Part 17

With thir answeris departit the said Ambassadour.[340] And the Lordis of Secreit Counsall maid ane act, that all places and monumentis of ydolatrie suld be destroyit.[341] And for that purpose wes directed to the West, the Erle of Arrane, having joyned with him the Erlis of Argyle and Glencarne, togidder with the Protestantes of the West: quha burnt Paislay,[342] (the Bischope [of Sanctandrois, quha was Abbot thareof,][343] narrowlie eschapit,) kest doun Failfurd,[344] Kilwynnyng,[345] and a part of Corsragwell.[346] The Lord James wes appointed to the North, quhair he maid sick reformatioun, as nathing contentit the Erie of Huntlie, and yet seemed he to approve all thingis. And thus God sa potentlie wrocht with us, sa lang as we dependit upone him, that all the warld mycht se his potent hand to mayntene us, and to feght aganis oure ennemeis; yea, most to confound thame, quhen that thay promest to thame selfis victory without resistance. "Oh! that we suld rychtlie considder the wonderouse werkis of the Lord oure God."

[340] Monsieur de Nouailles left Edinburgh on the 7th June 1561. (Diurnal of Occurrents, p. 64.)

[341] As Knox has enjoyed more than his full share of credit for destroying the ecclesiastical buildings of this country, I may be permitted to call the reader's attention to Dr. M'Crie's remarks on the "Alleged Excesses of the Reformers," in his notes to the Life of Knox, vol. ii. pages 450-456. But it might not be difficult to show that the actual devastations committed by the Reformers have been greatly exaggerated. The object they had in view was not to destroy the buildings, but to remove objects of idolatrous worship and superstition. It should also be remembered, that the revenues appropriated for keeping such buildings in repair, being diverted to other channels, these large and imposing edifices, more suited for the services of the Romish Church than the simpler forms of Presbyterian worship, were allowed to fall into utter ruin. When portions were restored to serve as parish churches, this was too often done but little in accordance with their original richly decorated style of architecture.

[342] The Monastery of Paisley, in the shire of Renfrew, was not wholly destroyed, as the nave of the church, with its aisles, remain very entire, and have continued to be used as the collegiate church of the Abbey Parish.

[343] The words inclosed within brackets, omitted in the MS. 1566, and in Vautr. edit., are supplied from MS. G.--In vol. i.p. 124, it is mentioned, that John Hamilton, who afterwards became Archbishop of St. Andrews, had obtained the Abbacy of Paisley in the year 1525. In 1544, he proposed to resign Paisley to his brother James, reserving to himself the whole fruits of the benefice, with a right to re-enter to it, should his brother predecease him. (Epist. Regum Scot. vol. ii. p. 212.) This arrangement probably was not confirmed; as the Abbot eventually resigned the Commendatorship to Lord Claud Hamilton, third son of James Duke of Chattelherault. This appears to have taken place in 1553, when Lord Claud was aged eleven years; the Archbishop still acting as Administrator in spiritual as well as temporal matters, till the Commendator had attained the age of twenty-three. In various deeds, so late as April 1565, the former continued to be styled "John, &c. Archbishop of Sanctandrois, Primat and Legat of the haill Realme of Scotland, and Abbot of the Abbay of Pasley." Lord Claud Hamilton was the ancestor of the Earls of Abercorn.

[344] Only some inconsiderable remains now exist of the Monastery of Failfurd, in the parish of Tarbolton, Ayrshire.

[345] Some portions of this stately building still exist, adjoining the Parish Church of Kilwinning.

[346] The Abbay of Crossraguel, in the parish of Kirkoswald, about two miles from Maybole, although in ruins, is preserved with great care, and is more entire than any other monastic building in the West of Scotland.

