Mary Queen of Scots, 1542-1587

by Unknown

Letter V.

My hart, alace! must the foly of ane woman quhais unthankfulness toward me ze do sufficiently knaw, be occasioun of displesure unto zow, considering yat I culd not have remeidit thairunto without knawing it? And sen that I persavit it, I culd not tell it zow, for that[67] I knew not how to uther thing will I tak upon me to do ony thing without knawledge of zour will, quhilk I beseik zow let me understand; for I will follow it all my lyfe mair willingly than zow sall declair it to me; and gif ze do not send me word this nicht quhat ze will that I sall do, I will red myself of it, and hesard[68] to caus it to be interprysit and takin in hand, quhilk micht be hurtfull to that quhairunto baith we do tend. And quhen scho sall be maryit, I beseik zow give me ane, or ellis I will tak sic as sall content zow for their conditiounis; bot as for thair toungis or faithfulness towart zow I will not answer. I beseik zow yat ane opinioun of uther persoun be not hurtfull in zour mynde to my constancie, Mistrust me; bot quhen I will put zow out of dout and cleir myselfe, refuse it not, my deir lufe, and suffer me to make zow sum prufe be my obedince, my faithfulness, constancie, and voluntarie subjectioun, quhilk I tak for the plesandest gude that I micht ressaif, gif ze will accept it; and mak na ceremonie at it, for ze culd do me na greiter outrage nor give mair mortall grief.

[There is a French version of this letter in the Record Office (State Papers, Mary Queen of Scots, vol. ii. p. 63). It has been printed by Malcolm Laing (vol. iv. p. 202), Hosack (vol. i. p. 230), and Mr. Henderson (p. 165). The following variations are taken from the Record Office version. The other published French version follows the Scots, as also does the Latin.]

Letter VI.

Alace! my Lord, quhy is zour traist put in ane persoun sa unworthie, to mistraist that quhilk is haillely zouris? I am wod {wild}. Ze had promysit me that ze wald send me word every day quhat I suld do. Ye haif done nathing yairof. I advertisit yow weill to tak heid of zour fals brother-in-law {Huntly}. He come to me, and without schawing me ony thing from zow, tald me that ze had willit him to wryte to zow that that I suld say, and quhair and quhen ze suld cum to me, and that that ze suld do tuiching him; and thairupon hes preichit[69] unto me yat it was ane fulische interpryse, and that with myne honour I culd never marry zow, seing that being maryit ze did cary me away, and yat his folkis wad not suffer it, and that the Lordis wald unsay yameselvis, and wald deny that thay had said. To be schort, he is all contrarie. I tald him that seeing I was cum sa far, gif ze did not withdraw zour self of zour self, that na perswasioun, nor deith itself suld mak me fail of my promeis. As tuiching the place ze are too negligent, pardoun me, to remit zour self thairof unto me. Cheis it zour self, and send me word of it. And in the meane tyme I am seik; I will differ {defer} as tuiching the mater it is to lait. It was not lang of me yat ze have not thocht thairupon in time. And gif ze had not mair changeit zour mynd sen myne absence, then I have; ye suld not be now to ask sic resolving. Weill, thair wantis nathing of my part; and seing that zour negligence dois put us baith in the danger of ane fals brother, gif it succeedet not weill I will never ryse agane. I send this beirer unto zow, for I dar not traist zour brother with thir letteris, nor with the diligence. He sall tell zow in quhat stait I am, and judge ze quhat amendment yir new ceremonies[70] have brocht unto me. I wald I wer deid, for I se all gais ill. Ze promysit uther maner of mater of zour foirseing, bot absence hes power over zow, quha haif twa stringis to zour bow. Dispatch the answer that I faill not, and put na traist in your brother for this interpryse, for he hes tald it, and is also all aganis it. God give zow gude nicht.

Letter VII.

