Chapter 28

The samyn messinger brocht alssua letteris frome the Quene our Soverane, mair scharp and threatning than the former; for hir conclusioun was, "_Vous senteras la poincture a jamais_."[889]

This creddeit was, "That the Kyng wald spend the Croun of France, or that he war not revengeit upoun sick seditious personis. That he wald never have suspectit sick inobedience and sick defectioun frome his awin sister in him." To the quhilk the said Lord James ansuerit, first by word, and than by writting, as followis:--

"SCHIR,

"My dewtie rememberit. Your Majestieis letter I resavit frome Pareis, the xvij of Julij last, proporting in effect, that your Majestie sould mervell that I, being forgetfull of the graceis and favouris schawing me be the King, of blissitt memorie, your Majestieis Father, and the Quenis Grace, my Soverane, sould declair my selff heid, and ane of the principall begynnaris of the allegeit tumultis and seditioun in thir pairtis, desaving thairby your Majestieis expectatioun at all tymis hard of me; with assurance, that gif I did not declair by contrarie effectis my repentance, I, with the rest that had put, or yitt putis handis to that wark, sould resave the rewaird quhilk we had deservit and meritit.

"Schir, it grevis me heavelie that the cryme of ingratitude sould be laid to my charge be your Hienes, and the rather that I persave the same to haif proceidit of sinister informatioun, of thame quhais pairt it was not sua to have reportit, gif trew service bigane had bene regairdit. And as tuiching the repentance, and declaratioun of the same be contrar effectis,[890] that your Majestic desyris I schaw, my conscience perswaidis me in thir proceidingis to have done na thing aganeis God, nor the debtfull[891] obedience towartis your Hienes and the Queneis Grace my Soverane, utherwayis it sould have bene to repent, and als amendit allreddy, according to your Majestieis expectatioun of me. Bot your Hienes being treulie informeit, and perswaidit that the thyng quhilk we have done makis for the advancement of Godis glorie, (as it dois in deid,) without ony maner derogatioun to your Majesteis dew obedience, we dowt not bot your Majestie sall be weill contentit with our proceidingis, quhilk being groundit upoun the commandiment of the eternall God, we dar [nocht] leif the samyn unaccompleischeit; onelie wisching and desyreing your Majestie did knaw the same, and treuth thairof, as it is perswaidit to our conscience, and all thame that ar treulie instructit in the eternall word of our God, upoun quham we cast our cair for all daingearis that may follow the accompleisment of his eternall will; and to quham we commend your Hienes, beseiking him to illuminat your hart with the evangell of his eternall trewth, to knaw your Majestieis dewtie towartis[892] your pure subjectis, Godis chosin pepill, and quhat ye aucht to craif justlie of thame agane; for than we sould haif na occatioun to feir your Majestieis wraith and indignatioun, nor your Hienes suspitioun in our inobedience. The samyn God mot[893] have youre Majestie in his eternall saifgard.

"At Dumbartane, the 12 of August 1559."

This answer, directit to the Quene our Soverane, and to Francis hir husband, the Quene Dowager resavit, and was bold upoun it, as sche mycht weill yneuch; for it was suppoisit that the former letteris war forgeit heir at hame in Scotland. The answer red by hir, sche said, "That sua proud ane answer was never gevin to King, Prince, or Princess." And yitt indifferent men thocht that he mycht have answerit mair schairplie, and not have transgressit modestie nor treuth. For quhair thay burding him with the greit benefitis quhilk of thame he had resavit, gif in plane wordis he had purgeit him self, effirming, that the greitest benefit that ever he receavit of thame was to spend in thair service, that quhilk God be utheris had providit for him, na honest man wald have accusit him, and na man wald have bene abill to have convickit him of ane lye. Bot Princeis must be pardonit to speik quhat thay pleise.

[SN: THE RESIDENCE OF JOHNNE WILLOCK IN EDINBURGH.]

