King, in keiping the watter of Forthe, that he should not eschaip thair cruell handis, beyng assurit, if he come in the Quene of Inglandis power, that sche, of hir accustomate clemencie and kyndnes of blude, wald not abandoun hym to thair vnmercyfull crueltie, experimentit alredy in hys father. And, seyng that the prouidence of God had closit the dore to all thair wicitnes at that tyme, thay haue neuer ceisit since to seike enemeis to his Grace in all strange natiounis; and perceiuing that thay had faire wordis of all vtheris, except of the Quenis Maiestie of Ingland, quha vnderstode thair fals and tressonabill dealing, thay turnit thair hatred agaynst hir, and enterid in conspyracie with sum tratouris of Ingland, that wer als euil mindit towardis the Quenis Maiestie thair Souerane, as the Hamiltounis wer to the Kingis Hienes of Scotland. This is nouther dremid in wardrop, nor hard throw a boir, but a trew narratiue, of which the memorie is ludged in menis hartis, baith Scottis and strangeris, and the veritie knawin. By the quhilk ye may vnder. stand the Hamiltounis pretence, this fifty yeiris and mair.

After sa many wayis sought by tham to distroy the right successioun, and place tham in the kinglie rowme, seyng all thair practisis could not auaill, and thair forces wer not sufficient, thay sought to augment thair factioun, adioyning to tham all that wer participant of the Kingis slaughter, and had aspyrit to slay the Quene of Ingland. And, to the effect thay might cum to thair wickit purpois, thay in a maner dis playit a baner, to assemble togider all kynd of wickid men, as Papistes, renegat Protestantis, theifis, tratouris, murtherais, and opin oppressouris. As for thair adherentis in Scotland, I neid not to expreme their namis, nor the qualiteis of the conspyratouris of Ingland, for thay ar weill enough knowin to your lordschippis. Yit one I can not ouerpass, beyng the cheif conspyratour choisin by tham to be King of Scotland and In gland, I mene the Duike of Norfolk; in quhilk act ye may see how the thirst of your blude blindit tham agaynst thair awin utilitie. First, thay chose the principall enemie of the religioun of Christ in this ile, accompanyit with vther fylthie idolateris, to change the stait of the kirk in baith realmes, by cuttyng of the twa princes, seyng that, thair authoritie standyng, the conspiratouris could not cum to thair intent. Next thay respectit, in that proude tyranne, the vertewis that wer commoun to him and tham, as arrogancie, crueltie, dissimulatioun, and tresoun; for euin as thay had, this lang tyme in Scotland, sought the deith of thair righteous prince; sa he in Ingland, followyng the traide of his antecessouris, diveris tymes attemptyng tresoun, wald haue put downe the Quene of Ingland. Heir also appeiris the Hamiltounis crueltie agaynst the nobilitie of thair awin natioun, in seiking thair professit and perpetuall enemie of Scotland (as his bage beiris witness) quha should haue spilt the rest of the noble plude of Scotland in peace, that his antecessouris could not spill in werr; by quhilk electioun, beyng assurit that na Scottis hart can loue tham, sa can they loue nane of you, agaynst quhome thay haue vsit so many tresounabill actis. Thay do schaw also how crueltie and auarice haue blindit tham, thay can not se, in bringyng a tyrane to haue power ouer tham, seyng thay, pretending neirest clame to the crowne, should be neirest the danger. And yit, for all this, could these men be weill contentit, if by any meanis thay

could attene to thair intent, by spoyle and rubberie, as they did quhen as thay wer placid in supreme authoritie; or by makyng of you slaues, as they did, in selling of thair quene, begyn that practise, quhairin howbeit the inhumanitie was great, yit was it not in supreme degre of cruelteis; but it is na moderat, tollerable, nor accustomat thyng that thay seike: it is the blude, first, of our innocent kyng, euen sic as hath bene preservit by wyld beastis, nixt the blude of all his trew seruandis and trew subiectis indifferentlie. For quhat defence can be in nobilitie, or quhat suirtie agaynst tham that haue murtherit a kyng, and seikis strangeris to murther ane vther knyg? Quhome sall thay spare for vertew and innocencie, that latelie executit, and yit defendis the murther of the regent: or quha will be ouersene for law, degre, of base estait, in respect of thay that conductit out of Tuidaill to slay maister Iohn Wood, for na vther cause, but for beyng a gude servand to the crowne, and to the regent his maister, and had espyit out sum of thair practisis?

If this thirst of blude of these Lochlechis might be impute to haistie hounger, or any sudane motioun, quhilk causis men sum times to forget thair dewtie, there might yit be sum hope that, sic a passioun ouerpast, thay wald with tyme remember thame selfis, and after power amend faultis past, or at leist abstene in tyme to cum; but thair is na sic humanitie in thair nature, nor na sic pietie in thair hartis; for, not content with a kyngis blude, thay gaip for his sonnis murther; nor satisfiyit to haue slayne the regent, they keipit the murtherar in the Duikis hous in Arrane. Maist like thinkyng, as, if thay honourit not the doar, thay should not be knawin as counsallouris of the deid, and wald tyne the glorie of that nobill act. And, besydes all this, thay ar not onlie contentit to mantene Scottis tratouris, but alswa receifis Inglis tratouris,and settis vpa sanctuarie of tresoun, a refuge of idolatrie, a receptacle of theifis and murtheraris.

