I assured him That the King's Majesty and all his Subjects except some who were corrupted by England were determined to entertain and increase a continual friendship with the King and Country of Denmark Praying their wisdoms-couragiously to resist and not feebly and foolishly to give place to the said crafty practices of their scornful enviers by retiring abruptly thereby suffering themselves to be made evil Instruments directly against their own Intention and Commission and they should shortly see good success to follow thereupon to their great contentment Promising unto them for my part That I should go instantly unto his Majesty and with all hazard that might be should discover unto him how both he and they were deceitfully abused by the double dealing of the English Ambassadour and such Courtiers as assisted him Upon this discourse and promise they went to councel all three together as their custom was And after long conference they gave me answer That their coming was for to do good Offices And albeit they had suffered sundry injuries they would be sorry to be made Instruments of discord so far against their Commission and Intention and therefore would yet stay upon hope of better handling and upon my promise albeit to that hour few or none had been kept to them After this I shewed unto His Majesty what great inconveniencies might ensue upon the long delaying and ill handling of the Danish Ambassadours And yet that I marvelled not that he made so little accompt of them in respect of the great care and fine practices that were used to make him undervalue them by the English Ambassadour and his Assistants who had His Majesty's Ear for the time At the first His Majesty was impatient to hear this language spoken of Persons he had so good liking of and said that he was informed That the King of Denmark was descended but of Merchants and that few made accompt of him or his Country but such as spoke the Dutch Tongue For this was put in his head to prevent any of my perswasions in their favour lest they should get place or credit I answered That neither could the King of France or Queen of England speak Dutch and yet they made great accompt of the King and Country of Denmark France having their Ambassadour lying there and paying yearly to the King of Denmark a great Sum of Gold to the value of Twenty Thousand Crowns His Majesty said The more shame was his I said Rather to the King of France who must buy his kindness Neither could the Queen of England said I speak Dutch yet she made much accompt of the King and Country of Denmark and durst not offend him nor none of his Ships both by reason of the straight passage at Elsoonure and also because he had great Ships to make himself amends in case she did him or his any wrong I said moreover That whereas it hath been reported to Your Majesty the Race of their Kings not to be of Noble and Royal Blood I shall shew Your Majesty that it is but manifest invention to cause you to despise them For this late King Frederick is descended of an Old and Royal stock to wit Christianus of Denmark the first of that name who had two Sons and one Daughter called Margaret married into Scotland to James the Third his Eldest Son John was King after him his second Son Frederick was King of Norway and Duke of Holstein Iohn had a Son called Christianus the Second also King of Denmark who married Charles the Fifth his Sister who did bear him two Daughters Whereof the Eldest was given in marriage to Frederick Elector Palatine the Second to the Duke of Millain and afterward being a Widow married the Duke of Lorrain Himself was taken and kept in Prison by his Subjects for some rigorous Execution upon his Barons and his Father's Brother Frederick was made King After this Frederick the Earl of Altenbourg was chosen by assistance of the Town of Lubeck but Christianus the Third Son to the said Frederick put him out and conquered the Kingdom Nevertheless this Christianus being a good Prince would not change their old Priviledges but caused himself to be chosen and likewise his Son Frederick in his time to Reign after him who is now present King and hath sent this honourable Ambassage to Your Majesty as to his good friend and kinsman descended of the Kingly Race of Denmark And whereas he requires again the Isles of Orkny it is for the discharge of his Oath because every King of Denmark at his Election is sworn to claim again the said Isles which he hath done for the fashion and for no other effect but to draw on a greater familiarity and friendship Or else he had not sent so honourable a Company but rather an Herauld of Arms if he had been earnestly bent either to get the said Isles or to quarrel about them After that His Majesty had heard this Discourse far different to his former Informations he was exceeding glad and said he would not for his head but that I had shewn the verity unto him and that same afternoon he sent for the said Ambassadours and acquainted them how near Allied he was to the King of Denmark He excused their long delay and promised instantly to see them dispatched himself and that within three or four days He called for Wine and did drink to them and sent them home very well content and satisfied to their Lodgings He commanded a Banket to be prepared for them which His Majesty's Controller and Officers were quietly forbidden to do alledging the scantness of Provisions Which the Laird of Segie and I perceiving we dealt with the Earl of March who prepared a great Banquet for them in His Majesty's Name to the great dissatisfaction of Mr. Wotton and his Partisans who durst not appear And though they would not suffer His Majesty to be present at the Banquet but to Dine in his own Chamber yet His Majesty being informed by me how matters went he rose from his own Dinner and went to the Banquet-house and drank to the King Queen and Ambassadours of Denmark and so contented them And he caused their dispatch to be in readiness conform to his promise But when I advertised His Majesty That there was no Present prepared for to reward them withal he was wonderfully troubled saying They who had the management of his affairs were resolved to affront him Now at this time was the Earl at Court not so much in favour as formerly During the which time there chanced a strange misrule to fall out at a day of meeting upon the Borders which was set between the two Wardens where Sir Francis Russel upon the English side was killed Whereupon the English Ambassadour took occasion to lay the blame upon the Earl of Arran alledging That the Laird of Fernthast who was Warden upon the Scots side had married the Earl of Arran's Brother's Daughter And that the said Earl had caused the
Ears which may serve for little Parenthesises to Historiographers who had not the occasion of being so well therewith acquainted Our Queen then Dowager of France retired her self by little and little further and further from the Court of France that it might not appear that she was any way compelled thereto as of a truth she was by the Queen Mother's rigorous dealing who alledged that she had been despised by her Daughter-in-law during the short Reign of King Francis the Second her Husband at the resignation of the House of Guise Monsieur de Martignes Monsieur Dosel Labrosse the Bishop of Amience and such other French-men as were lately carried out of Scotland in the English Ships resorted to our Queen and declared unto her the whole progress of affairs and the state of the Kingdom These as well as the rest of her friends advised her to return to Scotland encouraging her with the hopes of succeeding to the Crown of England rather then to endure the Queen Mother's disdain in France Desiring her as most conducing for her interest to serve the time to accommodate her self discreetly and gently to her own Subjects to be most familiar with my Lord James Prior of St. Andrews her natural Brother and with the Earl of Argile who had married Lady Jane Stuart her natural Sister and to use the Secretary Lidingtoun and the Laird of Grange most tenderly in all their affairs and in summ to repose most upon those of the Reformed Religion Thus those who were a little before cruelly persecuted are now to be esteemed for chiefest and truest friends Thus can God by his Divine Providence ranverse the finest practises and pretences of mighty Rulers and Potentates and turn all to the best to such as serve him with a sincere heart As on the other hand God abhorreth such Subjects as hypocritically under pretext of Religion take occasion to rebel against their native Princes for ambition greediness or any other Worldly respect The Prior of St. Andrews being advertised of the Queen his Soveraign's deliberation to return to Scotland and to use his and his friends advice He goeth himself to France requesting her Majesty to return to her own promising to serve her faithfully to the outmost of his power And returns again to Scotland to prepare the hearts of her Subjects against her home-coming After this her Majesty went to Janvile the Duke of Guise his dwelling place about the marches of Lorrain and at length went to visit the Duke of Lorrain at Nancy where I chanced to come shortly after in company of the Duke Casimir second Son to the Elector Palâ—â—ine But the Queen was already parted from the Court of Lorrain toward Janvile whither I took occasion to go to tender to her Majesty the offer of my most humble and dutiful service And the said Duke Casimir understanding that I was to ride thither did write a very kind Letter to her Majesty comforting her the best he could offering his service in case any in France should wrong or injure her and that he would bring to her aid upon her Letter Ten Thousand Men. Her Majesty was much refreshed with this friendly offer and she was pleased to give me thanks for the demonstrations I had given of being intirely devoted to her interest shewing me she had been made acquainted therewith while I was at the Court of France She desired me earnestly when I resolved to retire out of Germany to come home and serve her Majesty with very friendly and favourable offers So I returned back to the Duke Casimir who was about contracting a Marriage with the Duke of Lorrain's eldest Sister Which took not effect because the old Dutchess her Mother who was King Christierns Daughter of Denmark begotten upon the Emperour Charles his Sister who also lost the Kingdom of Denmark pretending to make it Hereditable whereas it was Elective The said King Christiernus was kept in Prison till his death This Dutchess his Daughter alledged that the Kingdom of Norway appertained unto her as Heir unto her Father and that the said Kingdom was Hereditary unto her Father albeit Denmark was not and intended then to marry her eldest Daughter unto Frederick King of Denmark and to give over with her said Daughter