A French version of this letter is in the possession of the Marquis of Salisbury at Hatfield (cf. Calendar of Hatfield MSS., I. 376-7) and has been printed by Mr. Henderson. ("Casket Letters," pp. 159-162.) It is here given in full, and the variations in the published Latin and French versions, and in the English translation at Halfield are indicated in the notes.
J'ay veillé plus tard la hault que je n'eusse fait si ce neust esté pour tirer ce que ce porteur vous dira que je treuve la plus belle commoditee pour excuser vostre affaire que se pourroit presenter. Je luy ay promise de le luy mener demain si vous le trouves bon mettes y ordre. Or monsieur j'ay ja rompu ma promesse. Car vous ne mavyes comande de vous envoier ni escrire si ne le fais pour vous offencer et si vous scavyes la craint que j'en ay vous nauries tant des subçons contrairs que toutesfois je cheris comme procedant de la chose du mond que je desire et cherche le plus c'est votre bonne grace de laquelle mes deportemens m'asseureront et je n'en disesperay jamais tant que selon vostre promesse vous m'en dischargeres vostre cœur aultrement[65b] je penserais que mon malheur et le bien composer de cœux qui n'ont le troisiesme partie de la fidelité ni voluntair obéissance que je vous porte auront gaigné sur moy l'avantage de la seconde amye de Jason. Non que je vous compare a un si malheureus ni moy a une si impitoiable. Combien que vous men fassies un peu resentir en chose qui vous touschat ou pour vous preserver et garder a celle a qui seulle vous aparteines si lon se peult approprier ce que lon acquiert par bien et loyalment voire uniquement aymer comme je fais et fairay toute ma vie pour pein ou mal que m'en puisse avenir. En recompence de quoy et des tous les maulx dont vous maves este cause, souvenes vous du lieu icy pres. Je ne demande que vous me tennes promesse de main mais que nous truvions et que nadjousties foy au subçons quaures sans nous en certifier, et je ne demande a Dieu si non que coignoissies tout ce que je ay au cœur qui est vostre et quil vous preserve de tout mal au moyns durant ma vie qui ne me sera chère qu'autant qu'elle et moy vous serons agreables. Je m'en vois coucher et vous donner le bon soir mandes moy demain comme vous seres porté a bon heur. Car j'enseray en pein et faites bon guet[66b] si l'oseau sortira de sa cagé ou sens son per comme la tourtre demeurera seulle a se lamenter de l'absence pour court quelle soit-ce que je ne puis faire ma lettre de bon cœur {fera} si ce nestoit qui je {qy} peur que soyes endormy. Car je nay ose escrire devant Joseph et Bastienne et Joachim qui ne sont que partis quand J'ay commence.
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.