Part 13
I beleve thay have bene at schuillis togidder. He has ever the teir in his eye; he salutis every body, zea unto the leist, and makis pieteous caressing unto thame to mak thame have pietie on him. This day his father bled at the mouth and nose; ges quhat presage that is. I have not zit sene him, he keipis his chamber. The King desyris that I suld give him meit with my awin handis; but gif {give} na mair traist quhair ze ar than I sall do heir.
This is my first journay {day's work.} I sall end ye same ye morne. I wryte all thingis, howbeit thay be of lytill wecht, to the end that ze may tak the best of all to judge upon. I am in doing of ane work heir that I hait greitly.[38] Have ye not desyre to lauch to see me lie sa weill, at ye leist to dissembill sa weill, and to tell him treuth betwix handis {_i.e._ occasionally.} He schawit me almaist all yat is in the name of the Bischop and Sudderland, and zit I have never twichit ane word of that ze schawit me; but allanerly {only} be force, flattering, and to pray him to assure himself of me. And be pleinzing on the Bischop I have drawin it all out of him.[39] Ze have hard the rest.
We are couplit[40] with twa fals races; the devil sinder us and God knit us togidder for ever, for the maist faithfull coupill that ever He unitit. This is my faith; I will die in it.
Excuse I wryte evill, ze may ges ye half of it; bot I cannot mend it, becaus I am not weil at eis; and zit verray glaid to wryte unto zow quhen the rest are sleipand, sen {since} I cannot sleip as they do and as I wald desyre, that is, in your armes, my deir lufe, quhome I pray God to preserve from all evill, and send yow repois; I am gang and to seik myne till ye morne, quhen I sall end my Bybill; bot I am faschit {troubled} that it stoppis me to wryte newis of myself unto zow, becaus it is sa lang. Advertise me quhat ye have deliberat to do in the mater ze know upon this point to ye end, that we may understand utheris {each other} weill, that nathing may thairthrow be spilt.
I am irkit {weary}[41] and ganging to sleip, and zit I ceis not to scrible all this paper in sa mekle as restis thairof. Waryit mot this pockische man be that causes me haif sa mekle pane, for without him I suld have an far plesander subject to discourse upon. He is not over mekle deformit,[42] zit he hes ressavit verray mekle. He hes almaist slane me with his braith; it is worse than your uncle's;[43] and zit I cum na neirer unto him, bot in ane chyre[44] at the bed feit, and he being at the uther end thairof.
The message of the father in the gait {way}.
The purpois {talk}[45] of Schir James Hamiltoun.
Of that the Laird of Lusse schawit me of the delay.
Of the demandis that he askit at Joachim.
Of my estait.
Of my company.
Of the occasioun of my cumming;
And of Joseph.
_Item._ The purpois that he and I had togidder.
Of the desyre that he has to pleis me, and of his repentance.
Of the interpretatioun of his letter.
Of Willie Hiegaite's mater {business}, of his departing.
Of Monsiure de Levingstoun.
I had almaist forzet, that Monsiure de Levingstoun said in the Lady Reres eir at supper, that he wald drink to ye folk yat I wist of, gif I wald pledge thame. And efter supper he said to me, quhen I was lenand
upon him warming me at the fyre. Ze have {fair} {sair}
going to se seik folk,[46] zit ze cannot be sa welcum to thame as ze left sum body this day in regrait, that will never be blyth quhill he se zow agane. I askit at him quha that was. With that he thristit my body, and said, that sum[47] of his folkis had sene zow in fascherie; ze may ges at the rest.
I wrocht this day quhill {till} it was twa houris upon this bracelet, for to put the key of it within the lock thairof, quhilk is couplit underneth with twa cordounis. I have had sa lytill tyme that it is evill maid; bot I sall mak ane fairer in the meane tyme. Tak heid that nane that is heir se it, for all the warld will knaw it, becaus for haist it was made in yair presence.
I am now passand to my fascheous {hateful} purpois.[48] Ze gar (force) me dissemble sa far that I haif horring thairat; and ye caus me do almaist the office of a traitores. Remember how gif {if} it wer not to obey zow, I had rather be deid or I did it;[49] my hart bleidis at it. Summa, he will not cum with me, except upon conditioun that I will promeis to him, that I sall be at bed and buird with him as of befoir, and that I will leif him na ofter:[50] And doing this upon my word, he will do all thingis that I pleis, and cum with me. Bot he has prayit me to remane upon him quhil uther morne[51] {till tomorrow}.
He spak verray bravely[52] at ye beginning, as yis beirer will schaw zow, upon the purpois of the Inglismen, and of his departing; Bot in ye end he returnit agane to his humilitie.
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.
Remember zow of the purpois[62] of the Lady Reres
Of the Inglismen Of his mother. Of the Erle of Argyle. Of the Erle of Bothwell. Of the ludgeing in Edinburgh.
[The memoranda in the middle of the letter constitute the "thing that is scriblit," for which pardon is asked in the last sentence. The concluding words, from "Remember" to "Edinburgh," are instructions for the bearer.]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- _E._ = _English_; _F._= _Published French_; _L._ = _Latin_.
[20] _E._ "Considering what the body may without heart, which was cause ... that till dinner I had used little talk." So also French, but Latin as in Scots.
[21] _E._ Adds after "letters," " ... as though there had been a meaning to pursue him."
[22] _L._ and _F._ Omit "He desired ... refusit it."
