Ormistoun vint parler a la Royne bien secretement à Lythquow."

That Melvil was a traitor because his father was executed in 1548, for his correspondence with his son in England; because he was recommended in 1559, by Throckmorton to Cecil; or because he says in his Memoirs, that Rokesby, a spy, was introduced in 1566 to the queen; whereas Rokesby says, that his introductory letter was delivered to Melvil, who was persuaded that he was one of her English partizans; is a conclusion not unworthy of Goodall. Melvil's account is confirmed by Randolph, that Rokesby's practices were so managed by Andrew Kerr, and the bishop of Ross, whose name Whitaker (ii. 481) tenderly omits, that they cannot be discovered. Keith, Appendix, 169. Rokesby was not then engaged as a spy by Cecil; (Haynes, 445) and it appears that Lesly was his patron at court. But Rokesby testifies even then to Bothwell's influence, "whom I might well perceive to be in more secret favour with her than any other." Id. 447. This was in the interval between the murder of Rizio, and the birth of James.

No. X. Vol. I. Page 101.

Letter of James Beton the Archbishop of Glasgow's brother, to his brother, Mr. Andrew, to be given to the Archbishop, containing the proceedings in Scotland from the 11th till the 17th of June, 1567.

BROTHER,

Ayscough's

from Mem.

I WRET to you the 11th of this present in sic haist Brit. Mus. as I think ye was little the wyser of my letter. Now Cat. 3199, haivand the commodetie and mair laiser to wret, ye Scot. sall understand,quhow the said day my Lords of Mortoun, Mar, Hume, Lindsay, the Lairds of Tillebairne, Lowchlaven, Baward, Grange, with sundrie oderis barronis to the nommer of nine hundereth or a thousand horsmen, arryvit in the morning about Borthwick, in deliberation to comprehend and tack my lord Duk, quha was in the said place with the queen's majestie. My lord Duk heiring of this enterpryse, thinking weill he suld be in mair sewrtie on the fields than in ane houss, passit forth and red away; quhairfor the said Lords being advertysit retirit back to Dakaith, and thairfra that samyn neicht to Edinburgh quhair thay war resaivit notwithstanding any command send be the Queen's majestie in the contrair to the town or castell. The town was warnit of thair arryving and had been all My Lord that day, fra the proclamation maid in the morning in Archbishop the Queen's name by the advyse of the Lords, as was drew's, my at that present in the town, that all manner of men suld be in his best apparaill of armis, and in reddiness to my Lord pass to, and relieve the Queen's majestie quha was Lord of saigit in Borthwick by the foresaid Lords. The Lords and Ross.

of St. An

Lord of

Huntlie,

Boyd, my

Galloway

that was in the town com to the gait for the defence of the town; quha efter lang raisoning with the prowest, hawand promise of him that he suld keep and defend the town, and that thay suld have na enteress, retirit thaimselfis to the castell. The order partie being arryvet at the portis, thay of the town oppenit noucht the saids portis to thaim, bot thay sufferit patientlie that thay war broken up. The hail assemblie being arryvit in the town, thay causit mak ane proclamation at the market croce, the quhilks sensyne thay have callit ane act: quhairoff ye sall receive the copie enclosit heir within. Sa sone as the Queen's majestie was advertysit that thay war arryvit in Edinburgh, she despechit the young laird of Rires to the Captain of the castell, desyrand him to mak the foresaids lords commandement to retire thame furth of the town, and cause thame to depart be violence. He obeyit her in the first point; for I understand he sent ane to thame and schaw quhat was the Queen's maiesties will and mynd: bot to this hour he has nocht schot, nother at ane nor oder. Monsieur de Croc writ both to the Queen's maiestie and to the Lords that day at morning, desyrand the lords to suffer him to cum and speik thaim. He schew to the Quein's maiestie quhow he had written to the lordis, and requyrit that it wald pleiss hir majestie to advertis him quhat sche wald command him to do in the caiss. Hir maiestie desyrit him, be hir ansowr, to speike thame and know of theim quhat was thair intension, and quhat thay wald be at. I red that saming morning to Borthwick to the Quein's maiestie, quhair I fand hir maiestie sa quyet that thair was noucht with hir passing six or seven persons, and thairfra returnit to speik the captain of the castell. Hir maiestie in mennis claiths, butit, and spurit, departit that saming neicht of Borthwick to Dunbar, quhairof na man knew saif my lord Duk and

