paynes hime felf.
hime felf. Whileft I was thus in talke with him, efpying in my
hand her Maiefties private letter, curiouflie fealed and made vp, Good
faith,' (fayes he, fmilinge), 'ye haue fomethinge els for me.' Whereat
kiffing the letter, I gaue it him, which he receaued with a merie coun-
tenance, and perufinge the fealing and direccion, (faid he), I knowe
this hand writt well ynough, but I cannot read it without a knife to open
it' which when he had done, he tooke me fome what aparte, and faid
vnto me, I promise vppon mine honour, her Maiefties defire in this letter
fhalbe performed: fo, vnbuttoning his doublett, he putt the letter in his
bofome. This done, I tooke my leaue, crauing a newe time for further
declaracion of that which I had to fay, which, he sayed, fhould be with in
a day or twoo. I defired to knowe which of his Councell it would please
him to meate for me to deale with in the matters of my charge. He an-
fwered, firft with him felf. I comended vnto him the good service of
fuch as his Grace had employed towardes my foueraigne, as the Master
of Gray, the Juftice Clerke, and Mr Keeth. He gaue her Maieftie
thanckes for the honour that he had receaued in them. I not knowing
the Secretary, he faid he would make mine acquaintance with him; which
yet is not done, neither haue I as yet spoken with him, but expect, with
in a day or twoo, to talke with him at my lodginge. Ere I departed I
faluted all the Lordes in prefence, and fo retiring was reconducted to my
lodging by the Juftice Clerke, Carmighell, and otheres. I finde the Juf-
tice Clerke well affected to the amitie, and furtherance of the league.
He hath dealt openlie and plainlie with me in divers matters, fpecially
howe fmall accompte is made here of my French riuall. He told me of
the vnkindnes betwixt the Master of Gray and the Secretary, almoft
mortal. I told him that my coming was as well to take vpp debates ge-
nerallie, as to treate of the league betwene theyre Maiefties; and that he
liked well of.

Soone after my coming to my lodging, comes vnto me the Master of Gray. Many complementes paffed betweene vs. He confeffeth and speaketh much of the honour that he hath receaved of her Maiestie, promifinge to acknowledge the fame to his lives end, offering his feruice with the formoft for the furtherance of any cause I had in hand, specially

for the league, wherein he would doe his vttermoft to further it nowe to her Maiefties contentment, and maynteyne it hereafter for the quietnes of both countries.

He and [the] Juftice Clerck doe affure me, that the Kinges handes are cleane from receauinge of any princes golde hitherto, though the offers haue been great and promifes large, to the which, through neceffitie, he will be brought to incline very shortlie, or from her Maieftie receaue fuch fupporte as in expectacion hath beene long, and is nowe, looked for, according to the former promifes and fpeaches that haue beene made by fome from her Maiefty to him; and as theis twoo perfonages putt me in hope, and doe affure me, that that beeing done, there neither wilbe, nor can be, any thing to ftay the performance of the league. So haue the aduerfaries to the fame noe other thinge to alledge, but the vncerteinty therof, and long delays therein, whereas here it is prefently to be had. I leaue this to her Maiefties wifdome, and your Honours remembrance, what I haue to promife if the league take effecte. I befeech Honour let me fpeake it merilie out of Terence, and make it you knowe as you pleafe, Pecuniam in loco negligere, interdum maximum eft lucrum, and, bis dat, qui cito dat. But anfwere me not as the fame author fayeth, fententias loquitur carnifex.

your

After the writinge of thus much, wherewith I purposed to end this letter, the Lord Claud Hamilton came vnto me, and in long fpeache acknowledged all her Maiesties favour and benefites towardes him, promising faithful feruice to her Maieftie during his life, and any thing that lawfully he may doe for her. And this he deliuered in noe leffe earneftnes of wordes to me, then he had written before to Sir John Fofter. He promifeth me that nothinge fhalbe left vnperformed by him, or his, to accomplish her Maiefties defire and contentacion. After his Lordship was gonne, there came vnto me the Secretary. Much good time was fpent betweene vs, who could exceede others in complementis and cunning fpeaches. Much talk we had of his brother, and favours receaued in England; but hoped that his dealing should tend to a better end, having that good place which he hath vnder his Maifter, to the furtherance of all good offices of amitie betweene the countries. He concluded, that whatfoeuer wanted in his brother fhould, to the vttermoft of his power,

be performed by him, fpeciallie for the furtherance of the league nowe in hand. He defireth that, as the acquaintance is alreadie begunne betweene your Honour and him in letteris, that the fame may be continued, and triall taken of him, what goodwill he beareth to her Maiefties feruice. Thus we ended in good termes, good wordes, and greate kindnes. Judge you of our heartes as ye finde vs.

