Part 40

[955] This note is taken into the text in MS. G. In MS. L 4, the paragraph reads:--"The Generall Assemblie of the Kirk convened at Edinburgh in the New Tolbuith, the 25th of December." And this marginal note is added:--"Quick speeches betwix some Courteours, Barrons, and Ministers."

[Sidenote: THE COURTE REFUISIT THE MINISTERIS.]

The Generall Assemblie of the Kirk approcheit. But the juste petitiounis of the Mynisteris and Commissionaris of Kirkis wer dispysit at the first, and that with thir wordis, "As Mynisteris will not follow our counsellis, so will we suffer Mynisteris to labour for thame selfis, and see what speid thai cum." And when the quhole Assemblie said, "Gif the Quene will not [provide for our Ministeris], we man; [for] bayth Thrid and Tua pairt ar rigyrrouslie takin frome us, and frome our tennentis." "Giff utheris," said one, "will follow my counsell, the gaird and the Papistis sall complene als lang as our Mynisteris haif done." At these wordis the former scherpnes wes cullourit, and the speikare allegit, that he menit not of all Mynisteris, bot of sum to quhome the Quene wes no dettour; for what Thrid ressavit sche of Borrowis? Cristopheir Gudeman[956] ansuerit, "My Lord Secretour, gif ye can schaw me what [just] tyttill either the Quene hes to the Thrid, or the Papistis to the Twa pairt, then I think I soulde solve[957] quhidder sche wer dettour to Mynisteris within broughis or not." But thairto he ressavit this check for ansure, "_Ne sit peregrinus curiosus in aliena Republica_;" that is, "Lat not ane strainger be curious in a strainge Commounewelth." The man of God ansuerit, "Albeit I be ane strainger in your pollicey, yit so am I not in the Kirk of God; and thairfoir the cair thairof does no less appertene to me in Scotland than gif I wer in the myddis of Ingland."

[956] Christopher Goodman was a native of Chester, born about the year 1520, and educated at Oxford. During the persecutions in England, after Queen Mary's accession to the throne, he went first to Frankfort, then to Strasburg, and in September 1555, he was chosen Knox's colleague at Geneva. In 1558, he published his celebrated treatise, "How Superior Powers ought to be obeyed," which rendered him so obnoxious to Queen Elizabeth, on account of his statements on "The Regiment of Women." Finding no encouragement, on returning to England, he accompanied Knox's wife and family to Scotland, in September 1559, and became minister of Ayr. He was soon afterwards translated to St. Andrews, as a place of greater importance. He returned to England towards the close of 1565. (Booke of the Kirk, vol. i. p. 72.) He died at an advanced age, at Chester, in 1601. See notices collected by Dr. M'Crie, Life of Knox, vol. ii. pp. 331-333, 459.

[957] In MS. 1566, "resonne."

[Sidenote: KNOX FALSLIE REPOIRTIT OF.]

Monie wonderit at the sylence of Johne Knox; for in all those quick ressonyngis he openit not his mouthe. The cause thairof he himself expressit in those wordis: "I haif travellit, rycht honorabill and belovit Bretherin, sen my last arryval within this Realme in ane uprycht conscience befoir my God, seiking no thing more, as he is [my] wytness, than the advancement of his glorie, and the stabillitie of his Kirk within this Realme; and yit of lait dayis I haif bene accuseit as ane sedytious man, and as ane that usurpes unto my self power that becumis me nocht. Trew it is, I haif gevin adverteismentis into the bretherin in dyveris quarteris, of the extremitie intendit aganis certane faythfull for luiking to ane Preist going to Mess, and for observing of those that transgressit juste lawis; bot [that] thairintill I haif usurped farther power than is gevin into me, till that be you I be dampned, I utterlie deny; for I say, that be you, that is be the chairge of the Generall Assemblie, I haif als just power to adverteise the bretherin from tyme to tyme of daingers appeiring, as that I haif to preche the worde of God in the pulpett of Edinbrough; for be you I wes appoyntit to the one and to the uther; and thairfoir, in the name of God, I craif your jugementis. The dainger that appeirit to me in my accusatioun wes nocht sua feirfull as the wordis that come to my earis wer dollorous to my hairt; for thir wordis wer planelie spokin, and that be sum Protestantis, 'What can the Pape do mair then send furth his Letteris, and requyreit thame to be obeyit.' Lat me haif your jugementis thairof, quhidder that I haif usurped onie power to my self, or gif I haif bot obeyit your commandiment."

