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[Sidenote: CRAFTIE DEALLAR; THOU NEVER RESPECTED THEM FARTHER THEN THAI MYCHT SERVE TO THY CORRUPT AFFECTIONS.]

The said Quene maid answer: "Monsieur l'Ambassadour, I thank the Quene, my gude-sister, for this gentle visitatioun and congratulatioun of this my recoverye; and thocht I be not yit in perfite helth, yit I thank God I feill my self in verray gude¹ in the cuming to. And for ansuer to youre demand, (quod sche,) of my ratificatioun, I do remember all thai thingis that yow haif recited unto me; and I wald the Quene, my gude-sister, suld think that I do respect the resolute ansuer in this mater, and performyng thairof, untill suche tyme as I may have the advyses of the Noblis and Estaitis of my awin Realme, quhilk I trust sall not be lang a doing; for I intend to mak my voyage thither schortlie. And thocht this mater (quod scho) dois twiche me principallie, yit dois it also twiche the Noblis and Estaitis of my Realme too; and thairfoir it salbe meit, that I use thair advyses thairin. Heirtofoir, thai haif semed to be greved that I suld do ony thing without thame; and now thai wald be mair offendit gif I suld proceid in this mater of my self, without thair advyses. I do intend (quod scho) to send Monsieur Dosell² to the Quene youre Maistres, my gude-sister, quho sall declair that unto hir from me, that, I trust, sall satisfie hir; by quhom I will gif hir to understand of my jurnay into Scotland. I meyne to embarque at Calice. The King hes lent me certane galeis and schippis, to convoy me hame; and I intend to requyre of my gude-sister those favouris that princes usis to do in those cases. And thocht the termes quhairin we haif heirtofoir [been], hes bene some quhat hard,* yet, I trust that from hensfurth we sall accord togidder as cousignes and gude nychtbouris. I meyne (quod scho) to reteir all the Frenche men furth of Scotland, quho hes gevin jelose to the Quene, my gude-sister, and miscontentment to my subiectis; so as I will leve nathing undone to satisfie all parties, trusting the Quene, my gude-sister, will do the lyke, and that from hensfurth none of my disobedient subjectis (gif thair be ony suche) sall fynd ayd or supporte at hir handis."

I answered, "That I was nocht desyrous to fall in the discours how those hard termes first beganne, nor by quhat meanys thai wer nurischit; becaus thairin I most charge some partie with injurie, and perrel offered to the Quene my maistres, quhilk wes the verray ground of those materis: Bot I wes weill assured thair culd be no better occasioun offered to put the formar unkyndnes in forgetfulnes, than by ratifyeing the Treatie of Peace, for that suld repay all injureis past. And Madame, (quod I,) quhair it plesis yow to suspend the Ratificatioun, untill yow haif the advyses of the Nobles and Estatis of youre Realme, the Quene my maistres dois nothing doubt of thair conformitie in this mater, becaus the Treatie wes maid by thair consentis."

[Sidenote: SA THAT SCHO MYCHT HAIF INGLAND AND THE PAIPIS RELIGIOUN, I THINK SCHO LYET NOT.]

The Quene answered, "Yea, by some of thame, but not by all. It will appeir, quhen I cum amangis thame, quhidder thai be of the same mynd that yow say thai wer than of, [or no:] Bot of this I assure yow, Monsieur l'Ambassadour, (quod scho,) I, for my parte, am verray desyrouse to haif the perfite and the assured amitie of the Quene, my gude-sister, and will use all the meanis I can to geve hir occasioun to think that I meane it in deid."

I answered, "Madame, the Quene my maistres, yow may be assurit, will use the lyik towardis yow, to move yow to be of the same opinioun towardis hir."

[Sidenote: THE FEIR OF GOD IN THE HERT OF HELIAS WAS DISOBEDIENCE TO CURSIT JESABELL.]

"Than (said scho) I traist the Quene your maistres, will not support nor encurage none of my subjectis to continew in thair disobedience, nor to tak upone thame thingis that appertene not to subjectis."—[This we mon answer heir: It appertenis to subjectis to wirschip God as he hes commandit, and to suppres idolatrie, by quhomsoevir it be erected or mayntened.]³

[Sidenote: GOD GEVIS HIS LAW ALSWEILL TO THE PRINCE AS TO THE SUBJECT.]