the Kingdom of Norway But the said Dutchess offered unto Duke Casimir her second Daughter which he refused and dealt with his Father to send me unto England to propose Marriage for him unto the Queen of England But I refused to undertake that Commission having ground to conjecture that she would never marry upon the reflection I made upon that story one of the Gentlemen of her Chamber had told me seeing she knowing her self unable for succession I supposed she would never render her self subject to any Man The said Duke was very much displeased at me because I refused About this time the Cardinal of Lorrain being at Trent took occasion to visit the old Emperour Ferdinand at Isbrack his dwelling place not far from Trent And there the said Cardinal proposed two marriages first the King of France Charles the Ninth to the eldest Daughter of Maximilian Son to Ferdinand lately chosen King of the Romans and co-adjutor to the Empire Then he proposed the Queen of Scotland Dowager of France to Charles Arch-duke of Austria brother to the said Maximilian The Queen was by this time returned to Scotland and apparently had been advertised by the said Cardinal that he had proposed the said marriage and it seems she had relished the Overture Her Majesty returning was gladly welcomed by the whole Subjects For at first following the counsel of her friends she behaved her self humanely to them all committing the chief handling of her affairs unto her Brother the Prior of St. Andrews whom afterward she made Earl of Murray and to the Secretary Lidingtoun as meetest both to hold the Countrey at her devotion and also to beget a strict friendship betwen her Majesty and the Queen of England For my Lord Murray had great credit with my Lord Robert Dudly who was afterward made Earl of Leicester And the Secretary Lidingtoun had great credit with the Secretary Cecil So that these four made a strict and sisterly friendship between the two Queens and their Countries So that there appeared outwardly no more difference but that the Queen of England was the Eldest Sister and the Queen of Scotland the Younger whom the Queen of England promised to declare second person according to her good behaviour So that Letters and correspondence past weekly betwixt them and at first there appeared nothing more desired by either of them then that they might see one another by a meeting at a convenient place whereby they might also declare their hearty and loving minds each to other For our Queen was so nettled with the hard usage she had met with from the Queen Mother of France who had likewise hardly used all her friends of the House of Guise that she was the more
earnest to make friendship with her and with such whom she knew that Queen liked worst The two Queens this way keeping on their outward friendship for a while with the plain and honest meaning of our Queen as I afterward did perfectly know There came a Letter to me out of Scotland from the Secretary Lidingtoun at the Queens command desiring me to make my self acquainted with the Arch-duke Charles of Austria youngest Brother to Maximilian then King of the Romans and Emperour in effect for the Emperour Ferdinand his Father had nothing but the Name by reason of his Age. I was desired to inform my self concerning his Religion his Rents and his Qualities his Age and Stature and desired to send home word and therewith to send his Picture if it could be done It was thought I might obtain the occasion thereof by means of the Elector Palatine my Master for the time greatest in favour with the Emperour Maximilian Now my Lord Elector being at an Imperial Convention holden at Ausbrugh had of his own head inquired of Maximilian what the Cardinal of Lorrain's business had been with his Father Ferdinand when he came to see him from Trent For the good Elector was afraid it had been about some matters of Religion For Ferdinand was a devout Catholick and Maximilian appeared to be a zealous Protestant For he was but lately chosen King of the Romans at Francford not without difficulty Being himself one of the Seven Electors as King of Bohemia he was to sue six Electors for their Votes To wit the Elector Palatine the Duke of Saxony and the Duke of Brandenburgh three Protestant Princes and three Bishops Mentz Triers and Collein Catholicks Both these Factions were put in hope that being Emperour he would declare himself of their principles In the mean time he used secret preachings to please the Protestants but he went openly to the Mass whereby the Bishops thought themselves assured of him But the good Elector Palatine believed firmly that after his Fathers death he would declare himself a plain Protestant Thus he won both parties to make him Emperour He told the Elector Palatine at the Convention in Ausbrugh that the Cardinal of Lorrain had proposed two marriages to the Emperour his Father The one was Charles young King of France to his own Eldest Daughter the other was the Queen of Scotland Dowager of France to his Brother the Arch-Duke Charles The Elector inquired how he relished these two marriages he answered he could not but like well of them seeing he was not to expect a better match to his Daughter then the King of France nor to his Brother then the Queen of Scotland who the Cardinal also alledged had right to the Crown of England The Elector said that since he was pleased with the Overture of marrying his Brother to the Queen of Scotland that he had a Scottish Gentleman with him who could be a good instrument to bring forward the said marriage Whereupon Maximilian desired to speak with me and because for the time I was in the Countrey of Hess he desired him to send me to him upon my return Which the Elector did and sent with me one of his Councel called Monsieur Zuleger joining us in one Commission When we had given accompt of our said Commission my companion told the Emperour that I had a particular with his Majesty and so retired himself leaving me alone in the Chamber Where I presented a Letter to him written with the Elector's own hand in Dutch signifying that I was the Scotsman whom he promised to send unto him After he had read the writing he did shew me the part wherein the Elector assured him that I would shew him the truth of all such things as I knew which he would ask of me saying You are much obliged to the Elector Palatine for he hath given me a very good Character of you I pray you says he tell me how long you have been in his company I said more then three years he inquired why I did not answer in Dutch I answered because I had the French more familiar and knew that no Language could come wrong to his Majesty For he could very promptly speak good Latiné Italian Spanish Sclavonian and French Then he inquired again in French how I came to the Elector Palatine I told him that being brought up at the Court of France with the Constable there had fallen out some variance between France and Scotland partly occasioned from difference in Religion and partly from other particulars whence proceeded a general dislike at the Court of all Scots-men at that time in France some being upon suspicion imprisoned others lookt down upon The consideration whereof hast'ned my prosecuting a former intention I had deliberated upon of visiting other Countries That being minded to begin at Dutchland the Constable of France had by his Letter addressed me to the Elector Palatine He inquired how long I had remained with the Constable I answered nine years He said I was happy who had been so long in company with two of the wisest Men in Europe and was pleased to say that he was glad of the occasion of being acquainted with me He began more particularly to shew unto me the cause why he desired to speak with me inquiring concerning the Estate of Scotland of the late troubles with France of the agreement new made what great Men had the greatest interest and all the Noblemens Names who had assisted both parties He proceeded to inquire further what help England had made unto Scotland during the troubles with France if they were bandied together if their friendship continued and of the Queen's title to England if the Nobility of Scotland would concur to advance her to the Crown of England if they would think it the interest of Scotland to have the two Kingdoms joined in one seeing it was to be supposed that the Queen or Prince would certainly chuse to dwell in the best Country and thereby would be further from them These and several other things he inquired and I answered as I thought most pertinent When he had heard my returns he was pleased to say it was not the least good office that my Lord Elector had done him in sending me to him and gave me thanks that I had been at the pains to come If Charles my Brother says he were so happy as to obtain your Queen in marriage no Man shall have more credit with him then you He desired me to abide with him some time that he might discourse with me at more length So I tarried with him twenty days with very favourable entertainment and discoursing with me several times he put me in hope that his Brother Charles would be shortly at home And gave me an accompt of such news as came to him from all Countries It was he who first told me of the death of the Duke of Guise killed by Poltrot at the Siege of Orleance He appeared to he very glad at the
