Part 11

The Friar, somewhat abashed what first to answer, fell into a foul mire while he wandered about in the mist: for, alleging that we may not be so bound by the Word, he affirmed that the Apostles had not received the Holy Ghost when they did write their Epistles; but that they did ordain the Ceremonies after they received Him. (Few would have thought that so learned a man would have given so foolish an answer; and yet it is even as true as that he bare a grey cowl.) John Knox, hearing the answer, started and said, "If that be true, I have long been in an error, and I think I shall die therein." The Sub-prior said to him, "Father, what say ye? God forbid that ye affirm that; for then farewell the ground of our faith." The Friar, astonished, made the best shift that he could to correct his fall; but it could not be. John Knox brought him often again to the ground of the argument; but he would never answer directly, but ever fled to the authority of the Kirk. Thereto the said John answered oftener than once that "the spouse of Christ had neither power nor authority against the Word of God." Then said the Friar, "If so be, ye will leave us no Kirk." "Indeed," said the other, "in David I read that there is a church of the malignants, for he says, '_Odi ecclesiam malignantium_.' That church ye may have without the Word, and therein ye may do many things directly fighting against the Word of God. If ye choose to be of that Church, I cannot impede you. But, as for me, I will be of none other Church than that which hath Christ Jesus to be pastor, which hears His voice, and will not hear a stranger."

In this Disputation many other things were merely skiffed over; for the Friar, after his fall, could speak nothing to a purpose. For purgatory he had no better proof than the authority of Virgil in his sixth Æneid; and the pains thereof to him were an evil wife. How John Knox answered that and many other things, he did witness in a treatise that he wrote in the galleys. This contained the sum of his doctrine and the confession of his faith, and was sent to his familiars in Scotland; with the exhortation that they should continue in the truth which they had professed, notwithstanding any worldly adversity that might ensue. Thus much of the Disputation have we inserted here, to the intent that men may see how Satan ever travails to obscure the light; and how God by His power, working in His weak vessels, confounds his craft and discloses his darkness.

After this, neither Papists nor Friars had great heart for further disputation or reasoning; but they invented another shift, which appeared to proceed from godliness. It was an ordinance that learned men in the Abbey and in the University should preach in the Parish Kirk, Sunday about. The Sub-prior began, next came the Official called Spittal (sermons penned to offend no man), and all the rest followed in their ranks. John Knox smelled out the craft, and in the sermons which he made upon the week-days he prayed to God that they should be as busy in preaching when there should be more myster[100] in it than there was then. "Always," said he, "I praise God that Christ Jesus is preached, and nothing is said publicly against the doctrine ye have heard. If in my absence they shall speak anything which in my presence they do not, I protest that ye suspend your judgment until it please God ye hear me again."

[100] Skill.

[Sidenote: Signs follow the Ministry of John Knox: the Backsliding of Sir James Balfour.]

God so assisted his weak soldier, and so blessed his labours, that not only all those of the Castle, but also a great number of the town, openly professed Christ, by participation at the Lord's Table, in the same purity as now it is administered in the churches of Scotland. Among them was he that now either rules, or misrules, Scotland: Sir James Balfour[101] (sometimes called Master James), the chief and principal Protestant that then was to be found in this realm. We write this because we have heard that the said Master James alleges that he never was of this our religion, but was brought up in Martin Luther's opinion of the Sacrament, and therefore cannot communicate with us. His own conscience, and two hundred witnesses besides, know that he lies, and that he was one of the chief that would have given his life, if men might credit his words, for defence of the doctrine that the said John Knox taught. But there is no great wonder if those that never were of us (as none of Montquhanie's sons have shewn themselves to be) depart from us. It is proper and natural that the children follow the father; and let the godly liver of that race and progeny be shewn. If in them be either fear of God or love of virtue, further than the present commodity persuades them, men of judgment are deceived. But to return to our History.

[101] Afterwards Official of Lothian: "the most corrupt man of his age."--_Robertson._

[Sidenote: The Regent and the Queen-Dowager violate the Appointment: a French Army comes to their Aid.]

The priests and bishops, enraged at these proceedings in Saint Andrews, ran now to the Governor, now to the Queen,[102] now to the whole Council, and there might have been heard complaints and cries, "What are we doing? Shall we suffer this whole realm to be infected with pernicious doctrine? Fie upon you, and fie upon us." The Queen and Monsieur D'Oysel (who then was _a secretis mulierum_ in the Court) comforted them, and counselled them to be quiet, because they should see remedy before long. And so it proved; for upon the second last day of June there appeared in sight of the Castle of Saint Andrews twenty-one French galleys, with a powerful army, the like whereof was never seen in that firth before.

[102] Mary of Lorraine, Queen of James V.

