whole nation is blemished and infamit by these doings which lately passed among you. What we shall do I know not, neither do I write unto you assuredly, for we be subject unto many mutations, and yet I think we shall either aid you, or continue in the defence and safeguard of your Prince, so as it appear to us that you mean his safeguard indeed, and not to run the fortune of France, which will be your own destruction if you be unadvised. I know not one, no not one of any quality or estate in this country, which does allow of the Queen your sovereign, but would gladly the world were rid of her, so as the same were done without farther slander, that is to say by ordinary justice. This I send the 23d of May.

No. XXII. (p. 173.)

Part of a Letter from Sir Nicolas Throkmorton to Cecil, 11th of July, 1567, from Berwick.

[An Original. Paper Office.]

SIR, your letter of the 6th of July, I received the 10th at Berwick. I am sorry to see that the Queen's Majesty's disposition altereth not towards the lords, for when all is done, it is they which must stand her more in stead, than the Queen her cousin, and will be better instruments to work some benefite and quietness to Her Majesty and her realm, than the Queen of Scotland which is void of good fame.

A Letter from Sir Nicolas Throkmorton to Cecil, from Fastcastle,

12th of July, 1567.

[Paper Office.]

SIR, as yow might perceive by my letter of the 11th July, I lodged at Fastcastle that night accompanyed with the Lord Hume, the Lord of Ledington, and James Melvin, where I was entreated very well according to the state of the place, which is fitter to lodge prisoners than folks at liberty, as it is very little, so it is very strong. By the conference I have had with the Lord of Ledington I find the lords his associates and he hath left nothing unthought of, which may be either to thir danger or work them suerty, wherein they do not forget what good and harme France may do them, and likewise they consider the same of England; but as farr as I can perceive, to be plain with yow, they find more perril to grow unto them through the Queen's Majestys dealing than either they do by the French, or by any contrary faction amongest themselves, for they assure themselves the Queen will leave them in the bryers if they run her fortoun, and though they do acknowledge great benefit as well to them, as to the realm of England by her Majestys doings at Leith, whereof they say mutually Her Majesty and both the realms have received great fruit: yet upon other accidents which have chanced since, they have observed such things in Her Majestys doings, as have ended to the danger of such as she hath dealt withal, to the overthrow of your own designments, and little to the suerty of any party: and upon these considerations and discourses at length, methinketh I find a disposition in them, that either they mind to make their bargain with France, or else to deal neither with France nor yow, but to do what they shall think meet for their state and suerty, and to use there remedys as occation shall move them; meaning neither to irritate France nor England, untill such time as they have made their bargain assuredly with one of yow; for they think it convenient to proceed with yow both for a while pari passu, for that was My Lord of Ledington's terms. I do perceave they take the matter very unkindly, that no better answer is made to the letter, which the lords did send to Her Majesty, and likewise that they hear nothing from yow to their satisfaction. I have answered as well as I can, and have alleged their own proceedings so obscurly with the Queen and their uncertainty hath occationed this that is yet happened, and therefore Her Majesty hath sent me to the end I may inform her throughly of the state of the matters, and upon the declaration of their minds and intents

to such purposes as shall be by me proposed on Her Majestys behalf unto them, they shall be reasonably and resolutely answered.-At these things the Lord of Ledington smiled and shook his head, and said it were better for us yow would let us alone than neither to do us nor yourselves good, as I fear me in the end that will prove: Sr if their be any truth in Ledington, Le Crocq is gone to procure Ramboilet his coming hither or a man of like quality, and to deliver them of their Queen for ever, who shall lead her life in France in an abbay reclused, the Prince at the French devotion, the realm governed by a council of their election of the Scottish nation, the forts committed to the custody of such as shall be chosen amongst themselves, as yet I find no great likelihood that I shall have access to the Queen, it is objected they may not so displease the French King, unless they were sure to find the Queen of England a good friend; and when they once by my access to the Queen have offended the French, then they say yow will make your profit thereof to their undoing; and as to the Queen's liberty, which was the first head that I proposed, they said that thereby they did perceive that the Queen wants their undoing, for as for the rest of the matters it was but folly to talk of them, the liberty going before : but said they, if you will do us no good, do us no harm, and we will provide for ourselves. In the end they said, we should refuse our own commodity before they concluded with any other, which I should hear of at my coming to Edinr by my next I hope to send yow the band concluded by Hamiltons, Argyll, Huntly, and that faction, not so much to the prejudice of the Lords of Edin', as that which was sent into France; thus having no more leisure, but compell'd to leap on horseback with the lords to go to Edinr, I humbly take my leave of from Fastcastle, the 12th of July, 1567.

