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answere, that I fayle not, and put no trust in your brother for this enterprise, for he hath told it, and is also all against it. God geve you gude nicht. 20

qu'une corde à mon arc;" that content with Elizabeth's promișe of support and friendship, she made no application to foreign powers. Sept. 25, 1568. Calig. C. 1.

20 God gev you gude nicht.] An old French phrase, Dieu vous doint bonne nuit; instead of send, the Scotch expression.

LETTER VI.

An uther letter to Bothwell for the practise and devise to excuse the ravishyng.

Du lieu et de l'heure1 ie m'en rapporte à vostre frere et à vous ie le suivray et ne fauldray en rien de ma part. Il trouve beaucoup de difficultes, &c.

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OF the place and the time, I remitte my selfe to your brother and to you. I will follow him, and will fayle in na thing of my pairt. He findeth many difficulties: I thinke he doth advertise you thereof: and quhat he desireth for the handling of him selfe. As for the handling of my selfe, I heard it, once well devisit. Me thinketh that your services, and the long

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1 Du lieu et de l'heure.] In the French edition, de l'homme. To Whitaker this appears a direct proof that the French editor read and printed the word wrong from another copy, instead of adopting the initial sentence from the English edition; as if the same typographical error, of de l'homme for l'heure, might not have happened in printing from the written copy which the French editor sent to the press. Whitaker, ii. 376.

2 I think he doth advertise you thereof.] Je pense qu'il vous

en avertit.

3

Handling of him selfe.] An English idiom inserted as in the third letter, instead of some French phrase unintelligible in the translation.

* I heard it once well devisit.] Bien devisé, as in the son

your

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amitie, having the gude wyll of the Lordes, do well deserve a pardon, if above the dutie of a subject you advaunce yourself, not to constrain me, but to assure selfe of such place nigh unto me, that other admonitions or forraine persuasions may not let me from consenting to that that you hope your service shall make you one day to attayne: and to be schort, to make your selfe sure of the lordes, and free to marry: and that you are constraynit for your surety, and to be abill to serve me faithfully, to use an humble request, joynit to an importune action. And to be short, excuse your selfe, and persuade them the most you can, 10 that you are constraynit to make poursute aganis your enemies. You shall say enough, if the matter or ground do like you, and many fayre

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nets.

Deviser avec vous à loisir ; translated, as in the letters," to devise with you at leysure."

* Methinketh that your services, and the long amitie.] Il me semble que vos services, et la longue amitié.

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"If above the duties of a subject, &c.—to assure yourself of such place nigh unto me.] Si au dessus le devoir d'un sujet, vous vous avançez; non pas pour me contraindre, mais pour vous assurer de telle place près de moi.

7 May not let me from consenting to that that you hope.] Ne m'empêchent de consentir à ce que vous esperez.

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* Constraynit for your surety, and to be abill to serve me.] Contraint à votre sureté, et à être habile à me servir.

9 An humble request joynit to an importune action.] Une humble requête jointe à une action importunee.

10 The most you can.] Le plus que vous pourrez. 11 To make poursute.] Faire poursuite.

wordes to Ledinton. 12 If you like not the deede, send me worde, and leave not the blame of all unto

me.

12 Many fayre wordes to Ledington.] Beaucoup de belles paroles à Ledington.

LETTER VII.

An uther letter to Bothwell of the practise for hir ravishment and to advise hym to be strang to do it.

Monsieur depuis ma lettre escrit vostre beau frere qui fust, est venu à moy fort triste, et m'a demandé mon conseil de ce qu'il feroit apres demain. &c.

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MY Lord, since my letter written, your brother in law that was, cam to me very sad, and hath askeit me my counsaile, quhat he should do after to morrow, because there be many folkis here, and among utheris, the erle of Southerland, quho wald rather dye, 1 considering the gude they haif so lately receivit of me, than suffer me to be caryit away, they conducting me: and that he fearit there should sum trouble happen of it:2 of the other side, 3 that it should he sayd that he

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1 Quho wald rather dye.] Till we proceed to the context, this implies that the Earl of Sutherland would rather die. But the sense is explicit when the French is restored, "parce qu'il y a plusieurs gens ici, et entre autres le compte de Souderland, qui, vu le bien qu'ils ont n'águeres reçu de moi, mourrioent plutôt que de souffrir qu'on m'en enlevât, me conduisoient;" a sentence of which the structure is altogether French.

2 Sum trouble happin of it.] Qu'en arrivât quelque trouble, translated " some trouble happen of it.”

3

Of the other side.] De l'autre côté, literally rendered of, instead of on, the other side.

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