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not enterprize so to do, considering the sharp words that I had spoken to Conyngham, and that he desired that I would come to the enquisition of the facts which I did suspect him of: This last was of his own head without commission; and I told him that he had no receipt against fear, and that he had no fear, if he did not feel himself faulty. And that I had also sharply answered to the doubts that he made in his letters

as though there had been a meaning to pursue him. To be short, I have made him hold his peace; for the rest it were too long to tell you. Sir James Hamilton

which the variations of the English version," that he had no fear," (n'avoit point de peur)" if he did not feel himself (se trouvoit) faulty," "the doubts that he made," (qu'il fit) "sharply answered," point out the precise idiom of the French original.

7 The rest were lang to write.] Le reste seroit trop long à vous dire, as in the English version; and the Latin summa, which recurs so frequently, and was then prefixed to the sum total of accounts, is indisputably a substitute for the French word somme, in short. "Somme, elle nous renvoya au roy, sur ses termes de lui dire le tout." Murdin, 237.

The uther time.] Qu'autrefois, formerly, of which the literal translation, "the uther time," perplexes Whitaker to discover upon what former occasion it happened, ii. 27. Buchanan informs us incidentally, that when she had returned to Stirling, in the beginning of January, "quotidie se Glasguam ituram ostenderit," (349) upon which occasion Lennox, suspicious that his son was poisoned, and that he himself was in danger, left Glasgow, not on her arrival, but upon the report of her coming, of which she received the first intimation on her arrival now. And from this circumstance the forgery is inferred, because there was no preceding journey which would have rendered the present intelligence unnecessary.

my coming, he departit away, and sent Houstoun to schaw hym that he would nevir have belevit that he would have pursuit hym, nor yet accompaneit hym wyth the Hammeltonis. He auns werit that he was onely cum but to see me, and that he would neyther accompany Stewart nor Hamiltoun but by my commandement. He desyrit that he would cum and speake with hym, he refusit it. The Lard of Luse Houstoun and Cauldwellis sonne, wyth xl. horse or thairabout came and met me. The Lard of Luse sayd he was chargit to ane day of law10, by the kingis father, quhilk should be this day, against his owne hand writ, quhilk he hes. And yit notwithstandyng, knowyng of my cumyng it is delay it, he was inquirit to cum to hym, quhilk he refusit, and swearis that he will indure nothing of him. Nevir ane of the towne came to

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Accompaneit hym wyth.] S'accompagner avec, associated himself with the Hamiltons. It is observable, that suivre, the word that preceded it, is differently translated, "to pursue," and to follow, in the two versions; but that the Scotch is erroneous, appears from the answer. That he was only come, in the English version that he was not come, but to see me, each a literal translation of qu'il n'étoit venu que pour mne voir, and that he would neither accompany Stewart nor Hamilton but by my commandment; from which the question implies, not that he would pursue Lennox or the Stewarts, but that he would follow and accompany himself with the Hamiltons. The Scotch translator mistaking this for the explanation of a former passage, in the English version "as though there had been a meaning to pursue him," omitted that passage as unnecessary or as less explicit.

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came to meet me, who told me that at another time he went his way when he heard of my coming, and that he sent unto him Houstoun, to tell him that he would not have thought that he would have followed and accompany himself with the Hamiltons. He answered that he was not come but to see me, and that he would not follow Stuart nor Hamilton but by my commandment. He prayed him to go speak to him, he refuses it. The Lord Luse, Houstoun, and the son of Caldwell, and about 40 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, against the signing of his own hand writing, and that knowing of my coming he hath delayed it, and hath prayed him to go see him, which he hath refused, and swearing that he will suffer nothing at his hands. Not one of the town came to speak with me,

10 Ane day of law.] Though not uncommon at the time, this expression, which recurs in the second letter, is evidently translated in both versions, from un jour de loi, a court or law day, (Cotgr.) quhilk should be this day, qui devoit être cet jourd'hui-là.

"that

"Nevir ane of the towne.] In the Scottish edition, town;" Glasgow, where the queen then was, which is produced by Whitaker as an indisputable detection, ii. 36. At the utmost, it would amount only to an erroneous translation of cette ville, that, instead of this town. But the black letter contraction, though minute and indistinct, is evidently ye, when compared with others, four and sixteen pages afterwards, and the English version, "the town" removes the mistake.

speak to me, quhilke causis me thinke that they ale hys, and neverthelesse he speakis gude, at the least hys sonne 12. I see na uther gentleman but thay of my cumpany. The kyng sent for Ioachim yesternight, and askit at hym quhy I lodgeit not besyde hym13, and that he would ryse the soner gif that wer, and quhairfoir I come, gif it was for gude appointment 1, and gif ye wer thair in particular, and gif I had made my estait 15, gif I had taken Pareis and Gilbert to wryit

12 Nevertheless he speakis gude, at the least hys sonne.] Here the difference of the two versions may be ascribed to the queen's haste, and to the obscurity of the original. Pas un de la ville me vint parler, ce qui me fait penser qu'ils sont à lui, et ainsi ils parle bien, au moins son fils, which the Scotch translation would render, " nevertheless he speaketh gude," and the English with more diffidence, "they so speaketh well of them." Whether or not she meant, as an additional proof that the townsmen were his, that they spoke well, at least of the son, or that though they were his, he spoke fair, at least the son, the Latin translator guessed at the first, præterea loquuntur bene saltem de filio," as the only meaning of which the passage was susceptible.

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Besyde hym.] Près de lui, as in the English version, nigh to him."

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Gif it was for gude appointment.] Si pour bon appointement; from the obsolete word appointer, to accommodate, or terminate amicably. (Dict. de l'Acad.) Appointment was formerly used in Scotch and English for a treaty or public accommodation. (Goodall, ii. 184.226.384. Beaton's Letter, Append.) but a word expressive of Mary's situation with Darnley, is employed in the French idiom and obsolete ac

which maketh me to think that they be his, and they so speaketh well of them, at least his son. The king sent for Ioachim and asked him why I did not lodge nigh to him, and that he would rise sooner, and when I came, 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. I wonder who hath

ceptation, of a reconciliation or accord made between friends fallen out: (Cotgrave.) as in Mary's celebrated letter on Elizabeth's amours, "Le comte d'Oxford n'osoit ce rappointer auveques sa femme," Murdin, 559.

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15 Made my estait.] Another example of a phrase significant only in French. L'état d'une maison, signified then a list of the officers of the household, faire un état, to make or settle the list of the household; (Cotgr.) which the English translation omits as unintelligible, and the Scotch has literally transcribed from the French. Wilson, the Latin translator, perceived and preserved its meaning; "an familiæ catalogum fecissem," which the French translator has rendered, “ quelque rolle de domestiques," "expressing all that he found in the Latin," through which the original idiom was not perceptible. But Whitaker, though apprized by Lord Hailes (Miscel. Rem. 20) of the original idiom, arbitrarily converts it into officers of state; or into "one of those absurdities which crowd the letters, or marks of forgery inserted by chance," ii. 42. 407. The precise meaning is ascertained, however, by the king's inquiries concerning the alterations in her household; the admission of Paris (not as Goodall supposes to write, but) as her chamberlain, and Gilbert (Curl) as her secretary, the departure of Joseph (Rizio's brother) and the marriage of Bastian with her confidential maid.

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