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Elizabeth　an　embassy　extraordinary；　of　which　M。　de　Bellievre　was　the

chief；　and　at　the　same　time；　having　learned　that　James　VI；　Mary's

son；　far　from　interesting　himself　in　his　mother's　fate；　had　replied

to　the　French　minister；　Courcelles；　who　spoke　to　him　of　her；　〃I　can

do　nothing；　let　her　drink　what　she　has　spilled；〃　he　wrote　him　the

following　letter；　to　decide　the　young　prince　to　second　him　in　the

steps　he　was　going　to　take：



〃21st　November；　1586。



〃COURCELLES；　I　have　received　your　letter　of　the　4th　October　last；　in

which　I　have　seen　the　discourse　that　the　King　of　Scotland　has　held

with　you　concerning　what　you　have　witnessed　to　him　of　the　good

affection　I　bear　him；　discourse　in　which　he　has　given　proof　of

desiring　to　reciprocate　it　entirely；　but　I　wish　that　that　letter　had

informed　me　also　that　he　was　better　disposed　towards　the　queen　his

mother；　and　that　he　had　the　heart　and　the　desire　to　arrange

everything　in　a　way　to　assist　her　in　the　affliction　in　which　she　now

is；　reflecting　that　the　prison　where　she　has　been　unjustly　detained

for　eighteen　years　and　more　has　induced　her　to　lend　an　ear　to　many

things　which　have　been　proposed　to　her　for　gaining　her　liberty；　a

thing　which　is　naturally　greatly　desired　by　all　men；　and　more　still

by　those　who　are　born　sovereigns　and　rulers；　who　bear　being　kept

prisoners　thus　with　less　patience。　　He　should　also　consider　that　if

the　Queen　of　England；　my　good　sister；　allows　herself　to　be　persuaded

by　the　counsels　of　those　who　wish　that　she　should　stain　herself　with

Queen　Mary's　blood；　it　will　be　a　matter　which　will　bring　him　to　great

dishonour；　inasmuch　as　one　will　judge　that　he　will　have　refused　his

mother　the　good　offices　that　he　should　render　her　with　the　said　Queen

of　England；　and　which　would　have　perhaps　been　sufficient　to　move　her；

if　he　would　have　employed　them；　as　warmly；　and　as　soon　as　his　natural

duty　commanded　him。　　Moreover；　it　is　to　be　feared　for　him；　that；　his

mother　dead；　his　own　turn　may　come；　and　that　one　may　think　of　doing

as　much　for　him；　by　some　violent　means；　to　make　the　English

succession　easier　to　seize　for　those　who　are　likely　to　have　it　after

the　said　Queen　Elizabeth；　and　not　only　to　defraud　the　said　King　of

Scotland　of　the　claim　he　can　put　forward；　but　to　render　doubtful　even

that　which　he　has　to　his　own　crown。　　I　do　not　know　in　what　condition

the　affairs　of　my　said　sister…in…law　will　be　when　you　receive　this

letter；　but　I　will　tell　you　that　in　every　case　I　wish　you　to　rouse

strongly　the　said　King　of　Scotland；　with　remonstrances；　and

everything　else　which　may　bear　on　this　subject；　to　embrace　the

defence　and　protection　of　his　said　mother；　and　to　express　to　him；　on

my　part；　that　as　this　will　be　a　matter　for　which　he　will　be　greatly

praised　by　all　the　other　kings　and　sovereign　princes；　he　must　be

assured　that　if　he　fails　in　it　there　will　be　great　censure　for　him；

and　perhaps　notable　injury　to　himself　in　particular。　　Furthermore；　as

to　the　state　of　my　own　affairs；　you　know　that　the　queen；　madam　and

mother；　is　about　to　see　very　soon　the　King　of　Navarre；　and　to　confer

with　him　on　the　matter　of　the　pacification　of　the　troubles　of　this

kingdom；　to　which；　if　he　bear　as　much　good　affection　as　I　do　for　my

part；　I　hope　that　things　may　come　to　a　good　conclusion；　and　that　my

subjects　will　have　some　respite　from　the　great　evils　and　calamities

that　the　war　occasions　them：　supplicating　the　Creator；　Courcelles；

that　He　may　have　you　in　His　holy　keeping。



〃Written　at　St。　Germain…en…Laye；　the　21st　day

of　November　1586。（Signed）　HENRI；



〃And　below；　BRULART。〃





This　letter　finally　decided　James　VI　to　make　a　kind　of　demonstration

in　his　mother's　favour：　he　sent　Gray；　Robert　Melville；　and　Keith　to

Queen　Elizabeth。　　But　although　London　was　nearer　Edinburgh　than　was

Paris；　the　French　envoys　reached　it　before　the　Scotch。



It　is　true　that　on　reaching　Calais；　the　27th　of　November；　M。　de

Bellievre　had　found　a　special　messenger　there　to　tell　him　not　to　lose

an　instant；　from　M。　de　Chateauneuf；　who；　to　provide　for　every

difficulty；　had　chartered　a　vessel　ready　in　the　harbour。　　But　however

great　the　speed　these　noble　lords　wished　to　make；　they　were　obliged

to　await　the　wind's　good…will；　which　did　not　allow　them　to　put　to　sea

till　Friday　28th　at　midnight；　next　day　also；　on　reaching　Dover　at

nine　o'clock；　they　were　so　shaken　by　sea…sickness　that　they　were

forced　to　stay　a　whole　day　in　the　town　to　recover；　so　that　it　was　not

