nion and difpoficion of our faid dearest fifter, to fhunne her perill, and feek her de ivery: The most fitt and fure expedient for the indempnitie of our faid dearest fifter and eftett of this realme, fhalbe by putting her to libertie, out of the realme of England, upon fecurity and joynt obligations of the Princes of her kin, freindshippe and alyance, that nothing fhalbee directly or indirectly attempted by her, or any of her adherents or favorites, against our dearest fifter or her eftate; foe fhall both will and power to be removed, and the caufe ceafing, foe fhall the effect.

annoy

If it shalbee objected, that the sparing of our dearest Motheris life shall breed perill to the true Christian religion and profeffors thereof, ye may anfwer, It must needes produce the very contrary effect, and cheifely within this Ile: For that fuch as indeede meene the fubvercion of the true religion, would ayde themselves in theire enterprises, by practifing quarrell for her restraint and danger, and for her refpect, like to bee affifted by her favorites within this Ile, quhilk they account theire most important forte, if our dearest Mothers death might bee procured in any forte. So by her prefervacion and liberty, theire quarrell and cheife injury shalbee removed, and, confequentlye, more fecurity of religion and quiet to the whole Ile infhew; and bee the contrary, by her death, a more juft quarrell may bee thereby pretended, and they and theire adherents and favorites more eagerly incenced to a more cruell defire of revenge, wherein they would affure themselves of our ayde and concurrence, who haue the cheife intereft and fhame by her death.

If it bee objected, that the prefervacion of our dearest Motheris life, after the pretended condemnacion, will either argue the indignitie of the fentence, or a feare in our deareft fifter, whereby she is moved to abfteyne from putting the fame to further execution, ye may anfwer, It will breed fayme, prais, and imortal glory to our faid dearest fifteris name, for her prudency, mildenes, and naturall clemency, proceeding onely of her owne accorde, befide and against the advife and deliberacion of them who, seeking her blood to fettle her estate, gives occafion of greater unquietnes thereunto, and will breed to her a number of enemys, and common mifreporte. And if our dearest Moteris life bee taken, it will plainely

appeare to proceede of feare and paffions, and bee demed of all men potius vindicta quam iuftitia.

If the danger of the affociates bee opponit, ye may anfwer, functi funt officio. And thouche our fayd dearest Mother, being alway alive, may be thouchte formidable unto them, fhee fhalbee altogether gained by the clemency of our faid dearest fifter, what with fo great praife as fhee fhall acquire thereby, and fuertie of her perfone, wee will affure they will prefer to theire particulare dreid our oune future event, fpetially by occafion of her, who, by nature, cannot have long continuance.

If it bee objected, that by her death factions, and fuch as carrye bouldned hartes, fhall lacke one head on whom to depende, ye may anfwer, Her deathe, by likelyhood, will rather increase then terrifie, and rather stirr upp then quenche factions, and move and inflame then fettle and mittigate boldned hartes. And if force or factions doe remaine, it wilbee eafie for them to finde a conductor, more to bee doubted, then an afflicted woman, of unfound health and weak and difeafed body, who, uppon prefent fecurity and fure capitulacions, being out of the realme of England, is no wayes to be feared, and appearantly will haue no defire, nor poffiblie no power to anoye.

He fhall alfo informe our deareft fifter, quæ funt nobis undique anguftia, et quam ancipiti diftrahimur, our naturall deutie and honour preffing us on the one parte, and the care we have of our faid dearest fifter, to whom wee are entirely devoted, on the t'other, and above all, our zeale to trew religion, whereupon both our ftates are fettled; allfoe our faid deareft fifteris perfone and eftate, by all likelyhood, may be put in full fecurity, by joynt and generall bands, obligacions, and pledges of fuch Princes as will interpone theire faith and fecurity with our dearest Mother, that fhee beeing delivered to any who wilbee alwayes anfwerable, upon his faith and perill of the hoftages, that she fhall, neither directly nor indirectly, deale, practife, nor attempte against our faid dearest fifteris perfon and estate. Soe, although thee would violatt her faith, and forfeit the benefites of her liberty and life, yet wee cannot fufpect fhee will, beeing deprived of all force and money, and

lacking the affiftance and good will of thofe from whom thee expected the greatest ayde, and all beft affected unto her, fhee fhalbee able to doe no harme of herself, and fhall incurr the wrath of all fuch as has been kinde, and given their faith and eftates for her; and unquestionably our dearest fifteris perfon fhalbe in fecurity, and her realme free from practifes and attemptacions, and all the dangerous defignes prevented, of fuch as effect the change of religion within this Ile.

If none of all these perfwading argumentis be thought fufficient, ye fhall, with all inftance, preffe our dearest fifter to fet downe, by advise of her wifeft and beft affected Councellours, fuch forme of fecurity as fhee and they shall thinke fufficient, or poffible, or conveniently may be advised, whereunto wee will not onely yeeld for our felfe, but alfo to our beft endeavour to obteine the performance thereof of all others, with whom shee will capitulate in this behalfe; protesting before God, the life of our dearest fifter is no lefs deare unto us, in all refpects, then the life of our dearest Mother,

or our owne.

