Series 3 > Scottish correspondence of Mary of Lorraine

266 THE SCOTTISH CORRESPONDENCE OF
do us good in, and no hurte insew therof; but for thingis
wherin the troste comyttyd to hym might com to any
danger or dyspleasour to us I wold not wyshe that ye
shoulde put any gret confydence to hym nor other Scotte.
I am willyd by my lordis grace and my lordis at Barweke
to send yow xl men of the soldeiors w[h]iche was delyverd
me at Barweke.1 And I have sent yow of the best of
them, but I thinke they have bene lyttill tranyd in the
warres ; but for the tyme till my comyng they may sarve
yow, and then you shall have other yf yow lyst in ther
place. I pray yow conseder well the placis to be fortyfied
w[h]ich my lordis grace doith wryte of to yow, and advertys
me in your next letter your opynyon therin. And also
wryte to me wher the Master of Rythen is, and whether
he do practys for the delyverye of Seynt Johnes towne and
what sarvyce he intendith to do.2 In my last letter my
lordis grace haith willyd me to confare with yow and to
know what sarvice might be done abowte you with plasyng
a thousand men ther this wynter. And if yow shall
thinke yt shall sarve to gret porpous I pray you advertys
me and how yow thinke best ther sarvyce should be
ymployd, w[h]ich I pray yow fail not of ; and how in your
opynyon they may be vyttaillyd. My lordis grace wold
have a forte or bulwarke at the point of the sand in the
entrey of the ry ver of Tay on Angwysh syde yf the grounde
will here the fortification therof ; w[h]ich must be foreseyn
and consyderd by yow as secretly as yow may untill my
comyng, that it appere not to thennymes what yow
intend and ther by may be preventyd. Yt haith also bene
declaryd unto hys grace by Mr. Palmer 3 that nere Dondye
1 ‘Sir John Luttrell having required it’ See Instructions of 6th August
(C.S.P. i. 309.)
2 On 19th December 1547 the Master of Ruthven first hinted his willingness
to surrender Perth for a price. Thereafter, English agents were delegated to
‘practise with’ Ruthven and Melville. (C.S.P. i. 107, 300, etc.)
3 On 1st February, Sir Thomas Palmer had submitted to Grey of Wilton
a report on the defences of Broughty, and a plan for fortifications. He was
a prisoner at the date of writing. He had been routed and captured by the
French outside Haddington, on 16th July (C.S.P. i. 145, 293), but was
exchanged for Lord Maxwell in 1549. (Booi of Caerlaverock, i. 216.)