1610
Chère Tante Marie,
I am sorry I have not written for a while, but only a few months after our little Grizel was born – thank God, fit and healthy – I realised I was expecting another child and have continued to feel rather sick for the first few months. Only now, with some three months till my delivery, do I feel more myself.
I presume my nephew will continue to want more children until he has a second male heir. What a duty that poor girl has, to keep producing babies for her ancient husband. I tried to consider how old he must be by now. I am sixty-nine and so he must be fifty-four as I think I was fifteen when he was born. And this charming wife Margaret is still only just a girl. I sighed and stretched out my arthritic fingers to try to ease the pain.
We’d both been keen to journey together to northern France for him to see his wine merchants and deal with some Court matters in Paris. He also wants to visit a bell foundry in Flanders as we intend to commission a bell for Fyvie Church. My husband is about to be given patronage of the church by the King; it belonged formerly to Arbroath Abbey. Being patron is such an honour, we thought it would be a good idea to install a special bell to mark this. Apparently, the foundry run by Jan Burgherhuys in Ghent is the best in Europe.
So Alexander has, it seems, abandoned the Catholicism of his birth and gone to the other side. I suppose it was inevitable, but it 254 still breaks my heart to think what his royal godmother’s reaction would have been. It is interesting that Margaret often uses the word we when mentioning her husband, as if he is not reigning supreme in their household, as he clearly was with Lilias and Grizel.
The journey south from Ghent to Reims is then on the itinerary, so that your nephew can see his much-loved aunt after so many years. I too had hoped to meet you during the trip, but the arrival of this new baby soon means everything is postponed for me. Although these days Alexander likes me to be with him if possible, he is looking forward to visiting you in the next few months, even without his wife at his side. I shall send you details once his plans are in place. He continues to be busy as one of the King’s closest advisors, and as well as visits to Edinburgh in his role as Lord Chancellor, he has to journey to London every few months. Though he would not admit it, I know he finds the travel all rather tiring.
Even though he is much younger than me, I can empathise with his fatigue. I wiggled my toes a little, to try to alleviate the pain in my feet, while thinking once more that, though my body is gradually letting me down, at least God has given me an active mind. Rather like Job, I sometimes feel I must suffer so much, but then I recall one of the verses and feel His grace within. “Wisdom belongs to the aged and understanding to the old,” as it is written in the Book of Job. I hope that, should I indeed get to see my nephew soon, I shall begin to somehow comprehend what happened all those years ago to his dear first wife, Lilias.
The children are wonderful. Lilias’s four daughters continue to thrive, the eldest two married, as you know. Anne is expecting her first child and both she and Isobel visit us as often as they can, for they miss their little sisters. Margaret and Sophia are full of joy and 255 mischief. Grizel’s two daughters Lilias and Jane are quieter, though just as loving as their bigger sisters and thankfully all are in good health. As to my own two children: I often fondly call Charles the fat little tyrant, whose nurses and servants dote on him almost as much as his own family, his father in particular, of course. And my little Grizel is sweet and lively and, though she has only recently begun on solid food, eats with such gusto, it is as if she thinks there is about to be a famine in Aberdeenshire. Greed was never the Hay way; perhaps my husband was a greedy eater when he was young?
I grinned on reading this. He most certainly was a greedy child. I recall him at Livingstone’s wedding eating so many oysters and so much mutton, I thought he would burst. But he has always been slim and so presumably does not suffer from the problems so many gentlemen of his age encounter if they have too much embonpoint. Even the King, who is years younger than Alexander, seems to suffer from gout. And I believe that His Majesty also has arthritis, even with all his physicians and their so-called cures to hand. I know from personal experience how painful this can be.
I am sorry this letter is so short, dear Aunt, but I promise to write again within a month, as soon as I have more details of Alexander’s trip and when you might expect to see him. Until then, wishing you good health and love from all your family at Fyvie Castle.
Your friend, Margaret
I find it interesting that even though I have not met this girl, after all our regular correspondence I now count her as my friend, almost as I did Lilias. I must ensure that I remain as healthy as possible until my nephew’s visit, for there will be much to discuss. I lifted up my right hand to the fading daylight and watched the light glint on the ruby ring that graced Lilias’s fair finger for so many years.