The Works of John Knox Volume II Part 51

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 G.o.d. 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 G.o.d ceise to cry, that G.o.d 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 G.o.d 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 acquaint.i.t 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 committ.i.t be his servandis upoun the Erle of Merch.e.l.lis 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 c.u.m, 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 Ayrs.h.i.+re 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 Perths.h.i.+re 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-s.h.i.+re, 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 c.u.ming to the earis of the prechouris, wer proclamit in publyct pulpett of Edinburgh, with this complaynt direct be the speikare[979]

to his G.o.d. "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 c.u.mis 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 appoynt.i.t be G.o.d 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 G.o.d 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] a.s.sureit, as I am a.s.sureit that my G.o.d leveth, that sum that hear this your defectioun and railling aganis the treuthe and servandis of G.o.d, sall see ane pairt of G.o.dis jugementis poured furth upoun this Realme, (and prync.i.p.allie 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 a.s.semblie, halden in Junij 1564,[983] approcheit, unto the which greit[984] pairt of the n.o.bylatie, of those that ar callit Protestantis, convenit; sum for a.s.sistance 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 c.u.mmyn 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 G.o.d 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.

The first day of the Generall a.s.semblie, the Courtiouris nor the Lordis that dependit upoun the Court, present.i.t nocht thame selfis in the sessioun with thair Bretherin. Whairat monie wondering, ane anceyant and honorable man, the Laird of Lundie,[989] said, "Nay, I wonder nocht of thair present absence; but I wonder that at our last a.s.semblie, thai drew thame selfis ane pairt, and joynit nocht with us, but drew from us some of our mynisteris, and wylleit thame to conclude sik thingis as war never proponit in the publick a.s.semblie, [quhilk apperis to me to be a thing][990] verrie prejudiciall to the libertie of the Kirk. And, thairfoir, my jugement is, that thai salbe informit of this offence, quhilk the whole Bretherin haif consaveit of thair former falt; humblie requyring thame, that gif thai be Bretherin, thai will a.s.sist thair Bretherin with thair presence and counsall, for we had nevir grytter neid. And gif thai be myndit to fall back from us, it wer better we knaw it now than afterward." Thairto aggreyit the whole a.s.semblie, and gaif commissioun to certene Bretherin to signify the myndis of the a.s.semblie to the Lordis; quhilk wes done that same day efter noon.[991]

[989] Walter Lundie or Lundin of Lundie, in Fife. The name of the "Laird of Lundie" occurs very frequently in the Book of the Kirk.

[990] The words within brackets are omitted in MS. 1566.

[991] According to Calderwood, on the 26th June 1564 "The Laird of Lundie, and the Superintendent of Lowthian, war appointed to request the Lords of Secreit Counsell to a.s.sist the a.s.semblie with thair presence and counsell." In like manner, at the next General a.s.sembly, on the 25th December, "William Wallace of Carnell, and Andrew Ker of Fadownside, war sent to the Lords of Secreit Counsell, to requist thair Honours to a.s.sist the a.s.semblie with thair presence and counsell."

The Courteouris at first semeit nocht a lyttill offendit, that thay sould be as it wer suspect.i.t of defectioun: yit, nevirtheles, upoun the morrow, thai joynit with the a.s.semblie, and come into it: But thai drew thame selfis, lyke as thai did befoir, apairt, and enterit the Inner Counsell-house. Thair wes the Dukis Grace, the Erles Argyle, Murray, Mortoun, Glencarne, Merch.e.l.l, Rothes; the Maister of Maxwell, Secretour Lethingtoun, the Justice Clark, the Clark of Register, and the Controllour, the Laird of Pittarro.

Efter a lyttill consultatioun, thai direct ane messinger, Mr. George Hay,[992] than callit the Minister of the Court, requyring the Superintendantis, and sum of the leirnit ministeris, to confer with thame. The a.s.semblie ansuerit, "That thai convenit to delyberat upoun the commoun effairis of the Kirk; and, thairfoir, that thay could nocht lack thair Superintendantis and cheif ministeris, whose jugementis wer so necessarie, that without thame the rest sould sit as it wer idill; and thairfoir willand thame (as of befoir) that gif thay acknawlege thame selfis memberis of the Kirk, that thai wald joyne with the Bretherin, and propone in publict sik thingis as thai pleissit; and so thai sould haif the a.s.sistance of the whole in all thingis that mycht stand to G.o.dis commandiment. But to send from thame selfis a portioun of thair companie, thai understand that thairof hurt and sclander mycht aryse, rather than anie proffeit or conforte to the Kirk: for thay feirit, that all men sould nocht stand content with the conclusioun, whair the conference and ressounis wer hard but of a few."