To Sir Nicolas Throkmorton being in Scotland. By the Queen, the

14th of July, 1567.

[Paper Office.]

TRUSTY and well beloved, we greet you well, though we think that the causes will often change upon variety of accidents, yet we think for sundry respects, not amiss, that as yow shall deal with the Lords having charge of the young Prince for the committing of him into our realm, so shall yow also do well, in treaty with the Queen, to offer her that where her realm appeareth to be subject to sundry troubles from time to time, and thereby (as it is manifest) her son cannot be free, if she shall be contented that her son may enjoy surety and quietness within this our realm, being so near as she knows it is; we shall not faill to yield her as good suerty therein for her child, as can be devised for any that might be our child born of our own body, and shall be glad to show to her therein the trew effect of nature; and herein she may be by yow remembred how much good may ensue to her son to be nourished and acquainted with our country: and therefore, all things considered, this occation for her child, were rather to be sought by her and the friends of him than offered by us; and to this end we mean that yow shall so deal with her, both to stay her indeed from inclining to the French practice, which is to us notorious, to convey her and the Prince into France, and also to avoid any just offence, that she might hereafter conceive, if she should hear that we should deal with the Lords for the Prince.

Sir Nicolas Throkmorton to Queen Elizabeth, 14th July, 1567. From Edinburgh. [An Original. Paper Office.]

It may please Your Majesty to be advertised, I did signifie unto Mr. Secre tary by my letters of the 11th and 12th of July, the day of mine entry into Scotland, the causes of my stay, my lodging at Fastcastle, a place of the Lord Hume's, where I was met by the said Lord and by the Lord Lidington, and what had passed in conference betwixt us, whilest I was at the said Fastcastle. Since which time, accompanyed with the lords aforesaid, and with 400 horses by their appointment for my better conduct, I came to Edinr the 12th of this present. The 13th being Sunday, appointed for a solemne communion in this

town, and also a solemne fast being published, I could not have conference with the Lords which be assembled within this town, as I desired, that is to say, the Earls of Athole and Morton, the Lord Hume, the Lord of Lidington, Sir James Balfour, captain of the castle, Mr. James M'Gill, and the president of the session.

Nevertheless I made means by the Lord of Lidington that they would use no protracte of time in mine audience, so did I likewise to the Earle of Morton, whom I met by chance; I was answered by them both, that albeit the day were destined to sacred exercises, such as were there of the council would consult upon any moyen touching my access unto them and my conference with them, and said also, that in the afternoon either they would come to me, or I should hear from them. About 4 of the clock in the afternoon, the said 13th day, the Lord of Lidington came to my lodgings, and declared unto me on the behalf of the Lords and others, that they required me to have patience, though they had defferred my conference with them, which was grounded principally upon the absence of the Earles of Mar and Glencairn, the Lords Semple, Crighton, and others of the council, saying also that they did consider the matters which I was on your behalf to treate with them of, were of great importance, as they could not satisfy nor conveniently treate with me, nor give me answer without the advice of the lords, and others their associates; the Lord of Lidington also said unto me, that where he perceived, by his private conference with me in my journey hitherwards, that I pressed greatly to have speedy access to the Queen their sovereign, he perceived by the lords and others which were here, that in that matter there was great difficulty for many respects, but specially because they had refused to the French ambassador the like access, which being granted unto me might greatly offend the French, a matter which they desired and intended to eschew; for they did not find by Your Majesty's dealings with them hitherto, that it behoved them to irritate the French King, and to lose his favour and good intelligence with them: I answered, that as to their refusal made unto the French ambassador, Monsieur de Ville Roye was dispatched forth of France before these accidents here happened, and his special errand was to impeach the Queen's marriage with the Earle of Bothel (for so indeed since my coming hither I learned his commission tended to that end, and to make offer to the Queen of another marriage), and as to Monsieur de Crocq, he could have no order forth of France concerning these matters since they happened; and therefore they might very well hold them suspected to have conference with the Queen, least they might treate of matters in this time without instructions, and so rather do harm than good; but Your Majesty being advertized of all things which had chanced, had sent me hither to treat with them, for the well of the realm, for the conservation of their honours and credit, and for their surety; and I might boldly say unto him, that Your Majesty had better deserved than the French had. He said for his own part, he was much bound unto Your Majesty, and had always found great favour and courtesy in England; but to be plain with you, Sir, sayed he, there is not many of this assembly that have found so great obligation at the Queen your sovereign's hands, as at the French King's, for the Earles of Morton and Glencairn be the only persons which took benefit by the Queen's Majesty's aid at Leith, the rest of the noblemen were not in the action; and we think, said he, the Queen's Majesty your sovereign, by the opinion of her own council and all the world, took as great benefit by that charge as the realm of Scotland, or any particular person; and not to talk with yow as an ambassador, but with Sir Nicholas Throkmorton, My Lord Morton, and such as were in pain for the death of Davie, found but cold favour at the Queen's Majesty's hands, when they were banish'd forth of their own country; but I would all our whole company were as well willing to accomplish the Queen your sovereign intents and desires as I am; for mine own part I am but one, and that of the meanest sort, and they be many noblemen and such as have great interest in the matter, mary yow shall be assured I will imploy myself to imploy my credit, and all that I may do, to satisfie the Queen your mistress, as much as lyeth in me, and for your own part you have a great many friends in this assembly, with many other good words. But for conclusion I must take this for an answer to stay untill the other lords were come, and thereupon I thought meet to advertize