And howbeit the bullerant blude of a king and a regent about thair hartis, quhair of the lust in thair appetite geuis tham litil rest, daily and hourlie makyng new prouocation; yit the small space of rest quhilk thay haue, beside the executioun of thair crueltie, thay spend in deuysing of generall vnquyetnes throw the hole countrie; for, not content of it that thay tham selfis may steale, brybe, and reif, thay set out ratches on cuery side, to gnaw the pepillis bonis, after they haue consumit the flesche, and houndis out; one of tham, the Clangregour, anc vther the Grantie, and Clauchattan, an vther Balcleuch and Fairnyherst, ane vther the Johnstounis and Armestrangis; and sic, as wald be hald in the halyest amangis tham, schew playnlie the affectioun thay had to banish peace and steir up troublis, quhen thay bendit all thair fyue wittis, to stop the regent to go first north, and syne south, to punish thift and oppressioun; and, quhen they saw that their counsall was not authorisit, in geuyng imp unitie toall misordour, thay spend it in puttyng downe of hym that wald haue put all in gude ordour.

Thair is a kynd of these theifis euin odious to mair gentill theifis, quhilk, callyng tham selfis great gentilmen, spoyllis trauellaris, cadgearis, and chapmen by the way, and ransounis pure men about Edinburgh for xx, schillyng the heid; quhilk vice can not procede of

vengeance of enemeis, but rather of loue and plesure in wickitnes. This kynd of men dois not onlie dishonour to nobilitie in steillyng, and to theifis in purspyking, but also to the whole natioun of Scotland, geuing opinioun to strangeris, that sum of the Scottis be of sa law courage, that men amangis tham, aspiring to the hiest estait of a kingdome, haue crouchit tham selfis in the mayst law ordour of knaifis.

Now, my lordis, ye may consider, how thay, that slayis sa cruellie kyngis and thair lieutennentis, will be mercyfull to you; and, quhen thay fall haue put you downe, that craifis reuenge of the Kyngis blude, ye may vnderstand how few dar craif justice of your slaughter. Ye may se how cruell thay will be in oppressioun of the poore, hauing cut of you, quhilk, beyng of the mayst nobill and potent housis of this realme, sufferis throw your sleuthfulnes euery pairt of this countrie to be maid worse then Liddisdaill, ane Annanderdaill; and not onlie sufferis the purspykaris of Cliddisdaill to exercise thift and reif as a craft, but nurisis and authorisis, amangis you, the chief counsellaris of all misordour, as ane edder in your bosum. Of all this ye may lay the wyte on na vther, but vpon your selfis, that haue sufficient power to repres thair insolencie and proudnes, hauying in your hand the same wand that ye have chastisit tham with of befoir; for ye haue your protectour the same God this yeir, that was the yeiris past, unchangeabill in his eternall counsellis, constant in promeis, potent in punising, and liberall in rewarding; ye haue your trew freindis and seruandis, that wer with you of befoir; ye ar delyuerit of dissimulat brethren, that had thair bodyis with you, and thair hartis with your enemeis; that subscribit with you, and tuik remissioun of your aduersaris; that stuide with you in battell, luikyng for occasioun to betray you, had not God bene your protectour, Ye haue a great number of new freindis alienat from tham, for their manifest iniquitie in deid, wickednes in worde, and treasoun in hart; ye haue of the same enemeis that ye had then sa many, as hes thair hartis herdinnit, and thair myndis bent agaynst God and lawful ingraitis; ye haue the same actioun that ye had then, accumulat with recent murther and tresoun, to prouoke the ire of the eternall agaynst tham. How far God hath blindid tham, blind men may se, that, hauying sa euill ane actioun, and so many enemeis at hame, yit be houndyng out of small tratouris of thair wickid conspyracie, men execrable to thair awin parentis, quhome amangis vtheris thay haue diueris tymes spoylit; be houndyng out, I say, of sic persounis, to burne, murther, reif, and steill. Thay prouoke the Quenis Majestie of Ingland, to seik vengeance of thair oppressioun agaynst hir realme and subiectis; quhilk vengeance iustice and honour craifis of hir sa instantlie, that sche can not ceis but persew tham, thair ressettaris and mantenaris, vntill sche git sic exempill to vtheris, that, althoght thay will not respect vertew, yet, for fear of punitioun, thay sall be content to lyue in peace with nichbouris; quhairin her heighnes hath alredy renewit the memorie of hir experimentit liberalitie, and tender loue to this natioun, seiking, on hir proper charges and trauell of hir subjectis, the punitioun of sic, as we on our charges should haue punished; I mene not onlie of our tratouris, but also ressettaris of hir

