between this Princes, I vil feik the longeft lyf, and follow my Mafter directly and fincerely. Bot firft, or I caft myself in that hazard, I will exhonor myfelf of my deutie in effeying if fome good moyen may be found to the contentment of the Princes, to the veil of both realmes, and for intertaining the maiter now profeffit, which in my opinion fhall be dreffit by a capitulation, and to the Queen of Englands contentment. I pray you do quhat you can to mak maiters abyde our coming. I have bein heir verie plaine, and plainer than reafon vould, in respect of the vay I fend them. As for any bruitis or reportis maid of you unto me, ye fhall know them all at meiting; and if I meit not with you, the Laird of Restabris [Reftalrig?] fhall be at you, who fhall fhau you them. In the mid tyme, tak no opinion or apprehenfions, for affhur you ye fhall do me great wrong befor I trust it, and my eife and understanding shall be my informers. If I vould have left you, I had better occafion than now, and has for your caufe fufficient over many manis evil villis, vithout reafon, to truft. Bot all this to meiting, or Reftabriffes coming to you. I pray you oneis agene, feeing fo far this maiter is lyk to tutche me, if the King change course, that ye deal for fome good middis before I come, and vith the firft commoditie feal not to fend me your opinion, for ye have myn freely, as God is my vitnefs. I pray you, as I vrot of before, to gaine that young man Villam Keythe, for he may do good, and I perfaue he vrytis reasonably veil of you, at the leaft to me, and to the King himfelf; yit the King hes a vehement fufpition, which fatiffie, I pray you, in your next. Ye fhall find great comfort at my coming, or yit at Reftabriffes coming. Deal, I pray you, both by yourself, and affift Villam Keythe, for a continuation of any execution agenst the Kingis Mother. I think it not impertinent ye deal freely in this maiter with the Queen and Mr Secretary, and alfo with my Lord Thefaurer, and let them know the verie fimple veritie, for in my judgment thay love to be in friendship vith the King. I commit you to God.

This 27th of November, 1586.

Yours as your awin,

MASTER OF GRAY.

THE MASTER OF GRAY TO THOMAS TYRIE.'

THOMAS TYRIE, I receavit your letter, bot, for by it I understand ye are not now in England, I forbeare to make any anfweare till it; only I fend youe theife few lynes to let youe know quhat refolucion pe King hes taken anent pe Queen his Mother, uppon fyght of William Keythis letteris, which he hes don in great fuddenty. Refpecting þe weightines of pe cause, he hathe only at this tyme written to William Keyth, to fee if he can protract tyme for a fhort fpace, to the end fome honorable Ambaffade be sent to þe Queen of England, for þe effect aforefaid. To þe which Ambassade, he preaffed my felf, but, at the furft, I refused, which his Majefty took in no good part, fo pat now I have condefcended, alwayes condicionally, pat tuo of the Queenis efpeciall frends accompany me. For I was ever in feare, if her lyfe had been tane, þat men should have thought me an especiall occafion of it, and that made me chufe the Earle Bothwell and Sir William [Robert] Melvill, who favors her. And I proteft, before God and þe World both, they shall fee me do my duty honeftly. If the Earle Bothwell be as ready as Sir William [Robert] and I, we shall be gon within eight daies. Therefore faile not, but ye meet me at London fo foon as is poffible to youe, and bring with youe any thing þat youe know propre for me, fo farre as your money extendis; but all black, as feathers, hatt, and filk shanks, &c.

1 From a copy, HARLEIAN MSS. in the Brit. Museum, No. 290, fol. 169. There is no date to this letter, but it must have been written towards the end of Nov. 1586.

2

Bothwell was, however, excluded from the embassy, "by the drifte, it was thought, of the Master of Grayes and Archebalde Douglase knowinge the said Earle to be prompt and free of speech, and affectionate to the Queene of Scottis, and such a one as would not, yf he discovered any of the trecheries, which moste suspected by him, conceale it."-Courcelles' Negotiations in Scotland, p. 22.

INSTRUCTIONS BY KING JAMES VI. TO THE MASTER OF GRAY AND SIR ROBERT MELVILL, AMBASSADORS TO ENGLAND.1

INSTRUCTIONS to our truftie Coufin and Counfellour, Patrick Maister of Gray, Comendatour of Dumfermling, and Sir Robert Meluill of Murdocarnie, Knight, our Treaufurer deputye, our Ambaffadors directed by us, with advife of our Eftate, to our dearest fifter and coufin the Queene of England. From Holyrudhous, the xvijth December, 1586.

HEE fhall in our name fignifye to our deareft fifter, the Queene of England, that we mervell not a little of the late propofterous and ftrange proceedings against the Queen, our dearest Mother, who, beeing a Souveraigne princes, and in all degrees of the best blood in Europe, hes beene by fubjects judged, ay in life and tytle;—a dangerouse president for all princes, and without any approved example in any age or kingdome, and fo contrarious to our honor, and hardly could any thing have fallen out fo prejudicial thereunto.