Scotland p. 161. by Three Ambassadours with a splendid Train ibid. Upon which she sends Wotton to land to disturb the Affairs of that Kingdom ibid. Is intreated by the Council and Nobility to take away the life of Queen Mary p. 172. Which at first she refuseth but afterwards condescends to ibid. Purgeth her self of the Death of Queen Mary as being deceived by her Council and Mr. Secretary Davison p. 175. Is sent to for consent to the Marriage of King James with the Daughter of the King of Denmark and returns her Answer p. 179. Saying She would employ her Credit with the King and Princess of Navarre to bring his Marriage with that Princess to pass ibid. Sends the Earl of Sussex Ambassador to Scotland and upon what account p. 203. Elphingstoun Nicholas adviseth the Regent Mortoun that he was in disfavour with the King and ought by Gold to purchase friends p. 125. Emanuel Duke of Savoy leads the Spanish Army that Invades France p. 201. Emperor of Germany retires to a Monastery of Monks in Spain p. 18. Endeavours to get his Son Philip Elected Emperor but is denyed ibid. Gives him all the Dominions he had in Spain Italy and the Low-Countries p. 19. Labours for a Treaty with France for 5 years which was agreed and sworn to but broken by the Popes persuasion ibid. Enig the Dutch word admits of Two divers interpretations which was disputed by the Emperor c. p. 12. F FErdinand King of Bohemia Brother to the Emperor Philip and Arch-Duke of Austria Elected Emperor by the Princes p. 19. Fernthast Laird Warden of the Borders on the Scots side p. 166. Marries to the Earl of Arran's Brothers Daughter ibid. Foster Sir John Warden a strange trick of his Steed that mounted and hurt Mary Queen of Scots when discoursing with him p. 77. Francis the 2d Dauphin of France Married to Queen Mary of Scotland p. 8. Succeeds his Father Henry the 2d p. 28. Is wholly guided by the Duke of Guise and Cardinal Lorrain ibid. Raiseth Men to send into Scotland p. 29. Dies at Orleans in France ibid. Frederick King of Denmark his Genealogie related by the Author to King James when he had Three Ambassadors joyned in one Commission in Scotland p. 165. Hath several fair Daughters p. 167. G GAury Earl Treasurer of Edinburgh p. 129. Intercedes for the life of the Duke of Lennox p. 132. Keeps the Earl of Arran in Custody p. 133. Repents his being drawn in by Drumhasel to joyn with the Lords that were against the King ibid. But at St. Andrews he turns to the Lords of the Kings Party p. 136. Treats his Majesty Royally at the House of Ruthven p. 137. Begs his Majesties Pardon and obtains it ibid. Is driven from Court by the Earl of Arran but reconciled to him p. 142. Yet conditions being unperform'd he resolves to leave the Country ibid. Obtains his Majesties consent to depart the said Earl of Arran proving his mortal Enemy p. 155. Before he goes takes part with the Earl of Angus and others in their design to take Sterling in despight of the said Earl ibid. Is taken Prisoner in that enterprize p. 156. Is near of Kin to his Majesty hath his Lands seized and is Executed on the Scaffold dying a devout Christian ibid. Gordoun a Gentleman of that name is kill'd by the Earl of Murray p. 200. Graham Richard hath a familiar Spirit p. 195. Is brought to Edinburgh and examined before his Majesty about the Earl of Bothwel and burnt with other Malefactors ibid. Grange Laird is Lord Treasurer and Favourite to King James upon the Kings Command alledgeth reasons against the Prelates Propositions p. 2 3 and 4. A stout bold Man p. 4. Pursues with two Ships Bothwell p. 184. But he escapes and his Servants were taken and the first discoverers of the King's Murther p. 185. Is made Chief of a Company of Horsemen who came to fight against Bothwel which the Queen understanding sends for him under surety p. 83. Was like to be kill'd by a Souldier appointed by Bothwel for that purpose but was saved by the Queens crying out ibid. Offers to Combat Bothwel upon his Challenge but is coldly refused ibid. Promiseth upon his honour to protect Sir James Balfour upon his delivery of Edinburgh Castle to him p. 100. Offers to fight with Mr. Archibald Douglas being guiltless of the Kings Murther ibid. Takes Secretary Lidington into the Castle of Edinburgh p. 101. His vertues are envied by some and his Charge coveted by others p. 104. Obtains a Warrant from the King's Lords to set the Duke of Chattellerault and the Lord Herreis at liberty p. 105. Sticks close to the Kings Authority p. 108. Sides at last with the Queens Lords ibid. Sends for the Laird of Fernihast and Buccleugh who resolved to seize on the Lords at Sterling p. 113. Which they attempted but failed p. 114. Laments the slaughter of the Earl of Lennox Regent of Scotland ibid. Was ever esteemed honest p. 119. Is taken Prisoner after the delivery of Edinburgh Castle with Sir Robert Melvil and Lidington p. 121. Is wracked to death p. 123. His Character ibid. Guise Duke goes with a great Army into Italy after the breach of the Truce between the Emperor and French by the Popes persuasion p. 19. He and the Lieutenant of Picardy unexpectedly enters on the King of Spain's Dominions p. 19 and 20. Is killed by Poltrot at the Siege of Orleans p 35. For which the Admiral of France is Accused p. 36. But cleared ibid. H HAmiltoun Laird is advanced to be Governour of Scotland p. 7. Induced to resign the Government to the Queen p. 2. Shoots the Regent Murray in his passage to Lithgow p. 203. And Escapes ibid. Henry the 8th King of England is discontented at the Popes denial of his Divorce from Queen Katherine and thereupon proclaims himself Head of the Kirk discharging St. Peter's Pennies here and the Popes Authority p. 1. Declares his Daughter Mary a Bastard ibid. Obtains a Divorce from his own Clergy and seeks amity with his Nephew James the 5th King of Scotland desiring an interview with him at York ibid. A short Character of him p. 3. Is highly offended at the disappointment and affront put upon him by King James his not meeting him at York that he sent an Army to Scotland to destroy it p. 5. Is much afflicted at the death of the King of Scotland and lays down the reasons of his Warring with that Nation p. 6. His wrath against the Pope is great ibid. He demolisheth Abbeys and compells the Nobility to exchange their Lands for them that might never return to the Kirk ibid. Endeavours a Match between Edward the Sixth his Son and Mary of Scotland though it brake off and caused War between the Two Kingdoms p. 7. But it was at last agreed ibid. Henry the Second of France had hot Wars with the Emperour the occasion and management thereof from p. 15 to p. 18. Is hurt
to Hamiltoun p. 90. After the loss of the Battle of Langside she quite loseth her courage never thinks her self secure till she arrives in England p. 92. Is kept Prisoner in the North parts here p. 99. Endeavours to get her self declared second person of England p. 152. but it proves ineffectual ibid. Receives warning of her death from the Council the night before p. 172. Her carriage and deportment thereupon ibid. Takes her death patiently and dies couragiously p. 173. Receives divers strokes with the Ax through the Executioner's cruelty ibid. Master of Glams is Treasurer of Scotland p. 198. Designes to get the Office from Sir Robert Melvil and manage the Treasury solely ibid. Master of Gray is in great favour with the King of Scots and why p. 158. His Character ibid. Is sent Ambassadour to England and returns with great Credit and Approbation notwithstanding he is misrepresented by the Earl of Arran whom he begins by degrees to Eclipse ibid. Acquaints his Majesty that Mr. Wotton a Man of great Parts is upon his journy from the Queen of England and upon what account p. 158 159. Procures the Earl of Arran's liberty p. 166. Is rewarded for it with the Abby of Dumfarmling ibid. At which the English Ambassadour is enraged but afterward reconciled to him ibid. He retires to Dunkel p. 168. Is sent for again to Court p. 169. And in as great favour as ever ibid. Is deprived of his Benefice of Dumfarmling p. 175. And discharged from the Court ibid. Maurice Duke God-son to the Landgrave of Hesse p. 11. perswades his God-father to come to the Emperor who retains him Captive ibid. Is Cousin to the Duke of Saxony and obtains the Electorate as a gift from the Emperor p. 12. Sollicits the Emperor for the liberty of his God-father but in vain ibid. Lays Siege to Magdeburgh being the Emperor's Lieutenant ibid. A subtile man ibid. Surpriseth the Emperor at Isburgh compels him to fly so clearly out of Dutchland that he never set foot in it again p. 13. Yet he and the Emperor is after reconciled and lay Siege to the Town of Metz tho to no purpose ibid. Maximilian King of the Romans by his Politick carriage between Protestant and Catholick obtains the Empire p. 33. Is skill'd in several Languages p. 34. Proves an enemy to the Match with his Brother Charles the Arch-Duke of Austria and the Queen of Scots though seemingly a friend p. 35. Melvil Sir Andrew one of the undertakers to keep the Castle of Edinburgh p. 120. Is Master of the Houshold to Queen Elizabeth p. 173. After Master of the Houshold to King James p. 180. Marries Jane Kennedy who had been a long time in England with Queen Mary ibid. Melvil Sir James the Author and Brother to Sir Andrew Melvil is sent by the Queen-Mother with the Bishop of Valence to be Page of Honour to her Daughter there Married to the Dauphin p. 8. The kindness of Odocart's Daughter to him promising him Marriage p. 9. His pleasant Discovery of the Two Scots-mens Deceit to whose care he was committed in their Iourney to Paris p. 10. Is design'd to be promoted by the Bishop but prevented and by what means p. 14. Is entertain'd in the Service of the Constable of France by the consent of the Bishop of Valence p. 15. Is Commissionated by the French King and afterward by the Constable to go into Scotland and the purport of his Commission p. 25 and 26. Endeavours to be inform'd of the Prior of St. Andrews intentions who declares his mind to him at large p. 27. In his return to France meets with an English Mathematician and the Discourse between them p. 27 and 28. Gets licence of the Queen of France to Travel the reason thereof he takes his leave p. 29. Is recommended to the Elector Palatine by the Constable his Master and entertain'd as one of his Servants ibid. And is thereupon sent by the Elector to Condole the death of Francis the 2d French King ibid. Receives great Favour from the King of Navarre and Queen Regent dispatching him back with thanks and a gift p. 30. Returns visits the Queen of Scotland Mary in her return home at Janvile with a comfortable Letter from Duke Casimire p. 31. Receives thanks from the Queen for it with favourable offers when return'd from Travel ibid. Is desired by the Duke and his Father to go into England about a Match with that Queen and the Duke but refuseth p. 32. And why ibid. Receives a Letter from Scotland to inquire about the Arch-Duke of Austria p. 33. Is sent for by Maximilian and goes with a Letter from the Elector to him p. 34. The passages between them ibid. Finds the proposition of a Match with the Arch-Duke would prove ineffectual and therefore presseth for a dispatch which at length he obtains p. 35. Receives a Letter from Maximilian to the Queen of Scots ibid. Is sent by the Prince Elector to the Queen-Mother of France with an Answer and Picture to her Propositions of a Match between her Son Charles the 9th and Maximian's eldest Daughter p. 36. Is introduced into her Presence by the Constable ibid. Is profer'd very large offers of Preferment by the Queen Mother if he would reside there p. 38. Receives Letters from Queen Mary to return home ibid. Parts with a Commission to the Queen of England p. 39. Presents the Pictures of Casimire and his Relations to the Queen ibid. Which she returns next day p. 40. Refusing to accept of them ibid. Writes back to his Father and himself a disswasive from that Marriage and receives thanks ibid. Returns into Scotland and presents the Queen with Letters from Forraign Princes p. 43. Receives great proffers from the Queen but refuseth them and upon what ground ibid. Is sent with instructions to Queen Elizabeth and her Friends to procure a Reconciliation ibid. The instructions at large p. the 44th and 45th Being Arrived at London he next morning receives his Answer from the Queen p. 46. Perswades her Majesty to tear the angry Letter she intended to send to Queen Mary in answer to hers p. 47. Which she did ibid. The private Conference between the Queen of England and Melvil being a Character of the Two Queens full of diversion p. 47 48 and 49. Takes his leave and returns to Scotland with many Presents p. 52. Acquaints his Queen with Queen Elizabeth's Answer ibid. After the Queens Marriage begs leave to Travel which she refuseth p. 58. Upon her promises stayes and adviseth her p. 59. Officiates as her Secretary Lidington being absent upon some suspicion p. 67. Rides Post to London to give an account to the Queen of the Birth of a Son in Scotland p. 69. Has a satisfactory Audience p. 70. Shews a Letter to her Majesty from Tho. Bishop against her Marriage with Bothwel and is forced to fly for it p. 79. But returns Bothwel's rage being allayed ibid. Is afterward taken Prisoner when Bothwel seized
