Elizabeth: September 1573

724. Robert Melville to Henry Killigrew. [Sept. 12.] Cott. Calig., C. IV., fol. 136.

Although I have troubled you already with divers of my "importunat" letters, yet my present estate is so hard that I am compelled to be a suitor to you and to my good friends there to put the Queen's majesty in remembrance of me, that her highness may write again to my Lord Regent's grace in my favour, seeing my "onfrendis" have invented the worst they can of me since the Laird of G[range's] death, alleging him to have followed my advice, and that I was a hinderer of accord, besides that I have been privy to all the great practices of France, England, and Scotland; and in respect that they cannot try further in this country than is openly known to all men, they give it forth that there is one who "tryit of me" in these parts, and I am informed that it is written from hence to you that they try anew here of my proceedings with the Duke of Norfolk, and all tend to persuade the Queen's majesty, your sovereign, to desist from travailing any further for me, to the effect [that] my enemies may have their intent. You remember what I wrote to you at parting, to wit, if at my power I travailed not for accord at all times, and that the Laird of Grange was wilful himself, and followed the advice of others [rather] than me, I shall seek no favour, "and sufficyentlye knawyne be the hayll howse," besides all that ever I knew, or ever was between us and France I showed you. And for Flanders, the Laird of Grange nor any of us [who] were his friends would have to do with nor liked it. For England I have borne as good "kne wnto" as any of my estate in Scotland. I showed you all that ever I knew concerning the Duke of Norfolk. I myself never spoke [to] him all the time I was in England, but received openly a passport from him in York. I never carried commission to him nor from him in my life, and all I knew of that matter I showed you. I pray God that I knew anything [that] might do her majesty service, or my good friends there, and for my own part, if I ever desired for my "partycular" anything that might tend to the subversion of these realms, whereby religion might be endangered or the common peace broken, let God judge me thereof, and at my power I would be as loth that strangers should "impyre" above these two realms as any person within them, and if God shall send me life, you shall have better proof on my part than of some of my "onfrendis" who "sutys" my life only for particular debates between them and me. I am lately informed that, albeit my Lord Regent's grace has been pressed to write there "in my contrar," if the Queen's majesty your sovereign wrote once again in my favour, accompanied by my Lord Treasurer's letter, that his grace will accept the same in good part, and I will find favour. In like manner I am informed that my "onfrendis" repent they have spoken so far against me, seeing they are not able to prove it they have invented, and have said they will not insist any further "in my contrar."

Since Captain Cokbrowne [Cockburn] departed I have not heard or learned anything from you there, wherefore I am compelled to be making such offers to my "onfrendis" as shall be a wreck as well to my friends as to myself, for the good word that I look for out of those parts is "abstractyt" from me. I have written divers letters to have been sent you, but had no means to convey them, not that I doubted of your care and constant love, but to inform you that albeit new inventions have been devised and sent "in my contrar," that if further may be tried than you know already, I seek no favour; and if it were otherwise, it could not profit me to disguise it.

I hear I am to be examined, and seeing they burden me here with the knowledge of England, I pray you procure that I may be examined "with" yourselves, and if you be not satisfied, then let me be used according to your wisdom, seeing that part concerns yourselves more than any in this country.

As for France, I have neither acquaintance nor French to entertain them; "and for syk as hes beyne one the quenes partye and left ws, there is no cause quhye gret frendschipe sould be amongst ws."

I have never been employed in any country but in that realm, nor ever had such honour done me, nor the like favour, till at this present "hes oblyst me forder to be affectyonat with my service thane oneye of my natyon," and I will promise you to my life's end that it shall be "notourlye" known, so far as I am known, that the Queen's majesty, your sovereign, never bestowed her mercy and goodness on any poor stranger of my estate that shall be more willing to be thankful nor more affectionate to bestow their life in her majesty's service than I shall be in all times coming, and that before all Princes and persons living, seeing her majesty is the only safety of my life.

If this letter comes to your hands before your sovereign writes again in my favour, I pray you travail with her to haste the same, and with my Lord Treasurer to write "accumpanyt with zour awyne," for I am informed that upon their writing and suit I will obtain my life and living. I have had good comfort in my greatest trouble of your return, which now I hear [is] not to be so shortly as my present need craves, and "inkayse ze be to cum," I would pray you to make your journey the more speedy for my relief. Since your departure I never received word of comfort but at Captain Cockburn's first return from you, and soon after I understood that writings were sent "in my contrar," and the favour [that] was shown me in these parts "wes injoyit be swm." Since which time my part has been heavy. Albeit I know that God has justly corrected me, and for my weal, and has not left me destitute of His comfort. "It wyll pleis zow" that I may hear secretly from you, for the knowledge of your sovereign's constant mind by sending letters in my favour will keep me and my friends from a great inconvenience, and albeit her highness and you my friends write, yet they will be kept secret from me, unless you make some "moyen," which you may by the Treasurer of Berwick, for my captain will do me that favour to send them to me, and for your sake he has been the more friendly to me. "It wyll pleis zow" do herein according to your wisdom, and you will do me great pleasure in advertising me in due time, that my friends may stay from offering an inconvenience to my enemies. "Praying zow to present my humill commendatyonnis and service to my Lord of Lychester [Leicester] and to my Lorde Burlye with zour bedfallow, and my gossope, and the Lord geve zow happie dayeis." Signed: R. Melvill.

3 pp. Holograph. Addressed: "To the right worschipfull Mester Harrye Killigrew." Indorsed.