maiesteis tratouris, and in doing of this seikis pacificatioun amangis tham that violatid peace with hir without prouocatioun; seueryng the punischement of sic ar giltie in offendyng, from the subjectis that hes not violatid the peace. And, as sche kepis peace and justice amangis hir awin subjectis in Ingland, sa vnrequyrit sche offerid support to the same end in Scotland, and not onlie geuis remedie to our present calamiteis, but cuttis the roote of troublis to cum, and preuenis the wickid counsall of sic, as prouokis Inglismen, and solistis Frenchmen to cum in this realme, to the end that, these twa natiounis enterit in barres, the ane agains the vther, thay may saciat thair cruell hartis of blude, thair obstinat will of vengeance, thair bottomles couatise of spoyle and thift.

Thairfoir, seyng God haue so blindit your enemeis wittis, my lordis, be in gude hope that he sall also cast the spreit of fear and disperatioun in thair indurat hartis, and prosper your gude actioun, to the quhilk he comfortis you with his redy helpe, exhortis you by his worde, and constrainis you by the dewtie of your estait, and necessitie of preseruying of your lyfis and honouris. For, promeis beyng neglectit, faith violatid, subscriptioun set at noght, thair is na meane way left but outher to do or suffer: and, seyng that baith ar miserabill, amangis sic as should be freindis, yit better it is to slay iustlie, then to be slayne wrangfullie. For the executioun of iustice, in punising the wickid, is approuid by God and man; and sleuthfulnes, in defence of iustice, can not be excused of tresoun. And, besides that God schawis him sa mercyfull and liberall to you, in sending you freindis, by procuiring of your enemeis, also the persounis maist recommendit of God craifis the same; for saikles blude, oppressioun of the pure, and of the fatherles, cryis continually to the heuin for auengeance, quhilk God committis to your handis, as his lieutennentis and speciall officiaris in that pairt; and, euin as he rewairdis faith and diligence in obedience of his eternall will, sa he will not neglect to punische sleuthfulnes in just executioun of his commandementis.

Thairfoir, my lordis, as ye wald that God should remember on you and your posteritie, quhen they sall call on him in their necessitie, remember on your king our souerane, and on my lord regentis pupillis, committit to you in tutorie, by the reason of your office and estait, anent persounis that ar not in age nor power to helpe tham selfis, and ar recommendit speciallie to all Christianis by God in his holy scripture; and defend sic innocent creaturis, as may nouther do nor speike for tham selfis, from the crueltie of vnmercyfull wolfis; neglect not the occasioun, nor refuse not the helpe send to you by God, but recognose thankfullie his fauour towardis you, that causis your enemeis to procure your helpe; neglect not the offer of friendis. In cais gif ye lat slip this occasioun, ye sall craif it in vane in your necessitie. Think it na les prouidence in your heuinlie father, then if he had send you ane legioun of angellis in your defence; and remember that he schew him selfe neuer mari freindfull and succurable to na pepill, than he hath done to you; and traist weill, if ye will perseueir in obedience and recognoscence of his grace, he will multiplie his benefitis to you and your posteritie, and sall neuer leif you, vntill ye forget him first.

TRUE AND PLAIN REPORT*

OF THE

FURIOUS OUTRAGES OF FRANCE,

And the horrible and shameful slaughter of

CHASTILLION THE ADMIRAL,

AND

DIVERS OTHER NOBLE AND EXCELLENT MEN,

AND OF THE

WICKED AND STRANGE MURDER OF GODLY PERSONS,

Committed in many Cities of France, without any respect of sort, kind, age, or degree.

BY ERNEST VARAMUND OF FRIESELAND.

Printed at Stirling in Scotland, 1573. Duodecimo, containing one hundred and forty-three pages.

YU must cease to marvel, my good countrymen of Scotland, that be published altogether in the English phrase and orthography. For the language is well enough known to our countrymen: and the chief cause of my translating it was for our good neighbours the Englishmen, to whom we are so highly bound, and upon whose good Queen, at this present, in policy dependeth the chief stay of God's church in Christendom. I know not what respects have stayed the learned of that land from setting out this history: therefore, supposing the causes to be such as I conceive them, I have been bold to set it forth in their language in our country. And you, good countrymen, that have re ceived so honourable succours from England, and from whence all Christendom hopeth for charitable assistance, must be content to yield that this is framed to serve their understanding. Ye Englishmen our good neighbours, friends, brethren, and patrons, I pray you to construe rightly of my labour, that my purpose is not here to offend any amity, nor violate any honour, nor prejudice any truth, but to set bee fore you a story, as I found it, referring the confirmation thereof to truth, and proof, as in all historical cases is lawfully used. How many histories written in Latin, Italian, and French, by Jovius, Paradine, Belleforest, and others, are printed in Italy, France, and Flan

• Vide the 176th article in the Catalogue of Pamphlets in the Harleian Library,