‘The king and queen, with sundry of the nobility and blood-royal
of Denmark, accompanied with sixty gentlemen--being seven great
ships--convoyed by the grace of God through ane great mist by the navy
of England--arrivit in the firth of Leith at two afternoon, and came
by boats to Leith, to the great comfort of this nation, being on the
shore of na little number.’ The royal party was ‘receivit by the Duke
of Lennox, Earls Bothwell and Mar, with great din, and ordnance from
Edinburgh Castle, and on the south and east ferries, as by the ships.
The king took the queen by the hand, and led her up ane trance, whilk
was made for that effect, covered with tapestry and claith of gold,
whereon they passed, that their feet should not touch the bare earth:
where Mr James Elphinston, ane of the Lords of Session, made ane orison
in French, to the praise of God for their prosperous voyage.
‘The queen being placed in her lodging in Thomas Lindsay’s, the king
[there] took all the noblemen of Denmark by the hand, every ane after
ane other. And thereafter the king passed to the kirk, where the Lord
Hamilton and Lord Fleming met her grace and convoyit them. Mr Patrick
Galloway made the sermon.... His majesty passed to the lodging, where
they all remained while [till] the sixth day of the same month, [when]
they passed, afternoon, at four hours or thereby, to the Abbey of
Holyroodhouse, the king’s grace and noblemen on horse, and the queen’s
grace in ane _dame’s coach_, drawn with aught great cussers of her
awn, richly reparrit with claith of gold, silver, and purpour velvet;
[and] the town of Edinburgh, Canongate, and Leith, in feir of weir, to
the number of 1600 footmen. At the inner yett of the said abbey, the
horsemen lichtit, [and] the king took the queen by the hand, and passed
through the inner close to the great hall, and through the rest of the
chalmers, which were richly hung with claith of gold and silver, and
tapestry of silk: the said palace was newly repaired.’--_Jo. Hist._
[Sidenote: MAY.]
‘There came with the king and queen’s majesty, Callipier, the
admiral of Denmark, Peter Monk, the captain of Elsinburgh, Stephen
Brahe, Braid Ransome Maugaret, Nicolaus Theophilus, doctor of laws,
and Henry Goodlister, captain of Bocastle, as principal and of the
council of Denmark; William Vanderwant, who was appointed to wait
upon her majesty, with sundry other gentlemen to the number of thirty
or thereby, all in gold chains of good fashion. The number of the
haill train was two hundred and twenty-three persons, who were all
entertained by the king and noblemen of Scotland, and banquetted daily.
They were twelve hundred merks every day for their furnishing, during
the time of their remaining.’--_Moy._[163]
[Sidenote: 1590.