Thus some poor wretches were to be tortured, though the barbarous inflicters admitted that they had no hope of producing any new discovery, but simply because a greater barbarian commanded the experiment to be tried! Baillie speaks of himself as being "all naked and torne1," and Banister says that he had "taisted the smarte" of the rack.

The Bishop of Ross, in a letter to some noblemen, dated in December, 1571, states that the Queen of Scots was then ill, but which the doctors said "was only suffocacio matricis, quia desinit esse mater:" his letter is also curious from its containing something like evidence of her regard for the Duke of Norfolk.

"The Queene of Scottes feares grevouslie that her sicknes shal cause the Duke of Norfolke take displeasure, and therefore hath bydden me wryte to the Duke her most hartie and loving commendacons, and praye hym effectuallie not to take displeasure, for she promyses faithfullie never to doe the like agayne; therefore if she shall doe it, the Duke of Norfolke may challenge her with breache of her promyse. The Duke of Norfolke's letter, token, and credit, sent with me, was her onlie comforte; for she regarded litle the Queene of Englande's letter, for it was no better worthe, as ye may perceave by the double of it."-P. 165.

Norfolk was then a prisoner in the Tower, and several letters occur from him to Elizabeth, the pathetic eloquence of which almost redeems the abjectness of spirit which they betray. Of these we are tempted to insert some short specimens. In a letter to the Queen, dated on the 22nd of January, 1571-2, six days after his condemnation, after admitting some of his offences, and saying that he was "but a deade doge in thys worlde,' he implores her forgiveness, in order that he may "leave this vale off myserye with the lyghter harte and quyeter concyense, wherby I may behold my Lord Jesus with a more joyfull contenance," and ends with this allusion to his children:

"Nowe that I have layyd my none most humble and earnest sute prostrate befor your most excellent Majestye, as nature byndes me, with a soryfull harte, most lowlylye I besyche your Hyenesse to extend your mercyfull goodnesse to my power orphan chyldren, whoe, nowe when ther yeares did most requyre a father for the care off ther bryngyng up, hathe other wyse apoyntyd; and I feare, that as nowe they have neyther father, nor mother, so yff yt be not by your Majestye's most gracyowes goodnesse, that they power innocentes schall fynde but fewe frendes. The heavenlye Lord, for hys Crystys sake, put in to your Majestye's most gracyowes harte, that my caryon ende may take awaye and aswhage so your Majestye's just yere, as that the lytle

power wretchys may tast of your Hyenesse's gret clemencye, and then I hope, yff yt be Gode's pleasure to contynue them in thys world, that by ther dutyfull servys to your Majestye, they shall make sum recompence for ther father's transgressions, wyche yff they shuld not doe, I praye God sone send them to follow ther unhappe father.” -P. 167.

He then entreats that they may be committed to the care of Lord Burghley. On the 23rd of January he again wrote to the Queen, thanking her for the promise which she appears to have made him to comply with his wishes on that subject.

"No penne can expresse the great comfort wyche I, myserable wretche, receavyd by your excellent Majestye's most gratyowes message, concernyng your Hyenesse's intendyd goodnesse towards my poore infortunate brates, wyche nowe in ther schypwrake be cast into the fearfull surgys off the see, desperat off enye relyfe, except they (most unworthe for all ther waylyng and cryyng) be taken up by ther noble and most mercyfull Quene's maydenlye hand, wyche hathe ever heapyd cooles upon her enymyes heades, by rewarding yll with good. And although God forbede that I a dede flye should be cowntyd in thys case ane enymye," &c.-P. 168.

A letter from the Recorder of London to Burghley, on the 1st October, 1573, describing his official proceedings previous to, and at, the election of the mayor in that year, informs us of a singular custom, of the sheriffs being entertained by the gaolers of the different prisons visited by them. He says:

"Uppon Weddensdaye we satte at the Yelde Halle, and there did the chifest of the comons appere; and there, we sitting all in our calabrye clokes of murrey, did geve the newe shereffs, and theire under sheriffs for London and Middlesex theire othes; and then our order is, the one half to dyne with the one sheriff, and the other half with the other. At afternone the same daie the new sheriffs goe to everie pryson, and do there receave all the prysoners by matter of record; and at everie prison the gailer thereof dothe make unto them a verye fyne and a nedeles banckett, which muche better might be spared than spent."--P. 259.

The worthy Recorder's account of the election of the mayor may amuse our city readers: we learn from it that it was then the custom for his lordship to affect an unworthiness for the office.

