AN ENGLISH MISCELLANY MEMOIRS AND LETTERS SIR JAMES MELVILLE, 1557 EFORE the Duke of Guise' home-coming in France, the King of Spain was entered upon the frontiers of France with a great army of 1. thousand men; whom to resist, the Constable my master was sent with a xvi. thousand. The day before he took his leave at the King in Rheims in Champaigne, riding to the hunts, there came a man in grave apparel following him upon foot, crying for audience for God's sake. Whereupon the Constable stayed, willing him to speak; who said, "The Lord says, seeing that thou wilt not know me, I shall likewise not know thee. Already I see the reek of thy glory spread athwart the lift in dust." This strange language put the Constable in such a choler that he struck the poor man in the face with his horsewand, and boasted to cause him be hanged. The man answered that he was ready to suffer what punishment he pleased, seeing he had performed his commission. The Duke of Nevers perceiving the Constable commoved, drew near and desired to know the cause. The Constable shew him how that such a knave had been preaching to him of God. Then the said Duke boasted also the poor man; but as they rode forward after the King, I tarried behind and asked the man what had moved him to use such strange language unto the Constable. He said, the spirit of God suffered him not to rest until he had discharged his mind of such a commission. A Σ Now the army of Spain above specified was led by Emanuel, Duke of Savoy, along the frontiers of France, who at last planted his camp about the town of St Quentin. Where the Constable sent the Admiral of Chattillon his sister son to defend the same, and lodged his camp at La Ferre, five leagues from the town of St Quentin, which was not sufficiently furnished with men and munition; therefore he essayed the next day, in vain, to put in it more companies, under the conduct of Monsr. Dandelot, brother to the said Admiral. Again, after the preparation of two days, he marched forward with his whole army toward St Quentin, carrying with him xviii. cannons, with some boats with bridges of boards, that are commonly in camps, to pass the army in any need over rivers and waters. For there was a little loch upon the south-west side of the town, in the which the said boats were set, and Monsieur de Andelot first with three hundred entered in the town that way; but so soon as it was perceived, the enemy stopped the rest to enter. But so soon as the Duke of Savoy was coming with his whole army towards us, the Constable, alleging that he had furnished St Quentin sufficiently, drew homewards towards La Ferre in good order, intending to eschew battle if he could, the other being an overmatch. His intention was to pass and besiege Calais, but the whole horsemen of the enemy's was hard at us by (before) we had travelled four miles, where the Constable stayed a while. At length he said that their horsemen came to stay us until their footmen were come forward; therefore he thought best to pass forward to a narrow part between a wood and a village, there to abide them battle if no better might be. In the meantime, the Marshal of St Andre, a great doer for the time, gave an unhappy counsel, that all the French servants that were upon horseback should retire from among the men of arms, lest they should be some impediment to them that fought. These varlets, being large as many as there were masters, were glad to get them out of the press, spurring with speed their horseheads homewards, intending to stay upon some knowe to behold the combat. The enemy perceiving afar off a great number of horsemen as fleeing, took occasion to charge upon our light horsemen ; whereon the Constable, being in a valley between two heights, marching towards the strait part where he intended to stay, spurred forward up the little brae, that he might see how to resist and put order to the battle, which gave a hard apprehension to others that it was a fleeing; but when he turned on the knowe head to behold the onset, no man would tarry with him, for no command nor crying "tarry, tarry; return, return" ;-their heads were homewards and their hearts were hyn. Then his master-stabler brought him a Turkey speedy horse, to run away with the rest. He answered in anger that it was against his profession and occupation to flee; addressing himself fiercely against the greatest troop of enemies, saying "Let all good servants of the King follow me"; only he was accompanied with a threescore of gentlemen, who were all overthrown in an instant. The Constable desired to be slain, but his masterstabler, called Monsr. de Salvert, cried continually, "It is the Constable; slay him not"; but he was shot through the thigh before he was known, and taken prisoner. I, being evil hurt with a strake of a mace upon the head, was mounted again by my servant upon a Scots gelding, that carried me home through the enemies, who were all between me and home; and two of them strake at my head with swords, because my headpiece was taen off after the first rencounter that the mace had enfonced, and the two were standing between us and home, to keep prisoners in a narrow strait. But my skeich horse ran through them in a narrow gate, against my will, through the village; for the field between it and the wood was full of reek of culverins, and there were the most part of our footmen slain. The leaping over a dyke separated me from the two; then, being past the said village, there was bounds enough to eschew; so I came safe to La Ferre, where I met with Master Harry Killigrew, an English gentleman, my old friend, who held my horse while I sat down in a barber's booth to be pansed (dressed) of the hurt in my head. 1566.—All this while I lay within the Castle of Edinburgh, praying night and day for her Majesty's good and happy delivery of a fair son. This prayer being granted, I was the first that was advertised by the Lady Boyn, in her Majesty's name, to part with diligence, the 19th day of June, in the year 1566, between ten and eleven hours before noon. It struck twelve hours when I took my horse, and was at Berwick that same night. The fourth day after I was at London, and met first with my brother; who sent and advertised the Secretary Cecil that same night of my coming, and of the birth of the prince; willing him to keep it up, until my being at Court to shew it myself unto her Majesty, who was for the time at Greenwich; where her Majesty was in great merriness and dancing after supper; but so soon as the Secretary Cecil sounded the news in her ear of the Prince('s) birth, all merriness was laid aside for that night; every one that was present marvelling what might move so sudden a changement; for the Queen sat down with her hand upon her hasset, and bursting out to some of her ladies, how that the Queen of Scotland was lighter of a fair son, and that she was but a barren stock. The next morning was appointed unto me to get audience; at what time my brother and I passed down the water by boat unto Greenwich, and were met by some friends that told us how sorrowful her Majesty was for my news, and what counsel she had gotten to shew a glad countenance; which she did in her best apparel, and said that the joyful news of the Queen her sister's delivery of a fair son, which I had sent unto her by Master Cecil, had recovered her out of a heavy sickness which had held her fifteen days. Therefore she welcomed me with a merry volt, and thanked me for the diligence that I had used. All this she said before I had delivered unto her my letter of credence. After that she had read it, I declared how that the Queen had hasted me towards her Majesty, whom she knew of all other friends would be gladdest of the good news of her birth, albeit dear bought with the peri! of her life; for I said that she was so sore handled in the meantime, that |