Series 1 > Papal negotiations with Mary Queen of Scots during her reign in Scotland, 1561-1567

154 PAPAL NEGOTIATIONS WITH MARY [6 dec.
Ecclesiae Suae diu servet incolumem. Saluto reverenter
Reverendos Patres P. Salmeron et P. Polanco et eorum pre-
cibus me humiliter commendo. R. V. servus indignus.
Nicolaus Gaudanus.
Cum has vellem obsignare, venit ad me Scotus ille Ninianus,
cuius supra memini, dicens Cancellarium Regni Scotiae,
Comitem de Huntle, ad quem misi una cum meis literis breve
Apostolicum, et a quo fortius expectavi responsum, inter-
fectum esse et filium eius secundo genitum obtruncatum a
fratre Reginae bastardo heretico, et res illic valde perturbatas
esse.1
[Addressed] Admodum Reverendo in Christo Patri Nostro
lacobo Laynez, Preposito Generali Societatis lesu. Tridenti.
[Father de Gouda to Father General Laynez.
[«. d., probably Louvain, 6 December 1562.]
Very Reverend Father in Christ. Pax Christi, etc.
From Mayence and Cologne I wrote to your reverence about the affairs
for which I was sent to Scotland, and because many details could be
better explained personally by word of mouth than by writing, I asked
your reverence to make inquiries of the two Scottish young gentlemen.
Master Edmund [Hay] and Master William [Crichton], the one of whom
guided me to Scotland, and the other brought me back. Now they have
both started to go to Rome, and join the Society, and I trust that ere
this they have met your reverence at Trent.
They can give a full account of everything, and so his Holiness in turn
will be accurately informed about the state of that kingdom. This is my
ardent desire, for there is good hope that the country may be brought
back to the true and orthodox faith, if, as I have already written at
greater length, his Holiness, once rightly informed, were pleased to
fulfil the promises he made in his letters to the queen. This I earnestly
beg your reverence, that, notwithstanding your many occupations in the
affairs of the Church universal at Trent, you would not fail to commend
with warmth and earnestness to the Holy Father and to Cardinal Amulio
i The battle took place 28 October; Sir John Gordon’s trial and execution
took place at Aberdeen next day. The cause of the Earl of Huntly’s death is
controverted. The Bishop of Aquila’s account, 15 November 1562, derived, as
he says, from the report at the English court, is, ‘ trayendole preso y atadas las
manos, sc dejo caer del caballo y murio de la caida ’ {Documentos intditos para
la storia de Espana, Ixxxvii. p. 430), ‘As they led him with his hands bound, he
was let fall from the horse, and died of the fall.’ In the Spanish Calendar
(p. 270) the words here printed in italics are translated ‘he fell.’