No. V.
NOTICES OF DAVID RICCIO.
It appears somewhat doubtful whether Knox contemplated giving any detailed account of Riccio's life: compare vol. i. p. 235, and vol. ii. p. 422. If so, it would probably not have been so much a narrative of his private history, as an exposure of the influence which he seems to have exerted in public affairs, tending to the overthrow of the Reformed Religion. Although we cannot attribute to Knox the passages in the Fifth Book which relate the murder of Riccio, yet some detached notices exhibiting his progressive advancement at the Scotish Court, chiefly derived from the Public Records, may not be considered as out of place in this Appendix.
David Riccio, a native of Pancalieri, in Piedmont, was born about the year 1534, and was first in the service of the Archbishop of Turin. In December 1561, the Marquis de Morette, the Ambassador of Savoy, arrived in Scotland to congratulate Queen Mary on her return to her native kingdom. It was in the suite of the Marquis that Riccio, when about twenty-eight years of age, came to this country in quality of Secretary. (Labanoff, Recueil des Lettres de Marie Stuart, Reine d'Ecosse, vol. i. p. 120, vol. vii. pp. 65, 86.) His knowledge of the French and Italian languages, and his skill in music, recommended him to the Queen's notice, and led to his permanent residence in Scotland as "virlat," "chalmer-cheild," or one of the valets of her chamber. In the Treasurer's Accounts in the early part of the year 1562, we find the following payments:—
1561-2.—"Item, the said day, (viij day of Januar,) be the Quenis Grace precept to David Ritio, virlat in the Quenis Grace chalmer,
1. lib. (£50.)
1562.—"Item, the xvj day of Aprile, be the Quenis Grace precept to David Ritio, Italiane, chalmer-cheild, as his acquittance schawin vpoun compt beris,
xv. lib."
These payments seem to have been additions to the annual pension granted to him by the Queen. In the "Compt of the Collector Generall of the Thirds of Benefices," for the year 1561, and rendered 18th February 1563-4, we find among the pensions paid, the following entry:—"And of the soume of threscoir fivetene pundis, pait be the Comptare to David Rycheo, Italiane, vallet of the chalmer, for his zeirlie pensioun, granted to him be the Quenis Majestie, of the zeir compted, as hir Hienes letters vnder hir subscriptioun, and the said Davidis acquittance schawin and producit upoun compt proportis,
lxxv. lib."
In 1564, Riccio's salary was £80, paid quarterly; and in December that year, he was nominated French Secretary to the Queen, in place of Raulet. (Randolph's Letter to Cecil, 3d December 1564, Keith's Hist., vol. ii. p. 259; and Labanoff, vol. i. p. 248.) In the Treasurer's Accounts in August 1565, there are numerous payments made "to David Riccio Secretar," for articles of furniture, dress, &c., "be the King and Quenis Graces precept," chiefly for the use of "the Kingis Grace." He had been an active promoter of the Queen's marriage with Darnley, which may have contributed to increase his interest at Court. Randolph, in a letter to Cecil, dated 3d June 1565, uses this strong language:—" David now worketh all, and is only governor to the King and his family; great is his pride, and his words intolerable. People have small joy in this new master, and find nothing but that God must either send him a short end, or them a miserable life. Tho dangers to those he now hateth are great, and either he must be taken away, or they find some support, that what he intendeth to others may fall upon himself." (Keith's Hist., vol. ii. p. 291.) It has been said that he was appointed Keeper of the Great Seal about this time. This undoubtedly is a mistake: see vol. i. p. 446. But the influence he had obtained, and the prospect that when the Parliament assembled he might prevail upon the Queen to proceed against the Earl of Murray and the chief Protestants, in connexion with the foolish jealousy of her husband, gave rise to that conspiracy which terminated in Riccio's murder—one of those deeds which disgrace the history of this country.
Referring again to the Treasurer's Accounts, one or two other entries may be quoted:—
"Item, be the Quenis grace command, the last of Januar [1565-6,] to David Riccio, for reparatione of his chalmer, as his acquittance schawin upoun compt beris,
ijc lib. (£200.)"
On the last of February he received, on the Queen's account, £2000 in part payment of 10,000 merks, for "the dewitie of the Cunzehouse." And after his death, we find,
"Item, the xxix day of Maij (1566) to ane boy passand of Edinburgh with letters of our Soueranis, to be deliverit to Robert Commendator of Halierudhouse, to command and charge all and sindrie personis, intrometteris, havaris, withhalderis, and detenaris of the horssis quhatsumevir partening to umquhill David Riccio, Secretar, to be deliverit to the said Commendator,
ix s."
The Collection of Queen Mary's Letters, formed with almost unexampled care and zeal by the Prince Alexander Labanoff, includes two long and interesting dispatches in Italian, (one without date, the other, 8th October 1566,) addressed to Cosmo Duke of Tuscany, which furnish various particulars both relating to Riccio's history and the events preceding his murder, on the evening of Saturday the 9th March 1565-6. "Ah povero Davit, mio buono et fedel servitore, Dio habbi misericordia di vostra anima!" (Recueil, &c., vol. vii. pp. 65, 86, 93.)
Calderwood repeats what George Buchanan states in his History regarding Riccio's funeral: "After the flight of the Noblemen from Edinburgh, the Queen caused to take up in the night Seigneur Davie his corps, which had been buried before the Abbey kirk doore, and lay it near to Queene Magdalene; which ministered no small occasioun to the people of bad constructions." (History, vol. ii. p. 316.)
"A Relation of the Death of David Rizzi, chief favourite of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scotland; who was killed in the apartment of the said Queen on the 9th March 1565. Written by the Lord Ruthen, one of the principal persons concerned in that action," was printed at London 1699, 8vo, and has been several times reprinted. One of these editions, forming part of a volume entitled, "Miscellanea Antiqua Anglicana," London, 1815, 4to, is accompanied with a portrait of Riccio: It has much the look of an original by Zucchero, and is "painted on a small circular pannel; and on the back are rudely cut into the wood the name Davit Rixio, and the date 1564."