"Yow knaw, (quod scho,) thair is moche ado in my Realme about materis of religioun; and thocht thair be a greittar nomber of a contrarie religioun unto me then I wald thair war, yit thair is na ressone that subjectis suld gif a law to thair Soverane, and speciallie in materis of religioun, quhilk, I feare, (quod scho,) my subjectis sall tak in hand."—[Answer for the parte of Scotland: and gif sa thai haid done, thai haid eschapit Goddis indignatioun, quhilk hes bene felt, and still hingis over this Realme, for the idolatrie and other abominationis committit in the same, quhilk sall not ceise till that it be suppressit.]⁴

I answerit, "Madame, youre realme is in na uther caise at this day, than all uther realmes of Christiandome ar; the prufe quhairof you see verefied in this realme: and you see quhat grit difficultie it is to gif ordour in this mater, thocht the King and all his Counsall be verray desyrouse thairunto. Religioun is of the grittest force that may be. You haif bene lang out of your awin realme, so as the contrarie religioun to youris hes wone the upper hand, and the grittest parte of youre realme. Youre Mother wes a woman of greit experience, of deip dissimulatioun, and keipit that Realme in quyetness, till scho begane to constraine⁵ menis consciences; and as you think it unmeit to be constranit by your subjectis, so it may lyk you to considder, the mater is also intollerabill to thame to be constraynit by you in materis of conscience; for the dewtie deu to God can not be gevin to ony uther without offence of his Majestie." "Quhy, (said scho,) God dois command subjectis to be obedient to thair Princes, and commandis Princes to reid his law, and governe thairby thame selfis and the peple committit to thair chargis." Answer, "Yea, Madame, (quod I,) in those thingis that be not aganis his commandimentis." "Weill, (quod scho,) I will be plane with you: the Religioun that I profess, I tak to be maist acceptable to God: and, in deid, neither do I knaw nor desire to knaw any uther. Constancie dois become all folkis weill; but none better than Princes, and suche as have reull over Realmes, and speciallie in materis of Religioun." [The Turk is als constant in his Alcoram, as the Paip and his sect ar in his constitutionis.]⁶ "I haif bene brocht up, (quod scho,) in this Religioun; and quho mycht creditt me in ony thing gif I suld schaw my self lycht in this case; and thocht I be young and nott weill learned, yitt haif I herd this mater oft disputed by my Uncle my Lord Cardinall, with some that thocht thai could say somquhat in the mater; and I fand thairin na grit ressone to change my opinioun." [Neather yitt did Caiaphas, quhen Christ Jesus did reassone in his presence: Bot quhat wes the Cardinall compelled to confesse at Poysie?]⁶

"Madame, (quod I,) gif you will juge weill in that mater, you mon be conversant in the Scriptures, quhilk ar the tuichstone to try the rycht from the wrang. Paradventure, you ar so partiallie affected to your Uncle's argument, that you culd not indifferentlie considder the uther partie. Yit this I assure you, Madame, (quod I,) your Uncle my Lord Cardinall, in conference with me about these materis, hes confessed, that thair be grit errouris and abuses come into the Kirk, and grit disordour in the Ministeris and Clargye; insomuche that he desyred and wisched that thair mycht be a reformatioun of the ane and of the uther." "I have oftyne tymes hard him say the lyik," (quod scho.) Than I said, "Weill, I trust God will inspyre all you that be Princes, that thair be some gude ordour tackin in this mater, so as thair may be one unitie in Religioun throcht all Christiandome."

[Sidenote: CHANGE IT NOT BEFOIR YOW HAVE IT; FOR DANSING AND HIR SISTER IS THE GROUND OF THAT QUHILK YIT YE HAIF PROFESSIT.]

