THE NEW MONTHLY MAGAZINE AND Literary Journal. NO. LIV. LONDON-JUNE 1, 1823. Boston, PUBLISHED BY CUMMINGS, HILLIARD AND CO. 134 WASHINGTON STREET. FOR N. HALE. Press of the North American Review. 1. R. BUTTS, PRINTER. III. London Minstrelsy IV. The Withered Leaf, or Melancholy V. The Family Journal, No. VII.-Conversation of Pope, &c. VI. Stanzas from the Italian VII. Letters from the East, No. XVI -Jerusalem VIII. The Coronation at Rheims IX. Joint Stock Companies X. The Triumph of Science XI. John Kemble and the British Stage XII. Stanzas-The Home-bound Ship XIII. Present French Prose Literature XIV. Stanzas XV. Project for a new Joint-Stock Company for Binding Books XVII. Sonnet-To the Mocking Bird XVIII. Hints for the Advancement of Brevity in Speaking and Writing XX. Grimm's Ghost, Letter XXV.-Men of the Middle Ages THE NEW MONTHLY MAGAZINE will be, from this date, republished by N. HALE, to whom it is requested all communications may be addressed relating to it. The subscriber has transferred to NATHAN HALE all his interest in the American edition of the New Monthly Magazine, together with all claims on account of the same. Subscribers to the Magazine and Agents indebted for it, are requested to remit the sums due to him, he being duly authorized to receive the same. OLIVER EVERETT. BOSTON, Nov. 1, 1824. MANUSCRIPT OF EARL BOTHWEL. WE have been favoured, through the medium of an eminent literary friend, with a copy of an original MS. of Earl Bothwel, in old French, of which the following is a careful translation. It was written during his captivity in Denmark, and the original is at present in the royal library at Drottningholm. From this a copy was taken by M. Backman, an officer in the Swedish service, through permission of Count Wetterstadt, the minister, and transmitted (duly authenticated, as may be seen at the end) to this country in August last. It is a most valuable addition to our collections belonging to an interesting period of Scottish history; and nothing of the kind, that we are aware of, was ever suspected to exist. In order to give a clearer view of this MS. as a whole, we insert the following extract of a letter respecting it, from M. Granberg, historiographer to the present King of Sweden. "In the latter part of the 16th century, the Chevalier de Dantzay was residing in the North of Europe, as Ambassador from France to the Courts of Sweden and Denmark. During the time of his abode in the latter country, the Earl of Bothwel arrived there together with his followers, on board several vessels, having fled from Scotland. Being unable to land, and driven by contrary winds, the Earl was thrown on the coast of Norway, and was there taken by some Danish seamen, who carried him as a prisoner into Denmark, where he was confined during a long time. He wrote, while in prison, an account of the adventures he had met with in Scotland; and as he was not able to get the Manuscript conveyed into the hands of the King of Denmark, he applied to the French minister, M. de Dantzay, who took the requisite measures in his behalf. * "It is said that this document was given to King Gustavus III. who had it deposited among his valuable collection in the Castle of Drottningholm. The Latin inscription at the commencement testifies that it was given to the Royal Library of Copenhagen by a Doctor Plumius (see note below); and it was probably carried away from that institution, or from some place in Zealand, by one of the Swedes, when Charles X. made a descent upon that island. From the descendants of this Swede, it must have passed into the hands of King Gustavus III." The MS is labelled "Affairs of Earl Bothwel (Boduel) anno 1568," and commences with the title "Declaration of the Earl of Bothwel." "In order that the King of Denmark and the council of his kingdom may be better and more clearly informed of the wickedness and treachery of my accusers hereunder named, I have (as summarily as I am able) explained and truly declared the causes of the troubles and commotions which have occurred of which they alone have been the principal authors and promoters from the year 1559 to the present time. I have similarly declared their calumnies, and the mischief and detriment they have occasioned to myself: which statement I can and will maintain to be true, as (with God's assistance) any one may clearly see and understand. At Copenhagen, the eve of Twelfth day, 1568. * At the head of the manuscript, and on the first page, is the following Latin inscription: Ex donatione Excellentissimi viri DNI CLAUDII PLUMII, J. V. Doctoris, et in Regia Academia Hafniensi Professoris. Anno Messiæ, Regis æterni, clɔ lɔ CXLIV. die xvIII Augusti. Here follow the names of the principal chiefs and authors of all the troubles and seditions in question. First sedi tion. Second se dition. Marr. Also those who have joined the above-named in these latter troubles. Lords Hume, Reufuen. Tillebairn, The above-named, tired of the obedience and fidelity which they owed to their superior, began to concert measures and hold secret assemblies in all parts of the kingdom, in order to excite the common people to favour their views. And the better to persuade them that their cause was just and good, they