Your Majesty what hath passed, and how far forth I have proceeded; your expectation being great to hear from hence.

And now to advertize Your Majesty of the state of all things, as I have learned since my coming hither, it may please Your Majesty to understand as followeth :

The Queen of Scotland remaineth in good health in the castle of Lochlevin, guarded by the Lord Linsay and Lochleven the owner of the house; for the Lord Ruthven is imployed in another commission, because he began to show great favour to the Queen, and to give her intelligence. She is waited on with 5 or 6 ladys, 4 or 5 gentlewomen, and 2 chamberers, whereof one is a French woman. The Earle of Buchan, the Earle of Murray's brother, hath also liberty to come to her at his pleasure; the lords aforesaid, which have her in guard, doe keep her very straitly, and as far as I can perceive, their rigour proceedeth by their order from these men, because that the Queen will not by any means be induced to lend her authority to prosecute the murder, nor will not consent by any perswasion to abandon the Lord Bothell for her husband, but avoweth constantly that she will live and die with him; and saith that if it were put to her choice to relinquish her crown and kingdom, or the Lord Bothell, she would leave her kingdom and dignity, to go as a simple damsell with him, and that she will never consent that he shall fare worse or have more harm than herself. And as far as I can perceive, the principal cause of her detention is, for that these lords do see the Queen being of so fervent affection towards the Earle Bothell as she is, and being put at, as they should be compelled to be in continuall arms, and to have occasion of many battles, he being with manifest evidence notoriously detected to be the principall murderer, and the lords meaning prosecution of justice against him according to his merits.

The lords mean also a divorce betwixt the Queene and him, as a marriage not to be suffered for many respects, which separation cannot take place if the Queen be at liberty, and have power in her hands.

They do not also forget their own peril, conjoin'd with the danger of the Prince, but as far as I can perceave, they intend not either to touch the Queen in suerty or in honor, for they do speak of her with respect and reverence, and do affirm, as I do learn, that the conditions aforesaid accomplished, they will both put her to liberty, and restore her to her estate.

These lords have for the guard of their town 450 harqubushers which oe in very good order, for the entertainment of which companys, untill all matters be compounded, they did sue unto Your Majesty to aid them with such sum of mony as hath been mentioned to Mr. Secretary by the Lord of Lidington's writting, amounting as I perceive to ten or twelve thousand crouns of the

They were latly advertized that the French King doth mind to send hither Monsieur de la Chapell dez Ursine, a knight of the French order, and always well affectionate to the house of Guyse, and howsoever La Forest, Villaroy, and Du Crocq have used language in the Queen's favour and to these lords disadvantage there, to Your Majesty; La Crocq doth carry with him such matter as shall be little to the Queen's advantage; so as it is thought the French King, upon his coming to his presence, will rather satisfie the lords than pleasure the Queen; for they have their party so well made, as the French will rather make their profit by them than any other way.