THE MEMOIRES OF Sir James Melvil Of HAL-HILL CONTAINING An Impartial Account Of the most Remarkable AFFAIRS of STATE During the last Age not mention'd by other Historians More particularly Relating to the KINGDOMS OF England and Scotland Under the REIGNS Of Queen Elizabeth Mary Queen of Scots AND King IAMES In all which Transactions the Author was Personally and Publickly concern'd Now published from the Original Manuscript By GEORGE SCOTT Gent. LONDON Printed by E. H. for Robert Boulter at the Turks-head in Corn-hill against the Royal-Exchange 1683. THE EPISTLE TO THE READER AS there is scarce any kind of Civil Knowledge more necessary or profitable than History which is therefore very aptly stiled by the Ancients The Mistress of Life so of all sorts of History there is none so useful as that which unlocking the Cabinet brings forth the Letters private Instructions Consultations and Negotiations of Ministers of State for then we see things in a clear light stript of all their paints and disguisings and discover those hidden Springs of Affairs which give motion to all the vast Machines and stupendious Revolutions of Princes and Kingdoms that make such a noise on the Theatre of the World and amaze us with unexpected shiftings of Scenes and daily Vicissitudes Of this latter kind are those Memoires wherewith we here Oblige the World being the many Years Transactions and Experiences of an eminent publick Minister in his long and faithful Services under and Negotiations with several Princes and at as ticklish a Iuncture and important Crisis of Affairs as could almost happen in any Age for having upon the perusal not only found the same to contain many remarkable passages not met with in any Histories of those times and in such Occurrents as they have touched upon to be much more exact and full in divers considerable Circumstances But observed it likewise to be furnisht with much excellent plain honest advice delivered by the By which might be of great advantage to Princes and both Examples and Precepts whereby their Councellors and Favourites may be Caution'd what just free and generous Measures they ought to take if they would not tread the same Precipices whereby others have Shipwrackt both their Masters and themselves I could not but apprehend my self obliged to Communicate such a Treasure to the Publick as well for a general good as in some measure to discharge my Devoir to the memory of the worthy Author from whom I have the honour to be descended Three things there are Essential to any History and which chiefly recommend it to the esteem of judicious Readers 1. That the subject matter be real and of considerable moment Women and Children may be delighted with and dote upon Romances and silly Legends or listen with attentive Admiration to the Wars of the Pigmies and Adventures of the Faiery Land But men of sence always expect solid Transactions and such substantial Examples as may be of advantage to improve their judgment in Civil Wisdom and the necessary conduct of Life 2. That the Author be capable of knowing what he speaks and have Opportunities to discover the Certainty and full Circumstances of those Affairs whereof he undertakes to Treat 3 And lastly His Honesty That he be a man of impartial Veracity and firm Resolution to observe inviolable that prime Law of History Ne quid falsi audeat dicere ne quid veri non audeat Not to dare deliver any falshood nor to conceal any Truth All which Characters are happily met in these Memoires The matters contain'd are both Lofty and Weighty for they Treat of the Actions and Sufferings of Princes and persons of the first Rank Open the close Consultations and Intrigues of several of the ablest Ministers of State at that time in Christendom and shew on what Hinges the greatest Affairs were turned and by what Artifices managed so as to be either accomplisht or Defeated Nor could any Gentleman have better Advantages to be acquainted with the most private and reserved Scenes of those Passages which here he delivers to the World since in general of all that he writes he may properly say Quorum pars magna fui They are matters within his own Circle and declare such as must of necessity fall within his own notice since through his hands and he himself had a principal part in the manage and transacting of them being a person concern'd in the most knotty Affairs especially relating to Scotland during his time And therefore as Ocularis Testis his work may Challenge that Credit which many other Authors do but begg from the Charity of their Courteous Readers at least deserves as much or more esteem as any other Writers of that time who in respect of him were but Auriti The Author was descended of one of the most honourable Families of the Kingdom of Scotland as being Third Son to the Lord of Kaeth and at Fourteen years of Age was sent by the Queen Regent to be Page of Honour to her Daughter Mary married to the Dauphin of France But by her allowance be entred into the Service of the Duke of Montmorance Great Constable of France chief Minister to Henry the Second who earnestly desired him from her Majesty having a fancy for the Youth 's promising parts he was Nine years Entertain'd and Imploy'd by him and when he grew up to riper Years and try'd Abilities in matters of greatest Importance an honourable Pension for his greater encouragement was setled upon him by that King Then being desirous for his further Accomplishment to Travel having his Queens leave and his Masters permission for that purpose But passing through Germany he was detain'd by the persuasion of the Elector Palatine and at his earnest intreaties necessitated to condescend to attend at his Court where be Resided Three years being by him imployed on several Embassies After which obtaining his consent to prosecute his former intentions of further Travel he visited Venice Rome and the most famous Cities of Italy Returning through Switzerland to the Electors Court he there found a Call from Queen Mary then returned to her Kingdom of Scotland after the death of her Husband King Francis to attend her Service The Queen Mother of France at the same time had offer'd him a large Pension and profitable Offices to engage him to wait upon her Service at the Court of France she finding it her interest at that Iuncture to keep good Correspondence with the Protestant Princes in Germany and knowing him to be most acceptable to all of them But though it appeared most advantagious to his private Fortunes to have accepted of her noble Offers yet in this and at all other times he prefer'd his Loyalty to his Interest and esteem'd himself engag'd in Duty to serve his natural Princess rather than a Stranger Upon his arrival in Scotland he was admitted a Privy Councellor and Gentleman of her Chamber being continually imploy'd by her Majesty in matters of her greatest concernments till her unhappy
him to be poisoned having learned that Art in Italy called an Italian Possit The Cardinal David Beaton was with his Majesty in the time of his death and caused to be written the Form of a Testament at his own pleasure being dictated by himself which upon that reason was afterward annulled The King of England could not forget this injury and displeasure done him of the Kings breaking of his promise He was much troubled at his death his Wars were rather to have moved the Estates of Scotland to know that his favour and friendship had been better for them than his feud He was still in hope to have gained him with consent and advice of the best of his Subjects to have joined in a Bond Offensive and Defensive For he had received information of the Kings worthy qualities and rare natural endowments and entertained a marvellous great love and liking of him Thinking he could not have left the Kingdom in a better hand than to his own Sisters Son nearest in bloud unto him and meetest of any to build up a fair Monarchy to be first begun in a manner in his own person In respect that for his time which he looked would be but short his Nephew would have been but his Coadjutor and Lieutenant under him and after him possess the whole under one Religion one Law and one Head And thought that thereby France should never afterward have the occasion of stirring up the one Country against the other and that the Pope should be secluded from gathering up such sums of Silver from his Subjects for Confirmation of Benefices or for Bulls or Dispensations For his wrath and vengeance against the Pope was exceeding great who had made him many promises and had broken them all fearing as said is to offend the Emperour who was so great and mighty a Prince Therefore the King of England seeing he had now altogether lost the hopes of the Scots alliance and concurrence he compelled the Gentlemen of England to exchange their Lands with the Lands of Abbies Cloisters and other Temple Lands giving them more than their own that so the said Lands should never return to the Kirk without a manifest Rebellion or a dangerous subversion of the whole state of the Kingdom And to be revenged upon the said Cardinal David Beaton who he thought had disappointed him of all the hope he had of Scotland he dealt with Sir George Douglass and the Earl of Angus who were but lately returned out of England where they had resided during the time of their banishment till the death of King James V. These two Brothers appearing to be of the Reformed Religion persuaded Norman Lesly Master of Rothes the young Laird of Grange and John Lesly of Parkhill who had been persecuted by the said Cardinal for Religion after he had taken their Preacher Mr. George Wishard and burnt him at St. Andrews These I say were easily stirred up to slay him whom they were persuaded to be an Enemy to the true Religion to the welfare of the Country and to themselves in particular This proud Cardinal was slain then in his Castle at S. Andrews