or Yule
day,[233] ye wilbe maisterless, and the realme without ane King." Becaus
of his displeasur, no man durst mack contradictioun unto him. So after
that hie had visited the Castell of Carny,[234] perteanyng to the Erle
of Crawfurd, whare the said Erles dowghter, ane of his hoores,[235] was,
hie returned to Falkland and took bedd. And albeit thare appeared unto
him no signes of death, yet hie constantly affirmed, befoir such ane
day, "I shalbe dead."

[SN: REGINAE NATIVITAS]

In this meantyme, was the Quene upoun the point of hir delivery in
Linlithqw, who was delivered the awcht day of December,[236] in the
yeare of God J^m. V^c. fourty twa yearis, of MARIE, that then was borne,
and now dois ring for a plague to this realme, as the progress of hir
hole lief hath to this day declaired. The certantie that a dowghter was
borne unto him cuming to his earis, he turned from such as spak with
him, and said, "The devill go with it! It will end as it begane: it came
from a woman; and it will end in a woman." After that, hie spak nott
many woordis that war sensible. But ever hie harped upoun his old song,
"Fy, fled Oliver! Is Oliver tane? All is loist." [SN: REGIS EXITUS.] In
this meantyme, in his great extremitie, cumes the Cardinall, (ane apt
confortare for a desperat man.) He cryes in his ear, "Tak ordour, Schir,
with your realme: who shall rewill during the minoritie of your
Dowghter? Ye have knawin my service: what will ye have done? Shall thare
nott be four Regentes chosyn? and shall nott I be principall of thame?"
Whatsoever the King answered, documentis war tackin that so should be,
as my Lord Cardinall thought expedient.[237] As many affirme, a dead
manes hand was maid to subscrive ane blank, that thei mycht wryte above
it what pleased thame best. This finissed, the Cardinall posted to the
Quene, laitly befoir delivered, as said is. At the first sight of the
Cardinall, sche said, "Welcome, my Lord: Is nott the King dead?" What
moved hir so to conjecture, diverse men ar of diverse judgementis. Many
whisper, that of old his parte was in the pott, and that the suspition
thairof caused him to be inhibite the Quenis cumpany. Howsoever it was
befoir, it is plane that after the Kingis death, and during the
Cardinallis lyif, whosoever guyded the Court, he gat his secreat besynes
sped of that gratiouse Lady, eyther by day or by nycht. Howsoever the
tydingis lyked hir, she mended with als great expeditioun of that
dowghter