to proceed more frankly, or else to let us understand whether we should take our journey into England the next morning. With this we gave them, as we think, no good night. Now this morning, being Wednesday, very early in the morning the Bishop sent to me your Secretary, requiring me that he might speak with me in some place before Mons. de Randan should wake; and so I did, with the advice of me, the Dean of Canterbury. The first matter was a motion of charity in the Bishop, to complain of myself to myself, for sore words that he said I had spoken overnight to his Secretary in an open presence, saying that his words were fair and his deeds foul; and he must amend his deeds, or else I would end the treaty. This was but a prelude to further talk of your Majesty's matter: we agreed for ourselves; and as for the articles, whereof I complained for divers respects, after much debate, this was communed between us (whereunto I the Dean of Canterbury came, by request of me the Secretary) that their articles should be sent to your Majesty, and ours should be sent to their Master; and that in the mean season their men of war should depart out Leith, and our's also ; and that their army and preparations should be ceased, for the which they here would be hostages; and that it should be lawful for your Majesty to see the same executed by your ministers; and that Dunbar and Inchkeith should be ordered as they and the Scots should accord; and all other things should be treated upon, and accorded here amongst us. These mat ters could not be well judged upon the sudden, and therefore we did neither allow them nor reject them, for that the Scots should treat the greater part thereof more conveniently than we; but, for the sudden, we think (these things being performed by them, that is to say, Leith demolished, and their men sent thence; the new fortification of Dunbar raised; the Scottish men here soundly conjoined together against the French, the navy in France being disarmed, and the French bound that no other succour shall be given against Scotland) it shall not prove dangerous nor incommodious to your Majesty that your navy and army be relieved, and to leave 5000 or 6000 men at Berwick for a time, with all things ready, upon any just occasion, to enter to do any needful exploit in Scotland; for we see your Majesty's navy here has need to return; and if it shall do your Majesty any service it shall do the best conjoined with the rest. And yet, for all this our opinion, we mean to advise and ponder it better, and therein use the advice of your Council here; meaning only for this present to make all the haste that we can possible to advertise your Majesty of some part of our doings; and, howsoever the same shall be allowed, we trust your Majesty will think that we will omit no travel nor device whereby we may bring these matters to some such end as we have in charge. And, surely, concerning the town of Leith, we perceive the necessity of their victuals is not such as has been reported. They have daily, beside their store, help, by taking of fresh salmon, plaice, and other sea fish, both within their town and without. They occupy freely in the sea before their town two boats and two nets. They have of late been content to send victuals to Inchkeith, which argues no extreme necessity. Indeed they have, like wise men of war, made hard proportions to their base soldiers, and have driven the vulgar people to extremity, to seek their living by cockles, and other shell-fish upon the sea sands. As for Inchkeith, it is now of late well re-victualled, and so is Dunbar; wherein truly we understand no lack ought to be imputed to your Majesty's navy. We beseech your Majesty with all speed possible let us understand your pleasure in these things following. First, whether your Majesty will have us stand so earnestly upon satisfaction that without the same obtained we shall break, and put the matter to my Lord of Norfolk; and, next, what manner of satisfaction or recompense we shall require, and obtain, or else break off. Item, if we give order to retire your army and navy, whither they shall be directed, how many shall remain at Berwick. Item, what we shall do touching certain prisoners taken on both sides; whether in this treaty they shall be used as in a plain war, or that they shall be delivered on both parts, paying their ordinary charges. We fear we shall not well please such as have made a reckoning of gain hereof, nevertheless we shall do as shall please your Majesty to command us, for our purpose is to make peace, and that accords not with the case of men of war. We beseech your Majesty also to consi der the last article of the French Ambassador's, wherein mention is made of a ceasing from preparation both on your part and theirs; if the same shall content your Majesty, we would be glad to understand with all speed. We beseech your Majesty to pardon this patched letter, made at several hours, upon several moods of the French, and therefore the same hangs the worse together; and so we most humbly pray to Almighty God long to preserve you to the defence of your right by just and fortunate war, or the recovery thereof by amicable treaty and compact. From Edinburgh, the 19th of June, 1560. Your Majesty's most humble subjects, To the Queen's most excellent Majesty. W. CECIL. N. WOTTON.* * Nicholas Wotton, at the same time Dean of Canterbury and York, fourth son of Sir Robert Wotton, of Boughton Malherb, in Kent, by Anne, sister and heir of Sir Edward Belknap, Comptroller of Calais. He was bred a civilian, and went, rather early in life, into the service of Henry VIII., who sent him to the Court of Vienna, charged with some trifling commissions. In the execution of these, however, he so thoroughly discovered his abilities and the bent of his genius, that he was afterwards employed by that Prince in several embassies of the greatest imHe obtained a seat portance, both to Charles V. and Francis I. in the Privy Council about 1545, and was one of the sixteen overseers of Henry's will. In the following reign he was appointed Principal Secretary, but soon quitted that office to resume his darling employment of foreign negociation, which happily withdrew him from the wretched scenes of Mary's government. He refused the Archbishoprick of Canterbury, which Elizabeth offered him soon after she came to the Throne, and was now, for the third time, appointed a commissioner to negotiate between the No. XII. (Cecil Papers, 1560.) THE QUEEN TO SIR WILLIAM CECIL AND DR WOTTON. TRUSTY and right well-beloved, we greet you well; and let you wit we have received your letters of the 19th of this month, together with such articles and copies of writings as you sent by the same, whereby we do at good length understand what you have hitherto done with the French Commissioners touching the charge committed unto you. And, like as we do well perceive how wisely and carefully you have proceeded in all your doings, for the which we give unto you our hearty thanks, so do we easily guess that, having to deal with such persons, and in matters of so great importance, the same could not be without your great cumber and travail; and, nevertheless, we doubt not but as you have already very well begun, so you will go forwards, and prosecute the same to the end, wherein you shall do us very acceptable service. As touching the points of your letters wherein you specially desire to know our resolution; we English, French, and Scots, after having served in nine several embassies to various Princes of Europe. Dr. Wotton died unmarried, at his house in Warwick-lane, Jan. 25, 1566, O. S. aged about 70. "Whose body," saith his funeral certificate, was thence conveyed in a wagon to Canterbery, to the Deane's house there, accompanied with his own servants, to the nombre of XL men, on horsebacke; and was committyd to the earthe the xxvi1 day of Februarie; and that in the Easte ende of the Cathedrall churche, neere unto the Black Prince Edwarde's tombe, &c." |