For confort of the brethren, and contynewance of the Kyrk in Edinburgh, was left thair our deir brother Johnne Willock, quha, for his faithfull laubouris and bald curage in that battell, deserves immortall prayse. For quhan it was fund dangerous that Johnne Knox, quha befoir was electit Minister[894] to that Kyrk, sould contynew thair, the brethren requeistit the said Johnne Willock to abyde with thame, least that, for laik of ministeris, idolatrie sould be erectit up agane. To the quhilk he sua glaidlie consentit, that it mycht evidentlie appeir, that he preferrit the confort of his brethren, and the contynewance of the Kirk thair, to his awin lyiff. One pairt of the Frensche men war appointtit to ly in garnesoun at Leith, (that was the first benefit thai gat for thair confideracie with thame,) the uthir pairt war appointit to ly in the Cannogait; the Quene and hir tryne abydeing in the Abbay. Oure brother Johnne Willock, the day efter our departure, prechit in Sanct Geillis Kirk, and ferventlie exhortit the brethren to stand constant in the trewth quhilk thay had professit. At this and sum uther sermondis was the Duke, and diverse utheris of the Queneis factioun. This libertie and preching, with resort of all pepill thairto, did hielie offend the Quene and the uther Papistis. And first thay began to gif terrouris to the Duke; affirmyng, that he wald he repute as ane of the Congregatioun, gif he gaif his presence to the sermondis. Thairefter thay begould[895] to requyre that Messe sould be sett up agane in Sanct Geillis kirk, and that the pepill sould be sett at libertie to chuse what religioun thay wald; for that, say thay, was contenit in the Appointmentt, that the town of Edinburgh sould cheis quhat religioun thay list. For obtening heirof, was send to the Tolbuith,[896] the Duke, the Erle of Huntlie, and the Lord Seytoun, to solist all men to condiscend to the Quenis mynd; quhairin the twa last did laubour that thay could, the Duik not sa, bot as ane behalder, of quham the brethren had guid esperance. And efter many perswationis and threatningis maid be the saidis Erle and Lord, the brethren, stoutlie and valiantlie in the Lord Jesus, ganesaid thair maist injust petitionis, reasonyng, "That as of conscience thay mycht nocht suffr idolatrie to be credit quhair Christ Jesus was treulie precheit, sua could nocht the Quene nor thay requyre any sick thyng, unless sche and thay wald plainlie violat thair faith and cheif article of the Appointment; for it is planelie appointit, That na member of the Congregatioun sall be molestit in any thing that, the day of the Appointment, be peaceabillie possessit. Bot sua it was that we, the Brethren and Protestantis of the toun of Edinburgh, with oure ministeris, the day of the Appointment, did peaceabillie possess Sanct Geilis Kirk,[897] appointit for us for preching of Christis trew Evangell, and rycht ministratioun of his holy Sacramentis. Thairfoir, without manifest violatioun of the Appointment, ye can not remove us thairfra, quhill ane Parliament have decydit the contraversie."

[SN: THE QUENE REGENTIS MALICE AGAINST PURE MEN.]

This answer gevin, the haill brethren depairtit, and left the foirsaid Erle, and Lord Seytoun the Provest of Edinburgh, still in the Tolbuyth; quha persaving that thay could not prevaill in that maner, bot began to entreat that thay wald be quyett, and that thay wald sa far condiscend to the Quenis plesour, as that thay wald chuse thame ane uthir Kirk[898] within the toun, or at the least be contentit that Messe sould be said ather efter or befoir thair sermonis. To the quhilk, ansuer was gevin, "That to gif place to the Devill, (quha was the cheif inventar of the Messe,) for the plesour of ony creature, thay could not. Thay war in possessioun of that Kirk, quhilk thay could not abandone; nether could thay suffer idolatrie be erectit in the samyn, unless be violence thay sould be constrancit sa to do; and than thay war determinit to seik the nixt remedy." Quhilk ansuer resavit, the Erle of Huntlie did lovinglie intreat thame to quyetnes; faithfullie promissing that in na sort thay sould be molestit, sa that thay wald be quyett, and mak na farther uproir. To the quhilk thay war maist willing; for thay socht onlie to serve God as he had commandit, and to keip thair possessioun, according to the Appointment; quhilk be Goddis grace thay did till the moneth of November, nochtwithstanding the greit bosting of the ennemy. For thay did not onlie convene to the preching, dailie supplicatiounis, and administratioun of Baptisme, bot alssua the Lordis Tabill was ministratt, evin in the eyis of the verray ennemy, to the greit confort of mony afflictit conscience. And as God did potentlie wirk with his trew Minister, and with his trubillit Kirk, so did nocht the Devill cease to enflamb the malice of the Quene, and of the Papistis with hir. For schort efter hir cuming to the Abbay of Halyrudhouse, sche caussit Messe to be said, first in hir awin Chapell, and efter in the Abbay, quhair the altaris befoir war cassin doun. Sche dischargit the Commoun Prayeris, and foirbad to gif ony portioun to sick as war the principall young men quha redd thame. Hir malice extendit in lik maner to Cambuskynneth;[899] for thair sche dischargeit the portionis of als many of the Channonis as had forsaikin Papistrie. Sche gaif command and inhibitioun, that the Abbot of Lundoris[900] sould be[901] ansuerit of any pairt of his leving in the North, becaus he had submitit him self to the Congregatioun, and had put sum reformatioun to his place. Be hir consent and retrahibitioun[902] was the preching stuleis brokin in the Kirk of Leith, and idolatrie was erectit in the samyn, quhair it was befoir suppressit. Hir Frensche Capitaneis, with thair suldiouris in greit companeis, in tyme of preching and prayeris, resortit to Sanct Geillis Kirk in Edinburgh, and maid thair commune deambulatour thairin, with sick lowd talking, as na perfyte audience could be had; and althocht the Minister was ofttymes thairthrow compellit to cry out on thame, praying to God to red thame of sick locustis; thay nevirtheless continewit still in thair wickit purpoise, devisit and ordaneit be the Quene, to have drawin our brethren of Edinburgh and thame in cummer; swa that sche mycht have had ony cullorat occatioun to have brokin the liegue with thame. Yitt, be Goddis grace, thay behaveit thame selfis swa, that sche could fynd na falt with thame; albeit in all thir thingis befoir nameit, and in every ane of thame, sche is worthelie comptit to have contravenit the sayd Appointment. We pass over the oppressing done of oure brethren in particular, quhilk had bene sufficient to have provin the Appointment to have bene playne violatit; for the Lord Seytoun, without ony occasioun offerrit unto him, brak a chaise upoun Alexander Quhitelaw,[903] as he came frome Prestoun, accumpaneit with Williame Knox,[904] towartis Edinburgh, and ceassit not to persew him till he came to the toun of Ormestoun: And this he did, supposing that the said Alexander Quhitelaw had bene Johnne Knox. In all this menetyme, and quhill that ma Frensche men arryvit, thay ar not abill to pruif that we brak the Appointment in any jote, except that ane hoirnit capp was taikin of ane proud preistis heid, and cut in four quarteris,[905] becaus he said he wald weir[906] it in dispyte of the Congregatioun.

