Mary Queen of Scots 1542-1587 Part 22

[55] _E._ "Than you think." _L._ and _F._ as in _S._

[56] _E._ "He giveth me certain charges (and these strong) of that I fear even to say that his faults be published; but there be that commit some secret faults, and fear not to have them spoken of so lowdely, and that there is speech of greate and small." _L._ "Interim me attingit in loco suspecto; idque ad vivum hactenus proloquutus est, sua crimina esse palam; sed sunt qui majora committant, et opinantur ea silentio tegi; et tamen homines de magnis juxta et parvis loquuntur." _F._ "Cependant il m'a donne attainte du lieu suspect, et a jusques icy discouru bien au vif, que ces fautes sont congreues; mais qu'il y en a qui en commettent de plus grandes, encores qu'ils estiment qu'elles soient cachees par silence; et toutesfois que les hommes parlent des grands aussi bien des pet.i.ts."

[57] _E._ "To conclude, for a.s.surety he mistrusteth her of that that ye know, and for his life." _L._ and _F._ as in _S._

[58] _E._ "He was very merry and glad." _L._ and _F._ as in _S._

[59] _E._ Adds after "speak"--"Now, as far as I perceive.

{J'ay bien la vogue avec vous[63]} Guess you whether I shall not {I may do much without you. } be suspected."

[60] _E._ "For I think upon nothing but grief if you be at Edinburgh." _L._ and _F._ as in _S._

[61] _E._ Omits "Be not ... credit."

[62] _E._ Omits from "Remember you" to the end.

[63] This is a comment in the margin, perhaps a quotation from the French version shown to the Commissioners. According to Mr. T. F.

Henderson, it is in Cecil's handwriting. ("The Casket Letters and Mary Queen of Scots," p. 78.) ------------------------------------------------------------------------

Letter III.[64]

My Lord, gif the displesure of zour absence, of zour forzetfulnes, ye feir of danger sa promisit be everie ane to zour sa luifit persone, may gif me consolatioun, I leif it to zow to juge, seing the unhap that my cruell lot and continuall misadventure hes. .h.i.therto promysit me, following ye misfortunes and feiris as weill of lait, as of ane lang tyme by-past, the quhilk ye do knaw. Bot for all that, I will in na wise accuse zow, nouther of zour lytill cair, and leist of all of zour promeis brokin, or of ye cauldnes of zour wryting, sen I am ellis sa far maid zouris, yat yat quhilk pleisis zow is acceptabill to me; and my thochtis ar as willingly subdewit unto zouris, that I suppois yat all that c.u.mmis of zow proceidis not be ony of the causis forsaid, bot rather for sic {such} as be just and ressonabill, and sic as I desyre myself. Quhilk is the fynal order that ze promysit to tak for the suretie and honorabil service of ye only uphald of my lyfe. For quhilk alone I will preserve the same, and without the quhilk I desyre not bot suddane deith, and to testifie unto zow how lawly I submit me under zour commandementis, I have send zow, in signe of homage, be Paris, the ornament of the heid, quhilk is the chief gude of the uther memberis, inferring thairby that, be ye seising {placing} of zow in the possessioune of the spoile of that quhilk is princ.i.p.all, the remnant cannot be bot subject unto zow, and with consenting of the hart. In place thairof, sen I have ellis left it unto zow, I send unto zow ane sepulture of hard stane, collourit with blak, sawin with teiris and bones. The stane I compair to my hart, that as it is carvit in ane sure sepulture or harbor of zour commandementis, and above all, of zour name and memorie that ar thairin inclosit, as is my heart in this ring, never to c.u.m furth, quhill deith grant unto yow to ane trophee of victorie of my banes, as the ring is fullit, in signe that yow haif maid ane full conqueis of me, of myne hart, and unto yat my banes be left unto yow in remembrance of your victorie and my acceptabill lufe and willing, for to be better bestowit than I merite. The ameling that is about is blak, quhilk signifyis the steidfastness of hir that sendis the same. The teiris are without number, sa ar the dreddowris to displeis yow, the teiris of your absence, the disdane that I cannot be in outward effect youris, as I am without fenzeitnes of hart and spreit, and of gude ressoun, thocht my meritis wer mekle greiter then of the maist profite that ever was, and sic as I desyre to be, and sall tak pane in conditiounis to imitate, for to be bestowit worthylie under your regiment. My only wealth ressaif thairfoir in als gude part ye same, as I have ressavit your marriage with extreme joy, the quhilk sall not part furth of my bosum, quhill yat marriage of our bodyis be maid in publict, as signe of all that I outher hope or desyris of blis in yis warld. Zit my hart feiring to displeis you as mekle in the reiding heirof, as I delite me in ye writing, I will mak end, efter that I have kissit zour handis with als greit affectioun as, I pray G.o.d (O ye only uphald of my lyfe) to gif yow lang and blissit lyfe, and to me zour gude favour, as the only gude yat I desyre, and to ye quhilk I pretend. I have schawin unto this beirer that quhilk I have leirnit, to quhome I remit me, knawand the credite that ze gaif him, as scho dois that will be for ever unto zow humbill and obedient lauchfull wyfe, that for ever dedicates unto zow hir hart, hir body, without ony change, as unto him that I have maid possessour of my hart, of quhilk ze may hald zow a.s.surit, yat unto ye deith sall na wayis be changeit, for evill nor gude sall never mak me go from it.

