and remaining beyond the sea in the custody of the said Constance yet of this fact being against al Iustice aswel the said Archbishop as also many of th' other did after most earnestly repent considering the cruel and the vniust putting to death of the said Arthur procured and after some Authours committed by the said Iohn himself Which most foul aÌ„d shamful act the said Iohn neded not to haue committed if by foraine birth the said Arthur had beÌ„ barred to inherit the Croune of England And much lesse to haue imprisoned that most innocent Ladie Elenor sister to the said Arthur in Bristow Castle wher she miserably ended her life if that gay Maxime would haue serued to haue excluded these two childreÌ„ bicause thei wer straÌ„gers borne in the partes beyond the seas Yea it appeareth in other doings also of the said time and by the storie of the said Iohn that the birth out of the legeaÌ„ce of England by father aÌ„d mother foram was not takeÌ„ for a sufficieÌ„t repulse and reiectioÌ„ to the right and title of the Croune For the BaroÌ„s of EnglaÌ„d being then at dissension with the said King Iohn and renouÌ„cing their allegeance to him receaued Lewis the eldest sonne of Philip the FreÌ„ch king to be their King in the right of Blanch his wife whiche was a stranger borne albe it the lawful Neece of the said Richard and daughter to Alphonse king of Caâ—til begotten on the bodie of Elenour his wife one of the daughters of king Henrie the second and sister to the said king Richard and king Iohn Which storie I alleage only to this purpose thereby to gather the opinion of the time that foraine birth was then thought no barre in the Title of the Croune For otherwise how could Lewis of FraÌ„ce preteÌ„d title to the Croune in the right of the said Bblach his wife borne in Spaine These examples are sufficient I suppose to satisfie and content any man that is not obstinatly wedded to his own fond fantasies and froward friuolous imaginatioÌ„s or otherwise worse depraued for a good sure and substantial interpretation of the coÌ„mon law And it were not altogether from the purpose here to consider and weigh with what and how greuous plagues this Realme hath bene oft afflicted and scourged by reason of wrongful and vsurped titles I wil not reuiue by odious rehearsal the greatenes and number of the same plagues as wel otherwise as especially by the contention of the noble houses and families of York and Lancaster seeing it is so fortunately and almost within mans remeÌ„brance extinct and buried I wil now put the gentle Reader in remembrance of those only with whose vsurping Titles we are nowe presently in hand And to begyn with the most auncieÌ„t what became I pray you of Harold that by briberie and helpe of his kinred vsurped the Croune against the foresaid yong Eadgar who as I haue said and as the old monumeÌ„ts of our Historiographers do plainly testifie was the true and lawful Heire Could he thinke you enioy his ambitious and naughty vsurping one whole entier yere No surely ere the first yeare of his vsurped reigne turned about he was spoiled and turned out both of Croune and his life withal Yea his vsurpation occasioned the conquest of the whole realme by WilliaÌ„ Duke of NormaÌ„die bastard sonne to Robert the sixt Duke of the same And may we thinke al safe and sound now from like danger if we should tread the said wrong steppes with Harolde forsaking the right and high way of law and iustice What shal I now speake of the cruel ciuil warres betwene King Stephen and King Henry the second whiche warres rose by reason of the said Henry was vniustly kept froÌ„ the Croune dew to his mother Maude and to him afterwardes The pitiful reigne of the said Iohn who doth not lament with the lamentable losse of Normandie Aquitaine and the possibilitie of the Dukedome of Britanie and with the losse of our other goodly possessions in France whereof the Croune of England was robbed and spoiled by the vnlawful vsurping of him against his nephew Arthur Wel let vs leaue these greuouse and lothsome remembrances and let vs yet seeke if we may finde any later interpretation either of the said statute or rather of the coÌ„mon law for our purpose And lo the great goodnes and prouidence of God who hath if the foresaid exaÌ„ples would not serue prouided a later but so good so sure so apt and mete interpretatioÌ„ for our cause as any reasonable hart may desire The interpretatioÌ„ directly toucheth our case which I meane by the mariage of the Lady Margaret eldest daughter to King HeÌ„ry the vij vnto Iames the fourth KiÌ„g of ScotlaÌ„d and by the opinioÌ„ of the said most prudeÌ„t Prince in bestowing his said daughter into ScotlaÌ„d a ma ter sufficient inough to ouerthrow al those cauilling inueÌ„tioÌ„s of the aduersarie For what time King Iames the fourth sent