[992] See note 2, page 352. In the proceedings of the General a.s.sembly, 30th December 1563, Mr. George Hay is styled "Minister of the Privie Counsell."

This ansuer wes nocht giffin without cause; for no small travell wes maid, to haif drawin sum mynisteris to the factioun of the Courtiouris, and to haif sustenit thair argumentis and opiniounis. But whan it wes persaifit be the moist politick amangis thame, that thai could not prevaill be that meanes, thai proponeit the matter in uther termis, purging thame selfis, first, that thai nevir ment to devyde[993] thame selfis from the sociatie of thair bretherin; but, because thai had certane heidis to confer with certane ministeris; thairfoir, for avoyding of confusioun, thai thocht it mair expedient to haif the conference befoir a few, rather than in the publict audience. But the a.s.semblie[994] did still reply, "That secreit conference wald thay nocht admit in those heidis that sould be concludit be generall voit." The Lordis promeissit, "That no conclusioun sould be taikin, nether yit voit requyreit, till that bayth the propositiounis and the ressounis sould be heard, and considderit of the whole bodie." And upoun that conditioun wer direct.i.t unto thame, with expressit chairge to conclude no thing without the knawledge[995] and advyse of the a.s.semblie, the Laird of Dun, Superintendant of Anguss, the Superintendantis of Lothyane and Fyffe,[996] Mr. John Row, Mr. John Craig, Williame Crystisoune, Mr.

David Lyndesay, mynisteris, with the Rectour of Sanctandrois,[997] and Mr. George Hay; the Superintendant of Glasgow, Mr. Johne Willok, wes Moderatour, and Johne Knox wait.i.t upoun the Scrybe. And so thay wer appoynt.i.t to sit with the Bretherin. And that because the princ.i.p.all compleint tuychit[998] Johne Knox, he wes also callit for.

[993] In MS. G, "to separate."

[994] "a.s.semblie" is usually written "a.s.semble;" but, as already remarked, the orthography in this portion of the MS. is very peculiar, and requires correction.

[995] In MS. G, "acknawlege."

[996] John Erskine of Dun, John Spottiswood, and John Wynrame.

[997] John Douglas.

[998] In MS. G, "concernit."

[Sidenote: LEDINGTOUN'S HARANGE AT THE a.s.sEMBLIE IN JUNIJ 1564 ZEIRIS.]

Secretour Lethingtoun began the harangue,[999] which contenit these heidis: First, How much we wer adett.i.t unto G.o.d, be whois providence we had libertie of religioun under the Quenis Majestie, albeit that sche wes nocht persuadeit in the same: Secoundlie, How necessarie ane thing it wes that the Quenis Majestic, be all gude offices, (so spak he,) of the Kirk, and of the mynisteris princ.i.p.ally, sould be retenit in that constant opinioun, that thai unfeinzeitlie favourit hir advancement, and procureit hir subjectis to haif ane gude opinioun of hir: And, last, How daingerous ane thing it was, that mynisteris sould be noitt.i.t ane to disagree from ane uther, in form of prayer for hir Majestie, or in doctrine conserning obedience to hir Majesties authoritie: "And in these two last heidis, (said he,) we desyre you all to be circ.u.mspect; but especially we maun craif of you our brother, Johne Knox, to moderat your selff, als weall in form of praying for the Quenis Majestie, as in doctrine that ye propone tuyching hir estait and obedience. Neither sall ye tak this, (said he,) as spokin to your reproche, _quia nevus[1000] interdum in corpore pulchro_, but becaus that otheris, by your example, may imitate the lyke libertie, albeit nocht with the same modestie and foirsycht; and what opinioun may ingedder[1001] in the peopillis heidis, wyse men do forsee."

[999] In MS. G, this marginal note stands: "Lethingtonis harrange in the a.s.sembly in 1584;" a mistake in the date only worthy of notice, as affording an indication of the time when the MS itself was transcribed.

[1000] In MS. G, "_quia mens_."