Spottiswoode Society > History of the affairs of the Church and State of Scotland from the beginning of the reformation to the year 1568 > Volume 1

154-3.] OF CHURCH AND STATE IN SCOTLAND. 79
kingdoms. When complaint of this bad treatment was made,
the English ambassador, who appears in his own mind to
disapprove of it, and did write to his Court, advising the re-
lease of the ships, made answer in his master's name — That
it was contrary to the treaty of peace to assist France with
victuals ; and next, that such as were within the Scottish
ships had spoken very slanderously of the Governor and
other Noblemen of this realm. The Cardinal now sitting in
Council, together with the Governor, at Edinburgh, the 23d
day of September, made answer — That as to the loading with
victual, he understood that the ships had no such loading,
except it was fish ; and that he could not perceive by the
treaties but that the merchants, subjects of both realms,
might use their accustomed traffic, with such merchandize as
they have been in use to transport to other countries ; and
as to the unseemly words spoken of the Governor, the cog-
nizance and punishment thereof appertained to him, and not
to the King of England. After which the Cardinal having
demanded — Whether the King his masterwouldyet ratify the
treaties, provided hostages should be delivered according to
the tenor thereof, and whether he would restore the ships,
and cause redress to be made for some inroads on the Borders I
— the English ambassador not taking upon him to give any
assurance of this in his Majesty's name, and having desired
the Council here to declare their resolution to perform liter-
ally the treaties, before he should write to his master to know
his pleasure herein, as the Cardinal had requested him to
do ; and the Council having made answer — That the matters
were weighty, and they must have time to advise upon the
same, and would declare their resolution upon knowledge of
his master s intention ; it doth not appear that there was
afterwards any further communing upon the head, but that
both parties looked upon the treaties as good as at an end ;
and indeed it is probable enough that the Cardinal, who then
acted as Prime Minister, and who by the superiority of his
genius did much outshine the Governor, had no mind to ad-
here to the treaties, even though satisfaction should be made
by King Henry for any infraction of them, and though he
should agree to ratify them in the terms proposed.
It is now fit to take a view of what other matters passed
about this time. The first step of moment that was done,