his ambassadour to king HeÌ„ry the seueÌ„th to obteine his good wil to espouse the said Lady Margaret there were of his Counsaile not ignorant of the lawes and Customes of the Realme that did not wel like vpon the said Mariage saying it might so fal out that the right and Title of the Croune might be deuolued to the Lady Margaret and her childreÌ„ and the Realm therby might be subiect to ScotlaÌ„d To the whiche the prudent and wise King answered that in case any such deuolution should happen it would be nothing preiudicial to England For England as the chief and principal and worthiest part of the I le should drawe Scotland to it as it did Normandie from the time of the Conqueste Which answere was wonderfully wel liked of al the Counsaile And so consequâ—tly the mariage toke effect as appereth by Polydor the Historiographer of this Realm and such a one as wrote the Actes of the time by the instruction of the King him selfe I say then the worthy wise Salomon foreseeing that such deuolution might happen was an interpretour with his prudente and sage Counsaile for our cause For els they neaded not to reason of any such subiection to Scotlande if the children of the Ladie Margaret might not lawfully inherite the Croune of England For as to her husband we could not be subiect hauing him selfe no right by this mariage to the Title of the Croune of this Realme Wherevpon I may wel inferre that the said newe Maxime of these men whereby they would rule and ouer rule the succession of Princes was not knowen to the said wise King neither to any of his Counsaile Or if it were yet was it taken not to reache to his blood royall borne in Scotlande And so on euery side the Title of Quene Marie is assured So that now by this that we haue said it may easely be seen by what light and slender consideration the Aduersarie hath gone about to strayne the wordes Infantes or children to the first degree
he maketh as it it were a plaine demurre with vs in law that we haue pleaded our matters al this while in a wrong Court. For lo this matter by this sobre mans iudgement seemeth not triable either in the Arches or Consistorie of Poules by the Ciuil or CannoÌ„law or in Westminster Hal by any law or Acte of ParlameÌ„t This plee must be only mainteined with the recordes of holy Scripture but of his owne sobre braines interpretatioÌ„ only and holdeÌ„ before himself and his new erected tribunal furnished and adorned with such quiet and sobre spirits as hiself is Th'infallible verity the high M ie of the sacred scriptures I do most hartly coÌ„fesse and most humbly reuerence But yet if ye wil intrude your selfe and others with the promulging from your new Tribunal seate such and so strange paradoxes and sentences to the vtter ouerthrowing of al humaine policies and lawes yea to the present and and iÌ„minent danger not only of this of Scotland but also of al other whatsoeuer Queenes we must be bold to see what warrant and commission you haue and to examine and well to vew the same we must buckle with you and trie whether the autoritie of holy Scripture whiche is your only refuge wil vpholde and beare out your strange and stout conclusion The place then wherevpon he grouÌ„deth him selfe is this Thow shalt make him King ouer thee whome thy Lorde thy God shal choose from amongst thy brethern him shalt thou make a King amongst them From this authoritie he fetcheth out al his high mystical and supernatural conclusions And first he excludeth the Queene of Scotland bycause she is an alien and not ex fratribus and therefore not chosen of god Wherevnto he addeth that the King must be suche as the people may say to him as the Israelites said to King Dauid Ecce â—s tuum caro tua nos sumus We are of one nation and blood Therevnto he adioyneth that it is assigned as one iuste cause why Athalia was turned out of her kingdome bycause she was alienigena an alien maternum genus ducens à Tyriis Sidoniâ—â— These now are all the proufes deducted by this man out of holy Scripture For other hath he none why the Queene of Scotland being a stranger ought to be disherited and reiected from al such claime as she pretendeth to the Croune of England Now for answere and first to the 17. of Deuteronomie wherein as I wil not quarel with you for the shrewde meaning that perchaunce some man may probablie gather out of this Treatise and smal liking that ye haue to the Gouernment proceeding from succession onely so I plainly affirme first that we are not bound to the Ceremoniall or Iudicial or other preceptes of the Iewish law except the Decaloge farther then the Churche or Ciuil policie haue renued againe I say then farther that this authoritie of Deutronomie can not fitly serue your purpose for that it taketh place when the people chooseth a King and not when there is a lawful and ordinary