THe French King , Henrie the second , for the benefit of his sonne the Dolphin King , and MARIE Queene of Scots ( casting his eies vpon England ) did not withdraw his French Souldiers out of Scotland , as hee had promised , but sent secretly more daily into Scotland , and dealt vehemently with the Pope , to pronounce Queene Elizabeth an Heretike , and illegitimate , which the Emperor and the King of Spaine , most diligently , but couertly , sought to hinder : yet had the Guises drawne the French King into such a sweet hope of adioyning England vnto the Crowne of France , by the title of their Niece the Queene of Scots , that hee openly claimed the same in the right of his sonne and daughter in law : And commanded them , when hee could not obtaine his purpose at Rome , to vse this title in all their Letters patents ; FRANCIS and MARIE by the grace of God , of Scotland , England , and Ireland , King and Queene , and caused the armes of England , together with the armes of Scotland , to be painted in the walls , buildings , and in the houshold stuffe : and also to be put into the Heralds coats . The English Ambassador in vaine complained , that herein great wrong was done vnto Queene Elizabeth , with whom he had made lately a league , and had not done this to Queene MARIE of England , who had proclaimed warre against him . But Henries sudden death , which happened shortly after , made an end of his attempts .

But Francis the second ( who succeeded him ) and MARIE Queene of Scots his wife ( by the counsell of the Guises , who were then of great authoritie in France ) bore themselues openly as Kings of England and Ireland , neither did they abstaine from claiming the armes , but set them out more and more . And vnto Nicholas Throgmorton the Lieger Embassador , a man both wise and stout , it was first answered : That it was lawfull for the Queene of Scots to beare them with some little difference , to shew the nearenesse of her bloud vnto the royall line of England . Hee stifly denied it , saying that by the Law of Armes , none who was not begot of the certaine Heire , might beare the armes of any familie . Afterward they said they bore the armes for no other cause , than to cause the Queene of England to abstaine from bearing the armes of France . Yet at length he obtained at the intercession of Mont Morancy , who loued not the Guises , that they left off the armes of England and Ireland altogether . But yet from this title and vsurpation of armes , which Henrie made the young Queene of Scots to take on her ( moued thereto by the Guises ) proceeded all the euils , which came so thicke vpon her afterward , as from the originall cause . For from hence Queene Elizabeth was an open and professed enemie to the Guises , and bare a secret hate against her , which the craftie malice of men did so nourish , the emulation increasing betweene them , and new occasions arising daily , that they could not be extinguished , but with her death .

THen followed the Treatie of Edenburgh , wherein amongst many other things , it was agreed , that the King of France and Queene MARIE should leaue off the bearing of the title and armes of England and Ireland : but when the time of confirming the same came , and Queene Elizabeth sent into France to haue it ratified ( as shee had done ) Throgmorton the Leiger Embassador could not bring them to doe it by any meanes ; and whilest the matters hung in suspence , and rested vndetermined , Francis the second , King of France , not being eighteene yeere old , and in the second yeere of his reigne , deceased , and left the Queene of Scots a widow , whether to the greater griefe of the Romanists , or ioy of the Protestants in Britaine , I cannot say .

MArgaret Countesse of Lynnox , Niece to King Henry the eight by his eldest sister , was deliuered as prisoner to Richard Sackuill , and her husband the Earle of Lennox was assigned vnto the Master of the Rolls in the like manner , for that hee had secret intelligence by letters , with the Queene of Scots , in which custodie both of them were kept a good space .

Not long after , Henry Sidney was sent vnto the Queene of Scots , whose message was , that the enteruiew which he had desired to haue with Queene Elizabeth might bee put off vnto the next yeere , or vntill the French warres were waxen colder .

At this time it was consulted , whether it was for any good purpose , that these two Princesses should come vnto an enteruiew or conference : For , that the Queene of Scotland required it , bred a suspition , that she did it for some commoditie or benefit , and to espie some aduantage , either to strengthen her right in England , or else to giue a hope , and erect the minds of the Papists in England , and her Cousens the Guises in France . On the other side , others thought hereby a most firme amitie might bee concluded betweene them , the league betweene the French and the Scots weakened by little and little , and the Queene of Scots wonne by faire words vnto the Religion of the Protestants . Others noted , that out of such enteruiewes or conferences , grew the seeds rather of emulation , than of loue , when one should hate and repine at the ostentation of the others brauerie , wealth and power , and for that many times the presence and view is not answerable vnto report and opinion ; and so of the comelinesse of the body , of the beautie of the face , and of the gifts of the minde : And that one might haue cause and occasion to finde fault with the other . Neither did the Queene of Scotland thinke it safe to deliuer her selfe into the hands of Queene Elizabeth , with whom she had contended for the right of the Kingdome : It made her to stagger , and to doubt in the matter , and also to which side to incline and sway , when shee heard that Queene Elizabeth stood openly for the Protestants in France : whilest she considered ( as shee wrote her selfe ) that shee came by her father from the English bloud , and by her mother from the French , that shee was crowned Queene , and Dowager of France , and the most rightful Heire of England , and withall expected the Kingdome thereof : That shee was much indebted vnto her Vncles in France , which had brought her vp , and that shee much desired the loue of Queene Elizabeth .

