 QUEEN ELIZABETH TO MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS. Contemporary copy in the British Museum, Lansdowne MSS. vol. v. No. 28, fol. 81 [? London, 23 November 1561] RIGHT EXCELLENT, RIGHT HIGH etc.,—where by your lettres brought to us the last moneth by our syruant syr Peter Mewtas, it appeereth that yow did very hartely accept our good wille in sending our said seruant to visite yow on our parte, and further did referre to his raport thanswer made by yow to the message proponid by him on our behalf : we be gladde to see our good will so well enterpreted and allowed. By which meanes amytie principally encreasseth betwixt freends. And to the answer (as he reporteth it) we see no cause to be therein so well satisfied as we looked for. And yet considering (we trust) that your meaning is as our is, sincere, iust, and direct towards the reparacion of all former strange accidents, and to make a perpetuall amytie betwixt us, we have thought meete, not to permit so good a mater for our amytie, to remayne unperfected. And therfore, where we onely require the ratificacion of a tratye passed by your commissioners, authorized thero with your hand and seale, and your staye therin for that manye things be conteyned in the same aperteyning to your late husbande the french king, and therfore wish it wer revisited by some, on both parts ; we thinke your counsellours that be of experience in such cases, can enfourme yow that although ye ratifye the same Treatye as it is ; yet shall the same tend but so farre as shall concerne your self, and not anye others. Neverthelesse for that we meane not in anye wise to omitte such meanes as maye best reduce our amytie to certeinty and contynuance, and for that we see when princes treate by open assemblie of ambassadors, the world, specially the subiects on both partes, iudge that the amytie is not sownde, but in some points shaken or crased, which opinion we wold in no wise shulde be conceyved of our amytie; therfore both to maintaine the good opinion, alredy conceyved of the naturall good loue ment betqixt us two, and also to bringe this mater (wherin yow make staye) to some resolucion, we think it better that ye shuld communicate either pryvately to our trusty servant there Thomas Randolph, or rather by yor awne lettres to us, what be the very iust cawses that mooue yow thus to stay in the ratificacion. And if the same be to be allowed unto yow in reason, yow shall well perceyue we will require nothing but that which honnour, iustice, and reason shall allow us to aske and that which lyke honnour, iustice, and reason yow ought to grawnt. And thus shall our affaires be more secretly, more directly, and as speedely resolved, as by ambassades. And thus etc., 23 Nouembris 1561. [Endorsed]
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