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BOOK SECOND.¹²⁶¹²⁶The Second Book of the History of Things done in Scotland, in the Reformation of Religion, beginning in the Year of God 1558.

1558-1559.

Lest Satan shall take occasion of our long silence to blaspheme, and to slander us the Protestants of the realm of Scotland by suggesting that our actions tended rather to sedition and rebellion than to reformation of manners and abuses in religion; we have thought it expedient, as truly and briefly as we can, to commit to writing the causes moving us, a great part of the nobility and barons of the realm, to take the sword of just defence against those that most unjustly have sought our destruction. In this our Confession we shall faithfully declare what moved us to take action, what we have asked, and what we require of the sacred authority. Our cause being thus made known, our enemies as well as our brethren in all realms may understand how falsely we are accused of tumult and rebellion, and how unjustly we are persecuted by France and by their faction. Thus, too, our brethren, natural Scotsmen, of whatever religion they be, may have occasion to examine themselves as to whether they may with safe conscience oppose themselves to us. We only seek that the glorious Evangel of Christ Jesus may be preached, His holy Sacraments be truly ministered, superstition, tyranny, and idolatry be suppressed in this realm, and the liberty of this our native country remain free from the bondage and tyranny of strangers.

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While the Queen Regent practised with the prelates, how the blessed Evangel of Christ Jesus might be utterly suppressed within Scotland, God so blessed the labours of His weak servants that no small part of the Barons of this realm began to abhor the tyranny of the bishops. God did so open their eyes by the light of His Word, that they could clearly discern betwixt idolatry and the true honouring of God. Yea, men almost universally began to doubt whether they might give their bodily presence to the Mass without offending God, or offer their children for papistical baptism. When the most godly and the most learned in Europe had answered these doubts, both by word and writing, affirming that we might do neither, without extreme peril to our souls, we began to be more troubled. Then also, men of estimation, who bore rule amongst us, began to examine themselves concerning their duties towards reformation of religion, as well as towards the just defence of their most cruelly persecuted brethren. And so divers questions began to be moved, to wit, whether such as were judges, lords, and rulers of the people might, with safe conscience, serve the superior powers in maintaining idolatry, in persecuting their brethren, and in suppressing Christ's truth? Or, whether they, to whom God had in some cases committed the administration of justice, might suffer the blood of their brethren to be shed in their presence, without any declaration that such tyranny displeased them? By the plain Scripture it was found that a lively faith required a plain confession, when Christ's truth was attacked; that not only are they guilty that do evil, but so also are they that assent to evil. It is plain that they that assent to evil, seeing iniquity openly committed, do by their silence seem to justify and allow what is done.

These things being sufficiently proven by evident Scriptures of God, every man began to look more diligently to his salvation; for the idolatry and tyranny of the clergy, called the Churchmen, was and is so manifest, that whoever doth deny it declares himself ignorant of God, and enemy to Christ Jesus. We therefore, with humble confession of our former offences, began, with fasting and supplication unto God, to seek137 some remedy in so present a danger. At the outset it was decided that the brethren in every town should at certain times assemble together for common prayers, and for exercise and reading of the Scriptures, until it should please God to give the sermon of exhortation to some, for comfort and instruction of the rest.

God did so bless our weak beginning that, within a few months, the hearts of many were so strengthened that we sought to have the face of a Church amongst us, and to have open crimes punished, without respect of person. For that purpose, by common election, elders were appointed. To them the whole brethren promised obedience; for at that time we had no public ministers of the Word; but certain zealous men, amongst whom were the Laird of Dun, David Forrest, Master Robert Lockhart, Master Robert Hamilton, William Harlaw, and others, exhorted their brethren, according to the gifts and graces granted unto them. Shortly after did God stir up His servant, Paul Methven (whose latter fall ought not to deface the work of God in him), and he in boldness of spirit began openly to preach Christ Jesus in Dundee, in divers parts of Angus, and in Fife. God did so work with him that many began openly to renounce their old idolatry, and to submit themselves to Christ Jesus, and unto His blessed ordinances. In consequence, the town of Dundee began to erect the face of a public Church Reformed, and in this the Word was openly preached, and Christ's Sacraments were truly ministered.