Succession as was euen amongest the Iewes from King Dauides time Albe it he and King Saul before him came in by Gods and the peoples special election Wherefore I doe admit your Principle to be wel grouÌ„ded vpon Scripture That the choise and election of Princes must be directed and measured by Gods Holy Worde wil and pleasure What then I would fame know by what Logike by what reason a maÌ„ may thus conclude we ought to choose no straunger to our Prince ergo a straunger though he be the iust and next inheritour to the Croune must be displaced The one dâ—pendeth of our owne free wil and election which we may measure and rule as we see good cause the other hangeth only vpoÌ„ the disposition and prouidence of God. There we may pick out choice here we must take such as God sendeth There consent beareth the stroke here proximitie of blood beareth the sway There we offre no iniurie to any partie in accepting the one and leauing th' other here do we iniurie to god that doth send and to the partie that is by him sent And to say the trueth it is but a malaperte controlment of Gods owne direction and prouidence For in the former parte we be the choosers and must direct and gouerne our choise by reason and discretion by the merit and worthines of the person here al the choice al the voices are in Gods haÌ„d only As good right hath the infant in the swadling clothes as hath any man called at his perfect age and wisdom It is a true saying Christiani fimus we are made ChristiaÌ„ menâ— we are not borne ChristiaÌ„ men noÌ„ nascimur But in this case of successioÌ„ Reges nascuÌ„tur noÌ„ fium men are borne and not made kings Let this fellow therfore coÌ„clude as stroÌ„gly as he caÌ„ or wil against the chosing of strauÌ„gers yet if he bring forth no place out of Scripture against the SuccessioÌ„ of a stranger claiming by proximitie of the blood Roial as farre as the man shoteth he shoteth to short to hit the marke But Lord what an â—lfauored short shote wil it be accoÌ„pted if she be found no strauÌ„ger at al It is very probable that in this place the scripture meaneth of a mere foreiner and straunger such as were neither borne in Iewrie nor of the Iewishe blood For with suche Aliens they were forbidden also to couple in mariage by reason they were Idolatours and might thereby them selues be occasioned as they were oftentimes in deede to abandone and forsake their true and sincere Religion Such a stranger I am wel assured this Ladie is not to vs if she be any straunger at al. The Scottesmen and we be al Christians and of one Iland of one tonge and almost of one fashion and manners customes and lawes So that we can not in any wise accompt them amongest such kinde of straungers that this place of Moyses mentioneth namely the Ladie Marie the Quene of Scotland being not only in hart wel affectioned and minded to al Englishmen as hath by many experiments ben wel knoweÌ„ but also by descent and Roial blood all English whiche she taketh from the noble Kinges longe before the Conquest and after the Conquest from the worthie Princes Henry the first and Edward the third and of late daies from the excellent Prince King Henry the seuenth and his daughter Ladie Margaret her grandmother Al which causes with some other in such number concurrant ought rather to inforce vs to thinke and to take her as no straunger to vs rather then to estraunge her from vs by the only place of her Natiuitie which is yet neuerthelesse within the fower seas and very nigh to England by Osbred bounding at Starling bridge Last of al touching the forsaid Chapter of Deuteronomie we affirme that it is vntrue that ye say aswel that this lawe of Gouernment bindeth our Kinges to the
nature in himself who delights to make all his iourneis in such sullē solitary sort therfore belike an ill companion to liue withall in any felovvship Then yt shewes his extreeme want of abilitie to defray the expence of woeng in a bountiful shew sitting such a prince as cōmeth to obtein out Queen This his secrete comming departing discouers a mistrustfulnes in him towards our people and therefore no loue which must needs come frō his own ill consci ence of fearing french measure in England for on our part the Lord be thanked we haue not committed such villenies all men deeme him vnworthy to speed who comes in a net as though he were loath to auow his errand Some men may think he is ashamed to shevv his face but I think verely that he meanes not sincerely who loues not light wil not com abroade The last noble princely gentlemā that went out of Englād to vvin a Queen in france gaue trial shew of vvisdome manhod behauiour and personage by open cōuersatiō performing al maner of knightly excercises which makes vs in England to find very strange this vnmanlike vnprincelike secrete fearful suspitious