BL Caligula, b. x, 185

BL MSS Cotton Calig. b. x, 185
Wright: Queen Elizabeth and her Times Vol 1, 1838, No. 33 Page 81
Thomas Randolph to Cecil Edinburgh, Nov. 4 1561.

Transcribed by Thomas Wright

In such matters as of late I have had to do before this Quene and hyr counsell, I have informed my Lords of the Quene's Majesty's honorable counsell, whereof your honour, for the place you are in, cannot be ignorant. If any thynge be omytted therin, or unsufficiently consydered, I truste their honors will attrybute it unto the little information that I had what to do therein, rather then that ther lacketh care or diligence in me to do that as it ought to be. I leave therefore farther to wryte therof, to trouble your honour the longer in some other matters that occasion is presented unto me to wryte of.
The absence of the Duke's grace from thys courte caused here such brute and rumors amongst the people, of his mislykinge of the Quene's proceedings, with somewhat els that they unadvisedlye reported that was mente towards hym, that he was advysed by hys frendes to repayr unto thys towne, and by his presence to make voide all such vayne taulke as was here in maynie men's mouths. Upon Tuesdaye last, (the fourthe of thys instant,) he came unto thys towne. Upon Wensdaye he sawe the Quene, and was well receaved, and, as he confesseth hym unto me, no manner of occasion offered unto hym by the Quene of myslykinge. Since that tyme he hathe bene daylie in courte and counsell. Howbeit, hys purpose ys not to remeyne here above six or eight dayes more. He dowtethe greatly that the Quene intendeth to take from hym Dombriton ; and so thynkethe hymselfe voyde of all place of succor, yf this Quene intende at anye tyme to tayke quarrell agaynst hym. "For," saythe he, "whenever she have that owte of my handes, I know that her mynde towards me and my howse cannot be good. I wyll, therefore, assure myself by all means that I can to keepe that, which," sayth he, "I shall not be able to do, excepte your mestres at that tyme stande gracious prynces unto me, whoe hathe promised me by her letters never to se me nor my house wrecked." Thoughe I know that he doutethe more then he have occasion, yet wolde I no manner of waye condemne hys purpose, nor thought yt good anye waye to dyscourage hym of the Quene's Majestie's favour so longe as he persevere in the mayntenance of God's trothe, obedience to hys soveraigne, and affection towards my mestres accordinge unto her demerites upon hym and hys sone. In thys behalfe he spake inough. He required me verie ernestlie to advertyse your Honour herof, and yf it seme good unto you, to open the same unto the Quene's Majestie, to knowe what her Grace wyll do for hym, yf he be brought unto that necessitie to tayke the parte for hys refuge ; and thereof desyrethe your Honour's answer and favorable word unto her Majestie. I inquired of hym what right he had to have that place, or pretence to refuse the deliverie yf yt were demanded. He answered me that hys right was none, but that he tooke yt from the Earle of Lenox, and had a promes by mouthe made unto hym by thys Quene's mother to have yt in ferme for nineteen yeres. Of thys matter he hathe byne twyse in hand with me since his arrivall. I coulde promisse hym no lesse then to wryte unto your Honour ; the reste I refer unto your wysedome.
My Lord of Arrane remaynethe at St. Andrews. He knowethe not hymself, nor 1 cannot conjecture, what he meaneth by hys aboode there. He wrote of late unto the counsell that he might be answered of the revenues of St. Andrews, Domfermelinge, and Murosse by the Quene's authoritie, as theie had put hym in possession, adding thys clause, that otherwyse he wolde complayne unto hys bretheren, who from the begynninge had bene of the congregation. Thys manner of doinge was founde verie strange. Hys bill was rejected, and nothinge saide thereunto. It ys nowe called in question whether that the Princesse beinge an idolater maye be obeyed in all civile and pollitique actions. I thynke mervilously of the wysdoine of God that gave thys unrulye, unconstant, and combersome people no more substance nor power then theie have, for then wolde theie runne wilde. Nowe theie imagine that the Lord James growcthe colde, that he aspirethe to great matters. He is nowe Lieutenant upon the borders, Commander of the Quene, lyke shortly to be Erle of Murray and Treasurer of Scotlande. Lidingeton ambitious and too full of pollicie. So ther is no remedie, saye theie, yt muste yet come to a newe daye. To the contrarie of thys I persuade by all meanes that I can, with suche as I maye most assuredlie have to doo. And in my conscience theie are in the wronge to the Lord James. And whensoever Lidingeton is taken owt of thys place, theie shall not fynd amongeste themselves so fitte a man to serve in thys realme.
