Mary Queen of Scots, 1542-1587
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.
[69] _F._ in Record Office, "M'a preschè que c'estoit une folle entreprise, et qu'avecques mon honneur Je ne vous pourries Jamaiis espouser, veu qu'estant marié 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 à mary, puis que vous estiez marié, ny aller avec vous, et que ses gens mesmes ne le souffriroient pas voire que les Seigneurs contrediroyent á ce que en seroit proposé." _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." ------------------------------------------------------------------------