugh and had entertained long conference with them desiring their assistance and he should chace the Earl of Lennox back to England if they would accept and acknowledge him for Regent in his stead which they of the Castle would not grant looking upon the Earl of Lennox as a true Scots-man And they declared that their denying to assist him at first was his being sent for and brought in by them That therefore they feared at the first that he would have been too much at the devotion of the Court of England as being an English-man and having yet his Lady Children and Lands in that Country and moreover that he should be so led by the Earl of Mortoun and their factious Enemies that he would seek their utter ruine both because that Captain Crauford who had accused the Secretary was for the time Servant to the Earl of Lennox and alledged that he had a Commission from the said Earl to give in the said Accusation And that which gave matter enough to my Lord Hume was the bringing in of the Earl of Lennox by the Earl of Sussex and the taking of his two Houses of Hoome and Falcastle all at one time which he supposed not to have been done without the Earl of Lennox his knowledge and consent But since they understood that the Earl of Lennox and the whole Country was abused by England Mr. Randolph the Agent and the Earl of Mortoun they were resolved both to agree themselves and to cause all Scotland agree with the Regent if he would grant them reasonable conditions My Lord Ruthven was very glad of this offer and said he hoped to bring them a good answer from the Regent and the rather because the Earl of Mortoun was absent being malecontent for denying to him the grant of the Bishoprick of St. Andrews which the King's house and the Regent's might ill spare So he returned with this offer to the Regent who much rellisht it and after twice or thrice passing betwixt the Regent with the Lord Ruthven had concluded a Peace quietly in their minds none being as yet made privy thereto But as Ambassadours are great Spies and
upon him to save him from his particular Enemies For they all had ingaged to him e're they went from Edinbrugh not to kill one man else he would not have left them Wormistoun was also killed against the Regent's will who cryed continually to save him who had done what he could for his preservation The Regent dyed not suddenly but some days after and made a very godly end They who had lost this fair enterprise for want of Granges conduct had enough to do to save themselves and had been all taken had not those in Stirling wanted horses to pursue after them For those who had taken the horses did ride forward with all possible speed leaving their Masters in danger to do for themselves When they were returned back to Edinbrugh they were very unwelcome guests to the Laird of Grange who greatly lamented the Regent's slaughter He said openly If he knew who had done that foul deed or had directed it to be done his own hand should have revenged it And whereas before he used to be meek and gentle he could not now command himself but bursted out in harsh language calling them disorderly Beasts For he knew the Regent was inclined to Peace and was only ignorantly driven on by the Earl of Mortoun and Mr. Randolph's practises to hold the said Parliament to the hinderance of concord and agreement therefore his intention was to bring all the Kings Lords to the Castle of Edenbrugh and to have made an agreement betwixt them and the other faction before they had parted But God in his providence would not permit this for further punishment of our wickedness For the Parliaments held forward and each one of them forefaulted others the Kings Lords came and lay at Lieth and the Queens within the Town and Castle of Edenbrugh Mr. Randolph would have had Mortoun made Regent instead of Lennox but the Lords liked better of the Earl of Marr and chose him For a little time there was hot skirmishing betwixt Lieth and Edinbrugh and extream hatred betwixt the two Factions and great cruelties exercised where they could be Masters of one another And frequently the Marshal of Berwick came to Lieth to assist Mr. Randolph privately tho publickly to find fault with him for his proceedings which my Lord of Marrs friends perceived and himself at last whereupon he began to grow colder in the quarrel and withdrew himself to Stirling advising with his friends what was meetest to be done Alledging that he could see nothing but the wrack of the Country under pretext of owning the King and Queens Authority while neither Kings nor Queens was in any of their minds but only put on by their own partialities of ambition greediness and vengeance England kindling up both the Parties and then laughing them all to scorn After this Conference Captain James Cunningham servant to my Lord of Marr a discreet Gentleman desired a secret meeting with my Brother Sir Robert In the mean time the most part of the Kings Lords went to Stirling where the Regent was living My Lord of Mortoun went to Dalkieth my Lord Lindsay lay in Lieth When the Wars grew colder and notice thereof taken by the Court of England a new Ambassador was hasted to Scotland to wit Mr. Henry Killegrew an old acquaintance of mine For Mr. Randolph was returned home because he had not such Credit with the Earl of Marr as to do service to these he served and had lost the favour of both the Factions For his double dealing was discovered he having no Credit but with the Earl of Mortoun This new Ambassador being Arrived at Lieth upon his way toward Stirling where the Regent remained for the time he sent up to the Castle of Edenbrugh to see if I was there For they had told him in Lieth that I was newly come from Fiffe He desired that I would come and speak with him which I did and convoyed him unto Cramond reasoning together all the way upon such matters as he said he had in Commission chiefly how he might be a good instrument to agree the differences that were between the two Parties albeit I knew there was nothing less in his mind at least in his Commission He said He had the Queen his Mistress commands to deal with both Parties forConcord but that he was most concerned in these of the Castle albeit that outwardly he behooved first to go to the Regent being in civility engaged to give him the prerogative yet in effect he said my friends in the Castle were these to them he was chiefly directed that they should be preferred both by his first salutation by me to them and by two familiar Letters the one from my Lord of Leicester to the Laird of Grange and the other from Secretary Cicil to Secretary Lidingtoun desiring me to intreat them to follow the good counsel given therein by the said Lords who loved them intirely for their vertue and old acquaintance Hewi led me to tell them that after he had declared his Commission to the Regent he would come back again to them and at length declare his Commission to them from Her