haue full execucion against all fuch perfons that are conteyned therein, their whole goodis and pofeffions made ftringgeable to the parties, or their lawfull factors, obteyners of the faid decret, and their bodies made punishable, yf they may be comprehended.

Albeit, no further can be craued by any order of iuftice nor is conteyned in this aforefaid answere, yet her Maieftye, vpon speciall care and confideration moveinge her Maiefty, for the relieveinge of the fubiectis of that countrey that hath bene troubled by Pirates, hath giuen speciall order, that certaine fine or taxacion should be levyed of her owne proper fubiectis, by the order whereof diuers complayners of that realme has already bene relieved, which good ordour her Maieftye, at the defire of the faid Master, fhall cause be continued with expedicion poffable. And whatfoeuer fume fhalbe hereby recovered, fhalbe difpofed to fuch diftreffed perfons as fhalbe comended by the faid Ambaffadour aforefaid, and to none others. Her Maiefty craves the like iuftice may be done to the fubiectis of this realme, fpoyled by the Scottis Piratis, whereof there is great number of complayners, as more particuler wilbe vnderstood by their feuerall complaintis giuen to the Ambaffadour herevpon.

As touchinge the recepcion of fuch as the faid Ambaffadour termes declared rebells and traytours, which matters aboue all others is fo vehemently profecuted, her Maiefty protested, &c.

And yet notwithstanding, for removeinge of all iealoufie from her brother the Kinge of Scotlande his minde, of any their ill behauiour, through remayneinge on the frontyer, fuch order fhalbe giuen, that with speed they fhalbe retyred fo farre within this realme, that all fufpicion therof shalbe avoyded, there to remaine vnto such tyme that further order may be taken thereanent, according to the finceritye of the said Kinge her brother his meaneinge towardis her Maieftye, and the certifficacion thereof to be made to her Maieftye by the said Ambassadour.

As touchinge Martine Alletts late complaint. The Wardens of the Marches, without knowledge of her Maieftye, or advise of her counsell, conftrayned through neceffitye, as appeares to haue remedied diuers infolencyes comitted vpon the fubiectis of Englande by the faid Martine, who is a greate author and mayntayner of difordered perfons, affembled them

felues together, in no fuch great power as is alledged, and fought the faid Martine to his owne howfe, where, we are informed, no great harme is done, and if any extraordinary hurte or skaythe be comitted, the Comiffioners, which shalbe ordeyned to mete, may haue power to take order thereanent, according to the lawes of the Borders.

NOTES REGARDING THE MASTER OF GRAY'S PRACTICES AGAINST QUEEN ELIZABETH.1

THAT the Master of Gray hath bene priuie to fome of the late practises, forreine and domefticall, against her Maieftie, in fauor of the Scottish Quene, as may be probably coniectured by,

3

1. His inward familiaritye and continuall traffique in France with those of the house of Gwife, of whome he hath receaued extraordinary favour; the Bishops of Glafco and Roffe, by whofe means, it is reported, he tafted of the Popes bounty;-the Spanish Ambaffador refident in France, of whome, as himself is faid to haue confeffed, he was at his comeinge out of France prefented with a cupboard of plate valued to 5 or 6000 crownes.

2. His like continewall intelligence with other her Maiefties coniured enemyes and rebellious fubiectis, as Morgan, and others, and fugitives there.

1 Cott. MSS. Calig. C. VIII. art. 137, fol. 163.

2 James Bethune was consecrated Bishop of Glasgow in 1552, and held the See till the Reformation, when he retired to France, and was afterwards appointed Queen Mary's ambassador at the French Court.

3 John Lesley was inducted to the See of Ross in 1566.

4 Thomas Morgan, one of Queen Mary's secretaries, whom she sent into France as the receiver of the rents of her dowry there. Morgan, in a letter to Queen Mary, 9th April 1585, thus writes regarding his correspondence with the Master of Gray-"Now that Gray hath, I heare, dishonorablye acquitted himselfe of your Majesty's service, there be some instrumentes that lay to me, that I procured his credit here, and with your Majesty he was commended out of Scotland by Father Holt, to some others of that Societye here, who gave him all the credit they cold to the Duke of Guise; and my Lord of Glasgo entertayned Gray with great respect of him, and all matters were to him imparted, God is my witnesse, never by me, but he colde tell me many particulars, which when I hearde, I was sorry

3. The speciall recomendacions giuen of him by the Scottis Quene to the King her fonne, and his favour and credite with him in the present revolucion and change of thingis there.

4. The speciall trust reposed in him before fome others her approved fervantis, in the kepeinge and difpenfing of the money brought home by Ballandine, a little before the late Road of Sterlinge, to fuch vfes as were deffigned by her and her instruments in France.

5. The good offices he hath done fince his returne into Scotland in her favour, and furtherance of hir purposes.

6. His reception and enterteynement of Nugent the Irish fugitive with his companyon, retyred of late into Scotland, fpecially recomended and addreffed to him, and harboured in his fathers houfe; with the like reception giuen to Fulgiambe his companion, now fugitives.

7. His confeffed relieveinge of Fulgiambe with 300 crownes out of his ftore, by the Scottish Quenes direction. With other like particularityes, which may fuffice to prove boeth the mans former affections towardis her Maieftie and her ftate, howfoeuer he be now enclyned, and his ablenes, in fome degrees, to discover le pot aux roses, if he list to speake plaine language.

