Series 3 > Scottish correspondence of Mary of Lorraine

MARY OF LORRAINE
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realise the limitations of her power, and in this instance
she probably made a virtue of necessity in the apparent
exercise of clemency.
There was undoubtedly need to walk warily in the
troubles of the times. Not only was the popular hatred
of Frenchmen increasing to serious dimensions, but the
letter of Mudy hints at quarrels among the ranks of the
French officials themselves. [No. CCLXV.] Besides this,
the rivalry of the house of Hamilton made it politic to
deal gently with the susceptibilities of the Scots, lest the
disaffected should rally round the Duke of Chatelherault.
It is significant that the Protestant Cassillis supplanted
Hamilton as Treasurer : in opposition to the Primate, the
natural leader of the churchmen, the Regent was tolerant
of the Protestants, and cultivated the support of the
merchant classes. For herself, she reaped the reward of
virtue by extending ‘ maist gentill and gracious clemencie ’
to Balnaves and his co-religionists. [No. CCLXX.] Bal-
naves expressed his gratitude by placing his legal know¬
ledge at her disposal, with the commendation of his
future services to her ‘ contentatioun and pleasour.’
Henrison and Fyvie promised that ‘ geif ye will preif oure
service ony farder we sail agment the rentis of the quene
youre dochteris croun this yeir cumand xxxm lib. moir
than it wes this yeir bygane without ony sic danger
grudge or murmour of the pepill as ther is now.’ [No.
CCLXVIII.]
History does not say whether she did ‘ preif ’ their
‘ service ony farder,’ but it was clearly a great asset to
the needy and impecunious Regent to be served faith¬
fully and of ‘ gwd hart ’ by the merchants and Protestant
lairds. In holding the ‘ swir trest ’ of these classes lay
her best hope of allaying the ‘ danger grudge or murmour
of the pepill.’ That the mutterings of discontent were
growing distinctly audible may be gathered from the