[SN: THE QUENE REGENTIS FALSE FLATTERING LETTER TO THE DUKE.[907]]

In this menetyme, the Quene, then Regent, knawin assuredlie quhat force was schortlie to cum unto hir, ceassit not, by all meneis possibill, to cloik the incuming of the Frensche, and to enflamb the hartis of oure cuntrey men aganis us. And for that purpoise, sche first wrait to my Lord Duike, in forme as followis:--

"My Lord and Cousing,

"Efter hartlie commendatioun; We ar informit that the Lordis of the Westland Congregatioun intendis to mak ane conventioun and assembillie of thair kyn and freyndis upoun Govane Mure, besyde Glasgw, on Monnunday cum viij dayis, the [21st] day[908] of August instant, for sum hie purpoise aganeis us, quhilk we can nott skantlie beleve,[909] considdering thay have na occasioun upoun our pairt sa to do. And albeit ye knaw the Appointment was maid be our avise,[910] yitt we acceptit the samin at your desyre, and hes sensyne maid na cause quhairby thay mycht be movit to cum in the contrair thairof. Lyke as we ar yitt myndit to keip firme and stabill all thingis promesit be yow in our behalf. We think, on the uther pairt, it is your dewatie to requyre tham, that thay contravene not thair pairt thairof in na wyise;[911] and in caice thay meane ony evill towartis us, and sua will breck thaire promeise, we beleif ye will, at the uttermost of your power, convene with us, and compell tham to do that thing quhilk thay aucht, gif thay will nocht. Praying yow to have your selff, your kin and freyndis, in reddynes to cum to us, as ye sall be adverteist be proclamatioun, in caise the Congregatioun assembill tham selffis for any purpoise aganeis us, or the tennour of the said Appointment: assureand yow, without thay gadder, and mak first occasioun, we sall nott put yow to any paneis in that behalf; and that ye adverteis us in writt, quhat we may lippin to heirin with this beirar, quha will schaw yow the fervent mynd we beir to have concord with the said Congregatioun, quhat offeris we haif maid to thame, and how desyrous we ar to draw thame to the obedience of our Soveranis authoritie, to quham ye sall gif creddeit; and God keip yow.

"At Edinburgh, the tent day of August 1559."

[SN: THE REGENTIS LETTER TO THE BARRONIS.]