Yet she feared , such was her piercing vnderstanding , lest if shee ioined her selfe with her in a very strict kinde of amitie , she might procure the euill will of the French King , be abandoned by her Vncles , and lose her dowrie out of France , by preferring the vncertaine friendship of Queene Elizabeth ( which , to vse her owne words , passed not beyond the person ) before the certaine loue of the French . Hereupon the conference ( which had beene treated of many moneths , and the Articles also drawne ) came to nothing , especially when shee by her letters did vtterly refuse to come vnto the enteruiew , except she might be designed heire apparant of England by authoritie of Parliament , or else bee adopted by Queene Elizabeth to be her daughter , to lay a foundation of a most certaine peace and vnion of both the Realmes , so often desired . If these things were granted , she promised to addict her selfe wholly to Queene Elizabeth , yea , and not to respect and regard her Vncles the Guises . Also in these lettes shee insinuated that shee vrged these things the more vehemently , for that shee had heard that many did secretly deuise to set in another successor , and that onely for the cause of Religion , though shee did tolerate in Scotland the Religion of the Protestants .

But when the Cardinall of Lorraine , at the same time dealt with the Emperour Ferdinand , that shee might marrie with his sonne Charles the Archduke , who then sued vnto Q. Elizabeth for mariage ; Queene Elizabeth threatned her by Thomas Randolph , that if shee did consent vnto the Cardinall ( the mortall enemie of England ) about that mariage , both that the amitie betweene England and Scotland might be dissolued , and perhaps she excluded from her hope of the Realme of England : and if she would not misse thereof , she in friendly manner willed her to choose such a husband in England , in whose choice shee might principally giue her selfe content , and then giue satisfaction to her owne Subiects , and also to the English men , in the conseruation of the peace , and make the way smoother and plainer vnto her assured succession in England , which cannot bee published and made knowne vntill it was certainly knowne whom she would take to her husband .

WHen in the heat of the ciuill warres of France , the Duke of Guise , Vncle vnto the Q. of Scotland , was slaine , her dowrie out of France was not paid , Hamilton D. of Chasteauleroy was depriued of his Duchie , and the Scots were displaced from the Captainship of the Guard , which things she tooke in very euill part : The Cardinall of Lorraine , another of her Vncles , fearing lest hereupon she leauing the French , should cleaue vnto the amitie of England , he proposed againe by Crocus , the mariage with Charles d' Austria , offering to her the Countie of Tyrole for her dowrie . Shee acquainted Queene Elizabeth with the matter , who by Randolph gaue her those former admonitions about the choosing of a husband ( as I haue said before ) and then in plainer termes commended Robert Dudley ( whose wife being the heire of Robsert , was killed a good while since , by falling downe a paire of slaires ) and promised that if shee would marrie him , she should be declared by the authoritie of Parliament , sister , or daughter , & heire apparant of England , if she died without issue . As soone as the Queene mother & her Vncles heard this by Foixius the French Embassador in England , they did so disdaine the mariage with Dudley , as altogether vnequall & vnworthy to match in a royall stocke and linage , as they promised not onely to pay her dowrie , but also to restore vnto the Scots all their former liberties , and morelarge also , if she would persist firmely in the friend●hip of France , and refuse the mariage offered vnto her : and also they suggested and put in her head , that Queene Elizabeth did propose this mariage not seriously , but colourably , as though shee had assigned Dudley for her owne husband : And that there was no cause why she should put any trust or confidence in the authoritie of a Parliament , since that in England one Parliament may repeale that which another hath enacted . Moreouer , that the purposes of the English men were no other , but by one meanes or other to keepe her alwaies from mariage . But yet she referred this matter vnto conference , being wonderfully vexed and troubled at home , when Murrey cast into prison the Archbishop of Saint Andrewes , because he abstained not from saying Masse , vnto whom shee hardly got pardon , with shedding of teares . And the hot spirited Ministers of the Church , bolstered by the authoritie of Murrey , offered violence ( without any controlment ) vnto a Priest who had said Masse in the Court ( which was permitted by the Law . ) Neither was shee able to represse the tumultuous persons , though shee applied all her minde about the good of the common wealth , by granting a generall pardon , increasing the fees or wages of the Iudges , by making wholsome Lawes , as making Adulterie to bee death , and sitting herself in iudgement , thereby to make by Law the highest equall with the lowest .