By these means the Governor, the Archbishop, the Queen and Monsieur D'Oysel had treasonably broken the terms of the Appointment. To excuse their treason, they had, eight days before, presented to the party in the Castle of St. Andrews an absolution bearing to be sent from Rome, containing, after the aggravation of the crime, this clause, _Remittimus Irremissible_, that is, we remit the crime that cannot be remitted. When this had been considered by the most of the company that was in the Castle, answer was given that the Governor and Council of the Realm had promised them a sufficient and assured absolution, such as that did not appear to be; and that therefore they could not deliver the house, nor did they think that any reasonable man would require them so to do, considering that the promise made had not been truly kept.

On the day after the galleys arrived, the house was summoned. This was denied, and they prepared for siege. They began to assault by sea, and shot for two days. But they neither got advantage nor honour; for they dang[103] the slates off houses, but neither slew man nor did harm to any wall. The Castle handled them so that Saint Barbara (the gunners' goddess) helped them nothing; for they lost many of their rowers, men chained in the galleys, and some soldiers, both by sea and land. And further, a galley that approached nearer than the rest was so dung with the cannon and other ordnance, that she was stopped under water, and so almost drowned. Indeed, so she would have been, were it not that the rest gave her succour in time, and drew her first to the west sands, beyond the shot of the Castle, and thereafter to Dundee. There they remained until the Governor, who then was at the siege of Langhope, came unto them, with the rest of the French faction.

[103] Knocked.

By land the siege of the Castle of St. Andrews was made complete on the nineteenth day of July. Trenches were cast; and ordnance was planted upon the Abbey Kirk, and upon Saint Salvator's College. This so annoyed the Castle that they could keep neither their block-houses, the sea tower head, nor the west wall; for in all these places men were slain by great ordnance. Yea, they mounted the ordnance so high upon the Abbey Kirk, that they might discover the ground of the close in divers places. Moreover, the pest was within the Castle, and divers died thereof. This affrighted some that were therein more than did the external force without. John Knox was of another opinion, for he ever said that their corrupt life could not escape the punishment of God: that he continually asserted, from the time that he was called to preach. When they triumphed of their victory, and during the first twenty days they had many prosperous chances, he lamented, and ever said that they saw not what he saw. When they bragged of the strength and thickness of their walls, he said that they should prove but egg-shells. When they vaunted, "England will rescue us," he said, "Ye shall not see them; but ye shall be delivered into your enemies' hands, and shall be carried to a strange country."

[Sidenote: The Castle is stormed, and surrenders upon Terms.]

Upon the second last day of July, at night, the ordnance was planted for the assault; nineteen cannons, whereof four were cannons-royal, called double cannons, besides other pieces. The cannonade began at four o'clock in the morning, and before ten o'clock of the day, the whole south quarter, betwixt the fore-tower and the east block-house, was made assaultable. The lower trance was condemned, divers were slain in it, and the east block-house was shot off from the rest of the place between ten and eleven o'clock. Then fell a shower of rain that continued nearly an hour. The like of it had seldom been seen. It was so vehement that no man might abide without shelter. The cannons were left alone. Some within the Castle were of opinion that men should have ished,[104] and put all in the hands of God. But because William Kirkaldy was coming with the Prior of Capua, on commission from the King of France, nothing was enterprised. And so an Appointment was made, and the Castle surrendered upon Saturday, the last of July.

[104] Sallied forth.

The heads of the Appointment were:--That the lives of all within the Castle should be saved, as well English as Scottish. That they should be safely transported to France; and in case that, upon conditions that should be offered unto them by the King of France, they could not be content to remain in service and freedom there, they should, upon the expense of the King of France, be safely conveyed to such country as they should require, other than Scotland. They would have nothing to do with the Governor, nor with any Scotsman; for these had all traitorously betrayed them, "and this," said the Laird of Grange, elder, a simple man of most stout courage, "I am assured God will revenge before long."

[Sidenote: The Company of the Castle are carried to France, and cast into Prison and the Galleys.]

The galleys, well furnished with the spoil of the Castle, returned to France, after certain days. Escaping a great danger (for they all chapped[105] upon the back of the Sands), they arrived first at Fecamp, and thereafter passed up the water of Seine, and lay before Rouen. There the principal gentlemen, who looked for freedom, were dispersed, and put in sundry prisons. The rest were left in the galleys, and there miserably treated. Amongst these was the foresaid Master James Balfour, with his two brethren, David and Gilbert, men without God. We write this because we hear that the said Master James, principal misguider now of Scotland, denies that he had anything to do with the Castle of St. Andrews, or that ever he was in the galleys. In breach of express promises (but Princes have no fidelity further than for their own advantage), these things were done at Rouen, and then the galleys departed to Nantes, in Brittany, where they lay upon the water of Loire the whole winter.

