Stuart dynasty

160 THE STUART DYNASTY.
injured pride should lead him to deny a paternal
interest in Mary's offspring.
And as, with every temptation to create a party
for himself, and thus to rise above the neglect of his
wife and the contemptuous enmity of her nobility,
Darnley thus wrote, it will not be amiss, considering
the prevalence of wild rumours even in our own
times,* to reprint here this brief but historic epistle.
King Henry Darnley to Monsieur the Cardinal de
Guise.
" From the Castle of Edinburgh, this 19th day of June, 1566,
in great haste.
" Sir, my Uncle, — Having so favourable an oppor-
tunity of writing to you by this gentleman, who is
on the point of setting off, I would not omit to
inform you that the Queen, my wife, has just been
delivered of a son, which circumstance, I am sure,
will not cause you less joy than ourselves ; and also
to inform you how, on this occasion, I have, on my
part, as the Queen, my said wife, has also on hers,
written to the King,")" begging him to be pleased to
oblige and honour us by standing sponsor for him,
by which means he will increase the debt of gratitude
I owe him for all his favours to me, for which I shall
always be ready to make every return in my power.
" So having nothing more agreeable to inform you
of at present, I conclude, praying G-od, Monsieur my
* See Appendix II. t Of Prance.