disdainful needy french kind of woeng in Monsieur we can not chuse but by the same stil as by all the other former demonstratife remonstrāces conclude that thys french mariage is the streightest line that can be dravvne frō Rome to the vtter ruine of our church the very rightest perpendicular downfal that can be imagined frō the point france to our English state fetching in vvithin one circle of lamentable fall the royal estate of our noble Queen of hir person nobility and commons vvhose Christian honorable healthful ioyful peaceful and long souereigne raigne without all superior ouerruling commander especially french namely Monsieur the king of kings hold on to his glory and hyr assurance of true glory in that other kingdom of heauen Amen Amen Amen A TREATISE TOVCHING THE RIGHT TITLE AND INTEREST OF the mightie and noble Princesse Marie Queene of Scotland to the succession of the Croune of England Made by Morgan Philippes Bachelar of Diuinitie assisted vvith the aduise of Antonie Broune Knight one of the Iustices of the Common Place An. 1567. LEODII Apud Gualterum Morberium 1571. A TREATISE TOVCHING THE RIGHT TITLE AND INTEREST OF the mightie and noble Princesse Marie Queene of Scotland to the succession of the Croune of England The Second Booke THE great prouidence good Reader of the eternal God who of nothing created all thinges did not only create the same by his ineffable power but by the same power gaue a special gifte and grace also to euery liuing thing to continue to renewe and to preserue eche his owne kinde But in this consideration the condition of man among and aboue al earthly thinges hath his pearelesse prerogatiue of wit and reason wherewith he only is of God gratiously endewed and adorned by the which he doth prouide not only for his presente necessitie and sauegard as do also naturally after their sorte al beastes and al other liuing thinges voide of reason but also by the pregnancie of wit and reasonable discourse doth long afore forsee the dangerous perils that many yeres after may happen either to himself or to his Countrey and then by diligence and careful prouision doth inuent apte and mete remedies for the eschewing of suche mischieffes as might outragiously afterwarde occurre And the greater the feare is of greater mischief the greater the deper and the speedier care is wont to be taken to preuent and cut of the the same It is also most certaine by the confession of al the world that this care is principally dew by eche man that hath opportunitie to do good therin to his Prince his Countrey and to the common Weale and good quiet of the Countrey for the continuance and happie preseruation of the same To the preseruation whereof as there are many partes and branches belonging so one principal part is for Subiectes louingly and reuerently to honour dreade and obediently to serue their Souereigne that chaunceth presently to rule and gouerne The next to foreknow to whome they should beare their allegeance after the deceasse of their foresaid Prince and Gouernour Which being once certaine and assuredly knowen as it procureth when the time requireth readie and seruiceable obedience with the great comfort and vniuersal reast and quietnes of the Subiectes so where for the said Successour there is among them discord and diuersitie of iudgementes the matter groweth to faction and from faction to plaine hostilitie and from hostilitie to the daunger of many mens liues and many times to the vtter subuersion of the whole state For the better auoiding of suche and the like inconueniences albeit at the beginninge Princes reigned not by descente of blood and succession but by choyce and election of the worthieste the worlde was for the moste parte constrained to repudiate election and so often times for the better and the worthier to take a certain issue and ofspringe of some one onely persone though otherwise perchaunce not so mete Which defecte is so supplied partely by the great benefit of the vniuersal rest and quietnes that the people enioy thereby and partly by the graue and sage Counsaylours to Princes that the whole worlde in a manner these many thousand yeares hath embraced succession by blood rather then election And politike Princes whiche haue had no children of their owne to succede them haue had euer a special care and foresight thereof for auoiding of ciuil discention So that the people might alwaies knowe the true and certaine Heire apparent chiefly where there appeared any likelyhod of varietie of opinions or faction to ensewe about the true and lawful succession in gouernement This care and foresight doth manifestly appeare to haue bene not onely in many Princes of foraine Countreies but also of this Realme as wel before the tyme of the Conqueste as also after namely in Kinge Edwarde the Confessour