Hys comyffyon ys very large, the coppy wherof I fende your Lordship herwith. The princypall poyntis of hys Ambaffage ar two: the fyrste, too defier at hyr Maieftys handis, ayther the delyuery, or the puttynge from hyr, hys rebbelis, (as he termes them), for the King cane neyther thynk hys realme fre from practyfys, nor hys parfon fre from perryll, fo longe as they be fufferd too remayne fo neare hym. Vpone whyche poynte he and I wer yn grete argument, so farr as I towlde hym, that yf that wer th'effecte of hys negocyacyon, I wolde rather venter too stay hym heare, or too lett hym returne agayne, tyll I know hyr Maieftys farther pleasure, then to suffer hym to pafe with matter that showlde be rather offencyue to hyr Maiefty, then that fatyffactyon that hathe byn promeft, and whyche hyr Maiefty lookes for at hys hande. In fyne, after longe debate, he grew more mylder, alledgynge that, yf hys Mafter showlde dyfcouer the practyfys of vther pryncys, now hys frendis, and therby lose them vtterly, and hyr Maiefty nott too fhew hyrfelfe fo carefull of hym, as, at his feut and erneste requeste, too deny the puttynge away of hys Rebels, he fhowld ftand yn very hard cafe too lofe hys frendis who hathe made hyme many grete offers, and yett hys enymys kepte and mayntaynyd at hys nofe, and therby iufte cawfe for hymfelf, and all the worlde, to thynke that hyr Maiefty makes more accownte of the fubiects then of the King. But, faythe he, yf yt may pleafe hyr Maiefty to deale fo favorably and louyngly with the King, as yf fhe fynd hyrfelfe fully fatyffyde yn fuche thyngis as she wolde know of any practyfe agenfte hyr state, that then fhe wyll put hys ennymys from hyr; apone hyr affurance herof, ther ys no practys that hathe byn practyfde agenft hyrfelf or hyr estate, eyther by France, Spayne, the Skotfhe Queen, or the Pope, thys 5 yere, but the shall know ytt, and how too avoyde ytt, vtherwyfe he wyll returne as he came; for he wyll nott lofe hys Mafter many frendis of grete princys, and nott make hym feure of hyr Maiefty, for, faythe he, what loue and faythfull amyté cane he looke for at hyr Maieftys handis yf she refuse hym fo reasonable a requeste, whyche shee ys bownde too doe by the treatye. Thys farr he hathe gone with me, fo as nowe hyr Maiefty ys too confyder whyther the knowlege of the bottome of thes practyfys agenst hyr Maiesty and hyr eftate, or the kepynge and mayntaynynge of thes men yn hyr

realme, whome he accountis for hys rebellis and mortall ennymys, wyll stande hyr yn moste stede, and be mofte for hyr feurty; whyche I leaue to hyr Maieftys graue confyderacyon, and ther ys no dowght, but as thys mane cane dyfcouer all thes forren practyfys, fo ys he acquayntyd with mofte of our practyfys at home, and the practyfars, whyche, in my fymple opynyon, wolde ftande her Maiefty yn more stede, then thes mens beynge here pen yf they wer att home, but that I refer to wyfer men.

Thys, I know, the King hathe fayde, that yf they wer farther of, and myght heare of thyr dewtyfull eufage towards hym, ther ys nothynge fo farr paste, but by theyre good defertes myghte be callyd bak agayne, and fume of them callyd home agayne. Dumfarmelyn,' who was banyshtt, beyng very fyke wher he was, hathe returnyd home for hys helthe withoute leaue, and yet the King nott offendyd with him, but yn hys coming nye too Edenburgh lay thre dayfe at hys howfe with hym.

may

Now, my Lord, towchynge the King and therle of Arren. As I haue wrytten hertofore, no mane knowfe the fecretis of mens hartis but God, but yf they be nott worse then dyuelis, but that I beleue open and folleme prowfe, ernefte and lyberall proteftacyons, hyr Maiefty may haue the King affuryd too hyr from all the worlde: therfor, yf he be worth the hauynge, let hyr take howlde of hym whylfte fhe may, for yf fhe lett hym flype now, feurly he wyll neuer be hade agayne. And for therle of Arren, he muste of neceffyté rune thys cowrfe, for yn refpecte of hys uphowldynge and contynewynge the King yn thys cowrfe, he ys gretely hatyd of the Kings mother, and all hyr factyon of France, and of all the papyftes, and more hatyd fynce he begane thys cowrfe then euer he was byfore, which I know too be mofte trew, which makes me thynk that he deales playnly.

