The Queen is for the present at Craigmillar, about a league distant from
this city. She is in the hands of the physicians, and I do assure you is
not at all well; and do believe the principal part of her disease to
consist in a deep grief and sorrow. Nor does it seem possible to make
her forget the same. Still she repeats these words: _I could wish to be
dead_. You know very well that the injury she has received is
exceedingly great, and her Majesty will never forget it. The King, her
husband, came to visit her at Jedburgh the very day after Captain Hay
went away. He remained there but one single night; and yet in that short
time I had a great deal of conversation with him.... I think he intends
to go away tomorrow; but in any event I'm much assured, as I always have
been, that he won't be present at the baptism. To speak my mind freely
to you ... I do not expect, upon several accounts, any good
understanding between them, unless God effectually put to His hand. The
first is, the King will never humble himself as he ought; the other is,
the Queen can't perceive any one nobleman speaking with the King, but
presently she suspects some contrivance among them.
_DARNLEY AND THE BAPTISM_
_M. le Croc to the Archbishop of Glasgow, from Glasgow._
December 26, 1566. _Keith's History_, vol. i. p. 97.
The baptism of the Prince was performed Tuesday last, when he got the
name of Charles James. It was the Queen's pleasure that he should bear
the name James, together with that of Charles (the King of France's
name). Everything at this solemnity was done according to the form of
the Holy Roman Catholic Church. The King (Lord Darnley) had still given
out that he would depart two days before the baptism, but when the time
came on he made no sign of removing at all, only he still kept close
within his own apartment. The very day of the baptism he sent three
several times desiring me either to come and see him, or to appoint him
an hour that he might come to me in my lodgings, so that I found myself
obliged at last to signify to him that seeing he was in no good
correspondence with the Queen, I had it in charge from the most
Christian King to have no conference with him.... His bad deportment is
incurable, nor can there ever be any good expected from him.... I can't
pretend to foretell how all may turn; but I will say that matters can't
subsist long as they are without being accompanied with sundry bad
consequences.... The Queen behaved herself admirably well all the time
of the baptism, and showed so much earnestness to entertain all the
goodly company in the best manner, that this made her forget in a good
measure her former ailments. But I am of the mind, however, that she
will give us some trouble as yet; nor can I be brought to think
otherwise so long as she continues to be so pensive and melancholy.
_AN INSULT TO THE ENGLISH_
An Incident of the Baptism.
_Melville's Memoirs_, p. 171.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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