viua voce voluntarily without hope or reward the sentence against the Queene of Scotland was pronounced and confirmed with the seales and subscriptions of the Commissioners and recorded in these words By their assent consent and accord they doe pronounce giue and say their Sentence and Iudgement at the day and place last rehearsed that after the end of the aforesaid Session of Parliament specified in the aforesaid Commission viz. after the aforesaid first day of Iune in the 27. yeere aforesaid and before the date of thesaid Commission diuers things were imagined and compassed within this Realme of England by Anthony Babington and others with the priuitie of the said MARIE pretending title vnto the Crowne of this Realme of England tending to the hurt death and destruction of the Royall person of our said Ladie the Queene And to wit that after the aforesaid first day of Iune in the seuen and twentieth yeere abouesaid and before the date of the aforesaid Commission the said MARIE pretending title vnto the Crowne of this Realme of England compassed and imagined within this Realme of England diuers things tending to the hurt death and destruction of the Royall person of our Lady the Queen against the forme of the Statute specified in the aforesaid Commission Of this Sentence which depended wholly on the credit of the Secretaries neither were they brought face to face according to the first Statute of the 13. yeere of Queene ELIZABETH her selfe was very much speech and different amongst men some iudging them vnworthy of credit and others againe thought them worthy to be beleeued I haue seene the Apologie of Nauus written vnto King Iames in the yeere 1605. in the which hee doth laboriously excuse himselfe in protesting that hee was neither the Author nor perswader nor first discouerer of that plot or deuice neither that hee failed at all in his dutie through negligence or incircumspection but rather that he stoutly did impugne the heads of the accusations against his Ladie this day Which thing yet doth not appeare by the publike records But the same day it was declared by the Commissioners and by the Iudges of the Realme That that Sentence did derogate nothing from IAMES King of Scotland in his right or honour but him to be in the same place estate and right as if that Sentence had not beene giuen at all In a short time after there was a Parlament holden at Westminster in the which the Estates of the Kingdome who had approued and confirmed by their voices the sentence pronounced against the Queene of Scotland by one consent and accord deliuered by the Chancellor vnto the Queene a supplication in which they most earnestly besought her that for the conseruation of the true Religon the tranquillitie of the Realme safetie of the Queene the good estate of them and of their posteritie the sentence giuen against MARY Queene of Scotland according to the Law might be published They fetcht their reasons from the dangers hanging ouer the heads of their Religion her Royall Person and Realme by her who nursed vp in the Religion of the Papists and sworne one of the Holy League to root out the Religion of the Protestants had challenged long the Realme as due to her and had thought it a most iust thing to oppugne a woman excommunicate and meritorious to depriue her of her life She had subucrted and ouerthrowne the flourishing families of the Realme and laid fewell vnto all plots contriued and tumults in England To spareher was no other thing but to vndoe the people who will take it in euill part if she be suffered to escape without punishment and will not beleeue themselues freed from the oath of the Association except she were put to death Lastly they called to her remembrance what fearefull examples of Gods punishment there were against King Saul for that he killed not Agag and vpon Achab for that he killed not Benadad Thus said the States of Parlament The Queene with a maiesticall countenance and voice answered vnto this effect The benefits of Almightie God are so great and so many toward me that I doe not only acknowledge them most humbly but doe admire them as miracles forasmuch as I cannot expresse them in words Although there be no mortall man more beholding to the Maiestie of God than I my selfe so oft times deliuered from dangers not without miracle yet I am not indebted more than for this only thing which I account as a miracle that is to say That as I receiued and tooke vpon me the gouernment of the Realme with the full consent and good will of all so I see perfectly the same if not your greater loue and good will toward me after that XXVIII yeeres be expired and if I should faile therein now and that it did not continue still I might perchance be perceiued to breathe but surely not to liue But now although attempts be made against my life neuerthelesse nothing troubleth me more than that she who is of the same sex of the same stocke and linage and also of my bloud and kindred hath beene accessarie to the same And I am so farre off from being malicious toward her as that when some plots against me came to light I wrote vnto her that if she would confesse them in her priuate letters vnto me they should be wrapped vp in silence Neither did I write thus with this minde to ensnare her for that whatsoeuer she could confesse was knowne to me Yet neuerthelesse though things are come to this passe that they are if she would truly repent and that none would vndertake her cause against mee and that hereupon my life only and not the safetie of all the people did depend I would not haue you thinke I faine I would truly most willingly forgiue her yea if England by my death might flourish more and haue a better Prince I would most readily lay downe my life for I doe desire not to liue but for the good of the people and not of my selfe Neither is there any cause hauing liued in that manner as I haue why I should desire to liue or feare to die I am not ignorant of all kinde of lifes for I haue obeyed and I haue gouerned I haue had good neighbours and also euill I haue found treacherie where I trusted I haue euill bestowed benefits and I haue beene euill reported of when I haue done well When I call these things past to minde see and behold the things present and expect future things I thinke them most happie who die soone against such euils as these I put on a manly minde that whatsoeuer befall vnto me death may not take and finde me vnprouided As concerning these treasons I will not so preiudicate my selfe or the lawes of my Kingdome that I doe not thinke but that she the author and contriuer of this treason is a subiect and liable by the ancient lawes although this new law had neuer beene made the which
IACOB MAG BRIT REG. MATER SERENISSIMA MARIA REGINA The most excellent Princesse Mary queene of Scotland and Dowager of France Mother to our Soueraigne lord James of greate Brittaine France Ireland king THE HISTORIE OF THE LIFE AND DEATH OF Mary Stuart QVEENE OF SCOTLAND LONDON Printed by Iohn Haviland for Richard Whitaker and are to be sold at the signe of the Kings Head in Pauls Church-yard 1624. TO THE KINGS MOST EXCELLENT MAIESTIE Most Dread Soueraigne ZENO the Philosopher being asked how a man might attaine wisdome answered By drawing neere vnto the dead O the Sepulchers of our Ancestors how much more doe they teach than all the studie bookes and precepts of the learned And herein due praise must needs be ascribed vnto Historie the life of memorie and the mirrour of mans life making those Heroick acts to liue againe which otherwise would be buried in eternall forgetfulnesse whereby the minde a greedy hunter after knowledge is enflamed by affecting the seuerall perfections of others to seeke after excellent things and by feruent imitation to attaine to that glory which is gotten by vertuâ— For these causes most renowned Soueraigne when I considered Plutarke laying aside the studie of Philosophic to thinke the time well imploied in writing the liues of Theseus of Aristides and of other inferiour persons and knowing how farre the lustre and splendor of Princes shineth beyond the brightnesse of others euery one standing for a million of the common people And being sensible that it is infused euen by nature euery man to desire and to be delighted with the relation and story of his owne Ancestors and predecessors For these reasons I presumed to present vnto your Highnesse this Treatise of the life and death of your Royall Mother the Lady MARY STVART Queene of Scotland A History most fit for this your Meridian of Great Britaine and yet neuer published in the English tongue before Wherein although I confesse the slendernesse of my skill in the exornation and beautifying of the stile and thereby may worthily incurre the reproofe of the learned yet if your Maiesty vouchsafe your gracious and Princely acceptation all faults therein shall easily bee couered and blotted out Therefore I become your humble Orator praying no other thing than the Sunne Diall of the Sunne Aspice me vt aspiciar most humbly beseeching the Almighty to blesse your most Excellent Maiestie with a long happie and prosperous reigne Your Sacred Maiesties most humble subiect WIL. STRANGVAGE THE PREFACE TO THE ENSVING HISTORIE IT is a thing most true and some finde it by experience that here below in this world there is nothing eternall And how can it be otherwise when the great Kings and Princes of the earth who seeme to be created of the most pure substance of the Elements of a matter as may bee said for their excellency incorruptible of the fine gold of Euilath and of the best mould to the patterne of the fairest Ideas and beare and carry the Image and Seale of all puissance as the chiefe impression of natures worke in the plaine greatnesse of Maiestie which engraueth their forehead with a gracious statelinesse Yet doe we see them euery day who seeme vnto men to be lasting and durable as eternity it selfe to quit the arches oâ— triumph and to yeeld themselues vnto the triumph oâ— death And more than that the most part of them finish their daies not in the sweet and calme waters like Pourcontrells but by a death disseasoned sometimes in their greene youth and flourishing age by the stormes and tempests as doe the Dolphins within the torrents billowes or waues of the sea tossed by diuers factions And it seemeth that this fatality pursueth ordinarily the most worthy and vertuous persons so that they finish their liues many times with violence or precipitation and not to goe vnto their death in a smooth path but to bee interrupted with some strange accident which cclipseth the bright shining lustre of their greatnesse which dasell the mindes of men that from below beheld them sitting aloft on the throne of Maiestie All which appeared most plainly and euidently to be true in the most worthy and royall Princesse MARY STVART Queene of Scotland who in all her life being tossed and turmoiled with infinite misfortunes concluded it with an vntimely death as followeth in the sequell of this Historie of her life and death MARY STVART Queene of Scotland was daughter vnto Iames the fist King of Scotland a wise and valiant Prince and of the Lady MARY of the Illustrious family of the Dukes of Lorraine whose fame for valour is renowned thorow all Christendome was borne on the eighth day of December in the yeere of our Lord 1541. She was not aboue eight daies old when her father died being left thus young the Noblemen of Scotland being diuided whereof the family of the Hamiltons and the Earle of Lynnox being the heads the one side supported by King Henry the eighth of England and the other by the French King Henry the second she was by the care of her mother who inclined vnto the French King at the age of six yeeres or thereabouts sent into France in the Gallies of Villagagnon a Knight of the Rhodes appointed by the French King vnto this seruice in the which voyage by the West Seas for in the other passage neere the Straits of Calice the Englishmen had laid a strong Nauy to intercept her she hardly escaped drowning by meanes of a storme or tempest that happened neere vnto the coast of little Brittaine in France where she afterward tooke land from whence she was conueyed vnto the Court of France where she was brought vp vnder her Curators the French King and the Dukes of Guise and by their exquisite care she drew in with the aire the sweetnesse of the humours of the countrey and in the end by the singular grace of nature and carefulnesse of her friends and Kinsfolks became with her age the fairest and goodliest Princesse of our time And beside this her rare beauty she had her vnderstanding and intendment so pure and perfect her iudgement so certaine surmounting and aboue the condition of her age and sex that it bred and caused in her a greatnesse of courage which was yet mixt and qualified with such sweetnesse and modesty that you could not see any thing more Royall any thing more gracious Her manners and priuate actions were such and were so well liked of generally that it caused King Henry the second of France and his Queene who was admired for her prudence to marry their eldest sonne Daulphin of France and heire of their Crowne vnto this Lady as vnto one well deseruing to be ioyned in mariage vnto their sonne heire apparant of the greatest kingdome in Europe And so vpon the foure and twentieth day of April in the yeere of our Lord 1558. Francis the Daulphin of France and MARY STVART Queene of Scotland were maried in the Church of Nostra Dama
her from mariage againe She answered mildly that she would take deliberation in the matter and consult with the Estates of the Realme about it And to shew herselfe courteous and bountifull to her brother she created him Earle of Marre and afterward Earle of Murrey because Marre was in controuersie and aduanced him to an honourable mariage All this shee did being all this while ignorant that hee affected the Kingdome bragging that he was the lawfull sonne of Iames the fift And to make the way thereunto he through the fauourwherein hee stood with the Queene oppressed the most noble familie of the Gordons who had very many vassals tenants and retainers whom hee feared much both in respect of himselfe and of their religion And banished from the Court the Duke of Chasteauleroy who was accounted the next heire to the Crowne imprisoned the Earle of Arran his sonne banished Bothwell into England and put all them that he thought might crosse him out of office And he as a Guardian kept the Queene as his Ward and at his command being most carefull and diligent to keepe her from mariage And as soone as he vnderstood that on the one side the Emperour sued to her for his brother and the King of Spaine for his sonne he disswaded her vtterly from them both because forsooth the libertie of Scotland would not nor could not endure a forraigne Prince And whensoeuer that gouernment descended vnto women that they maried no other husbands but of the Scottish Nation But afterwards when all the Scots generally wished to see her maried and hee found out that the Countesse of Lennox had so prouidently wrought that shee inclined to marrie Darly hee also commended him as a good husband for her hoping the young man being of a soft nature would be ruled by him in all things Yet when hee saw the Queene to loue Darly exceedingly and he himselfe to grow out of her fauour hee repented him of his counsell hee had giuen and willed Queene Elizabeth to hinder her mariage by one meanes or other The mariage being made vp and Darly proclaimed King when the Queene reuoked the donations made to him and others against the Lawes in her minoritie hee with other put himselfe in armes against the King alleadging that the new King was an enemie vnto the Religion of the Protestants and that he was maried without the consent of the Queene of England But hee fled into England as I haue already said neuer aduenturing to fight And being frustrate of all hope of helpe from thence hee dealt by letters with Mourton a profound subtill man who was as his other selfe that since the mariage could not bee dissolued yet that the loue betweene the parties might be broken by some secret deuices and a fit occasion offered it selfe for she vpon the arising of some priuate discontent to keepe vnder the swelling minde of the young man and to conserue her royall authoritie whole to her selfe had begunne to set her husbands name last in the Proclamations and Records and to omit it vtterly in the coine Mourton being a cunning man to breed discontents with his flattering words crept into the Kings good liking and opinion and then perswaded him to take vpon him the Crowne of the Realme yea in despight of the Queene and to make himselfe free from the gouernment of women for that it is the condition of women said he to obey and of men to rule By this counsell if it were taken he hoped not onely to draw away the loue of the Queene but of all the Nobilitie and commons also from the King to estrange the Queene and with diuers slanders first heartened the King to murther Dauid Rizius a Piedmountoys lest that politike fellow should preuent their purposes this man was a Musitian by profession and came the last yeere with Moret the Embassador of Sauoy and by the Queene for his wit and dexteritie receiued into her houshold and fauour and preferred to write her French letters and vnto her priuie Councell in the absence of the Secretarie Then to estrange her loue the more he perswaded the King to bee present at the murder with Ruthen and the rest who rushing together with him in to the Queenes dining Parlour at supper time shee sitting at the table with the Countesse of Argile assaulted the fellow with their naked swords as he tasted meat taken from the Queenes table at the Cupbord as the seruants of the priuie Chamber vse to doe before her face being great with childe trembling with feare setting a Pistoll at her breast so that shee was in danger of abortion and dragged him into the vtter Chamber where they most cruelly killed him and shut vp the Queene into a Parlour Mourton all this while guarding all the passages This murther was committed the euening before the day appointed vnto Murrey to appeare for his triall in the assembly of the Estates for his rebellion who came in on the next day when no body expected him and no man appeared against him in that troublesome time So that it may seeme that the murder of Dauid was hastened of set purpose to procure the securitie and safety of Murrey Yet the Queene at the earnest suit of the King receiued him courteously and continued in brotherly loue towards him But the King when he considered the enormitie of the offence and seeing now the Queene to bee very angry repented his rashnesse and in humble manner submitted himselfe vnto her clemencie weeping and lamenting and asking pardon did ingenuously confesse that he committed that hainous offence by the instigation of Murrey and Mourton and from thenceforth did so hate Murrey for Mourton Ruthen and others were fled into England vpon the murther with the commendatorie letters of Murrey vnto Bedford that hee deuised to kill him But when out of wrath and rashnesse hee could not conceale his purpose nor such was his respect vnto the Queene his wife durst execute it he told her how profitable it would bee for the common-wealth and also for the securitie of the royall familie if Murrey were rid out of the way She detesting the thing terrified him euen with threats from such enterprises putting him in hope of reconciliation Yet hee when hee saw to his hearts griefe the Bastard to be of such power with the Queene out of his impatience hee plotted the same matter with others which when it came to the eares of Murrey to preuent him vnder colour of dutie hee laieth closer snares for the young man vsing Mourton though absent for his counsellor They thought it requisite aboue all things vtterly to auert the Queenes minde from the King and by flatterie to induce Bothwell lately reconciled vnto Murrey and in great fauour with the Queene into their societie shewing him a hope to be diuorced from his wife and to marrie with the Queene as soone as she was widow And for the performance of these things and also to defend him against all persons