put forth the pretext of desiring to uphold religion; and thus the conspiracy they had formed against their Queen (I shall forbear to mention many other offences of which they are guilty) commenced by laying siege to the town of Leith, and their efforts continued to be directed against her Majesty, the members of her council, and her other faithful subjects in the said town. Also they persecuted those who were scattered over the country at their different residences, and who had refused to join their party, doing them all the mischief in their power, by pillaging their houses and castles, and caused infinite detriment to many worthy persons in all parts of the kingdom, notwithstanding the Queen, with the nobility and others of her subjects, had previously resolved to reform the said religion and put it in good order, without however subjecting them to any restraints. Moreover, not content with this, they persevered in their wicked machinations, and prepared the way for new troubles by giving free ingress to the English, our ancient enemies; uniting themselves in secret alliance with them against the Queen and those of her kingdom. They renewed the siege of the town of Leith (which they had been forced to abandon) in order to expel the French, who were in possession of the town, and defending it against our ancient enemies aforesaid. The most Christian king had, a short time before, married the young Queen of Scotland; in consequence of which event the nobility and others of the subjects of the kingdom made him certain promises, and even sent letters by special messengers to his Majesty in France, tendering him their allegiance, as became good subjects: but I am ignorant of the cause that induced them to do so. In the mean time, in consequence of reinforcements from England, the said town had surrendered, agreeably to a treaty between * In thi orthography we have adhered to the original manuscript. me. her said Majesty and the Queen of England, and negotiated by their ambassadors: in which treaty it was stipulated that all former hatred and animosity, as well on the one side as on the other, should be at an end. Nevertheless, in the malevolence of their hearts they care- Origin of fully sought out those who had previously offended them, or impeded their hatred their proceedings during the said siege; especially myself, who and envy of (although unworthy of such a distinction) had been appointed lieutenant-general of the Queen my mistress, to provide for the exigencies of war; in the course of which I had, according to the laws of arms, taken several prisoners, both Scotch and English, and in all respects had done my best to acquit myself of my duty. Moreover I had captured upon the frontiers a certain sum of money, which had been sent from England for the pay and maintenance of their troops. Scotland. Shortly after the surrender of the town of Leith and the return of the French to their own country, his most Christian Majesty died. Upon which the Queen, by the advice of her friends and at the solicitation of her faithful subjects, thought of returning to her own king- The Queen dom. Which design she put into execution, the better to confirm the returns from alliance and treaty above-mentioned, and to reward her faithful sub- France to jects for the services they had performed during her absence. Among others she rewarded me much more liberally and graciously than I had deserved, a circumstance which incensed my enemies to the greatest degree, and induced them to exert themselves so successfully to my detriment as to deprive me of the favour and good will of her said Majesty. Also they caused the dismissal of the Earls of Arran and Huntly; the said Earl Arran as being a near relation of her Majesty, and therefore eligible to succeed to the crown; and Earl Huntly and myself as being capable of frustrating their designs. order to se The principal agent in this seditious proceeding was Earl Mur- Manœuvres ray, an illegitimate brother of her said Majesty, and formerly canon and inand prior of St. Andrews, who considered that our ruin would be trigues revery advantageous to him; that when we should be disposed of, he sorted to in should easily accomplish the object he had in view, namely, that of cure the becoming the second person in the kingdom; and that afterwards he succession should contrive that the Queen, the nobility, and in short all ranks to the of Scotchmen, would unanimously consent to his being heir to the crown, ar well as his issue or next of kin, in the event of the Queen dying without an heir. And to give a colouring to his presumption, he falsely gave out that Earl Arran and myself (who had recently adjusted a little difference that had formerly existed between us) entertained designs against his life, as well as against that of certain other members of the council; also that I had it in contemplation to take the Queen by surprise, and convey her away to some one of my residences in which I should deem her person most secure. crown. In consequence of these false accusations we were ordered into Our imclose confinement in the Castle of Edinburgh, notwithstanding we prisonment. had demanded that judicial proceedings should be instituted, and |