lyed. And yf I had knowne, I should never haue beene participant of no Stewartes fkayth or blood.' Alwayes I knowe you to be entred of new with fome who hates him deadlie.' 6 Who are thofe ?" You know them better then I.' It becomes me not to make any acquainted, but of my own free will.'

'Alwaies, and are ye not in frendship with the Master of Gray?' 'I am.' "And the Secreter?' I haue no other occafion.' Yet I knowe you favour them best of any man.' 'Truly it is of treuth, and shall fortefie and affift them in all their honeft caufes against all men, his Maieftie onlie excepted.'

'Well, are ye not in frendship with my Lord of Montroffe?' 'Hout, hout, what devill I haue to doe with my Lord of Montroffe, but in ane common manner.'

'Alwaies to returne to our purpofe, knowe ye nothing of their pretenfes in my brothers contrar? I pray you tell me, and geue me your advise and counfayle.'

'As to knowe any thing to be done in his contrar, by God, I am not participant in noe wayes. But this ffar I knowe him to haue a generall mifliking of the whole nobilitie and barons of this realme, so that all the whole countrey, were it deuided into tuenties, I am affured there would not be fcarcelie one of each tuentie that would wifhe him well.'

6

.

Then geue me your councell howe it may be mended?' By this only meane, Præftat fero fapere quam nunquam. Wott ye what that is? Better late thrive then never. Therefore my councell is, that, if he be willing to conqueffe the heartes of thofe which is lofed, he must be of a newe converfation; he must leave briberie and extraordinary extorcions, both of riche and poore, and cast him to winne noble mens heartes, or else he will not fayle to lye in the myre.'

My Lord, I will not trouble you anie longer; but I will goe to my Lord of Arrane, and I shall cause him fatiffy you for all his bypast offenfes, which, if he fayle to doe, I fhall then thrief my felf of him, and binde me to you against all whome foeuer.'

'Sir, I thanck you hartefully.' So we ended on Sunday, at three afternoone or thereby.

On Munday in the morning, moved by what motion I know not, where to fee his love, or moved by fome extraordinary occacion, he addreffeth him felf to Trebrin, where not having comoditie, wee delayed our whole conference, while we were on horsback coming to Edinburgh; where he began to enter in refpect of our former purpose, and began fo: My Lord, if you would tell the truthe to the Kinges Maieftie of all thinges, you would gett his prefence.' I anfwered, By God, fo far as I knowe.'

6

Then may I fay to the Kinges Maiefty, that you will declare to his Maieftie them twelve noble men who are confederate and banded to take my Lord of Arranes life, or, at least, to debarre him his Maiefties prefence; or, may I fay it in your name?'

In my name!' I anfwered, before Mr Robert Hepburne, who heard the whole purpose. Yes, I will fay it to the Kinges Maieftie in your name.' 'Nay, an you say it, by Godis body, I will fay that you lied like a knave in faying of it.'

"Yet I may fay that you are banded with the Maister of Gray and the Secreter?'

6

Nay, neither; ffor and ye fay that, yet you lied. But say that I esteeme of the Master of Gray and the Secreter, as my most speciall frendis, and that fay.

THE COPIE OF ERLE BOTHWELL'S LETTER TO THE KING.1

I HAVE here fett downe vnto your Maiefty, the true discourse of the whole purpose paffed betwixt vs, at both our meetings, which ended on a promes on his parte, that I fhould haue prefence this day, yf I would enter in frendship with the Erle of Arrane. Wherefore, seeing it is offered to me conditionally by other handis, and yet I haue your Highnes promes, both by my fervant and your Maiefties laft letter, that I fhall haue it in Dumfermeling, I must infift that, as foone as it may feeme convenient to your Maieftie, I may be beholden in it to your Maiefties owne good will and favour. So praying your Maieftie to haue as great patience in the reading, as I haue had in the writing of it, after kiffing of

'This article is referred to in Bothwell's letter to the Master of Gray.

G

your Maiefties handis, mofte humbly, I take my leave, committing your Maiefty to Godis good proteccion. From Leyth the xiiijth of June, 1585.

HEADS OF INSTRUCTIONS GIUEN TO CAPTAYNE BRUCE FOR G. BY A.1

SHEWE the Mafter of Gray the danger wherein he appeares to remayne, and that he needes not hereafter to look for any favour here, vnles he be able to make excufe for deedis paft, which, in my opinion, he cannot be able to doe, without his vtter ruine, except he poffeffe our Soueraignes favour, that he may let him vnderstand.

POSTSCRIPT IN THE SAME INSTRUCCIONS BY A. TO G.

SIR, Theis proceedings are evill fallen out for the King his fervice, and worfe for your particuler welfare; and I cannot beleif that you would alter your former courfe, vnles you were entered on fome other that you thinck better for his feruice and your owne weale. Yf fo be, I pray you lett me knowe thereof, that I may retire my felf in fafety and honesty foorth of this realme, to followe your fortune whatfoeuer; ffor here wilbe no abiding for me, if theis banished Lordes fhall receaue the comfort they looke for. What was prepared for you and frendes, if theis vnhappy newes had not intervened, the bearer can declare. I pray you hafte the anfwere hereof and of the memoriall with expedicion.