and so ended all his practices having obtained nothing but vain travel for his pretences and sudden death Having been the occasion of the death of a worthy King who was inclined to Justice and gave no credit to his Officers in their two special points to reward and punish For whoever did him good service he would see them rewarded yea albeit they chanced to be absent and as to punishing of Evil Doers so soon as he had heard the complaint he leapt upon his Horse and did ride to the parties himself with a few company ere they could be aware of him and he would see sharp execution So that he was deservedly both loved and feared He was very couragious well favoured and shapen of a middle stature very able of body But evil company fell about him entering out of Child-hood into furious Youth enticing him to Harlotry striving who should spie out for him the fairest Maidens and likewise at length mens Wives with them he abused his body to the offence of God and divers good Subjects For which he was not left unpunished for he had but two young Sons and they died both within eleven hours so that at his decease he had but one Daughter called Mary born when he was upon his Death-bed King Henry VIII of England having onely one Son called Edward he and the Estates of both Countries desiring still this whole Isle of Britain to be united in one Monarchy made a contract of marriage between the said two which was afterward broken upon our part her Majesty being transported unto France by the West Seas Whereupon ensued great War between the two Kingdoms which was afterwards agreed upon this condition that Edward should marry Elizabeth eldest Daughter to Henry II. of France and Francis his Son should marry our Queen My Lord Hamilton was advanced to the Government of the Country by the Laird of Grange Treasurer Mr. Henry Balnears and others that were of the Reformed Religion whenas he appeared to be a true Gospeller But he had been afterward soon altered by the Abbot of Pasly his Bastard-brother and became a great Persecuter of Gods Word and had been by the persuasions of the said Abbot and Cardinal easily drawn to break the said Contract of Marriage made between King Edward and our Queen After that the young Queen came to France there was great disputing whether the Marriage with the Dauphine should take effect or not For at that time there were two Factions in the French Court first the Brethren to the House of Guise as the Duke of Guise and the Cardinal of Lorrain brothers to our Queen Dowager and uncles to our young Queen Mary pressed earnestly to set forward the said Marriage with France the old Constable Duke of Montmorancy was of opinion that it was meetest to give her in marriage to some Duke or Prince in France and to send them both home to Scotland to keep that Country in good obedience Because when Princes are absent and far from their own ruling their Countries by Lieutenants most commonly the Subjects of such Countries use to rebel which if Scotland should do it would be hard and costly to get them reduced And thereby in stead of making France the better of the Marriage with the Dauphin it might make it to be in a far worse case The House of Guise again desiring to have their Sisters Daughter Queen of France to augment their reputation and credit alledged it would be both honourable and profitable to the Crown of France to have this addition And that there were Revenues in abundance to maintain Garrisons within the Kingdom to hold the Subjects under obedience building Citadels and having the whole strength in their hands Herein they prevailed she being married unto the Dauphine John de Monluck Bishop of Valence was sent Ambassador from France
to the Governour and Queen mother Sister to the Duke of Guise And when the said Ambassadour was to return to France it pleased the Queen mother to send me with him to be placed Page of Honor to the Queen her Daughter I being then 14 years of Age. But the said Bishop went first to Ireland commanded thereto by theK his Masters Letter to know more particularly the motions and likelihood of the Offers made by Oneel Odoneel Odocart and Callock willing to shake off the Yoke of England and become subject to the King of France providing that he would procure the Popes gift of Ireland and then send to their help 2000 Hacbutiers 200 Light Horsemen and 4 Cannon We shipped for Ireland in the Moneth of January and were stormsted by the way in a little Isle called Sandisle before Kintire where we were compelled to tarry 17. days by reason of the Storm Thence we hoised Sail toward Ireland but the Storm was yet so extreamly violent that with great danger of the Ship and our lives we entered in at the mouth of Loghfeul in Ireland upon Shrove-tuesday in the year 1545. for the Skipper and Mariners had lost all hopes of safety having left their Anchors behind them the night before Ere we landed we sent one George Paris who had been sent to Scotland by the great Oneel and his Associates who landed at the house of a Gentleman who had married Odocarts Daughter dwelling at the side of a Lake who came to our Ship and welcomed us and convoyed us to his house where we rested that night The next morning Odocart came there and convoyed us to his house which was a great dark Tower where we had cold chear as Herring and Bisket for it was Lent There finding two English Gray Friars who had fled out of England for King Edward VI. was yet alive the said Friars perceiving the Bishop to look very kindly to Odocarts Daughter who fled from him continually they brought to him a Woman who spoke English to lie with him Which Harlot being keept quietly in his Chamber found a little Glass within a Case standing in a window for the Coffers were all wet with the Sea Waves that fell into the Ship during the Storm She believing it had been ordained to be eaten because it had an odoriferous smell therefore she licked it clean out which put the Bishop into such a rage that he cried out for impatience discovering his harlotry and his choler in such sort as the Friars fled and the Woman followed But the Irish men and his own Servants did laugh at the matter for it was a Viol of the most pretious Balm that grew in Egypt which Solyman the Great Turk had given in a Present to the said Bishop after he had been two years Ambassador for the King of France in Turkey and was esteemed worth 2000 Crowns In the time that we remained at Odocarts house his young daughter who fled from the Bishop came and sought me where-ever I was and brought a Priest with her who could speak English and offered if I would marry her to go with me where-ever I pleased I gave her thanks but told her that I was but young and had no Estate and was bound for France Now the Ambassadour met in a secret part with Oneel and his Associates and heard their Offers and Overtures And the Patriarch of Ireland did meet him there who was a Scotchman born called Wachop and was blind of both his eyes and yet had been divers times at Rome by Post. He did great honour to the Ambassadour and conveyed him to see S. Patricks Purgatory which is like an old Coal-pit which had taken fire by reason of the smoke that came out of the hole From Odocarts house we went to a dwelling place of the Bishop of Roy not far from the narrow Firth that runs thorough Loghfeul to the Sea The said Irish Bishop had been also at Rome and there we rested other three weeks waiting for a Highland Bark which James Machonel should have sent from Kintire with his Brother Angus to carry us back to Dunbarton Which being come for us we parted to a Castle which the said Machonel had in Ireland and from that we imbarked and rested a night in the Isle of Jura and the next night in the Isle of Bute But by the way we lost our Rudder and were in great danger when we came to Kiltire Iames Maconel did treat us honourably and told the Bishop that he was the welcomer for my sake because he had been kindly used by my Father when he was warded in the Castle of Dumbar during the time that my Father was Captain thereof of whom he made an honourable report to the Bishop Which occasioned him the more kindly to notice me After he had caused us to be landed at Dumbarton we went streight to Sterling where after eight days the Ambassadour took leave of the Queen and went again to Dumbarton where there were two French Ships that had brought Silver to Scotland to pay the French Souldiers in Service there ready to receive us So sailing by the Isle of Man along the South Coast of Ireland we landed at Conquet in Brittany eight days after our Embarking not without some danger by the way both from English Ships and a great Storm so that once at Midnight the Mariners cried that we were all lost At Brest in Britany the Bishop took Post toward the Court of France which was in Paris for the time And because I was young and he supposed I was not able to endure the toil of riding Post he directed two Scottish Gentlemen whose Fathers he had been acquainted with in Scotland to be careful of me by the way And we bought three little Nags to ride to Paris He desired the two Brothers to let me want for nothing by the way which he would recompense at the next meeting He left with me as much money as would buy a Horse and bear my expense upon the Road to Paris Now we three enquired after other company and found other three young men the one a French man the other a Brittain and the third a Spaniard who were to ride the same way We were all six lodged in one Chamber at the first Inn we did quarter at in which were three Beds the two French men had one Bed the two Scots another the Spaniard and my self the third I over-heard the two Scotch men discoursing together that they were directed by the Bishop to let me want for nothing therefore says the one to the other we will pay for his Ordinary all the way and shall accompt twice as much to his Master as we disburse when we come to Paris and so shall gain our own expence The two French men not thinking that any of us understood that Language were saying to themselves These Strangers are all young and know not the Fashion of the Hostlaries therefore we shall reckon with the Host at
