Chapter XIII: Letter V

My hart, alace! must the foly of ane woman quhais unthankfulness toward me ze do sufficiently knaw, be occasioun of displesure unto zow, considering yat I culd not have remeidit thairunto without knawing it? And sen that I persavit it, I culd not tell it zow, for that[67] I knew not how to governe myself thairin: for nouther in that nor in any uther thing will I tak upon me to do ony thing without knawledge of zour will, quhilk I beseik zow let me understand; for I will follow it all my lyfe mair willingly than zow sall declair it to me; and gif ze do not send me word this nicht quhat ze will that I sall do, I will red myself of it, and hesard[68] to caus it to be interprysit and takin in hand, quhilk micht be hurtfull to that quhairunto baith we do tend. And quhen scho sall be maryit, I beseik zow give me ane, or ellis I will tak sic as sall content zow for their conditiounis; bot as for thair toungis or faithfulness towart zow I will not answer. I beseik zow yat ane opinioun of uther persoun be not hurtfull in zour mynde to my constancie, Mistrust me; bot quhen I will put zow out of dout and cleir myselfe, refuse it not, my deir lufe, and suffer me to make zow sum prufe be my obedince, my faithfulness, constancie, and voluntarie subjectioun, quhilk I tak for the plesandest gude that I micht ressaif, gif ze will accept it; and mak na ceremonie at it, for ze culd do me na greiter outrage nor give mair mortall grief.

[There is a French version of this letter in the Record Office
(_State Papers_, Mary Queen of Scots, vol. ii. p. 63). It has been
printed by Malcolm Laing (vol. iv. p. 202), Hosack (vol. i. p.
230), and Mr. Henderson (p. 165). The following variations are
taken from the Record Office version. The other published French
version follows the Scots, as also does the Latin.]

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[67] _F._ "Je ne vous lay peu dire pour scavoir comment je me
gouvernerois." (I could not tell you, in order to know how to govern
myself.)

[68] _F._ "Et si vous ne me mondes ce soir ce que volles que jeu
faisse je m en deferay au hazard de la fayre entreprandre ce qui
pourroit nuire a ce a quoy nous tandons tous deux {and if you do not
send me word this night what you will that I shall do, I will rid
myself of it at the hazard of making her undertake that which might
be hurtful to that whereunto we both do tend (Laing)} et quant ella
sera mariee je vous suplie donnes qune opinion sur aultrui ne nuise
en votre endroit a ma constance."
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