The lyke letter sche wrait to everie Lord, Barroun, and Gentilman, of this tennour:--

"TREST FREYND,

"Efter hartlie commendatioun; We dowt nott bot ye have hard of the Appointment maid besyde Leith, betuix my Lord Duik, the Erle of Huntlie, and Monsieur Dosell, on the ane pairt, and the Lordis of the Congregatioun, on the uther syde; quhilk Appointment we have approvit in all poyntis, albeit it was taikin by our avise; and is myndit to observe and keip all the contentis thairof for our pairt. Nochtheless, we ar informeit, the saidis Lordis of the Congregatioun intendis schortlie to convene all sick personeis as will assist to thame, for interprysing of sum heycht purpoise aganis us, our authoratie, and tennour of the said Appointment, quhilk we can not beleif, seing thay nather haif, nor sall have, ony occasioun gevin thairto on our pairt, and yit thinkis not reassonabill, in caise thay meane ony sick thing: and thairfoir have thocht it guid to gif wairning to oure speciall freyndis of the adverteisment we have gottin, and amangis the rest, to yow, quham we esteme of that nomber. Praying yow to have your self, youre kin, and folkis in reddynes to cum to us."--And sua furth, as in the uthir letter above sent to the Duike, word efter word.

[SN: THE PRACTISE OF QUENE REGENT.]

Efter that by thir letteris, and by the dissaitfull furnissing of hyr solistaris, sche had sumquhat steirit up the hairtis of the pepill against us, than sche began oppinlie to complayne, "That we war of mynd to invaid hir persone; that we wald keip na pairt of the Appointment; and thairfoir sche was compellit to crave the assistance of all men against our injust persute." And this practise sche usit, as befoir is said, to abuse the simplicitie of the pepill, that thay sould not suddanlie espy for quhat purpois sche brocht in hir new bandis of men of weir, quha did arryve about the middis of August to the nomber of ane thousand men. The rest war appointit to cum efter, with Monsieur de la Broche,[912] and with the Bischop of Amiance,[913] quha arryvit the nynetene day of September following, as gif thay had bene Ambassadouris: [SN: THE ARRYVELL OF THE FRENSCHE.[914]] bot quhat was thair negotiatioun, the effect did declair, and thay thame selffis could not long conceill; for baith be tung and pen thay utterit, "That thay war send for the utter exterminatioun of all thame that wald not professe the Papisticall religioun in all pointis." The Quenis practise nor craft could not blynd the eyeis of all men; nether yitt could hir subtiltie hyde hir awin schame, bot that many did espy hir desait: and sum spairit not to speik thair jugement liberallie; quha foirseing the dainger gaif adverteisment, requyring that provisioun mycht be fund, befoir that the evill sould exceid our wisdome and strenth to put remedy to the same; for prudent men foirsaw, that sche prctendit ane plane conqueist. Bot to the end, that the pepill sould not suddanlie stur, sche wald nocht bring in hir full force at aneis, (as befoir is said,) bot by continewall traffique purposit to augment hir army, so that in the end we sould not be abill to resist. Bot the greitest pairt of the Nobilitie, and many of the pepill, war so enchantit by hir treassonabill solistaris, that thay could not heir, nor creddeit the treuth planelie spokin. The Frensche than, efter the arryvell of thair new men, began to brag: [SN: THE DEVISIOUN OF THE LORDIS LANDIS BY THE FRENSCHE.] than began thay to devyde the landis and lordschippis according to thair awin fantaseis; for ane was styleit Monsieur de Ergyle; ane uther, Monsieur le Priour; the thrid, Monsieur de Ruthven; yea, thay war assureit, in thair awin opinioun, to possesse quhatsoever thay list, that sum askit the rentallis and revenewis of dyverse mennis landis, to the end that [thay] mycht chuse the best. And yitt in this menetyme, sche eschame nott to sett out ane Proclamatioun, in this forme:--

[SN: ANE PROCLAMATIOUN SETT OUT BE THE QUENE REGENT, TO BLIND THE VULGAR PEPILL.[915]]