Of the place and ye tyme,[71] remit my self to zour brother and to zow. I will follow him, and will faill in nathing of my part. He finds mony difficulteis; I think he dois advertise zow thairof, and quhat he desyris for the handling of himself. As for the handling of myself, I hard it anis weill devysit.[72]

Methinkis that zour services, and the lang amitie, having ye gude will of ye Lordis, do weill deserve ane pardoun, gif above the dewtie of ane subject yow advance yourself, not to constrane me,[73] bot to assure yourself of sic place neir unto me, that uther admonitiounis or forane {foreign} perswasiounis may not let {hinder} me from consenting to that, that ye hope your service sall mak yow ane day to attene; and to be schort, to mak yourself sure of the Lordis and fre to mary; and that ye are constranit for your suretie, and to be abill to serve me faithfully, to use ane humbil requeist, joynit to ane importune actioun.

And to be schort, excuse yourself, and perswade thame the maist ye can, yat ye ar constranit to mak persute aganis zour enemies. Ze sall say aneuch, gif the mater or ground do lyke yow, and mony fair wordis to Lethingtoun. Gif ye lyke not the deid, send me word, and leif not the blame of all unto me.

[Of this letter there is no version in the Record Office, the only other version being the published French translation].

Letter VIII.

My Lord, sen my letter written, zour brother in law yat was, come to me verray sad, and hes askit me my counsel, quhat he suld do efter to morne, becaus thair be mony folkis heir, and among utheris the Erle of Sudderland, quha wald rather die, considdering the gude thay have sa laitlie ressavit of me, than suffer me to be caryit away, thay conducting me; and that he feirit thair suld sum troubil happin of it: of the uther syde, that it suld be said that he wer unthankfull to have betrayit me. I tald him, that he suld have resolvit with zow upon all that, and that he suld avoyde, gif he culd, thay that were maist mistraistit.

He has resolvit to wryte thairof to zow be my opinioun; for he has abaschit me to se him sa unresolvit at the neid. I assure myself he will play the part of an honest man. Bot I have thocht gude to advertise zow of the feir he hes yat he suld be charget and accusit of tressoun to ye end yat, without mistraisting him, ze may be the mair circumspect, and that ze may have ye mair power. For we had zisterday mair then iii. c. hors of his and of Levingstoun's. For the honour of God, be accompanyit rather with mair then les; for that is the principal of my cair.

I go to wryte my dispatche, and pray God to send us ane happy enterview schortly. I wryte in haist, to the end ye may be advysit in tyme.

[There are no important variants in the only other version of this letter—the published French translation.]

The following are the French versions of the first sentence of each letter, printed in the Scots translation, published in London in 1572 (p. 163).

Letter I. Il semble qu' avecques vostre abscence soit joynt le oubly, [74]ceu qu'au partir vous me promistes de vos nouvelles. Et toutes foys je n'en puis apprendre, &c.

Letter II. Estant party du lieu ou je avois laissé mon cœur il se peult aysément juger quelle estoit ma contenance, veu ce qui peult un corps sans cœur, qui à esté cause que jusques à la Disnée je n'ay pas tenu grand propos, aussi personne ne s'est voulu advancer jugeant bien qu'il n'y faisoit bon, &c.

Letter III. Monsieur, si l'ennury de vostre absence, celuy de vostre oubly, la crainte du danger, tant provué[75] d'un chacun à vostre tant aymée personne, &c.

Letter IV. J'ay veillé plus tard la haut que je n'eusse fait, si ce n'eust esté pour tirer ce que ce porteur vous dira, que je trouve la plus belle commodité pour excuser vostre affaire qui ce purroit présenter, &c.

Letter V. Mon cœur, helas! fault il que la follie d'une femme, dont vous cognoissez assez l'ingratitude vers moy, soit cause de vous donner desplaisir, &c.

Letter VI. Monsieur, helas! pourquoy est vostre fiance mise en personne si indigne, pour soupconner ce qui est entierement vostre. J'enrage, vous m'aviez promis, &c.