Majesty It appeared to me that he had intelligence how that Mr. Randolph's double dealing had been discovered therefore he seemed to find fault with him in many things though in general he excused him as far as he could until I adjured him upon the long and great familiarity that had been betwixt us to deal plainlier with me I told him he might serve his Mistress truly enough without casting me and my friends upon a wrong side which might be afterwards our ruin who deserved better at his hands then to put us in such dangers as if we were untoward dishonest or uncounsellable as Mr. Randolph had done forgetting the fraternity of Religion so well grounded among us during his banishment in France for Religion There he was compelled to confess to me that his Commission and his mind went not one way and that he was imployed against his will tho as a Servant he durst not disobey his Princess he said he would give me his loving counsel and warning very freely He said that the Council of England neither built their course here upon the late Regent nor yet upon this but intirely upon the Earl of Mortoun as well of their own Plot laid down long since as by the Information of Mr. Randolph who hath confirmed them in that Opinion so that they will not alter for no contrary persuasion Willing my friends and me to joyn our course and band with the Earl of Mortoun or else to expect no friendship from the Court of England but hurt and ruin so far as they might For albeit he was not Regent they knew that he had a great Faction in the Country which they were resolved what they could to encrease so that whoever was Regent he should get little or nothing done without his consent In this I thought he dealt plainly my friends of the Castle were
of that same Judgment yet they could not find in their heart to joyn with him albeit he sought their friendship offering to hold up the Queens Authority for they thought his course unsure for the King and setling of the Estate he being too much addicted to England After that this Ambassador had been with the Regent in Stirling and was come back again to Edinbrugh he told the rest of his Commission to them of the Castle to whom he used himself but like an Ambassador as he was directed He said that he found them more reasonable then the Regents Party Then he went to Dalkieth to meet with the Earl of Mortoun and thereafter returned to Edinbrugh to wait all fit occasions and informations how to proceed conform to the tenor of his instructions He had Commandment to stay in Scotland for a time to see if he could obtain as much Credit as to serve their turn who sent him And because I was of his greatest acquaintance he came with me to my house in Halhil and stayed a few dayes there to refresh his Spirits and after that I convoyed him back again to Edinbrugh he shewed me some Articles of his instructions one of the which was Item If the Captain of the Castle will condescend that all the differences now in question among the Scots be referred to be decided before us and our Councel as the rest of the Kings Lords have granted already we shall be his good friend maintain him in his Office and give him an honourable Pension But he plainly refused to comply with this saying he would prejudge his Prince and Country so that this and his other former refusals cost him his life afterwards About this time my Lord Regent sent a Letter to me with all diligence to come to him At my coming he made a heavy moan for the civil troubles that were kindled in the Country by the Craft and Malice of some in England and some in Scotland taking the colour of this or that authority and yet were only moved with their own particularities to the hurt both of King Queen and Country desiring me that I would go unto the Castle of Edinbrugh and shew them as of my own head and not as from him that I understood he perceived albeit too late how that we were all led upon the Ice and that it was the Interest of all true Scotsmen to agree that the State may be setled And says he you may desire them to seek to treat with me thereabout which you may assure them they will obtain if they will seek the same And offer your self to be the instrument to brâ—ng on a good agreement between them and me which shall by Gods Grace take good effect upon your return with their reasonable offers and answer Whereupon I went to Edinbrugh and found them all inclined to peace and quietness with little need of persuasions thereto for they were near a point before with my Lord of Lennox and some former Conference had been betwixt my Brother and Captain Cunningham thereabouts At my return to the Regent he was very glad saying he knew that these honest Gentlemen were ever willing to cease from civil discord seeing the Queen was Captive to whom their owning her authority could do no good but evil but that they had been by crafty practises cast against their wills upon a contrary course Then he inquired upon what conditions the Captain and his friends would agree I said that the Laird of Grange would not sell his Duty to His Prince and Country for advantage but would serve the King and his Country to settle the Estate so long as the Queen was detained in England and if God pleased to grant her liberty they doubted not but she and her Son should agree betwixt themselves to which all honest and good Subjects would consent They for their parts desired no Mans Land nor Goods but only Liberty peaceably to enjoy their own Livings Only Grange desired that the Regent would cause to pay certain Debts contracted for repairing of the Castle and Artillery which conditions the Regent promised to fulfil and to be an assured friend to Grange and those in the Castle And without any other Ceremonies he called the Laird of Tillibardin and after he declared unto him how far we had proceeded he put his hand in mine and did swear the Peace in presence of the said Tillibardin who had also been a good Instrument in the said agreement together with Mr. Clement Little afterwards Provost of Edinbrugh No man was privy thereto but my Lady Mar and Captain James Cuningham After this the Regent went to Edinbrugh to Convene the Lords of Councel to shew them the Calamities that the Civil-Wars produced and to let them see how necessary an agreement would be to the whole Country In the mean time until the appointed Councel-day he went to Dalkieth where he was nobly treated by the Lord of Mortoun shortly after which he took a vehement sickness which caused him to ride suddenly to Stirling where he dyed regrated by many Some of his friends and the vulgar suspected he had gotten wrong at his Banquet The Earl of Mortoun after the decease of the Earl of Marr was made Regent England helping it with all their might so soon as he was chosen he sent for me declaring how that against his mind and inclinations the Lords had burthened him with that troublesome Office whereof seeing he behoved to accept he could