Mary Queen of Scots to Archbishop Hamilton, 18 January 1569

reading.md

# Mary Queen of Scots to John Hamilton, Archbishop of St Andrews, Bolton, 18 January 1569 — the contemporary decipherment

BL Add MS 33531 ff. 73–74 (DECODE R8347). ff. 73r–73v are Mary's letter: a clear opening and close in Scots with
the body in cipher. ff. 74r–74v are a contemporary decipherment of the cipher body on a separate sheet, in Scots, in a
secretary hand. Transcribed here 2026-09-21 line by line from the full-resolution DECODE images (P1 = f. 74r,
P3 = f. 74v, P2 = f. 73r, P4 = f. 73v).

Conventions: line breaks as on the leaf; `[?]` a word read with doubt; `[…]` illegible; `⟨sign⟩` a code sign that
the decipherer copied through without resolving (see NOTES, "Signs left in the decipherment"); ~~struck~~ words
deleted by the decipherer; `^word^` an interlineation.

## f. 73r, clear opening (Mary's hand)

> Reverend fader and traist cousigne and counsalo^r^. We greit zow weill. Having
> ressavit zour lettres be this beirar heirof ze sall understand That of laite
> [cipher follows]

## f. 74r, the decipherment

```
it had bein proposit to me to consent that my sone suld be deli-
verit in ⟨E⟩ handis and that it was not necessair that ye lord
Heris Kilwinning and otheris that thai cal of the Hamiltonnis faction
suld mel thairwyth and to that thai inserit name bot
me the lord Lennox ⟨¥⟩ and otheris of my name and to draw me in
that crafty snair thai mak thame to be meik in maner that thair
angre war past seikand me to apointment ^in^ this mater was opinit to me
to feil my opinioun quhilk I wald not ansor on to the tyme the same war
spokin to me in ⟨Ꝗ⟩ name and than I am deliberat to schaw hir
that I am content to put my self in hir handis without the advis of my
gud subiectis and wil not do the lyk of my sone for mony ressonis
and that the same behuvit to be spokin to thame first afoir me ⟨ʗ⟩
I pray zow not to communicat to ony man ~~sc[…]~~ ^except^ to thais of quhome
ze ar assurit and in ~~my~~ ^the^ meane ze haif al reddi begun that ze mak
sik demonstration as it may be knawin that ze nor the rest of
my faithful subiectis wyl never condescend to the purposis ye
as to the appointment that thai desire I am not of thais that
forgettis not bot I am resolut afoir the hiring of ony conditiounis ^it^ ^my^
thai sal find na thing in prejudice of my honour or ony of my
faithful subiectis quhome thai haif trettit wyth thair braging
and to the rest thai sal find nathing bot my esteim and trew sal
likwyse remain hayl for I wil not leif thame that hes not left
me and schawis thame selfis loyal and faithful as thai salbe knawin
for the same and the otheris as thai deserve ⟨Mn⟩ as to the secors of
⟨B⟩ ⟨p⟩ ⟨sp⟩ I hoip to get of thaym bayth or the moneth of marche at ye
lest of ane of thame ye for that hes bein offerid to me ⟨|⟩ reddy
ten thousand and ma gyf I haif ado ⟨n⟩ ⟨ꝑ⟩ ⟨X⟩ schawis that scho
wilbe agains thame bayth ⟨ʗ⟩ is ane interpriser amangis to empesche
the support that the rebellis wald haif of hir and I beleif be the
principal occasion that thai seik appointment for ⟨ʗ⟩ be the said queins so
mand quha feiris na thing sa that scho haif peace wyth my realme or that
scho may be assurit thairof in ony sort or wyse. I allow gretumly zo^r^ ⟨Ɡ⟩
proclamationis and schawing heirof be in sik sort that thai may be
na wyse na ~~thing~~ witnessing that the same cummis of me ⟨ʗ⟩ in
cais that ony man wald peradventure sa[y] or cheif to do me displesour
thairby for the danger that I may fal in beyng as I am in the ⟨X⟩
[pu]issance ⟨X⟩ I pray zow to speik of hir M^tie^ contray wyth sik respect
as thai may not find mater to mak thair profyt agains ⟨Ƒ⟩ as to ⟨X⟩
I sal wryt yt delygence bayth to ⟨Fr⟩ and to Sp and haist als weil the
support of mony as victualis and of munitioun to ⟨X⟩ in abyding
the supplie ⟨Mn⟩ for sen ze ar assemblit I wald or ze sinderit
```