The flatteraris of the Courte, amangis quhome Sir Johne Ballentyne, Justice Clerk,[958] wes then not the leist, began to storme, and said, "Sall we be compellit to justifie the rasch doingis of men?" "My Lorde," said Johne Knox, "ye sall speik your plesour for the present: of you I craif no thing; bot gif the Kirk that is heir present do not either absolve me, or ellis condampne me, nevir sall I in publict or in privat, as ane publict mynister, open my mouthe in doctrine or in ressonyng."

[958] In MS. G, "Bellenden," the same name during the 16th century being written Ballenden, Bellenden, Ballantyne, Bannatyne. Sir John Bellenden of Auchinoul, Justice-Clerk, is repeatedly mentioned by Knox: see notes in vol. i. pp. 358, 418.

Efter lang contentioun, the said Johne being removed, the whole Kirk fand, that a chairg wes gevin unto him to adverteis the Bretherin in all quarteris as oft as evir dainger appeirit; and thairfoir avowit that fact not to be his onlie, bot to be the fact of all. Thairat wer the Quenis claw-backis mair inrageit than evir thai wer; for sum of thame had promissit to the Quene to get the said Johne convyct, baith be the Consall and be the Kirk;[959] and being frustrat of boith, sche and thai thocht thame selffis nocht [a little] dissapoyntit.

[959] In MS. G, "Churche" is now generally used for "Kirk."

[Sidenote: 1563.]

[Sidenote: HURDOME AND MURDOUR IN THE COURTE.]

[Sidenote: SEMPILL AND LEVINGSTOUN.]

[Sidenote: MARIES REGIMENT.]

In the verie tyme of the Generall Assemblie, thair cumis to publyct knawlege ane heinous murdour committed in the Courte, yea, not far from the Quenis awin lap; for ane Frenche woman, that servit in the Quenis chalmer had playit the hure with the Quenis awin hipoticary.[960] The woman conceveit and bare ane child, quhome with commoune consent the father and the mother murthered. Yit wer the cryis of ane new borne barne hard; searche wes maid, the chylde and mother wes baith deprehendit; and so wer baith the man and the woman dampned to be hangit upoun the publict streit of Edinburgh. The punischment wes notable, becaus the cryme wes heinous. Bot yit wes not the Courte purged of hureis and huredome, quhilk wes the fontane of sik enormiteis; for it wes weill knawin, that schame haistit mariage betwix Johne Sempill, callit the Danser, and Marie Levingstoune, surnameit the Lustie.[961] What bruit the Maries and the rest of the dansaris of the Courte had, the ballattis of that aige[962] did witnes, quhilk we for modesteis sake omit. Bot this wes the commoune complaint of all godlie and wyse men, that giff thai thocht that sick ane Courte soulde lang continew, and giff thai luikit for no uther lyffe to cum, thay wald haif wissit thair soneis and dochteris rather to have bene brought up with fydlaris and dansaris, and to have bene exerceit in flinging upone ane flure, and in the rest that thairof followis, than to haif bene nurisched in the companie of the godlie, and exerceissit in vertew, quhilk in that Courte wes haittit, and fylthines not onlie maintenit, bot also rewairded. Witnes the Lordschip[963] of Abercorne, the baronie of Authormortie,[964] and diverse utheris pertenyng to the patrimonie of the Crowne, gyffin in heritage to scouparis, dansaris, and dalliaris with damis. This wes the begyning of the regement of Marie Quene of Scottis, and thir wer the fructeis that sche brocht furth of France. "Lorde, luik upone our mysereis, and delyver us from the tyrannie[965] of that hure, for thy awin meir mercies saik."

[960] MS. G, "Hypothecary;" in MS. L 4, "Apothecar." No notice of their trial and execution is elsewhere given; and the Record of the Criminal Court at this period, which might have furnished the same, is not preserved.

[961] John Sempill was the son of Robert third Lord Sempill, by a second marriage with Elizabeth Carlyle. (Wood's Peerage, vol. ii. p. 494.) Mary Levingstone was one of the Queen's Maries who accompanied her to France, and was the youngest daughter of Alexander fifth Lord Levingstone. It may have been to ensure their marriage that the Queen, by a special grant under the Privy Seal, to "John Sempill, sone to hir cousin Robert Lord Sempill, and Marie Levingstoun his spous, sister to William Lord Livingstone," granted a charter of various lands, in consideration that "it had pleisit God to move thair hartis to joyne togidder in the stait of matrimonye." It is dated 9th March 1564-5. In the Parliament 19th April 1567, when it proposed to annul the forfeiture of George Earl of Huntley, which would affect various grants that had been made, the charter of infestment in the lands of Auchtermuchty, Stewarton, and others, to Sempill, was anew ratified by the Queen. (Acta Parl. Scot., vol. ii. p. 559.) The same favour was continued by James the Sixth, on the penult November 1581, from his general Revocation of grants, among other exceptions, "reservit and exceptit" the infestment made by Queen Mary "to umquhile John Semple of Butress, and Marie Livingston his spous, of the town and lands of Auchtermuchtie, and otheris," &c. (ib. vol. iii. p. 245.) This shews that Semple was then deceased. He had acquired the lands of Beltrees in Renfrewshire--a name distinguished in the literature of Scotland during the 17th century.