wish that he might stand the Country and Common-wealth in some stead First he would desire the help of all good and honest men to draw on Peace and Concord to the quieting the State praying me as one for whom he had ever entertained special favour to travail with my friends of the Castle for that effect and to persuade them to go forward with him as they were minded to do with the Earl of Marr assuring me that none of the former Regents had at any time been more willing then he was presently to put an end to the civil troubles nor that I should remember less the partialities past and that the Regent should not revenge the Earl of Mortoun's quarrels But whoever would serve the King and be his friend he would embrace them upon what faction soever they had formerly been And he was willing to give whatever conditions the Earl of Marr had offered that I should have the Priory of Pittenweem for my pains the Laird of Grange the Bishoprick of St. Andrews and Castle of Blackness and every one within the Castle should be restored to their Lands and Possessions as before It was very hard to bring on this agreement with the Earl of Mortoun for the evil opinion which was conceived of him and the hurtful marks they supposed by proofs and appearances that he would shoot at being by nature covetous and too great with England and ever Jealous that the King would be his ruine concerning which a Lady who was his
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
erect the Land into a Province He had lately refused the demands of Mr. Randolph and Mr. Killegrew as is before mentioned and had reproached both the said Ambassadors of false and deceitful dealing Last of all he had refused to put the Castle into the hands of English men and therefore because he was true to his Prince and Country it cost him his life For they boasted plainly to bring down that Gyants pride who as they alledged presumed to be another Wallace Albeit contrariwise he was humble gentle and meek like a Lamb in the House but like a Lyon in the Fields He was a lusty strong and well proportioned personage hardy and of a magnanimous Courage secret and prudent in all his enterprises so that never one that he made or devised misgave where he was present himself When he was Victorious he was very merciful and naturally liberal an enemy to greediness and ambition and a friend to all men in adversity He fell frequently in trouble in protecting innocent men from such as would oppress them so that these his worthy qualifications were also partly causes and means of his wrack For they promoted him so in the opinion of many that some loved him for his Religion Uprightness and Manliness others again depended upon him for his good fortune and apparent promotion whereby divers of them hoped to be advanced and rewarded supposing that Offices and Honours could not fail to fall to him All which he wanted through his own default for he had fled foom Avarice and abhorred Ambition and refused sundry great Offices even to be Regent which were in his offer as well as other great Benefices and Pensions Thus wanting place and subsistance to reward he was soon abandoned by his greedy and ambitious dependers for when they saw him at a strait they drew to others whom they perceived to aim at more profitable marks On the other hand he was as much envied by those who were of a vile and unworthy nature of whom many have made Tragical ends for their too great Avarice and Ambition as shortly after did the Earl of Mortoun This gallant Gentleman perished for being too little ambitious and greedy But so soon as the King's Majesty came to perfect age and had understood how matters had gone during his minority he caused to restore the Heirs of the said Laird of Grange whom he said was wracked contrary to the appointment made with the Marshal of Berwick and also ordered his bones to be taken up and buried honourably in the ancient Burial place of his Predecessors in Kinghorn After his death the Marshal of Berwick took so heavy displeasure finding himself so far affronted because of the breach of his promise and that the appointment which he had made with the Castle of Edinbrugh was not kept that he would tarry no longer in his Office at Berwick seeing he judged he had lost his credit and reputation for he was a plain Man of War and loved Grange so dearly that at his request he spared to cast down the Houses of Seatoun and Nidrie when he came in to cast down the House of Hamiltoun Likewise all the Officers of Berwick lamented the loss of so worthy a Captain The Regent triumphed for a while because of the great assistance that England made to him which they had never done to any of the former Regents but rather stirred up factions and parties against them to keep the Country in discord The causes that moved them so to assist him were That they believed the old jealousies betwixt the Stuarts and Douglasses should by him be brought to an end the young King being in his hands to be disposed of at pleasure the Queen his Mother being already Captive in their hands which two only could join Scotland and England in one Monarchy Therefore above all others the guiders of the Court of England for the time wished them out of the way as well for the great Offices done by them both to King and Queen as for the desire they had to destroy that Race and Line to place some of their own friends to succeed to the Crown of England So thinking that the Regent's mark in Scotland and theirs in England was conformable they established and fortified him in his Regiment though God in his goodness suffered not their practises to take effect For the Regent wanting Heirs of his own body and having no Competitors to stay him from doing any thing that he pleased when he thought the time meet he delayed matters and in the mean time bent his whole study how to gather riches and how to suck out substance both from England and Scotland moving England thereby too late to repent that they had not preserved the Laird of Grange to be an awe over the Regent as he kept the King to be an aw over them And as he was crafty so he was fearful and slow of nature and thought the Earl of Angus his Brother's Son yet too young and not capable to comprehend his hidden intention and therefore he was long of resolving In the mean time serving his own turn with England as they did with all the World when they were like to have any trouble among themselves or with their Neighbours then he compelled them to send him mony which they were necessitated to do though sore against their heart with a hidden despight and secret hatred at his slowness on the one part and covetousness on the other This Regent held the Country in an established Estate under great obedience better then for many years before or since For there was not another Earl of Mortoun to stir up the factious Subjects as he used to do against the rest of the Regents which made him so proud