Series 3 > Scottish correspondence of Mary of Lorraine

xiv CORRESPONDENCE OF MARY OF LORRAINE
letters of protest throw a flash of illumination upon the
economic state of the country. [Nos. CX, CXI.]
Money was no way plentiful, and payments were made
in kind. The same picture is painted by the commendator
of Kelso and Melrose in his letter of grievances concern¬
ing teinds. [No. CVI.] Sheep, cattle, fishings and the
fruits of the earth yielded a revenue that was not readily
converted into coin. Alexander Gordon represented to
the Dowager ‘ quhow I can gett na way off sylver fra my
gud sister my lady Hwntlye ; and trewly, madame, schew
can nocht instantlye hawe price nor sell of gwddis be
merchanddis.’ [No. CLXIL] Methven’s observations
pointed to the same conclusion that ‘ this realm is pwyr
and the greit men can na way beyr greit exspens of thar
awn leving. All greit men in this realme has, and utheris
efter thair greis has, folkis to sarve tham in thair awn
bowndis but ony mone hot allanerly gud tretyng and
greit houss to be haldin of daly exspens ordynar of meyt
and drynk.’ [No. CLXXIL]
This financial poverty must have added brightness to
the golden bait with which the kings of France and England
competed to buy the support of the Scottish magnates.
The pensions, however, may at no time have been regu¬
larly paid, and at the best the glitter of the gold was more
dazzling than profitable. Alexander Gordon, for one,
although he ‘ had rady payment of the four thousand
merkis your grace obligatioun bearis, [was] sofar super-
spendit be interesse of schifting silver ’ that his pension
afforded small relief in his embarrassment. [No. CCLVII.]
Patrick, Master of Ruthven, a stranger in Paris, for
another, found himself in a difficult position, at once
serious and ludicrous. His grant was paid in ‘ ane certane
of testanis with ewill sousis that is cryit down in this
cuntre.’ The money, indeed, was useless. When he
‘ desyrit the gud man that I am Iwgit with to hawe re-