till　Sunday　30th　that　M。　　de　Bellievre　was　able　to　set　out　in　the

coach　that　M。　Chateauneuf　sent　him　by　M。　　de　Brancaleon；　and　take　the

road　to　London；　accompanied　by　the　gentlemen　of　his　suite；　who　rode

on　post…horses；　but　resting　only　a　few　hours　on　the　way　to　make　up

for　lost　time；　they　at　last　arrived　in　London；　Sunday　the　1st　of

December　at　midday。　　M。　de　Bellievre　immediately　sent　one　of　the

gentlemen　of　his　suite；　named　M。　　de　Villiers；　to　the　Queen　of

England；　who　was　holding　her　court　at　Richmond　Castle：　the　decree　had

been　secretly　pronounced　already　six　days；　and　submitted　to

Parliament；　which　was　to　deliberate　upon　it　with　closed　doors。



The　French　ambassadors　could　not　have　chosen　a　worse　moment　to

approach　Elizabeth；　and　to　gain　time　she　declined　to　receive　M。　de

Villiers；　returning　the　answer　that　he　would　himself　know　next　day

the　reason　for　this　refusal。　　And　indeed；　next　day；　the　rumour　spread

in　London　that　the　French　Embassy　had　contagion；　and　that　two　of　the

lords　in　it　having　died　of　the　plague　at　Calais；　the　queen；　whatever

wish　she　might　have　to　be　agreeable　to　Henry　III；　could　not　endanger

her　precious　existence　by　receiving　his　envoys。　　Great　was　the

astonishment　of　M。　de　Bellievre　at　learning　this　news　he　protested

that　the　queen　was　led　into　error　by　a　false　report；　and　insisted　on

being　received。　　Nevertheless；　the　delays　lasted　another　six　days；

but　as　the　ambassadors　threatened　to　depart　without　waiting　longer；

and　as；　upon　the　whole；　Elizabeth；　disquieted　by　Spain；　had　no　desire

to　embroil　herself　with　France；　she　had　M。　de　Bellievre　informed　on

the　morning　of　the　7th　of　December　that　she　was　ready　to　receive　him

after　dinner　at　Richmond　Castle；　together　with　the　noblemen　of　his

suite。



At　the　appointed　time　the　French　ambassadors　presented　themselves　at

the　castle　gates；　and；　having　been　brought　to　the　queen；　found　her

seated　on　her　throne　and　surrounded　by　the　greatest　lords　in　her

kingdom。　　Then　MM。　de　Chateauneuf　and　de　Bellievre；　the　one　the

ambassador　in　ordinary　and　the　other　the　envoy　extraordinary；　having

greeted　her　on　the　part　of　the　King　of　France；　began　to　make　her　the

remonstrances　with　which　they　were　charged。　　Elizabeth　replied；　not

only　in　the　same　French　tongue；　but　also　in　the　most　beautiful　speech

in　use　at　that　time；　and；　carried　away　by　passion；　pointed　out　to　the

envoys　of　her　brother　Henry　that　the　Queen　of　Scotland　had　always

proceeded　against　her；　and　that　this　was　the　third　time　that　she　had

wished　to　attempt　her　life　by　an　infinity　of　ways；　which　she　had

already　borne　too　long　and　with　too　much　patience；　but　that　never　had

anything　so　profoundly　cut　her　to　the　heart　as　her　last　conspiracy；

that　event；　added　she　with　sadness；　having　caused　her　to　sigh　more

and　to　shed　more　tears　than　the　loss　of　all　her　relations；　so　much

the　more　that　the　Queen　of　Scotland　was　her　near　relative　and　closely

connected　with　the　King　of　France；　and　as；　in　their　remonstrances；

MM。　de　Chateauneuf　and　de　Bellievre　had　brought　forward　several

examples　drawn　from　history；　she　assumed；　in　reply　to　them　on　this

occasion；　the　pedantic　style　which　was　usual　with　her；　and　told　them

that　she　had　seen　and　read　a　great　many　books　in　her　life；　and　a

thousand　more　than　others　of　her　sex　and　her　rank　were　wont　to；　but

that　she　had　never　found　in　them　a　single　example　of　a　deed　like　that

attempted　on　hera　deed　pursued　by　a　relative；　whom　the　king　her

brother　could　not　and　ought　not　to　support　in　her　wickedness；　when　it

was；　on　the　contrary；　his　duty　to　hasten　the　just　punishment　of　it：

then　she　added；　addressing　herself　specially　to　M。　de　Bellievre；　and

coming　down　again　from　the　height　of　her　pride　to　a　gracious

countenance；　that　she　greatly　regretted　he　was　not　deputed　for　a

better　occasion；　that　in　a　few　days　she　would　reply　to　King　Henry　her

brother；　concerning　whose　health　she　was　solicitous；　as　well　as　that

of　the　queen　mother；　who　must　experience　such　great　fatigue　from　the

trouble　she　took　to　restore　peace　to　her　son's　kingdom；　and　then；　not

wishing　to　hear　more；　she　withdrew　into　her　room。



The　envoys　returned　to　London；　where　they　awaited　the　promised　reply；

but　while　they　were　expecting　it　unavailingly；　they　heard　quietly　the

sentence　of　death　given　against　Queen　Mary；　which　decided　them　to

return　to　Richmond　to　make　fresh　remonstrances　to　Queen　Elizabeth。

After　two　or　three　fruitless　journeys；　they　were　at　last；　December

15th；　admitte