Elizabeth I, Queen of England. Letter to the Earl of Morton, Regent of Scotland, dated September 26, 1575, from Woodstock.

This handsome letter with its bold signature, "Elizabeth R" (for Regina, "Queen") is one of dozens of royal and papal autographs in the James Kritzeck collection at Saint John's. The Queen writes to James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton, then Regent of Scotland, for his help in obtaining the arrest of "certain Gentlemen" who had caused offense to the Crown. Morton was a staunch Protestant who had led the successful campaign to overthrow the Catholic Mary, Queen of Scots, in the 1560s. The tone of the letter suggests that through his efforts the Earl had restored himself to Elizabeth's royal favor after a period in which his loyalty had been questioned. The tone is courteous but the message is unmistakable: this must not happen again! Morton would be forced to resign the regency in 1578; he was executed in 1581 for his role in the murder of Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley, the husband of Queen Mary.