every Repose and shall cause the Strangers to pay more than the custom is and that way shall save our own charges And accordingly the next day they went to put it in execution but I could not forbear laughing in my mind having understood so much French as to know what they were aiming at wherewith I acquainted the young Spaniard and so we were upon our guard yet the two Scotch men would not consent that I should pay for my self hoping that way to beguile the Bishop but the Spaniard and I wrote up every days accompt By the way riding thorough a Wood the two French men lighted off their Horses and drew out their Swords having appointed other two to meet them But beholding our countenance and seeing that we were making for our defence they made a Sport of it alledging that they had done it to try if we would be afraid in case we should be assaulted by the way But these two Rogues that met us left us at the next Lodging and when we came to Paris the two Scotch men never obtained payment of the Bishop for that they had disbursed because of their intended fraud We were 13 days in riding betwixt Brest and Paris where we arrived in the Moneth of April Within a Moneth after our arrival at Paris the Bishop of Valence was sent to Rome and because he took Post he left me behind him having Tabled me in a very good Ordinary and agreed with Masters to teach me the French Tongue and to Dance Fence and play upon the Lute I know not why he did not present me to the Queen as he had engaged albeit afterward he said that he was minded to make me his Heir The cause why he was at this time sent to Rome was this Pope Paul the Third had exchanged some Lands belonging to the Church for Parma and Placentia two Towns appertaining formerly to the Dutchy of Milan and gave them to his Son Piere Luis Farnes who married his eldest Son Octavio to the Bastard Daughter of the Emperour Charles the Fifth The said Piere Luis being murthered for his detestable Vices the next Pope Julius pretended to bring again the said two Towns to the Church in stead of the Church Lands that had been exchanged for them compelling the Duke Octavio finding himself unable to withstand the Popes forces to put the said Towns into the King of France his custody for he was in as great fear of the Emperour his Father-in-Law who had gotten possession of the Dukedom of Millan And for that effect he sent his Brother the Duke of Casters to France to whom King Henry of France gave his Bastard Daughter in marriage The King of France being as earnest to have an Estate in Italy as the Emperour was to hinder him from it by reason of Millan and Naples to which the King claimed a right though the Emperour had them in possession Therefore so soon as he did see the French Garrison within the Town of Parma he took part with the Pope Which made the K. of France endeavour to make a Peace with K. Edward VI. of England by the means of the Duke of Northumberland who had a strict Friendship with France having a hidden mark of his own that he shot at as his Proceedings afterward declared The Peace with England being concluded that King Edward should marry Elizabeth Eldest Daughter to Henry the Second of France and that he should give his consent that the Queen of Scotland who was betrothed to him should be married with Francis Dauphin of France in which Peace Scotland was also comprehended The Bishop of Valence was sent to Rome to endeavour to obliege the Pope to desert the Emperour but he returned without obtaining success in his Expedition which was the cause that the dealing betwixt the King of France and Oneel in Ireland ceased And in the mean time the King of France emits a Proclamation forbidding his Subjects to send to Rome for any Bulls or Confirmation of Benefices which together with the agreement with England put the Pope in great fear that France would become Protestants in despight as Henry the Eighth had lately done before He was the more confirmed in this opinion because an Army was shortly after made ready to pass into Germany to the aid of the Protestant Princes where King Henry himself did in person lead thousand men For then many of the Germans were become Protestants occasioned at first by the insolent avarice of the Pope and the shameless proceedings of his selling of Pardons and by the zeal and boldness of Martin Luther who being persecuted was maintained and assisted by the good Duke Frederick of Saxony the Landgrave of Hesse and other Princes of the Empire Whereupon the Emperour Charles the Fifth took occasion under pretext of maintaining the Catholick Roman Religion to pretend to bring the Empire and all the Dominions thereof as Patrimony to him and his posterity And therefore abandoned his Son-in-Law the Duke Octavio to the Popes discretion for to obtain the greater assistance from him against the Germans Which design the Emperor had once brought near to pass For after that he had vanquished the Protestants in Battle and taken Prisoner Duke John Frederick he passed thorough the most part of the Provinces and Free Towns of Dutchland and took from them their Liberties placing Officers at his pleasure and receiving from them of Gifts and Ransoms Sixteen hundred thousand Crowns and Five hundred Piece of Artillery Yet he doubted the Landgrave who was a valiant Prince and chanced to be absent from the said Battle therefore he dealt with Duke Maurice Godson to the said Landgrave to persuade his Godfather to come in under assurance and promise which the Emperour broke retaining the said Landgrave captive upon the subtlety of a Syllable This Duke Maurice was Cousin to the Captive Duke of Saxony and had obtained the Electorat of Saxony which the Emperour took from his Cousin and gave to him Whereupon he as a fine Courtier assisted the Emperour helping him greatly in his Victories against his Country and Friends for his own promotion But when the Landgrave called him Shelm Pultroon Traitor and deceiver of him whose Daughter he had married he made earnest suit to the Emperour for the Liberty of his Godfather though in vain The Emperour alledging no promise to have been broken to the said Landgrave causing the Letter of Promise and Pacification to be read in his presence in the Dutch Tongue wherein was a written word which admitted of two divers interpretations to wit this word Enig was interpreted by the Emperour Perpetual and by the Landgrave and Duke Maurice it was taken for Null or Nane But they could not help themselves for the Landgrave was two years so straitly kept by the Spaniards that oft in the night they held a light Candle to his face to be assured that he was sleeping and vexed him so that through despight he would spit in their faces
any promise be made to them and not kept the King nor I are not to be blamed If they desire any other Lieutenant in place of Dosel the King will send one who I hope shall please them After that the Constable had ended his instructions the King laid his hand upon my shoulder and said do as may Cousin hath directed you and I shall reward you So I kissed his Majesty's hand and taking my leave I went through England and found the Queen Regent within the old Tower of Falkland Because that same day her Army under Duke Hamilton and Monsieur Dosel was ranged in battel upon Couper Moor against the Lords of the Congregation at what time her Majesty made a hard complaint unto me of her disobedient Subjects And even as I was speaking with her the Duke and Monsieur Dosel returned from the said Moor without Battel Whereat the Queen was much offended thinking they had lost a very fair occasion I laid my self wholly out to be informed if my Lord James intended as was reported of him to make himself King Mr. Henry Balneavs was then in great credit with him and loved me as I had been his own Son by reason of some acquaintance I had with him in France and small services I had done him there during his banishment He first acquainted me fully so far as he knew of my Lord James his intention and encouraged me to be plain with the said Lord James assuring me of secresie and honest and plain dealing He was a godly learned wise and long experimented Councellor He went with me to the said Lord Prior having shew'n him my Commission which was very acceptable to him he delayed not to advise with any other of his Councel what answer he should give me but instantly and plainly told me his mind in presence of the said Mr. Henry First he declared what acceptable service he and his associates had done to the Queen Regent chiefly of late when the Bishop of St. Andrews had drawn the most part of the Clergy against the transporting the Crown Matrimonial to France Albeit he had been mainly instrumental of sending the Queen thither and in perswading the Governour his Brother to break the Contract of Marriage with Edward of England He told what liberty of Conscience her Majesty had granted unto them until the time that the Master of her Houshold Monsieur Bettancourt returned from France with the news of the Peace and that though since that time she had changed her behaviour and countenance toward him and those who had done her best service he knew well enough that it proceeded not from her own nature but was occasioned by the perswasions and threat'nings of her Brother and friends in France And further he rehearsed unto me all her and their former proceedings whereof mention is made already affirming still his good will to her Majesty's service And he further declared That the more effectually to remove all suspicions from his Sovereign and her Husband of his design'd Usurpation he was content to banish himself perpetually out of Scotland if it would please the Queen and the King of France to grant him and his associates such liberty as the Queen Regent had permitted them till the home-coming of Bottancourt Providing that his rents might come to him to France or any other Countrey where he should reside And for security hereof he offered that sufficient pledges of the Noble-mens Sons in Scotland should be sent to France So that no King nor Queen of Scotland did ever receive more chearful obedience then her Majesty should do notwithstanding of her absence With this answer I took my Journey through England to France and at Newcastle fell in company with an English man who was one of the Gentlemen of the Queens Chamber a Man well skill'd in the Mathematicks Negromancy Astrology and was also a good Geographer Who had been sent by the Council of England to the borders to draw a Map of such Lands as lye between England and Scotland which part was alledged to be a fruitful Soil though at that time it served for no other purpose but to be a retreat to thieves For Queen Elizabeth of England was lately come to the Crown and had been advised by her Council to this course as tending not only to the enlarging of her bounds but rendering these parts civil I know not the reason why they followed it not though I conjecture that the variance which fell out between the Two Kingdoms hindered it The English man and I by the way entered into great familiarity so that he shewed me sundry secrets of the Country and of the Court. Among other things he told me that King Henry the Eighth had in his life-time been so curious as to enquire at Men called Diviners or Negromancers what should become of his Son King Edward the Sixth and of his two Daughters Mary and Elizabeth That answer was made unto him again that Edward should dye having few days and no Succession and that his Two Daughters should the one succeed the