£2,750
Rare Books, Manuscripts, Maps & Photographs ft. the Library of the Late William St Clair | 683
Auction: 2 February 2022 at 10:00 GMT
from James VI to the Earl Marischal, commissioner in the North, referring to the "mischievous practices of Satan" against the King and the recent accusation and imprisonment of the Earl of Bothwell, requesting that Marischall, and others, attend Edinburgh in May for discussions dated Edinburgh 24th April 1592, comprising 25 lines on one leaf in a formal or secretarial hand, 204 x 308mm, signed by the King 'James R.', some dampstaining and two holes, a little chipped around edges
Note: It is possible that the "mischievous practices of Satan" refer to the storms in 1589 which prevented Anne of Denmark sailing to meet her husband, James VI, in Scotland. The storms drowned Anne's intended lady in waiting, Jane Kennedy, and were attributed to witchcraft by the Danish admiral, Peder Munk. King James became obsessed with witchcraft, with an ensuing witch hunt and the arrest of over 100 suspected witches in North Berwick. Under torture, many confessed to meeting with the Devil in the church on Halloween and attempting to sink the King's ship, alongside other anti-monarchy activities. Francis Stewart, the 5th Earl of Bothwell, was also implicated in the witchcraft accusations, and is mentioned in this letter.