[23] _E._ "The Lord Luse, Houstoun, and the son of Caldwell, and about forty horse came to meet me, and he told me that he was sent to one day o' law from the father, which should be this day," &c. _L._ and _F._ as in Scots.
[24] _E._ Omits "I see ... company."
[25] _E._ Omits "yesternight;" _L._ "heri;" _F._ "hier."
[26] _E._ ... "Whether it were for any good appointment that he came, and whether I had not taken Paris and Gilbert to write, and that I sent Joseph."
_L._ "Item cur venisrem? an reconciliationis causa? ac nominatim, an tu hic esses? An familiae catalogum fecissem? An Paridem et Gilbertum acceptissem, qui mihi scriberent? an Josephum dimissura essem?"
_F._ "Item pour quoy j'estoye venue, et si c'estoit pour faire une reconciliation; si vous estiez icy; et si j'avoye faict quelque rolle de mes domestiques; si j'avois prins Paris et Gilbert, afin qu'ils m'escrivissent; et si je ne vouloye pas licentier Joseph."
[27] Scots has a marginal note, "This berer will tell you sumwhat upon this," which appears in the English text and is omitted in the other versions.
[28] This berer will tell you somewhat upon this. [Marginal note in original.]
[29] _E._ "He said that he did dream, and that he was so glad to see me that he thought he should die--indeed, that he had found fault with me." _L._ and _F._ as in _S._
[30] _E._ "You have well pardoned them." _F._ and _L._ as in _S._
[31] _E._ "And at the last repent, and rebuke himself by his repentance." _L._ and _F._ as in _S._
[32] _E._ "The rest, as Will Hiegate hath confessed; but it was the next day that he came hither." _L._ and _F._ as in _S._
[33] _E._ omits "I trow ... Presoner."
[34] _E._ "He denyeth it, and saith that he had already prayed them to think no such matter of him." _L._ and _F._ as in _S._
[35] _E._ "And indeed it was said that I refused to have him let blood." _L._ and _F._ as in _S._
[36] _L._ "Praesidium." _F._ "Forteresse."
[37] _E._ "By that false race that would do no less to yourself." _L._ "A gentle illa perfida, quae non minore contentione te cum de hoc ipso aget." _F._ "Par ceste nation infidele, qui avec non moindre opiniastrete debatra le mesme avec vous."
[38] _E._ Adds after "greitly"--"but I had begun it this morning."
[39] _E._ Adds after "all out of him"--"I have known what I would. I have taken the worms out of his nose."
[40] _E._ "We are tied to with two false races. The good yure {goujere} untye us from them. God forgive me, and God knit us together forever." _L._ "Diabolus nos sejungat, ac nos conjugat Deus in perpetuum," &c. _F._, "Le diable nous vueille separer, et que Dieu nous conjoingne a jamais," &c.
[41] _E._ "I am weary, and am asleep." _L._ "Ego nudata sum, ac dormitum eo." _F._, "Je suis toute nue, et m'en vay coucher." [The Latin and French translation mistook "irkit" for "nakit."]
[42] _E._ "He is not much the worse, but he is ill arrayed." _L._ "Non magnopere deformatus est, multum tamen accepit." _F._ "Il n'a pas este beaucoup rende diforme, toutesfois il en a pris beaucoup."
[43] _L._ "Propinqui." _F._ "Parent."
[44] _E._ "By his bolster, and he lieth at the further side of the bed." _L._ "Ad pedes ejus." _F._ "A ses pieds."
[45] _E._ "The talk of Sir James Hamilton of the ambassador." _L._ and _F._ as in _S._
_E._ "Lord of Lusse." _L._ "Lussae Comarchus." _F._ "Le prevost de Lusse."
[46] _E._ "You may well go and see sick folk." _L._ "Bella huiusmodi hominum visitatio." _F._ "Voyla une belle visitation de telles gens." [_L._ and _F._ translators confusing _sik_ (sick) and _sik_ (such).]
[47] _E._ "And said, 'One of his folk that hath left you this day.'" _L._ "Respondit, unus eorum qui te reliquerunt." _F._ "Respondit, c'est l'un de ceux qui vous ont laissee."
[48] _E._ "To my tedious talk." _L._ "Ad institutum meum odiosum." _F._ "A ma deliberation odieuse."
[49] _E._ Omits "or I did." _L._ and _F._ as in _S._
[50] _E._ "No more." _L._ "Ne saepius." _Fr._ "Ne ... si souvent."
[51] _E._ "Till after tomorrow." _L._ "In diem perendinum." _F._ "Encor deux jours."
[52] _E._ "More pleasantly." _L._ "Valde ferociter." _F._ "Fort asprement."
[53] _E._ "Make but one bed." _L._ "Communem fore lectum." _F._ "Ne faisions plus qu'un lict."
[54] _F._ "But did fear lest, considering the threatening which he made in case we did agree together, he would make them feel the small account they have made of him, and that he would persuade me to pursue some of them." _L._ "Sed in timore futuros quod comitatus fuisset, si aliquando inter nos concordes essemus, se daturum operam ut intelligerent quam parvi eum aestimassent; item quod mihi consuluisset ne gratiam quorundam seorsum a se expeterem." _F._ "Ains seroient en crainte de ce qu'il m'auroit suivy. Et si nous pouvions estre d'acord ensemble, qu'il pourroit donner ordre, qu'ils entendroient combien peu ils l'avoient estime. Item de ce qu'il m'avoit conseille, que je ne recerchasse la bonne grace d'aucuns sans luy."
[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 congreuees; 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 petits."
[57] _E._ "To conclude, for assurety 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]