“I have thought it good that you enter with the ambassador of Spain into the following overtures:—That I endeavour by all means to make my son enter into the enterprise (invasion of England), and if he does not, that I arrange a secret league among the Catholic nobility and adherents to be joined with the King of Spain, to do what shall be thought meet for advancing the scheme, so being that they have plenty of men and money. Moreover, I shall arrange to have my son delivered into the hands of the King of Spain or the Pope, as shall be thought best, stipulating to set him at liberty when I shall desire, or that after my death, being Catholic, he shall desire to return to Scotland; and that the King of Spain shall never attempt anything to my prejudice or my son's (if he be Catholic) in the succession to the Crown. This is the best hostage that I and the Lords of Scotland can give to the said king for the performance of that which depends on them in this enterprise, but withal there must be a regent appointed in Scotland having commission from me and my son to govern the country in his absence, and I find no man so capable as Lord Claud Hamilton. He shall have a Privy Council, without which he shall not ordain anything of importance. I shall be obliged to the King of Spain if he will receive my son and instruct him in the Catholic religion, which is the thing of all things in this world I most desire, affecting rather the salvation of his soul, than to see him monarch of all Europe. And I fear much that so long as he remains where he is it will never be in my power to bring him again into the right ways, whereby there shall remain in my heart a thousand regrets if I should die and leave behind me a tyrant and persecutor of the Catholic Church. If you get a good answer from the ambassador, I would desire you to write Lord Claud informing him that the King of Spain is to set on this country (invasion of England), and desires to have the assistance of the Catholics of Scotland to stop any assistance that may come from there to the Queen of England. You will also inquire what help in men and money would be required from the said king to hold Scotland. If you get a favourable answer, you may inform Lord Claud that to assure himself of my son, if all things be done under his name and authority, it shall be necessary to seize his person if he cannot be willingly brought into this enterprise, and that the surest way would be to deliver him to the said king or the Pope, as shall be deemed best, Lord Claud to be regent in his absence.