An other Letter to Bothwell concernyng the departure of Margarate Carwood, quho was privie and a helper of all thair love.

[From Buchanan's Detection.]

Mon cœur helas! fault il que la follie d'une femme, dont vous cognoissez assez l'ingratitude vers moy, soit cause de vous donner desplaisir, &c.

1

MY hart, alas, must the follie of a woman, quhose unthankfulnes toward me you do sufficiently knaw, be occasioun of displeasure unto you? consideryng that I cauld nat have remedyt thairunto without knawing it. And since that I perceavit it, I cauld nat tell it you, for that I knew nat how to governe my selfe thairin. For nouther in that, nor in any uther thyng, will I take upon me to do any thyng without knawledge of your will. Quhilk I besech you let me un

cerning her pretended amours (Murdin, 558), and Whitaker's comment upon the virginity of the maiden queen, ii. 502-11-15.

2 In these next sentences, Je ne vous lay peu dire pour sçavoir comment je me gouvernerois, is erroneously rendered, "I could not tell it you, for that I knew not how to govern myself therin;" to which the French translator adheres; "Je ne le vous pouvoie dire, pour ce que je ne sçavoye pas comme m'y gouverner." The subject of the letter is the discovery that Margaret Carwood was with child, la follie d'une femme, which the queen, since she perceived it, had not been able to mention, not because she knew not, but, pour sçavoir, for (in order) to know how to govern herself

car je la suivray toute ma vie plus volontiers que vous ne me la declareres et si vous ne me mandes ce soir ce que volles que ien faise je m-en-deferay au hazard de la fayre entreprandre ce qui pourroit nuire a ce a quoy nous tandons tous deux3 et quant elle sera mariee je vous suplie donnes men une ou jen prandray telles de quoy vous contanteres quant a leur conditions may's de leur langue ou fidelité vers vous ie ne vousen respondray Je vous suplie qune opinion sur aultrui ne nuise en votre endroit a ma constance. * Soupsonnes moi mays quant ie vous en veulx rendre hors de doubte et

66 reme

therein; Car en cela ni autre chose je ne veux entrependre de rien faire sans en sçavoir votre volente; and the misconception of the sense in the two translations, is alone sufficient to ascertain the French original. But the French idiom is obvious throughout. Veuque, depuisque; " considering that," "since that;" y remedier sans le sçavoir, dyed therunto without knowing it;" car en cela ni autre chose, entreprendre de rien faire, "for nether in that nor in any other thing," "take upon me to do any thing;" sans en sçavoir votre volonte, "without knowledge of your will:" laquelle, &c.

'The translation of this sentence exhibits another misconception of the sense. "Et si vous ne me mandes ce soir. ceque volles que ien faise," "what you will that I shall do," je-m-en-deferay au hazard de la faire entreprendre, “I will rid myself of it," not, as erroneously translated, “And hazard to cause it to be enterprised and taken in hand," but, at the hazard of making her undertake that, au hazard de LA faire entre prendre ce, que pourroit nuire a ce," which might be hurtful to that," a quoy nous tandons tous deux, "whereunto both we do tend;" in which the idiom of the

you do

derstand, for I will follow it all my lyfe, mair willingly then you shall declare it to me. And if nat send me word this night what you will that I shall do, I will ridde myself of it, and hasard to cause it to be enterprisit and taken in hand. Quhilk might be hurtfull to that quhairunto both we do tend. And when she shall be maried, I besech you give me one, or els I will take sic as shall content you for their conditions, but as for thair tongues or faithfulness towart you, I will nat auswere. I besech you that an opinioun of uther persoun, be nat hurtfull in your minde to my constancie. Mistrust me, but quhen I will put you out of doubt, and clere my selfe. Refuse it nat,

French original is indisputable. In the next sentence she passes of course, and without abruptness, to the marriage which her confidante might be forced to hasten, if dismissed from her service. But the French translator adheres to the mistakes of the Scotch, "Je m'en depescheray, et me hazarderay de l'entreprendre: Ce que pourroit nuire a ce que nous deseignons tous deux :" in which, as in other passages, the literal nature of the Scotch translation suggests sometimes the idiom, and sometimes the precise words of the French original.

*Ie vous supplie donnes m'en une, "I beseche you give me one." Je vous supplie q'une opinion que aultrui, “I heseche you that an opinion of other person;" ne nuise en votre endroit a ma constance, " be not hurtful in your mind (on your part) to my constancy;" and the intermediate idioms contenteres, quant a leur conditions, &c. are equally preserved. But in those instances, the sense and idiom are misunderstood and lost in the French translation.

mesclersir ne le refuses ma chere vie 5 et permettes que je vous face preuve par mon obeissance de ma fidelité et constance et subjection volontaire que je prands pour le plus agreable bien que ie scaurois rescevoir si vous le voulles accepter et nen faytes la ceremonie car vous ne me scauries davantage outrasger ou donner mortel ennuy.

3

This passage has been probably misunderstood in the Scotch translation: Soupçonnes moi; mays quant ie vous en veulx rendre hors de doubte et m'esclersir, ne le refuses ma chere vie, is rendered verbatim, "Mistrust me, (if you will); but when I will, (would) put you out of doubte and cleere myselfe, refuse it not my deere lyfe." From the erroneous punctuation, however, of the Scotch copy, the French version has, "Vous meffiez vous de moy, qui vous veux mettre hors de doute, &c.? O ma chere vie ne le reffusez pas," &c.

In this last sentence, Et permettes que je vous face preuve par mon obeisseance DE ma fidelite, et constance, et

my dere life, and suffer me to make you some profe by my obedience, my faithfulness, constancie, and voluntarie subjectioun, quhilke I take for the pleasantest gude that I might receave, if you will accept it, and make no ceremony at it, for you could do me na greater outrage, nor give mair mortall greefe.

6

subjection voluntaire, is misunderstood in the translation; "And suffer me to make you some proof by my obedience, (of) my faithfulness, constancy, and voluntary subjection;" which is again lost in the French version: "Et ne souffrez que je vouls donne espreuve de mon obeissance fidelite, constance et voluntaire subjection." But the idioms of the original are preserved in the translation: Faire preuve, n'en faytes la ceremonie, "to make you some proof," "make no ceremony at it:" Que je prends pour la plus agreable bien, "which I take for the pleasantest good," &c. And the easy idiomatic style of sentimental extravagance, with which the letter concludes, is peculiar to the French language, and without example in any Scotch or English composition of the age.