no other cause but to trie the Dukes minde whether hee stood constant and resolute But the crimes of the other he wittily extenuated and by no meanes he could be induced to tell the names of the Noblemen that promised to helpe the Duke to surprize the Queene But he confessed that he by the commandement of the Queene of Scotland did aske aduice of the Duke Arundell Lumley and Throgmorton by their seruants that came to and fro and the Vicount Mountague by Lumley about the deliuerie of the Castles in Scotland the hostages the deliuerie of the King of Scotland vnto the English men and the restoring of the English Rebels Thus much of these matters this yeere out of the Dukes confessions and the Commentarie of Rosse himselfe written with his owne hand sent to the Queene of Scotland Matthew Earle of Lennox Regent of Scotland Grandfather to the King had summoned an assembly of the Estates at Sterling in the Kings name where liuing securely he was taken on the sudden by the Noblemen of the contrarie faction who held a Parlament at Edenburgh at the same time in the Queenes name He had yeelded himselfe to Dauid Spense of Wormeston who labouring diligently to saue his life was slaine together with the Regent who had gouerned the Realme for the King his Grandchild but foureteene moneths by Bell and Caulder In his place was substituted by the voices of the Kings faction Iohn Areskin Earle of Marre who died after hee had beene Regent but thirteene moneths These dangerous times produced in the Parlament holden in England this Law It was made treason if any attempted any harme or hurt made warre or moued any other to raise warre against the Queene If any affirmed that she possessed not the Crowne rightfully but that others had more right to the Crowne or did say that shee was an Heretike Schismatike or Infidell did vsurpe the right of the Kingdome during her life or shall say that any other hath right to the Crowne or that the Lawes and Statutes cannot define and binde the right of the Crowne and the succession of the same If any in the Queenes life by written or printed booke expresly affirme that any is or ought to be heire or successor of the Queene besides the naturall issue of her owne body or shall print or sell any bookes or schedules to that effect hee and his fautors for the first time shall be imprisoned a whole yeere and lose halfe his goods and for the second offence incurre Premunire that is to lose all his goods and lie in prison for euer This seemed somewhat seuere vnto many who were of opinion that the tranquillitie of the Realme would bee established by the designation of a certaine heire But it is wonderfull what iests somelewd construers of words made of that clause Besides the naturall issue of her body since the Lawyers call them Naturall that are borne out of matrimonie but the legitimate they call out of the forme of words vsed in the Law of England Children of his body lawfully begotten insomuch that being a young man I heard it often said that that word was thrust into the Act by Leicester to the intent that hee might at one time or other thrust vpon them against their wills some Bastard sonne of his as the naturall issue of the Queene An Act was made also at this Parlament that it should bee treason in them who reconciled any to the Church of Rome by any Bulls or Rescripts of the Popes or any that were reconciled they that releeued the reconcilers or brought in any Agnus Dei Grana Crucifixes or other things consecrated by the Pope into England should incurre the penaltie of Premunire And that it should bee misprision of treason in them that did not discouer their reconcilers It was moued in the same Parlament that if the Queene of Scotland did offend againe against the Lawes of England that they might proceed against her according to the Law as against the wife of a Peere of the Kingdome of England but the Queene would not suffer it to passe Anno 1572. ON the sixteenth day of Ianuarie Thomas Howard Duke of Norfolke was arraigned at Westminster Hall before George Talbot Earle of Shrewsburie appointed for that day Lord high Steward of England and on both sides of him sate the Peeres namely Reynold Grey Earle of Kent Thomas Ratclif Earle of Sussex Henry Hastings Earle of Huntingdon Francis Russell Earle of Bedford Henry Herbert Earle of Pembrooke Edward Seymer Earle of Hertford Ambrose Dudley Earle of Warwicke Robert Dudley Earle of Leicester Walter Deuereux Viscount Hereford Edward Clintōn Admirall William Lord Howard of Effingham Chamberlaine William Cecill Lord Burghley Secretarie Arthur Lord Grey of Wilton Iames Blount Lord Mountioy William Lord Sands Thomas Lord Wentworth William Lord Burrough Lewis Lord Mordant Iohn Powlet Lord Saint-Iohn of Basing Robert Lord Rich Roger Lord North Edmund Bruges Lord Chandois Oliuer Lord Saint-Iohn of Bletneshoo Thomas Sackuill Lord Buckhurst and William West Lord De La-ware Silence being made the Letters Patents of the Commission was read then a white wand was deliuered vnto the Lord Steward by Garter King at Armes which hee shortly after deliuered vnto the Serieant at Armes who stood by and held it vp all the while Then the Earles and Barons were called by their names and euery one made answer to his name Then silence was made againe and the Lieutenant of the Tower was commanded to returne his precept and to bring the Duke to the Barre Forthwith he was brought in and Sir Owen Hopton stood on the one side of him and Sir Peter Carew on the other side and next by him stood a man holding an Axe with the edge from the Duke Silence being made againe the Clerke of the Crowne said thus to the Duke Thomas Duke of Norfolke late of Keningale in the Countie of Norfolke hold vp thy hand which when hee had done the Clerke read the Inditement with a loud voice that is to say That in the eleuenth yeere of Queene ELIZABETH and after the Duke did traiterously deuise to put her from her Crowne and to kill her and to raise warre against her and to bring in forraine forces to inuade the Realme That whereas he knew MARIE late Queene of Scotland to haue claimed the Diadem of England with the title and armes thereof yet hee without the Queenes knowledge intended to marrie with her and lent her a great summe of money contrarie to the promise he had made vnder his owne hand That whereas he knew the Earles of Northumberland and Westmerland Markenfield and others had raised rebellion against the Queene and were fled into Scotland he releeued them with money That in the thirteenth yeere of the Queene hee by letters requested aid of men from Pope Pius Quintus the professed enemie of the Queene the King of Spaine and the Duke of Alba to deliuer the Queene of Scotland and to restore Papistrie into England
the originall cause For from hence Queene Elizabeth was an open and professed enemie to the Guises and bare a secret hate against her which the craftie malice of men did so nourish the emulation increasing betweene them and new occasions arising daily that they could not be extinguished but with her death Anno 1560. THen followed the Treatie of Edenburgh wherein amongst many other things it was agreed that the King of France and Queene MARIE should leaue off the bearing of the title and armes of England and Ireland but when the time of confirming the same came and Queene Elizabeth sent into France to haue it ratified as shee had done Throgmorton the Leiger Embassador could not bring them to doe it by any meanes and whilest the matters hung in suspence and rested vndetermined Francis the second King of France not being eighteene yeere old and in the second yeere of his reigne deceased and left the Queene of Scots a widow whether to the greater griefe of the Romanists or ioy of the Protestants in Britaine I cannot say Anno 1561. FRANCIS Earle of Bedford was sent into France to deplore the death of King Francis and to gratulate Charles the ninth his successor and by himselfe and together with Throgmorton the ordinarie Embassador he importuned the Queene of Scots to confirme the treatie of Edenburgh but in vaine for she answered no other thing but that shee could not nor would not determine on so great a matter without the consent of the Nobilitie of Scotland The Queene of Scots entending to returne into Scotland sent Monsieur d'Oysell to request a safe conduct of Queene Elizabeth for to passe by Sea and for d'Oysell to passe thorow England Queene Elizabeth before a great multitude of people denied both the one and the other for this cause she said that she had not ratified the treatie of Edenburgh which if she did shee promised to shew all kindnesse that might bee expected from a Queene from a Cousin and from a neighbour The Queene of Scots being vexed at this repulse sent for Throgmorton with whom shee had long speeches about this matter which I will briefly set downe out of the letters of Throgmorton though I shal make rehearsal of some things already said that the originall and progresse of the priuie malice which was betweene the greatest and wisest Princesses of our time or age may more euidently appeare Shee sending all the standers by away said thus to Throgmorton What is my womanly weaknesse and how farre the passion of my minde may carrie me I know not yet it liketh me not to haue so many witnesses of my weaknesse as your Ladie lately had when shee talked with Monsieur d'Oysell my Embassador nothing grieueth me so much as that I did aske those things which were not needfull by Gods fauour I can returne into my Countrie without asking her leaue as I came hither in despight of her brother Edward Neither want I friends which can and will bring me home as they brought me hither but I had rather haue vsed her friendship than of any other I haue often heard you say that the amitie betweene her and mee was necessary to both our Kingdomes yet it seemeth that shee thinketh otherwise or else she had not giuen mee the repulse in so small a matter but perhaps shee beareth more fauour vnto the Scots which rebell against me than to me the Queene of Scots equall to her in princely royaltie her nearest kinswoman and most certaine heire vnto her Doest thou thinke that that good will and loue can be betweene my rebellious subiects and her that may bee betweene her and me What Doth shee thinke that I shall bee destitute of friends Assuredly she hath driuen mee to aske helpe of them of whom I would not willingly And they cannot wonder enough for what purpose shee gaue aid lately vnto my subiects and now to hinder the returne of mee a widow vnto my subiects I aske nothing of her but amitie I procure no trouble vnto her nor meddle not with the affaires of England But yet I am not ignorant that there bee many in England who are not content with the estate as it is now Shee twitteth me and saith that I haue small experience I confesse it Age bringeth experience with it yet I am so old that I can behaue my selfe friendly kindly and iustly toward my kinsfolks and friends and keepe my tongue from speaking any thing not beseeming a Queene and a kinswoman But by her leaue I may say that as well as shee I am a Queene neither destitute of friends and to beare no lesse high minde than shee and it may beseeme vs to measure our selues with a certaine equalitie but I forbeare comparison which is little better than contention and wanteth not euill will As for the treatie of Edenburgh it was made in the life of the King my husband whom it was my dutie to obey in all things and since that hee delaied the confirmation of the same let the blame remaine in him and not in me After his death the Counsellors of France left me to mine owne Counsellors neither would mine Vncles meddle with the affaires of Scotland because they would not offend Queene Elizabeth nor the Scots The Scots that be with me be priuate men nor such fit men that I should aske counsell of them in such great matters As soone as I shall haue the aduice of the Estates of my Realme I will make a reasonable answer and I will make all the haste I can home to giue it the sooner But shee determineth to stop my way lest I should giue it so shee is the cause that I cannot satisfie her or else shee would not bee satisfied perhaps for the intent that there may bee no end of discord betweene vs. Shee casteth often in my teeth that I am a young girle as a reproach and truly she may iustly thinke mee an vnwise girle if I dealt in these weightie affaires without the aduice of the Estates A wife is not bound as I haue heard with the deeds of her husband neither in her honour nor in conscience but I doe not dispute this thing yet I may say this thing truly I haue done nothing to my dearest sister which I would not haue done to my selfe I haue vsed all offices of courtesie and kindred but shee either beleeueth not or contemneth them I would to God I were so deare to her as I am neare of bloud for this were a pretious kinde of kindred God forgiue them that sow the seeds of dissention betweene vs if there bee any such But thou who art an Embassador tell mee in good sooth for what cause she is so displeased with me who neuer hurt her hitherto either in word or deed To these speeches Throgmorton made answer I haue no commission to answer you but to heare what your answer is about the confirmation of the treatie of Edenburgh But if it please you to heare the cause