and disdainful that he despised the rest of the Nobility And using no Mans counsel but his own he became ungrateful to all his old Friends and Servants And being under pretext of Justice used to commit divers wrongs and extortions he caused to begin a Process against the Laird of Fentry because many years before a Thief had made his escape out of his hands and against the Laird of Seafield for a piece of Land and against Mr. James Thorntoun for his Benefice Thus as he had lost the favour of England so did he by such ways the hearts of all Scotland but only of George Auflech and Alexander Gerdan As for the Laird of Carmichael he lamented to me grievously of his ingratitude toward him and was minded to leave him untill I gave him counsel to help himself by the hurtful experience of the Laird of Grange and Walter Melvil my Brother who was one of the Gentlemen of the Earl of Murray's Chamber which two lost his favour so soon as he became Regent And likewise I told him that very way I lost him my self for we had been long familiar with him and had assisted him in all his troubles but when he was Regent we would with our wonted
to be brought again to be Master of the Court which was accomplished upon a night at midnight When he came to the Gates of the Castle of Sterling they were opened unto him by the two Abbots and a Faction that they had drawn in there with them Albeit the Master of Mar and Earl of Aguile made what resistance they could where the Master 's eldest Son dyed in the throng yet the enterprisers prevailed and brought in again the Earl of Mortoun and put out the Earl of Arguile the Master of Mar Drumwhasel and such others as they misliked and so made a new change at Court Where the Earl of Mortoun handled the matter so discreetly and moderately as he could that the alteration should not appear to be over sharp or violent The new chosen Council scattered incontinently some of them retiring home and some joined with the Earl of Mortoun hoping never to see a turn again About this time came out of France my Lord of Aubonie who was afterward made Duke of Lennox who was Brother's Son to the Earl of Lennox and obtained afterward great credit and favour James Stuart of Oghiltrie of whom I formerly made mention assisted him through process of time to perswade the King's Majesty to desire to ride out of Sterling and make a progress among the rest of his Subjects which the Earl of Mortoun could not resist supposing that it lay in his power to frame the Court at his pleasure For by his great wealth he was resolved to gain so many as he judged necessary and so by the multitude of his friends to bear out the business however the Court was ruled after he had obtained a discharge and alliance of his intromission For though during the time that he was Regent he was always strongest about the King but my Lord Aubony and James Stewart were most in favour who by their continual rounding in the King's Ear against the Earl of Mortoun ingendered at last a greater dislike in the King of him then he had before And as James Stuart was the stirrer up of the other so afterward when he found the time convenient he took occasion to accuse the said Earl before the Council of the late King's murther Whereupon the Earl of Mortoun was made Prisoner and sent first to the Castle of Edinbrugh and afterward to the Castle of Dumbartoun which was thought strange in respect of his many friends that were in Court for the time who were then found to be but friends to his fortune For he was loved by none and envied and hated by many so that they all looked through their fingers to see his fall England was also angry at him for the time because of his slowness to answer their turns which they had hoped for at his hands having put the King and Country in his power Yet they made some offer to assist him which occasioned to hasten his ruin For they sent down Seventeen Companies to the Borders boasting to send a greater number and to declare open War in case the Earl of Mortoun was not set at liberty and the Lord Aubony put out of Scotland Mr. Randolph was sent in with this Ambassage His Majesty again having these two young Counsellors about him who knew of no perils raised a Taxation to pay Soldiers and caused to make a Proclamation for every Man to be in readiness upon a call which moved the English to retire and leave off endeavouring any more his assistance encouraging thereby such as were deadly Enemies to the Earl of Mortoun to ride to Dumbartoun with a thousand raised and hired Men together with their own friends to bring the Earl of Mortoun back again to Edinbrugh to undergo an Assize Some of the Earl's friends convened to take him out of their hands but found not themselves strong enough They might have done it had it not been the Forces which had been newly levied occasioned by the threat'nings which England had made Being brought to Edinbrugh he found few friends to appear or act for him His Gold and Silver was transported long before by his Natural Son James Douglas and one of his Servants called John Mac-Morran It was first carried in Barrels and afterward hid in some secret parts part whereof was given to be kept by some who were lookt upon as his friends who made ill accompt of it again so that the most part thereof lighted in bad hands and himself was so destitute of mony that when he went through the Street to the Tolbooth to undergo his Assize he was compelled to borrow Twenty shillings to distribute to the Poor who asked Alms of him for God's sake The Assize condemned him to death as being Airt and Pairt in the King's murther and as being of Councel with the Earl of Bothwel who brought him out of banishment when he was absent for the slaughter of David Rixio He granted that he was made privy thereto but had no hand in devising thereof And as concerning the young King he owned that he purposed to send him to England for his weal that he might the rather obtain his Right to the Crown of England being within the Country and brought up among them He dyed resolutely and had ended more perfectly if he had declared and confessed his Worldly practises and fetches to nourish the Civil Troubles partly at the devotion of England and partly for his own particular profit during the Government of the first three Regents which occasioned great blood-sheding that commonly cries to Heaven for vengeance During the King's young years the partialities were so great and the whole Country so disturbed by the two several parties who alledged to fight and strive for the King and the Queen being then Captive in England and the King yet very young that many perceived them to be but factious ambitious avaritious greedy worldly wretched persons Both parties were craftily stirred up and kept in trouble by one only Faction in England who had that Queens Ear intending the wrack as well of our King as Queen to advance some of their friends to inherit the Crown of England which occasioned a great out-cry against our foolish contentions After that the Earl of Mortoun the last of the four Regents was deposed the King's Majesty being young took the Government into his own hands my Lord of Aubony being made Lord Dalkieth and afterward Duke of Lennox was chief about his Majesty and James Stuart formerly mentioned who afterward took unto himself the style and then the Earldom of Arran thinking that he had done great Service and deserved well for accusing and wracking the Earl of Mortoun he married the Earl of March his Relict The Duke was of nature upright just and gentle but wanted experience in the state of the Country At the first he was wholly guided by the said James Stuart and his Wife who both began to envy him and therefore they endeavoured how they might cast him off that they might attain to the
