Mr de Bellievre we thanked him in your Majefty's name, and opened fuch things as we had to treat with this Queen, fave the last point, as more largely fet down by our general.

It is tho't here, and fome friends of your Majefty's advised me, that Bellievre his negotiation was not effectual, and that the refident was not privy to it, as indeed I think is true; for fince Bellievre his perting, there is a talk of this Chafteauneuf his fervants taken with his whole papers and pacquets, which he was fending in France, for that they charge him with a confpiracy of late against the Queen here her life. It is alledged his fervant has confeffed the matter, but whom I fhall truft I know not, but till I fee proof I fhall account him an honeft man, for indeed fo he appears, and one (without doubt) who hath been very inftant in this matter. I fhew him that the Queen and Earl of Leicefter had defired to fpeak with me in private, and craved his opinion; he gave it freely that he tho't it meeteft: I fhew him the reafon why I communicate that to him, for that I had been fufpected by fome of her Majefty's friends in France to have done evil offices in her fervice, that he should be my witnefs that my earnest dealing in this should be a fufficient testimony that all was lyes, and that this knave Naue, who now had betrayed her, had in that done evil o ces. He defired me, feeing the faw only with other folks eyes, that I fhould no ways impute it to her, for the like fhe had done to himfelf by Naue his perfuafion. I answered he fhould be my witnefs in that.

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The 9th day we fent to court to crave audience, which we got the 10th day. At the first, she said, a thing long looked for fhould be welcome when it comes; I would now fee your Master's offers. I anfwered, no man makes offers but for fome caufe; we would, and like your Majesty, first know the caufe to be extant for which we offer, and likewife that it be extant till your Majesty has heard us. I think it be extant yet, but I will not promife for an hour, but you think to shift in that fort. I anfwered, we mind not to fhift, but to offer from our Sovereign all things that with reafon may be; and in fpecial, we offered as is fet down in our general: all was refufed and tho't nothing. She called on the three that were in the houfe, the Earl of Leicefter, my Lord Admiral, and Chamberlain,

and very despitefully repeated all our offers in prefence of them all. I opened the last part, and faid, Madam, for what refpect is it that men deal against your perfon or estate for her caufe? She answered, because they think she shall fucceed to me, and for that she is a papift. Appearingly, faid I, both the caufes may be removed. She faid fhe would be glad to underftand it. If, Madam, faid I, all that she has of right of fucceffion were in the King our fovereign's perfon, were not all hope of papifts removed? She anfwered, I hope fo. Then, Madam, I think the Queen, his mother, fhall willingly demit all her rights in his perfon. She answered, She hath no right, for fhe is declared unhabil. Then, I faid, if she have no right, appearingly the hope ceases already, fo that it is not to be feared that any man attempt for her. The Queen answered, But the papists allow not our declaration. Then let it fall, fays I, in the King's perfon by her affignation. The Earl of Leicester anfwered, She is a prifoner, how can fhe demit? I anfwered, The demiffion is to her fon, by the advice of all the friends she has in Europe; and in cafe, as God forbid, that any attempt cuttis the Queen here away, who fhall party with her to prove the demiffion or affignation to be ineffectual, her Son being oppofite party and having all the princes her friends for him, having bonded for the efficacy of it with his Majefty of before. The Queen made as she could not comprehend my meaning, and Sir Robert opened the matter again; fhe yet made as though the understood not. So the Earl of Leicefter answered, that our meaning was, that the King fhould be put in his Mother's place. Is it fo, the Queen anfwered, then I put myself in a worse cafe than of before: By God's paffion, that were to cut my own throat; and, for a dutchy or an earldom to yourself, you or fuch as you would caufe fome of your desperate knaves kill me: No, by God, he shall never be in that place. I anfwered, He craves nothing of your Majesty, but only of his Mother. The Earl of Leicester answered, that were to make him party to the Queen my mistress. I faid, he will be far more party, if he be in her place through her death. She would ftay no longer, but faid she would not have a worfe in his Mother's place; and faid, Tell your King what good I have done for him in holding the Crown on his head fince he was born, and that I mind to keep the league that now ftands between us, and if he break it fhall be a double fault: and with this

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minded to have bidden us a farewell; but we achevit.' And I fpeak craving of her that her life may be fpared for 15 days; fhe refufed. Sir Robert craved for only eight days; fhe faid not for an hour; and fo geid her away. Your Majefty fees we have delivered all we had for offers, but all is for nothing, for fhe and her Councel has laid a determination that they mind to follow forth; and I fee it comes rather of her Councel than herself, which I like the worfe; for without doubt, Sir, it fhall cut off all friendship ye had here. Although it were that once they had meaned well to your Majefty, yet, remembering themfelves that they have medled with your Mother's blood, good faith, they cannot hope great good of yourself, a thing in truth I am forry for. Further, your Majesty may perceive by this last difcourfe of that I proponit, if they had meaned well to your Majefty, they had ufed it other wife than they have done, for reafon has bound them. But I dare not write all. I mind fomething to speak in this matter, because we look fhurly our letters fhall be truffit by the

way.