sent the Earle of Bedford with a Font of massie gold for a gift and commanded expresly that neither hee nor any English men that accompanied him should vouchsafe to call Darly by the name of King That Ceremonie being finished the Earle of Bedford dealt with the Queene of Scotland about other things contained in his commission that is to wit That the domesticall contentions betweene her and her husband might bee compounded for some malicious sworne enemies to them both had craftily broken asunder that most pleasant societie of life and loue betweene them and the treatie of Edenburgh ratified This last thing she vtterly denied alleadging that in the treatie was much matter that might impeach and derogate from her owne and her childrens right vnto the Crowne of England Yet shee promised to send Commissioners into England who should talke about the confirmation thereof changing some words namely that shee should forbeare to vse the title and armes of England whilest Queene Elizabeth liued and her children As though it were meant in the treatie that shee should forbeare to vse them for euer And also should declare vnto her how iniuriously shee was vsed by their villanous deuices that abused the simplicitie and credulitie of her husband more than was to bee suffered And now she being sickly and weake in her letters commended her young sonne vnto the fidelitie and protection of Queene Elizabeth in which letters though she knew I vse the words of the letters that she is the vndoubted rightfull heire of England after Queene Elizabeth and that many imagine and deuise sundry things against that right shee promised that shee would not vrge any more any declaration of her right but that shee will helpe assist and cleaue vnto her alwaies with all her power against all persons Anno 1567. BVt before those Commissioners came from the Queene of Scotland and a moneth or two after the Prince was Christened the King her husband in the one and twentieth yeere of his age in the dead time of the night by a hatefull and abominable villanie which all good men doe detest was strangled in his bed and cast into a garden and the house blowne vp with Gun-powder A rumour forthwith was diuulged in all Brittaine and the fault laid vpon Mourton Murrey and their confederates And they insulting vpon the weaknesse of her sex laid it from themselues vpon the Queene What George Buchanan hath written hereof as well in his Historie as in a Pamphlet called the Detection is knowne to all men by those printed bookes But since hee carried away with partiall affection and with the gifts of Murrey wrote in that manner those bookes were condemned of falshood by the Estates of the Realme of Scotland vnto whom more credit is to bee giuen And he himselfe lamented and bewailed vnto the King whose Schoolemaster hee was reprouing himselfe oftentimes as I haue heard that he had written so spightfully against the well-deseruing Queene And at his death wished that he might haue liued so long vntill hee might wipe out with a recantation or with his bloud the spots and staines hee had falsly laid on her But that as hee said would be to no purpose since he should seeme to doat for old age Let it bee lawfull for me that the other part may also bee heard in few words to lay open all the matter as much as I can vnderstand without any hate or loue as well out of the writings of other men which were set forth at that time but suppressed in fauour of Murrey and vpon hatred vnto the Queene Captiue in England as also out of the letters of Embassadors and of men of good credit In the yeere of our Lord one thousand fiue hundred fiftie and eight at the mariage of Francis the Dolphin and of MARIE Queene of Scotland Iames the Queenes Bastard-brother commonly called the Prior of Saint Andrewes disdaining that Religious appellation sued for a more honourable title which when she by the aduice of the Guises her Vncles would not grant he returned into Scotland much offended and began to make broiles vnder a goodly pretence of the reformation of Religion and assuring the libertie of Scotland and effected it so farre that Religion was changed in an assembly of the Confederates without the Queenes priuitie And the French men were remoued out of Scotland by the helpe of the English men they had brought in Francis the King of France being deceased he poasted into France vnto his sister and laying from himselfe whatsoeuer had beene done in Scotland against her profit or credit calling God to witnesse solemnly promised to doe all the kind offices which a sister could expect at the hands of a brother And conceiuing also a hope that she being bred vp from her tender yeeres in the delights of France would not returne into Scotland dealt with the Guises that some one of the Scottish Nobilitie might be named Regent of Scotland and as with his finger shewed himselfe as the fittest man But when he was sent backe into Scotland with no other authoritie but onely with Letters Patents wherein the Queene gaue authoritie to assemble the Nobilitie and to aduise and conferre about the good of the common wealth hee being deiected and â—ustrate of his hope returning thorow England in a rage and furie put into their heads that if they desired or had a care of the preseruation of Religion in Scotland the tranquillitie of England and securitie of Queene Elizabeth they should hinder the returne of the Queene of Scotland into Scotland by one meanes or other Yet shee arriued safe in Scotland passing by the English Fleet in a thicke mist and vsing her brother with all courtesie commended the gouernment of all the affaires into his hands Yet these things did not cut off the branches of his ambition which daily sprang out both in words and deeds For neither could he containe himselfe but that oftentimes amongst his friends he would lament that the warlike Scottish Nation no lesse than that of the English men was subiected to the gouernment of a woman and out of the doctrine of Knox whom hee accounted as a Patriarke hee would often discourse that Kingdomes were due vnto vertue not vnto kindred That women were to bee excluded from the succession of Kingdomes and that their rule was monstrous Hee dealt also with the Queene by his friends that she would substitute some out of the familie of the Stewarts who if she died without issue should succeed one after another in the Kingdome and not to haue any regard whether they were legitimate or illegitimate hoping that he should be one of them being a Kings sonne although illegitimate But the Queene when she out of her wisdome weighed that such a substitution was a thing contrary to the Lawes of the Land and would be a wrong vnto the right heires a most pernicious example and perillous also for the substitutes themselues yea and a barre vnto her to keepe
thrust her into prison at Lochleuyn vnder the custodie of the mother of Murrey who had beene the Concubine of Iames the fift who most malapertly insulted ouer the calamitie of the imprisoned Queene boasting that shee her selfe was the lawfull wife of Iames the fift and that her sonne Murrey was his lawfull issue As soone as Queene Elizabeth vnderstood these things in her minde detesting this barbarous insolencie of Subiects whom she called oftentimes Traitors Rebels vnthankfull and cruell fellowes against a Princesse her sister and neighbour She sent Nicholas Throgmorton into Scotland to expostulate with the conspirators for this insolencie vsed against their Queene and to take some course how to restore her into her former libertie and for the seuere punishment of the murderers of the King and that the young King might be sent into England that order might bee taken for his securitie and not sent into France And what I shall hereafter declare during his abode in Scotland take yee vpon the credit of his letters which is approued He found the most part in Scotland incensed against the Queene who in plaine termes denied accesse vnto her both to him and also to Villeroy and Crocus the French Embassadors Yet could not the Conspirators agree among themselues what to doe with her Lidington and a few others would haue her to be restored vpon these conditions That the murderers of the King should bee punished according to Law The Princes safetie prouided for Bothwell diuorced and Religion established Others would haue her to bee banished for euer into France or into England So as the King of France or Queene of England did giue their words that she should resigne the Kingdome and transferre all her authoritie vnto her sonne and certaine Noble men Others were of opinion that shee should be arraigned publikely and condemned vnto perpetuall prison and her sonne crowned King Lastly others would haue her depriued both of her life and Kingdome by a publike execution And this Knox and some Ministers of the Word thundered out of their Pulpits On the other side Throgmorton out of the holy Scriptures brought many places to proue that obedience was to bee yeelded vnto the higher powers that carry the sword And wittily argued that the Queene was not subiect to the iudgement of any but onely of the celestiall Iudge That she could not be arraigned or brought to triall before any Iudge on the earth And that there is no Magistrate had any authoritie in Scotland which is not deriued from the authoritie of the Queene and reuocable at her pleasure They opposed the peculiar Law of the Kingdome among both the parties before the Commissioners at Yorke On the fifth day after the resignation Iames the Queenes young son was anointed and crowned King Iohn Knox making the Sermon The Hamiltons putting in a protestation that it should be no preiudice vnto the Duke of Chasteauleroy in the right of succession against the familie of Lennox But Queene ELIZABETH forbade Throgmorton to be present thereat that shee might not bee thought to allow the vniust abdicaâ—ion of the Queene by the presence of her Embassador On the twentieth day after the resignation Murrey himselfe returned out of France and the third day after he with many of the Conspirators came vnto the Queene against whom hee laid many hainous crimes and perswaded her to turne vnto God by true repentance and to aske mercie of him She shewed her selfe sorrowfull for the sinnes of her former life she confessed some things hee obiected others shee extenuated others shee excused by humane frailtie and the most matters shee vtterly denied Shee required him to take vpon him the gouernment of the affaires for her sonne and required him earnestly to spare her life and her reputation He said it lay not in his power but it was to bee sought for of the States of the Realme yet if shee desired to haue her life and honour saued hee prescribed these things for her to keepe That she should not trouble nor disturbe the tranquillitie of the Realme That she should not steale out of prison nor moue the Queene of England or the King of France to vex Scotland with forraigne or ciuill warre That she should not loue Bothwell any more or deuise to take reuenge on the enemies of Bothwell The Regent being proclaimed bound himselfe by his hand and seale to doe nothing concerning peace or warre the person of the King or his mariage or the libertie of the Queene without the consent of the Conspirators Hee willed Throgmorton by Lidington not to intreat any more for the Queene for that hee and the rest had rather endure all things than that she being freed should keepe Bothwell companie bring her sonne into danger her Countrie into trouble and also proscribe them We know said he what you English men can doe by warre You may waste our borders and we may yours we know assuredly that the French men in regard of our ancient league will not abandon and forsake vs. He denied also Ligneroll the French Embassador to haue accesse vnto the Queene vntill Bothwell was taken and euery day hee vsed the distressed Queene worse and worse whereas shee had deserued well at his hands and contrary to his promise hee had made vnto the King of France Thus much out of the Letters of Throgmorton Shortly after Murrey put to death Iohn Hepborne Paris a French man Daglish and the other seruants of Bothwell who had beene present at the Kings death But they which Murrey little expected at the Gallowes protested before God and the Angels that they vnderstood by Bothwell that Murrey and Mourton were the authors of killing the King and cleered the Queene from all suspition as Bothwell himselfe prisoner in Denmarke all his life time and at his death did with many solemne oathes and religious protestations affirme that the Queene was not priuie nor consenting to it And fourteene yeeres after when Mourton was to suffer death hee confessed that Bothwell dealt with him to consent vnto the murder of the King which when he vtterly denied except the Queene did command it vnder her hand To that Bothwell did answer that could not be done but that the deed must bee done without her knowledge This rash precipitate and ouer-hastie abdication or depriuation of the Queene and the ouerthwart stubbornnesse of the Conspirators towards the Embassadors both Queene ELIZABETH and the French King tooke very hainously as a thing tending to the reproach of royall Maiestie and began to fauour the Hamiltons who stood for the Queene Pasquier also Embassador from the French King dealt with the Queene of England that she might be restored by force of armes but shee thought it the better way to forbid the Scots all trafficke in France and England vntill shee was deliuered and so by that meanes the common people might bee disioned from the Noblemen who as it seemed were vnited in the conspiracie against the Queene Anno 1568. IN
pittie of Queene ELIZABETH was vnfained or not is not knowne But certaine it is the Councellors of England did enter into a mature deliberation what should be done with her If she should be kept still in England they feared that she which had an alluring eloquence would daily draw to her part many more to fauour the right shee pretended vnto the Crowne of England who would kindle her ambition and leaue nothing vnattempted to purchase the Kingdome for her That forraigne Embassadors would helpe and assist her purposes and that then the Scots would not faile her when they saw such a faire prey Moreouer the fidelitie of keepers was vncertaine and if she should die in England by sicknesse it would giue occasion of slander and the Queene should bee vexed and turmoiled euery day with new molestations If shee should bee sent into France they feared lest her Cosen 's the Guises would againe pursue the right and claime shee made vnto England vpon a conceit and opinion that she could doe much in England with some for Religions sake with others by the probabilitie of the right whereof I speake and with many vpon a mad desire of innouation Besides that the friendship betweene Scotland and England which is very profitable might be broken and the ancient league betweene France and Scotland renewed which might be more dangerous than in former times when Burgundy was tied vnto England in a stricter league than at this present England hauing now no assured friends but the Scots If shee should be sent backe into Scotland they feared lest the English faction should bee put out of authoritie the French faction raised to the gouernment of affaires the young Prince expoled vnto danger the Religion in Scotland changed the French and other forrainers brought in Ireland more vexed and annoied by the Irish Scots and she her selfe brought into danger of her life by her aduersaries at home Hereupon most of them thought best to detaine her as a lawfull prize and not to bee let goe vntill she had satisfied for the challenging the title of England and answered for the death of DARLY her husband who was a natiue Subiect of England for the mother of DARLY the Countesse of Lennox long since blubbered with teares in her owne name and her husbands also had made a grieuous complaint against her and had besought Queene ELIZABETH that shee might bee arraigned for the death of her sonneâ—â— but shee comforting her with courteous words willed her not to lay such a crime vpon so great a Princesse her nearest Cousin wich could not be proued by any certaine euidence That the times were malicious and vniust spight blinde which doth lay crimes vpon innocent persons but that Iustice which is the punisher of offenders was open eied and sitteth by God On the other side the Lord Herris humbly besought the Queene not to beleeue rashly any thing against the truth against the Queene vnheard and that in Scotland Murrey should not precipitate the Parlament to the preiudice of the expulsed Queene and to the destruction of good Subiects Which though shee vrged exceedingly yet Murrey in the Kings name held the Parlament attainted many that stood for the Queene spoiled and destroied their houses and possessions Hereupon the Queene of England being moued with indignation signified by Midlemore vnto the Regent in bitter words That shee could not endure that by a most pernicious example vnto Kings the sacred authoritie of royall Maiestie should be contemned by Subiects and trodden vnder foot at the pleasure of factious people And howsoeuer they had forgotten the dutie and allegeance of Subiects toward their Princesse yet she could not forget any duty or office of good will and pietie towards her sister and neighbour Queene Therefore it was best for him then to come himselfe or else to giue commission vnto fit and apt men for this businesse who should make answer vnto the complaints of the Queene of Scotland against him and his complices and also yeeld iust reasons for their depriuation of her if hee did not that shee would set her at libertie forthwith and restore her to her Kingdome with all the power she could make And withall willed him not to sell away the Queenes apparell and precious ornaments though the Estates had permitted the same Murrey did as she willed him since he had depended vpon no other place but onely vpon England for this course of his fickle gouernment and the Noblemen of the Realme refused to bee sent on that message To Yorke therefore the place appointed for the meeting came hee himselfe and seuen of his dearest and most familiar friends as Commissioners for the King infant namely Iames Earle of Mourton Adam Bishop of Orkeney Robert Commendator of Dunfermellin Patricke Lord Lindsey Iames Mangill Henry Balnaw and Lidington whom Murrey with faire promises enticed to come with him fearing to leaue him at home and George Buchanan one that would sweare it if Murrey spake it accompanied them The same very day came thither Thomas Howard Duke of Norfolke Thomas Ratcliff Earle of Sussex a little before made President of the North and Sir Ralph Sadleir Knight one of the priuie Councell appointed Commissioners to heare the cause of the depriuation for the Queene of Scotland who tooke it most vnkindly that Queene ELIZABETH would not heare her to speake and yet commanded her Subiects to be heard against her before Commissioners forasmuch as shee being an absolute Prince could not be bound to answer but at pleasure vnto her Subiects accusing her There appeared Iohn Leslie Bishop of Rosse William Lord Leuingston Robert Lord Boyde Gawen Commendator of Kilwiming Iohn Gordon and Iames Cocburne for her When they were met on the seuenth day of October and shewed each one to the other their Letters Patents of their Commission Lidington standing vp and turning to the Scots with a wonderfull bold speech admonished them Forasmuch as it should seeme by the Commission granted to the English men that the Queene of England had no other purpose but that they should defame disgrace and discredit the reputation and good name of their Queene mother to their King and that shee as an vmpire and Iudge should giue sentence that they should consider with themselues discreetly what hate and danger they might draw vpon themselues by accusing her of crimes and bringing her in danger and losse of reputation in this iuridicall and publike forme before English men the professed enemies of the Scottish Nation not onely with the Scots that loued the Queene buâ— also with other Christian Princes and her Cousins in France and what reason they could yeeld for this insolent accusation not without the wrong of the Scottish Kingdome vnto the King when he being riper in yeeres shall thinke this action a reproach and dishonour to himselfe his mother and his Countrie also Therefore he thought it most fit to leaue off the odicus accusation of so great a Princesse except the Queene