Letter VII. Du lieu et l'heure[76] je m'en rapporte à vostre frere et à vous. Je le suivray, et ne fauldray en rien de ma part. Il trouve beaucoup de difficultez, &c.

Letter VIII. Monsieur, de puis ma lettre escrite vostre beau frere qui fust, est venu à moy fort triste, et m'a demandé mon conseil de ce qu'il feroit apres demain, &c.

The slight variations in the other French versions are noted above. There are no Record Office or Hatfield versions of I., II., VII., and VIII., and there is no "Published French" version of III.

The Love Sonnets.

Henderson's Casket Letters.

The "divers fond ballads" referred to in the letter of Elizabeth's Commissioners of October 11th, 1568, consist of the following "sonnets" in French.

The sonnets are printed from the English edition of Buchanan's Detection (1571). The lines in italics are translated from the Scots by Professor York Powell.

1. O Dieux ayez de moy compassion,
Et m'enseignez quelle preuue certain{e}
Ie puis donner qui ne luy semble vain{e}
De mon amour & ferme affection.
Las n'est il pas ia en possession
Du corps, du coeur qui ne refuse paine
Ny deshonneur, en[77] la vie incertaine,
Offense de parentz, ne pire affliction?[78]
Pour luy {tous mes} amis estime moins que rien,
Et d{e mes} ennemis ie veux esperer bien.
I'ay hazardé {pour luy} & nom & conscience:
Ie veux pour luy au monde renoncer:
Ie veux mourir pour le fair'[79] auancer.
Que reste il plus pour prouuer ma constance?

2. Entre ses mains & en son plein pouuoir,
Je metz mon filz, mon honneur, & ma vie,
Mon pais, mes[80] subjectz, mon ame assubiectie
Est tout à luy, & n'ay autre voulloir
Pour mon obiect, que sans le deceuoir
Suiure ie veux, malgré toute l'enuie
Qu'issir en peult, car ie n'ay autre envie
Que de ma foy, luy faire apperceuoir
Que pour tempeste ou bonnace qui face
Iamais ne veux changer demeure ou place.
Brief ie feray de ma foy telle preuue,
Qu'il cognoistra sans faulte[81] ma constance,
Non par mes pleurs ou fainte obeyssance,
Come autres font,[82] mais par diuers espreuue.

3. Elle pour son honneur vous doibt obeyssance
Moy vous obeyssant i'en puis receuoir blasme
N'estât, à mon regret, comme elle vostre femme.
Et si n'aura pourtant en ce point preeminence
Pour son propre profit[83] elle vse de coustance,
Car ce n'est peu d'honneur d'estre de voz biens dame
Et moy pour vous aymer i'en puis receuoir blasme
Et ne luy veux ceder en toute l'obseruance:
Elle de vostre mal n'à l'apprehension
Moy ie n'ay nul repos tant ie crains l'apparence:
Par l'aduis des parentz, elle eut vostre accointance
Moy malgré tous les miens vous porte affection
{Et neanmoins, mon cœur, vous doubtez ma constance}[84]
Et de sa loyauté prenez ferme asseurance.

4. Par vous mon coeur & par vostre alliance
Elle à remis sa maison en honneur
Elle à jouy par vous de[85] la grandeur
Dont tous les siens n'ayent nul asseurance
De vous, mon bien, elle à eu l'ac coinstance,[86]
Et à gaigné pour vn temps vostre coeur,
Par vous elle à eu plaisir en bon heur,
Et par vous a[87] honneur & reuerence,
Et n'a perdu sinon la jouyssance
D'vn fascheux sot qu'elle aymoit cherement,
Ie ne la playns d'aymer donc ardamment,
Celuy qui n'à en sens, ny en vaillance,
En beauté, en bonté, ny en constance
Point de seçond. Ie vis en ceste foy.[88]