"Forsamekle as we understand that certane seditious personis hes inventit and blawin abrod dyvers rumouris and evill brutis, tending thairby to steir up the hartis of the pepill, and swa to stope all reconciliatiounis betuix us and our subjectis, being of the nomber of the Congregatioun, and consequentlie to kyndill and nureise continewall stryfe and devisioun in this realme, to the manifest subvertioun of the haill Estaitis thairof; and amangis uther purpoisses, hes maliciouslie devisit for that effect, and hes perswaidit too many, that we haif violatit the Appointment laitlie tane, in sa far as ony ma Frensche men sensyne ar cumit in: and that we ar myndit to draw in greit forceis of men of weir furth of France, to suppres the libertie of this realme, oppres the inhabitantis thairof, and mak up straingaris with thair landis and goodis: Quhilk reportis ar all (God knawis) maist vayne, fenzeit, and untrew. For it is of treuth, that nathing hes bene done on oure pairt sen the said Appointment, quhairby it may be allegeit, that ony point thairof hes bene contravenit: nor yitt was at that tyme any thing communit or concludit to stope the sending in of Frensche men; as may cleirlie appeir be inspectioun of the said Appointment, quhilk the beirar heirof hes presentlie to schaw. [SN: LETT THE BISCHOP OF AMIANCE AND MONSIEUR DE LA BROCHE LETTERIS WRITTIN TO FRANCE, WITNESS THAT.[916]] Quhat[evir] nomber of men of weir be arryveit, we [have] sick regaird to our honour, and quyetnes of this realme, that in caise in the rowme of everie ane Frensche man that is in Scotland thair war ane hundreth at our command, yitt sould not for that any joyt that is promesit be brokin, or any alteratioun be maid be oure provocatioun; bot the said Appointment[917] treulie and surelie observit in everie point, gif the said Congregatioun will in lyk maner faithfullie keip thair pairt thairof. Nor yitt meane we to truble any man in the peaceabill possessioun of thair guidis and rowmes, nor yitt to enreache[918] the Crowne, and far less any strangear, with your substance; for our derrest sone and dochter, the King and Quene, ar by Godis provisioun placeit in the rowme, quhair all men of jugement may weill considder thay have na neid of any manis guidis. And for our self, we seik na thing bot debtfull obedience unto thame, sick as guid subjectis aucht to gif to thair Soveraneis, without deminutioun of your liberteis and priveleigeis, or alteratioun of your lawis.[919] Thairfoir, we thocht guid to notifie unto yow our guid mynd foirsaid, and desyreis yow not to gif eir nor creddeitt to sic vayne imaginationis, quhairof, befoir God, no pairte ever enterit in our consait; nor suffer your selfis be thairby led frome youre dew obedience; assureing yow, ye sall ever fynd with us trewth in promeisses, and ane moderlie luif towartis all; yow behaifand your selffis our[920] obedient subjectis. [SN: FEW DAYIS EFTER DECLAIRIT THE TREUTH OF THIS] Bot of one thing we gif yow wairning, that quhairas sum Prechearis of the Congregatioun, in thair publict sermonis, speikis irreverentlie and sklanderouslie, alsweill of Princeis in generall, as of our self in particulare, and of the obedience to the hiear poweris; induceing the pepill, be that pairt of thair doctrine, to defectioun frome thair dewatie, quhilk pertenis na thing to religioun, bot rather to seditioun and tumult, thingis direct contrar to religioun: thairfoir we desyre yow to tak ordour in youre toun and boundis, that quhan the Prechearis repairis thair, thay use thame selfis mair modestlie in thay behalfis, and in thair precheing not to mell sa mekle with civill policie and publict governance, nor yit name us, or uther Princeis, bot with honour and reverence, utherwayis it will nocht be sufferrit. [SN: JESABELL WALD BE HONOURIT, BOT HELIAS WALD NOTT.] Attour,[921] sen ye haif presentlie the declaratioun of our intentioun, we desire to knaw lykwayis quhat sall be your pairt to us, that we may understand quhat to lippin for at your handis; quhairof we desire ane playne declaratioun in writt, with this beirar, without excuise or delay.

"At Edinburgh, the twentie aucht of August 1559."

This proclamatioun sche send be hir messingeris throwch all the cuntrey, and had hir solistaris in all pairtis, quha paynefullie travellit to bring men to hir opinioun; amangis quham thir war the principallis, Sir Johnne Bellenden, Justice Clerk; Maister James Balfour, Officiall of Lowthiane, Maister Thomas and Maister Williame Scottis, sonnis to the Laird of Balwerie,[922] Sir Robert Carnegy, and Maister Gawane Hammiltoun; quha for faynting of the bretheris hairtis, and drawing many to the Queneis factioun against thair natyve cuntrey, have declairit thame selfis ennemeis to God, and traytouris to thair commune wealth. Bot abuiff all utheris Maister James Balfour, Officiall for the tyme, aucht to be abhoirrit; for he, of ane auld professoure, is becum ane new denyare of Christ Jesus, and manifest blasphemar of his eternall veritie, aganis his knawlege and conscience; seiking to betray his brethren and natyve cuntrey in the handis of ane crewell and unfaithfull natioun.

The answer to this former proclamatioun was maid in forme as followis:--