Warwicke called together with an oath of secresie lest they should preiudice either partie And when Murrey was called home and Boyde as it was commonly reported plotted to steale away the Queene of Scotland out of prison the matter was put off vnto another time Queene ELIZABETH from her heart hating the insolencie of the Scots in depriuing of their Queene Murrey a little before his departure had craftily proposed vnto Norfolke the mariage with the Queene of Scotland and also secretly by Meluin to the Queene a hope to be restored into her Kingdome as wee shall declare anon and at the same time to draw the loue of Queene ELIZABETH from the Queene of Scotland he had spread rumors that she had transposed her right vnto England vnto the Duke of Anjeou and that the transcription was confirmed at Rome and shewed also letters whether true or forged I will not say which the Queene of Scotland had written vnto her friends in which shee both charged Queene ELIZABETH as though shee had not vsed her according to her promise and bragged of hope of aid from some other persons This put Queene ELIZABETH in great feare yet could not shee coniecture from whence this new hope should arise the ciuil warre increasing so in France that the Bishop of Rhedon was sent vnto her by the King to request her not to intermeddle with the affaires in France and the Duke of Alba who was come the last yeere into the Netherlands to profligate the Protestants Religion had very troublesome businesse come vpon him But as it came to light afterward Robert Ridolphus a Florentine who had liued long at London as a Merchant Factor was suborned by Pope Pius Quintus who durst not send a Nuntio openly to stirre secretly the Papists in England against Queene ELIZABETH which hee did both diligently and secretly A small suspition was also growne out of the secret conferences at Yorke betweene Lidington the Bishop of Rosse and Norfolke whom they besought to ioine his aduice and care to helpe the most distressed Queene offering vnto him also her in mariage which hee as a thing full of danger reiected with a modest answer yet he promised not to abandon the distressed Queene in as much as was lawfull for an honourable man to doe sauing his allegeance to his Queene and Countrie Ligon the seruant of Norfolke a great Papist much increased the suspition by his often going to Bolton the Lord Scroopes Castle where the Queene of Scotland was kept by Francis Knolls vnder the pretence of visiting Scroopes wife who was sister vnto Norfolke Although no certaintie was of this yet for more surety the Queene of Scotland was conueied from Bolton where all the bordering neighbours were Papists farther into the Realme vnto Tutburie and deliuered vnto the custodie of George Earle of Shrewsburie Anno 1569. NOw Murrey who had made himselfe a secure way to returne into Scotland by the hope made to the Queene of Scotland of her restitution and to Norfolke and to others in England for shee had repressed the Scots that lay in wait to kill him and charged them not to impeach his returne As soone as hee came vnto Edenburgh he called the Noblemen friends to the Queene vnder the colour to consult with them about her restitution And when Hamilton Duke of Chasteauleroy appointed Lieutenant by the Queene and Herris perswaded by the letters of the Queene too much credulous came thither first Murrey fearing some traps circumuented them and staying for no moe put them in prison and forthwith annoied and vexed the friends of the Queene with fire and sword Hereupon were rumours spread in all places of England against Murrey namely that hee had made a pact with Queene ELIZABETH that the young King of Scotland should bee deliuered vnto Queene ELIZABETH to be brought vp in England That the Castles of Edenburgh and Sterling should bee furnished with Garrisons of English men That Dunbritton should be wonne for the benefit of the English That Murrey should bee proclaimed successor vnto the Realme of Scotland if the King died without issue and should hold the Kingdome of Queene ELIZABETH by fealtie and homage These reports increased and with a certaine probabilitie did so possesse mens mindes thorow all Britanie that Queene ELIZABETH thought good for the conseruation of her owne credit and for the good of Murrey to wipe away these blots Therefore in a writing printed she declared in the word of a Prince that these reports were most vntrue and deuised by them who enuied the tranquillitie of both the Kingdomes and that there had beene no pact either by word or writing betweene her or her Agents and Murrey since hee came last into England that she knew of but that the Earle of Lennox Grandfather of the young King had requested that the King if hee could not bee safe in Scotland from the plots of wicked men might be sent into England Moreouer she affirmed that whatsoeuer is said of the paction betweene Murrey and the Earle of Hertford namely that they would giue mutuall helpe the one to the other to get the Crownes of both the Kingdomes to be vtterly false and vntrue Lastly that she was not the cause why the transaction betweene the Queene of Scotland and her little sonne was not concluded and that shee will labour all that shee may that it may bee effected And indeed she did her best endeuour though shee was tossed on the one side with feare out of the inueterate emulation which doth neuer die betweene women Princesses and on the other side with compassion remembring oftentimes the frailâ—ie of mankinde The Queene of Scotland kindled more this compassion and minished the feare with her often and louing letters in which she solemnely promised both for the courtesie which shee had found at her hands and also for the neere bloud of kindred which was betweene them that shee would attempt nothing against her and that shee would not bee beholding to any other Prince for her restitution but onely vnto her Insomuch that Queene ELIZABETH dealt earnestly with Murrey by Wood his Secretarie and with other Scots about the restoring of her vnto her former dignitie and estate and if that could not bee granted then that shee might bee ioined with her sonne and if that could not be granted neither yet that shee might liue a priuate life at home among her friends freely securely and honourably But shee could not stirre or moue Murrey who had all the gouernment in his hand to yeeld a iot About the same time a still rumor went vp and downe amongst men of the better sort that the Duke of Norfolke would marrie the Queene of Scotland which was a thing well taken of many but in sundry manners according as men wished For the Papists hereby hoped to haue some good for their religion and others hoped some profit would arise thereby vnto the Common-wealth But many men who saw the Queene was not minded to marrie
and that forreigne Princes enemies vnto England did cast their eies vpon the Queene of Scotland as the most certaine Heire of England thought it would bee a better way to establish quietnesse and to containe the Queene of Scotland within bounds that shee were maried to the Duke of Norfolke the greatest and most honourable man of England and a man in the loue of the people and bred vp in the Religion of the Protestants rather than to a forreigne Prince who might bring both the Kingdomes into danger by her meanes and also come so to inherit both the Kingdomes which they heartily wished might be consolidated in a Prince of the English Nation if the King of Scotland should happen to die whom they also purposed to bring into England that hee being the true heire of England being brought vp amongst the English might be better loued of the English men And thus all the scruples about the succession might be taken away Queene ELIZABETH should haue no cause to feare the Duke and the Queene of Scotland when she had the King in her hands Moreouer that the Duke should attempt nothing against him but loue him more dearely They determined to espouse Margaret the Dukes onely and little daughter vnto him to bee maried together when they came to riper yeeres Amongst these were the Earles of Arundell Northumberland Westmerland Sussex Pembrooke and Southampton and very many Barons yea and Leicester himselfe whether in pollicie and to worke the Dukes destruction it is vncertaine yet all these thought it good to acquaint the Queene with the matter and to leaue the decision thereof to her pleasure and that she should prescribe the conditions for the full securitie and safetie of her owne person Religion and the Realme But now take the matter briefly if you please from the very beginning out of the written confession of the Duke which I haue seene and the memorials of the Bishop of Rosse who was the greatest dealer in this businesse When the Commissioners met at Yorke the last yeere Lidington and the Bishop of Rosse to winne his fauour talked with the Duke of a mariage to bee made bebetweene him and the Queene of Scotland and so did Murrey himselfe with the Duke at Hampton Court who in priuate talke with the Duke and also with many others fained that he wished nothing more than that matters in Scotland being set in good order the Queene of Scotland his dearest sister might be restored vnto her former dignitie and estate so that onely she would sincerely and vnfainedly receiue into her former fauour and grace her subiects and that all the remembrances of all offences might be quite forgotten Yet he feared if she maried a husband out of her owne choice from France Spaine or Austria that shee would reuenge the iniuries she had receiued change the Religion receiued in Scotland and procure great danger vnto Englâ—â—d To preuent these things he promised to bestow all his labour that where shee who had first maried a boy then a rash and heady young man and lastly too a mad-braine those were his very words might now bee maried to the Duke a man of discretion which thing might turne vnto the tranquillitie of both the Realmes the securitie of both the Princes and especially to the establishing of Religion since he such was his respect vnto the Queene of England might more prosperously containe Scotland in the amitie of the English and might with the more ease draw the Queene of Scotland vnto the true Religion which he professed With these same things Murrey also secretly acquainted the Queene of Scotland by Robert Meluin and offered his labour very officiously toward the effecting thereof But the Duke answered that he could determine nothing about the mariage before that shee did cleere her selfe of the crimes obiected against her yet Rosse as diligently as hee could ceased not to draw him to it being vnwilling A few daies after Nicholas Throgmorton met the Duke in the Court at Westminister vnto whom he profesled and offered his seruice very kindly and signified that Leicester would talke with the Duke about the mariage betweene him and the Queene of Scotland which Throgmorton said seemed strange to him since Leicester himselfe sued for the same mariage not long since But he willed the Duke in friendship if it were so that he should giue the honour of that mariage vnto Leicester who had beene before time a suiter therein But if hee stood stifly in it to denie and refuse it because that the Scots did charge her with very many hainous crimes But yet said Throgmorton I wish from my heart that shee were maried vnto you as well for the good of Religion as also that shee may not depend of any other but on our Queene Yet this I forewarne you if you doe any thing in this matter let Leicester guide you by aduice for you of yourselfe shall hardly get the Queenes consent A day or two after Leicester moued the matter to the Duke who answered iust euen as Throgmorton sorewarned him and when hee came to speake of the crimes Leicester extenuated the same and called Richard Candish witnesse whose seruice though suspected he commended vnto the Duke Then Leicester told Pembrooke of the matter and the Duke told Arundell and they together with Throgmorton in their letters commended vnto the Queene of Scotland the Duke as a fit husband which Murrey had done also before The Duke also wrote and signified his loue and offered his seruice in very louing words From that time he imparted vnto them all the letters he wrote vnto her or receiued from her and they talked oftentimes with Rosse about the manner of concluding it And by Richard Candish they propounded in the yeere one thousand fiue hundred threescore and eight vnto the Queene of Scotland these Articles written with Leicesters hand viz. That she attempt nothing to the hurt of the Queene of England and her children in the succession of the Kingdome of England Shee should make a league defensiue and offensiue betweene the two Realmes Shee should establish the Religion of the Protestants in Scotland Shee should receiue into her fauour the Scots which were now her aduersaries She should reuoke the assignation of the Kingdome of England made vnto the Duke of Anjeou She should marie some English Nobleman namely the Noble Prince Thomas Duke of Norfolke If she gaue her consent vnto these Articles they promised to procure the Queene of Englands assent and that she should bee shortly restored vnto her Realme and also bee confirmed in the succession of England She readily admitted them all but onely that she could say nothing vnto the league before the French King was certified thereof Shee protested that there was no assignation made vnto the Duke of Anjeou yet she would procure him to make a release and renuntiation if they stood vpon it And willed them aboue all things to get the consent of
bee sent ouer into Ireland if reciprocally the Irish men be tied with the same condition not to passe ouer into Scotland For the more firme assurance of these things they consented to giue hostages whomsoeuer the Queene of England would name except the Duke of Chasteauleroy the Earle of Huntley Argile and Atholl Moreouer they consented that the Queene of Scotland should bee excluded from all her right of succession in England if she attempted any thing against the right of the Queene of England so that the Queene of England might againe bâ—e tied in some equall penaltie also if shee attempted any thing against the Queene of Scotland Concerning the Castles of Hume and Fast Castle they requested that they may bee restored vnto the Lord Hume the true Lord and proprietarie of them and that the English men would detaine them no longer from him And that to deliuer Fortresses in Galloway or Cantire vnto forrainers was no other thing than to giue a new occasion of warre When they could not agree vpon these Articles and the Commissioners came not from the Regent of Scotland and in the meane time it was reported and bruted that aid was earnestly requested by her friends of the Pope the King of France and the Duke of Alba for the deliuerance and freeing of the Queene of Scotland and the English rebels as Westmerland the Countesse of Northumberland and the rest were conueied secretly out of Scotland nothing came of this Treatie but yet The Bishop of Rosse sent the Articles of this treatie vnto the Pope and the Kings of France and Spaine and insinuated vnto them that the Queene of Scotland must of necessitie yeeld vnto them vnlesse they holpe her both with aduice and other aid very shortly which he did most importunately request at their hands but in vaine for all they were earnestly busied with other matters Anno 1571. A Little before this time Ridolphus the Florentine before named who had vsed much merchandize and trafficke at London fifteene yeeres sent very secretly the Letters of the Pope vnto the Queene of Scotland in the which hee promised his care and studie to the vtmost of his goods and labour to aduance the Catholike Religion and her and required her to shew fauour and giue credit vnto Ridolphus in all things and also that hee may vnderstand by him who now determined to returne into Italy by what meanes he may doe any good and giue any releefe vnto the Catholike Religion and remedy vnto the common mischiefes in England and Scotland Ridolphus also in his owne priuate letters requested the Queene to impart these things vnto the Duke of Norfolke and her friends and that she would commend him vnto them But she delaied her answer though the Kings of France and Spaine and the Duke of Alba wrote to the same effect vntill she saw vnto what end the treatie already begunne would come For there was come as from the King of Scotland to talke of the Scottish affaires the Earle of Mourton Petcarne Abbot of Dunfermelling and Iames Mac-Gill who vnto Queene ELIZABETH commanding them to lay downe euidently the causes of their depriuing the Queene of Scotland and to proue them to be iust shewed a tedious and long instruction or memoriall wherein with a most insolent libertie and bitternesse of speech they endeuoured to proue the people of Scotland to be superiour and aboue