THE MASTER OF GRAY TO HIS HONOURABLE FREIND, MR ARCH. DOUGLAS, EMBASSADOR FOR THE KINGS MAJESTIE OF SCOTLAND, TOWARDIS THE QUEEN OF ENGLAND.'

SIR, I mett a pacquet of yours yesterday at four in the morning at Vederbie, containing an answer of that I fend by Reftabris, [Reftalrig?] bot all I remit to meiting. For my awin pairt, I affur you, I am as you left me. Marie, to one pairt of your letter, I must answer, quhere ye fay that I ufit threatning, if the Queen of Scotlands lyf was taken, that ye vould dea a banisit man; by my treuthe, I ufit it as no threatning, but advertised you quhat the King fayd; and in that fame letter I vrot to you quhat ves spoken of my felf, fo that if it ves a threatning, I threatnit my self in lyk manner. Now, Sir, I am come heir at his Majesties command, I

'From MURDIN's State Papers, p. 575.

fweir unto you, agenst my vil, durft I have fayd nay. For that I am to abyde Sir Robert Melvin, who is to be at me vithin two days, for I left him at Morpeth, I mynd to stay at Vare. So that I think meitest ye and Villiam Keythe effey quhat hir Majestie thinks of it, and thereafter fend me vord, if I meit not with you, quhat is her mynd; for I have no command to fpeik vith any til he be vith me, nether vil I do it, for fic reafons as ye fhall know at meiting. Bot I let you know, and ye may affhur all thair, that our commiffion is verie honourable and modeft. For my awin particular, I have vrottin to Mr Sec. Valfingham ane offre, bot becaus my tyme permittis not, I pray you to fee the letter fend to him. In the mid tyme fpeik hardely to the Queen, that I think the has not ufit me according to hir promis, feeing this is the fecond time fhe has fufpected me vithout caufe. Quhair fhe fayis, fhe knowis more of me nor ye do; by God, I say this fare, if she euer knew me do vrong, it ves for that I enterid forder for hir fervice than good reafon permittit. Bot all this to meiting, and committis you to God.

Your loving freind,

MASTER OF GRAY.

From Stamfort this 25th of

December, 1586.

His Majestie

God villing, I fhall be at Vare the morrow be noon. vrot efter me to advertise you and Villie Keythe to crave audience, quhen ye hard of Sir Robertis coming and myn, and if neid cravis it, that I should crave presence vithout Sir Robert; bot that I vill not do vithout a verie extreim neceffitie. So I pray you to let me know of all maiteres.

A MEMORIAL FOR HIS MAJESTY BY THE MASTER OF GRAY.1

It will please your Majefty, I have tho't meeter to fet down all things

1 This and the following three articles are taken from the Appendix to Robertson's History of Scotland. Dr Robertson printed them from the original MSS., at that time in the collection of the late Sir Alexander Dick, and now in the possession of Sir George

as they occur, and all advertisements as they came to my ears, then jointly in a lettre.

I came to Vare the 24th of Dec. and fent to William Keith and Mr Archibald Douglas to advertise the Queen of it, like as they did at their audience. She promised the Queen your Majefty's mother's life should be spared till we were heard. The 27th, they came to Vare to me, the which day Sir Robert came to Vare, where they fhewed us how far they had already gone in their negociation; but, for that the difcourfe of it is fet down in our general letter, I remit me to it, only this far I will testify unto your Majefty, that William Keith hath used himself right honeftly and wifely till our coming, refpecting all circumstances, and chiefly his colleague his dealing, which indeed is not better than your Majefty knows already.

The 29th of Dec. we came to London, where we were no ways friendly received, nor after the honeft fort it has pleafed your Majefty ufe her ambaffadors; never man fent to welcome or convey us. The fame day we understood of Mr de Bellievre his leave taking; and for that the custom permitted not, we fent our excufes by Mr George Young.

The 1st day of January, William Keith and his colleague, according to the cuftom, fent to crave our audience. We received the answer contained in the general letter, and could not have answer till the 6th day. What was done that day your Majefty has it in the general, yet we was not out of efperance at that time, albeit we received hard answers.

The 8th day we speak with the Earl of Leicester, where our conference was, as is fet down in the general. I remarked this, that he that day said plainly, the detaining of the Queen of Scotland prifoner was for that she pretended a fucceffion to this crown. Judge then by this what is tho't of your Majefty, as ye fhall hear a little after.

The 9th day we speak with the French ambaffador, whom we find very plain in making to us a wife difcourfe of all his proceedings; and

Warrender of Lochend, Bart. It is evident that Dr Robertson has modernised the language, which made it desirable to collate them with the originals. Application was therefore made to Sir George Warrender; but it appears that the manuscripts have been unfortunately mislaid.