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In a subsequent Letter to Sir William Cecil, dated Carlisle June 11th, 1568, Sir Francis Knollys draws the following character of Queen Mary: "And yet this Ladie and prynces is a notable woman. She semethe to regard no ceremonious honor besyde the acknowlegyng of her estate regalle. She shoethe a disposition to speake motche, to be bold, to be plesant, and to be very famylyare. She shoethe a great desyer to be avenged of hyr enemyes. She shoethe a redines to expone hyrselffe to all perylls in hoope off victorie. She delytethe motche to here of hardines and valiancye; commendyng by name all approved hardye men of hir countrye althoe they be hyr enemyes; and she concealeth no cowardnes even in hyr frendes. The thyng that moste she thirstethe after is victorye, and it semeth to be indifferent to hyr to have hyr enemyes demynyshed eyther by the sword of hyr frendes, or by the lyberall promyses and rewardes of hyr purse, or by devysyon and qwarylls raysed amongst theym selffes: so that for victories sake payne and parylle semethe plesant unto hyr. And in respect of victorie, welthe and all things semethe to hyr contemptuous and vyle. Nowe what is to be done with sotche a Ladye and Pryncesse, or whether sotche a pryncesse and ladie be to be norysshed in ones bosome, or whether it be good to halte and dissembyll with sotche a ladye I referr to your judgement."

LETTER CXCIV.

Mary Queen of Scots to Queen Elizabeth, a Letter of expostulation concerning her intended removal from Carlisle.

[MS. COTTON. CALIG. c. I. fol. 121. Transl.]

The following Letter is a Translation of the time, and was perhaps prepared for the use of Queen Elizabeth.

Elizabeth had great fondness for the Latin and Italian tongues, but, late in life at least, seems, like her sister Mary the First, to have had but small love for, and probably little skill in French. Though Mary and Elizabeth were both instructed in that language under the direction of Queen Catherine Parra.

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Among the Royal Manuscripts in the British Museum is a small volume in an embroidered binding, consisting of Prayers and Meditations selected from different English writers by Queen Catherine Parr, and translated and written by the Princess Elizabeth, in Latin, French, and Italian. The Volume is dedicated to King Henry the Eighth; and dated from Hertford Dec. 20th, 1545. Camden also mentions "A

It is remarkable that the same volumes of the Cottonian Collection which contain the original Letters of Mary Queen of Scots to Queen Elizabeth, likewise contain translations of the greater part of them, in Latin, written with care, and occasionally with a degree of elegance. For what purpose these Versions were made, is not known. It has been conjectured that these also, were made for Queen Elizabeth.

MADAME

ALTHOUGH the necessitee of my cause (which makith me to be importune to you) do make you to judge that I am out of the way, yet such as have not my passion, nor the respects wherof you ar perswaded, will think that I do as my cause doth requyre. Madame I have not accused you, neither in wordes nor in thought, to have usid your self evell towardes me; and I beleeve that you have no want of good understanding to keepe you from perswasion against your naturall good inclynation. But in the meane tyme I cannot chose (having my senses) but perceive very evell furderance in my matters, sence my comming hither. I thought that I had sufficiently discourcid unto yow the discommodities which this delay bringeth unto me. And spetially, that theya think in this next moneth of August, to hold a Parlement against me and all my servants. And in the meane tyme I am stayde heere, and yet will you that I shuld put my self further into your Contrey (without seeing you) and remoove me further from myne: and there to do

godly Meditation of the Soule, concerning a Love towardes Christe our Lorde" translated by her from the French. Compare Lord Orford's Royal and Noble Authors, 1806. vol. i. p. 88.

Her rebellious subjects.

me this dishonnor at the requestes of my Rebelles, as to send Commissioners to heere theim against me, as you wold do to a meane subject; and not heere me by mouth. Now Madame, I have promised you to come to you: and having there made my mone and complaint of those Rebelles, and they comming thither not as possessers but as subjectes to answer, I wold have besought you to heere my justification of that which they have faulsly set furth against me: and if I could not purge myself therof, you might then discharge your handes of my causes, and let me go for such as I am. But to do as you say, if I wer coulpable, I wold be better advised. But being not so, I cannot accept this dishonnor at their handes, that being in possession they will comme and accuse me before your Commissioners, wherof I cannot lyke. And seeing you think it to be against your honor and cousynage to do otherwise, I beseech you that you will not be myne enemye untill you may see how I can discharge my self every waye. And to suffre me to go into France where I have a dowery to mainteyn me; or at the least to go into Scotland, with assurance that if there come any strangers thither, I will bynd my self for their retourne without any prejudice to you. Or if it please you not to do thus, I protest that I will not impute it to falshode if I receyve strangers in my contrey, wythout makyng you any other discharge for it. Do with my body at your will, the

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honnor or blame shalbe yours. For I had rather dy heere, and that my faythfull servants may be succourid (though you wold not so) by strangers, then to suffer theim to be utterly undon upon h.. to receyve in tyme to come particuler commodite. There be many things that moove me to feare that I shall have to doo in this contrey with other then with yow. But forasmuch as nothing hath followed upon my last mone, I hold my peace. Happen what may happe, I have as leef to abyde my fortune, as to seeke it and not fynde it. Further, it pleased you to gyve lycence to my subjects to go and come. This hath ben refusid me by my Lord Scroope and M! Knolles (as they say) by your commandement, because I wold not depart hence to your charge untill I had answer of this Lettre; though I shewed them that yow requyred my answer upon the two pointz conteyned in your Lettre. Th'one is (to let you breefly understand them) I am come to you to make my mone to you; the which being heard, I would declare unto you myne innocency, and then requyre your ayde. And for lack therof I cannot but make my mone and complaint to God, that I am not heard in my just quarell; and to appele to other Princes to have respect therunto, as my case requyreth; and to you Madame first of all, when you shall have examynid your conscience before and have him for witnes: and th'other, which

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is to come further into your Contrey, and not to come to your presence: I will esteeme that as no favor, but will take it for the contrary: obeying it as a thing forced.

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In the meane tyme I beseech yow to retourne to me my Lord Heris, for I cannot be without him, having none of my counsell heere; and also to suffre me, if it please you, without further delay, to depart hence, whither so ever it be, out of this Contree. am sure you will not deny me this simple request for your honor's sake, seing it doth not please you to use your naturall goodnes towards me otherways. And seeing that of myne accord I am come hither, let me depart againe with yours. And if God permit my causes to succeede well, I shalbe bownd to you for it; and happeninge otherwise, yet I cannot blame you.

As for my lord Flemin, seeing that upon my credit you have suffred him to goo home to his house, I warrant you he shall passe no further, but shall retoorne when it shall please you. In that you trust me I will not (to dy for it) deceave you: but from Donbertran, I answer not, when my L. Flemyn shalbe in the Towr; for they which ar within it will not let to receive soucours, if I do not assure theim of yours. No, though you wold charge me withall. For I have left them in charge to have more respect to my servants and to myne estat, then to my life.

Good suster be of an other mynde. Wyn the

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