"That done, my lord electe standeth forthe in my place, and there doth disable himself, and in the ende is well contented, and so geveth them thanks in like manner, and there dothe he take his leave: and so we go to dynar with the two olde sheriffs, where we had a costlie feaste, with a playe for our farewell.”—P. 260.

A pamphlet having been published in 1576, charging Elizabeth with ingratitude to the King of Spain, he having saved her life when condemned to death in the time of Mary, Walsingham

drew up a long reply to it in the Queen's name. passage is deserving of being extracted.

The following

"And for answeare of the first pointe werewith we are charged, touching our ingratitude towards the King of Spayne, as we do most willingly acknowledge that we were behouldinge unto him in the time of our late sister, which we have sought manie waies most thankfully to requite, as in our declaration may appeare; so do we utterlie denie as most manifest untrewthe, that ever he was the cause of the savinge of our lief, as a person by course of justice sentenced unto deathe, who ever carried our self towards our said sister in such dutifull sort, as our loyalty was never called in question, muche lesse sentence of death pronounced against us."-Pp. 294-5.

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A curious paper, copied from the original in Burghley's hand, is inserted, concerning the treaty with the Duke of Anjou, 6 October, 1579," in two columns; the one headed "Perils," and the other" Remedies ;" and of which the subjoined extracts will give a sufficient idea.

Comfort of titlers and favorers of Laws to be more sharp against

the Quene of Scots.

Comfort of obstinate papists.

Dangers by the Marriage.

Doubtfulness of issue.

Danger in childbearing.
Contrariety of Religion.

}

His youth unequal to the Queen.

favourers of titles.

Penalties increased upon recu

sants.

Remedies.

In God's hands.

To be by articles helped.

The Quenes good constitution of
body, that may outlive hym.

His nearness to the Crown of That is in God's hand.
France.

The inconvenience of joining the This cannot be removed; but in
two Crowns.
Edward IIId's days was borne
withall.

Then follows a summary of the opinions of the various statesmen of the day on the subject: among these, Mr., afterwards Sir Ralph, Sadler offered two objections which could not have been very agreeable to her Majesty.

"In years, the Queene may be his mother.

"Doubtfullness of issew more than before, few old maids escape." Nor were Sir Walter Mildmay's much more flattering:

"Not mete to marry considering her years."-P. 331-2.

A rebellion in the nunnery at Poissy, in France, is amusingly related, in a letter from Sir Edward Stafford, the English Ambassador, to the French monarch, dated at Paris, 12 Dec. 1583.

"And so I pray you let me mak an end of the pleasant battell that hath bene at Poyssy among the nones, whose Abbess being dead, theie

fell according to theire old custom to chuse an other, 75 voyces being for an old woman of the nones, and but 25 for Madam du Perron, the Marshall of Retz's sister. Yet the King and Queen-mother favoring her, theie would needes have her to be chosen; and for that intent, theie first sent olde Lansak thither, to whom theie made verie shrewed answeeres. After, the Queen-Mother came herself, and wold place her in her seat of Abbess of the nonnes that weere against her came owte of theire chambre at the Queen insomutche, that within a daye or twoe after, my wyfe going to see the Queen at the filles repenties, she made a great complaint to her of the nonnes of evyll and disdaaynefull using of her, and assured her she would be revenged of them.

"As soone as she went back to St. Jermains, she went to them againe, but theie would not open the gates to her: she was fayne to mak some of her garde to digge a hole under the walle, and get in to open her the gates, which being don the nonnes seeying the yeard full of gards, every one shutte herself upp to theire chambers, and lookyng out of the windowes, tould the Queen that with her pardon, theie would be starved theire fyrst, afore theie would loose theire accostomed liberties. The next daye theie fell uppon Madam du Perron and bett her as long as she could stand, as the autor of their harme. The King uppon that sent his garde thyther, and took owte twoe or three of the heddyest nonnes, and put them in diverse howses in keepinge abroade."-P. 384.

Among the scandal propagated abroad about Elizabeth, Thomas Morgan, one of the emissaries of the Queen of Scots, acquainted the latter with the following, in March, 1586-7.

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Eyther Rawley the mignon of her of England is weary of her, or els she is wearye of him; for I heare she hath now entertayned one Blont, brother of the Lord Montjoye, being a yonge gentleman whose grandmother she may be for her age and his."-P. 501.

