No. XV. Vol. I. Page 133.

THE authenticity of this parliamentary document is disputed by Whitaker, because another "Account of Lord Herries' behaviour in the parliament 1567," is erroneous. But Argyle, Huntley, and Herries, were engaged in the association for the queen at Hamilton (Keith, 436.), and without their submission, would neither have been admitted to their seats, nor would the two former have been chosen as lords of articles, or selected to bear the regalia, at the first parliament held in the king's name. Their submission therefore is certain, and they protested for their own security, that no fault should be imputed to them for any cause begun or done since the 10th of July, for which the regent accordingly freely forgave them. The only material error which I have discovered in Robertson, is, the reliance inadvertently placed in his Dissertation, upon the other unauthenticated paper, or the Account of Lord Herries' behaviour, who made a notable harangue in the name of the duke and his friends (the Duke, Cassillis, and Kilwinning being present) for their union and submission to the regent, that if the queen were in Scotland with 20,000 men they would be of the same mind; and hoping that Huntley, Argyle, and others, (not present) would do the same. Robertson, ii. 339461. Hamilton, Cassillis, and Kilwinning were absent, Argyle and Huntley were present at the parliament 1567, and the Account is evidently a Paper of intelligence from the north of England, to which, as to other papers we have met with, a conjectural and false date

has been since assigned. It relates to a convention held by the regent on his return from England 1568-9, when the queen was not in Scotland, when the duke and his friends (Cassillis and Herries) were all present, and when Argyle and Huntley apparently were absent. History of K. James VI. It is written in English, not in Scotch, is signed by no one, and was found in the Paper-office, and not among the Cecil, or Cotton papers, The supposition that it was forged and produced at the conference, requires us to believe, that Murray would represent the Duke, (who had returned to England, on Elizabeth's passport, during the conferences,) as present in Scotland, when he had notoriously remained in France since the Raid of Beith. Whitaker, iii. 17.

No. XVI. Vol. I. Page 154.

Letter from Mr. John Wood to Cecil, dated York,
October 9th, 1568.

original:

fice. M.

SHIR-Atfer maist humble comendation of my From the service, pleis, I arryvit heir at Yorke this fryday tymlie Paper Ofin the morning, and fand nothing done but only pream- Crawford's bles to the matter in hand. But that same day was the MSS. complaint given in be those that standeyth heyr for the part of the Q. our souvrayns mother against my lord regent, and the utheris for the king, who were desyrit to have answered this day butt when thair defence behooffyt to haif includit the accusaition and tryall of the Q. in the cause of the murther, the whole noblemen " heir, on the king's party, gef in thir headis quhilks I am assured eumis to your handis to be resolved of; and albeit all us think it neidful to be resolved, yet in so weighty ane cause I might judge with your pardon that the delay of ansuering to the accusation proposed is of dyverse ment dyverslye, and all wald suyr and he that sees maist the danger, dois fear and stay quhil he may resolve quhilk way is surest, as oft I have proponed this danger now when it is at the pynche, I maist humbly beseych you Sir to consydder of the danger the delay may bring on so wechtye and so necessarye ane cause; and lett not (so far as in your wisdome lyeht) ceremonyes stay and utterly undoyn so godly and so good ane work begoun, for I dar assur you that thir things being resolved, that in furtherance of the rest of the cause the word of the Evangile sal be accomplyshed, et erint novissimi primi et primi &c. And

seeing now thai ar proponit, yff thay sall not take playn and clear resolution, it may mar all the cause; for as I oft haif said, I fynd men to be men, and the most part of the world to propone sensyble suyrtye to conscience and honor boyth; Besyds, my lord Hereis dois not evin heir ceyse and forbear to augment sinister suspitions of the outfalling of the matter, and speiks plainly and amply as to it: Last, Jhone of Beton at his last downcumyng brought sex thousand crowns to Bolton; yff yai wer angels thai wald flye abroad, and as yai ar no, I can not but, knawin the nature of men and the liberalite of the hand that hes thayme, bot he afrayed of the harme thay may do, yff not fully to let, yitt to prolong and stay att all hands and in all places quhan yai may serve the turn: heir for Shir remember my ernist desyir and lett the suyre remeid quhilk I shew you be haistallye prowydit in so gryitt an cause. This far I am bold to trouble your honor, and craif ernestlye to understand that it wald pleas the Q. majestie to encourage fearfull spreitts; and then ye wald persave the trewth wald quikly appeair, quhilk all honest harts man traist the rest to your wisdoms guid consideration, and so I humbly tak my leif comitting your honor to the protection of God, from York the ix of October 1568. Your honors to command at Service

doring lyiff.

M. JHONE WOOD.

IN abridging the numerous papers, which I have occasion to recite, I frequently adhere to the original words; for the fidelity of the abstract, I must appeal to the apologists for Mary themselves. Tytler, however, has affirmed, on the authority of this commission, that Mary, before she agreed to the conference, had insisted (on) and got Elizabeth's promise, that neither Murray nor his associates, should be admitted to her presence, any more than Mary herself. Tytler, i. 108-21. The words of the commission are," Knawing that the nobilitie of this realme are to assemble, and the matter maybe proponit in publick, we are resolute, considering. the matter that was spoken and promisit, that during this conference, the Erle of Murray principal of our rebels, suld not come in the presence of the Quene our gude sister, mair nor we: but be the contrair he being resavit and welcomit unto hir, and we ane free princess not having access to answer for our selve, as he and his complices; thinks therefoir ye can proceid na farther in this conference; for ther may be some heids proponitquhairto you can not answer of your selfis, unless we were there in proper persoun, to give answer to the calumnies quhilk may come in question aganis us, swa that partiality appeirs to be usit manifestly." Goodall, ii. 184. “Considering what was spoken and promised," refers to the assurance of Elizabeth's favour, in consequence of which, she was resolute, that Murray should have no more access than herself; and she concludes, that her commissioners should dissolve the conference,