The original French version of this letter is in the Record Office (State Papers, Mary Queen of Scots, vol. ii. p. 66). It is printed by Mr. Henderson, and by Hosack. No Latin or French version of it was printed in the _Detectio_.

----------------------------------------------------------------------- [64] _F._ Mais pour tout cela Je me vous accuserai ni de peu de souvenance ni de peu de soigne et moins encore de vostre promesse violee que ce qu'il vous plaist mest agreable et sont mes penses tant volonterement, aux vostres asubjectes que je veulx presupposer que tout ce que vient de vous procede non par aucune des causes susdictes ains pour telles qui son justes et raisoinables et telles que je desie moy.

Letter IV.

I have walkit laiter thair up then I wald have done, gif it had not bene to draw sumthing out of him, quhilk this beirer will schaw zow; quhilk is the fairest commodity {_i.e._ the most suitable opportunity} that can be offerit to excuse zour affairis. I have promysit to bring him the morne. Put ordour to it, gif ze find it gude.

Now, Schir, I have brokin my promeis; becaus ze commandit me nouther to wryte nor send unto zow Zit I have not done this to offend zow, and gif ze knew the feir yat I have presently, ze wald not have sa mony contrary suspiciounis in your thocht; quhilk notwithstanding I treit and chereis, as proceeding from the thing in the warld that I maist desyre, and seikis fastest to haif, quhilk is zour gude grace; of the quhilk my behaviour sall a.s.sure me. As to me: I sall never dispair of it, and prayis zow, according to zour promeis, to discharge zour hart unto me, Utherwayis[65] I will think that my malhure, and the gude handling of hir that has not ye third part of the faithfull nor willing obedience unto zow that I beir, hes wyn, aganis my will, yat advantage over me, quhilk the second lufe of Jason wan; not that I will compair zow unto ane sa unhappy as he was, nor zit myself to ane sa unpietifull ane woman as scho. Howbeit, ze caus me to be sumthing lyk unto hir in onything that tuichis zow, or yat may preserve and keip zow unto hir, to quhome only ze appertene; gif it be sa that I may appropriate that quhilk is wyn throch faithfull, zea only, lufiing of zow, as I do, and sall do all the dayis of my lyfe, for pane or evill that can c.u.m thairof. In recompense of the quhilk, and of all the evillis quhilk ze have bene caus of to me, remember zow upon the place heir besyde.

I craif with that ze keip promeis to me the morne; but that we may meit togidder, and that ye gif na faith to suspiciounis without the certanetie of thame. And I craif na uther thing at G.o.d, but that ze may knaw that thing that is in my hart quhilk is zouris; and that he may preserve zow from all evill, at the leist sa lang as I have lyfe, quhilk I repute not precious unto me, except in sa far as it and I baith ar aggreabill unto zow. I am going to bed, and will bid zow gude nicht.

Advertise me tymely in the morning how ze have fairin; for I will be in pane unto I get worde. Mak gude watch,[66] gif the burd eschaip out of the caige, or without hir mate. As ye turtur I sall remane alone for to lament the absence, how schort yat sa ever it be. This letter will do with ane gude hart, that thing quhilk I cannot do myself, gif it be not that I have feir that ze ar in sleiping, I durst not wryte this befoir Joseph, Bastiane, and Joachim, that did bot depart even quhen I began to wryte.

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 veille plus tard la hault que je n'eusse fait si ce neust este 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 subcons 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'a.s.seureront et je n'en disesperay jamais tant que selon vostre promesse vous m'en dischargeres vostre c[oe]ur aultrement[65b] je penserais que mon malheur et le bien composer de c[oe]ux qui n'ont le troisiesme partie de la fidelite ni voluntair obeissance que je vous porte auront gaigne 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 fa.s.sies 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 subcons quaures sans nous en certifier, et je ne demande a Dieu si non que coignoissies tout ce que je ay au c[oe]ur qui est vostre et quil vous preserve de tout mal au moyns durant ma vie qui ne me sera chere 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 porte a bon heur. Car j'enseray en pein et faites bon guet[66b] si l'oseau sortira de sa cage 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 c[oe]ur {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.

