Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 4 Manie were apprehended and had to the racke, but yet could none be found that would confesse it. Suspicious persons are [...]cked. The quéene was void of all suspicion, as she that had béene taken for a woman at all times of great tem|perancie. But yet, when she heard that a num|ber of innocent persons were tormented without de|sert, sore lamenting (as should appeare) their misera|ble case, she came hastilie into the iudgement hall, and getting hir aloft vpon the bench, there, in the pre|sence The quéene confessed the [...]urther. of all the companie, she had these or the like words vnto the whole assemblie.

I know not (good people) I know not what god mooueth me, or what diuine reuengement vexeth mée with sundrie thoughts and cogitations; that of all this day and morning preceding, I haue had neither rest in bo|die nor mind. And verelie when I heard that cer|teine guiltlesse persons were cruellie tormented here in your presence; had not wrath giuen place, partlie vnto modestie, whereof I must confesse there is left but a small portion in me. I had foorthwith rid my selfe out of the way. The kings death was mine act. Conscience constreineth me (setting apart mine owne safegard) to confesse the truth, least the guiltlesse should wrongfullie perish: therfore vnder|stand ye for truth, that none of them whom ye haue examined are priuie to the offense. I verelie am she, that with these wicked hands haue strangled this night last past Ferguse, about whose death I sée you in trouble, moued so to doo with two as sharpe pricks as may re [...] in a woman, to wit, impatient forbea|ring of carnall lust, & irefull wrath. Ferguse by his continuall vsing of concubines, kept from me the due debt that the husband oweth to the wife: wherevpon when there was no hope to reconcile him with often aduertisements, vehement force of anger rising in my hart, droue me to doo so wicked a déed. I thought rather therefore to dispatch the adulterer, than (being destitute of my husband, & defrauded of all quéenelie honor) to liue still subiect to the perpetuall iniuries of such lewd women as he kept & vsed in my stead. She giueth hir owne sentence. Loose yée therefore those that be accused of the kings death, & as for me ye shall not néed to procéed against me as guiltie of the crime by order of law: for I that was so bold to commit so heinous an act, will accor|dingly doo execution vpon my selfe euen here incon|tinentlie in presence of you all: what honor is due to the dead, looke you to that.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 SOluathius the sonne of Eugenius the eight, was Solua|thius. Soluathius admitted king of Scotland. admitted to the rule of the Scotish estate next af|ter the death of [...]erguse: a prince suerlie borne to the accomplishment of high enterprises, if through hap of froward destinie he had not béene hindered. For in the third yéere of his reigne he began to bée vexed extréemelie with the gout, which ingendered by cold in lieng abroad in hunting; and so continu|ing Soluathius an impotent man. with him during his life, staied him from manie woorthie exercises, as well in peace at home, as a|broad in time of warres. Thus he being in maner impotent & lame of his lims, there were some com|motions and misorders the more boldly attempted: and first amongst them of the out Iles. For Bane A rebellion. Makedonald proclamed, king of the Iles. Makedonald, gouernor by the kings appointment of the Iland called Tire, got all the castels and for|tresses of the Iles into his owne hands, & strengthe|ned with a rout of vnrulie and mischefous youthfull persons, tooke possession of all the said Iles, causing himselfe to be proclamed king of the same.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 Not contented herewith, he gathered a number of ships togither, wherein transporting himselfe with a great armie ouer into Lorne and Cantire, made He inuadeth Lorne and Cantire. A power from the king is sent against him. great waste and spoile of those countries, till Duth|quhall gouernor of Athole, and Culane of Argile, be|ing sent with a chosen power from the king to de|fend the countrie, chanced to incounter with him, and putting him with his people vnto flight, chased them to such a streict, as where there was no way to get foorth, saue onlie that by which they entered. This place is in Lorne, with a streict passage to enter into it: but when yeare within it, the same is verie large and broad, inuironed about with craggie moun|teins, chained togither with a continuall ridge, a déepe riuer compassing them in beneath in the bot|tome, with such steepe & sidelong banks, that there is no way to passe foorth of the same, but by that through which ye must enter into it. The said Bane with his folks being entred at vnwares into such a streict, and perceiuing there was no way to issue foorth, but by the same where he entred, he returned backe thi|ther, and finding the passage closed from him by his [...]es, he was in a woonderfull maze, not know|ing what shift to make to escape. Finallie, falling to counsell with the chiefest of his armie vpon the dan|ger present, and so continuing for the space of two daies without anie conclusion auailable, on the third day driuen of necessitie through hunger, they requi|red of their enimies to be receiued as yéelded men vpon what conditions they would prescribe, onelie hauing their liues assured. But when this would not be granted, in the euening tide they rushed foorth vp|on their enimies, to trie if by force they might haue passed through them. But such was their hap, that there they died euerie mothers son: for so had Duth|quhall & Culane commanded, to the end that other rebels might take example by such their wilfull and rebellious outrage.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 Suſpicious perſons are racked.Many were apprehended and had to the rack, but yet could not be founde that would confeſſe it. The Queene was voyde of all ſuſpition, as ſhe that had bene taken for a woman at all times of great temperancie. But yet when ſhee hearde that a number of innocent perſons were tormen|ted without deſart, ſore lamenting (as ſhoulde appeare) theyr miſerable caſe, ſhe came haſtily in|to the Iudgement hall,The Queene confeſſed the murther. and getting hir aloft vpõ the bench, there in the preſence of al the company, ſhe had theſe or the like wordes vnto the whole aſſembly. I knowe not good people, I knowe not what God moueth me, or what diuine re|uengement vexeth me with ſundry thoughts and cogitations, that of all this daye and morning preceeding, I haue had neither reſt in bodie nor minde. And verely when I hearde that cer|taine guiltleſſe perſons were cruelly tormented here in your preſence, had not wrath giuen place, party vnto modeſtie, whereof I muſt confeſſe there is left but a ſmall portiõ in me, I had forth|with rid my ſelf out of the way. The kings death was mine act. Conſcience conſtrayneth me (ſet|ting apart mine owne ſafegarde) to confeſſe the truth, leaſt the guiltleſſe ſhoulde wrongfully pe|riſhe: Therefore vnderſtande yee for truth, that none of them whome ye haue examined are pri|uie to the offence. I verily am ſhe, that with theſe wicked handes haue ſtrangled this night laſt paſt Ferguſe, about whoſe death I ſee you in trouble, moued ſo to do with two as ſharpe pricks as may reſt in a woman, to wit, Impatient forbearing of carnall luſt, and yrefull wrath. Ferguſe by his continuall vſing of concubines, kept from me the due debt that the huſbande oweth to the wife: whereupon when there was no hope to reconcile him with often aduertiſementes, vehement force of anger ryſing in my heart, droue mee to doe ſo wicked a deed. I thought lieffer therefore to diſ|patch the Adulterer, then (being deſtitute of my huſbande, and defrauded of all Queenely honor) to liue ſtill ſubiect vnto the perpetuall iniuries of ſuch lewde women as hee kept and vſed in my ſteade.She giueth hir owne ſentence Looſe ye therefore thoſe that be accuſed of the kings death, and as for me ye ſhall not neede to proceede agaynſt me as guiltie of the crime by order of law, for I that was ſo bolde to commit ſo heynous an act, will accordingly do execution vpon my ſelfe euen here incontinently in preſence of you all: what honour is due to the deade, looke you to that.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 Hauing thus made an ende of hir tale,The Queene taketh execu [...] of hir ſelfe. ſhee plucked forth a knife which ſhe had hid vnder hir gowne, and ſtroke hirſelfe to the heart with the ſame falling deade vpon it downe to the grounde.

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