Mary Queen of Scots, 1542-1587. Various

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ

       Table of Contents

       Throckmorton to the Queen. Foreign Calendar, Elizabeth.

      "Well," said she {Mary}, "I will be plain with you, and tell you what I would all the world should think of me. The religion that I profess I take to be most acceptable to God, and, indeed, neither do I know, nor desire to know, any other. Constancy doth become most folks well, but none better than princes and such as hath rule over realms, and especially in the matter of religion. I have been brought up in this religion, and who might credit me in anything if I should show myself light in this case?"

      REQUEST FOR A PASSPORT

      Ibid., July 11.

      The Queen of Scotland, Queen Dowager of France, desires to obtain the following from her good sister, the Queen of England, and has charged M. D'Oysel to the same effect:—

      1. A passport for her, with a clause that if she arrives in any part of England, she may tarry there, and purchase provisions and necessaries, and if it seems good to her, that she may leave her ships and pass by land to Scotland.

      2. Another safe conduct for her to pass through England to Scotland with her train, and one hundred horses, mules, &c.

      3. Another safe conduct, with commission for the said M. D'Oysel to go and return through England to Scotland.

      [D'Oysel had an interview with Elizabeth, who inquired about the ratification of the Treaty of Edinburgh, and declined to grant the safe-conduct "except she (Mary) shall first accord to do those things that by her promise, under her hand and seal, she is bound to do."—Foreign Calendar, July 13th, 1561.]

      A WORDY WARFARE

1561.—July 26. Throckmorton to Queen Elizabeth.

       Table of Contents

      Cabala, pp. 345–349.

      LANGUAGE THAT BECOMETH A QUEEN

      … The 20th of this present, in the afternoon, I had access to the said Queen of Scotland … the said Queen sat down, and made me sit also by her; she then commanded all the audience to retire them further off, and said: Monsieur l'Ambassadeur, I know not well my own infirmity, nor how far I may with my passion be transported, but I like not to have so many witnesses of my passions, as the Queen, your mistress, was content to have when she talked with Monsieur d'Oysel. There is nothing that doth more grieve me, than that I did so forget myself, as to require of the Queen, your mistress, that favour which I had no need to ask; I needed no more to have made her privy to my journey, than she doth me of hers; I may well enough pass home into my own realm, I think, without her passport or license; for though the late King, your master (said she), used all the impeachment he could both to stay me and to catch me when I came hither, yet you know, Monsieur l'Ambassadeur, I came hither safely, and I may have as good means to help me home again as I had to come hither, if I would employ my friends. … Let the Queen, your mistress, think that it will be thought very strange amongst all princes and countries, that she should first animate my subjects against me, and now being widow, to impeach my going into my own country. I ask her nothing but friendship. I do not trouble her State, nor practise with her subjects; and yet I know there be in her realm that be inclined enough to bear offers; I know also they be not of the mind she is of, neither in religion or other things. The Queen, your mistress, doth say that I am young and do lack experience! indeed (quoth she), I confess, I am younger than she is, and do want experience. But I have age enough and experience to use myself towards my friends and kinsfolks friendly and uprightly; and I trust my discretion shall not so fail me, that my passion shall move me to use other language of her than it becometh of a Queen, and my next kinswoman. … I answered, madam, I have declared unto you my charge commanded by the Queen, my mistress, and have no more to say to you on her behalf, but to know your answer for the ratification of the Treaty. The Queen answered, I have aforetime showed you, and do now tell you again, that it is not meet to proceed in this matter, without the advice of the nobles and states of mine own realm, which I can by no means have until I come amongst them. … But I pray you, Monsieur l'Ambassadeur (quoth she), tell me how vieth this strange affection in the Queen, your mistress, towards me? I desire to know it, to the intent that I may reform myself if I have failed. I answered … As soon as the Queen, my mistress, after the death of her sister, came to the crown of England, you bore the arms of England diversely quartered with your own, and used in your country notoriously the style and title of the Queen, my mistress, which was never by you put in use in Queen Mary's time. … Monsieur l'Ambassadeur (said she), I was then under the commandment of King Henry, my father, and of the King, my lord and husband; and whatsoever was done then by their order and commandments, the same was in like manner continued until both their deaths, since which time, you know, I neither bore the arms nor used the title of England. … It were no great dishonour to the Queen my cousin, your mistress, though I, a Queen also, did bear the arms of England; for, I am sure, some, inferior to me, and that be not on every side so well apparented as I am, do bear the arms of England. You cannot deny (quoth she) but that my grandmother was the King her father's sister, and (I trow) the eldest sister he had. I do assure you, Monsieur l'Ambassadeur, and do speak unto you truly as I think, I never meant nor thought matter against the Queen, my cousin. … And so I took my leave of the said Queen for that time.

      TO DIE MIGHT BE BETTER THAN TO LIVE

      … And to the intent I might better decipher, whether the Queen of Scotland did mind to continue her voyage, I did, the … 21st of July … repair to the said Queen of Scotland to take my leave of her. … The said Queen made answer, Monsieur l'Ambassadeur, if my preparations were not so much advanced as they are, peradventure the Queen your mistress's unkindness might stay my voyage; but now I am determined to adventure the matter, whatsoever come of it. I trust (quoth she) the wind will be so favourable, as I shall not need to come on the coast of England; and if I do, then, Monsieur l'Ambassadeur, the Queen your mistress shall have me in her hands to do her will of me; and if she be so hard-hearted as to desire my end, she may then do her pleasure, and make sacrifice of me; peradventure that casualty might be better for me than to live; in this matter (quoth she) God's will be fulfilled.

      "ADIEU, PLAISANT PAYS DE FRANCE"

1561.—August 12. The Voyage from France to Scotland.

       Table of Contents

      Cecil to the Earl of Sussex. Wright's Elizabeth, vol. i. p. 69.

      The Scottish Queen was the 10th of this month at Boulogne, and meaneth to take shipping at Calais. Neither those in Scotland nor we here do like her going home. The Queen's Majesty hath three ships in the north seas to preserve the fishers from pirates. I think they will be sorry to see her pass.

      Cecil to Throgmorton, August 26. Hardwicke's State Papers, vol. i. p. 176.

      The 19th of this present, in the morning early, she {Mary} arrived at Leith with her two galleys, her whole train not exceeding sixty persons of meaner sort. … The Queen's Majesty's ships that were upon the seas to cleanse them from pirates saw her and saluted her galleys, and staying her ships examined them of pirates and dismissed them gently. One Scottish ship they detain, as vehemently suspected of piracy.

      From СКАЧАТЬ