"God grant, (quod scho,) bot for my parte, you may perceave I am none of those that will change my Religioun, everie yeir. And, as I tauld you in the begynnyng, I meyne to constrane none of my subjectis, bot wald wische that thai wer all as I am; and I trust thai suld haif na supporte to constrane me. I will send Monsieur Dosell, (quod scho,) to you befoir he go, to knaw quhether you will ony thing into Ingland. I pray you, so ordour yourself in this mater, betwix the Quene my gud sister and me, that thair may be perfite and sure amitie betwix us; for I knaw, (quod scho,) Ministeris may do muche gude and harme."

I tauld hir, "I wald faithfullie and treulie mak declaratioun, of all that scho haid said unto me, unto your Majestie; and trusted that scho wald so satisfie your Majestie by Monsieur Dosell in all thingis, as I suld heirefter have no moir occasionis to treatie with hir of ony thingis bot of the encrease of amitie." Scho said, "Thair suld be no want thairin on hir behalf."

"This is the effect of the Quene of Scotlandis answer to youre Majesteis demand of hir said Ratificatioun, and of my negotiatioun with hir at this tyme."

These advertisementis somewhat exasperated the Quene of Ingland, and nott altogither without cause; for the armys of Ingland wer befoir usurpit by oure Soverane, and by hir husband Francis; and Elizabeth, Quene of Ingland, wes of the Gwysians reputed litill better then a bastard. It was appointed that this titill suld be renuncit. Bot heirof haid oure proude and vane glorious Quene no plesour, and especiallie efter that hir husband was deid; for, thocht scho, the toluyke of Ingland⁷ sall allure mony wowaris to me. The Gwysians and the Paipistis of baith the Realmes did not a litill animat hir in that persute; the effect quhairof will sonar appeir then the godlie of Ingland wald desyre: And yit is scho that now reigneth ovir thame, neather gude Protestant, nor yit resolute Papist: Lat the warld juge quhilk is the thrid.

Queyn Elizabeth,⁸ we say, offendit with the former ansueris, wrait unto the Nobilitie and Estaittis of Scotland, in forme as followis:—