Herewith I send Your Majesty the last bond agreed on, and signed by the Hamiltons, the Earl of Argyll, Huntly, and sundry others at Dumbarton.

Nevertheless, since my coming to this town the Hamiltons have sent unto me a gentleman of their surname, named Robert Hamilton, with a letter from the Bishop of St. Andrew's and the Abbot of Arbroth, the copy whereof I send Your Majesty and mine answer unto them, referring to the bearer the declaration of some things as these did by him unto me.

The Earle of Argyll hath, in like manner, sent another unto me with a letter and credit, I have used him as I did the others, the coppy of both which letters I send Your Majesty also. The Lord Harrys hath also sent unto me but not written, and I have returned unto him in like sort.

Against the 20th day of this month there is a generall assembly of all the churches, shires, and boroughs towns of this realm, namely, of such as be contonted to repair to these lords to this town, where it is thought the whole state

of this matter will be handeled, and I fear me much to the Queen's disadvantage and danger: unless the Lord of Lidington and some others which be best affected unto her do provide some remedy; for I perceave the great number, and in manner all, but chiefly the common people, which have assisted in these doings, do greatly dishonour the Queen, and mind seriously either her deprivation or her destruction; I used the best means I can (considering the furie of the world here), to prorogue this assembly, for that appeareth to me to be the best remedy: I may not speak of dissolution of it, for that may not be abiden, and I should thereby bring my self into great hatred and peril. The chiefest of the lords which be here present at this time dare not show so much lenity to the Queen as I think they could be contented, for fear of the rage of the people. The women be most furious and impudent against the Queen, and yet the men be mad enough; so as a stranger over busie may soon be made a sacrifice amongest them.

There was a great bruit that the Hamiltons with their adherents would put their force into the fields against the 24th of this month, but I do not find that intent so true as the common bruit goeth.

The Earle of Argyll is in the Highlands, where there is trouble among his own countrymen.

The Earle of Lennox is by these lords much desired here, and I do believe Your Majesty may so use him, and direct him, as he shall be able to promote your purpose with these men.

The Earle of Argyll, the Hamiltons and he be incompatible.—I do find amongst the Hamiltons, Argyll, and the company two strange and sundry humours.

Hamiltons do make shew of the liberty of the Queen, and prosecute that with great earnestness, because they would have these lords destroy her, rather than she should be recovered from them by violence; another time they seem to desire her liberty and Bothwell's destruction, because they would compass a marriage betwixt the Queen and the Lord of Arbroth.

The Earle of Argyll doth affect her liberty and Bothwell's destruction, because he would marry the Queen to his brother.

And yet neither of them, notwithstanding their open concurance (as appeareth by their bond), doth discover their minds to each other, nor mind one end; Knox is not here, but in the west parts, he and the rest of the ministers will be here at the great assembly, whos austerity against the Queen I fear as much as any man's.

By some conference which I had with some of this councill, me thinketh that they have intelligence that there is a disposition in the Queen of Scotland to leave this realm and to retire herself either into England or into France, but most willingly into England, for such and mislikings as she knoweth hath been, and is meant unto her in France, leaving the regiment either to a number of persons deleagued and authorized by her, or to some one or more.

And it may please Your Majesty, I think it not amiss to put yow in remembrance, that in case the said Queen come into England by your allowance, without the French King's consent, she shall loose her dowery in France, and have little or nothing from hence to entertain her; and in case she do go into France with the King's contentment, she may be an instrument (if she can recover favour, as time will help to cancell her disgrace) either by matching with some husband of good quality, or by some other devise, to work new unquietness to her own country, and so consequently to Your Majesty's.

Therefore it may please Your Majesty to consider of this matter, and to let me know your pleasure with convenient speed, how I shall answer the same, if it be propounded unto me, either by the Queen or by the councill, as a piece of the end and composition. For I am sure, of late, she hath seemed very desirous to have the matter brought to pass that she might go into England, retaining her estate and jurisdiction in herself, though she do not exercise it; and likewise I understand that some of this council which be least affected to her safety de think there is no other way to save her. Thus Almighty God preserve Your Majesty in health, honour, and all felicity; at Edinr, the 14th July, 1567.

VOL III.-49