travel I did at length At first the Colonel swore a great Oath That if his Majesty suffered that villain to remain at Court he would yet again undo all For a little time he kept himself quiet but there was no appearance of his home-going Sometimes he would reprove my gentle kind of procedure in his Majesties affairs and could not endure to see them handled by a number He insinuated to his Majesty That he would find it a troublsome business to be incumbred with many contrary opinions He desired him to recreate himself at hunting and he would attend the Council and report again at his Majesties return all our Opinions and Conclusions This he observed two or three times and so in a very short space changed the former order laid down to have been followed So that he gave accompt of no Man's advice but his own yet he made his Majesty believe that it was all our Opinions that it was his interest to follow a violent course And though the same was directly against his Majesties first Deliberation Intention and proclamation of Clemency yet he caused to make contrary Proclamations against those of the Road of Ruthven ordaining them all to take remissions for that which before was allowed for good Service moving divers Noblemen and others to withdraw from the Court for fear to some place of Security When he caused to be read before the Council his new invented Proclamation I down-right opposed my self to it saying That I knew it was directly against his Majesties mind and promise Whereupon he leapt out of the Council-house in a rage and said I would wrack the King by my manner of doings I answered either you or I my Lord with other sharp pricking language so that for that time it was stayed Afterward he waited a meet occasion to get it past having procured a flattering Faction to assist him in expectation to be made sharers of the spoil he hoped to make a part whereof he had promised them to gain their Votes to his desire And so all things were turned up-side down a great number of Noblemen and others being put thereby in fear of their Lives and Estates And when any of us who were desirous of his Majesties quiet and prosperous estate would acquaint his Majesty with the danger of these proceedings of the Earl he would be very sorry saying The Earl made him believe that he did nothing but by common consent of the Council And when his Majesty understood the contrary he was very earnest and willing to amend the disorder but was still Circumvented by the said Earl and such as for fear flattery or expectation of profit advanced all his designs About this time there came a sharp Letter from the Queen of England unto his Majesty who thought the Noblemen who were aimed at and were absent from Court fittest instruments to be about his Majesty And for entertaining of Amity and Concord betwixt their Majesties and Kingdoms she was not content to see them so hardly handled The Copy of which Letter I have here inserted AMong your many studies my dear Brother and Cousin I wish Isocrates's noble Lesson were not forgotten that wills the Emperour his Sovereign to make his Words of more accompt then other men do their Oaths as meetest Ensigns to shew the truest Badge of a Prince's Arms. It moveth me much to moan you when I behold how diversly sundry wicked Spirits abstract your mind and bend your course to crooked Paths and evil illusions wrapt under the Cloak of your best good How can it be that you can suppose an honourable and satisfactory answer can be made unto me when all your actings gainsay your former Vows You deal with one whose experience will not take dross for good payment and with one who will not be easily beguiled No no! I mind to send to School your craftiest Councellors I am sorry to find you bent to wrong your self in thinking to enjure others Yea those who if they had taken the opportunity in their hands they might have done you more prejudice then a thousand such mens lives be worth who perswade you to avow such deeds as to oblige the best deserving of your Subjects to demand a faultless Pardon Why do you forget what you wrote to my self with your own hand shewing how dangerous a course the Duke was entred in though you seemed to excuse him as if he had intended no evil therein and yet you would not make them guilty who delivered you therefrom I hope you more esteem your honour then to give it such a stain since you have so oft protested that you was resolved to notice these Lords as your most affectionate Subjects in the full perswasion that all they had done was by them intended for your advantage To conclude I beseech you proceed no further in this course till you receive an express Messenger a trusty Servant of mine by whom I intend to deal as an affectionate Sister with you as one from whom you may see you shall receive honour and contentment with more surety to your Self and State then by following the pernicious Councels of these crafty dissembling Councellours as knows the Lord to whose safe keeping I do commit you Your most Assured and Faithfullest Sister and Cousin ELIZABETH Unto this Letter his Majesty commanded me in his name to write an answer that he might write it over again with his own hand For the Secretary for the time was in suspicion to have been upon the contrary course The answer was as followeth MADAM I Have received a Letter of yours containing in the entry that sentence of Isocrates which willeth Princes Words to be more intirely observed then other Mens Oaths as though some sinister report were made unto you of some forgetfulness in me or that you fear that in time coming I fail in keeping such promises unto my friends as may be made upon just and convenient occasions For answer unto that head I remember another saying of Isocrates where he would not have them repute friends who allow or praise whatsoever we say or do but rather such who modestly reprove our faults So that I take your sharp admonition at this time as proceeding from a Sisterly love albeit upon wrong information hoping that so soon as you shall truly understand of my hard handling and patient behaviour you shall be so well satisfied as to deem me to have done nothing but that which you would have done your self in the like condition First When I was detained Captive under a fair pretext it pleased you to send your Ambassadours like as did the King of France friendly to visit me offering me great kindness and help in case I needed any for the time for which I do yet render your Majesty hearty thanks Which offer I did not think fit to embrace alledging that I was well content and had good friends about me which was very true For one part of these same Lords who were