other That Mary his eldest Daughter should marry a Spaniard and that way bring in many strangers to England which would occasion great strife and alteration That Elizabeth should Reign after her who should marry either a Scottish man or a French man Whereupon the King caused to give poison to both his Daughters but because this had not the effect he desired for they finding themselves altered by vehement vomitings and purgings having suspected poison had taken remedies he caused to proclaim them both bastards But the Women that attended about Queen Mary alledged that her matrix was consumed For she was several times supposed to be with Child to King Philip of Spain yet brought forth nothing but dead lumps of flesh Therefore to be revenged upon her Father the English man told me that she had caused secretly in the night to take up her Father's bones and burn them This the honest Gentleman affirmed to be truth though not known to many He was a Man of great gravity about fifty years of age When he came to London he shewed me great kindness and made me a present of some Books Upon my return to France I found a great change King Henry the Second being hurt in the head with a shiver of a Spear by the Count of Montgomery at the Triumphal Justings of his Daughter's marriage with the King of Spain dyed Eight days after at Paris And the Constable my Master was commanded to retire him from Court to his House by the new King Francis the Second Husband to our Soveraign who was wholly guided by the Duke of Guise and the Carâ—â—â—al Lorain competitors to the said Constable in Court Emulation Which occasioned that my Voyage and the answer I had got was all in vain for the House of Guise were the chief instruments of all the troubles in Scotland When I did shew the Constable at his House the answer of my
death of that gallant Warriour though I could not conjecture for the time what could move him By frequent conference with him I suspected that he would be an Enemy to the marriage of his Brother with our Queen but to get some further tryal thereof I requested my companion Monsieur Zuliger to drink himself merry with some of his Secretaries and then to cast in the purpose of the marriage of our Queen with Duke Charles whether or no it was desired or relished by the Emperour The said Secretary shew'd him plainly that he was against any such preferment to his Brother whereby he might become King both of Scotland and England by reason of an Essay that the Emperour Charles the Fifth had made once to divide his Dominions among the three Sons of Ferdinand his Brother failing Heirs of King Philip his Son who then had but one Son Don Carlo sickly and of a tender weak complexion whom he afterwards himself killed secretly in Prison suspecting him to be of the Reformed Religion and to keep intelligence with the Princes of Flanders who professed the same And Maximilian hoped to succeed to the whole failing Heirs of the said King Philip as having married the said Philip's Sister and having by her many Children of his own whom he rather desired to be preferred then his own Brother For in case the Arch-duke Charles had been made King of Scotland and England he thought thereby he would have the fitter occasion of usurping the Low Countrys upon the pretext of some old right Having understood this I would wait no longer but pressed daily for my dispatch that I might return to my Lord Elector And the Emperour again used great intreaties to oblige me to stay with him promising to advance me if I would enter into his service but finding no inclination in me to comply with his desire therein he at length willed me to stay with him but half a year But I humbly excused my self pretending that I behoved to be shortly in Scotland which moved him the more earnesty to desire me to stay with him which because I would not grant to do I found he was discontent One night late after Supper he parted in a Boat towards the Town of Lintz and sent his Secretary unto me excusing himself that he did not meet with me before parting seeing an urgent occasion called for his speedy departure and seeing I was to return to Scotland he had written a Letter to the Queen in my favour which the Secretary delivered unto me I told the Secretary that I had not yet seen Italy and that I was purposed first to visit Rome Venice Florence and the most remarkable Cities there e're I returned to Scotland upon which account at first I refused the said Letter but he answered there was no danger how long it was undelivered seeing there was no thing therein contained but what concerned my self The Town of Ausbrugh being the nearest Port of Germany to Venice I agreed with Monsieur Euliger to return toward my Lord Elector and thence I took my Journey toward Venice and Rome And came back through all the fairest Cities of Italy and through Switzerland to Heidlberg where the Prince Elector kept his Court. I have above declared how that the Duke of Guise was slain by Poltrot at the Siege of Orleance It was after the battel of Drues in the which both the chieftains were taken The Prince of Conde for those of the Religion and the Constable for the King The Queen Mother incontinently made the Peace far against the mind of Madam de Guise who earnestly requested her not to make the Peace so suddenly left it should be thought that the Duke of Guise had only had hand in the Wars But nevertheless the Queen Mother went forward with the Peace changing the Prince of Conde for the Constable making them both good instruments of the agreement The Peace being made the Queen Mother began to think upon a Wife for her Son King Charles For that effect she sent unto the Prince Palatine a Secretary called Monsieur Wyllot shewing unto him that the King her Son was very desirous to marry Maximilian's Eldest Daughter intreating him as a trusty friend to propose the matter as of his own head as a steadable Alliance conducing for the weal of the Empire and to send her the picture of the Princess which she thought fit to be done upon some considerations before she would proceed more publickly Which affair he went about most diligently and he was pleased to send me with the answer and picture with a congratulation of the late made Peace At my coming to the Court of France which was at Paris for the time the Constable would needs be my convoy to the young King and Queen Mother who had a misliking of the said Constable for the time because he had brought in the Admiral to Paris against her will who was accused to have promised reward unto the foresaid Poltrot to kill the Duke of Guise The Admiral again desired to come before the Privy Council to purge himself offering to undergo his tryal But the Queen Mother desired not these animosities among the great Men to be removed but rather wished that their hatred might continue and their contentions increase as having laid her Plot to secure her own greatness by the means of their strife as was after manifestly seen For during their divisions the Duke of Guise King of Navarr Prince of Conde the Constable the Marshal de St. Andre with the most notable great Men of France were all slain and because the said Admiral escaped during the Wars the Peace was made for the third time and under the covert of marriage of the young King of Navarr who was afterward King of France the said Admiral was barbarously murdered with all that remained of the worthiest Noblemen and Captains of France But to return to the purpose the Constable and Admiral were at Court at that time against the Queen Mother's will where the Admiral was declared innocent of the Duke of Guise his slaughter And at that time the Constable determined to abide at Court and to maintain himself in his Office of great Master by the authority of his great Office of the Constablry assisted by the force of his friends For he sufficiently understood the Queen Mother's Italian tricks therefore to win credit he presented me to the young King and sate down upon a Stool by him and the Queen his Mother and held his Bonnet upon his Head taking upon him the full authority of his great Office to the Queen Mother's great discontent whereat she was so impatient that she turned away her face when I was declaring my Commission after the delivery of my Letters of Credence to the King and her which the King was very glad to hear being thereby put in hope that the marriage would take effect He was so desirous to see the picture of that young Princess that he cut the
have her self married had she ever minded to have taken a Husband But being determined to end her life in Virginity she wished that the Queen her Sister might marry him as meetest of all other with whom she could find in her heart to declare her second person For being matched with him it would best remove out of her mind all fears and suspicions to be offended by any usurpation before her death Being assured that he was so loving and trusty that he would never permit any such thing to be attempted during her time And that the Queen my Mistress might have the higher esteem of him I was required to stay till I should see him made Earl of Leicester and Baron of Denbigh which was done at Westminster with great solemnity the Queen her self helping to put on his Ceremonial he sitting upon his knees before her with a great gravity But she could not refrain from putting her hand in his neck smilingly tickling him the French Ambassadour and I standing by Then she turned asking at me How I liked him I answered that as he was a worthy Servant so he was happy who had a Princess who could discern and reward good Service Yet says she you like better of yonder long Lad pointing toward my Lord Darnly who as nearest Prince of the Blood did bear the Sword of Honour that day before her My answer was That no Woman of spirit would make choice of such a Man who more resembled a Woman then a Man For he was handsom beardless and Lady faced And I had no will that she should think that I liked him or had any eye or dealing that way Albeit I had a secret charge to deal with my Lady Lennox to endeavour to procure liberty for him to go to Scotland where his Father was already under the pretext of seeing the Countrey and conveying the Earl his Father back again to England Now I found the Queen of England was determined to treat with my Sovereign first concerning her marriage with the Earl of Leicester and for that effect she promised to send Commissioners unto the Borders In the mean time I was very favourably and familiarly used For during nine days that I remained at the Court it pleased her Majesty to confer with me every day and sometimes thrice in a day in the morning after Dinner and after Supper Sometimes she would say that seeing she could not meet with the Queen her good Sister to confer with familiarly that she was resolved to open a good part of her