[105] Struck.

[Sidenote: The Papists rejoice, and the Regent receives the Pope's Thanks.]

Then was the joy of the Papists both of Scotland and France in full perfection; for this was their song of triumph--

Priests content ye noo; priests content ye noo; For Norman and his company has filled the galleys fou.

The Pope wrote his letters to the King of France, and to the Governor of Scotland, thanking them heartily for taking pains to revenge the death of his kind creature, the Cardinal of Scotland; and desiring them to continue in their severity as they had begun, that such things should not be attempted again. And so were all these that were taken in the Castle condemned to perpetual prison; and the ungodly believed that Christ Jesus should never have triumphed in Scotland after that.

In Scotland, that summer, there was nothing but mirth; for all things went with the priests, at their own pleasure. The Castle of St. Andrews was rased to the ground, the block-houses thereof were cast down, and the walls round about were demolished. Whether this was done to fulfil their law, which commands that places where Cardinals are slain shall so be used, or else for fear that England should have taken it, as afterwards they took Broughty Craig, we remit to the judgment of such as were consulted.

[Sidenote: The Duke of Somerset invades Scotland.]

This same year, 1547, in the beginning of September, an army of ten thousand men from England entered Scotland, by land, and some ships with ordnance came by sea. The Governor and the Archbishop, informed of this, gathered together the forces of Scotland and assembled at Edinburgh. The Protector of England, with the Earl of Warwick, and their army, remained at Preston, and about Prestonpans: for they had certain offers to propose unto the nobility of Scotland. These concerned the promises formerly made by them to King Harry. Before his death, he had gently required them to stand fast; and had undertaken that, if they would do so, they should have no trouble from him or his kingdom, but rather the help and comfort that he could give them in all things lawful. On this subject, a letter was now directed to the Governor and Council; but this fell into the hands of the Archbishop of St. Andrews, who, thinking that it could not be for his advantage that it should be divulged, suppressed it by his craft.

[Sidenote: The Battle of Pinkie Cleuch.]

Upon Friday, the ninth of September, the English army marched towards Leith, and the Scottish army marched from Edinburgh to Inveresk. The whole Scottish army was not assembled, and yet skirmishing began; for nothing was expected but victory without a stroke. The Protector, the Earl of Warwick, the Lord Gray, and all the English captains were playing at the dice: no men were stouter than the priests and canons, with their shaven crowns and black jacks. The Earl of Warwick and the Lord Gray, who had the chief charge of the horsemen, perceiving the host to be molested by the Scottish prickers, and that the multitude were neither under order nor obedience (for they were divided from the great army), sent forth certain troops of horsemen, and some of their borderers, either to fight them, or else to put them out of their sight, so that they might not annoy the host. The skirmish grew hot, and at length the Scotsmen gave back, and fled without once turning. The chase continued far, both towards the east and towards the west. Many were slain, and he that now is Lord Home was afterwards surrendered to the Englishmen. The loss of these men neither moved the Governor, nor yet the Archbishop, his bastard brother. They would revenge the matter well enough upon the morrow; for they were hands enough (no word of God): the English heretics had no faces; they would not abide.

Upon the Saturday, the armies of both sides arrayed themselves. The English army took the mid part of Falside Hill, having their ordnance planted before them, and their ships and two galleys brought as near the land as the water would allow. The Scottish army stood at first in a reasonably strong position and in good order, having betwixt them and the English army the water of Esk, otherwise called Musselburgh Water. At length, on the Governor's behalf, with sound of trumpet, order was given that all men should march forward, and go over the water. Some say that this was procured by the Abbot of Dunfermline, and Master Hugh Rigg, for preservation of Carberry. Men of judgment did not like the move; for they thought it no wisdom to leave their strong position. But commandment upon commandment, and charge upon charge were given, and, thus urged, they obeyed unwillingly. The Earl of Angus was in the vanguard, and had in his company the gentlemen of Fife, Angus, Mearns, and the Westland, with many others that for love resorted to him and especially those that were professors of the Evangel; for they supposed that England would not make great pursuit of him. He passed first through the water, and arrayed his host directly before the enemies. The Earl of Huntly, and his Northland men followed. Last came the Duke, having in his company the Earl of Argyll, with his own friends, and the body of the realm.

