able dealing towardis me; afchuir you it shall neuer come in my handis. Sir, I haue vrittin to his Maiefties Ambaffadour of ane aduertisement I hard yifter nicht. I pray you inquire it of him, for it is not impertinent. The Eternall be vithe you for euer. From Dumfermling pis 9th of Sept. þis Yours as his auin to be comandit, 1586. W of Grow: Sir, for the bettir impreffion, I leaue last to recommend vnto you þis bearer, to you veil knowin. It fhalbe verie vil dun, and I pray you þat ye favour him in his fute, for he may doe great good in my abfence; for affur you noe man gettis founer knowledge of thingis than he, and is not furer to aduertis. The King in lyke maner vil think veil of it þat he be veil vfit. I affur my felf than that ye vil do for him. To the Right Honourable Sir Francis Walfinghame, principall Secretary to the Quenes Maieftie of England. SIR FRANCIS WALSINGHAM TO THE MASTER OF GRAY.1 SIR, the Queenes Maieftie beeing made acquainted with the contents of your last letteris of the xxxth of Augufte, and fecond of this prefent, directed vnto me, doth think her felf greatlie beholden vnto you, for the care you feeme to haue to further any thing that you may iudge to be for the benefite and aduancement of her feruice: which geuing her iuft caufe to haue like care of the fafetie of that realme, and of your own good and 1 This and the following article are from the original minutes in Walsingham's handwriting, dated 14th Sept. 1586, in Cott. MSS. Calig. C. IX. art. 208, fol. 311, 312. well doing in particular, the hath willed me to lett you understand, that she findeth it inconvenient you should send over into the Lowe Countries any greater nomber of foldiers than those that are alreadie transported: wherein her iudgement is grounded vppon theis two confiderations; ffirst, that some sturres or alteracions beeing likelie to happen in that realme, as may be coniectured by the claimes made by the Lord Maxwell, fome parte of theis troopes, which in likelihoode doe confift of your friends, feruantes and dependantes, were fittest to be reteyned at home, for the better strength and defence of the realme and your owne fafety; and next, bycause fhe vnderstandeth from my Lord of Leicester, that the States doe not keepe promise in the due answering of fuch contribucions as they haue offred, whereby her Maieftie doubteth that the greater nomber you carry, the worfe you shall be paied, which she should be verie forrie should fo fall out. Touching the Captens named in your letter that ferved at Bruges, for whofe imployment you defyre to knowe my opinion, though the gentlemen, in the yealding vp of the towne, were conftreyned by reafon and neceffitie to doe as they did, yet, bycaufe the people of the countrey are by nature fubiect to iealoufie and fufpicion, and not eafilie movid from any conceipt or apprehencion that they once take of thingis, in the dif courfe of their owne reafon, I doubte me, therefore, it would rather doe harme than good, that you should haue them about you. I may nott alfo omitte to lett you vnderstand, as one very defirous that the protefted, and nowe fo well fettled, amitie and frendshipp betweene our twoo Soveraignes should remayne and continue in thofe good termes that it standeth at this prefent, for their owne honor, fafetie, and the weale of their fubiectes, which maketh me the more careful to forefee and prevent fuch inconveniences as may breede any hinderance and interupcion of the fame, that there are diuers brutes geuen out, afwell in France as here in England, of an intended matche betweene the Duke of Lennox and the Lord Hamiltons daughter; which found as though the ill affected, both here and in Scotland, did conceave fome hope that the faid match would bring forth fome effectes, whereof might enfue a newe alteracion in that state, and alfo a breach of that straight amitie betweene their Maiefties. So, as I feare, left the opinion of fuch an alteracion to followe by meanes of the faid matche, may minifter matter and occafion of fuch miflike as was here conceavid of the alteracion in St Andrewes; and therevppon I haue thought fitt to forewarne you thereof, to th'end that you may for your parte perfwade the King, your foueraigne, not to giue his confent to the going forward of the said matche, vntill he hath made her Maieftie acquainted with all, according to his owne promife made vnto her, that he would depend vppon her aduise and councell in matters of great importance, of which kinde this feemeth to be one. And fo, Sir. Windfore. SIR FRANCIS WALSINGHAM TO THE MASTER OF GRAY. SIR, I thank you for founding the Kings difpofition, howe he could