The font of

gold that

ing of

my Lord

sum of his servants quha met her maiestie a myll of Borthwick and convoyit hir Hieness to Dunbar. Upon the morn the lordis passit to the Tolbuith and maid the foresaid act quhairoff ye have the copie, and thairefter cam to the Cwnzie houss, and twk wyth tham all cwny irnis and chargit Ihone Achesone to delyver tham the font, was send of England at the quhilk as thay wer sewrlie advertysit he had resa- the baptiswit, to be stroken and cwnzit. He delyverit it noucht at that present, bot thay got it afoir twa days thairefter. Prince. At thair returning fra the cwnzy houss thay cam to Monsieur de Crocs logings, and spak with him as thay promeist to ane gentleman he send to thaim that day in the morning. Efter lang communication between thaim and him, thay retirit thamsels to thair logings, and efter thair dinner retornit to the counsall, and as men may juge be it that followit sensyn, resolvit thaim to persew my lord Duk in quhatsomever part he was passit in. Thay causit that day to stryke the tabouring throuch the town, quhair thay promisit five pounds in the moneth to all that wald serve thame. I tarryit all that day in Edynburgh, as quha was uncertain quhair to find the Quein's maiestie. I was sewrlie advertysit her maiestie departit the neicht afoir of Borthwick, bot I knew noucht quhair sche was passit to. Being advertysit that neicht at evin that her majestie was arryvit in Dunbar, Captain Anstrodair and I departit of this town upon the 13 day tymlie at morning, and passit to Dunbar, quhair we fand hir maiesty and my lord Duk makand thaim for the feildis, wretand to all that wald do for thaim in their partis, to be in reddiness within 24 hours to pass with thaim to Edynburgh. I was send back to this town that saming neicht, to the Captain of the Castill, and was commandit to remain still in the castill with him and to persuade him, sa far as it lay in my power, to keep the castill to

hir beheive, and to do his dewtie quhantyme servit. Being arryvit in this town at ten hours at evin, I passit to Monsieur de Crocs logings, as being send to him, quhair I remainit the space of half an hour, and thairfra maid me to the castill. As I was in the way, being passit throch the watchis quha was on the castill-hill, within 20 paisse to the Castil zet, the Laird of Tillebairne and Raisyth quha was that neicht on the watche, hawand understud of my passand by thaim, cam with all possible diligence fra the watch quhilk, as said is, was on the castill hill, and brocht me back again. The Lordis being advertisit thairof, commandit the said Laird of Tillebairn to keep me till the morne; and swa he lodgit me for that neicht. Upon the morne, at twa hours of the morning, thair trumpet blew and thay for the maist part maid thame till thair horses: my lord Hume and his companie to the nommer of four or five hundereth horse, towarts Hadingtown to discover the feildis, and se gif my lord Duk was in thais partis or noucht. The Laird of Tillebairne with ane hundereth horse or ma, towarts Laithchow to meet my lord of Atholl and the maister of Graim (quha as was bruitit, could noucht haive passage throch the said town for my lord of Aberbrothok quha was in it to the nommer of four hundereth hors in deliberation to come and support the quein's majestie.) The laird of Tillebairne departand of the town, commandit sum of his servands to tak tent to me and keep me till his returning to the town; quha being sum pairt negligent, passit furth of his chalmer to do some oder business, believing that I sould noucht remove till thair retorning again. I seeing myself at sik libertie, betwixt 5 and 6 hours passit furth of the said chalmer to the castill, quhair, being arryvit, I doit my commission as was commandit me by the Queinis