He schawit, amangis uther purposis, yat he knew weill aneuch that my brother had schawin me yat thing, quhilk he had spokin in striviling, of the quhilk he denyis ye ane half, and above all, yat ever he came in his chalmer. For to mak him traist me, it behovit me to fenze {feign} in sum thingis with him; thairfoir, quhen he requeistit me to promeis unto him, that quhen he was haill we suld have baith ane bed;[53] I said to him fenzeingly, and making me to beleve his promisis, that gif he changeit not purpois betwix yis and {by} that tyme, I wald be content thairwith; bot in the meane tyme I bad him tak heid that he leit na body wit thairof, becaus, to speik amangis our selvis, the Lordis culd not be offendit, nor will evill thairfoir: Bot[54] thay wald feir in respect of the boisting he maid of thame, that gif ever we aggreit togidder, he suld mak thame knaw the lytill compt thay tuke of him; and that he counsallit me not to purchas sum of thame by him. Thay for this caus wald be in jelosy, gif at anis, without thair knawledge, I suld brek the play set up in contrair in thair presence.
He said, verray joyfully, And think zow thay will esteme zow the mair of that? Bot I am verray glaid that ze speik to me of the Lordis, for I beleve at this tyme ze desyre that we suld leif togidder in quyetnes: For gif it wer utherwyse, greiter inconvenience micht come to us baith than we ar war of;[55] bot now I will do quhatever ze will do, and will lufe all that ze lufe; and desyris zow to make thame lufe in lyk maner; For, sen thay seik not my lyf, I lufe thame all equallie. Upon yis point this beirer will schaw zow mony small thingis. Becaus I have over mekle to wryte, and it is lait: I give traist unto him upon zour word. Summa, he will ga upon my word to all places.
Alace! I never dissavit {deceived} ony body: Bot I remit me altogidder to zour will. Send me advertisement quhat I sall do, and quhatsaever thing sall cum thairof, I sall obey zow. Advise to with zourself, gif ze can find out ony mair secreit inventioun by medicine; for he suld tak medicine and the bath at Cragmillar. He may not cum furth of the hous this lang tyme.
Summa, be all that I can leirne, he is in greit suspicioun, and zit notwithstanding, he gevis credit to my word; bot zit not sa far that he will schaw ony thing to me; bot nevertheles, I sall draw it out of him, gif ze will that I avow all unto him. Bot I will never rejoyce to dissaive ony body that traistis in me: Zit notwithstanding ze may command me in all thingis. Have na evill opinioun of me for that caus, be ressoun ze are the occasion of it zourself; becaus, for my awin particular revenge, I wald not do it to him.
He gevis me sum chekis[56] of yat quhilk I feir, zea, evin in the quick. He sayis this far, yat his faultis wer publeist; bot yair is that committis faultis, that belevis thay will never be spokin of; and zit thay will speik of greit and small. As towart the Lady Reres, he said, I pray God that scho may serve zow for your honour; and said, it is thocht, and he belevis it to be trew, that I have not the power of myself into myself, and that becaus of the refuse I maid of his offeris. Summa,[57] for certanetie he suspectis of the thing ze knaw, and of his lyf. Bot as to the last, how sone that I spak twa or thre gude wordis unto him, he rejoysis, and is out of dout.[58]
I saw him not this evening for to end zour bracelet, to the quhilk I can get na lokkis. It is ready to thame: and zit I feir that it will bring sum malheus, and may be sene gif ze chance to be hurt. Advertise me gif ze will have it, and gif ze will have mair silver, and quhen I sall returne, and how far I mey speik.[59] He inragis when he heiris of Lethingtoun, or of zow or of my brother. Of zour brother he speikis nathing. He speikis of the Erle of Argyle. I am in feir quhen I heir him speik; for he assuris himself yat he hes not an evill opinioun of him. He speikis nathing of thame that is out, nouther gude nor evill, bot fleis that point. His father keipis his chalmer; I have not sene him.
All the Hammiltounis ar heir, that accompanyis me verray honorabilly. All the freindis of the uther convoyis me quhen I gang to se him. He desyris me to cum and se him ryse the morne betyme. For to mak schort, this beirer will tell zow the rest. And gif I leirne onything heir, I will make zow memoriall at evin. He will tell zow the occasioun of my remaning. Burne this letter, for it is ovir dangerous, and nathing weill said in it; for I am thinkand upon nathing bot fascherie. Gif[60] ze be in Edinburgh at the ressait of it, send me word sone.
Be not[61] offendit, for I gif not ovir greit credite. Now seing to obey zow, my deir lufe, I spair nouther honour, conscience, hasard, nor greitnes quhatsumevir; tak it, I pray zow, in gude part, not efter the interpretatioun of zour fals gude-brother, to quhome, I pray zow, gif na credite aganis the maist faithful luifer that ever ze had, or ever sall have.
Se not hir, quhais fenzeit teiris suld not be sa meckle praisit nor estemit, as the trew and faithful travellis quhilk I sustene for to merite his place. For obtening of the quhilk agains my natural, I betrayis thame that may impesche me. God forgive me, and God give zow, my only lufe, the hap and prosperitie quhilk zour humble and faithful lufe desyris unto zow, quha hopis to be schortly ane uther thing to zow for the reward of my irksome travellis.
It is lait; I desyre never to ceis fra wryting unto zow; zit now, after the kissing of zour handis, I will end my letter. Excuse my evill wryting, and reid it twyse over. Excuse that thing that is scriblit, for I had na paper zisterday quhen I wrait that of ye memoriall. Remember upon zour lufe, and wryte unto hir, and that verray oft. Lufe me as I sall do zow.