IN this yeere Queene Elizabeth created Robert Dudley Master of her Horse , a man in high fauour with her , whom she had in her secret purpose appointed husband for the Queene of Scotland , that he might be more worthy of that match ; Baron of Denbigh , giuing vnto him Denbigh , with the demeasnes , and the next day Earle of Leycester , to him and his heires males lawfully begotten : For whose sake also shee had before created his elder brother Ambrose Baron Lisle , and Earle of Warwicke ; and to his heires males lawfully begotten , and to Robert his brother , and to his heires males of his body lawfully begotten . Dudly aduanced to these honours , to purchase fauour and grace with the Queene of Scotland , vnto whom hee made suit in mariage , studied with all kinde of offices to deserue well of her , and forthwith accused Bacon keeper of the great Seale , vnto the Queene , that hee had dealt in the matter of succession against the Queene of Scotland , and that hee was priuie and accessary vnto a Pamphlet made by one Hales , who endeuoured to proue the right of the Crowne of England , to belong vnto the familie of Suffolke , if the Queene died without Heire : for the which he had beene put in Prison ; but Bacon ( though hee denied the same ) was with much adoe , and after a long time restored vnto the Queenes fauour by Cecill , who kept his owne iudgement in this point secret to himselfe , and alwaies determined so to doe , vnlesse the Queene ( as he would say ) commanded him to speake his mind , for she could not endure of all things to haue the right of succession called into question and dispute : but the wiser and the richer men , were troubled with nothing more , whilest in the controuersie of Religion the hot Protestants thought the Q. of Scotland was to be put by , and reiected , because she was of another Religion , though her right was vndoubted ( out of some querks and words of their Law bookes . ) Some of the Romanists , and most that regarded equitie and iustice , thought she was to be receiued , as the true and certaine Heire by the Law . And many preferred Margaret , Aunt to the Queene of Scotland , the wife of Matthew Stewart Earle of Lennox , and her children , as those of whom they hoped the best , as borne in England . These things were not vnknowne vnto the Q. of Scotland , who to preuent it as much as she could , by the aduice of the Countesse of Lennox her Aunt , sent for Matthew Earle of Lennox , to come into Scotland , vnder pretence to restore him into his ancient Patrimonie , but indeed to aske him counsell in these affaires , who by his wiues meanes , obtained leaue , and also letters of commendations from Queene Elizabeth , after hee had beene banished from his natiue Countrie now full twentie yeeres .

Hee ( for I will for more perspicuitie and light to the matter , rehearse the same somewhat higher ) was borne of the same stocke of the Stewarts , as the royall familie of the Scots was : For Marie daughter vnto Iames the second , King of Scotland , bore vnto Iames Hamilton , Iames the first of this stocke , Earle of Arran , and Marie his daughter , wife vnto Matthew Stewart Earle of Lennox , the first of this Christian name . Iames Earle of Arran , his first wife being diuorced , and yet liuing , married Ienet Beton , Aunt to Cardinall Beton , by whom he had Iames D. of Chasteauleroy , whom his aduersaries hereupon accounted a Bastard . Marie sister to the Earle of Arran , bore vnto Matthew , Iohn Earle of Lennox , who being slaine by the Hamiltons , at such time as he would haue restored Iames the fourth to his libertie , left this second Matthew Stewart ( of whom we speake ) Earle of Lennox , most deare to Iames the fift , in regard of his father . But Matthew ( the King being dead , and the Hamiltons hauing all the gouernment in their power ) departed secretly into France , from whence hee was sent by Henry the second , the French King , to see that the common wealth of Scotland tooke no harme by Hamilton the Regent ; and herein he behaued himselfe worthily : but being a plaine and honest minded man , ( and entangled by the craft and policie of Cardinall Beton , and Hamilton , ) he fell out of the fauour of the French King in a short time : And when hee could neither tarrie at home , nor returne into France , he came into England and submitted himselfe to King Henry the eighth , who accepted him as a man well beloued in the West borders , and acknowledged him as next heire to the Crowne of Scotland , after MARIE then an infant , ( though the Hamiltons confiscated all his possessions , as of a Traitor condemned ) and married him vnto the Ladie Margaret Douglas his Niece , by his eldest sister , giuing him lands in England , worth yeerely of the old rent 1700. Markes , he promising for his part , to deliuer into the hands of the King of England , the Castles of Dunbritton , the I le of Butha , and the Castle of Rothsay , which peeces being couragiously and valiantly attempted , could not yet be gotten .