"A certain pedigree": Subversive Genealogies of Mary Queen of Scots and Their European Circulation

• In Event: "Dangerous Texts": Materiality, Circulation, Control, 1550–1650

Abstract

In 1580, John Leslie, Bishop of Ross, published abroad his Treatise tovvching the right, title, and interest of the most excellent Princess Marie, Queene of Scotland, and of the most noble king Iames, which was soon translated into Latin, French, and Spanish. At such a delicate situation in English politics, in amidst plots set up to substitute Elizabeth I with Mary Queen of Scots on the English throne, John Leslie’s pamphlet, featuring a double-folio pedigree presenting Mary Queen of Scots as Henry VIII’s true heir, was banned in England and could only be found on the Continent. This paper investigates how English diplomats and intelligence monitored the circulation and carriers of the Treatise in Europe. From Paris to the Frankfurt market, the movements of this genealogical pamphlet in print or manuscript form were reported to Queen Elizabeth, highlighting communication networks and strategies for checking the flow of ‘dangerous texts’ abroad.

Author

• Sara Trevisan, University of Warwick