their Kings by the ancient priuileges of the Kingdome of Scotland by old forgotten and also late examples collected from all places yea and by the authoritie of Caluin they also endeuoured to proue that the popular Magistrates are appointed and made to moderate and keepe in order the excesse and vnrulinesse of Kings and that it is lawfull for them to put the Kings that bee euill and wickeâ— into prison and also to depriue them of their Kingdomes But they spake much of their lenitie vsed toward their depriued Queene because they suffered her to set her sonne in her place and to appoint gouernours vnto him That it proceeded out of the mercie of the people and not for her innocencie that they suffered her to liue and many other things which turbulent wits doe malapertly deuise and inuent against the royall Maiestie of Kings This memoriall Queene ELIZABETH read but not without indignation and as a libell written in the slander and reproach of Kings condemned it though she said nothing but vnto the Commissioners she answered that as yet shee did not see a iust cause of their abusing and vexing the Queene in that manner and therefore her will was that they should take some speedy course for the quenching the diuision and discord in Scotland Hereupon at the house of Bacon Keeper of the great seale it was proposed vnto the Bishop of Rosse the Bishop of Galloway and the Lord Leuingston Commissioners for the Queene of Scotland That for to giue securitie vnto the Kingdome and Queene of England and vnto the Noblemen that tooke the Kings part the Duke of Chasteauleroy the Earles of Huntley and Argile the Lords Hume and Herris and another Lord should be giuen for hostages and the Castles of Dunbritton and Hume deliuered vnto the hands of the English men for three yeeres They answered it was not to be doubted but the Queene of Scotland who of her free will committed her selfe to the protection of the Queene of England would also most willingly giue her satisfaction in all things which might conueniently bee done but to deliuer such great men and such Fortresses was no other thing but to spoile and depriue the distressed Queene of the succour and strength of all her most faithfull friends and of most strong places But they offered two Earles of whom one should be one of the three named and two Lords to be hostages for two yeeres but that the Holds and Castles by the league could not bee deliuered vnto the English men except others in like manner were deliuered vnto the French men But said Bacon all the Realme of Scotland the Prince the Noblemen and Castles are not all sufficient to giue securitie vnto the Queene and the most flourishing Realme of England and therefore the Queene of Scotland was not to be let goe vpon any securitie the Scots could propose Hereupon they immediatly gathered and said openly that now at length they plainly vnderstood that the English were resolued fully to keepe the Queene prisoner for euer in England and withall to breake off the Treatie since they exacted so earnestly such securitie as Scotland could not by any meanes performe yet the other Councellors of England protested that they earnestly desired the deliuerance of the Queene of Scotland so that sufficient securitie were giuen And to that purpose they also talked with Mourton and his associates hereof and of deliuering the King into England who in plaine termes answered that they had no commission to treat or deale either to receiue home the Queene into Scotland or to deliuer the King into England
the Queene to these conditions namely To acknowledge the Religion established in Scotland To submit themselues to the King and also to Mourton as his Regent and to his successors in the gouernment To renounce the authoritie of all others To account them Traitors by authoritie of Parlament that attempted any thing against the Religion the King or Regent That the sentence against the Hamiltons and the Gordons should be repealed c. But these conditions William Kircaldy Lord of Grange the Lord Hume Lidington and the Bishop of Dunkelden and others who thought the Queene of Scotland to be iniuriously vsed would vpon no termes admit but fortified the Castle of Edenburgh of which Grange was Captaine placed therein by Murrey looking for aid from France and the Duke of Alba but Sir William Drury being sent into Scotland with forces out of England to ioine with the Scots the same Castle was yeelded in the three and thirtieth day of the siege and so the Castle and all the prisoners were deliuered vnto the Regent who hanged Kircaldy without mercie spared Hume and others at the request of Queene ELIZABETH Lidington was sent to Lieth where he died not without suspicion of poison And to the end that England might also bee more secure from clandestine attempts at home on the behalfe of the Queene of Scotland Iohn Lesly Bishop of Rosse who very faithfully had serued his Queene yet with the destruction of many men and danger of more was deliuered out of prison and commanded to depart out of England and went into France fearing Southampton whom by his appeaching he had brought in danger and also Henry Howard the Duke of Norfolkes brother to mollifie whose anger hee wrote an Apologie He was scarce departed but his secret Letter-carrier Henry Cokin was taken and by him was Morgan detected who prompt to doe some exploit for the Queene of Scotland and desirous to haue done somewhat forthwith fled away Atsloe the Physitian for the Papists and Goad Doctors of Physicke and Francis Berty because they had secret commerce of letters with her were put certaine moneths in prison And for the same cause Henry Goodyer and Richard Louder were called into question In the meane while Rosse did not pretermit any part or dutie of a most faithfull subiect to the Queene of Scotland towards the Emperour the Pope the French King and the Catholike Princes of Germanie who euery one gaue good words and hopes but yet performed nothing And also the Duke of Alba in whom he put his greatest trust did at this time depart out of the Low-Countries to his great griefe Anno 1574. HEnry the third of that name King of France and his mother did all that they could by secret deuices to get the young King of Scotland into France and to get Mourton out of his office of Regent sending secretly Scots out of the French Guard for this purpose into Scotland which thing the Queene of Scotland desired much being perswaded that if her sonne were in France out of danger that shee and the Papists in England should be dealt withall more mildly For hereupon she thought it would come to passe that the faction in Scotland hitherto countenanced by the authoritie of the Kings name would decay and come to nothing and that the English men would feare him more and more as hee grew vp in yeeres as well from France as out of Scotland And as much did the French men wish the same secretly fearing lest the Regent of Scotland depending wholly on the English should dissolue the ancient league betweene the Scots and the French Yet when the Regent earnestly requested that a league of mutuall defence betweene England and Scotland might bee made hee was not heard perhaps for that he requested withall that an annuall pension might bee assigned vnto him and vnto certaine other Scots But they were heard who with a small suspicion touched the Queene of Scotland the Countesse and Earle also of Shrewsburie as though they had wrought a mariage betweene Charles Vncle vnto the King of Scotland vnto whom the King had lately in the Parlament confirmed the Earledome of Lennox and Elizabeth Candish daughter to the Countesse of Shrewsburie by her former husband without the Queenes knowledge For which cause the mothers of both them and others were kept in prison and all the fault was laid vpon the Queene of Scotland And when sundry suspicions grew of the intent and purpose of this mariage Henry Earle of Huntingdon was made Lord President of the Councell in the North with new and secret instructions concerning this matter Anno 1575. THis yeere died in Scotland the most Noble Lord Iames Hamilton Duke of Chasteauleroy and Earle of Arran who was the Grand-childes sonne of Iames the second King of Scotland by his daughter the Tutor of Queene MARIE of Scotland and Gouernour of the Kingdome and heire designed while she was in her minoritie At such time as he had deliuered her vnto the French men hee was made Duke of Chasteauleroy in France then chiefe of the three Gouernours of Scotland appointed by MARIE in her captiuitie Whose cause while he defended most constantly he being a plaine and well-meaning man was vexed with all manner of politike and craftie deuices by turbulent and vnquiet minded people Anno 1577. DOn Iohn d'Austria had made a perpetuall edict at Gaunt to giue satisfaction to the Estates of the Netherlands for their aggrieuances which the Prince of Orange vtterly condemning opportunely heard that Don Iohn intended to marrie the Queene of Scotland on which he willingly laid hold and forthwith certified Queene ELIZABETH thereof by Famier thereby to withdraw her minde from peace yet she as one ignorant thereof by Daniel Rogers shewed her gladnesse of the perpetuall edict of peace though now she had certaine knowledge that Don Iohn by the perswasion of the Earle of Westmerland and the English fugitiues and forward fauour of the Pope and the Guises had in hope swallowed that mariage and withall the Kingdomes of England and Scotland and had already appointed to surprize the I le of Man in the Irish Sea as a fit place to inuade England out of Ireland and the West borders of Scotland wherein the Queene of Scotland had many assured friends as also in the opposite side of England North-wales Cumberland Lancashire and Cheshire where most of the inhabitants were earnest Papists But indeed Don Iohn as wee haue learned of Perez Secretarie to the King of Spaine before now ambitiously minded when hee had lost the hope of the Kingdome of Tunise had dealt couertly with the Pope about the expulsion of Queene ELIZABETH the marrying of the Queene of Scotland and the conquest of England and vnknowne to Philip had preuailed so farre that the Pope as out of the care of the common good moued Philip to make warre against England and Don Iohn himselfe being to depart into the Low-Countries had prosecuted it earnestly in Spaine and afterwards by
Escouedo sent out of the Netherlands he had desired to haue some Hauens in Biscay granted vnto him from whence hee might inuade England with a Nauie But Philip disliked their intentions and began to neglect him as one ouer ambitious Yet Queene ELIZABETH vnderstood not these things fully vntill Orange informed her In the meane time Don Iohn couertly prosecuted the mariage and at the same time to cloake the matter sent vnto Queene ELIZABETH the Viscount of Gaunt to shew her the conditions of the peace and to request longer daies of paiment for the money lent vnto the Estates which she willingly granted and dealt with him againe by Wilson to recompence the Merchants of England for the hurt sustained in the sacking of Antwerpe He eludeth the matter whiles he seemed to attend about the Perpetuall edict for peace he brake out suddenly into open warre and by policie gat into his hands many Cities and Castles and wrote vnto the King of Spaine that he thought it best to subdue and conquer the Ilands of Zeland before the Inland Prouinces and beleeuing that which he hoped endeuoured to perswade him by his Secretarie that England was easier to be conquered than Zeland Anno 1578. ABout this time Margaret Dowglas Countesse of Lennox Neece to Henry the eighth by his eldest sister widow of Matthew Earle of Lennox Grandmother vnto IAMES King of Great Britaine ouerliuing her eight children departed to the ioies of heauen in the threescore and third yeere of her age and was buried at Westminster with a solemne funerall at the Queenes charge a Matron of worthy pietie patience and chastitie who was thrice cast into prison as I haue heard her speake it not for matter of treason but for loue matters First when Thomas Howard sonne to Thomas Howard first Duke of Norfolke being in loue with her died in the Tower then for the loue of Henry Darly her sonne to the Queene MARIE of Scotland lastly for the loue of Charles her younger sonne â—o Elizabeth Candish mother to Arbella of which mariage the Queene of Scotland was accused to bee a procurer as I haue said before About the same time the credit and authoritie of Mourton began to decay insomuch that hee was remoued from his office of Regent and the administration of all things deliuered vnto the King by the common consent of the Estates and because hee was not past twelue yeeres old vnto twelue of the chiefe Noblemen which were named of whom three euery three moneths by turnes should bee present with the King to giue him aduice and Mourton was one of them that they might seeme to bring him lower not to cast him downe Shortly after Mourton trusting on his sharpe wit long experience and many dependants and retainers thinking nothing well done except he himselfe did it and also not brooking not to be the same man he had beene drew backe all the administration vnto himselfe not regarding his associates and not obseruing the consent of administration set downe hee kept in his hand the King within the Castle of Sterling and shut out excluded whom he pleased and admitted others at his owne choice Wherewith the Noblemen being moued made the Earle of Atholl their Captaine and made Proclamation in the Kings name that all men aboue sixteene and vnder threescore yeeres should meet in Armour with victuals for fifteene daies There met very many and with Banners displaied they marched vnto Fawkirke where Mourton with his friends met them in Armour ready to fight But Robert Bowes the English Embassadour by intreatie and mouing honest conditions kept them from fighting and Mourton forthwith as wearie of businesse went home secretly and the Earle of Atholl died incontinently not without suspicion of poison which the mindes incensed against Mourton tooke to his slander and for this and other things they neuer ceased to persecute him vntill they had brought him to his destruction as we will declare hereafter Anno 1579. THe Scots were in feare of hauing their Religion altered by a French man called Amatus or Esmaus Stewart who came at this time into Scotland to see the King his Cousin for he was the sonne of Iohn Stewart brother vnto Matthew Earle of Lennox who was the Kings Grand-father and called Aubigney of a Towne in Berry which long since Charles the seuenth King of France had giuen to Iohn Stewart of the familie of Lennox who being Constable of the Scottish Armie in France put the English men to flight at Baugy and was afterwards slaine by them in the battell of Herrings and euer since that time it hath belonged vnto the younger sonne of that house This man the King vsed with singular kindnesse gaue him good liuings made him of his priuie Councell and Lord Chamberlaine of Scotland and Captaine of the Castle of Dunbritton and then Earle of Lennox and after Duke This extraordinarie fauour of the King towards him caused many to enuie him who murmured that he was a fauourer of the Guises and of the Roman Religion and sent purposely into Scotland by secret meanes to ouerthrow the true Religion The suspicion was much increased in that hee was familiar with the aduersaries of Mourton and intreated to haue Thomas Carre of Fernihurst recalled home who was the most assured friend to the Queene of Scotland of all others Mourton resisting the same with all his power but in vaine for his authoritie was lesse and lesse with all men although it might seeme that hee deserued well in profligating the Hamiltons and taking the Castle of Hamilton and Daffraine Anno 1580. IN Scotland when many Ministers of the Word and Noblemen perceiued that Lennox was in the Kings high fauour first they raised one Iames Stewart of the familie of Ochiltree Captaine of the Guard and Earle of Arran for hee had vsurped that title from I know not what cession of Iames Hamilton Earle of Arran whose Tutor hee had beene when hee was not well in his wit to affront him But the King in a short time reconciled them When this way serued not their turne they procured him as much hatred as they could at home and accused him hainously vnto the Queene of England as one sent in couertly by the Guises to shake the state of Religion to procure the libertie of the imprisoned Queene and to dissolue the amitie betweene England and Scotland These men were soone beleeued and vpon this matter was kept a serious consultation in England though hee in his letters cleered himselfe to the Queene and openly professed the Protestants Religion For the Councellors of England feared lest he should suppresse the Scots who were friends to England nourish excursions in the borders and entice the King to marrie in France or in some other place vnknowne to the English men whereupon the young King trusting might trouble England and being growne to mature yeeres assume to himselfe the title of the Realme of England as his mother had done before which if hee should
