not come forth of long time. To he short, for that I can learn, he hath great suspicion, and yet, nevertheless, trusteth upon my word, but not tell me as yet any thing; howbeit, if you will that I shall avow him, I will know all of him, but I shall never be willing to beguile one who putteth his trust in me. Nevertheless, you may do all, and do not esteem me the less therefore, for you are the cause thereof. For, for my own revenge, I would not do it. He giveth me certain charges, (and these strong) of that that I fear, even to say that his faults be published, but there be that commit some secret faults, and fear not to have them spoken of so lowdely, and that there is speech of greate and small, and even touching the lady Reres, he said God grant that she serve you to your honor, and that any may not think, nor he neither, that mine own power was not in myself, seeing I did refuse his offers.

tions, without the addition, qui nunc est prorex, as then alive. As every such allusion is avoided in the Action, I conclude that the MS. in question was a fair copy, corrected and submitted to Cecil by Wilson, before his autograph was sent to the press. As a farther confirmation, the title of the Action is superinduced upon the margin, and the title of the Letters is left blank, to be supplied, together with the running margin of the Action and Letters, when sent to the press.

"He may not cum forth of the house this lang time.] Il ne peut pas sortir du logis de long tems.

72 He geves me sum checkes-yea even in the quicke.] In the English version, "He giveth me certain charges, and these strong;" a different translation of the same word and phrase, il m'a donné quelque atteintes, oui jusqu'au vif; which Tytler has also transmuted into a Scotch proverb.

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myselfe unto myselfes, and that because of the refuse I maid of his offeris. Summa, for certaintie he suspects of the thing ye knaw, and of hys lyif. But as to the last, how sone that I spake two or thre gude wordis unto hym, he rejoicis and is out of dout. I saw him not this evening, for to end your brecelet, to the quhilke I can get no lokkis 76, it is reddy to tham, and yet I feare that it will bring some malheur, and may be seene if ye chaunce to be hurt". Advertise me if ye will have it, and if ye will have mair silver, and quhen I shall returne, and how far I may speake. He inra

73 That I haife not the power of myselfe unto myselfe.] Que je n'ay pas dans moi-même, le pouvoir de moi-même; a French phrase, of which the Scotch and English are harsh translations.

74 The refuse I maid.] Le refus que je fis.

75 Summa, for certaintie he suspects of the thing ye knaw, and of hys lyif.] Somme, pour certain il (la) soupçonne de ce que vous savez, et de sa vie.

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Lokkis:] Clasps, Engl. Agraffes, which the Scotch translator mistook for locks. But the English version removes the apparent contradiction in the Scotch, that the queen could find na lokkis, when in a former passage, she had wrought till twa hours to put the key within the lock or cleft; dans la trou. The bracelet, I suppose, had an ornamental or false lock and key, but was fastened beneath with two cords, instead of clasps, which she could not procure at Glasgow. In reverting to that circumstance, she asks Bothwell whether he would have the bracelet, which she forbore to send in that unfinished state; but having promised to make xe ane fairer, she afterwards sent both, by Paris upon her return to Linlithgow. Paris's Second Confession. Appendix, No. XXVI.

To conclude, for assurety he mistrusteth her of that that ye know, and for his life. But in the end, after I had spoken two or three good words to him, he was very merry and glad. I have not seen him this night for ending your bracelet, but I can find no clasps for it, it is ready thereunto, and yet I fear lest it should bring you ill hap, or that it should be known if you were hurt, send me word whether you will have it, and more money, and when I shall return, and how far I may speak.

7 Some malheur, and may be seene if ye chaunce to be hurt.] Quelque malheur. It is certain from the dress and pictures of the age, that bracelets were never worn by men; nor was Bothwell's bracelet intended to be seen. But we discover incidentally, from Birrel's Diary, that in his rencounter with the thief in Liddesdale, he was deidly wounded in the hand in the October preceding; from Paris's First Confession, that he required his assistance, le détacher, to untruss his points, within a fortnight after this letter was written; and from Hepburn's Confession, that in returning to the palace after the murder, he was afraid to leap a broken part of the town wall, because of his sair hand. The queen, therefore, who sent the bracelet to be worn, either as a secret favour, or for fastening the bandage of his sair hand, was afraid that it might be seen and known, if his maimed hand should receive any hurt. An apprehension at first sight so apparently groundless, bestows additional confirmation on the letters when explained.

78 And how far I may speake.] Referring to a former passage, that she would draw all out of him, "gif ye will that I avow all unto him." But a whole sentence is added in the English version, with a part of the original French interlined. "Now as far as I can perceive, j'ay bien la vogue avec vous;" not that she could do much without him, but, I

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gis " quhen he hearis of Lethington, or of you, or of my brother. Of your brother he speikis nathyng 80, he speiks of the Erle of Argyle. I am in feir quhen I heare him speike; for he assuris himself that he hes not ane evill opinioun of him. He speikes nathing of tham that is out, nouther gude nor evill, but fleis that point. His fader kepis his chamber, I haif not seene him. All the Hammiltonis ar heir, that accompanies me verie honorably 82. All the frendis of the uther conveyis me quhen I gang to se him. He desiris me to come, and see him ryse the morne betime. For to make schort, this berar will tell you the rest. And if I learne any thing heir, I wyll make you memoriall at evin 83. He wyll tell you the occasioun of my remaining. Burne this letter, for it is ovir dangerous, and na thing well sayd in it: for I am thinkand upoun nathing but fascherie 4. If you be in Edinburgh at the

am in such vogue with you, guess you therefore whether I shall not be suspected; if she should speak any farther of Bothwell, in order to draw from her husband his suspicions or designs. "As to the rest," in the next sentence, limits her question how far she might speak, to her apprehension of being suspected if she spoke farther of Bothwell; and where the whole sentence is omitted in the Scotch as unintelligible, the original French phrase, interlined as of doubtful import, and actually misunderstood, in the English version, affords the most incontestable proofs of the French original.

79 He inragis.] Il enrage.

so Of your brother he speikis nay thing.] De votre frere il ne dit rien; of which the inversion is peculiarly French. "Tham that is out.] Qu'ils sont au dehors; though particularly applicable to George Douglas, Darnley's uncle,

Now as far as I perceive {ay bien la vogue avec vous may do much without you.

Gesse you whither I shall not be suspected. As for the rest, he is mad when he hears of Ledinton, and of you, and my brother. Of your brother he sayeth nothing, but of the Earl of Argyle he doth; I am afraid of him to hear him talk, at the least he assureth himself that he hath no ill opinion of him. He speaketh nothing of these abroad, neither good nor ill, but avoideth speaking of them. His father keeping his chamber I have not seen him. All the Hamiltons be here, who accompany me very honestly. All the friends of the others do come always when I go to visit him. He hath sent to me, and prayeth me to see him rise to morrow in the morning early. To be short, this bearer shall disclose unto you the rest, and if I learn any thing, I will make every night a memorial thereof. He shall tell you the cause of my stay. Burn this letter, for it is too dangerous, neither is there any thing well said in it, for I think upon nothing but upon grief if you be at Edinburgh.

excluded from the indemnity, it may allude in general to Morton and his associates, who were still prohibited to approach within seven miles of the court.

62 Verie honorablie.] In the English version, "6 very honestly," (très honnêtement) both derived from the same ori. ginal.

83 I wyll make you memorial at evin.] Je vous ferai memoire au soir. Memoir and memorial are notes for remembrance; faire memoire, to take notes.

"Nathing but fascherie.] Fash and fashious, (troublesome) are common in Scotch, but the French word facherie (grief, vexation) was seldom used.