Series 3 > Scottish correspondence of Mary of Lorraine

224 THE SCOTTISH CORRESPONDENCE OF
God haiwe yow in his keipyng etemalie. At Weddirbie,1
the xvij day off Marche.
*Your grace mast humyll and trew serwand
Huntly.*
CLVIII
Alexander Gordon to the Queen Dowager
[c. March-April 1548.]
TO THE QUENIS GRACE,
Madame, efter the closyng off this mas I gatt ane
writtyng fra my lord quhilk yowr grace pies resave. We
hawe derekit Kempe 2 away agane to my lord to entyrteny
the pwrpos quhill fordar remeid be fownd ; and at Kemp-
peis retwrnyng yowr grace salbe advertist. I hawe
maid ane wreittyng to my lord quhilk I am content he
schaw, makand mention quhow at the last convention 3
yowr grace had aggreitt all the nobill men, quhou ar
determit to debait the mater to the utyrmast of thar
p[o]war ; and sik lyk off gret support that is cum and
cumand owt off France, in the best manere my wyt culd
extend the mater. I thynk monsieur de Laya 4 hes nocht
bene at the cowrt or the departyng off my lord ambas-
sadour,5 bot dowttis nocht efter Laya speikkis with the
1 The place of writing is probably Wetherby, in Yorkshire.
* * Holograph.
2 In the cramped hand of the original this name might possibly be read
‘ Houpe,’ but Huntly’s reference makes it clear that Kemp is the name intended.
No. CLX.
3 He probably refers to the convention held in Stirling at the beginning of
January, when it was decided ‘to besiege Borthie anew.’ (C.S.P. i. 125, 128.)
4 M. de Layac had been sent on a mission to France by the Dowager, and
was apparently at court in March. (B.P. i. 190, 239.)
* D’Oysel had gone to France at the end of November, after the meeting of
the convention in Edinburgh when ‘ the Queen said she with the Governor’s
advice, had written urgently to France for speedy help, and if not they would
do the best for themselves with England.’ (‘ Ninian Cockburn’s Report,’ C.S.P.
i. 88, cf. 92.) Probably D’Oysel was instrumental in framing the contract of
27th January 1547-8 between Arran and Henry 11. The Governor was to
secure the consent of the Scottish parliament to the marriage of Mary with the
Dauphin, the conveyance of the Queen to France, and the deliverance of some