May God, the greatest and best, preserve safe and prosperous your serene highness to your consort, your children, your kingdoms, and to ourself and to all princes your kinsmen and allies, for a length of days.

Given at our palace, 1587.

James VI. to Queen Elizabeth. 1

Madam and dearest sister, in times of greatest straits true friends are best tried; now merits the thanks of you and your country, who shows himself a friend to your country and estate. And this present time must

move me to utter my zeal to the religion, how near a kinsmen and neighbour I find myself to you and your country. For this effect, then, have I sent you this present; hereby to offer unto you my forces, my person, and all that I may command, to be employed against your strangers in whatsomever fashion and by whatsomever means, as may best seem for the defence of your country. Wherein I promise to behave myself not as a stranger and foreign prince, but as your natural son and compatriot of your country in all respects.

Now, madam, to conclude, as on the one part, I must heartily thank you for your honourable beginning by your ambassador in offers for my satisfaction; so, on the other part, I pray you to send presently down commissioners for the perfecting of the same. Which I protest I desire not, for that I would have the reward

1 Cotton MSS. Calig. D. i. Art. 158. This letter was written at the time when England was threatened by the Spanish Armada.

precede the deserts, but only, that I will honour, and all my subjects, with a fervent good will this your godly and honest cause; whereby your adversaries may have ado not with England, but with the whole isle of Britain.

Thus, praying you to dispose all your matters with all possible speed, and wishing you a success convenient to those who are invaded by God's professed enemies, I commit, madam and dearest sister, your present estate and country to the blessed protection of the Almighty. From Edinburgh, the 1st of August, 1588. Your most loving and affectionate brother and cousin, as time shall now try,

JAMES R.

James VI. to the Lords Deputies of the kingdom of Denmark.1

James, by the grace of God, King of Scots, to the lords deputies of Denmark, &c. greeting: illustrious, august, and noble lords, what a prosperous voyage we have had, and how happily we have reached our dear Scotland, the Almighty God speeding us on our course, and our darling consort and all our fellow-voyagers being safe and sound, and with what affections and zeal we have been received by our subjects, will be explained to your lordships with the utmost care by the illustrious and noble envoys, as they were on all occasions present;

1 Rawlinson MSS. in the Bodleian Library. Translated from the Latin. James and his queen returned from Denmark in the spring of this year, landing at Leith on May-day, where he was most enthusiastically received by the citizens of Edinburgh.

and likewise in what manner all things, for which they undertook the voyage, have been performed to their heart's desire, and with the most exact observance by us of our word.

It remains, that we return unbounded thanks for that kindness with which you treated us, while we were among you ; and would to God that an opportunity may be given us of gratifying and serving your eminences in any thing. On our royal word we promise that hearty good will towards you and yours shall never be found wanting in us. Moreover, do you continue to preserve and to augment daily, to your utmost, this sacred connection of ours with your serene king elect, our dearest brother, and the other our beloved brothers and sisters, and the most serene lady the widowed queen our mother and dearest cousin, and with all the renowned kingdom, nation, and name of Denmark; this connection we have resolved to cultivate and maintain perpetually and inviolably, since the same will be worthy of and honourable to your eminences, to ourself specially grateful, and even to God the all-powerful pleasing: to whose guardianship and protection we commit your lordships from our heart.

Illustrious, august, and noble lords, fare ye well. 25th May, 1590.

James VI. to Queen Elizabeth.1

Madam and dearest sister, the residence of your ambassador here, by whom you are as well advertised of 1 Cotton MSS. Vespas. F. iii. Art. 78.

every accident falls out here, as, likewise informed what my request or desire is, that you should do at this time; this, I say, is the cause that stays me untroubling you so oft with my own letters as otherwise I would do. In special, I doubt not you are sufficiently informed of this late rare and rash attempt, confirming now at Falkland that treason, which in winter they committed at Holyrood House; but God be praised who gave the last the

worst success.

1

Now it rests for me to hunt them the best I may, and thereunto to spare no pains nor travail, and for your part of concurrence, as well that none of these traitors shall find refuge in any part of your dominions, as also that you will, according to your own laws and their just deserts, punish such of your own lewd 2 subjects as were induced by them to assist them at this deed. I doubt not, in this case, of your good will in respect of the strait band of amity betwixt us; and besides, that I leave to your consideration, if this be not a perilous precedent for all princes. And, because this turn will of necessity drive me to extraordinary charges, I must heartily pray you at this time to send me that whole sum of annuity, which I did the last year require of you; not that I am ignorant of the greatness of your present adoes; but that I trust you will, in this turn,

1 He alludes to Bothwell's attack upon the palace at Falkland in June. He carried off all the horses of the queen from the stables of the palace, but was repulsed from the royal apartments.

2 Ignorant; wicked.

3 Doings. It may be noticed that James was continually in the greatest need of money, and was constantly obliged to supplicate Eliza

turn your eyes a little from looking upon your own estate, to think upon the necessary case of your friend.

But, remitting this and all other things to her loving consideration, who never yet failed me in any adoes, I commit you, madam and dearest sister, to the protection of the Almighty.

From Edinburgh, the 5th of July, 1592.

Your most loving and affectionate brother and cousin, JAMES R.

James VI. to the Prince Ulrick.1

James VI. by the grace of God, King of Scotland, to the illustrious Lord Udralrick, by the same grace, Duke of Mecklenburg, prince of the Vandals, Count of Sweden, lord of Rostock and Stugard, our very dear father, grandfather, and kinsman, greeting and prosperous

success.

At length the great and good God hath looked down. upon us with benignant aspect, most illustrious prince, father and cousin; and that which with ardent prayers and vows we had long and earnestly desired, he hath conferred upon us most abundantly, and hath vouchsafed that wished-for day to shine upon us, in which a male child is happily born to us of our very dearest consort, the lady Anna,2 your highness's dearest grandbeth for the salary she allowed him as her godson. After the year 1586, Queen Elizabeth ganted him an annuity of £4,000, according to MS. Cotton. Calig. B. viii. art. 54.

1 Rawlinson MSS. in the Bodleian Library. Translated from the Latin. 2 Queen Anne was delivered of a son at Stirling Castle, on the 19th of February. James thus alludes to the event in his instructions to his English ambassadors in MS. Cotton. Calig. B. viii. After pre