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
next day his Majesty gave him Audience accompanied with Mr. Bowes Ambassador Resident in Scotland Their first reasoning was upon his Majesties Liberty and wherefore he had left the Company who were about him being the best and most religious sort of the Nobility and of his Majesties best acquaintance and by whom she would deal in her affairs more friendly then she could do with others whom she could not so well Credit Whereunto his Majesty made answer so gravely and directly that Walsingham wondred The next day his Majesty appointed four of the Council and my self to be with them to reason with him and to sound what he would be at But he refused to deal with any but with his Majesty who heard him again without Mr. Bowes Where he discoursed long with his Majesty and when he came forth from his Majesty he took me by the hand and said that he was the best content man that could be for he had spoken with a notable young Prince ignorant of nothing and of so great expectation that he thought his Travel well bestowed The Earl of Arran desired to enter into familiar Conference with him but he refused to speak with him Making no longer stay but took leave of his Majesty who commanded me to accompany him to the Ferry At our parting he promised at all occasions to write to me and much lamented that the Earl of Arran was again in Court and in such Credit with his Majesty Which he said if he had understood before he took his Journey he would have shifted the same and suffered some other to have been sent For he could see no sure course could be taken between their Majesties so long as such instruments had such Credit about him For he esteemed the said Earl a scorner of Religion a sower of discord and a despiser of true and honest men and therefore he refused to speak with him or enter into acquaintance For he was of a contrary nature religious true and a lover of all honest men Therefore Arran to be revenged upon him spared not to do a great dishonour to his Majesty First for despite that he refused to speak with him he caused refuse to permit the Captains of Berwick and divers other honest Gentlemen who came to Convoy the Secretary Walsingham the entry of his Majesties Chamber door And then he caused to prepare a scornful Present for him at his departure to wit a Ring with a stone of Crystal instead of a rich Diamond which his Majesty had appointed for him valued at 700 Crowns which he was oftimes minded to send back again unto his Majesty rather to let him see how he was abused then how he was used Some promise was also made unto him about the repairing some wrongs done by Scotsmen upon the borders which he alledged was not kept For Arran did what he could to displease him and to render his Commission in all points ineffectual and his Travel in vain Nevertheless he made so good report of his Majesties vertues and qualities that it put him in some suspition at his return to the Court of England where shortly after he took sickness and dyed My opinion is that if God had granted him longer life he would have been found a great friend to his Majesty who marvelled that the chief Secretary of England burthened with so many great affairs sickly and aged should have enterprised so painful a Voyage without any purpose For it could not be yet perceived what was his Errand save only that he gave his Majesty good Counsel But he being religious and of a good conscience was desirous to see and understand assuredly such qualifications to be in his Majesty whereof he had frequently been informed He returned with great contentment in his mind for that part but very sorrowful for the company that he found in greatest favour and credit about his Majesty Which was the more unexpected by reason of a Letter that his Majesty had sent unto the Queen his Mistress promising not to bring in again to Court the Earl of Arran without her advice and consent For my part I never saw such appearance of a prosperous Estate for his Majesties honour surety love and obedience of his own Subjects increase of the number of his friends in England to the advancement of his Title neither before that time nor since if the said Arran had not been brought a-again to Court which I left not undeclared to his Majesty divers times not without some danger Indeed his Majesties intention was not that he should stay at Court but onely to come and kiss his hand But he again being once entred won some of the Lords whose particulars he promised to set forward if they would concur withhim and shew his Majesty that his presence about his person was necessary and that my gentle proceedings would ruin the Kings interest and them all Managing thus the matter he remained at Court and minded to make himself and his assistors rich by the wrack and spoil of others who had taken his Majesty at the Road of Ruthven And then he and they were to guide all at their pleasure So many of them who shot at particular marks ran a strait Course with him because they thought by his Credit to make up themselves They feared to lose his Majesties favour in case Arran was not their friend And some of them did what they could to persuade me todo the like alledging that otherwise I should be shut out Which came to pass shortly after because I would not yield nor concurr to cast all loose to the peril of his Majesties Estate and Reputation remembring what was intended promised and proclaimed at his Majesties obtaining his Liberty It is certain that the Lords who made that interprise had great occasion given them to be discontent but no sufficient cause to oblige them to compel their Soveraign Prince to remove from him these he so well liked Which rebellious proceeding compelled them also for their surety to retain and hold the King as Captive His Majesty again being advertised and admonished that the dangerous proceedings of the Duke of Lennox and Earl of Arran were like to breed disorder took too little care to prevent the apparent inconveniencies and used too little diligence to get sure intelligence and information thereof which brought him to that strait of being taken and kept For it had been less pains to have taken good notice in due time how his Country was Governed then to put order or remedy thereto afterward For it is no little Error to render the most part of the Nobility and Subjects malecontent nor no great wisdome after his Majesty was in their hands to slip from them without their consents The interprisers assisters and allowers of the deed being so considerable a number as could not be overcome but by patience nor punished but by subversion of the State and endangering of the Prince his own person Yet it pleased God to guide his