* * * * *

In the Treatye of Peace contracted at Leyth, thair war contened certane heidis that requyred the ratificatioun of baith the Quenis. The Quene of Ingland, according to hir promese, subscriptioun, and seill, without ony delay performit the same,[347] and sent it to oure Soverane by hir appoynted officiaris. Bot our Soverane (quhidder because hir awin craftie nature thairto moved hir, or that hir Uncles cheiff counsallouris sa wald, we knaw not) with mony delatouris frustrat the expectatioun of the Quene of Ingland; as by the copy of a Letter, sent from the Ambassadour of Ingland to his Soverane,[348] we may understand.

[347] The Treaty of Leith, as already noticed at pages 73-84, was ratified by Queen Elizabeth, 20th September 1560: The Ratification is printed in Rymer's Foedera.

[348] Sir Nicholas Throkmorton:--His correspondence, addressed to Queen Elizabeth and Secretary Cecil, whilst English ambassador at the Court of France, includes much curious and interesting matter relating to Scotland. See in particular Dr. Forbes's Collection of State Papers, Lond. 1740, 1741, 2 vols. folio: unfortunately the intermediate portion of his Collections, from May 1560 to July 1562, was never published. Throkmorton returned from France in 1564, and was afterwards sent on more than one occasion to Scotland. He was made Chamberlain of the Exchequer; and died in 1570.

At Pareis, the xxiij of Junij 1561.

"THE xviij of this present Junij, I send Sommer[349] to the Quene of Scottis for audience, quha appoyntit me to come to hir the same day efter denner; quhilk I did. To hir I did [remember] youre Majesteis hertlie recommendations, and declarit unto hir your Majesteis lyik glaidsomnes of hir recoverye of hir lait seikness, quhais want of helth, as it wes grevouse unto youre Majestie, so did yow congratulat and greitlie rejoise of the gude termes of helth scho wes presentlie in. After these offices, I put hir in remembrance agane quhat haid passed from the begynning, in the mater of youre Majesteis demand of hir ratificatioun, according to the proporte[350] of the said Treatie, alsweill by me at the first, as efterwart by my Lord of Bedfurd at his being heir, and alsua followed sensyne agane be me in audience, and by my letter to hir being in Lorane: adding heirto youre Majesteis farther commandiment; and recharge to me agane, presentlie to renew the same demand, as befoir haid bene done."

[349] "Mr. Somer," or Sommers, was a confidential agent or messenger employed by Cecil, in his correspondence with the English Ambassadors at the Court of France.

[350] In MS. 1566, "propertie."

[Sidenote: ANSURE.]

[Sidenote: CRAFTIE DEALLAR; THOU NEVER RESPECTED THEM FARTHER THEN THAI MYCHT SERVE TO THY CORRUPT AFFECTIONS.]

[Sidenote: THIS WES A SECREIT LARDON.]

[Sidenote: SCHO MENT SCHO WALD SEIK A SAIF CONDUCT.]

[Sidenote: * EVER QUHILL THAT SCHO MAY SCHAW HIR EVILL WILL][351]

[351] This marginal note forms part of the text in MS. G. It evidently is one of those remarks of the author which form a kind of running commentary by Knox on this communication. They are contained in Vautrollier's edition; but not in MS. G, with the exception of this marginal addition.

[Sidenote: GIF FRANCE WALD HAIF SUSTENIT THAM, THAI HAID NOT YIT DEPARTIT.]

[Sidenote: THE SECUND SECREIT LARDON.]

