Monday I examined the Winton family: the faces are exactly represented in your engraving.

The inferior portraits can be engraved here very well, and cheaper than at London. I have now no objection whatever to engage with you in the Portraits, and to write the accounts of such as are engraved here. If any anecdotes of the characters occur in manuscripts, I shall take care to note them.

I must now request your assistance in the controversy concerning Mary. A supposed original of her French contract of marriage with Bothwell, in the Cotton Library, is pronounced a forgery by Ruddiman* and Goodal (i. 126. ii. 54.) on the authority of Crawford of Drumsay. I enclose Crawford's observations in his manuscript collection, from which I am convinced that it is a mere copy, which was never meant to pass for an original. It is pasted on the back of Mary's reply, Oct. 16th, to Murray's answer, (Caligula, ch. i. fol. 202.) The original was produced at Westminster, in the Roman or Italian hand, which the queen wrote. It would be absurd to suppose that this was forged in a chancery hand, which was the very reverse of the queen's. Her name, from Crawford's example of it, seems to me to be written in

* Thomas Ruddiman, who was a highly distinguished Scotch grammarian and critic, published an edition of the works of George Buchanan. Walter Goodal, a Scotch antiquary, who also wrote in the middle of the last century, was author of an Examination of the Letters said to be written by Mary, Queen of Scots, to James, Earl of Bothwell, shewing, by intrinsic and extrinsic evidence, that they are forgeries.

the same chancery hand, which renders the supposed forgery a mere copy, mistaken by Welwood for the original. If you can examine, or procure some impartial person to examine the paper, it would decide the point. I add from Forbes an inaccurate fac-simile of Mary's signature in 1559. But many of her letters are in the Cotton Library (Cal. i. 280.) to compare with the French contract. If, in addition to your opinion, you think that a few lines of her real hand-writing and signature, and of the contract and subscription to it, would be necessary or satisfactory to the public when engraved, I shall request that you would procure a fac-simile of both.

Crawford observes that Morton's declaration of seizing the casket, and Crawford's evidence, have been torn out of the same volume. (Cal. ch. i. about fol. 165 and 252.) The journal of the commissioners on Tuesday, Dec. 7th, 1568, is also wanting. (Goodal, ii. 235. Cotton Lib. Cal. i. between fol. 239-241.) When the manuscript is inspected, I should wish to know if these breaches are apparent.

I hope that these inquiries can be answered by the librarian, if you are not in town. If so, I shall trouble you with such others as may occur. The expense of the fac-simile, &c., can be settled afterwards.

THE MARQUIS OF BUTE TO MR. PINKERTON.

Hill Street, Nov. 1st, 1799.

It would afford me much pleasure and satisfaction to contribute in any way I could to render your interesting work still more valuable. Trifling as the permission to copy a print may seem, and to my way of thinking it certainly is so, considerable difficulty in my instance attends it. My collection is in the country, locked up with various other valuable articles; the key left in the country; and no access to it but by another key which I keep myself, being the passport to all my papers. You must perceive therefore how impossible it is for me to assist your views, without I was myself on the spot. In that case again, the person you mean to employ must remain at Luton Park; for the Scotish kings are not in one volume, but intermixed in several, and the whole so curiously embellished, let in, and adorned, that you yourself would be the last, with your taste and predilection for prints, to wish them out of sight for a moment. If you will call on me any morning about eleven, we will talk the matter over more at leisure; and, if you will do me the favor of coming to Luton any time I happen to be there, I shall be very glad to show you what I possess.

John, fourth Earl, and first Marquis of Bute, born 1744, died 1814.

VOL. II.

H

It is a thousand pities that Mr. Harding could not be prevailed upon to have the print after Margaret, Queen of Scots, well finished. So curious a picture deserved every exertion from the engraver. I saw the drawing, and thought it done with great accuracy and taste.

MR. PINKERTON TO MR. M. LAING.

Hampstead, Nov. 7th, 1799.

Various occupations and rainy weather have prevented my going to the Museum: else I would have inspected the papers you desire. At the same time it struck me that the affair was in no hurry. If I be mistaken in this, let me know. It will be very gratifying to me to assist your ingenious researches; but I am sometimes so busy that I must have time, if it make no odds; but be always so good as to mention if you wish a speedy answer, or what time will do.

I am

seldom so pressed but I could give you a forenoon with pleasure when you wish it; otherwise, I study my own convenience and am rarely in town. The fac-similes I shall order if I see cause.

Allow me to remark that your references show inacquaintance with the Cotton Library. Originally each press had a bust upon it; Julius, Augustus, &c. &c. Each shelf is marked with a letter of the alphabet; A. B. C., &c. Each book is numbered, I. II. III., &c. Thus Cal. ch. 1. (for C. 1.) Caligula, i. 280, are no references at

all, because the letter of the alphabet (the shelf) is wanting. A regular reference would be, Julius, A. i. p. 280: Cal. c. ii. p. 10. Domitian, E. viii. p. 20, &c. &c. Attend to this, as a whole day may be lost by a wrong reference.

You also mention that Mary wrote "the Roman or Italian hand." These are quite different hands. I never saw any letter of hers in the Roman hand. In John Davidson's Letters is a good fac-simile of Mary's name, not like the one you sent. The M is larger than all the letters but the final e.

I do not know how to thank you for your obliging attention about the portraits, and am glad to learn that you are willing to share the labor. When I have the Newbottle drawings to show, I can speak to some publishers here, and mention Mr. Constable's fourth.

The Regent Murray, æt. 9, is of no moment to us; but it is curious, if authentic; and I hope it will be exactly engraved, with any old inscriptions, arms, &c.

Of Darnley there are several genuine effeminate portraits.

MR. PINKERTON TO MR. M. LAING.

Hampstead, Nov. 28th, 1799.

I have been at the Museum, and have taken notes on every subject you mention.

I. Mary's promise to Bothwell (Cal. c. i. p.