late receaved fecrete aduertifementes out of France, that the French Ambaffadour there with you hath geuen great affurance vnto the Queen Mother of greate matters to be there wrought and brought to paffe, by the Lord Claude and his partie. For the difcouery of the bottome of which practise, she would haue you deale both with the Master of Gray and Mr Archibald Douglas, that they vse fome extraordinary care therein, and yet would the haue the matter handled with all the fecrecie that is poffible. Thus much was I willed to write to you with speede, and therewith to fend you her Maiefties letter to the King, for your revocacion. I pray you let my hafte of writinge excufe me to the Mafter of Gray and Mr Douglas in not writing to them. And fo, Sir.

MR ARCHIBALD DOUGLAS TO SIR FRANCIS WALSINGHAM.1

PLEASE YOUR HONOUR, before the receaving of yours bearing date pe xxijnd of this inftant, I was minded to haue written unto you a difcourfe of the state of this country, from the doing whereof I did absteyne during the abode of my Lord Ambaffadour, fpecialie bycause I fawe his Honour inclined to deale only with the King, my foveraigne, as beeing both reafonable and that way inftructed, whereof I did best like; albeit in veritie the prefent ftate of his realme, through diverfitie of factions in religion, and profeffion in minde obedient to fundrie authorities, did otherwife require. In this matter I have been fome parte curious of late, and have difcovered divers matters to be misliked of. A parte of them I made your Honour acquainted with before, and therewithall fhewed my opinion that the danger appeared not to be greate, unles fome matter of force fhould come from foreine partes, that might alter the prefente state. By that letter I declared from what ground the ill did proceede, and the remedies that did appeare most proper to reduce in the state of this coun

1 From a copy in Cott. MSS. Calig. C. IX. art. 193, fol. 279, where the date is given 30th July 1586.

trey to fome more affured quietnefs. To this letter it was not your Honours pleasure to give any speciall anfwere. In refpect whereof, and for discharge of my dutie and promife to her Maieftie, my Lord Treafourer, and to yourself, I haue accepted a charge from my Sovereigne, to be directed towards her Maieftie, with matters of no fmall importance. And that be all apparent might helpe thefe matters, being well vfed, at the best, my dutie in all refpectes may appeare thereby to be discharged, I am not ignorant of the dealing that men are traveling into in this realme, but as yet I cannot perceave that they are like to take effecte, fhortlie at the leaft. For this fome ftates the force fhall come from forrayne partes. And if the worst should fall out before October, I cannot finde a better remedie to helpe that matter, then that the Master of Gray should be making his forces and preparations readie towards the Lowe Countrey, while that feafon was paffed. As for my owne parte, if I were not to farre gone forwards in this my intended iourney, taken on vppon mine owne charges, that I cannot goe back without declaracion of fome misliking towardes my Soveraigne, and that my ftaying might breede divers waies harme to the good effectes that my iourney appeared to produce, I could be contented to remayne at home, and therebye avoyde the envie of fuch as hath imployed theire whole credite to procure my abidinge. But yet I cannot perceive, that in the end either the Master of Grayes, or my abidinge, or moe with us, can be able to stay the intended projectes, vnlefs matters be more deepelie founded, and the difeafe cured from the grounde, either by medicamentes lenitive or courofive. I must leave further of this matter to fome other letter, or to my owne cominge. As towardes this iourney intended by the faid Mafter of Gray, I finde him therein fo implacable fince the receipt of this letter for staying thereof, that I can not tell what way to deale with him theranent. He alleadgeth that his charges beftowed for the advancement thereof is fo exceffive, that if his whole heritage were fold, the price would not pay his debtes. And that, besides that loffe of goodes, he thinketh himself so farre interested in honour, by contramandements and defire to goe forward, that he cannot live in reputacion in this realme, but muft needes departe from thence to forrayne countries. Hereof he would impute a parte of the

blame unto me. I knowe his neceffity of late was fo greate, that, when he was minded to fettle his abode at home, ix hundred tib Sterling, for the which I became bound, was not able to cover his neceffitie. What is to be done in this matter, I pray your Honour may be declared to Captayne Hackerfton his fervant, fent to know your Honours pleasure what shall become of him, and who knowes what charges he hath been of late.