doe there would bee more danger in him than was in his mother since hee was borne to the certaine hope of both the Kingdomes he might get many moe fautors and now the Scots being bred vp in their warres at home and in the Low-Countries were more exercised and skilfull in marshall affaires Hereupon they thought good to wring Lennox out of the Kings fauour by one meanes or other or else to driue him out of Scotland and that without delay since it was bruted abroad that hee had sent for one Balfure out of France who had gotten I know not what hand-writing of Mourtons wherein it was hoped that Mourton might bee conuinced of the murder of the Kings father and also that he had obtained the Captainship of the Castle of Dunbritton for no other purpose but either to let in forraine forces into Britaine or else to carry ouer from thence the King of Scotland into France It was reported also that he perswaded the King to resigne his Crowne vp to his mother as if shee had beene depriued vniustly and by a most impious example or president by her subiects accepting assurance to take it from her by a lawfull resignation whereby hee should most strongly confirme his Kingdome to him and extinguishing the factions thereby bee acknowledged of all men for a lawfull King Hereupon Robert Bowes Treasurer for the Garrison at Barwicke was sent into Scotland who should challenge and charge Lennox with those things before the King and his Councellors and admonish them to beware of their imminent euils As soone as hee was admitted to speake he required to haue Lennox remoued from the Councell which the Councellors vtterly denied as a thing strange and neuer heard of that a Kings Councellor should bee put out of his place and his cause not heard or not knowne They doubted also whether the Queene did expresly command him so to doe and required him to shew his instructions to maintaine his credit He denied to shew them but onely to the King and vnto one or two more whereupon hee was vnheard forth with called home and tooke leaue of the King who thought of no such matter complaining that the wholsome admonishments of his Lady the Queene who deserued well at their hands were reiected Immediatly vpon this was sent from Scotland Alexander Hume to excuse these things and to learne what these imminent euils were but hee was not admitted vnto the Queene but was sent to Burleigh who with a briefe and discreet speech shewed him That the Queene thought not good to admit him to her speech not that shee did neglect him whom she had tried to be sound in Religion and a man carefull for the good of his Prince Countrie and the tranquillitie of both the Realmes but out of a iust griefe that her Maiestie and the credit of her Embassadour was so contemptuously vsed who had kept himselfe within the compasse and bounds of his Embassade and had beene commanded to shew his commission which was a thing neuer heard of Hee cast all the fault vpon the new Councellors and excused the King who wanted experience through his young yeeres and wished that hee would giue eare vnto the wholsome and profitable aduices of the Queene who bare a true motherly minde vnto him and not to make lesse account of her than he did of his French Cousin and a subiect to the French King matched with a French woman and a Papist in Religion and who perhaps doth seeke the Hamiltons being at this time banished to be designed second person to the King And said Let the King remember that there is no affection more vehement than Ambition and let the Scots remember what broiles the French men had made in Scotland if the Queene by her prudence and power had not preuented them So Hume was sent backe into Scotland and all these things were done of purpose to put the King in feare and to make him beleeue that Lennox had vndertaken dangerous plots and deuices against the King and the Realme Yet for all this shortly after Mourton who was wholly for England was accused of treason by the Earle of Arran and cast into prison Anno 1581. HEreupon in the beginning of Ianuarie Sir Thomas Randolph generall Post-master was sent into Scotland with instructions to conserue the Religion and amitie with the English men and to labour all hee could that no violence should bee offered vnto Mourton to remoue Lennox away out of Scotland and to comfort the Noblemen of the English faction Hee made diligent and earnest intreatie for Mourton alleaging his merits towards the King the honour of Queene ELIZABETH if shee so well deseruing should haue a repulse and the enuie of his accusers The King answered That hee could not out of his Princely dutie but bring to triall a man appeached of treason and that he acknowledged by experience the Queenes good will and that hee would not commit any thing that might iustly displease her by any meanes After Randolph was admitted to speake in the assembly of the Estates recounting the benefits of Queene ELIZABETH towards Scotland and the King himselfe to wit How she had deliuered the Realme from the French men with the bloud of English men defended their Religion and King and yet neuer thought to conuay him away as it was falsly reported or to obtaine an Acre of Scottish ground when yet shee had opportunitie and meanes to conquer Scotland the King being in his Cradle his mother prisoner in England and the Noblemen at dissention But on the other side shee hath bestowed all her care to preserue in safetie the King and his Realme who was tied vnto her with the most strait bonds of bloud vicinitie and Religion whose loue she found most sincere towards her as she had done all the Regents successiuely before that Aubigney Earle of Lennox came into Scotland Since that time hee hath ruled the King as a Ward hath auerted his minde from the friendship of the English men vnto the French men who haue not hitherto so much as acknowledged him for King hath put out of their offices the most faithfull subiects of the King and hath put in others not so faithfull and hath by his letters which he shewed dealt with forraine Princes about the inuading of England He hath moued the King to hate and abhorre the Ministers of Gods word as if they were railers and turbulent people and hath had no care of the administration of iustice betweene the borderers All which things Queene ELIZABETH could not but take in very euill part when she saw a Prince of such vertue and her neerest Cousin alienated and drawne forcibly away by these bad deuices Yet nothing was then effected either to helpe Mourâ—on or against Lennox who most men thought was falsly charged with the crimes and also that the letters which were shewed were counterfeit Therefore Randolph attempted another politike way He vnto the aduersaries of Lennox and vnto the friends of
serious consultation among the Councell of England and most of them were content that shee should bee deliuered vpon these conditions To wit 1 That she and her sonne should promise to practise nothing hurtfull to Queene ELIZABETH and the Realme of England 2 That she should voluntarily confesse that whatsoeuer was done by Francis the second the French King her husband against Queene ELIZABETH was done against her will and that shee should vtterly disallow the same as vniust by confirming the treatie of Edenburgh 3 That shee should condemne all the practises euer since that time and ingenuously renounce them 4 She should binde her selfe not to practise any thing directly or indirectly against the gouernment of the Realme of England in Ecclesiasticall or Ciuill affaires but by all manner of meanes oppose her selfe and resist such practisers as publike enemies 5 That shee shall challenge or claime no right vnto her selfe in the Kingdome of England during the life of Queene ELIZABETH and that afterward shee will submit her right of succession vnto the Estates of England 6 And to the end shee may not hereafter vse any cauill and say That she condescended to these conditions being a prisoner and by coaction shee her selfe should not onely sweare vnto them but also procure the Estates of Scotland to confirme them by publike authoritie 7 The King himselfe also should ratifie them by oath and by writing 8 And that hostages should be giuen As for the consociation with her sonne in the administration of affaires it was thought fit that the Queene of England should not interpose her selfe but this they referred to the King of Scotland himselfe and the Estates of Scotland But if they were ioined together that they should talke about the league with them iointly if not by themselues These things were consulted of but with no successe For the Scots of the English faction vtterly reiected them crying amaine that many Scots deadly enemies to the English Nation were called out of France by the counsell of the Queene of Scotland And that Holt an English Iesuit was sent secretly into Scotland to take order for the inuading of England The French Embassadours which went into Scotland not obtaining that they came for departed whereupon the Noblemen that had surprized the King grew haughtie in minde as also for that Lennox died at that time which putting them into securitie the King contrary to their expectation disdaining to be vnder the gouernment of three Earles recouered his libertie went to the Castle of Saint Andrewes and with good words willed many of the surprizers to depart from the Court to auoid any stirre and promised them pardon if they would aske it within a certaine time which thing Gowry onely did and called Arran backe to the Court but they were so farre off from doing of that as they secretly practised to take him suddenly againe Hereupon they were commanded to depart out of the Realme by a day appointed Marre Glamis the Commendators of Dryburg and Paslet and others went into Ireland Boyd Zester-Weim Locheluin went into the Low-Countries and Dunfermellin went into France Angus was confined into Angus onely Gowry hauing a new plot in his head tarried after the time prefixed to his owne destruction And then the King to shew himselfe a Prince began to exercise his Regall authoritie And whereas these Conspirators in an assembly called by their owne priuate authoritie had enacted and recorded That this surprize of the King was iust he on the contrary part declared in a great assembly of the Estates that the same was traiterous Although the Ministers as if they were the supreme Iudges in the Realme in a Synod called by their owne authoritie pronounced the same to bee iust and iudged all them that did not approue and allow the same worthy to be excommunicate Anno 1584. IN the beginning of the Spring some of the Scots returned out of Ireland vpon a pact made betweene them and Gowry who had conspired anew with diuers to take the King againe professing that they set before their eies nothing else but the glory of God the truth of Religion the securitie of the King and Realme and the amitie with England against them who by sinister meanes as they gaue out abused the King not yet come vnto sufficient age But the King hearing hereof sent Colonell Stewart to apprehend Gowry who lay at the Hauen of Dondee as if hee had beene going out of the land who after hee had defended himselfe an houre or two in his house was taken and carried away vnto prison In the meane time the other Conspirators tooke Sterling by sudden surprize and the Castle was yeelded vnto them yet by and by they leaue them both because the King displaied his banners as ready to fight not so many met as Gowry had promised and their hope of English helpe failed them and so for feare Marre Glamis and Angus who was come to them and others fled into England humbly beseeching the Queene to releeue their necessities and to intreat the King for them Forasmuch as they had lost all their goods and the Kings fauour for shewing their loue to her and England vnto whom shee thought good to shew some fauour that they might bee opposed against the contrary faction in Scotland and the rather for that the Ministers bruted that the King was vpon the point to fall from his Religion vpon no other ground though they fained other matters but for that hee vpon a fiâ—all loue inclined to his mother and receiued into his especiall fauour and grace those whom he knew to bee most addicted vnto his mother In the meane time Gowry was arraigned before his Peeres at Sterling vpon these points That he intended and began a new conspiracie against the King whom he had also kept prisoner in his house beforetime That he conferred by night with the seruants of Angus to seize vpon Perth and Sterling That he had resisted the Kings authoritie at Dondee had conceiued a conspiracie against the life of the King and his mother Lastly that he had asked counsell of Maclena the Witch and being found guiltie by his Peeres he was in the euening beheaded but his seruants sowing the head vnto the body buried it incontinently About the same time were some practises in England but with no successe in the behalfe of the Q of Scotland of which the chiefest was Francis Throgmorton eldest sonne to Iohn Throgmorton Iustice of Chester who fell into suspicion out of his letters vnto the Queene of Scotland which were intercepted As sonne as hee was taken and began to confesse some things Thomas Lord Paget and Charles Arundel a Courtier fled out of the land into France who with other Papists lamenting their estate among themselues complained that the Queene by the wicked and craftie dealings of Leicester and Walsingham was estranged from them That they were abused with contumelies and reproaches That strange kinds of subtiltie were inuen ted against them
out of common charitie whilest they feared not her but were fearefull of the other bound themselues in a certaine Association with their mutuall oathes subscriptions and seales to persecute with all their forces vnto death them who did attempt any thing against the Queene The Queene of Scotland who quickly vnderstood that a way was made by it to make her away wearie of her long miserie and fearing worse things propounded these things to the Queene and her Counsellors by Nauus her Secretarie If her libertie might be granted and that she might be assured of the sincere minde and loue of Queene ELIZABETH that she would binde her selfe in a most strict league of amitie with the Queene most dutifully honour and obserue her before all other Christian Princes forget all offences past acknowledge her the true and most rightfull Queene of England and that she would not challenge during her life any right vnto the Crowne of England nor practise anything against her directly or indirectly and vtterly to renounce the title and armes of England which she had vsed by the commandement of Francis her husband and also vnto the Bull of the Pope about her deposition and depriuation Yea and also enter into that Association for the securitie of the Queene and into a defensiue league sauing the ancient league betweene France and Scotland yet so that nothing be done in the life of the Queene or after her death which may be hurtfull vnto her her sonne and their heires in succession before they be heard in the Assemblie of the Estates of England For more assurance of these things that she will remaine as an hostage in England and if she may haue leaue to depart out of England that she will giue pledges Moreouer that she will alter nothing in Scotland so that the exercise of her religion be permitted only to her and her familie That she will for euer forget all the wrongs done her in Scotland but yet vnder that condition that the things published to her infamie may be repealed That she will commend vnto the King Counsellors which were desirous to keepe peace with England and would reconcile vnto him as much as lay in her the Noblemen that were fled into England if they would humbly acknowledge their fault and that the Queene gaue her word to giue aid vnto the King against them if at any time they fell or departed from their obedience That she would doe nothing about her sonnes mariage without the priuitie of the Queene and that she would not doe anything without the priuitie of her sonne so she requested that her sonne might be ioyned in this treatie whereby it may be made more strong She doubted not but that the King of France would be contented and binde himselfe by promise together with the Princes of the house of Lorraine for the performance of these agreements She also desired that these things might be answered with speed lest any thing might happen in the meane while to hinder it Lastly she earnestly desired that she might haue the fauour to haue more libertie that therein the loue of the Queene might appeare more euidently to her Out of these things as matters of much honour and dutie Queene ELIZABETH seemed to reioyce and it was then thought she was inclined to deliuer her although there were some in England who setting new feares before her eyes drew her from it But the matter being well followed and in a manner concluded was most of all hindered by the Scots of the contrary faction who exclaimed that Queene ELIZABETH was vtterly vndone if she were deliuered out of prison and both the Realmes would be vndone if she were ioyned with her sonne in the kingdome of Scotland and if the exercise of the Roman Religion were permitted vnto her if it were but in her Court And some of the Scottish Ministers in Scotland out of their Pulpits and in their meetings railed most vilely against their Queene they spoke ill of the King and his Counsellors and being commanded to appeare in person obstinately and contemptuously denied so to doe as if the Pulpits were exempted from the Kings authoritie and that Ecclesiasticall persons were not subiect to the King but to the Presbyterie directly against the lawes made this yeere in the Assemblie of the States in the which the Kings authoritie ouer all persons both Ecclesiasticall and Laicks was confirmed for euer viz. That the King and his Counsellors are competent Iudges in all causes and they who would not obey the same are to be accounted for Traitors The assemblies of Preâ—byteries as also those of Laicks as well generall as particular were prohibited as hauing arrogated without the Kings priuitie boundlesse authoritie and when they list of meeting together and of prescribing lawes vnto the King and vnto all the Realme And also the popular equalitie of Ministers was abrogated and the dignitie and iurisdiction were restored vnto the Bishops whose vocation the Presbyteries had condemned as Antichristian And the slaâ—derous writings against the King his mother and Counsellors were forbidden and by name the Historie of George Buchanan and his Dialogue De iure regni apud Scotos as those which containe many things fit to be corrected and blotted out of memory And also many men blamed Patrick Grey the Scottish Embassador in England as if he won by brâ—bes had babbled out much matter to the hurt of the King and his mother and had hindered that these most equall conditions propounded from the Kings mother and sent by Nauus were not admitted Whereupon shee hauing her patience oftentimes wronged fell into a grieuous sorrow and indignation and so great was her desire of libertie that she gaue her minde and eares as well vnto the treacherous counsell of her enemies as vnto the pernicious deuices of her friends And so much the more for that as she had perswaded her selfe that the Association was made to endanger her life so now she had an inkling that by the policie of some men she was to be taken away from the keeping of the Earle of Shrewsburie who being an vpright man did not fauour their plots and to be committed vnto new Keepers And that it might be done with a better colour and the credit of the Earle of Shrewsburie which was approued and well knowne might not seeme to be suspected for it was not thought good to call in question the reputation of so great a man which yet they had cracked by secret slanders vpon the finding fault of his vnreasonable wife suspicions were laid hold on as if the plot of getting her libertie had beene begun out of certaine Emblemes sent by some vnto her Those were Argus with many eyes lulled asleepe by Mercury playing tunes on his pipe with this little sentence ELOQVIVM TOT LVMINA CLAVSIT Another was Mercury striking off the head of Argus keeping Io. A graft or cyon engrafted in a stocke and bound with bands yet flourishing and written about it PER
