that it was said that some of the councill had brought me a letter to sign to put him in prison, and to kill him if he did resist, and that he asked this of Minto himself, who said unto him that he thought it was true. I will talk with him to morrow upon that point. The rest, as Will Hiegate hath confessed, but it was the next day that he came hither. In the end he desired much that I should lodge in his lodging. I have refused it. I have told him that he must be purged, and that could not be done here. He said unto me, I have heard say that you brought the litter, but I would rather have gone with yourself. I told him that so I would myself bring him to Craigmillar, that his physicians and I also might serve him without being far from my son. He said that he was ready when I would, so as I would assure him of his request. He hath no desire to be seen, and waxeth angry when I speak to him of Wallcar, and saith that he will pluck his ears from his head, and that he lieth, for I asked him before of that, and what cause he had to complain of some of the lords, and to threaten them. He denyeth it, and saith that he had already prayed them to think no such matter of him. As for myself he would rather lose his life than do me the least displeasure; and used so many kinds of flatteries, so coldly and so wisely, as you would marvyle at. I had forgotten that he said that he could not mistrust me for Hiegate's word, for he would not believe that his ownself (which was myself)

in these minute diversities of idiom, the original language is easily discerned.

e.]

26 Rather geve hys lyfe or he did any displeasure to me. Plutôt donner sa vie que de me faire quelque déplaisir.

many little flatteries, so couldly, and so wyislie", that ye will abash thereat. I had almaist forgot that he sayd he could not doubt of me in this purpoise of Hiegaittis, for he would never beleve that I quho was his proper flesh would do hym any evill, alsweill it was schawin that I refusit to subscrive the sames: but as to any uthers that would pursue him, at least he should sell hys life deare enough, but he suspected no body nor yit would not, but would luif all that I luffit, he would not let me depart fro hym, but desirit that I shoulde wake wyth him. I make it seeme that I beleve that all is true, and takes heed thereto, and excusit my selfe for this night that I could not wake; he says that he sleepes not well, ye saw him never better nor speike mair humbler. And if I had not a pruif of hys hart of waxe, and that mine were not of ane dyamont, quhairintill no shot can make breach, but that quhilk comes forth of your

"Shewed me of so many little flatteries, so couldly and so wyislie.] M'a tant montré de petites flatteries, si froidement et si sagement; of which the import can only be discovered in French. Whitaker replies, that tantum minutarum adultionum is equally Latin; to avoid the sole point in dispute, whether the Scotch "he schawed me of so many little flatteries," is an idiom derived from a French original." So couldly and so wyislie," si froidement et si sagement; in which froidement, chiefly used in a figurative sense, signifies "d'un maniere sérieuse et réservé ;" (Dict. de l'Acad.) not, as Whitaker supposes, so coolly and wisely, but in a manner so serious and prudent, as would astonish Bothwell.

28

Refusit to subscrive the same.] The passage refers to Minto's preceding information, that a letter to imprison Darnley, or to slay him, if he made resistance, had been brought to the queen. But the English translator, not per

would do him any hurt, and indeed it was said that I refused to have him let blood, but for the others he would at least sell his life deare ynoughe, but that he did suspect no body, nor wold. But wold love all that I did love. He wold not let me go, but wold have me to watche with him. I made as though I thought all to be true, and that I would think upon it-and

ceiving the reference, mistook signer for saigner, and from a passage in the next letter, converted the queen's refusal to sign the warrant, into a refusal to have him let blood. The difference not only demonstrates that the English is not derived from the Scotch, but that the two versions are both derived from a French original.

29 Make it seeme that I beleve.] Faire semblant de le croire. 3o Of ane dyamont, quhqirintill no shot can make breach.] A heart of wax, or of diamond, are harsh, and hardly intelligible conceits; but yeux de cire, tender, easily melting, (Cotgrave.) cœur de cire, fickle, inconstant, as in the sonnets, "Vous dépeignez de cire mon las! cœur ;" un cœur de diamant, a heart, not of diamond, but of adamant, are familiar in French. I could have pitied him, says Mary, si je n'ai pas une preuve de son cœur de cire, et que le mien n'étoit d'un diamant où nul trait peut faire breche que celui qui vient de vos mains.

Depuis le jour que la première fleche,

De ton bel œil m'avança la douleur,

Et que sa blanche et sa noire couleur,

Forçant ma force, au cœur me firent brecke.

Ronsard's Amours, 1. i. son. 27.

And Mary, who knew the fickleness of Darnley's heart, and the tenderness of her own, that it was not of adamant, has adopted this last conceit from Ronsard, whose verses were undoubtedly in her contemplation at the time.

hand, I would have almaist had pitie of hym. But feare not, the place shall holde unto the deaths. Remember, in recompence thereof, that ye suffer not yours to be wonne by that false race that wil travell no lesse with you for the same. 1 beleve they have bene at scholis together; he has ever the tear in his eye; he salutes every body, yae unto the least, and makes pitious caressing unto them, to make them have pitie on hym. Thys day his father bled at the mouth and nose, gesse quhat presaige that is. I have not yit sene hym, he keepes hys chamber. The kyng desires that I should geve hym33 meate wyth my owne handes. But geve na mair trust quhair you are than I shall do here. This is my first jorney, I shall end ye same to morrow. I write all thynges, howbeit thay be of littill weight, to the end that ye may take the best of all to judge upon. I am in doing of a werke here that I hait

31 The place shall holde unto the death.] La place tiendra jusqu'à la mort.

32 He hes ever the tear in his eye.] Quoted by Tytler as a Scotch proverb, though literally from the French phrase, Il a toujours la larme à l'œil. "I beleve they have been at schools together," je crois qu'ils ont été à l'école ensemble, is equally unknown in Scotch, though proverbial in French; vous allez tous à la même école, you all join in the same story, or play the same part. Miscel. Rem. 23. See Ferguson's Scotch Proverbs, 1598. and Kelly's, 1721, in which no such proverb is to be found.

33 That I should give him.] The king; not, as Whitaker supposes, that she should give his father meat with her own hands, ii. 122.

34 This is my first jorney.] C'est ma première journée, her first day's work, in which the French idiom and word

have excused myself from sitting up with him this night, for he saith that he sleepeth not. You never heard him speake better nor more humbly; and if I had not proof of his heart to be as waxe, and that mine were not as a diamond, no stroke but coming from your hand would make me but to have pity of him. But fear not, for the place shall continue till death. Remember also in recompence thereof, not to suffer yours to be won by that false race that would do no less to yourself. I think they have been at school together. He hath always the tear in the eye. He saluteth every man, even to the meanest, and maketh much of them, that they may take pity of him. His father hath bled this day at the nose and at the mouth, guess what token that is. I have not seen him, he is in his chamber. The king is so desirous that I should give him meat with my own hands, but trust you no more there where you are than I do here. This is my first journey, I will end to-morrow. I write all, how little consequence soever it be of, to the end that you may

take of the whole that shall be best for you to judge for your purpose.S

I do here a work that I hate much, but I had begun it this morning, and you not list to laugh to see me so trimly make a lye, at the least dissemble, and to mingle

are preserved. It occurs in Chaucer and Winton, when the language abounded in Norman French, and in the Complaint of Scotland, Gawin Douglas, &c.; but in these instances, it uniformly signifies a military inroad, single combat, or battle. It is also used in husbandry, for the work done by a team of cattle; but a journey, in its French acceptation, for a day's work indiscriminately, is to be found in no other letter or composition of the age.