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

1564]
THE COUNCIL OF TRENT
185
et fidelium omnium matrem debitae pietatis ac fidei. Quo
nomine Deo gratias agimus, etc. [Conclusion, date, etc., as
before.]
Hoc eodem exemplo scriptum fuit Comiti de Muntross et
Ugoni Comiti de Eglintoun et Comiti de Cathenes, fuit expedi-
tum aliud breve eodem exemplo sed sine inscriptione.1
(vii.) To Mahy Queen of Scots.
[Rome, 15 June 1564]
Charissimae in Christo filiae nostrae Mariae, Scotorum Reginae
Ulustri.
Charissima, etc. Cum reverteretur istuc dilectus hie filius
Stephanus Vilsonius, Ser1' Tuae, sicut accepimus, valde fidelis
et devotus, quo nomine libenter a nobis visus fuit, praeterire
noluimus quin te per has litteras salutaremus et benedictione
nostra impertiremus. Quo saepius officio fungeremur, si quibus
daremus litteras haberemus; nec id tibi quam nobis futurum
esset jucundius. Etenim Sertem Tuam singulari in Domino
benevolentia prosequimur, et sicut cura et solicitudine magna
afficimur ex statu regni tui tantopere propter haereses pertur-
bato, ita in tua eximia devotione, pietate, virtute, non parum
acquiescimus, et de rebus tuis quam creberrime cupimus fieri
certiores.
Te jam accepisse putabamus exemplar authenticum Decre-
torum Concilii Tridentini, quod ad te mittendum curavimus;
sed tamen mandavimus alterum quoque ipsi Vilsonio ad te
1 The list of the persons to whom these briefs are directed offers several points
worthy of note. The last occasion on which briefs were sent to the whole
hierarchy was when the summons to attend the Council of Trent was issued,
6 March 1561, No. 25 ante. Eight bishops were then omitted, now only three
(Caithness, the Isles, Argyle): bishops-elect are recognised for Brechin and Gallo¬
way. The vagueness, with which the persons addressed are described, is also
remarkable. The name of the Scottish primate alone is remembered ; of the
others the name of the see only is recorded. It is not clear from the text
whether ‘ Ergesibaldus Craffert5 (? Archibald Crawford) is to be identified with
the elect of Galloway or not. Is it possible that any brief, even though merely
hortative, should have been addressed to so decided a reformer as Alexander
Gordon, titular Archbishop of Athens, who actually occupied the see ?
The two abbots addressed were George Dury of Dunfermline and Quentin
Kennedy of Crossraguel.