MR ARCHIBALD DOUGLAS TO THE MASTER OF GRAY.2

SINCE the directing of my lafte vnto you of the date of the foureteenth

1 Cott. MSS Calig. C. VIII. art. 193, fol. 226. Dated 20th Aug. 1585. This and the following letter appear to have been written by Mr Archibald Douglas, then at the English Court, to the Master of Gray.

2 Cott. MSS. Calig. C. VIII. art. 194, fol. 226. This article is titled in the manuscript, A letter written in white inke from A. to G. the xxj. of August 1585.'

of Augufte, I haue beene diuers times at Courte, and haue affayed, by fuch small credit as I haue, to qualify fome of theis hard apprehenfions conceaved of our Soveraignes proceedinges. I perceave my travell can not prevayle, neither fee I howe this matter can be well helped, vnles fome matter in action be performed, whereby this inconftant dealing, fo termed by thofe of the Councell, may be removed. Her Maieftie doth vtter fpeeches that she would neuer haue beleeued that the King, or any of his wife Councell, would fo far ouer feene them felues, as to write one day to her that fuch and fuch matters fhould be performed, and on the next day thereafter, not abiding her anfwere, would then overthrowe the fame: fo manifeft a mockery, that noe gentleman of reputation would haue vfed the like to his inferiour or fervaunt. And as hir Maieftie and Counfailors are grieved at the manner of proceedinges, fo is there a number of gentelmen, frendes to the trefpaffed, wounded in minde, for the flaughter of the gentell man of fo greate expectacion; whereuppon there is occafion taken by vnfrendis to aggrevate this matter in fuch manner, that hardly can any man or affured frend be found who will help to mittigate this matter; and that which may help this matter, I feare, will be fo vnpleasant to his Maiefty, that I will not prefume to open my parte of it. Theis banished Lordes are like, not only to finde the affiftance and favour of all perfons grieved, but also to procure greater liberty, which, vnto this time, had been ftreight by th'only meane of Sir Francis Walfingham, the remanent Counfaylors, for the mofte parte, being abfent from Court. My Lord of Leicester is not yet returned, but by letters which I haue feene from his Lordship, he heavily lamented the manner of theis proceedinges, fpecially bycaufe of the good appearance that might haue enfeued, if matters had beene right followed out.

As I writte vnto you before that Andwerp was rendred, fo is it nowe The forme of the appointment fhalbe fent vnto you by the next. Her Maieftye had receaued the countrey of Holand and Zeland, geven vnto her by the Eftates thereof, and hath but 9000 men for receaving possession of fuch townes as fhuld be deliuered into her keeping. Theis twoo provinces, beeinge the places in Chriftianity moft abundant in fhippes, beene ioyned to this country, are thought able, not only to

defend them felves against all enemies that would invade of bothe, but alfo to stopp any other nation, but fuche as they please to approve in any porte of this Iland, or her Maiefties dominions; and hereuppon they haue founded the firfte furety of this eftate, and are not muche like to feeke the ayde of any foren Prince for estableshing of their furety. I pray God his Maiefty may be moved to devife fome good meanes, whereby hir Maiefty may remayne contented of his proceedinges, and his Highnes recover the favour which he vniuerfally had obteyned of this floureshing nation, abounding in wealth and riches. In France it is geven out, that the King altogether miflikes of theis Guifardis, and that there doth appeare a peace to followe betwixt the King and Proteftantes, whereby the former edict fhalbe ratified, and the laste abolished. Poverty, and lack of mony to susteyne theis warres, is like to produce theis effectis, and that shortly. As matters falleth out you fhall haue further aduertefement.'

I began your letter with no small regard, bycause I feared the fame cours to be in hand at this time, which of before I caufed Thomas Milles, vnder fecrett, to open vnto you. I mofte hartely pray you to be wyfe, and with your felf to confider thereof. The opening of it may doe great harme, and keeping fecrett with knowledge no fmall good. The remedy in theis matters for your particuler apperes to be this, to excufe your felf by writt, and to move the King to deale by action hereafter, and yf you can be the doer your felf, you will recover reputation to bothe. Before this can come to your handis, the Ambaffadour will lett you to vnderftand what is reported of you, and committ to his eares, and he will defire to knowe the verity thereof of your felf. But I think he will not let you vnderstand who is the reporter, bycause I would not obteyne fo far commaund to be geven vnto him. But this far I can not hide from you, the men that you fufpect are the doers, which I pray you, moft hartely, to keepe fecrett, bycause the opening thereof wilbe my vtter difcredite, and hurtful to yourself. The found of the report is this: You are the chief furtherer of Arenes liberty; hath receaved good deed for doinge thereof;

The continuation of this letter, as stated in the MS., was written in white incke, of the same day, and to the same person, from A.'