Thus haue I troblyd your Lordfhip with a longe dyfcowrfe of fuche matters as paste betwene hym and me, fo neare as I cane, but with many thyngs more to longe too wryght, and fo I commit your Lordship to th' Almyghty. Your affuryd frende

At Barwyke the 19th of October 1584.

H. HUNSDON.

'Robert Pitcairn, Commendator of Dunfermline.

LORD HUNSDON TO LORD BURGHLEY.'

Nowe, my gode Lord, hauyng wrytten fomuche yn my vther letter, as I thinke your Lordship wyll acquaynte hyr Maiefty with all, hauynge also wryttyn fumthynge to hyr Maiefty, whyche, I praye your Lordship too delyuer vntoo hyr, I am too acquaynt your Lordfhyp with fume vther matters to be eyfyd at your dyfcretyon. Thys gentylmane ys expreftly comandyd yn all hys dooyngis too be reulyd by your Lordships aduyfe and myne, and hauynge browghte fundry letters from the King, the coppys wherof he hathe fhewde me, for that he ys to delyuer none but fuche as I appoynt hym. The King wyll by no meanes wryght nor deale with Mr. Secretary, for, faythe he, I knowe hym too be my grete ennymy, and hathe hys hande too show, which I thynke thys gentylmane hathe. My Lord of Leycefter hathe thowghte grete vnkyndnes that he hathe nott byn imployde yn thes matters, as hys hande ys too be fhowde. So, as I haue wyllyd hym yn anywyfe to delyuer all hys letters, and bycawse ther is more partycularytys yn your Lordships letter than yn any of the refte, and perhaps yf your Lordship delyuer ytt hyr byfor you reade ytt yourfelfe, fhe wyll kepe ytt, he shall delyuer your Lordship the coppy therof.

As I haue wrytten yn my vther letter, he wyll craue too haue thes lordis, and fume vthers, too be delyueryde accordinge too the vertew of treufe and treaty, the coppy of whyche artycle he bryngs with him, yett he wyll nott perfyfte therapon, fo as they may be fent yntoo any vther cuntrey owte of the Realme; whyche may be grantyd hym for a tyme, for yf that be denyd vntoo hym, I cane affure your Lordfhyp that he wyll vtter nothynge of those matters hyr Maiefty wolde know; wheryn yf he doo not fatyffy hyr Maiefty to hyr contentment, she may reuoke them agayne at her pleasure, and I affure your Lordfhyp yt ys neyther goode pollyfy, nor fytt they showld be fufferde to remayne with fuche troopes and fuche forte. Ther ys neare hande 100 of them yn Newcaftell, and euery fayre nyght they walk yn the markett plafys, yea and apon the walles

From the Original, Cott. MSS. Calig. C. VIII. art. 106, fol. 123.