A plan for colonizing Ireland from this country, dated in December, 1585, is remarkable for the minuteness of its details'. The most singular document in this volume is, however, the celebrated letter from Mary Queen of Scots to Elizabeth, containing revolting charges against her character as a woman, and which have been alluded to by Hume, Carte, and other historians. Whatever may be our reluctance to soil our pages with such an article, we must not suffer our squeamishness to conceal so extraordinary a production.

"Suivant ce que je vous ay promis et auvez despuis desire, je vous declare ores, qu'aveques regret, que telles choses soyent ammenees en question, mays tres sincerement et sans auqune passion, dont jappelle mon Dieu a tesmoing, que la Comptesse de Schreusbury m'a dit de vous ce que suit au plus pres de ces termes. A la plus part de quoy je proteste avoir respondu, reprenant la ditte dame de croire

Pp. 545-547.

ou parler si lisientieusement de vous, comme chose que je ne croyois point, ni croy a present, congnoissant le naturel de la Comptesse et de quel esprit elle estoit alors poulssee contre vous. Premierement, qu'un, auquel elle disoit que vous aviez faict promesse de mariage devant une Dame de vostre chambre, avoit cousche infinies foys auvesque vous avec toute la licence et privaulte qui se peut user entre mari et famme; mays qu'indubitablement vous nestiez pas comme les aultres fammes, et pour ce respect cestoit follie a touz ceulx qui affectoient vostre mariage avec Monsieur le Duc de Anjou, d'aultant qu'il ne ce pourroit accomplir; et que vous ne vouldriez jamays perdu la liberte de vous fayre fayre l'amour, et auvoir vostre plesir tousjours auveques nouveaulx amourelx, regretant ce, disoit elle, que l'ons ne vous contentiez de Maistre Haton, et un aultre de ce royaulme; mays que pour le honneur du pays il luy faschoit le plus, que vous aviez non seullement engasge vostre honneur auveque sun estrangier nommè Simier, l'alant trouver de nuit en la chambre d'une dame, que la dicte Countesse blasmoit fort a ceste occasion la, ou vous le baisiez et usiez auvec luy de diverses privaultes deshonnestes; mays aussi lui revelliez les segretz du royaulme, trahisant vos propres conseillers auvesque luy; que vous vous estiez desportee de la mesme dissolution avec le Duc son may stre; qui vous avoit este trouver une nuit à la porte de vostre chambre ou vous l'aviez rancontre auvec vostre seulle chemise et manteau de nuit, et que par apres vous l'aviez laisse entrer, et qu'il demeura auveques vous pres de troys heures. Quant au dict Haton, que vous le couriez a force, faysant si publiquement paroitre l'amour que luy portiez, que luy mesmes estoit contreint de s'en retirer, et que vous donnastes un soufflet a Kiligreu pour ne vous avoir ramene le dict Haton, que vous avviez envoiay rappeller par luy s'estant desparti en chollere d'auveques vous pour quelques injures que luy auviez dittes pour certeins boutous d'or qu'il auvoit sur son habit. Qu'elle auvoit travaille de fayre espouser au dit Haton la feu comtesse de Lenox sa fille, mays que de creinte de vous, il ne osoit entendre que mesme le comte d'Oxfort n'osoit ce rappointer auveques sa femme de peur de perdre la faveur qu'il esperoit recepvoir par vous fayre l'amour; que vous estiez prodigue envers toutes telles gens et ceulx qui ce mesloient de telles mesnees, comme a un de vostre chambre Gorge, auquel vous avviez donne troys centz ponds de rante pour vous avvoir apporte les nouvelles du retour de Hatton; qu'a toutz aultres vous estiez forte ingrate chische, et qu'il n'avoit que troys ou quatre en vostre royaulme a qui vous ayez jamais faict bien. Me conseillant, en riant extresmement, mettre mon filz sur les rancs pour vous fayre l'amours, comme chose qui me serviroit grandement et metroit Monsieur le Duc hors de quartier; qui ne seroit tres prejudisiable si il i continuoit; et lui repliquant, que cela seroit pris pour une vraye moquerie, elle me respondit que vous estiez si vayne, et en si bonne opinion de vostre beaute comme si vous estrez quelque deesse du ciel; qu'elle prandroit sur la teste de le vous fayre croire facillement et entretiendroit mon filz en ceste humeur; que vous preniez si grant plesir en flateries hors de toute rayson, que l'on vous disoit, comme de dire, qu' on ne vous osoit par foys reguarder a plain, d'aultant que votre face iuysoit comme le soleill; que'elle et toutes