Elizabeth's private collection of portraits

Melville's

opinion on ladies' cos

tumes

"Yes," says she, "I am resolved never to marry, if I be not thereto necessitated by the queen my sister's harsh behavior toward me." "I know the truth of that, Madam," said I; "you need not tell it me. Your Majesty thinks, if you were married, you would be but queen of England; and now you are both king and queen. I know your spirit cannot endure a commander." She appeared to be so affectionate to the queen her good sister, that she expressed a great desire to see her. And because their so much (by her) desired meeting could not be so hastily brought to pass, she appeared with great delight to look upon her Majesty's picture.

She took me to her bedchamber and opened a little cabinet, wherein were divers little pictures wrapped within paper, and their names written with her own hand upon the papers. Upon the first that she took up was written, "My lord's picture." I held the candle, and pressed to see that picture so named. She appeared loath to let me see it; yet my importunity prevailed for a sight thereof, and found it to be the earl of Leicester's picture. I desired that I might have it to carry home to my queen; which she refused, alleging that she had but that one picture of his. I said, "Your Majesty hath here the original"; for I perceived him at the farthest part of the chamber, speaking with Secretary Cecil. Then she took out the queen's picture, and kissed it; and I adventured to kiss her hand, for the great love therein evidenced to my mistress. . . .

The queen my mistress had instructed me to leave matters of gravity sometimes, and cast in merry purposes, lest otherwise I should be wearied, she being well informed of that queen's natural temper. Therefore, in declaring my observations of the customs of Dutchland, Poland, and Italy, the buskins of the women was not forgot, and what country weed I thought best becoming gentlewomen. The queen said she had clothes of every sort; which every day thereafter, so long as I was there, she changed. One day she had the English weed, another the French, and another the Italian, and so forth. She asked me which of them became her best. I answered, in my judgment, the Italian dress: which answer I found pleased her well; for she delighted to show her golden-colored hair,

wearing a caul and bonnet, as they do in Italy. Her hair was more reddish than yellow, curled in appearance naturally.

She desired to know of me, what color of hair was reputed best; and whether my queen's hair or hers was best; and which of them two was fairest. I answered, the fairness of them both was not their worst faults. But she was earnest with me to declare which of them I judged fairest. I said, she was the fairest queen in England, and mine the fairest queen in Scotland. Yet she appeared earnest. I answered, they were both the fairest ladies in their countries; that her Majesty was whiter, but my queen was very lovely. She inquired which of them was of highest stature. I said, my queen. "Then," saith she, "she is too high; for I myself am neither too high nor too low." Then she asked what kind of exercises she used. I answered, that when I received my dispatch, the queen was lately come from the Highlands hunting; that when her more serious affairs permitted, she was taken up with reading of histories; that sometimes she recreated herself in playing upon the lute and virginals. She asked if she played well. I said, reasonably, for a queen.

That same day, after dinner, my lord of Hunsdon drew me Elizabeth as up to a quiet gallery, that I might hear some music (but he a musician said that he durst not avow it), where I might hear the queen play upon the virginals. After I had hearkened awhile, I stood by the tapestry that hung before the door of the chamber, and seeing her back was toward the door, I entered within the chamber, and stood a pretty space hearing her play excellently well. But she left off immediately, so soon as she turned about and saw me. She appeared to be surprised to see me, and came forward, seeming to strike me with her hand; alleging she used not to play before men, but when she was solitary, to shun melancholy. She asked how I came there. I answered, as I was walking with my lord Hunsdon, as we passed by the chamber door, I heard such melody as ravished me, whereby I was drawn in ere I knew how; excusing my fault of homeliness, as being brought up in the court of France, where such freedom was allowed; declaring myself willing to endure what kind of punishment her Majesty should be pleased to inflict

The queen

French,

Italian, and
German

upon me for so great an offense. Then she sat down low upon a cushion, and I upon my knees by her; but with her own hand she gave me a cushion, to lay under my knee; which at first I refused, but she compelled me to take it. She then called for my lady Strafford out of the next chamber; for the queen was alone. She inquired whether my queen or she played best. In that I found myself obliged to give her the praise.

She said my French was good, and asked if I could speak shows off her Italian ; which she spoke reasonably well. I told her Majesty I had no time to learn the language perfectly, not having been above two months in Italy. Then she spake to me in Dutch, which was not good; and would know what kind of books I most delighted in, whether theology, history, or love matters. I said, I liked well of all the sorts. Here I took occasion to press earnestly my dispatch. She said I was weary sooner of her company than she was of mine. I told her Majesty, that though I had no reason of being weary, I knew my mistress her affairs called me home: yet I was stayed two days longer, till I might see her dance, as I was afterward informed. Which being over, she inquired of me whether she or my queen danced best. I answered, the queen danced not so high and disposedly as she did.