[962] The ballads to which Knox specially alludes are not known to be preserved. Various enactments and proclamations were made from time to time, prohibiting, in 1556, for instance, "the odeous ballates and rymes laitly sett furth be sume evill inclinit personis of your toun." (Maitland's Hist. of Edinb., p. 14.)

[963] In MS. 1566, "Bischope of."

[964] In MS. G, "Achermoutie." It will be seen from the previous note 3, that the lands of Auchtermuchty, in Fife, had been conferred on John Sempill and Mary Levingstone, his wife, in 1565. The Lordship of Abercorn was probably bestowed about the same time upon one of the courtiers. At a later period, at least, John Levingstone, one of the Master Stabularis, had a grant in feu-farm of the lands, &c., of Abercorn, 10th October 1587, of which he obtained a ratification by Parliament, 5th June 1592. (Acta Parl. Scot., vol. iii. p. 643.)

[965] In MS. 1566, "tyranitie."

[Sidenote: PRAYIT AND WRITTEN QUHEN SHE WES IN GRYTEST AUTHORITIE.][966]

[966] Or, in the year 1566.

[Sidenote: GREIT WEIT AND FROIST IN JANUARE 1563.]

[SIDENOTE: WONDARIS SENE IN FEBRUAR.]

[Sidenote: BANKITING IN THE COURTE, BOT CONTEMP OF THE MYNISTERIS.]

[Sidenote: THE QUENIS PROMEIS.]

God from hevin, and upone the face of the eirth, gaif declaratioun that he wes offendit at the iniquitie that wes committit evin within this Realme; for upone the 20th day of Januare thair fell weit in grit aboundance, quhilk in the falling freisit so vehementlie, that the eirth wes bot ane scheit of ysce. The foules baith grit and small freisit, and mycht nocht flee: monie deyit, and sum wer takin and laid besyde the fyre, that thair fetheris mycht resolve. And in that same moneth the sey stude still, as wes clerlie observed, and nather ebbit nor flowit the space of 24. houris. In the moneth of Februare, the 15th and 18th day thairof, wes sene in the fyrmament battelis arrayit, speiris, and utheris weapounis, and as it had bene the joinyng of two armeis. Thir thingis wer nocht onlie observed, bot also spokin and constantlie affyrmed be men of jugement and credit. But the Quene and our Court maid myrrie. Thair wes banketting upoun banketting. The Quene wald banket all the Lordis; and that wes done upoun polessie, to remove the suspitioune of hir displesour aganis thame, becaus thai wald nocht at hir devotioun dampne Johne Knox. To remove, we say, that jeloussie, sche maid the banket to the haill Lordis, quhairat sche wald haif the Duke amangis the rest. It behuifit thame to banket hir agane; and so did banketting continew till Fastronis-evin and efter. But the pure Mynisteris wer mockit, and reputed as monsteris; the gaird, and[967] the effairis of the kytcheing wer so gryping, that the Mynisteris stipendis could nocht be payit; and yit at the Assemblie precedeand, solemnitlie promeis wes maid in the Quenis name, be the mouth of Secretour Lethingtoune, in the audiance of monie of the Nobylatie and of the hoill Assemblie, who affyrmeit, that he had commandiment of hir Heichnes to promeis[968] unto thame full contentatioun to all the Mynisteris within the Realme of thingis bygane; and of suche ordour to be keipit in all tymeis to cum, that the whole bodie of the Protestantis soulde haif occasioune to stand content. The Erle of Murray affermit the same, with monie uthair fair promeisses gevin be writ be Lethingtoune him self; as in the register of the Actis done in the Generall Assemblie may be sene.[969] Bot how that, or yit anie uther thing promissit by hir, or in hir name, unto the Kirk of God, wes observed, the Warlde can witnes.

[967] In MS. 1566, "regairdand" as one word.

[968] In MS. 1566, "to pronunce."

[969] See the proceedings of the General Assembly, (Book of the Universall Kirk, vol. i. p. 48.)