## f. 74v, the decipherment (continued)

```
the nobles that ze did sum notable act agains the rebellis in taking sa mony
housis as ze can bot that thai haif as the castel of Glasgow Dunglas
or sic otheris for als gyf the materis cummis to apointment as it is
lyk to do al bipast dedis wil cum undir oblivion ⟨X⟩ I wald
that in tyme my faithful subiectis did sa mekle that thay war not
behind the hand for albeit the appointment cum not ~~the~~ alwayis
than thay sal haif the advantage ⟨k⟩ ⟨ʗ⟩ ⟨n⟩ as to the ~~c~~ ciphre
we fear not that ony man had gottin ye copy thairof as
to the gyft of eschet that ze craif for ⟨k⟩ ⟨ʗ⟩ ze sal ressave
the same in forme as ze desire ⟨ʗ⟩ ⟨m⟩
```

The endorsement on the dorse of f. 74v, under the fold, reads "Recept [x]xiiij Januar" (Bain: "Recept xxiiij
January"); the letter was received on 24 January.

## f. 73v, clear close (Mary's hand)

> As concerning the commissioun ze desire us to send to the erlis of Argyle, Eglingtoun, Cassillis and Boyd, we
> knaw not in quhat maner ze desire the same, for we understand to haif alreddy
> ane generall Lieutenent. Allwayis quhat commissioun that ze think salbe necessair
> wt ze counsell advyse thair upon, cause mak it in sic forme as maye be profitable,
> and send us the same quhilk we sall subscryve ^and put ony day the dait^ [cipher, glossed "als sall be necessarie"]
> And gif it be neidfull to mak sic commissioun
> to ane Lieutenent, as he may constitute ony of the saidis lordis deputis for him
> in his absence, Send us the same in forme and we sall subscryve it. Sua
> Committis zow to the protectioun of god almychtie. Off Bowtoun the
> [xviij] of Januar 1568.
>
> Zour gud Cusines and asuryd frinde
> Marie R

The day in the date line is only partly legible on the image; Bain reads 18 January.

reading_en.md

# Mary Queen of Scots to John Hamilton, Archbishop of St Andrews, Bolton, 18 January 1569: modern English translation

Translation (Claude Opus 5.5, 23 Oct 2026) into modern English of `reading.md`, the transcription of the letter's clear
opening and close (Mary's hand) and of the contemporary decipherment of its cipher body (ff. 74r-74v, in Scots, a
secretary hand). The Scots is unpunctuated; sentence breaks here are the translator's. Same marks: `⟨sign⟩` a code sign
the decipherer copied through without resolving (kept as it stands), `[?]` a doubtful word, `[…]` illegible; words the
decipherer struck out are left out, his interlineations are taken in.