5. Quant vous l'amiez, elle vsoit de froideur.
Sy vous souffriez pour s'amour passion
Qui vient d'aymer de trop d'affection,
Son doy monstroit, a tristesse de coeur
N'ayant plaisir de vostre grand ardeur.
En ses habitz, monstroit sans fiction
Qu'elle n'auoit paour qu'imperfection
Peust l'effacer hors de ce loyal coeur.
De vostre mort ie ne vis la peaur[89]
Que meritoit tel mary & seigneur.
Somme, de vous elle à eu tout son bien
Et na prisé ne iamais estimé
Vn si grand heur sinon puis qu'il n'est sien
Et maintenant dit l'auoir tant aymé.

6. Et maintenant elle commence à voir
Qu'elle estoit bien de mauuais iugement
De n'estimer l'amour d'vn tel amant
Et voudrait bien mon amy deceuoir,
Par les escriptz tout fardez de scauoir
Qui pourtant n'est en son esprit croissant
Ains emprunté de quelque autheur luissant
A faint tresbien vn ennoy[90] sans l'avoir
Et toutesfois ses parolles fardeez,
Ses pleurs, ses plaincts remplis de fictions.
Et ses hautz cris & lamentations
Ont tant gaigné que par vous sont gardéez
Ses lettres {escriptes} ausquellez vous donnez foy
Et si l'aymez & croyez plus que moy.

7. Vous la croyez las trop ie l'apperçoy
Et vous doutez de ma ferme constance,
O mon seul bien & mon seul esperance,
Et ne vous puis ie asseurer de ma foy
Vous m'estimez plus legier que le noy,[91]
Et si n'auez en moy nul' asseurance,
Et soupçonnez mon coeur sans apparence,
Vous deffiant à trop grand tort de moy.
Vous ignorez l'amour que ie vous porte
Vous soupçonnez qu'autre amour me trâsporte,
Vous estimez mes parolles du vent,
Vous depeignez de cire mon las coeur
Vous me pensez femme sans iugement,
Et tout sela augmente mon ardeur.

8. Mon amour croist & plus en plus croistra
Tant que je viure &[92] tiendray à grandeur,
Tant seulement d'auoir part en ce coeur
Vers qui en fin mon amour paroistra
Sy tres à clair que iamais n'en doutra,
{Pur luy je lutterai contre malheur}[93]
Pour luy ie veux recercher la grandeur,
Et feray tant qu'en vray cognoistera,
Que ie n'ay bien, heur, ne contentement,
Qu'a l'obeyr & servir loyaument.
Pour luy iattendz toute bonne fortune,
Pour luy ie veux garder sainté & vie
Pour luy vertu de suyure i'ay enuie[94]
Et sans changer me trouvera tout vne.

9. Pour luy aussi ie jette mainte larme.
Premier quand il se fist de ce corps {posses}seur,
Duquel alors il n'auoit pas le coeur.
Puis me donna vn autre dur alarme
Quand il versa de son sang mainte dragme
Dont de grief il me vint telle[95] doleur,
M'en pensay[96] oster la vie en frayeur
De perdre la{s} le seul rempar qui m'arme.
Pour luy depuis iay mesprise l'honneur
Ce qui nous peult seul pouruoir de bonheur.
Pour luy hazarde grandeur & conscience.
Pour luy {tous mes} i'ay quité parentz, & amis,
Et tous autres respectz sont apart mis.
Brief de vous seul ie cherche l'alliance.

10. De vous, ie dis, seul soustein de ma vie
Tant seulement ie cerche m'asseurer,
Et si ose de moy tant presumer
De vous gaigner maugré toute l'enuie.
Car c'est le seul desir de vostre {chere} amie,
De vous seruir & loyaument aymer,
Et tous malheurs moins que riens estimer,
{Et} vostre volonté de mon mie{ux} suivie,[97]
Vous cognoistrez avecque obeyssance
De mon {loyal} deuoir n'omettant la sciance
A quoy ie estudiray pour {tousiours} vous complaire
Sans aymer rien que vous, soubz {la} suiection.
De qui ie veux sans nulle fiction
Vivre & mourir & à ce j'obtempere.