Wee doubt not but our fayd deareft fifter hath beene fufficiently advertifed, how the reftraint of our deareft Mother hath beene uncomlie interpreted, she being the prince in the world who was neere unto her, both in blood and vicinitie, haveing repofed her cheife worldly apperance in her amity, often confirmed by many freindly promifes, and, by her advife and perfwading, dimitted the government of this realme; and, in her greatest extremity, had her refuge unto her, tanquam ad facram anchoram, looking for nothing leffe then captivity or imprisonment; but that, jura fanguinis, gentium, et hofpitii, quæ femper facrofancta funt habita, fould have availed alfmekill at her hands, as could have beene expected of a generous and pitifull prince, nere coufin, and kindly affured freind. And thoughe her reftraint was by the most part thouchte ftrange, yet it

1 HARLEIAN MSS. No. 1579, fol. 75.

would have beene conftrued by many to the better parte, if this more strange proceeding had not enfued.

Hee fhall defire our faid deareft fifter to confider advisedly, how all men may conceive of fo uncouth and rare a forme, fo repougnant to the immediate fupremacie graunted by God to foveraigne princes; whofe holy ordinance will not admit the facred diademe to bee profained, nor his hier power in any his anointed bee fubject to inferiors, nor thaire lawes, crownes, nor kingdomes, to be judged or difpofed uppon, at the appetite of fubjects; and that procedure may be thouchte mair strange, that be na lawe, fpetiallye within this Ile, verry fubjects felfs may be judged otherwife, but by the most parte theire peeris, and of equall rank and estate.

Hee fhall alfoe declare unto our faid dearest fifter, that haveing made fpeciall choyce of her amitie, and in affections preferred her till all others, and with the loffe of our nearest and well affected freindis, continued in all fenceritye towards her, omitting noe parte of a well devoted freind and brother, wee did alwayes expect, and by good defert have merited, the like correfpondency and kindneffe on her parte, whereby thee might have beene moved to a freindly confideracioun, how far fuch proceedings might concerne us, as well in honour as otherwayes, and to have abfteyned from all things importing our dishonour or prejudice.

Hee fhall defire our dearest fifter to confider, what conftruccion has beene made of this pretendit partes, and what privitie this fame may bee thought of our foe fecret amitye foe lately contracted, noe parte of the faid pretended protection haveing at any tyme beene imparted unto noe other, by letter or meffaige, but they have detected, without our knowledge or privitie, notwithstanding the fpeciall intereft we had therein, fo well knowne to herfelfe, and the fincere obfervacions of our foe ftrait freindfhip could not permitt nothinge to be over feene or neglected, in a matter of fo greate weight; and if the fame had been tymely fignifyed unto us, wee fhould have foe fatyffyed her in honour and fecretie for them both, that shee should not have needed to have recourfe to any foe dangerous remedie, and hard effects, as are likely to fall out.

Hee fhall expound to our dearest fifter, what just greife wee haue had of the rigor intended against our dearest Mother, and that no

Q

thinge in the world is more dear unto us then herfelfe and life, by whom wee received life; what duty wee owe unto her, both by the inuiolable law of God, and ftreaiteft bond of nature betweene us; and wee would rather yeeld our owne life then offend in a pointe foe carefully recommended by God, and foe highly touching us in honour; hartily desiring her to enter into deep confideracion, what becometh us of duety and nature, and what fhee herfelf would do being in our place. Hee fhall therefore most earneftly deale with her, and in our behalfe intercede with all inftance, that our faid dearest Mothers life, alwayes foe deare unto us, may bee fpared, that wee may thereby have occafion the better to continue in our pr. fent devofions towards our faid dearest fifter, and reape this fruite of our defires and expectations. Remonftring therewithal what a blemish it would be to her reputacion to devoide fo far from her accustomed clemency, and naturally mildneffe of her fexe, as imbrew herfelfe into her owne blood, by taking the life of her nearest coufin, beinge alfoe of the like calling and fexe to herfelfe; befides the juft difcontentment of many great Princes, who may bee moved thereby, and divers other inconveniencies, that fuch rigor may breed, which will not impart that security to her owne perfon and estate that fome would perfwade her may bee confirmed by extremitie.

If it fhalbe objected unto you, that the prefervacion of our dearest Motheris life carries with it any apparent danger to our dearest fifter the Queen of England-for albeit, our faid dearest Mother may be kept under restraint, and perhaps ftayed from practising moyen and intelligence, yet that wilbe but gayning tyme unto her, and nather her own esperance, nor the hope of her partifants, thereby removed, who, for preferment, revenge, or pretended religion, ar about to confpire against our fayd dearest fifter, but wilbee still lying in waite, attending opportunity and occafions to atteine unto theire defignes-you may anfwer, her dealing and allegeit attempts (giff ony have beene) feamis to have proceeded of a difpaire our faid dearest Mother had conceived, by long and ftreight imprisonment, and a womanly feare, deeply apprehending danger of her life; and, (as all captives naturally reclaiming liberty, has folifited for liberty), foe as fhee might move, and hes beene recommended by fome of a contrary opi