Then again she wished that she might see the queen at some convenient place of meeting. I offered to convey her secretly to Scotland by post, clothed like a page; that under this disguise she might see the queen, as James V had gone in disguise to France with his own ambassador, to see the duke of Vendome's sister, who should have been his wife: telling her that her chamber might be kept in her absence, as though she were sick that none need be privy thereto, except my lady Strafford and one of the grooms of her chamber. She appeared to like that kind of language, only answered it with a sigh, saying, "Alas! if I might do it thus." She used all the means she could to oblige me to persuade the queen of the great love she did bear unto her, and that she was fully minded to put away all jealousies and suspicions, and in times coming to entertain a stricter friendship than formerly. She promised that my dispatch should be delivered to me very shortly at

London, by Secretary Cecil: for now she was at Hampton Court, where she gave me my answer by mouth herself, and her secretary by writing.

The next day my lord of Leicester desired me to go down An interview the river in his barge with him to London. He had in his with Leicester company Sir Henry Sidney, Deputy of Ireland. By the way my lord entered familiarly into discourse with me, alleging that he was well acquainted with my lord of Murray, Liddington, and my brother, Sir Robert; and that he was by report so well acquainted with me, that he durst, upon the character he had heard of me, desire to know what the queen my mistress thought of him, and the marriage that Mr. Randolph had proposed. Whereunto I answered very coldly, as I had been by my queen commanded. Then he began to purge himself of so proud a pretense as to marry so great a queen, declaring he did not esteem himself worthy to wipe her shoes; declaring that the invention of that proposition of marriage proceeded from Mr. Cecil, his secret enemy. "For if I," says he, "should have appeared desirous of that marriage, I should have offended both the queens, and lost their favor." He intreated me to excuse him at her Majesty's hands, and to beg, in his name, that she would not impute that matter to him, but to the malice of his enemies.

Being landed at London our dinner was prepared by the earl of Pembroke; who, being great master, yet humbled himself so far as to serve the said table as master of the household himself. He was a devout friend to my queen's title of succeeding to the crown of England.

The following passage describes Melville's second visit. to Elizabeth's court, in 1565.

nouncement

All the while I lay within the castle of Edinburgh, praying 219. Melnight and day for her Majesty's good and happy delivery of a ville's anfair son. This prayer being granted, I was the first who was to Elizabeth thereof advertised, by the lady Boin, in her Majesty's name, of the birth to part with diligence the 19th of June, 1565, betwixt ten and of the future James I of eleven in the morning. By twelve of the clock I took horse, England

Elizabeth's real regret

and pretended joy at the birth of

Mary's son

and was that night at Berwick. The fourth day after, I was at London, and did first meet with my brother Sir Robert, who that same night sent and advertised Secretary Cecil of my arrival, and of the birth of the prince; desiring him to keep it quiet till my coming to Court, to show it myself unto her Majesty, who was for the time at Greenwich, where her Majesty was in great mirth, dancing after supper. But so soon as Secretary Cecil whispered in her ear the news of the prince's birth, all her mirth was laid aside for that night; all present marveling whence proceeded such a change, for the queen did sit down, putting her hand under her cheek, bursting out to some of her ladies that the queen of Scots was mother of a fair son, while she was but a barren stock.

The next morning was appointed for me to get audience. At that time my brother and I went by water to Greenwich, and were met by some friends who told us how sorrowful her Majesty was at my news; but that she had been advised to show a glad and cheerful countenance, which she did, in her best apparel, saying that the joyful news of the queen her sister's delivery of a fair son, which I had sent her by Secretary Cecil, had recovered her out of a heavy sickness which she had lyen under for fifteen days. Therefore she welcomed me with a merry volt, and thanked me for the diligence I had used in hasting to give her that welcome intelligence.

II. THE STRUGGLE WITH THE CATHOLICS

The imprisonment of Mary Queen of Scots in England, the rebellion in the north of England in her favor, the work of the Jesuit missionaries in trying to win England back to Catholicism, the establishment of Roman Catholic colleges for Englishmen on the Continent, and several other causes, combined to make religious conflicts more bitter after about 1570. In that year, therefore, the pope finally issued the following declaration of excommunication and deposition of Elizabeth.