RYCHT trusty and rycht enteirlie belovit Cousingis, we greit yow. We doubt not, bot as oure menyng is, and hes bene alwayis sithence oure regne, in the sycht of Almichty God, streycht and direct towart the advancement of his honour and trewth in religioun, and consequentlie to procure peace and mayntene concord betwix baith thir Realmes of Ingland and Scotland; so also our outwarde actis have weill declared the same to the warld, and speciallie to yow, being oure nychtbouris, quho have taisted and proved in these oure friendschip and ernest gude will, mair then we think any of youre antecessouris have ever receaved from hence; yea, moir then a greit nomber of youre selfis culd weill houpe of us, all former examples being weill weyit and considered. And this we haif to rejoise of, and so may ye be glaid, that quhair, in the begynnyng of the trublis in that cuntrey, and of our succours ment for yow, the jelosie, or rather the malice of diverse, boith in that Realme and in uther cuntreis, wes suche, boith to deprave boith us in the yielding, and yow in requyring our aide, that we were noted to have meant the surprise of that Realme, by depryving of your Soverane the Quene of hir croune, and yow or the greittar parte of yow to haif intendit by our succour the lyik; and ather to prefer some other to the croune, or ellis to mak of that monarchie a commonweill: materis verray sclanderouse and false. Bot the end and determinatioun, yea, the haill course and process of the actioun on boith oure partis have manifested, boith to the sclanderaris, and to all utheris, that no thing wes more meant and prosecuted, then to establish youre Soverane the Quene, our cousigne and sister, in hir estait and crowne, the possessioun quhairof wes in the handis of strangearis. And althocht no wordis culd then weill satisfie the malitious, yit our deids do declair, that no uther thing wes soucht, but the restitutioun of that Realme to the auncient libertie, and, as it wer, to redeme it frome captivitie. Off these oure purposes and deidis, thair remanis, amongis uther argumentis, gude testimonye by a solempne treatie and accord, maid the last yeir at Edinburgh, by Commissionaris sent boith from us and from your Quene, with full auctoritie in wryting, under boith our handis, and the Greit Seills of boith oure Realmes, in suche maner as uther Princes, oure progenitouris, have alwayes used. By quhilk treatie and accord, eather of us have fullie accordit with uther, to keip gude peace and amitie betwix oure selfis, oure countreis, and subjectis. And in the same also ane gude accord is maid, nott onlie of certane quarrellis happened betwix us, bot also of some differences betwix the Ministeris of the lait Frenche King, your Soveranis husband, and yow the Estaittis of that Realme, for the alteratioun of lawis and customes of that countrey attemptit by thame. Upone quhilk accord thair maid and concludit, hes hitherto followit, as yow knaw, suyrtie to your Soveranis estait, quyetnes to your selfis, and a better peace betwix boyth Realmes, then ever wes herd of in any tyme past. Nevertheless, how it happeneth we knaw not, [—We can: for scho in hir consait thinkis hir self Quene of boyth,]⁹ that your Soverane eather not knawing in this parte hir awin felicitie, or ellis dangerouslie seduced by perverse counsall, quhairof we wald be most sorye; being of lait at sundry tymes requyred by us, according to hir Band remanying with us, signed with hir awin hand, and sealled with the Greit Seall of that Realme, and allowed by yow being the Estaittis of the same, to ratifie hir said Treatie, in like maner as we by wryting have done, and ar reddy to deliver¹⁰ it to hir, [yet she] makketh suche delatorie answeris thairinto, as quhat we sall juge thairof, we perseave by hir answer, that it is meit to requyre of yow. For althocht scho hes alwayis answerit, since the deith of hir Husband, that in this mater scho wald first understand the myndis of certane of yow, befoir scho wald mak answer; and so having now of long tyme suspendit oure expectatioun, in the end, nochtwithstanding that scho hes haid conference boyth by messingeris, and by some of your selfis being with hir, yit scho still delayis it, alledgeing to oure Ambassadour in France (quho said that this Treatie wes maid by your consentis) it was not by consent of yow all; and so wald have us forbeir, unto scho sall returne in that hir countrey. And now seing that hir ansuer dependis, as it suld seme, by hir wordis, upone your opinionis, we can nott bot planelie latt yow all understand, that this maner of ansuer, without some moir frute, can nott long content us. We have meant weill to our sister your Quene in tyme of offence gevin to us by hir. We did planelie, without dissimulatioun, charge hir in hir awin dowbtfull estait: quhylest strangearis possessit hir Realme, we stayed it from danger. And now, having promissed to keip gude peace with hir, and you hir subjectis, we have hitherto observed it; and salbe sorye gif eather scho or yow sall geve us contrary cause. In a mater so profitable to boyth the Realmes, we think it strange that your Quene hes no better advise: and thairfoir we do requyre yow all, being the Estaittis of that Realme, upone quhom the burthen resteth, to considder this mater deiplie, and to mak us ansuer quhairunto we may trust. And gif yow sall think meit scho sall thus leif the peace imperfite, by breking of hir solempned promeis, contrary to the ordour of all princes, we salbe weill content to accept your ansuer, and salbe als cairless to see the peace kepit, as ye sall gif us cause; and doubt nott, by the grace of God, bot quhosoever of yow sall first inclyne thairto sall soonest repent. Yow must be content with oure plane writing. And, on the uther syid, gif yow continew all of one mynd to have the peace inviolablie keipit, and sall so by your advise procure the Quene to ratifie it, we also planelie promisse yow, that we will also continew oure gude dispositioun to keip the same in such gude termes as now it is: and in so doing, the honour of Almychty God sall be dewly soucht and promoted in boyth Realmes; the Quene your Soverane sall enjoy hir stait with suyrtie; and your selfis possesse that quhilk yow have with tranquillitie, to the encreas of your families and posterities quhilk by the frequent warris heirtofoir your ancestouris never haid long in one estaite.

To conclude, We requyre yow to advertise us of quhat mynd yow be, speciallie gif yow all continew in that mynd, that yow meane to have the peace betwix boith the Realmes perpetuallie keipit. And gif yow sall forbeir ony long tyme to advertise us, ye sall geve to us some occasioun of doubt, quhairof moir hurt may grow than gude.

From, &c.

These letteris receaved and perused, albeit the Estatis culd nott be convened, yit did the Counsall, and some utheris also in particulare, returne ansures with resonable diligence. The tennour of oure Letteris was this:—