## f. 73r, clear opening

Reverend father and trusty cousin and councillor, we greet you well. Having received your letters by this bearer, you
shall understand that of late

## The cipher body (the decipherment, ff. 74r-74v)

it had been proposed to me to consent that my son should be delivered into ⟨E⟩'s hands, and that it was not
necessary that the Lord Herries, Kilwinning and others whom they call of the Hamiltons' faction should meddle with it;
and for that they inserted none but me, the Lord Lennox, ⟨¥⟩ and others of my name. And to draw me into that crafty
snare they make themselves meek, as if their anger were past, seeking an agreement with me. In this matter it was
opened to me to sound my opinion, which I would not answer until the same were spoken to me in ⟨Ꝗ⟩'s name; and then I
am resolved to show her that I am content to put myself in her hands without the advice of my good subjects, and will
not do the like with my son, for many reasons, and that the same must be spoken to them first, before me. ⟨ʗ⟩

I pray you not to communicate this to any man except to those of whom you are sure. And in the meantime, as you have
already begun, that you make such demonstration that it may be known that neither you nor the rest of my faithful
subjects will ever condescend to the purposes there.

As to the agreement that they desire: I am not of those who do not forget; but I am resolved, before the hearing of
any conditions, [that] they shall find nothing in prejudice of my honour or of any of my faithful subjects whom they
have treated with their bragging. And as to the rest, they shall find nothing but my esteem, and [my] truth shall
likewise remain whole; for I will not leave those who have not left me and show themselves loyal and faithful, as
they shall be acknowledged for the same, and the others as they deserve. ⟨Mn⟩

As to the succour of ⟨B⟩ ⟨p⟩ ⟨sp⟩, I hope to get it from them both before the month of March, at the least from one of
them; there, for that has been offered to me ⟨|⟩, ready, ten thousand and more if I have need. ⟨n⟩ ⟨ꝑ⟩ ⟨X⟩ shows that
she will be against them both. ⟨ʗ⟩ is an undertaker among [them] to hinder the support that the rebels would have of
her, and I believe [it] is the principal occasion that they seek agreement; for ⟨ʗ⟩ [is] by the said queen's
[?summons], who fears nothing so much as that she should have peace with my realm, or that she may be assured of it
in any sort or wise.

I greatly approve your ⟨Ɡ⟩ proclamations; and let the showing of them be in such sort that they may in no wise be
witnessing that the same comes from me ⟨ʗ⟩, in case any man would perhaps say or try to do me displeasure thereby,
for the danger that I may fall into, being as I am in the ⟨X⟩ power ⟨X⟩. I pray you to speak of Her Majesty
contrariwise with such respect that they may not find matter to make their profit against ⟨Ƒ⟩.

As to ⟨X⟩, I shall write with diligence both to ⟨Fr⟩ and to Sp[ain], and hasten the support of money as well as of
victuals and of munition to ⟨X⟩, while awaiting the supply. ⟨Mn⟩ For since you are assembled, I would wish that,
before you parted, you nobles did some notable act against the rebels, in taking as many houses as you can of those
that they hold, as the castle of Glasgow, Dunglas or such others. For also, if the matters come to agreement, as it
is like to do, all past deeds will come under oblivion. ⟨X⟩ I would that my faithful subjects did so much in time
that they were not behindhand; for even if the agreement does not come, then they shall always have the advantage.
⟨k⟩ ⟨ʗ⟩ ⟨n⟩

As to the cipher, we do not fear that any man had got the copy of it. As to the gift of escheat that you crave for
⟨k⟩ ⟨ʗ⟩, you shall receive the same in the form you desire. ⟨ʗ⟩ ⟨m⟩

*Endorsement on the dorse of f. 74v:* "Received [2]4 January".

## f. 73v, clear close

As concerning the commission you desire us to send to the earls of Argyll, Eglinton, Cassillis and Boyd, we do not
know in what manner you desire the same, for we understand that there is already a general Lieutenant. Always, what
commission you think shall be necessary, advise upon it with the council, have it made in such form as may be
profitable, and send us the same, which we shall sign and put any day [as] the date [cipher, glossed "as shall be
necessary"]. And if it be needful to make such a commission to a Lieutenant, so that he may appoint any of the said
lords his deputies in his absence, send us the same in form and we shall sign it. So we commit you to the protection
of God Almighty. From Bolton, the [18th] of January 1568 [old style, = 1569].

Your good cousin and assured friend, Marie R.