136 TWO CHAPTERS ILLUSTRATIVE OF 



daynger or reproche unto themselves for receavinge of the same. 

 Sondrye other tymes since her majesties reign, I have receaved 

 divers other great soms of monie, to be delivered as well to my L. 

 of Murraye as my L. Moreton and other, for which I have no 

 bylles of ther handes to shewe nor was ever wylled to demande 

 anye, but by my lettres advertisede of the payment ther of, and 

 therein my word and wrytinge sufficientlie creditede, as also suche 

 monie as at sundrye tymes I have geven for intelligens, and non 

 farther accompte made then my owne worde and credit, as the lyke 

 is used to all other embassadors in her majesties service. 



'•' Two thousand pounds I delivered to Mr. Robert Browne, for 

 which I have a bylle of his hande. 



« Wrytten by me, the 8th of October, 1587> at my house in 

 London. 



" Thomas Randolph."* 



Perhaps we may be here reminded, that James could not be so 

 profoundly insensible to the unredressed wrongs of his parent as is 

 represented in this singular paper, because Strypet has quoted from 

 the Cottonian library the following declaration of James :— " I 

 am unable to revenge the heinous murder committed on my dearest 

 mother. First, in respect to my tender youth, not trained up in 

 dexterity of arms, either to withstand injuries, or to conquor my 

 own right ; being at all times bygone detained in captivity. Next 

 my excessive cowpit (cupidity) from hand to hand, from needy to 

 needy, to greedy and greedy ; having sufficient patrimony and casu- 

 alty, and yet as none at all in store." 



Who now can fluctuate in opinion, unless they impugn the au- 

 thenticity of the paper here quoted, that his mother's death made 

 no more impression upon James than the spray upon a rock, or the 

 pleasure of melody and harmony upon a deaf man ? especially when 

 it is remembered that his filial sensibilities were so torpid as to 

 grant pardon to Archibald Douglas, one of the murderers of his 

 father, and still more to outrage public opinion immediately after- 

 wards by nomii ating him ambassador to England.^ 



If history did not record the fact, from the reason of the thing 

 itself, and the ordinary workings of humanity and justice, could 

 there be a doubt that there should be one cry of unmingled repro- 

 bation throughout the land when Sir Walter Raleigh's head was 



* See Ellis's Letters on English History, second series, vol. iii, p. 124. 



+ See his Annals, vol. iii, p. 382. 



£ Miss Aikin's Memoirs of the Court of King James I, vol. i, p. 17- 