For that I fee private credit nor no means can alter their determination, although the Queen again and the Earl of Leicefter has defired to speak with me in particular; I mind not to speak, nor shall not; but affuredly shall let all men fee that I in particular was no ways tyed to England, but for the refpect of your Majefty's fervice. So albeit, at this time, I could not effectuate that I defired, yet my upright dealing in it fhall be manifefted to the world. We are, God willing, then to crave audience, where we mind to use sharply our inftructions, which hitherto we have used very calmly, for we can, for your Honour's caufe, fay no lefs for your Majesty than the French ambaffador has faid for his master.

So I pray your Majefty confider my upright dealing in your fervice, and not the effect, for had it been doable by any, I might have here had credit; but being I came only for that cause, I will not my credit shall ferve here to any further purpose. I pray God preferve your Majefty, and fend you a true and fincere friendship. From London, this 12th of Jan. 1586.

I understand the Queen is to fend one of her own to your Majesty.

1

Dr Robertson explains this, Finished arguing upon this point.'

TO THE RIGHT HON. MY LORD VICE-CHANCELLOR AND SECRETARY TO HIS MAJESTY, FROM THE MASTER OF GRAY.

My Lord, I fend you thefe lines, with this inclofed, to his Majefty, whereby your Lordship fhall understand how matters goes here. And before all things, I pray your Lordship move his Majesty to respect my diligence, and not the effect in this negociation; for I fwear, if it had been for the crown of England to myself, I could do no more; and let not unfriends have advantage of me, for the world fhall fee that I loved England for his Majefty's fervice only. I look fhortly to find your Lordship friend as ye made promife, and, by God, I fhall be to you if I can. William Keith and I devyfet, if matters had gone well, to have run a courfe that your Lordship might have here been in credit and others difappointed, but now I will do for you as for myfelf; which is to care for no credit here, for in confcience they mean not honeftly to the King, our fovereign, and if they may, he will go the get his Mother is gone or shortly to go; therefore, my Lord, without all kind of scruple, I pray you to advise him the best is not this way. They fay here, that it has been said by one who heard it from you, that ye defired not the King and England to agree, because it would rack the noblemen, and gave an example of it by King James the Fourt. I anfwered in your name, that I was affured you had never spoken it. Mr Archibald is the speaker of it, who I affure your Lordship has been a poifon in this matter, for they lean very mickle to his opinion. He cares not, he fays, for at length the King will be fain to deal this way, either by fair means or neceffity, so that when he deals this courfe he is affured to be welcome. To fet down all that is past of the like purposes, it would confume more paper than I have here, so I defer it to meeting. There is a new confpiracy alledged against the Queen to have been intended, for the French ambaffador refident three of his men taken, but I think in the end it fhall prove nothing. Mr Stafford, who is ambaffador for this Queen in France, is touched with it; his

brother is taken here. Always it has done this harm in our negociation, that all this council would not move this Queen to meddle with the Queen of Scotland's blood, till this invention was found forth. I remit all other things to the inclofed. We minded to have fent to his Majefty a difcourfe, which we have fet down of all our proceedings fince our hither coming; but we are furely advertized that the bearer is to be truffed by the way for our pacquets, fo that we defer it till our own coming: this I have put in a privy part befide the pacquet. We fhall, I think, take leave on Fryday the 13th day, where we mind exactly to follow the rigour of our inftructions, for it cannot ftand with the King's honour that we fay lefs than the French ambaffador, which was, Le Roy mon maifire ne peult moins faire que fe refentir. So that about the 24th I think we fhall, God willing, be at home, except that fome ftay come which we look not for. The Queen and the Earl of Leicester has defired to speak with me. I refused fave in prefence of my colleagues, by reafon I fee a determination which particular credit cannot help, and I crave no credit but for that caufe. It will please your Lordship retire the inclofed from his Majefty and keep it. So, after my fervice commended to yourself and bedfellow, I commit you to God. From London, the 12th of Jan. 1586.

TO THE KINGIS MAJESTY, FROM SIR ROBERT MELVILL.

Ir may please your Majefty, fince the direction of our former letters, we had audience, and her Majesty appeared to take our overtures in good part in presence of her Council; albeit no offers could take place with them, having taken refolution to proceed with extremity. Not the lefs, it pleafed her Majefty to defire us to ftay for two days on taking our leave, until she had advised upon our propofitions; fince which time, her Majefty is become more hard by fome letters (as we are informed) has come from Scotland, making fome hope to believe that your Majefty takes not