After he was departed Mr Keethe came vnto me from the Kinge, as he faid, who prayed me to write vnto her Maieftie in the favour of James Hudson, the Kinges fervant, who hath a fute vnto her Maieftie. What it is I knowe not, but he movid it vnto me with great earneftnes, as fo comaunded from the King his maister, with a letter alfo to be deliuered vnto him. Thus much for this firft difpatch, Sir. From Edinburgh.

THE MASTER OF GRAY TO LORD BURGHLEY.'

MY LORD, amongst many courtaiffies I did refave from Mr Randolphe, hir Maiefteis Embaffadour, the freindlie fpeachis, it pleafit you send me as of befor from Villiam Keythe, the Kingis late meffinger, a letter from your Lordship. In recompence I fhall honour you till I leve, and fhall use your counfell, and euer fhall continue to be, efter my moyens, a good inftrument betuix the realmes and princes fo long as I am prefent. Bot the treuthe is, I veirie to ly ydle at home, and, in grace of God, intendis to mak a voyag þis fumer, vithe thre or four 1000 men, vitche fhall tend to the veil of bothe the countryis: and becaus I maid first my offre to ferue hir Maieftie and hir Lieutenant in þe Low Countryis, I vil abyd til I refave anfuer from my Lord of Leicester; and if I go in þat fervice, it is verie treu it gainis þis point, þat it embarkis the King my Souveraine fo agenft Spaine, that heir Jefuiftes fhall never have place to retir, it vil enter betuix Spaine and him in futche diffidence. And if I go not in þe voyag of the Low Countryis, than I must pray your Lordship to affift

From the original among the Lansdowne MSS. in the Brit. Museum, No. 46, art. 58.

me, at hir Maiefteis handis, for help of fum fchiping for my former diftiny, and hir Maiestie fhall knou that it fhalbe verie proufitable for hir estet. Bot I remit the particulars till I refaue anfuer from my Lord of Leicester tuitching this uther propofed ftait: presentlye vil tak leue in comitting your Lordship to Gods bliffit protection. Edinb. 2 Martii, 1586.

GAUALION. HOW goes your French matters, and your iorney?
GRAY. As to my iorney, how euer matters goes, I haue refolued.
GA. But in cafe you goe not fhortly, ye will not get leue to lift men.
GR. Why, and who fhall impeach me?

GA. Monfieur, Je parlerey à vous liberment comme de couftume. The matters are purposed to be attempted vpon the ground, that once your Lordships felfe fhould haue bin a doer in, and therfore it is a queftion among them here, whether you be fuffered to lift men or not; and once they were of opinion that you lifted men, and the King to haue feafed and stayed them to his vfe.

GR. By God, as to staying of any þat I lift, they would be deceaued, for I would put them away by companies as I lifted.

'Cott. MSS. Calig. C. IX. art 99, fol. 179, where this article is dated 10th April 1586. Thomas Mills seems to have come to Scotland in the suite of Mr Randolphe, the English ambassador.

GA. Then, but as touching the attempt, what ground has it, or for what purpofe?

GR. For releyuing the Queen of Scots.

GA. They will not prevaile in that, for how fone they enter England they will haue her head, and foe fhall they want her alive.

GR. Nay, that is not the fcoope; for albeit they mift of her, yet they caft their accompt þat can they once fubuert the eftate of England, and alter relligion there, they make reckoning the King fhall become Catholique incontinent.

GA. But how can this be done?

GR. They purpose to see and attempt the King in cafe he will doe any thing for his Mothers reliefe, if not, they fhall attempt it notwithstanding. But it is hoped þat the King fhall concurre with them.

GA. What here you for that?

GR. By God, the Kings owne word.

GA. I cannot beleeue you, Sir.

GR. I affure you it is true, or ells the greatest counsellor in Scotland deceiues them.

6

GA. I trowe you meane pe Secretary. And knowes he of this matter? GR. That doeth he. And farther I fhall fay this much, the French Ambaffador, fpeaking with the King this other daye, fayes to him, þat he vnderstood of many matters propounded to his Maieftie of great thingis, but, would he giue him audience, he should lay greater matters in his lappe, and lay him out a readier and furer way then that he was borne in hand with. Quoth the King, when I fee the fame I fhall anfwere you; for I wilbe glad of my aduantage when I fee it.' Well,' quoth the AmFarrell sundry letters baffadour, then I fhall fhew your Maieftie more within this moneth.' Befides G. Douglas hath brought with him a letter in cypher from the Duke of Guyfe, and offred it him; but the King hath refused to receiue it till a time. He has brought alfo lettres to the Lord Clawd from the 2 bushopps. GA. But tell me, who are the hiters in this?

by noblemen to be sent into France.

GR. The Duke of Guyfe, Delbens, or de Mayne, Prince of Parma, or Duke of Sauoy, after credit taken with Guiuera.

GA. And where will they land?