Her grace lodged in a merchant's house; her train were very few; and
there was small repair from any part. Her will was, that for the time
that I did tarry, I should dine and sup with her. Your Majesty was
oftentimes dranken unto, by her, at dinners and suppers. Having, in this
sort, continued with her grace, Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, I thought
it time to take occasion to utter unto her grace, that which last I
received in command, from your Majesty, by Mr. Secretary's letter, which
was to know her grace's resolution touching those matters propounded, at
Berwick, by my Lord of Bedford, and me, to my Lord of Murray and Lord of
Lethington. I had no sooner spoken these words, but she saith, "I see
now well that you are weary of this company and treatment. I sent for
you to be merry and to see how like a Bourgeois-wife I live, with my
little troop; and you will interrupt our pastime, with your great and
grave matters. I pray you, Sir, if you be weary here, return home to
Edinburgh, and keep your gravity and great ambassage until the Queen
come thither; for I assure you, you shall not get her here, nor I know
not myself where she is become. You see neither cloth of estate, nor
such appearances, that you may think that there is a Queen here; nor I
would not that you should think that I am she, at St. Andrews, that I
was at Edinburgh." I said that I was very sorry for that, for that at
Edinburgh, she said that she did love my mistress, the Queen's majesty,
better than any other, and now I marvelled how her mind was altered. It
pleased her at this to be very merry, and called me by more names than
were given me in my christendom. At these merry conceits much good sport
was made. "But well, Sir," saith she, "that which then I spoke in words
shall be confirmed in writing.... You know how willing I am to follow
her advice ... and yet I can find in her no resolution nor
determination. For nothing, I cannot be bound unto her ... and
therefore, this I say, and trust me I mean it, if your mistress will, as
she hath said, use me as her natural born sister or daughter, I will
take myself either as one or the other as she please, and will show no
less readiness to oblige her, and honour her, than my mother, or eldest
sister; but, if she will repute me always but as her neighbour Queen of
Scots, how willing soever I be to live in amity and to maintain peace,
yet she must not look for that at my hands, that otherwise I would, or
she desireth." ... I requested her Grace, humbly ... to let her mind be
known, how well she liked of the suit of my Lord Robert, Earl of
Leicester, that might be able somewhat to say or write touching that
matter, unto your Majesty. "My mind towards him is such as it ought to
be of a very noble man, as I hear say by very many, and such one as the
Queen, your mistress, my good sister, doth so well like to be her
husband, if he were not her subject, ought not to mislike me to be mine.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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