in declaring and appointing Eadgare Atheling his nephewes sonne his heire as also in King Richard the first who before he interprised his Iourney to Hierusalem where for his chiualrie he atchiued high honour declared by consent of his Nobilitie and Cōmous Arthur sonne of his brother Duke of Britaine his next heire in succession of the Crowne Of the whiche Arthur as also of the said Eadgare Atheling we wil speake more hereafter This care also had King Richard the second what time by authoritie of Parlament he declared the Lorde Edmond Mortymer that maried Philippe dawghter and heire to his Vncle Leonel Duke of Clarence heire apparente And to descende to later times our late Noble Souereigne King Henry the eyght shewed as it is knowen his prudente and zealous care in this behalf before his last noble voiage into Fraunce And now if God should as we be al as wel Princes as others subiect to mortall chaunces once
Scotland and Wales be al within one Territorie and not diuided by any sea And al old Recordes of the law concerning seruice to be done in those two Countries haue these words Infra quatuor Maria within the fower seas which must nedes be vnderstaÌ„d in ScotlaÌ„d and Wales aswel as in EnglaÌ„d bâ—cause they be al within one continent coÌ„passed with fower seas And likewise be many auncient statutes of this Realm writreÌ„ in the NormaÌ„ FreÌ„ch which haue these wordes deins les quatre mers that is within the fower seas Now coÌ„cerning the statute the title of the same is of those that are born beyond the sea the doubt moued in the corps of the said statut is also of childreÌ„ born beyond the sea out of the allegeance with diuers other braÌ„ches of the statute teÌ„ding that way Wherby it seemeth that no part of the statute toucheth these that are born in Wales or Scot laÌ„d And albe it at this time and before in tho reigne of Edward the first Wales was fully reduced annexed and vnited to the propâ—â— Dothinion of England yet was it before subrected to the Croune and King of England as to the Lorde and Sâ—igniour aswel as Scotland Wherefore if this statute had 〈◊〉 made before the time of the said Edwarde the 〈◊〉 it seemeth that it could not haue bene stretched to Wales no more then it can now to Scotland I doe not therefore a litle meruaile that euer this man for pure shame could finde in his harte so childishly to wrangle vpon this word Infantes and so openly to detorte depraue and corrupt the common lawe and the Actes of Parlament And thus may you see gentle Reader that nothing can be gathered either out of the said supposed general rule or Maxime or of any other rule or Principle of the lawe that by any good and reasonable construction can seeme to impugne the title of the said Ladie Marie now Queene of Scotland of and to the Croune of this Realme of England as is aforesaid We are therefore now last of al to consider whether there be any statute or Acte of Parlament that doth seeme either to take away or preiudâ—ce the title of the said Lady Marie And bycause touching the foresaid mentioned statute of the 25. yeare of King Edward the thirde being only a declaration of the common law we haue already sufficiently answered we wil passe it ouer and consider vppon the statute of 28. and 36. of King Henry the eight being the only shoteanker of al the Aduersaries whether there be any matter therein conteined or depending vpon the same that can by any meanes destroie or hurt the title of the said Ladie Marie Queene of Scotland to the successioÌ„ of the Croune of England It doth appeare by the said statute of 28. of King Henry the eight that there was authoritie geuen him by the same to declare limite appoint and assigne the succession of the Croune by his Letters Patentes or by his last Wil signed with his owne hande It appeareth also by the foresaid statute made 35. of the said King that it was by the same enacted that the Croune of this Realme should go and be to the said King and to the heires of his body lawfully begotten that is to say vnto his Highnes first son of his body betwene him and the Ladie Iane then his wife begotten and for default of such issue then vnto the Lady Marie his daughter and to the heires of her body lawfully begotten and for default of such issue then vnto the Ladie Elizabeth his daughter and to the heires of her body laufully begotten and for default of such issue vnto suche person or persons in remainder or reuersion as should please the said King Henry the eight and according to such estate and after such maÌ„ner order and conditioÌ„ as should be expressed declared named and limited in his Letters Patentes or by his last Wil in writing signed with his owne hande By vertue of whiche said Acte of Parlament the Aduersaries doo alleage that the said late King Henry the eight afterward by his