The particularities of thefe intended proiectes would be long to write, but this farre may appeare, that the generall tends to this end that Proteftant and Papift factions for King and Queene fhould all agree in one to drawe the King to their appetite; and, I will affure you, contrarie to his owned will or minde, as by this private dealing partlie may appeare. Our Secretarie hath fo dealt with the Carres, that were minded to enter into England, for fatiffaction of her Maiefties honour anent the murther of Sir Francis Ruffell, that, by interpofed perfons, he hath made them to believe howe innocent foever they be, they wilbe ill ufed if they fhall enter in that realme. Such terrour they have receaved by his meanes that they are become fugitive and denounced rebelles. The King hath defired of the Ambaffadour, that they fhall receave no favour in England, and hath promifed that he shall caufe theire houses be poffeffed by others, and all other rigour and extremitie vfed against them. Albeit his meaning is herein very good, yet, in refpect of thofe proiectes, I must needes doubte of the performance. This matter is of noe fmall weight. They are the chiefeft men of that name, and the principall of that frontier. In refpect whereof, I haue, fince the departure of the Ambaffadour, obteyned commiffion of the King to deale with them, and have fo farre travayled that, vppon my worde, they are contented to enter at Carlisle, wher I fhalbe to convey them thither. I thinck it fhalbe well done to write to my Lord Scroope for their fafe receaving and keeping, till fuch time as her Maiefties further pleasure shalbe knowen herein. Yf it might be your Honours pleasure, I would be glad to vnderstand the intended determinacion against them; ffor forrie I would be, through defire to doe good, to procure harme against myself or frendes. What hath beene my dealing therein Thomas Milles can declare.

In the end, I muft conclude this informall letter in theis termes: If any matter fhall fall out in this countrey that may be preiudiciall to that realme, the irrefolucion of that State cannot be without blame, that will not put remedie to matters when as they may be helped. And notwithstanding thereof, this farre your Honour may be affured of, that noe thing fhalbe left vndone here that may helpe matters in the best forme we can. Glad I would be to knowe yf this late intelligence hath any appearance to be dangerous in fhort time.

I can perceaue noe further by the Lord of Fyntrey then that which I wrote before. He is prefentelie in this towne, in dealing for a mariage with Secretary Lethington his daughter.

I am affrayed that Mr Johne Colvill his covetoufnes to be in credite shalbe noe goode. Of one thing I must putt you in remembrance, that you are like to loose the Mafter of Glamis for lack of writing vnto him. I was ever of that opinion that it was neceffary to keepe all men in good expectacion. And fo, &c.

THE MASTER OF GRAY TO HIS LOVING FRIEND, MR ARCHBALD DOUGLAS, EMBASSADOR FROM THE KING'S MAJESTIE OF SCOTLAND, TOWARDS THE QUENE OF ENGLAND.'

SIR, Becaus I am fhortly to fend Roger with his Maiefties letters to you, I will not write at lenthe. Ye do evil that taxis the Secretary with any maiter by letter to his Majeftie: for fic dealing, of neceffitie, muft neidis have good men and veilvillars to comment on, or than evil villars makis evil conftructions. His Majeftie by Roger is to vryte to the Q. congratulatorie, to my Lord Leicester, and Sir Francis, I beleiue to the Thefaurer, so he has promiffit to me. As for the first pairt, tutching the conspiracie, I cannot now vryte at lenthe, bot differris it til I fend Roger; yit this far I advertis you, that the King is veil villit in all thingis as ye left him, and verie glaid of the decoverie of this maiter. Bot his opinion

1 From MURDIN's State Papers, p. 568.

is that it cannot ftand with his honour, that he be a confentir to tak his Mother's lyf, bot he is content how ftrictly fhe be keipit, and all hir auld knaifish fervantis heingit, cheifly thay who be in handis. For this you must deal verie varly to efchen [efcheu] inconvenientis, feeing neceffitie of all honeft menis affairs requyris that the var out of the vay. I committis you to God.

From Dumf. this 8th of
September 1586.

Your affectionat Friend,

P. MASTER OF GRAY.

THE MASTER OF GRAY TO SIR FRANCIS WALSINGHAM.'

there verrie honeft gentleman. Bot as by my laft I muft pray you, upon my obligation to be comptable to th'Erle of Leicester and Eftaitis, I may haue of her Maieftie 2000 or fyftein hunder pound, and if any thing be fuper plus, it fhall come to be pay-breif, it shall debat fo mutche to me, and pe holl troupes, if I giue a cleir compt. I am affurit no Almaine vould haue liftit four thousand foot men vithe ane hundrethe hors, for fyftie thoufand crounes, and my nombre is litle les, and better grilnifhing3 fhalbe of no country. I pray you, Sir, yf you forder this and fend me vord vith diligence, for if I fal fell my land, or my jowels, it vilbe thocht I am not vyfe, and fome litle difcredit it fhalbe to hir Maieftie; and, befor God, if it be not fend from thence, I must do it, for I vil giue liberally to gentlemen, and tym feruis not þat I can fend for it now to my Lord of Leicester. I remit me than to you and hir Maiefties favor

From the original in Cott. MSS. Calig. C. IX. art 213, fol. 317. This article is imperfect, the first sheet of the original being wanting.

'1586, August. A warrant for £2000 delivered to Master of Gray of Scotland, to levy certayn footmen in Scotland for the Lowe Countryes.'-Murdin's State Papers, p. 785. 3 Sic in manuscript.