be content to haue the Queen his mother proceeded against for the late facte. But I fuppofe it will be in vayne to move him any further in it, bycaufe he may conceave it would be againfte bonos mores, in refpect of the bond of nature betweene them, that he should make him felf a partie againfte her; neuertheless you may with good reafon perfwade him, that he make no mediacion for her, or oppofe him felf against the course that is intended to be heald with her, confidering the hard measure that his Father receaved at her handes; for which deteftable facte she was deprived of her crowne. It is meant that the fhall be tried here according to the acte made in the laft Parliament, and that, agreeablie to the contents of the faid acte, certen Noble men fhalbe appointed to chardge her, who affemble for that purpofe the xxvjth of this moneth, and fhalbe with her by the fourth of the next at Fodringay Caftle in Northampton shire, feaven miles from Stamford, whether the is appointed to be brought. But the matters whereof fhe is guiltie are alreadie fo playne and manifest, (beeing alfo confeffed by her twoo Secretaries), as it is thought, they shall 1 See Courcelles' Negotiations in Scotland, p. 5. Edin. 1828. 4to. Printed for the Bannatyne Club. require noe long debating. We fuppose she will appeale and challenge the priviledge of her foveraigntie, which, in this cafe, neither by the Civile lawes, nor by the lawes of this realme, can be avayleable. THE MASTER OF GRAY TO HIS HONOURABLE AND LOVING FRIEND, MY LORD EMBASSADOR FOR THE KINGS MAJESTIE OF SCOTLAND TOWARDIS THE QUENE OF ENGLAND.1 MY LORD, I refaveit your letter this 28th, daitit the 21. His Majestie is verie veil content vith all your proceidings, bot cheifly tutching his boukis and hunting horses. I pray you negotiat fo veil that ye fael not to effectuat fubftantially that point. As for his Mother, his command is you do as he gave your nephew Richard inftruction. I can affhur you he is content the law go fordvart, her life being fave, and would glaidly vische that all foraine Princefs fhould know how evil fhe had ufit hirself towardis the Q. Majestie thair, and that she refaveis favour through her clemencie. I commit your L. to God From Falkland this 29th of Your L. as is awin, MASTER OF GRAY. 1 From MURDIN's State Papers, p. 569. 2 Queen Elizabeth seems, as a matter of policy, to have humoured King James in his favourite pastime of hunting, by sending him horses, huntsmen, &c. Randolphe thus writes (5th August 1586) to Mr Archibald Douglas:-'I have sent the Kynge two hunting men, verie good and skillful, with one footman, that can hoop, hollow and crye, that all the trees in Fawkland will quake for fear. Pray the Kynge's Majestie to be mercifull to the poor bucks; but let him spare and look well to himself.Murdin, p. 558. SIR HENRY WODDRINGTON TO SIR FRANCIS WALSINGHAME.1 THE vjth of this inftant there came to this towne 140 foldiers, that were fhipt by the Mafter of Gray forthe of Scotland into Flanders, who were taken vpon the coaft of Flanders by thofe of Dunkirke, all fpoiled, the captaine and lieutenant carried away, and certaine of them flaine to the nombre of 20, who cutt downe theire maine maft, boughestd' there shippe with greate ordnance, and tooke away their pomp, and left them without ether faile or anker on the maine fea; who landed about Bambroughe, and coming hether, hauing nothinge left them, I defrayed their chargis here, and gaue them fome money to carry them home. Berwick. TO MR SECRETARY WALSINGHAM.3 MY GOOD LORD. To the effect your Lordship may know my meanes and intention, not onlye to ferve for making your Lordship acquaynted and prefence of foch forayne courfes and plottes, as may be eyther prejudiciall to the King my mafters advancement, or yet to the ftanding and continuance of her Maiefties moft noble eftate of England, I thought expedient to make your Lordfhip advertifed by this prefent, pat immediately after my Lordes return to Scotland, I was preffed to travell with the Mafter of Gray, Sir James Steward, fometime Erle of Arane, (who continues ftill in the Kinges favor and good grace), þat matters being taken upp betwene them, and a fure contract and band of perpetuall frendfhipp fubscribed by them both, he might frelye refort to his Masters prefence, and 1 From a copy dated 7 Nov. 1586, in Cott. MSS. Calig. C. IX. art. 240, fol. 440. 2 Sie in manuscript. *HARLEIAN MSS. No. 290, fol. 170. This letter has no date, but it evidently refers to matters prior to Nov. 1586; and appears to have been written from Scotland by some secret favorer of England. In some places the manuscript is illegible. |