The Mynisteris perceaving all thingis tend to ruyne, dischairgit thair conscience in publict and in previt; but thay ressaifit for thair laubouris haitred and indignatioun; and amangis utheris, that worthie servand of God, Mr. John Craig, speiking aganis the manifest corruptioun that then withoute schame or feir declareit the self, said, "Sum tymeis wer hypocriteis knawin be thair disgyseit habittis, and we had men to be monkis, and women to be nunis; but now all thingis ar so chaingit, that we can nocht dyscerne the Erle frome the Abbot, nor the Nun frome sik as wald be haldin the Nobill-wemin;[970] so that we haif gottin ane new ordour of monkis and nunis. But, (said he,) seing that ye eschame not of that unjuste proffeit, wald God that thairwith ye had the coule of the nun, the vaill, yea, and the taill joyned with all,[971] that so ye mycht appeir in your awin cullouris."

[970] In MS. 1566, "gentillman."

[971] In MS. 1566, these words appear in this unintelligible form, "ze had the coule of the waill, ye and the taill junit with all."

[Sidenote: LETHINGTOUNE TWYSE DEFYIT THE SERVANDIS OF GOD.]

This lybertie did so provoik the choller[972] of Lethingtoune, that in opin audience he gaif him unto the Devill, gif that ever efter that day he sould regaird what become of Mynisteris, that he sould do what he could, that his companyeounis sould haif ane skair with him; "And lat thame bark and blaw," said he, "alse loude as thay list." And so that wes the second tyme that he had gevin [his] defyance to the servandis of God. And heirupone raise whispering and complainttis, all be the flatteraris of the Courte, complenyng that men wer not cheritably[973] handyllit: "Mycht nocht synnis be repruifit in generall, albeit that men wer not so specialie taxed, that all the warlde mycht knaw of whome the preachour spak?" Quhairinto wes the ansuer maid, "Let men eschame publiklie to offend, and the Mynisteris sall abstene from specialiteis; but so lang as Protestantis ar not eschameit manifestlie to do aganis the evangill of Jesus Chryste, so lang can nocht the Mynisteris of God ceise to cry, that God wilbe revengit upoun sik abusearis of his holie worde."

[972] In MS. 1566, "the collowre."

[973] In MS. 1566, "chyrrable."

And thus had the servandis of God ane doubill battell, fechting upoun the one syde aganis the idolatrie and the rest of the abominatiounis mentenit be the Quene; and upoun the uther pairt, aganis the unthankfulnes of sik as sumtyme wald haif bene estemed the cheiff pyllaris of the Kirk within the Realme.

[Sidenote: 1564.]

The threitnyngis of the prechouris wer feirfull; but the Courte thocht the self in [such] securitie that it coulde nocht myscary.[974] The Quene, efter the banketting, keipit a dyett [be directioun of] Monsieur Lusury, Frenche man, who had bene acquaintit with hir maladie befoir, being hir physicioun:[975] And theirefter sche, for the secound tyme, maid hir progresses in the North,[976] and commandit to waird in the Castell of Edinburgh the Erle of Kaithness,[977] for ane murther committit be his servandis upoun the Erle of Merchellis men. He obeyit, bot he wes sodentlie relevit; for sik blude-thrystie men and Papeistis, sik as he is, ar best subjectis to the Quene. "Thy kingdome cum, O Lord; for in this Realme is no thing (amangis sik as soulde punische vyce and mentene vertew) but abhominatiounis abounding withoute brydell."

[974] In MS. 1566, "mynnistrey."

[975] In MS. G, "Monsieur la Usurie." The person referred to was Jacques Lusgerie, who had been the Queen's physician while she resided in France. He is mentioned by her in a letter to Catharine de Medicis, 12th March 1565. In May 1571, the Queen requests Beaton to send her a physician from France, with the advice, or recommended by Lusgerie. (Labanoff, Lettres, &c., vol. i. p. 256; vol. vii. p. 305.)

[976] Before the Queen's second progress in the North, she had visited the West of Scotland, and returned from Inverary through Ayrshire to Dumfries. This journey lasted from the 29th June till the beginning of September 1563. After stopping a few days in Edinburgh, she proceeded to Perthshire and Stirling. But the journey to which Knox here alludes was in the following year. She rode from Edinburgh on the 22d of July 1564. She was at Perth on the 31st, when she went into the district of Athole "to the hunting." After crossing the mountains, and visiting some parts of Inverness-shire, and the Chanonry of Ross, she returned along the east coast, by Aberdeen and Dunottar, to Dundee and St. Andrews, reaching Holyrood on the 25th or 26th September, after an absence of upwards of two months.

[977] George fourth Earl of Caithness, who died 9th September 1582.