725. Robert Melville to Burghley. [Sept. 12.] Cott. Calig., C. IV., fol. 138.

"Efter my humill commendatyonne of service wnto zour lordship"; albeit I have troubled your lordship already with divers of my importunate letters, my present estate compels me to be still a suitor to your lordship that it may please you to continue your favour toward me, and to be a mean that the Queen's majesty, your sovereign, "insyst" to write in my favour to the Regent's grace. I understand his grace has written to those parts by my enemies, pressing the worst of me, which they invented since the Secretary's and the Laird of Grange's death, that her majesty may be persuaded that my part is more odious than the rest, and [to] forbear to solicit any further in my favour, to the effect that they may have their intent by "sutyng" my life."

As for my part, meaning the troubles concerning my advice given to the Laird of Grange, it is "notorlye" known by the whole house (fn. 1) that none was so willing to accord, which I doubt not Mr. Killigrew knows, and in like manner [I] "parsavit" the Laird of Grange's wilfulness; and they give forth here that no man knows more of the proceedings of England concerning the Duke of Norfolk. As for that part, I pray your lordship that I may be examined by some of your own country, and if I satisfy not therein, let me be used according to your wisdom. I am presently informed that my "onfrendis" repent they have spoken so far in my contrary, and will not travail any further: likewise that my Lord Regent's grace is minded to show me favour if the Queen and your lordship write again for me, and to restore me to my living; which I humbly pray your lordship to "remembyr apone," and if it shall please God to give me life, your lordship shall have experience that I shall be as profitable to that realm, for my poor power, as any within this realm of my quality, and that it shall be known my "onfrendis" have shown their malice for particular debates between them and me, and for no evil mind that ever I "bine " to the realm of England or my own country, but have feared more the subversion of them and religion by strangers, than some of them have done, for I have had more favour and honour shown me in England than I have received in any realm; neither was I employed at any time in any other country, having neither language nor intelligence meet therefor, and now the Queen's majesty and the Council, with the rest of my good lords and friends there, have obliged me, by the redeeming of my life, to serve that country, and especially the Queen's majesty "bye" all other Princes or persons, which shall be known as far as I am known. And in consideration of your lordship's good remembrance of me already, I write rather to your lordship that you should not credit all reports, "nor that I feyr zour lordship's constant mynd to contynew touardis me."

I am informed that your lordship wrote a letter in my favour when the Queen's majesty wrote, which was kept from my knowledge until this present, wherefore I pray your lordship, by the Treasurer of Berwick's means, it may please you, to let me hear from your lordship, for I and my friends are compelled, for lack of knowledge from your lordship, to make my "onfriendis" unreasonable offers, for the letters that come from the Queen's majesty or your lordship will be abstracted from me to the effect unfriends may be satisfied. Remitting myself to your lordship's wisdom to care for me, I humbly pray your lordship to keep me in the Queen's majesty's good grace, and to have opinion that her majesty "dyd newer for oneye parsown thinkis hym moyr oblyst to wysche her hyenes prosperate," nor shall be more earnest to give good proof thereof. "At my prisown." Signed: R. Melvill.

1²/3 pp. Holograph. The greater part of the address torn off. Indorsed (by Burghley's clerk): "12 Sept. 1573. R. Melvill to my Lord."

726. The Regent Morton to Burghley. [Sept. 18.]

About the 20th of last month I despatched Captain Cockburne towards the Queen's majesty with my answer to her last letter sent by him to me, by whom also I wrote to your lordship, as I did since from Kelso, and considering a month is now past since his departure, [and] neither he returning nor any advertisement coming to me of the cause of his delay, I begin not only to marvel, but to think that he has forgotten to solicit his despatch at her majesty's hands with such earnestness and diligence as become him, and therefore I am constrained to importune your lordship anew with the remembrance of the cause of the King my sovereign and his estate expressed in my former letters and memoirs sent to her majesty by Mr. Kyllegrew at his departure, and lastly by Captain Cokburne. But for this time I will only name in particular the matter of delivering Hwme and Fast Castles into my hands to my said sovereign's behoof, according to her majesty's last letter brought by Cokburne; wherein the delay is not only somewhat grievous to me for the opinion which may be conceived thereby of the change of her majesty's favourable resolution, but also for the opportunity so long given to spoil and deface the house in such sort as when they shall be rendered they will rather appear "sackit and ruynat," than left in order to serve to any commodious use in time coming, which is a great let and "hinder" to me why I may not put so good order at that Border as otherwise I would, the houses being the keys of the country, and the mean whereby to "contene" disordered people in good rule and obedience, "quhairanent" presently I will forbear to write the circumstances to your lordship more expressly, hoping before my letter comes to your hands Cokburne shall be on the way "hamewart." Holyrood House. Signed: James Regent.

1 p. Addressed. Indorsed (by Burghley's clerk).

727. Henry Gaymer to Burghley. [Oct. 16.] C.P., Vol. IX

I have received intelligence how Adam Gordon, brother to the Earl of Huntly, is now at the Court of France, where he practises with the King and the Queen Mother both for men and money to be sent into Scotland, of whom he has received answer to his contentment, and yet puts out his suit under colour to renew the Scottish company of the men-of-arms in Scotland. Not long since there are come from the French Court two Scottishmen, named Bodge and Betoune, who have direction by letters or credit to the Scottish Queen, and [it is] supposed they are now in London. These men are able to reveal the matter. Rye. Signed: Hen. Gaymer.

1 p. Addressed. Indorsed (by Burghley's clerk): "16 Octobre 1573. The Comptroller of Rye to my L[ord]."