The said Quene maid answer: "Monsieur l'Ambassadour, I thank the Quene, my gude-sister, for this gentle visitatioun and congratulatioun of this my recoverye; and thocht I be not yit in perfite helth, yit I thank God I feill my self in verray gude[352] in the cuming to. And for ansuer to youre demand, (quod sche,) of my ratificatioun, I do remember all thai thingis that yow haif recited unto me; and I wald the Quene, my gude-sister, suld think that I do respect the resolute ansuer in this mater, and performyng thairof, untill suche tyme as I may have the advyses of the Noblis and Estaitis of my awin Realme, quhilk I trust sall not be lang a doing; for I intend to mak my voyage thither schortlie. And thocht this mater (quod scho) dois twiche me principallie, yit dois it also twiche the Noblis and Estaitis of my Realme too; and thairfoir it salbe meit, that I use thair advyses thairin. Heirtofoir, thai haif semed to be greved that I suld do ony thing without thame; and now thai wald be mair offendit gif I suld proceid in this mater of my self, without thair advyses. I do intend (quod scho) to send Monsieur Dosell[353] to the Quene youre Maistres, my gude-sister, quho sall declair that unto hir from me, that, I trust, sall satisfie hir; by quhom I will gif hir to understand of my jurnay into Scotland. I meyne to embarque at Calice. The King hes lent me certane galeis and schippis, to convoy me hame; and I intend to requyre of my gude-sister those favouris that princes usis to do in those cases. And thocht the termes quhairin we haif heirtofoir [been], hes bene some quhat hard,* yet, I trust that from hensfurth we sall accord togidder as cousignes and gude nychtbouris. I meyne (quod scho) to reteir all the Frenche men furth of Scotland, quho hes gevin jelose to the Quene, my gude-sister, and miscontentment to my subiectis; so as I will leve nathing undone to satisfie all parties, trusting the Quene, my gude-sister, will do the lyke, and that from hensfurth none of my disobedient subjectis (gif thair be ony suche) sall fynd ayd or supporte at hir handis."

[352] In Vautr. edit. "in very good health:" MS. G, (omitting the words, "I thank God,") is the same as the text.

[353] The Seigneur D'Oysel: See notes in vol. i. pp. 328 and 355. Lord Clinton, in a letter to the Earl of Sussex, 8th August 1560, mentions that D'Oysel and Martigues, having 3500 French soldiers in their company, had then landed at Calais, on their return from Scotland. Queen Mary had purposed sending him again to Scotland in the spring of 1561. From letters of the time we learn he was not expected to reach Greenwich before the 8th of July, and Cecil on the 25th of that month says, "Monser d'Oyzell came from the Scottish Quene, with request that the Quene his Mistress might have a salve conduct to pass alongst our sea coast, and hymself to pass into Scotland to provide for her coming. Many reasons moved us to myslike her passadge, but this only served us for answer," &c., namely, her refusal to ratify the Treaty of Peace. It is added, "Monser d'Oyzell was also gently required to returne with this answer." (Wright's Queen Elizabeth, vol. i. pp. 43, 62, 66.) Mr. Tytler has shown, that D'Oysel "was altogether unworthy of the trust reposed in him," by his secret communications both to the English Ambassador and Queen Elizabeth. (Hist. vol. vi. p. 228.)

[Sidenote: THE ARMYS OF INGLAND WER USURPIT.]

I answered, "That I was nocht desyrous to fall in the discours how those hard termes first beganne, nor by quhat meanys thai wer nurischit; becaus thairin I most charge some partie with injurie, and perrel offered to the Quene my maistres, quhilk wes the verray ground of those materis: Bot I wes weill assured thair culd be no better occasioun offered to put the formar unkyndnes in forgetfulnes, than by ratifyeing the Treatie of Peace, for that suld repay all injureis past. And Madame, (quod I,) quhair it plesis yow to suspend the Ratificatioun, untill yow haif the advyses of the Nobles and Estatis of youre Realme, the Quene my maistres dois nothing doubt of thair conformitie in this mater, becaus the Treatie wes maid by thair consentis."

[Sidenote: YOUR PAPISTIS AND OURIS HAIF PRACTISIT, AND STILL PRACTISIS DEVISIOUN.]

[Sidenote: SA THAT SCHO MYCHT HAIF INGLAND AND THE PAIPIS RELIGIOUN, I THINK SCHO LYET NOT.]

The Quene answered, "Yea, by some of thame, but not by all. It will appeir, quhen I cum amangis thame, quhidder thai be of the same mynd that yow say thai wer than of, [or no:] Bot of this I assure yow, Monsieur l'Ambassadour, (quod scho,) I, for my parte, am verray desyrouse to haif the perfite and the assured amitie of the Quene, my gude-sister, and will use all the meanis I can to geve hir occasioun to think that I meane it in deid."