inward mind to me that I might shew it again unto the Queen She told me she was not so much offended with the Queens angry Letter as that she seemed so far to disdain the marriage of my Lord of Leicester which she had caused Mr. Randolph to propose to her I answered That it was probable he had let fall something thereof to my Lord of Murray and Lidingtoun but that he had never proposed the matter directly to her self and that as well her Majesty as those who were her most familiar Councellors could conjecture nothing thereupon but delays and driving off time concerning the declaring of her to be second Person which would be clearly tryed at the meeting of the Commissioners above specified She replied That the tryal and declaration thereof would be hasted forward according to the Queens good behaviour and applying her self to follow her pleasure and advice in her marriage And seeing the matter concerning the said declaration was so weighty and of so much import she had ordered some of the best Lawyers in England diligently to search out who had the best right and she heartily wisht it might be found to be her dear Sister rather than any other I said I was very confident that her Majesty was ingenuous in that Declaration and that my Mistress expected no other at her hand But I lamented that even the wisest Princes did not sufficiently pry into the hidden designs of their familiar Councellors and Servants except it were such an honourable and rare Prince as Henry the Eighth her Majesties Father of happy memory who of his own head was determined to declare his Sisters Son King James the Fifth Heir apparent to the Crown of England failing Heirs to be gotten of his own Body while her Majesty was not yet born but only her Sister Queen Mary and that for the earnest desire he had to unite this whole Island She said she was glad he did it not I said that then he had but one Daughter and expected no more Children and yet he had not so many suspicions in his head as your Majesty hath though you are certainly convinced you will never have any Children seeing your Majesty declares your self resolved to dye a Virgin Yes says she I am resolved never to marry if I be not thereto necessitated by the Queen my Sister 's harsh behaviour toward me I know the truth of that Madam said I you need not tell it me Your Majesty thinks if you were married you would be but Queen of England and now you are both King and Queen I know your spirit cannot endure a Commander She appeared to be so affectionate to the Queen her good Sister that she expressed a great desire to see her And because their so much by her desired meeting could not be so hastily brought to pass she appeared with great delight to look upon her Majesties picture She took me to her Bed-chamber and opened a little Cabinet wherein were divers little pictures wrapped within Paper and their Names written with her own hand upon the Papers Upon the first that she took up was written My Lord's Picture I held the Candle and pressed to see that picture so named she appeared loath to let me see it yet my importunity prevailed for a sight thereof and found it to be the Earl of Leicester's picture I desired that I might have it to carry home to my Queen which she refused alledging that she had but that one picture of his I said your Majesty hath here the Original for I perceived him at the farthest part of the Chamber speaking with Secretary Cicil Then she took out the Queens picture and kissed it and I adventured to kiss her hand for the great love therein evidenced to my Mistress Se shewed me also a fair Ruby as great as a Tenis Ball I desired that she would either send it or my Lord of Leicester's picture as a Token unto the Queen She said if the Queen would follow her counsel that she would in process of time get all she had that in the mean time she was resolved in a Token to send her with me a fair Diamond It was at this time late after Supper she appointed me to be with her the next morning by Eight of the Clock at which time she used to walk in her Garden She inquired several things of me relating to this Kingdom and other Countries wherein I had travelled She caused me
the Laird of Barnbarrow and the said Mr. Peter to be again employed in that matter with uncertain and irresolute Instructions to propose marriage and with divers fair allegiances concerning His Majesty's sufficient Right to the. Isles of Orkny which the King of Denmark was minded to sue for more sharply but for the hope he was put in of the apparent marriage of the King's Majesty with his Eldest Daughter These Ambassadours were not well imbarked when Monsieur Dubartus arrived here to visit the King's Majesty who he heard had him in great esteem for his rare Poesie set out in the French Tongue He would not say that he had a secret Commission to propose the Princess of Navarre as a fit marriage for His Majesty but that the King of Navarre's Secretary willed him seeing he was to come this way as on his own head to propose the said marriage Monsieur Dubartus's Qualities were so good and his Credit so great with his Majesty that it appeared if the Ambassadours had not already made Sail that their Voyage should have been stayed for that Season The Chancellour assured Monsieur Dubartus as he shewed me that the marriage of Denmark should not take effect For our Ambassadours had indeed such strait Instructions and so slender a Commission that it was enough to have caused the King of Denmark to start and to quarrel with our King were it not that they dealt above their Commission Which kept that King in some Temper albeit they returned without fruit full of displeasure thinking themselves scorned as they were indeed In the mean time that they were in Denmark Monsieur Dubartus being in Falkland with His Majesty came to my house to perswade me to take a Commission in hand which he said His Majesty would lay to my charge which was to be sent unto the King of Navarre and to be acquainted with Madam the Princess his Sister And because His Majesty knew that I would be loath to go he named also my Lord Tungland my Brother who undertook the journey and became well acquainted with the said Princess and was well treated and rewarded by the King her Brother now King of France and brought with him the Picture of the Princess with a good report of her rare qualities The Laird of Barnbarrow and Mr. Peter Young being returned back from Denmark declared that the King of Denmark thought nothing of their Commission judging it but fruitless dealing and delaying of time and fair language without any power to conclude I am uncertain whether he got intelligence of His Majesties sending my Brother to the King of Navarre But the marrying of his Eldest Daughter with the Duke of Brunswick gave some appearance that he had got some notice thereof from the Court of England who were abundantly well informed of all our proceedings After this Colonel Stuart desirous to see the marriage with the King of Denmark's Daughter take effect went thither upon his own expences divers times And seeing the Eldest Daughter already married he excused the King's Majesty and laid the blame upon those who had the handling of his affairs So that the King of Denmark promised yet to give his second Daughter unto the King upon conditions that Ambassadours should be sent there the next year before the first day of May. In the mean time the King of Denmark took sickness and departed this life leaving the same Commission with his Council and such as were appointed for Regents of the Realm Now the King being suited in marriage by many great Princes and his Ambassadours being come back both out of Denmark and Navarre with the Pictures of the young Princesses His Majesty determined first to ask counsel of God by earnest Prayer to direct him where it would be meetest for the weal of himself and his Country So that after fifteen days advisement and devout Prayer as said is he called his Council together in his Cabinet and told them how he had been advising about that matter of so great concernment to himself and his Country the space of fifteen days and that he was now resolute to marry in Denmark The Council appeared all to relish his resolution requiring meet Instruments to be imployed to compleat the marriage and to make the Contract Then His Majesty said That he had already chosen me in his mind for one desiring the Council to choose another which they did to wit The Lord of Atry Uncle to the Earl of Marshal We two being written for and come to Court found not such earnestness with the Council as with the King Which my Lord of Atry perceiving he drew home again excusing himself upon his Age and sickliness His Majesty used many perswasions and reasons to induce me to undertake the Voyage declaring how he had many times sent for me to be employed in Ambassages and could never tell why I went not I answered That His Majesty would have done me that honour many times above my deserving which he would not have done if he had known my insufficiency for such matters of so great import as I did my self His Majesty said That this business concerning his marriage was the greatest matter that ever he had to do and that he would take no refusal I said That my Lord Tuangland my Brother was far meeter then my self being a good Scholar who could perfectly speak the High Dutch the Latine and the Flemming Languages with the French Tongue But His Majesty would still repose upon me in that Errand but at my desire was satisfie that my Brother should be put in Commission with me Then His Majesty said Albeit the Council will form your Instructions yet you shall receive mine out of my own mouth First If the King of Denmark had been alive he would not have stood to have given a great Portion with his Daughter wherein it is probable the Regent and his Council will be as sparing as they can I doubt not therefore but you will endeavour to draw from them as much as can be had but at length stand not upon mony to conclude the marriage Secondly Know what friendship and assistance they will make me when it may please God to place me by Right in the Kingdom of England by decease of this Queen in case any Country man or other would wrongously pretend to usurp and debarr me from the same Thirdly Concerning the Isles of Orkny you may chuse any Man of Law that you please for that head must be answered and debated by Form of Law Alwise if the marriage take effect that purpose would not be over precisely handled It may be that my Council will give you straiter Conditions but this Instruction of mine you shall follow let them say what they please I told His Majesty That I would chuse to take with me for a Lawyer Mr. John Skeen His Majesty said he judged there were many better Lawyers I said he was best acquainted with the German Customs and could make them long