last Wil in writing signed with his owne hand did ordeine and appoint that if it happen the said Prince Edward Ladie Marie and Lady Elizabeth to dye without issue of their bodies lawfully begotten then the Croune of this Realme of Englande should goe and remaine vnto the heires of the bodie of the Ladie Francis his Neece and th' eldest daughter of the Fâ—eÌ„ch Quene And for the defaulte of suche issue to the heires of the body of the Ladie Elenour his Neece seconde daughter to the Frenche Queene lawfully begotten And if it happened the said Ladie Elenor to dye without issue of her body lawfully begotten to remaine and come to the nexte rightfull heires Wherevpon the Aduersaries do inferre that the successioÌ„ of the Croune ought to go to the childreÌ„ of the said Ladie FraÌ„cis and to their heyres according to the said supposed Wil of our late Souereigne Lorde King Henry the eight and not vnto the Ladie Marie Queene of Scotlande that nowe is To this it is on the befalf of the said Lady Marie Queene of Scotland among other things answered that King Henry the eight neuer signed the preteÌ„sed Wil with his own hand and that therfore the said Wil can not be any whit preiudicial to the said Queene Against which answere for the defence and vpholding of the saide Will it is replied by the Aduersaries first that there were diuers copies of his Wil found signed with his owne hande or at the leastwise enterlined and some for the most part writen with his owne hande out of the whiche it is likely that the original Wil commonly called King Henry the eightes Will was taken and fayer drawen out Then that there be great and vehement presumptions that for the fatherly loue that he bare to the coÌ„mon wealth and for the auoiding of the vncerteintie of the successioÌ„ he welliked vpoÌ„ and accepted the authoritie geuen him by Parlament and signed with his owne hande the said original Wil whiche had the said limitation and assignation of the Croune And these presumptions are the more enforced for that he had no cause why he should beare any affection either to the said Queene of Scotland or to the Lady Leneux and hauing withal no cause to be greaued or offended with his sisters the Frenche Queenes children but to put the matter quite out of al ambiguitie and doubte it appeareth they say that there were eleuen witnesses purposely called by the king who were presente at the signing of the said Wil and subscribed their names to the same Yea the chief Lordes of the CouÌ„saile were made and appointed executours of the said Wil and they and other had great Legacies geuen them in the said Wil which were paid and other thinges comprised in the Wil accomplished accordingly There passed also purchases and Letters Patentes betwene King Edwarde and the executors of
and seke as many fine fetches as ye list ye neuer shall shift it of with honestie nor wel ridde your handes thereof Whereof I for my part do take my selfe ful assured and therefore do thinke it a nedelesse discourse for me to make any further descant vpon suche an vnpleasant iarring and vntuneable plaine song of your owne setting and making and am right wel contented that ye do make as gaye glosing comments and interpretations as ye list and as your cunning and skil wil serue you to these your owne shameful vntrue textes But now weigh and consider with your selues I hartily pray you and see whether that al your legerdemaine and close conueiances in your false play aswel touching and concerning your fit iugling boxe as al your other like trickes and cunning illusions be not fully espied and plainely and openly inough laied out to eche mans eye to behold and vew And as touching your said iugling boxe you haue ben very fouly and merueâ—lously ouersene in the close and cleane conueiaÌ„ce of your fingers for that a man more then halfe blinde may perfectly see and perceaue your foule play foras much as the very selfe said Doughleish whom amoÌ„g other ye executed and ridde out of the way hath said and sufficieÌ„tly declared for the Quenes innocencie Nay nay perhaps you wil say although our letters although our dead witnesses and although our other matters faile vs yet we hope that the litle faint mourning she made for his death the acquital of the Earle and her preteÌ„ded mariage with him wil help your cause and geue testimony against her And why so I pray you Was not his body enbalmed inseared and interred bysides the Queenes father the late King Iames accoÌ„panied with Iustice Clerke the Lorde of Traquarre and with diuers other GentlemeÌ„ The ceremonies in deede were the fewer bycause that the greatest parte of the Counsaile were Protestantes and had before enterred their owne parentes without accustomed solennities of ceremonies Neither is there any suche order or custome as ye pretende and