I answered, "Madame, the Quene my maistres, yow may be assurit, will use the lyik towardis yow, to move yow to be of the same opinioun towardis hir."

[Sidenote: THE FEIR OF GOD IN THE HERT OF HELIAS WAS DISOBEDIENCE TO CURSIT JESABELL.]

"Than (said scho) I traist the Quene your maistres, will not support nor encurage none of my subjectis to continew in thair disobedience, nor to tak upone thame thingis that appertene not to subjectis."--[This we mon answer heir: It appertenis to subjectis to wirschip God as he hes commandit, and to suppres idolatrie, by quhomsoevir it be erected or mayntened.][354]

[354] The words enclosed within brackets are evidently added by Knox.

[Sidenote: GOD GEVIS HIS LAW ALSWEILL TO THE PRINCE AS TO THE SUBJECT.]

"Yow knaw, (quod scho,) thair is moche ado in my Realme about materis of religioun; and thocht thair be a greittar nomber of a contrarie religioun unto me then I wald thair war, yit thair is na ressone that subjectis suld gif a law to thair Soverane, and speciallie in materis of religioun, quhilk, I feare, (quod scho,) my subjectis sall tak in hand."--[Answer for the parte of Scotland: and gif sa thai haid done, thai haid eschapit Goddis indignatioun, quhilk hes bene felt, and still hingis over this Realme, for the idolatrie and other abominationis committit in the same, quhilk sall not ceise till that it be suppressit.][355]

[355] This is one of Knox's additions.

[Sidenote: THE CONSECRATIOUN OF THE CARDINALL WILL NOT SUFFER YOW.]

[Sidenote: THE THRID LARDON, ACCUSING INGLAND OF INCONSTANCIE IN RELIGIOUN.]

I answerit, "Madame, youre realme is in na uther caise at this day, than all uther realmes of Christiandome ar; the prufe quhairof you see verefied in this realme: and you see quhat grit difficultie it is to gif ordour in this mater, thocht the King and all his Counsall be verray desyrouse thairunto. Religioun is of the grittest force that may be. You haif bene lang out of your awin realme, so as the contrarie religioun to youris hes wone the upper hand, and the grittest parte of youre realme. Youre Mother wes a woman of greit experience, of deip dissimulatioun, and keipit that Realme in quyetness, till scho begane to constraine[356] menis consciences; and as you think it unmeit to be constranit by your subjectis, so it may lyk you to considder, the mater is also intollerabill to thame to be constraynit by you in materis of conscience; for the dewtie deu to God can not be gevin to ony uther without offence of his Majestie." "Quhy, (said scho,) God dois command subjectis to be obedient to thair Princes, and commandis Princes to reid his law, and governe thairby thame selfis and the peple committit to thair chargis." Answer, "Yea, Madame, (quod I,) in those thingis that be not aganis his commandimentis." "Weill, (quod scho,) I will be plane with you: the Religioun that I profess, I tak to be maist acceptable to God: and, in deid, neither do I knaw nor desire to knaw any uther. Constancie dois become all folkis weill; but none better than Princes, and suche as have reull over Realmes, and speciallie in materis of Religioun." [The Turk is als constant in his Alcoram, as the Paip and his sect ar in his constitutionis.][357] "I haif bene brocht up, (quod scho,) in this Religioun; and quho mycht creditt me in ony thing gif I suld schaw my self lycht in this case; and thocht I be young and nott weill learned, yitt haif I herd this mater oft disputed by my Uncle my Lord Cardinall, with some that thocht thai could say somquhat in the mater; and I fand thairin na grit ressone to change my opinioun." [Neather yitt did Caiaphas, quhen Christ Jesus did reassone in his presence: Bot quhat wes the Cardinall compelled to confesse at Poysie?][357]

[356] In MS. G, "to strayne."