11. Mon coeur, mon sang, mon ame, & mon soucy,
{Las,} vous m'auez promis qu'aurons ce plaisir
De deuiser auecques vous à loysir,
Toute la nuict, ou ie languis icy
Ayant le coeur d'extreme paour transy,
Pour voir absent le but de mon desir
Crainte d'oublir vn coup me vient {a} saisir:
Et l'autre fois ie crains que rendurcie
Soit contre moy vostre amiable coeur
Par quelque dit d'un meschant rapporteur.
Un autre fois ie crains quelque auenture
Qui par chemin detourne mon amant,
Par vn fascheux & nouueau accident.
Dieu detourne tout malheureux augure.

12. Ne vous voyant selon qu'auez promis
I'ay mis la main au papier pour escrire
D'vn different que ié voulu transcrire,
Ie ne scay pas quel sera vostre aduis
Mais ie scay bien qué mieux aymer scaura
Vous diriez bien que plus y gaignera.

The Contracts of Marriage.

Goodall, vol. ii. p. 54, from Cot. Lib. Calig., C. i.

At Seton, the 5th day of April, the year of God, 1567, the right excellent, right high and mighty Princess, Mary, by the grace of God, Queen of Scots, ... in the presence of the Eternal God, faithfully, and on the word of a Prince, by these presents, takes the said James, Earl Bothwell, as her lawful husband, and promises and obliges her Highness, that how soon the process of divorce, intended betwixt the said Earl Bothwell and Dame Jane Gordon, now his pretended spouse, be ended by the order of the laws, her Majesty shall, God willing, thereafter shortly marry and take the said Earl to her husband.... He presently takes her Majesty as his lawful spouse, in the presence of God, and promises and obliges him ... that in all diligence possible, he shall prosecute and set forward the said process of divorce already begun and intended betwix him and the said Dame Gordon, his pretended spouse....

Marie, R.
James, Earl Bothwell.

Here note, that this contract was made the v of April, within viii weeks after the murder of the King, which was slain the x of February before; also it was made vii days before Bothwell was acquitted, by corrupt judgment, of the said murder. Also it appears by the words of the contract itself, that it was made before sentence of divorce betwixt Bothwell and his former wife, and also in very truth was made before any suit of divorce intended or begun between him and his former wife, though some words in this contract seem to say otherwise, which is thus proved; for this contract is dated the v of April, and it plainly appears by the judicial acts, ... wherein is contained the whole process of the divorce between the said Earl and Dame Jane Gordon his wife, that the one of the same processes was intended and begun the xxvi day of April, and the other the xxvii.—Buchanan's "Detection."

Nous Marie, par la grace de Dieu, Royne d'Ecosse, douaryere de France, &c., promettous fidellement et de bonne foy, et sans contraynte, à Jaques Hepburn, Comte de Boduel, de n'avoir jamais autre espoulx et mary que luy, et de le prendre pour tel toute et quant fois qu'il m'en requerira, quoy que parents, amys ou autres, y soient contrayres. Et puis que Dieu a pris mon feu mary Henry Stuart dit Darnley et que par ce moien je sois libre, n'estant sous obeissance de pere, ni de mere, des mayntenant je proteste que, lui estant en mesme liberté, je seray preste, et d'accomplir les ceremonies requises an mariage; que je lui promets devant Dieu, que j'en prantz a tesmoignasge, et la presente, signee de ma mayn: ecrit ce—

Marie, R.

[This contract merely promises to marry Bothwell, without constraint, and refers to the writer's freedom from the necessity of any one's permission, since Darnley's death. It contains no reference to the divorce.]

MORTON'S DECLARATION

The Discovery of the Letters—1. The Earl of Morton's Declaration.

Henderson's Casket Letters, pp. 113-116, from fol. 216, Add. MSS. 32,091, Brit. Mus.