Majesty to his liberty albeit not without some peril with honour at the first and with the universal contentment of all his Subjects so soon as they understood his honest meaning and gracious deliberation as well by Promise as by Proclamation as is already specified For my part I forget not at all occasions to remember his Majesty I refused the Office of Secretary when offered by his Majesty in reward of my service because it was promised that no man should want his Offices Benefits Lands or Escheats I opposed my self in full Council against the Earl of Arran because he had formed a Proclamation against the Lords of the Road of Ruthven contrary to His Majesty's former Proclamation of Grace and Oblivion For which he leapt out of the house in a great rage at me and for despight he made a List of the Names of so many as should be upon the Privy Council and left out my name Likewise he named so many of his dependers as should serve in every Office which his Majesty was resolved not to acquiesce to without my advice Yet he prevailed with His Majesty to subscribe the same assisted by the foresaid Lords who took plain part with him So I was shut out of door and had no more place to do good His Majesty graciously excused the matter and said That the Lords had no will of two Brothers being upon the Council But when he should get a Wife I should be her Councellour and chief about her So that if they were glad to be quit of me I was as glad to be free of them and not to be partakers with them in advices tending directly to indanger the Prince and the Country Yet his Majesty assured me That he would go to Edinbrugh according to the advice I had given in my forementioned Letter and Convene the Nobility Barons and others whom I had named in order to the settling of the Country And in the mean time he told me That the Earl of Arran thought fit to send to England the Bishop of St. Andrews alledging That he was passing to the Spaw for recovery of his health Who passing through England might have Commission to deal with that Queen in his Majesties affairs And in case he found her willing to discourse friendly and freely he should then shew her that his Majesty would send me thither to satisfie her more sufficiently in such things as she would require And to that effect the said Bishop should send back word by a Gentleman Captain Robert Melvil who went thither expresly to be sent back with the said answer I was commanded to write in the Bishop's favour but he was too well known in England For Mr. Bowes who remained long in this Country had informed them sufficiently of the said Bishop's qualities who was disdained in England and dishonoured his Country by borrowing of Gold and pretious Furniture from the Bishop of London and divers others which was never restored nor payed for His Majesty nevertheless would have me to grant to go to England and to be in readyness He desired me to make my own Instructions alledging That I knew what was meetest for him to require at that time I would not take upon me to make my own Instructions but I promised to pen the Speech that I would think most proper to recite to her Majesty in case I went thither and which I would judge to be the fittest language that any sent thither could speak for the time After his Majesty had perused the same he much relished it and declared it was fully conform to his own intentions It was in these words MADAM ALbeit that your Majesty be as sufficiently certified of the King my Sovereign's conformable mind to satisfie your Majesty as well by Sir Francis Walsingham your Secretary as by the Bishop of St. Andrews his Ambassadour granting the one his whole desires by mouth and declaring by the other how strictly he hath observed and performed the same in effect more to satisfie your motherly mind by shewing the tokens of a thankful and obedient Son then for any great advantage he perceives you thereby seek for your self So that it is his Majesty's intention chiefly seeing he hath taken the Rudder into his own hand to discover to you ay the longer the more the perfect fruits of his hearty affection For now having attained unto some years of knowledge and dear bought experience by that which hath been oft beat in his Ears he is not ignorant how that your Majesties favour and assistance will be more contributive for his advantage and advancement then can be any or that he can obtain from all the other Princes in Europe Your Majesty being to him so dear a Mother and so near a Neighbour both your Subjects appearing to be but one People Especially since your prudent Government began the effects whereof hath not only been found by your own but by your neighbours The same having extended it self to the advantage of other Kingdoms especially overshadowing this whole Island to your Majesties everlasting honour For never in any Princes days hath been seen so much rest so great riches and felicity in England which likewise might have been in Scotland if the particularities of some of the Subjects had suffered them to have followed your Sage Charitable and Loving admonitions As the consideration thereof is the reason which induced his Majesty whom the matter most toucheth to direct me to your Majesty after ripe deliberation and upon the sure ground of the good information of such as are best inclined and have greatest experience to seek the assistance which he hath so oft seen sent unto him help and wholsom advice where he hath so oft found it and salutary Plaisters to be laid unto the Sores that yet daily breed and arise in his Realm as remains of the Canker and disorder ingendred during his Minority Seeing then the thing that he craves is your accustomed Kindness and Counsel which because the strength of your constancy will compel you to continue towards him he is the more humbly to suit the same as most seemly for his neerness of Kin Age and Estate to do Perswading himself that such friendly Offices might be used between you as may tend to both your contentments and weal of your Kingdoms which for lack of sure intelligence of others minds by secret and mutual conference of devotious and discreet instruments might otherwise turn to the contrary The King my Master knows that a mighty Man cannot stand upon one side he grants that he hath now greater need of your help then you of his in many things But he thinks himself as able and is as willing to deserve favour at your hand as any who can contend with him for the same or would presume to sound the Bell of Succession in your Ears For his part he requires no instant Declaration thereof but will continually crave by his behaviour all such preferment as an humble Son ought