My Lord of Arrane hath bene ofte persuaded with to conforme hymselfe to thys estate and tyme. My sayings have bene allwayes unto hym that the greater tokens of obedience that he shewe nowe unto his Soveraigne, the better shall he be able to governe, and the people knowe their dutie, yf God send hym unto that place. I fynde my words better allowed then followed of hym. He desyrethe greatlye to speake with me. Nether thys tyme, nor the place where he is, servethe me therunto, thoughe I be willinge inoughe when occasion better servethe then now yt dothe.
I wrote unto your Honour that the provost and bayles of thys towne were deposed. We looke now daylie to have them restored, and the selfe same confirmed that theie were put out of their office for. Upon Alhalowe daye, the Quene had a songe masse. That night one of her prestes was well beaten for hys rewarde by a servant of the Lord Robert's. We looke to have yt proclaimed agayn that no man, under payne of confiscation of goods and lands here, saye or come unto her owne masse, savinge her owne householde, that came out of France. The ministers shall have their lyvings appoynted by her autoritie. These matters are presently in hand. The Lord James upon Fridaye takethe hys jorneye towards Gedbrough ; there goe with hym the Erle Morton, Lord Ersken, Earle Bodwell, Lord Seton, Lord Leveson. Th'assemble wil be greate, and I truste greate good will ensue thereof. I have receaved answer from all the wardens of the opposite Marches fornenst Scotland, that proclamation is made agaynst fugitives, which I have declared unto thys Quene, who was verie gladd thereof.
As I thought thus to have ended, ther wer sent unto me your letters of the 26th of November, brought by La Crock, who, as the Lord of Lidingeton geveth me to understande, hathe made verie honorable reporte of the Quene's Majestie my soveraigne.
The Lord James also confinnethe the same with manie merrie words, that thys Quene wished that one of the two were a man, to make an end of all debates. Thys I trowe was spoken in her merrie moode. Yesterdaye I sought occasion to have spoken with her Grace myself, but she was busye abowte St. Come's despache into France, who within two dayes taketh his jorney. Her Grace purposeth to wryte unto the Quene's Majestie herself with her owne hande. St. Come's arrant into France is to understande the state of things ther, to fashion as nere as she maye all things accordinglie here, to intertayne amytie by kinde wordes, and to fette newe instructions howe matters shal be governed here. To speake of hymself, he is gentle and honeste inoughe, but not withoute suspicion of over great ambition, which maye move hym by all wayes that he can to serve hyr appetyte. We retaine our olde familiaritie, and accordingly I muste neades commende hym unto your Honour. This Quene* longethe greatly to here of the Quene's Majestie's resolution touching Sir Peter Meute's legation.
I have nowe some occasion, by reason of your letter, to saye somethinge, yf she enter with me in purpose of hym, as she hathe done twyse or thryse since hys d parture. I have made bothe the Lord James and Lord of Lidingeton privie of my Lord of Bedford's intertaynment and courtoysie towards the Grande Prior and Monsieur d'Ampville ; theie leave nothynge unspoken thereof unto the Quene in as good words as theie can. I heare that the newes she hathe of the Cardinail's and Duke's leavinge the courte pleasetlie her but lyttle. All men here judge the tyine of the yere paste for the Kinge of Sweden's cominge, thougheof late the brute was great that he was arrived at Dunkyrke.
I have done your Honour's commendations unto the Lord James and the Lord of Lidingeton. I have also saluted the Duke's Grace in your name, for so I thoughte it requysyte. Suche of the Lords as have their hostages (1) at Newcastle, purpose shortly to wryte unto the Quene's Majestie for the deliverance of them, forasmuch e as the yere is nowe nere expired. I persuaded with the Lord James to let the yere first runne oute before anye suche thing were moved. Others thoughte it beste oute of hande to avoyde charges. I leave yt at their iscretions, and am not sure whether that thaye wyll wryte by St. Come or not. To-morrowe I shall knowe their resolution.
There restethe nothinge that I can calle unto my remembrance but to gyve your Honour most humble thanks for your favorable remembrance of my licence for horses and th'augmentation of my dietts here. I truste ther shal be nothinge lefte therof unspent as nere as I can to the Quene's Majestie's honour. Unles yt please you at anye tyme to have me in remembrance unto Mr. Treasurer, I shall fynde him harde and slacke inoughe. He hathe as maynie fayer wordes as good deedes.
I am here sore comberde by a myscheivous man, one Tomson, of whome long since I wrote unto your Honour. He is a playn anabaptiste, and al moste oute of his wytte.
I leave for thys present farther to trouble your Honour, until you see the Lord of St. Come. Moste humbly I take my leave; at Edenbourge, the 4th of November, 1561.
Your honour's bounden and reddye allwayes to commande,

Thomas. Randolphe

(1) The hostages given by the Scottish Lords when the English army entered Scotland to their aid in 1560.