BL Caligula, b. ix, 175
BL MSS Cotton Caligula, b. ix, 175
Wright: Queen Elizabeth and her Times Vol 1, 1838, No. 44 Page 106
Thomas Randolph to Lord Robert Dudley, Edinburgh, Nov. 18, 1562
Transcribed by Thomas Wright
My humble deutie consydered. Since my laste letters unto your Honour, there hathe occurred here no great matter of importance, which hathe cawsed me the longer to staye my wryting.
Immediatelye after the defeate of the Erie of Huntlie, and execution done upon his sone John Gordon, and certayne other offenders to the number onlye of six persons, the Queue's Grace departethe from Abberdyne towards Edenbourge, havinge lefte suche order in the north partes as she thoughte moste neadefull. At her beinge at Downotarre, (1) a castle of the Earle Marshall's, thyther comethe unto her Villemonte. Manye surmyses ther were what shold be the cause of his cominge. Suche as knewe hym beste coulde easylie conjecture that he came for little good. His whole arrant was to little effecte. He brought with hym fewe letters, and not one of great importance more then that the Quene mother dyd greviouslye complayne unto this Quene, of the Quene's Majestic my soveraigne, that she had possessed certayne of her sone's towns, and geven ayde unto his subjectes agaynst hym, which she thought wolde be a cawse of some greater discorde betwene the realme of France and England then coulde sone be appeased. Where it was dowted that he had some privie commission from the Quene's uncles unto her, to cause her myslyke my mestres' doyngs, and that she sholde seme so farre to favour ther enterprises, that she wolde evil allowe whatsoever was done agaynst them, the truthe hereof hathe byne so farre searchyd that it is for certayne knowne, that he had no suche charge, and came rather to seeke some commoditie ether by service or other ways, then that he was sent by anye man. Of this I am assured, and therfore do the boldelyer wryte it. Marrie, he is a man that sayleth with all wyndes, and fashioneth himselfe to all men's fantasies that he hathe to do with. He speaketh to the Quene whatsoever she lykethe beste, and of my mestres' doyngs to her he speaketh dyspytefullye inoughe. I see here his credit little, either with her Grace's selfe or anye other. I have ofte tawlked with hym, but more accompte I thynke not to make of hym then I fynde cawse worthye.
At Mounte Rosse [Montrose] ther comethe one other, a servante of Mons. d'Amville's ; of hym ther is no lesse thoughte then of the former. We looked then for none other than open warre, whereof the brute ran so faste before, that the Quene herself founde great fawlte therat. He arriveth abowte one hower before the Quene's supper. He presented unto her, in the syght of as maynie as wer in the chamber, onlye one letter from his master, and moe than that he had not unto her. It contained three whole sheetes of paper. I was present at the deliverie, and sawe her Grace reade it greatlye, as it appeared, to her contentment. He reporteth the whole state of thinges in France, as well of the Prince and his power as the Guisians, with all the supportes, I thynke, as trewlye as he coulde. Dyvers and longe tawlke hath byne betweene the Quene and hym. The purpose is more secrete than is yet knowen unto anye, excepte it be unto the Lord of Lidingeton, who though ether he will not, or yet cannot assure me what his arrant is, yet dothe he put me owte of dowte that it nether concerneth my mestres nor anye thinge that can be prejudiciall unto her. I thoughte it better for a tyme to contente myselfe with this, then over ernestlye to presse hym for further knowlege then he was willinge to imparte unto me, thoughe I will not so leave but rather lette tyme worke it. This advantage I have gotten by the hastie arrivall of these two gentlemen, and by the suspition that is growne of their comynge, which gave all men occasion to thinke that theie came for lyttle good, that I perceave that if this Quene were bothe of wyll and power to annoye my mestres, that she sholde wante bothe counsellers thereunto and mynisters to be imployed therm, excepte such as dwell upon the borders, whoe what kynde of men theie are your honor knowethe righte well. Excepte that I had somewhat to perswade me thus to wryte, it were too great boldenes of me so to assure your Lordship.
Touchinge the goodwill that is borne unto the Queue's Majestic my sovereigne, in the Quene herself I fynde it nothynge dyminished of that, that at anye tyme I have before wrytten. And in her subjects (I mean onlye the godlye), I fynde it so increased (in speciall since the supporte sent into France), that I thynke her Majestie the happiest woman alyve. Her Majestie's sickenes hathe byne hevily lamented, and God nowe as greatlye praysed for her recoverye, whom he for his mercie's sake so preserve, that his glorie in her actes maye alwayes be knowne unto the worlde
At Dundie ther comethe unto the Quene the Duke to demand pardon for his sone in lawe the Lord Gordon, whom he hymself stayed by the Queue's commandement. He hathe receaved hytherto lyttle comforte, nor shall not knowe what shall become of hym before the Parliment, which wil be aboute Candlemas.
At Dundie I tooke my leave of her Grace to be before her in Edenbourge, where she purposeth to be within eight dayes, taking her jornaye by Sterlinge. I here that James Graye is arrived. He wente the nexte [nearest] waye to meete the Quene, and so I did mysse hym. This Quene at this present wrytethe to my Sovereigne, as also the Lord of Lidingeton unto your honour. My Lorde of Murraye willed me to present his hartie commendations unto your Lordship. He desyereth God to sende your Lordship to the increase of honor that lately you have worthilie receaved, suche advancement as may be moste unto your hart's desier.
Moste humblye I tayke my leave; at Edenbourge, the 18th of November, 1562. Your honourable Lordship's at commande,
Thomas Randolphs
(1) Dunnottar, fourteen miles from Aberdeen. The castle, on a lofty rock in the sea, is now said to be the most majestic ruin in Scotland.