make your reckning of for the reseruation of the corps forty dayes nor any such obseruation was kept and vsed about the corps of the very father of the Prince neither yet was there any such order taken or appointed by the Counsaile for the enterring of the said Lord Darleyes bodie in such sorte as ye notifie but euen directly to the coÌ„trary Yea ye are as litle able to proue that there hath ben any such customarie solemnitie obserued of so straight and strange a mourning as ye most seuerely would restraine and bind the Queene vnto as ye be able to proue the residue of the premisses But in case ye could wel iustifie some such vsual order yet shal ye neuer be able to shew that it doth extend and apperteine to suche kinde of Queenes as she is For they mourne their husbands who were Kings her Grace mourneth after an other sort she a Prince her husbande a priuate man and a subiect They as women most coÌ„monly do take their honour and chief dignitie of their husbandes Her husbandes encrease of aduancement came by his matching with her â–ª And further women by the Ciuil law are in diuers cases discharged and excused for their omitting thereof and forbearing their so doing And yet did this good gentle Lady bemone euen suche a one a notable time enioying and vsing none other then candle light as was knowen to al the Nobilitie of Scotland and also to one M. Henrie Killigraie who was sent thither from Englande to her comfort according to the vse and maâ—er of Princes Who had a longer time in this lameÌ„ting wise coÌ„tinued had she not ben moste earnestly dehorted by the vehement exhortatioÌ„s and persuasioÌ„s of her CouÌ„saile who were moued therto by her Physitians informatioÌ„s declaring to them the great and immineÌ„t daÌ„gers of her health and life if she did not in al spede breake vp and leaue that kind of close and solitarie life and repaire to some good opeÌ„ and holsome aire which she did being this aduised and earnestly thereto solicited by her said CouÌ„saile Al which yet not withstanding this her fact is with these most seuere and graue Censors takeÌ„ for and reputed as the very next sin of al to the most greuous sinne against the holy Ghoste But ô good pitiful men who for the very tender loue and singuler affection which you did euer beare to the L. Darley the which truly was so vehemeÌ„t that for your exceding hot and ferueÌ„t loue towards him ye euer sought his harts blood do now so pitifully bewaile him But if she had by reason of the closenes of the aire and somewhat loÌ„ger coÌ„tinuaÌ„ce in her mourning place and in her desolate and doleful estate accelerated her owne death withal then had she by the Earle Murrareâ— and his adherents gostly iudgements mourned like a good honest wife and to their best coÌ„tentation it being the right way and readiest meanes to haue conueied and brought the said Earle to that place where vnto he so long and so greedily aspired and the which now at the length he hath atchie ued and atteined As for the residue of their saynges 〈◊〉 there be any fault in the Queene it surely falleth dubble and treble vpon these A chitophelles And the good innoceÌ„t Lady whâ— hath bene so wretchedly and so vnworthely by them abused and circumuented is moâ— to be pitied then to be blamed The Earl Bothwel was acquited by his Peeres according to the common and ordinarie tradâ— and maner in suche cases vsually obserued These vnnatural and disloyal subiects thesâ— most shameful craftie colluders her Aduer saries and accusers I meane the Earle MortoÌ„ the Lord Simple the Lord Lindzay with their adherents and affinitie especially procured and with al diligence laboured hiâ— purgation and acquital which was afterward confirmed by the three Estates by Acte of Parlament These these I say whereof some are now the vehement and hotte fault finders and most earnest reprouers and blamers of the said preteÌ„ded Mariage were then the principal inuenters practisers persuaders and compassers of the same They procured a great part of the Nobilitie to solicite the Queene to couple her selfe in mariage with the said Earle as with a man most fitte apt and mete for her present estate and case First alleaging the dangerous worlde and oft inculcating into her minde and remembrance the present perilous time and dealinges of menne whiche the better to preuent and more surely to withstande by their counsel and persuadings induced her and by other their crafty doinges as it were enforced and constrained her to take a husband to be her comforter her assister her buckler and her shilde to defend her against al her whatsoeuer Aduersaries If she would be contented so to doe they promised him seruice and to the Queene loyal obedience Yea many of them bound them selues to the said Earle by their owne hande writing to assist mainteine