yn

with theyr pystols at theyr gyrdelis at xi and xij a cloke, whyche a grete many of the befte of the towne doothe gretely myflike withall; and my Lord, thohe they be now heare for theyr fuccor, they may herafter be callyd home agayne, and then no dowght they will be, as theyr forfathers hath byn, fo as ytt ys nott fytt fo many of them should be fo priuy of the fecretis of that towne, as they be, nott only of the towne, but of all the cuntrey, bothe by water and by lande, for they ryde and go wher they lyfte. They myght be at the lefte ynward, fume at Yorke, fume too London, and fume to othyr placys, and I affure your Lordfhyp, ther ys fuche rydynge from Newcastell ynto Skotlande, and owt of Skotlande too them, as ys ftrange. One the other fyde, ther ys faste poftynge from them to the courte and London, and from thens too theme, and tyll your Lordfhyp was comandyd too deale with me heryn, ther was nothynge wrott vp but they wer aduertyfyd of ytt, whyche I knowe too be most trewe; and efpecyall letters wrytten that they showlde want nothynge, efpecyally the Master of Glammes and Coluyn;' fo as whatsoeuer they doo, none dare fynde any fawlte with them. The King ys gretely greuyd with hys mynyftery for goynge awaye without any cawfe gyuen too them, wherby, faythe he, vther princys thynke hym yrrelygyus, and reddy to revolte from relygyon, wherappon they haue fowght too fende Jefuytis and bookes yntoo hys Realme, too poyfon yt as owars; and whyche ys worse, yt ys gyuen owte that he ys nott the Kings fune but Dauys,2 whyche, faythe he, cumes from these men; whyche he towlde Cuddy Armerar, wyth water yn hys eyfe, beynge but they two alone. And too dyfcredyt therle of Arren with the King, fume that ar aboute hym hathe gyuen owte that he ys fedd frome me with angels by Armerar; wherapon the King dyd requyer Armerar, beynge but they two, as euer he wold doo anythynge for hym, that he wold tell hym one thynge, who anferd

2

1 Mr John Colvill, formerly chantor of Glasgow. He had deserted the clerical profession on account of its poverty, and became a court intriguer, and a follower of the Earl of Gowrie, and of Francis Lord Bothwell.

3 David Rizzio.

3 Cuthbert Armourer, who appears to have been employed by Lord Hunsdon as a secret courier to James VI.

that yf yt towcht no way hyr Maiefty, nor too preiudyse me hys mastyr, he wold tell hym trewly. Wherapon the King afkt hym that queftyan; wherapon he anferde that, as he wolde be fauyd at the day of Iudgment, he neuer delyuerde halpeny or penny, more or les, or any thynge els, from me but letters. So as euen they aboute the King wolde fayne putt th'Erle owt of favor yf they cowlde by any practyfe; for then had they no obftacle too make hym follow hys Mothers deuyfys, and too worke hym for France or Spayne, as I thynke Mr Dauyfon hathe suffycyently aduertyfyd, for fo he promefte me too doo. Fentry, who is aboute the King, hathe byn very erneft with hym to fend to hyr Maiefty abowt Cryhton, who ys yn the Towar, comendynge hym aboue the skyfe; who anferd hym, that yf he hymselfe hade any credyt too doo what he thowght goode, but he woolde neuer fende aboute fuche a knaue, lett her Maiefty hang hym yf the wyll; and fewrly that Kryghton knowfe muche yf ytt may be gotten owt of hym. Therle of Arren fent me, by my mane, ferten artycles byfor the Mafter of Gray comes, of which I fende your Lordfhyp the coppy, too be eufyd as your Lordfhyp fhall thynk fytt. Your Lordfhyp may make hyr Maiefty acquayntyd with fume of them that maye be wrytten owte, butt nott with the hole. The King ys very defyrus to haue me ther, as your Lordfhyp shall fee by a poste skrypte, whyche he has wrytten yn the letter he fent me: My Lorde, for wayghtj cawfys, as thys bearar wyll acquainte you wyth, I mufte defier you, as ye tender my contentmente and weyle, and your honore, too ryde vpp immediatly after thys forfayd bearar too courte. I dowght nott but whane he shawfe you the cawfe, ye wyll kepe yt too yourselfe only.' Thys matter I dare nott comytt too wrytynge, yett I wyll fende hyr Maiefty my letter, and kepe the coppy, fo as she shall fe the pofte fkrypt, and feurly, my Lord, I thynke I showlde doo hyr Maiefty better feruice there then here, he beynge comandyd too eufe my aduyfe yn all hys negocyacyons, and I cowlde fune be ther yn pofte, with halfe a dosen with me. Thys bearar fhall tell of fume of thes matters at more lengthe, and what your Lordfhyp shall comande and dyrecte hym too doo, he fhall, and fhall deale with 1 David Graham of Fintry.

2 William Crichton, a trafficking Jesuit, who was imprisoned for a plot against Queen Elizabeth.

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