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
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
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
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
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
Whore had shewn him the answers of the Oracles Yet the Laird of Grange who was ever willing to see Concord in the Country was easily persuaded the Lord Hume and Lidingtoun made some resistance at the first but were also at length content So that after I had past twice or thrice between them they appeared to be agreed in their hearts and the Laird of Grange said he would cause all the rest of the Queens faction to agree with the Regent but he refused to take the Bishoprick of St. Andrews and Castle of Blackness desiring nothing but his own Lands When I returned to the Regent with this answer conform to his desire he was marvellously glad but when I declared that the Laird of Grange would be a good instrument to cause all the rest of the Queens faction agree also with him he answered that was not meet And when I reasoned against him and shewed him how that I had spoken in his name that he was resolved to have agreed all Scotland and that Grange had no quarrel of his own but to help a number of Noble-men who required his Protection during the Kings Minority and had requested the Regent once to agree with them altogether for Granges honour and afterwards he and all these of the Castle should band with him and lay aside all other bands The Regent answered and said James I will be plain with you it is not my Interest to agree with them all for then their faction will be as strong as ever it was thereby they may some day circumvent me if they please therefore it is my game to divide them And moreover there have been great troubles in this Country this while by-gone and during them great wrongs and extortions committed for the which some fashion of punishment must be made and I would rather that the Crimes should be laid upon the Hamiltouns the Earl of Huntly and their Adherents then upon your Friends and by their wrack I will get more profit then by that of those in the Castle that have neither so great Lands to escheat to us as the reward of our labours Therefore shew Grange and your friends that either they must agree without the Hamiltouns and the Earls of Huntly and Arguile or the said Lords will agree without him and these of the Castle To this I answered That I understood him his Speeches being very plain with this I went again to the Castle and rehearsed our whole reasoning Grange said it was neither godly or just dealing to lay the blame upon those who were richest for their Lands and Goods and not upon them who were guiltiest seeing these Noblemen had been ever willing to agree after that the Queen was kept in England but could not be admitted And yet if now they would abandon him and agree without him and those in his company he had deserved better at their hands yet he had rather that they should leave and deceive him then that he should do it unto them When I had given this return to Mortoun and that he perceived that Grange stood stiff upon his honesty and reputation he appeared to like him the better and seemed as if he had been resolved to go forward with these of the Castle He sent up Carmichael at my desire to hear out of their own mouths so far as I had spoken in their name they of the Castle likewise sent Pittadrow to the Regent to hear out of his own mouth so far about the agreement as I had said to them in his name This I did for my discharge whatsoever might come afterwards The Regent asked at what time the Castle of Edinbrugh should be delivered to him I said within half a year What security said he shall I have for it I said I should be a Pledg if he would accept me Then he enquired wherefore I sought so long delay I answered in the first place till all Articles and Promises might be performed and likewise because though the Laird of Grange was ever esteemed an honest man yet by wrong Reports and Practices the Ministers have been stirred up to cry out and preach against him therefore to inable him to serve for the future it would be some satisfaction to his mind to let the world see that as well after the agreement as before he should be esteemed alike honest and worthy to keep the house and then at the time appointed the Regent should be intreated to receive the Castle out of his hands He appeared to be very well content with this manner of dealing and gave me great thanks for his travel I had made desiring me to go home and he in the mean time would convene the rest of the Noble-men of his side and acquaint them with his Proceedings and take their advice and consent to this good work which he doubted not to procure and thereafter he said he would send for me again and put the form of the agreement in Writing But he took immediately another course and sent a fit man to the Hamiltouns the Earls of Huntly Arguile and their dependers and offered an accommodation to them if they would be satisfied to make an agreement by themselves not including Grange and those in the Castle which condition they accepted of without making therein any Ceremonies whereof they by their Letters instantly from Pearth advertised the Laird of Grange lamenting that the straits they were redacted to had compelled them to accept that agreement which the Regent had offered them praying him not to take it in evil part seeing they had no house nor strength to retire themselves to They gave him many thanks for the help and assistance he had made them which they said they would never forget so long as God would lend them their lives This was the recompence this good Gentleman obtained for the great help he had given the Lords the hazard he had run upon their account and the Charges he had been at in aiding them not imagining that the Regent would be so malitious as to cast him off and not except of his friendship which he incontinently offered after the rest were agreed but from that time forth the Regent would hear none of his offers persuading the rest of his Faction that these of the Castle were so proud and wilful that they refused to serve the King or acknowledge him as Regent And this was Published and Preached and yet the contrary was true For they would have taken any reasonable appointment What rage was in the Regents mind for greediness of their Lands and Goods or what should have induced him to bring an Army from England to besiege the Castle of Edinbrugh I know not it being to the dishonour of his Prince and Country seeing a little before the Castle was offered to the Earl of Rothess to be instantly delivered unto his hands to be kept to the Regents behoof which was refused So that apparently he had some other fetch in his head then a man