a turbulent spirit and nature casting out threats and terrors of the bloud that was ere long to bee shed in England On the next day the other seuen were drawne vnto the same place but vsed with more mercy by the Queenes commandement who hated the former cruelty for euery one of them hung till they were quite dead before they were cut downe and bowelled Salisbury the first was very penitent and aduised the Catholikes not to attempt the restitution of Religion by force or armes and the same did Dun who was the next Iones protesting that he had disswaded Salisbury from this enterprise and that he vtterly condemned and disliked the haughty and rash spirit of Babington and the purpose of inuasion Charnock and Trauerse fixed wholly to their praiers commended themselues to God and the Saints Gage extolling the bountifull liberality of the Queene toward his father and detesting his owne treacherous ingratitude toward a Princesse so well deseruing Hierom Bellamy who had hidden Babington after he was proclaimed traitor whose brother priuy to the same offence had strangled himselfe in prison ashamed and silent was the last of this company These men being executed Nauus the Frenchman and Curlus the Scot who were Secretaries to the Queene of Scotland being examined about the letters copies of letters and little notes and Ciphers found in the Queenes closet of their owne will acknowledged by their subscriptions that the handwritings were their owne endited by her in French taken by Nauus and turned into English by Curlus Neither did they deny that she receiued letters from Babington and that they wrote backe by her commandement in such a sense as is aforesaid Yet this is certaine out of letters that when Curlus did at this time aske Walsingham for what he promised that Walsingham did reproue him as one forgetfull of an extraordinary grace as that he had not confessed any thing but that hee could not deny when Nauus charged him therewithall to his face The Counsellors of England could not agree what should be done with the Queene of Scotland some thought good that no seuerity was to be vsed against her but to be kept very close as well for that she was not the beginner of this plot but onely made acquainted with it and also for that she was sickly and not like to liue long Others for the securitie of Religion would haue her dispatched out of the way and that by the course of Law Leycester had rather haue it done by poyson and secretly sent a Diuine to Walsingham to shew him that this was lawfull but Walsingham protested that he was so farre from allowing that any violence should be vsed that long agoe hee crossed and broke the aduice of Morton who had perswaded to send her into Scotland that she might be killed in the very borders of both the kingdomes They were moreouer of different opinions by what law or Act they should proceed against her whether out of that of the XXV yeare of Edward the third in which he is a traitor who deuiseth to kill the King or the Queene or moueth warre in the Kingdome or doth adhere vnto his enemies Or whether by that Law or Act of the XXVII yeare oâ— Queene ELIZABETH which is set downe before At length their opinion preuailed who would haue it by this latter law as made for this purpose and therefore to be accommodated thereunto therefore out of that law enacted the former yeare that enquiry might be made and sentence pronounced against them who raised rebellion inuaded the kingdome or attempted to hurt the Queene many of the Priuie Counsell and Noblemen of England were chosen Commissioners by letters Patents which was this after the Lawyers forme and stile ELIZABETH by the grace of God of England France and Ireland Queene Defender of the faith c. To the most Reuerend Father in Christ Iohn Arch-Bishop of Canterbury Primate and Metropolitane of all England and one of our Priuy Counsell And to our beloued and trusty Thomas Bromley Knight Chauncellor of England and another of our Priuie Counsell And also to our welbeloued and trusty William Lord Burghley Lord Treasurer of England another of our Priuy Counsell And also to our most deare cousin William Marquesse of Winchester one of the Lords of the Parlament And to our most deare cousin Edward Earle of Oxford great Chamberlaine of England another of the Lords of the Parlament And also to our most deare cousin George Earle of Shrewsbury Earle Marshall of England another of our Priuy Counsell and to our most deare cousin Henry Earle of Kent another of the Lords of the Parlament And also to our most deare cousin Henry Earle of Darby another of our Priuy Counsell And to our most deare cousin William Earle of Worcester another of the Lords of the Parlament And to our most deare cousin Edward Earle of Rutland another of the Lords of the Parlament And to our most deare cousin Ambrose Earle of Warwicke Master of our Ordnance another of our Priuy Counsell and to our most deare cousin Henry Earle of Pembrooke another of the Lords of the Parlament And also to our most deare cousin Robert Earle of Leicester Master of our horse another of our Priuy Counsell And to our most deare cousin Henry Earle of Lincolne another of the Lords of the Parlament And also to our most deare cousin Antony Vicount Montague another of the Lords of the Parlament And to our welbeloued and trusty Charles Lord Howard our great Admirall of England another of our Priuy Counsell And to our welbeloued and faithfull Henry Lord Hunsdon our Lord Chamberlaine another of our Priuy Counsell And also to our welbeloued and trusty Henry Lord of Aburgeuenny another of the Lords of the Parlament And to our welbeloued and trusty Edward Lord Zouch another of the Lords of the Parlament And also to our welbeloued and trusty Edward Lord Morley another of the Lords of the Parlament And also to our welbeloued and trusty William Lord Cobham Lord Warden of our fiue Ports another of our Priuy Counsell And also to our welbeloued and trusty Edward Lord Stafford another of the Lords of the Parlament And also to oâ—r welbeloued and trusty Arthur Lord Grey of Wilton another of the Lords of the Parlament And also to our welbeloued and trusty Iohn Lord Lumley another of the Lords of the Parlament And also to our welbeloued and trusty Iohn Lord Sturton another of the Lords of the Parlament And to our welbeloued and trusty William Lord Sandes another of the Lords of the Parlament And also to our welbeloued and trusty Henry Lord Wentworth another of the Lords of the Parlament To our welbeloued and trusty Lewis Lord Mordant another of the Lords of the Parlament And to our welbeloued and trusty Iohn Lord St. Iohn of Bletso another of the Lords of the Parlament And also to our welbeloued and trusty Thomas Lord Buckhurst another of our Priuy Counsell And
to our welbeloued and trusty Henry Lord Compton another of the Lords of the Parlament And also to our welbeloued and trustie Henry Lord Cheney another of the Lords of the Parlament To our welbeloued and trusty Francis Knolles Knight Treasurer of our houshold another of our Priuy Counsell And also to our welbeloued and trusty Iames Crofts Knight Controller of our said houshold another of our Priuy Counsell To our beloued and trusty Christopher Hatton Knight our vice-Chamberlaine another of our Priuy Counsell And also to our trusty and welbâ—loued Francis Walsingham Knight one of our chiefe Secretaries another of our Priuy Counsell And also vnto our trusty and welbeloued William Dauison Esquier another of our principall Secretaries of our Priuy Counsell And to our trusty and welbeloued Ralph Sadleir Knight Chauncellor of our Dutchy of Lancaster another of our Priuy Counsell And also to our trusty and welbeloued Walter Mildmay Knight Chauncellor of our Exchequer another of our Priuy Counsell And to our trusty and beloued Amyas Powlet Knight Captaine of the I le of Iersey another of our Priuy Counsell And to our trusty and welbeloued Iohn Wolley Eâ—quire our Secretary for the Latine tongue another of our Priuy Counsell And also to our trusty and welbeloued Christopher Wâ—ay Knight chiefe Iustice of the Kings Bench And to our trusty and welbeloued Edmund Anderson Knight Chiefe Iustice of the Common Bench Roger Manwood Knight Chiefe Baron of our Exchequer Thomas Gawdy Knight one of our Iustices of the Kings Bench And William Peryam one of the Iustices of our Bench Greeting c. And not to set it downe verbatim After the recapitulation of the Act made the last yeere these words follow When after the end of the Session of Parlament viz after the first day of Iune in the XXVII yeare of our reigne diuers things haue beene compassed and deuised tending to the hurt of our Royall Person as well by Mary daughter and heire of Iames the fift lately King of Scotland and commonly called Queene of Scotland and Dowager of France pretending title vnto the Crowne of this Realme of England as by diuers other persons with the priuity of the same Mary as it is giuen vs to vnderstand and for that we intend and determine that the said Act should be executed rightly and effectually in all things and by all things according to the tenour of the said Act and that all the offences aforesaid in the aforesaid Act as it is said mentioned and the circumstances of the same should be examined and sentence and iudgement thereupon giuen according to the tenor and effect of the said Act We giue vnto you and to the greater part of you full and ample power faculty and authority according to the tenour of the said Act to examine all and singular things compassed and deuised tending to the hurt of our Royall Person with the priuity of the said Mary and all the circumstances of the same and all the aforesaid offences whatsoeuer mentioned in the said Act as it is said and all circumstances of the same offences and of euery one of them And moreouer according to the tenour of the said Act to giue sentence and iudgement euen as the matter shall appeare vnto you vpon good proofe And therefore we command you to proceed diligently vpon the aforesaid things in the forme aforesaid at certaine daies and places which you or the greater part of you shall appoint and prouide for this purpose c. The most of these came to Fodringhay Castle in Northamptonshire on the xj day of October where the Queene of Scotland was then kept On the next day the Commissioners sent vnto her Sir Walter Mildmay Sir Amyas Powlet and Edward Barker a publike Notary who deliuered into her hands the letters of Queene ELIZABETH which when she had read ouer she with a Princely countenance and quiet minde said I am much aggrieued that the Queene my most deare sister is wrong informed of me and that I who haue so straitly beene kept so many yeeres and being now lame after I haue offered so many equall and faire conditions for my liberty haue laine so long time neglected Although I haue fully forewarned her of many dangers yet I was not beleeued but was alwaies despised although I am most neere to her in bloud When the Association was made and when it was confirmed in the Parlament I foresaw that whatsoeuer danger befell either by forraine Princes abroad or any harebraine fellowes at home or for the cause of Religion I should pay deare for the same I hauing so many deadly enemies at the Court I may take it in euill part and I haue cause for it that a league was made with my sonne without my priuity or knowledge but such like things I pretermit But to come vnto these letters It seemeth strange vnto me that the Queene commandeth me as if I were her subiect to come vnto a triall I am an absolute Queene neither will I doe or commit any thing which may empaire or wrong the Royall Maiestie of Kings and Princes of my place and ranke or my sonne My minde is not so deiected neither will I yeeld and sinke downe vnder calamity I referre my selfe vnto those things which I protested before Bromly and the Lord De la Ware The lawes and statutes of England are to me vtterly vnknowne I am destitute of counsellours I tell you plaine I know not who may be my Peeres my papers and notes of remembrances are taken from me there is none that dare pleade or speake in my cause I am free from all offence against the Queene neither am I to be called in question but vpon mine owne word or writing which can neuer be brought against me But yet I cannot deny but that I haue commended my selfe and my cause to forraine Princes On the next day returned vnto her in the name of the Commissioners Powlet and Barker who shewed this answer put into writing and they asked her if she persisted in the same After she had heard it distinctly read she commended it as truly and rightly conceiued and said she would persist in the same But said she I did not remember one thing which I wish may be put in Whâ—reas the Queene hath written I am subiect and liable vnto the lawes of England and am to be iudged by them because I liued vnder the protection of them I answer That I came into England to aske and craue aid and helpe from which time I haue beene kept and deteined in prison and could not enioy the protection and benefit of the lawes of England and hitherto I could not vnderstand by any body what the lawes of England were In the afternoone many chosen out of the Commissioners with men skilfull in the Canon and Ciuill lawes came vnto her but the Chancellor and the Treasurer declared their authority out of the letters patents and shewed her that neither captiuity nor the prerogatiue of