The trew declaration and report of me, James, Earl of Morton, how a certain silver box overgilt containing diverse missive writings, sonnets, contracts, and obligations for marriage betwix the Queen mother to our sovereign lord, and James sometime Earl Bothwell, was found and used.

Upon Thursday the xix of June, 1567, I dined at Edinburgh, the Laird of Lethington, secretary, with me. At time of my dinner a certain man came to me, and in secret manner showed me that three servants of the Earl Bothwell, viz. Mr. Thomas Hepburn, parson of Auldhamesokkes, John Cockburn, brother to the laird of Skirling, and George Dalgleish were come to the town, and passed into the castle. Upon which advertisement I on the sudden sent my cousin Mr. Archibald Douglas and Robert Douglas, his brother, and James Johnston of Westerrall, with others my servants, to the number of xvi or thereby, toward the castle to make search for the said persons, and, if possible were, to apprehend them. According to which my direction, my servants passed, and at the first missing the forenamed three persons for that they were departed forth of the castle before their coming, my men then parting into several companies upon knowledge that the others whom they sought were separated, Mr. Archibald Douglas sought for Mr. Thomas Hepburn and found him not, but got his horse, James Johnston sought for John Cockburn and apprehended him, Robert Douglas seeking for George Dalgleish. After he had almost given over his search and inquisition a good fellow understanding his purpose came to him offering for a mean piece of money to reveal where George Dalgleish was. The said Robert satisfying him that gave the intelligence for his pains, passed to the Potterrow beside Edinburgh, and there apprehended the said George, with divers evidences and letters in parchment, viz. Earl Bothwell's infeftments of Liddesdale, of the Lordship of Dunbar and of Orkney and Shetland, and divers others, which all with the said George himself, the said Robert brought and presented to me. And the said George being examined of the cause of his direction to the castle of Edinburgh, and which letters and evidents he brought forth of the same, alleged he was sent only to visit {examine} the Lord Bothwell, his master's clothing, and he had not more letters nor evidents than these which were apprehended with him. But his report being found suspicious and his gesture and behaviour ministering cause of mistrust seeing the gravity of the action that was in hand, it was resolved by common assent of the noblemen convened, that the said George Dalgleish should be surely kept that night, and upon the morn should be had to the Tolbooth of Edinburgh and there be put in the iron and torments for furthering of the declaration of the truth, wherein being set, upon Friday the xx day of the said month of June before any rigorous demeaning of his person, fearing the pain, and moved of conscience, he called for my cousin Mr. Archibald Douglas, who coming, the said George desired that Robert Douglas should be sent with him, and he should show and bring to light that which he had. So being taken forth from the irons, he passed with the said Robert to the Potterrow, and there, under the sceit {seat} of a bed took forth the said silver box, which he had brought forth of the castle the day before, locked, and brought the same to me at viii hours at night, and because it was late I kept it all that night. Upon the morn, viz., Saturday, the xxi of June, in presence of the Earls of Atholl, Mar, Glencairn, myself, the Lords Home, Sempill, Sanquhar, the Master of Graham, and the Secretary, and Laird of Tullibardine, Comptroller, and the said Mr. Archibald Douglas, the said box was broken open because we wanted the key, and the letters within contained sighted {i.e. examined} and immediately thereafter delivered again into my hand and custody. Since which time, I have observed and kept the same box, and all letters, missives, contracts, sonnets, and divers writings contained therein fairly without alteration changing adding or diminishing of anything found or received in the said box. This I testify and declare to be undoubted truth.

This is the copy of that which was given to Mr. Secretary Cecil upon Thursday the 8th of December 1568.

This is the true copy of the declaration made and presented by the Earl of Morton to the Commissioners and Council of England sitting in Westminster for the time, upon Thursday being the 29 of December 1568.

Subscribed with his hand thus, Morton.

BUCHANAN'S DESCRIPTION