Abbotsford Club > Historical memoirs of the reign of Mary, Queen of Scots, and a portion of the reign of King James the Sixth

PREFATORY NOTICE. xxiii
this infcripfion, './o/<: i?6'.^• /Sco^/fP,' as well as his the chartour.
But Robert Bruce foon changed 'Joh, novelty and in the firft
chartour I faw granted by him, when he was lurking in the hills, he is
defigned 'Rex Scotorum.' It is the only one that wants a feall and writt
in confufion aniongft all this collection; but in another, which is one year
after Bannockburne, the feall is magnificent. He is on the one fide fit-
ting in a chair of Hate, with a globe in one hand and fword in the other;
the motto ' Rohertus Rex. Deo Rectore.' His countenance is full and
lively. One the other fide he is on horfeback, trampling under foott his
enemies; the motto ' Scotorum Rex. Hojiium Terror.' The two char-
tours together is an embleme of the world. I fuppofe it will be needlefs
to enlarge on the feverall other chartours, writt dillinctly, and fine fealls;
efpecially that in King David's time.
" Nixt, I faw a notoriall inftrument, or rather the contra6l in King
James the Firft's days, when he was prifoner, with the acknowledgement
of the King and Parliament in England that they had no right or title to
the crowne. This is figned by three nottars and three inflruments. It
was at the time of his liberation, but I do not think it matteriall or valu-
able, if true. What I faw nixt was a very great colle6lion of original
Letters writt by Queen Mary; with her Teftament, writt the day before
fhe was murthered ; and her codicill, the fame day, in the morning. The
writt is large, but not good. The Teftament contains feverall donations
to her fervants; as well the codicill, with a declaration of her faith, figned
' Mary.' Her letters are to the Duke of Guife, and feverall other per-
fons of diftinction, in France; and many to the Bifliop of Glafgow, all
in French ; and many to the Earls of Argyle and Atholl, in one of which
fhe expoftulates with Argyle, in pathetic terms, that her fon may not be
delivered to the Englifii, of which flie was afraid; puts him in mind of
the loyalty of her anceftors, and bounty of her predeceflbrs to his family.
The other to Atholl is very delicat, and folid fenfe, writt the fame day
with Argyle's; flie fays that fhe has writt to Argyle, and concludes that
if both the familys continued loyall and dutiful to the Crowne, there
was no fear of either enemies abroad or parties at home. Moft of them
figned ' Marie, Reine.' In one of her letters, when flie was prifoner in