was cut off at two blowes The Deane saying aloud So let the enemies of Queene ELIZABETH perish the Earle of Kent saying the same and the multititude sighing and grieuing thereat Her bodie was embawmed and was after buried like a Prince in the Cathedrall Church of Peterburgh And her funerals were kept most magnificently at Paris at the charges of the Guises who performed all the best offices of kindred for their Cousin both aliue and dead to their great commendation In this lamentable manner ended her life MARIE Queene of Scotland the great grand-daughter of Henry the seuenth by his eldest daughter in the XLVI yeere of her age and the XVIII yeere of her captiuitie A woman most constant in her Religion adorned with a wonderfull pietie toward God wisdome aboue her sex and was also very faire and beautifull And is to be accounted one of those Princes whose felicitie was changed into aduersitie In her infancie shee was with strife desired for wife by King Henry the eighth of England for his sonne Edward and by Henry the second King of France for Francis the Dolphin At the age of fiue yeeres she was carried into France and at the age of fifteene yeeres married vnto the Dolphin Shee flourished and was Queene of France one yeere and foure moneths Her husband being dead she returned into Scotland and was maried againe vnto Henry Stuart Lord Darley and had by him IAMES the first Monarch of Great Britaine Tossed and turmoiled by Murrey her bastard brother and other her vngrate and ambitious subiects deposed from her Kingdome and driuen to flie into England and circumuented and entrapped as men speaking indifferently thinke by sundry English-men carefull of the conseruation of their Religion and of the safetie of Queene ELIZABETH and thrust forward by others desiring much to restore the Roman Religion and oppressed by the testimonies of her Secretaries who were absent and as it seemed corrupted with rewards Neere to the graue an Epitaph in the Latine tongue was affixed and forthwith taken away MARIA SCOTORVM REGINA REGIS FILIA REGIS GALLORVM VIDVA REGINAE ANGLIAE AGNATA ET HAERES PROXIMA VIRTVTIBVS REGIIS ET ANIMO REGIO ORNATA IVRE REGIO FRVSTRA SAEPIVS IMPLORATO BARBARA ET TYRANNICA CRVDELITATE ORNAMENTVM NOSTRI SECVLI ET LVMEN VERE REGIVM EXTINGVITVR EODEMQVE NEFARIO IVDICIO ET MARIA SCOTORVM REGINA MORTE NATVRALI ET OMNES SVPERSTITES REGES PLEBEII FACTI MORTE GIVILI MVLCTANTVR NOVVM ET INAVDITVM TVMVLI GENVS IN QVO CVM VIVIS MORTVI INCLVDVNTVR HIC EXTAT CVM SACRIS ENIM DIVAE MARIAE CINERIBVS OMNIVM REGVM ATQVE PRINCIPVM VIOLATAM ATQVE PROSTRATAM MAIESTATEM HIC IACERE SCITO ET QVIA TACITVM REGALE SATIS SVPERQVE REGES SVI OFFICII MONET PLVRA NON ADDO VIATOR Which may be Englished thus MARY Queene of Scotland daughter of a King widow of the King of France kinswoman and next heire to the Queene of England adorned with Royall Vertues and a princely spirit hauing often but in vaine implored the right of a Prince the ornament of our age and the true princely light is extinguished by a barbarous and tyrannical crueltie And by the same wicked iudgement both MARY Queen of Scotland is punished with a naturall death and all Kings liuing are made common persons and punished and made liable vnto a ciuill death A strange and vnheard kinde of grant is here extant in which the liuing are included with the dead for with the ashes of this blessed MARY know thou that the Maiestie of all Kings and Princes lye here depressed and violated and because the Regall secret doth sufficiently admonish Kings of their dutie O Traueller I say no more Out of this lamentable fortune of so great a Prince the disposition of the diuine prouidence most euidently appeared as some wise men haue obserued For those things which the Queenes ELIZABETH and MARY chiefly wished and studied to procure by this meanes came to passe Queene MARY which also shee said at her death desired nothing more earnestly than that the diuided Kingdomes of England and Scotland might be vnited in the person of her deare sonne And the other wished for nothing more than that the Religion by her established in England might be kept and conserued with the safetie and securitie of the people And that almightie God did heare their praiers England to her vnexpected felicitie doth now see and with great ioy acknowledge As soone as word was brought to Queene ELIZABETH that the Queene of Scotland was put to death shee not thinking thereof she heard it with great indignation shee looked heauily and could not speake a word and readie to swound for sorrow in so much that she put on mourning apparell and grieued exceedingly and lamented very much Shee caused her Counsellors being reproued and forbidden her presence to be examined and commanded Dauison to be brought into the Star-Chamber And as soone as her dolour would permit her she in great haste wrote this letter following vnto the King of Scotland with her owne hand and sent it by Mr. Robert Cary one of the Lord of Hunsdons sonnes Deare brother I would to God you did know but not feele with what incomparable griefe my minde is tormented and vexed by reason of the lamentable euent which hath befallen contrary to my minde and will which you shall vnderstand fully by my Cousin for as much as I cannot abide and endure to set it downe by writing I beseech you that as God and many others can beare witnesse vnto my innocencie in this matter so I desire you to beleeue that if I had commanded it I would neuer haue denied the same I am not of that base minde that for any terrour I should feare to doe that which is iust or to deny it being done I doe not so degenerate from my Ancestors nor am I of such an ignoble minde But as it is not the part of a Prince to couer and cloake the sense of his minde with words so will I neuer dissemble nor glose mine actions but I will performe that they shall come to light and appeare to the world in their colours I would haue you be assuredly perswaded that as I know that this was done vpon desert so if I had imagined it I would not haue put it ouer vpon any other neither yet wil I impute that to my selfe which I did not so much as thinke He who shall deliuer you these Letters shall acquaint and impart other things vnto you As for me I would haue you to beleeue that there is none other who loueth you better and beareth better affection to you or that will haue a more friendly care of you and your affaires If any one suggesteth or putteth other things into your head I would haue you to think that he beareth more good will and affection to others than to you God Almightie keepe you in health and preserue you alwaies In the meane time that Mr. Cary
exercise any Regalities Moreouer that she hath lost by her fault absolute Gouernment and that subiects euen in their habitation or house may commit treason And as for kindred there is no Alliance neerer vnto any one than their Countrey that is to be vnto vs another God and our prime and dearest Parent And as for the promises of humanitie and courteous entertainment promised that they be not priuileges to commit wicked facts afterwards without punishment That promises are to be vnderstood Things remaining in the same state and not changed He that hath committed a fault deserueth not to enioy the securitie promised And indeed that the law and right of a guest entertained are holy but that the right of our Country is more sacred Princes doe neuer binde their owne hands and that all are bound and obliged more strongly vnto their Countrey than to their owne promise And if shee were to be dealt withall as with one taken in the war they obiected I know not out of what Author Those captiues are only to be spared from whom we doe not feare any vexation or trouble and not any others That the equall hath power vpon the equall as often as he doth submit himselfe vnto the iudgement of his equall either expressedly in words or couertly in contractation or in offending within the iurisdiction of his equall That the Pope did adnull and abrogate the sentence of the Emperour against Robert King of Siailia for that the fact was not committed in the Territorie of the Emperour but in the Dominion of the Pope That Ambassadors because of the necessitie of Ambassades are fauoured and allowed to be inuiolate by the law of Nations but not Kings practising in the Dominions of another King Furthermore that in treason the affect without the effect is to be punished And that to plot to kill the Prince yea to know it and to conceale the plot is accounted treason That many Kings haue beene condemned and put to death namely Rhescuporis King of Thraçia by Tyberius Licinius and Maximianus by Constantine the Great Bernard King of Italy Conradinus King of Sicily c. Moreouer which may stand in stead of all That the safetie of the people is the chiefest law and that no law is more sacred than the safetie and welfare of the Common-wealth That God himselfe hath enacted this law that all things that were for the good profit and benefit of the Common-wealth should be accounted lawfull and iust Moreouer that Secretaries were not to be reckoned amongst bond-men and that the testimonie of ones houshold is to bee receiued about those things which were done secretly at home But it was argued more narrowly whether accusers voluntarily sworne and accessarie in criminall matters are to be produced face to face to defend and proue their accusation Lastly it was granted that there is no great example extant which hath not some iniquity therein These and such like were debated and argued to and fro in euery mans mouth In the meane time the King of Scotland so great was his pietie vnto his mother laboured all that possibly he could by William Keith neither did he omit any thing fit for a good and pious sonne and a most prudent King but with no successe at all forasmuch as the Scots were torne in pieces with factions amongst themselues and more fauoured Queene ELIZABETH than the captiue Queene in so much that many of them did priuily solicite Queene ELIZABETH by their letters to hasten her punishment and the Scottish Ministers being commanded by the King to commend the safetie of his mother vnto God in their prayers in all their Churches such was the hatred vnto the Religion shee professed that they obstinatly refused so to do yet he as he had before with often messengers and almost continuall letters made request vnto the Queene Now he plied her exceedingly with more often and most vehement messages and letters In which hee complained That it was most vniust and vnfit for the Nobilitie Counsellors and Subiects of England to giue sentence vpon a Queene of Scotland and shee borne of the Royall bloud of England and a thing no lesse vniust euen but to thinke that the Parlamentarie Estates of England by their authority had power to exclude the true and certaine Heires of their right of succession and lawfull inheritance which many men now and then threatned to feare him He sent also Patrike Gray and Robert Meluin who signified to the Queene That he for the great loue and familiaritie between them cannot beleeue but she would conserue her famous renowne she had acquired in euery place by her vertues but especially by her clemency vnspotted without all staine of crueltie and would not by any means defile and pollute the same with the bloud of his mother who was of the same Royall condition of the same bloud and of the same sex and the which he for as much as the bloud of the mother did possesse in him a great reuerence could not leaue vnto the tyrannie of them who for a long time since haue thirsted for the destruction of him as well as for his mothers destruction now In other letters after he had at large discoursed how he was grieued and tormented in minde and distracted concerning so great a matter that touched and bound him both in respect of nature and honour and into what danger and losse of credit he was cast if any violence was vsed vnto his mother he out of his inward griefe and filiall affection propounded vnto Queene ELIZABETH whereupon shee might studie attentiuely How much it concerneth his Honour who is both a King and her Sonne if his most deare mother and the same also an absolute Prince should be put to an infamous death by her who is most neerely ioyned by the bands of bloud and league Whether by the law of God any thing may be done iustly by forme of law vnto them whom Almightie God hath appointed the soueraigne Ministers of Iustice whom he hath called Gods on the â—arth whom he hath anointed and being anointed forbade to be touched will he suffer them to be violated without punishment How prodigious a thing it is to subiect an absolute Prince vnto the iudgement of Subiects yea how monstrous a thing it were that an absolute Prince should giue first this pernicious example to prophane their owne and other Princes Diadems Moreouer what should vrge her vnto this seueritie Honour or Profit If Honour she might acquire more honour by sparing her for so with the eternall praise of clemencie shee might binde him and all the Princes of Christendome with a benefit whom otherwise shee could not but alienate with losse of her good report and marke of crueltie But if Vtilitie moued her she was to consider whether any thing can be profitable but that which is iust and honest And ended beseeching her that his Ambassadors might bring backe such an answer that may be most worthy of a most pitifull Queene
and not vnworthy of the King and her most louing Cousin But when as the Ambassadors out of season mingled threats amongst their requests they were lesse acceptable and sent away within few daies with very small hope Pomponius Bellieurus who was sent by the French King for the same cause when he was come vnto the Queene hauing in his company L'aubespineus of Castro Nouo the ordinary Ambassador and had in few words signified how the French King was distracted on this side for his singular loue toward her and on that side for the strait familiaritie and affinitie betweene him and the Queene of Scotland he propounded in writing these things and the like once or twice The most Christian King of France and all other Kings are interessated that a Queene and free and absolute Princesse be not put to death The safetie of the Queene may be more endangered by the death than by the life of MARY that she being deliuered out of prison can attempt nothing against the Queene for that shee was sickly and could not liue long That shee challenged and claimed the Kingdome of England was not to be laid to her charge as a fault but was to be ascribed to the tendernesse of her age and her naughtie counsellors That she came into England to intreat helpe and fauour and therefore the lesse iustly detained and that now at length she was to be let loose vpon some ransome agreed vpon or else to haue mercy vsed to her Moreouer that an absolute Prince is not to be called in question of his life in so much that Cicero said It is so vnusuall for a King to be arraigned that it is a thing neuer heard before this time If she be innocent then shee is not to be put to death if faultie to be spared for this would proue more to her honour and vtilitie and it should be the eternall example of the clemencie of England To this intent the historie of Porsenna was rehearsed who pulled the hand of Mutius Sceuola who had conspired to kill him out of the flames of fire and dismissed him That the first precept of reigning well is to spare bloud that bloud calleth for bloud that it cannot be otherwise thought but to be cruell and bloudie to vse tyrannie toward her That the French King will do all his labour and vse all diligence that the attempts and endeuours of all that plot any thing against the Queene may be repressed and stopped And that the Guises the kinsmen of the Queene of Scotland would sweare the same and confirme it with their hands and seales who if shee be put to death will take it in very euill part and perhaps will not suffer it to be vnreuenged Lastly they requested that she should not be vsed according to that rigorous and extraordinarie iudgement if not that the French King could not but take it in very euill part and be much offended howsoeuer all other Princes may take it Vnto these writings answer was made in the margin vnto euery article thus That the Queene of England doth hope that the most Christian King of France will haue no lesse regard and respect vnto her than vnto the Scottish Queene who plotted to kill an innoccnt Prince her next cousin and the Kings confederate And that it is behouefull vnto Kings and Common-wealths that mischieuous actions specially against Princes be not left vnpunished That the English-men who acknowledge only Queene ELIZABETH to be Supreme Gouernour in England cannot at once acknowledge two Soueraignes free and absolute Princesses in England neither that any other whomsoeuer whilest she liued was to be taken as equall with her Neither could they see how the Scottish Queene and her sonne that now reigneth can be accounted at one time soueraigne and absolute Princes Whether that the Queenes safetie may be exposed vnto greater dangers if she be put to death dependeth vpon contingencie and vncertaintie hereafter that the Estates of England who haue studied seriously on this point thinke otherwise to wit that there will neuer want occasions of ploâ—ting mischiefes during her life especially for that matters are now come to that passe that there is no hope left for the other except the other be extinguished or taken away and this sentence may come often to minde Either I her or shee me The shorter her life is with the more speed the conspirators for this cause will accelerate and hasten the execution of her plots That shee would not hitherto renounce and giue ouer the right shee claimeth and challengeth vnto the Realme of England and that for that cause she hath beene most rightfully detained in prison and is still to be detained although shee came for succour and helpe into England vntill shee haue renounced and giuen ouer the same And that she ought to sustaine punishment for the faults she hath committed in prison for what cause soeuer she was put into prison That the Queene also hath pardoned her most mercifully when shee was condemned by the consent of all the Estates for the Rebellion raised in the North to make the mariage betweene her and the Duke of Norfolke and to spare her againe were a fond and cruell kinde of mercie That none are ignorant of that saying of the Lawyers An offender in the territory of another and there found is punished in the place where the â—ault is committed without any regard or respect of dignitie honour or priuilege And that the same is euident as well by the lawes of England as also by the examples of Licinius Robert King of Sicilie Bernard King of Italy Conradinus of Elizabeth Queen of Hungarie of Ioan Queene of Naples and of Deiotarus for whom Cicero pleading said it was not vniust for the King to be arraigned though it were vnusuall For the words goe thus Quod primùm dico de capite fortunisque Regis Quod ipsum etsi non iniquum est in tuo duntaxat periculo tamen est ita inusitatum c. That she who hath beene found guiltie by a lawfull iudgement is to be put vnto execution forasmuch as that which is iust is honest and that which is honest is also profitable That the History of Porsenna did not agree vnto this matter proposed except one should thinke that there is a long traine of them who seeke to hurt the Queene and could perswade her to dismisse her without any hurt out of feare and some little respect of honour but no regard of her owne safety as Porsenna sent Mutius away when he had auowed that there were other three hundred who had conspired to kill him Moreouer that Mutius ventured vpon Porsenna in a war proclaimed and by the sending of Mutius away he perswaded and assured himselfe that he had escaped all danger Bloud is to be spared that is the innocent God commanded this It is true that the voice of bloud crieth for bloud and that France before the massacre of Paris and afterward can witnesse this That