The Englishmen, perceiving the danger, and that the Scotsmen intended to take the top of the hill, made haste to prevent the peril. The Lord Gray was commanded to give the charge with his men of arms. This he did, albeit the hazard was very unlikely; for the Earl of Angus's host stood even as a wall. These received the first assaulters upon the points of their spears (which were longer than those of the Englishmen) so rudely that fifty horse and men of the first rank lay dead at once, without any hurt being done to this Scots army, except that the spears of the two foremost ranks were broken. This discomfiture received, the rest of the horsemen fled; yea, some passed beyond Falside Hill. The Lord Gray himself was hurt in the mouth, and plainly refused to charge again; for, he said, "It was like running against a wall." The galleys, the ships, and the ordnance planted upon the mid hill shot terribly. The cross-fire of the ordnance of the galleys affrighted the Scots army wondrously. While every man laboured to draw from the north, whence the danger appeared, they began to reel, and at that point the English footmen were marching forward, albeit some of their horsemen were in flight. The Earl of Angus's army stood still, expecting that either Huntly or the Duke would rencounter the next battle; but it had been decreed that the favourers of England, and the heretics, as the priests called them, and the Englishmen should have the struggle to themselves for the day.

Panic arose, and, in an instant, those who before were victors and were not yet assaulted with any force, except with ordnance, as we have said, cast their spears from them and fled. Thus was God's power so evidently seen, that in one moment, yea, in one instant, both the armies were fleeing. From the hill, from those that hoped for no victory upon the English part, the shout arose, "They flee, they flee." At the first it could not be believed, but at last it was clearly seen that all had given back; and then began a cruel slaughter, which was the greater by reason of the late displeasure of the men at arms.

The chase and slaughter extended almost to Edinburgh, upon the one part, and be-west Dalkeith upon the other. The number of the slain upon the Scottish side was judged to be nigh ten thousand men. The Earl of Huntly was taken, and carried to London; but he relieved himself, being surety for many ransoms. Whether he did so honestly or unhonestly we know not; but, as the bruit passed, he used policy with England. In the same battle was slain the Master of Erskine, dearly beloved of the Queen, who made great lamentation for him, and bare his death in mind for many days. When the certainty of the discomfiture came, she was in Edinburgh, waiting for tidings; but with expedition she posted that same night to Stirling, with Monsieur D'Oysel, who was as fleyed[106] as "a fox when his hole is smoked." Thus did God take the second revenge upon the perjured Governor and such as assisted him to defend an unjust quarrel; albeit many innocents fell with the wicked. The English army came to Leith, and, after securing their prisoners and spoil, returned to England with this unlooked-for victory.

[106] Scared.

During the following winter, great hardships were inflicted upon all the Borders of Scotland. Broughty Craig was taken by the Englishmen, besieged by the Governor, but still kept. There Gavin, the best of the Hamiltons, was slain, and the ordnance lost. The Englishmen, encouraged, began to fortify the hill above Broughty House. The position was called the Fort of Broughty, and was very noisome[107] to Dundee. This it burned and laid waste; as it did the most part of Angus, which was not assured and under friendship with England.

[107] Troublesome.

At the Easter following, Haddington was fortified by the Englishmen. The most part of Lothian, from Edinburgh east, was either assured or laid waste. Thus did God plague in every quarter; but men were blind, and would not, or could not, consider the cause. The Lairds of Ormiston and Brunstone were banished, and afterwards forfeited, and so were all those of the Castle of St. Andrews.

The sure knowledge of the troubles of Scotland coming to France, there was prepared a navy and army. The navy was such as never was seen to come from France for the support of Scotland.... They arrived in Scotland in May 1549. Preparations were made for the siege of Haddington; but it was another thing that they meant, as the issue declared.

[Sidenote: The Parliament at Haddington: Queen Mary is sold to France.]

The whole body of the realm having assembled, the form of a Parliament was held in the Abbey of Haddington. The principal head was the marriage to the King of France of the Princess, who had formerly been contracted to King Edward; and her immediate transfer to France, by reason of the danger to her from the invasion of our old enemies of England. Some were corrupted with buds,[108] some were deceived by flattering promises, and some for fear were compelled to consent, for the French soldiers were the officers of arms in that Parliament. The Laird of Buccleuch, a bloody man, sware, with many "God's wounds," that "they that would not consent should do worse." The Governor got the Duchy of Châtelherault, with the order of the Cockle, a full discharge of all intromissions with the treasure and substance of King James the Fifth, and possession of the Castle of Dumbarton, until issue of the Queen's body should be seen. Upon these and other conditions, he stood content to sell his sovereign. Huntly, Argyll, and Angus were likewise made knights of the Cockle; and, for that and other good deeds received, they also sold their interest. In short, none was found to resist that unjust demand; and so the Queen was sold to go to France, to the end that in her youth she should drink of the liquor that should remain with her all her lifetime, for a plague to this realm, and for her final destruction. Therefore, albeit there now comes out from her a fire that consumes many, let no man wonder. She is the hand of God, who, in His displeasure, is punishing our former ingratitude....

[108] Gifts; bribes.

[Sidenote: The Siege of Haddington.]