THE MASTER OF GRAY TO MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS.'

MADAME, to fullfill the promise I made in my last lettre unto your Maiefty, I have written the prefent at length, although with regrett, for the great

to heare that the same were so dispersed; and thereof I advertised your Majesty, testifying the devotion he shewed to have to your Majesty's service. And indeede I thought that a gentleman of his qualitye and relligion cold never so ingratefullye and undutifully forget himselfe towardes his Soverayne Ladye and Mistresse; and so I hope your Majesty will not impute to me anye blame for his lewde parts, whereof he shall heare at my handes if I live to speake with him.”—Murdin's State Papers, p. 442.

1 Harl. MSS. No. 290, fol. 146. This letter is subscribed in cypher, and indorsed A coppye of A.B. letter unto M.S.' But it bears internal evidence of being from the Master of Gray.

good will which I have borne ever to your fervice, fince I was of age to know my duty, maketh me greatly to lament that all my meaning fhould be conftrued wrong. This I speak not without a great ground: For that same man Fontinie,' whom it pleafed your Maiefty to recomend unto me in your last letter, hath ufed himfelfe fo undutifully to me, that I cannot imagine he durft haue enterprised the fame, without speciall commandement from youe, as pe effect hath declared. For he did fhew unto þe Kings Maiefty a letter which he faid was written by youe, wherein was contayned a counsell and advise þat his Maiefty fhould not truft or confide any wayes in me, by reason that youe were affuredly perfuaded, and had truly learned, that I had turned my cloke, and had taken another course, pe which, if his Maiefty fhould follow, it fhould be bothe his ruyne and your owne. This letter it pleaseth his Maiefty to fhew unto me, because he had no fufpicion in any fort of me, feing he knew best what I ever faid unto him, or what courfe I had counfelled him to follow. Madame, if this letter were written by your Maiefty, I esteeme my good will very evile requited, and the recompence of my more earneft meaning unto your feruice very badd; for although it had ben fo, yet your Maiefty should first have written the truth, and advertised myself, and if youe had found it, then to have ufed pe next meane, and not, without all evident apparance, to have preffed fo to difgrace me to my Master: Yet, Madame, I have fuch confidence in your wifdome, þat I perfuade myselfe þe letter was the knaves owne invencion. If fo it was that your Maiesty knew not of it, I befeech your Maiefty that I may have reason of him, and that your Maiefty write unto all your frends in France, and to your Ambaffadour, the very truth of thinges; for I know there are advertisements very falfely fpread of me, both forth of this country and Scotlande. I think your Maiefty will the rather do this, þat fome injury he hath donne unto your Maieftys owne fervice. For indeed I thought my fervice worth litle, if it deferved not thanckes; and I affure your Maiefty, unto the tyme I receave your promife, that this youe shall performe in effect, I will, in no forte, medle with any thing that appertayneth to

1

Fontenay was one of Queen Mary's French secretaries. He was banished Scotland for calumniating the Master of Gray.-See letter in this collection, p. 41.

your fervice; befides, that ever I fhall accompt myself an example to all men, to be over frank in dealing in it. If it be indeede, pat the letter was written by yourself, I accompt myself very ungratfully used, (if fo be a poore fubject may capitulate with his prince,) and in that the yong man not in any fort to have fayled, feing what he did was donne by your commandement. Of force I must needs comport; yet shall not leave to do pe generall, which duty commanded me to do; but one thing I fweare, that if it might advantage me ten millions of gold, and disadvantage me my head, pat never, while I live, fhall I medle with any your fervice in perticuler; and comit to this paper to dischardg me wholly of it in tyme to come. As I have already said, [if the letter] were not written at your Maieftys commandement, I crave only at this tyme your Maieftys promife pat for the weale of your owne affaires, I may have reason of the knave who did þe wrong. How ever it was, I esteeme myfelfe very evill handeled, that your Maiefty should preferre pe advertisement of a pratling knave, to the experience youe have already had of my good will to pe avancement and well doing of your affaires. I marvaile greatly, (with many others), that your Maiefty ever employed such a fantastique creature, who is neyther wife, fecreat, nor experienced, feing youe had a fufficient prouf how he was accompted of in Spaine, and what fruict he reported of his negociacion. For my owne part, at this tyme, I fhew him freely I would in no wyfe deale with him, and affured him his owne infufficience would be the caufe his negociacion would take litle or no effect; for there was no man whofoever about pe King, whome he touched not with his mifreports, and honor and reputacion, and myself in diverfe wayes, as in alleaging that I had receaved a thousand rofe nobles from the Queene of England. This his Maiefty did show me, in his owne face, who, knowing his owne unhoneft dealing, asked me pardon for it, fimply without any excufe; þe which he dare not deny, if fo it fhall please your Maiefty to ask of him. This, Madame, is the very truth of his deportemente in Scotland, and the only occafion why he proffited nothing there; and if it had not ben for that respect which I did beare unto your Maiefty, and that he was a ftraunger, in recompence of that he mifufed me, I fhould have cutt both his eares. There is another gentleman in Scotland equall with