CORRESPONDANCE DU COMTE DE LEYCESTER. 153 
XXXIX. 
Patrick, Master of Gray, au Comte de Leycester. ') 
Sur la levée de troupes et le sort de Marie Stuart. 
DuMmrERLINE, 4 oct. 1586. 
Please Your Excellencie, as I vrot of leat non agene I have 
resaveit from mr. secretary Valsinghame a new advertissement as 
haveing direction from the Queen, his souveraine, bothe to stay 
any forder Scottise troupes and also to stay my aivin company ?). 
The cause, vhy he villis me to stay the troupes, is for that he 
sayes mr. Vilkis*) hes given declaration, that of necessitie all 
your souldiours shal become mutins for vont of pay. Vhy I should 
stay be reasoun of Hir Majesties service in this realme *), vitche 
sche thinkis can not bot decay or perise altogither in my ab- 
sence. Bot for the first, vitche is ye stay of my troupes, I would 
not, by reasoun I hard no thing from Your Excellencie, and I 
hoyp nether shall I repent me, for I persuad my self, that troupes 
you must have and my troupes shalbe more serviable to you 
than any reister or allemainge in ye vourld and my self more 
acceptable Yit I have stayit to lift any cavallerie save a hun- 
drethe, til I knew your mind, vitche I vische to knov sum, for I 
intend not to bring you a man for cavallerie bot gentlemen; and 
lothe I vould be, thay should be disapointit. If I resave not Your 
Excellencie ansver in tym, I feir I be constrainit to come ford- 
vart, for the King, my souveraine, is schortly, God villing, to sent 
me in commission 5) to the Queen, your souveraine, for dyversis 
maiters of importance, and being in England I intend not to 
retourne in Scotland befor I shall see Your Excellencie. And of 
this I think the Queens Majestie shalbe content, provyding it shall 
please Your Excellencie to let me pairt, when the necessitie of 
1) Archives Teyler, I, p. 264. 
2) Voyez ses lettres plus haut. 
3) Tuomas Wiırkes, membre du conseil de la Reine, alors aux Pays-Bas. 
4) Leycester Correspondence, p. 343. 
5) Froude, History of England, XII, p. 295. C'est à dire pour lui demander 
grâce pour sa mère captive. Voyez plus bas. 
21* 