------------------------------------------------------------------------ _P. F._ = Published French; _L._= Latin.

[65][65b][65c] _P. F._ "Autrement j'estimeray que cela se faict par mon malheureux destin, et par la faveur des astres envers celles, qui toutesfois n'ont une tierce partie de loyaute, et volonte que j'ay de vous obeir; si elles, comme si j'estoye une second amye de Jason, malgre moy, occupent le premier lieu de faveur; ce que je ne dy, pour vous a comparer a cet homme en l'infelicite qu'il avoit, ny moy avec une femme toute esloignee de misericorde, comme estoit celle-la," &c. _L._ "Alioqui suspicabor fieri malo meo fato, et siderum favore erga illas (quae nec tertiam habent partem fidelitatis, et voluntatis tibi obsequendi, quam ego habeo) ut ipsae, velut secunda Jasonis amica, me invita, priorem apud te loc.u.m gratiae occupaverint; nec hoc eo dico, quo te c.u.m homine, ea qua ille erat infelicitate, comparem, nec me c.u.m muliere tam aliena a misericordia quam illa erat."

[66][66b][66c] _P. F._ has no sentence corresponding to "mak gude watch," and proceeds, "Comme l'oyseau eschappe de la cage, ou la tourtre qui est sans compagne, ainsi je demeureray seule, pour pleurer votre absence, quelque brieve qu'elle puisse estre." _L._ also has no expression for "mak gude watch," but reads, "Si avis evaserit e cavea autsine compare, velut turtur, ego remanebo sola ut lamenter absentiam tuam quamlibet brevem."

The English translation at Hatfield follows the Hatfield French version closely. The two most important pa.s.sages run thus: "Otherwise,[65c] I wold think that my yll luck, and the fayre behavior of those that have not the thirde parte of the faythfulness and voluntary obedience that I beare unto you, shall have wonne the advantage over me of the second Loover of Jason.... Send me[66c] word tomorrow early in the morning how you have don for I shall think long. And watche well if the byrde shall fly out of his cage or without his mate, as the turtle shall remayne alone to lament and morne for absence how short soever it be."

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 governe myself thairin: for nouther in that nor in any 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.]

------------------------------------------------------------------------ [67] _F._ "Je ne vous lay peu dire pour scavoir comment je me gouvernerois." (I could not tell you, in order to know how to govern myself.)

[68] _F._ "Et si vous ne me mondes ce soir ce que volles que jeu faisse je m en deferay au hazard de la fayre entreprandre ce qui pourroit nuire a ce a quoy nous tandons tous deux {and if you do not send me word this night what you will that I shall do, I will rid myself of it at the hazard of making her undertake that which might be hurtful to that whereunto we both do tend (Laing)} et quant ella sera mariee je vous suplie donnes qune opinion sur aultrui ne nuise en votre endroit a ma constance."

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 c.u.m 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 c.u.m 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. G.o.d give zow gude nicht.

------------------------------------------------------------------------ [69] _F._ in Record Office, "M'a presche que c'estoit une folle entreprise, et qu'avecques mon honneur Je ne vous pourries Jamaiis espouser, veu qu'estant marie vous m'amenies et que ses gens ne l'endureroient pas et que les seigneurs se dediroient" _P. F._ "Il me remonstra, que c'estoit une folle entreprise, et que pour mon honneur, Je ne vous pourvoye prendre a mary, puis que vous estiez marie, ny aller avec vous, et que ses gens mesmes ne le souffriroient pas voire que les Seigneurs contrediroyent a ce que en seroit propose." _E._ at Hatfield, "And thereupon hath preached unto me that it was a foolish entreprise, and that with mine honour I could never marry you, seeing that being married you did carry me away. And that his folk would not suffer it, and that the Lords would unsay themselves, and would deny that they had said."

[70] _F._ in Record Office, "Ce incertains nouvelles." _P. F._ "Ces nouvelles ceremonies." _E._ at Hatfield, "These new ceremonies."

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 a.s.sure 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].

------------------------------------------------------------------------ [71] _F._ "Homme."

[72] _F._ "Quant a jouer le mien, je scay com me je m'y dois gouverner, ma souvenant de la facon que les choses ont este deliberees."

[73] _F._ Adds "et tenir captive."