[357] These words, enclosed, are remarks by Knox.

[Sidenote: BOT THE DEVILL WALD PUT ORDOUR TO HIM SELF.]

"Madame, (quod I,) gif you will juge weill in that mater, you mon be conversant in the Scriptures, quhilk ar the tuichstone to try the rycht from the wrang. Paradventure, you ar so partiallie affected to your Uncle's argument, that you culd not indifferentlie considder the uther partie. Yit this I assure you, Madame, (quod I,) your Uncle my Lord Cardinall, in conference with me about these materis, hes confessed, that thair be grit errouris and abuses come into the Kirk, and grit disordour in the Ministeris and Clargye; insomuche that he desyred and wisched that thair mycht be a reformatioun of the ane and of the uther." "I have oftyne tymes hard him say the lyik," (quod scho.) Than I said, "Weill, I trust God will inspyre all you that be Princes, that thair be some gude ordour tackin in this mater, so as thair may be one unitie in Religioun throcht all Christiandome."

[Sidenote: CHANGE IT NOT BEFOIR YOW HAVE IT; FOR DANSING AND HIR SISTER IS THE GROUND OF THAT QUHILK YIT YE HAIF PROFESSIT.]

"God grant, (quod scho,) bot for my parte, you may perceave I am none of those that will change my Religioun, everie yeir. And, as I tauld you in the begynnyng, I meyne to constrane none of my subjectis, bot wald wische that thai wer all as I am; and I trust thai suld haif na supporte to constrane me. I will send Monsieur Dosell, (quod scho,) to you befoir he go, to knaw quhether you will ony thing into Ingland. I pray you, so ordour yourself in this mater, betwix the Quene my gud sister and me, that thair may be perfite and sure amitie betwix us; for I knaw, (quod scho,) Ministeris may do muche gude and harme."

I tauld hir, "I wald faithfullie and treulie mak declaratioun, of all that scho haid said unto me, unto your Majestie; and trusted that scho wald so satisfie your Majestie by Monsieur Dosell in all thingis, as I suld heirefter have no moir occasionis to treatie with hir of ony thingis bot of the encrease of amitie." Scho said, "Thair suld be no want thairin on hir behalf."

"This is the effect of the Quene of Scotlandis answer to youre Majesteis demand of hir said Ratificatioun, and of my negotiatioun with hir at this tyme."

* * * * *

These advertisementis somewhat exasperated the Quene of Ingland, and nott altogither without cause; for the armys of Ingland wer befoir usurpit by oure Soverane, and by hir husband Francis; and Elizabeth, Quene of Ingland, wes of the Gwysians reputed litill better then a bastard. It was appointed that this titill suld be renuncit. Bot heirof haid oure proude and vane glorious Quene no plesour, and especiallie efter that hir husband was deid; for, thocht scho, the toluyke of Ingland[358] sall allure mony wowaris to me. The Gwysians and the Paipistis of baith the Realmes did not a litill animat hir in that persute; the effect quhairof will sonar appeir then the godlie of Ingland wald desyre: And yit is scho that now reigneth ovir thame, neather gude Protestant, nor yit resolute Papist: Lat the warld juge quhilk is the thrid.

[358] In Vautr. edit., "the shew of England."

Queyn Elizabeth,[359] we say, offendit with the former ansueris, wrait unto the Nobilitie and Estaittis of Scotland, in forme as followis:--

[359] The remark on Queen Elizabeth, in the preceding paragraph, "And yet is scho," &c., is omitted in Vautrollier's edition; and the words that follow, read, "Let the world judge whether Queen Elizabeth, we say," &c., as above.

THE QUENE OF INGLANDIS LETTER TO THE ESTAITTIS OF SCOTLAND.

[Sidenote: THE PEACE CONTRACTIT AT LEYTH.]

[Sidenote: PRINCES LITILL REGARD THAT.]

[Sidenote: I THINK THIS SENTENCE MANCK, BUT I WILL ALTER NO WORD.][360]