The flatteraris[978] of the Courte did daylie inrage aganis the pure Prechouris: happyest wes he that coulde invent the moist bytter tantis and disdainfull mokingis of the Mynisteris. And at lenth thai began to jest at the terme of Idolatrie, affirmyng, "That men wist nocht what thai spak, quhan thai callit the Messe Idolatrie." Yea, sum proceidit farder, and feirit nocht at opin tabilles to affirme, "That thai wald sustene the argument, that the Messe wes no Idolatrie." These thingis cuming to the earis of the prechouris, wer proclamit in publyct pulpett of Edinburgh, with this complaynt direct be the speikare[979] to his God. "O Lord, how lang sall the wyckit prevaill aganis the juste! How lang sall thou suffer thy self and thy blessit Evangill to be dyspysit of men; of men, we say, that makis[980] thame selfis defendaris of the treuth! For of thy manifest and knawin ennemeis we complene nocht, bot of such as unto whom thou hes reveilit thy lycht: for now it cumis into our eiris, that men, not Papistis, we say, bot cheif Protestantis, will defend the Messe to be no Idolatrie. Giff so wer, O Lord, myserablie haif I bene disavit, and myserablie, alace, O Lord, haif I deceavit thy peopill; quhilk thou knawis, O Lord, I haif evir moir abhorrit than a thousand deithis. Bot," said he, turnyng his face towardis the rowme where sik men as so had affirmed, sat, "Gif I be nocht able to prove the Messe to be the moist abhominable Idolatrie that evir wes useit sen the begynning of the Worlde, I offer my self to suffer the punischement appoyntit be God to a fals teichare; and it appeiris unto me," said the preichare, "that the affirmeris soulde be subject to the same law: for it is the treuthe of God that ye persecute and blaspheme; and it is the inventioun of the Devill, that obstinatlie aganis his Worde, ye menteyne. Whairat, albeit ye now flyrt and ye flyre, as [thocht] that all wer spokin wer but wind,[981] yit am I [als] assureit, as I am assureit that my God leveth, that sum that hear this your defectioun and railling aganis the treuthe and servandis of God, sall see ane pairt of Godis jugementis poured furth upoun this Realme, (and pryncipallie upoun you[982] that fastest cleifes to the favour of the Courte,) for the abominatiounes that ar be you menteneit." Albeit that suche vehemencie provoikit teiris of sum, yit those men that knew themselfis guilty, in a mocking maner said, "We must recant, and burne oure bill; for the Prechouris ar angrie."

[978] In MS. 1566, "flattering."

[979] That is, by Knox himself.

[980] In MS. G, "that boastis."

[981] In MS. 1566, "wounde."

[982] In MS. M. there is added this remark, "But this threatening was accomplished in his owne person;" and the next paragraph is wholly omitted.

[Sidenote: ANNO 1564.]

[Sidenote: THIS WES NEVIR DONE BE THIS AUTHOR.]

The Generall Assemblie, halden in Junij 1564,[983] approcheit, unto the which greit[984] pairt of the Nobylatie, of those that ar callit Protestantis, convenit; sum for assistance of the mynisteris, and sum to accuse thame, as we will efter heir.[985]

[983] At Edinburgh on the 25th June 1564.

[984] In MS. 1566, "aggreit."

[985] Here and a few lines above, in MS. 1566, of two marginal notes only some unintelligible letters remain unmutilated by the binder: but the notes occur in MS. G, as follows:--

"Lethingtounes countenance at the threatnings of the preichars."

"Let the Warld judge quhidder this has cummyn to pas or not, and quhat has fallin out sen that tyme."

A lyttill befoir the trubles, quhich Sathan raised in the bodie of the Kirk, began Davie[986] to grow grit in Courte. The Quene usit him for Secretarie, in thingis that appertenit to hir secreit effaires, in France[987] or ellis quhair. Grit men maid in Courte unto him, and thair sutes wer the better heard. Bot of the begynning and progress, we delay now forder to speik, becaus his end will requyre the descryptioune of the whole: [And referris it unto suche, as God sall rayse up to do the same.][988]

[986] In MS. G, "began one Davie, ane Italiane." That is David Riccio: see article in the Appendix to this volume.

[987] The words "in France," are omitted in MS. 1566; and "effaires," is written "faires."

[988] The words enclosed within brackets, are supplied from MS. G. They occur in MS. L 4, but neither in L 3, or in MS. 1566. In place of this, on the margin of that MS. we find, as above, "THIS WES NEVIR DONE BE THIS AUTHOR;" a remark, which was probably added after Knox's death by his Secretary, or the person who transcribed this portion of the MS.