In the meantime God did send to us our dear brother, John Willock, a man godly, learned, and grave, who, after short abode at Dundee, repaired to Edinburgh. There, notwithstanding his long and dangerous sickness, he so encouraged the brethren by godly exhortations, that we began to deliberate upon some public Reformation; for the corruption in religion was such that, with safe conscience, we could no longer sustain it. Yet, because we would attempt nothing without the knowledge of the sacred authority, with one consent, after the deliberation of many days, it was concluded that by our public and common138 supplication we should attempt to secure the favour, support, and assistance of the Queen, then Regent, towards a godly reformation. For that purpose, after we had prepared our oration and petitions, we appointed from amongst us a man whose age and years deserved reverence, whose honesty and worship might have craved audience of any magistrate on earth, and whose faithful service to the authority at all times had been such that on him could fall no suspicion of unlawful disobedience. This orator was that ancient and honourable father, Sir James Sandilands of Calder, knight, to whom we gave commission and power in all our names then present, before the Queen Regent thus to speak:—

"Albeit we have of long time contained ourselves in such modesty, Most Noble Princess, that neither the exile of body, tinsel¹²⁸¹²⁸Loss. of goods, nor perishing of this mortal life, was able to convene us to ask from your Grace reformation and redress of those wrongs and of that sore grief patiently borne by us in bodies and minds for so long a time; yet are we now, of very conscience and by the fear of our God, compelled to crave, at your Grace's feet, remedy against the most unjust tyranny used against your Grace's most obedient subjects, by those that are called the Estate Ecclesiastical. Your Grace cannot be ignorant what controversy hath been, and yet is, concerning the true religion, and the right worshipping of God, and how the clergy, as they desire to be termed, usurp to themselves such empire above the consciences of men that whatsoever they command must be obeyed, and whatsoever they forbid must be avoided, without further respect to God's pleasure, commandment, or will, revealed to us in His most holy Word; or else there abideth nothing for us but faggot, fire, and sword. By these means, many of our brethren have been stricken most cruelly and most unjustly of late years within this realm. This now we find to trouble and wound our consciences; for we acknowledge it to have been our bounden duty before God, either to have defended our brethren from those cruel murderers, seeing we are a part of that power which God hath established139 in this realm, or else to have given with them open testification of our faith. Now we ourselves offer to do this, lest we shall seem to justify their cruel tyranny by our continual silence.

"This condition of affairs doth not only displease us, but as your Grace's wisdom most prudently doth foresee, for the quieting of this intestine dissension, a public Reformation, in religion as well as in temporal government was most necessary. To this task, as we are informed, ye have most gravely and most godly exhorted as well the clergy as the nobility, to employ their study, diligence, and care. We, therefore, of conscience, dare no longer dissemble in so weighty a matter which concerneth the glory of God and our salvation. Neither now dare we withdraw our presence, or conceal our petitions, lest the adversaries hereafter shall object to us that place was granted to reformation, and yet no man suited for the same; and so should our silence be prejudicial unto us in time to come. Therefore, knowing no other order placed in this realm, but your Grace, in your grave Council, set to amend, as well the disorder ecclesiastical, as the defaults in the temporal regiment, we most humbly prostrate ourselves before your feet, asking your justice, and your gracious help, against them that falsely traduce and accuse us, as if we were heretics and schismatics. Under that colour they seek our destruction; because we seek the amendment of their corrupted lives, and that Christ's religion be restored to its original purity. Further, we crave of your Grace to hear, with open and patient ears, these our subsequent requests; and, to the joy and satisfaction of our troubled consciences, mercifully to grant the same, unless by God's plain Word any be able to prove that justly they ought to be denied.

"First, Humbly we ask that, as we have, by the laws of this realm, after long debate, obtained to read the holy books of the Old and New Testaments in our common tongue, as spiritual food to our souls, so from henceforth it may be lawful that we may convene publicly or privately to our Common Prayers, in our vulgar tongue; to the end that we may increase and grow in knowledge, and be induced, in fervent and oft prayer, to commend to God the Holy Church universal, the140 Queen our Sovereign, her honourable and gracious husband, the stability of their succession, your Grace Regent, the Nobility, and the whole Estate of this Realm.

"Secondly, If it shall happen in our said conventions that any hard place of Scripture be read, from which no profit ariseth to the conveners, we ask that it shall be lawful to any person qualified in knowledge, being present, to interpret and open up the said hard places, to God's glory and to the profit of the hearers. If any think that this liberty would be occasion of confusion, debate, or heresy, we are content that it be provided that the said interpretation shall underlie the judgment of the most godly and most learned within the realm at this time.

"Thirdly, We seek that the holy Sacrament of Baptism may be used in the vulgar tongue; so that the godfathers and witnesses may not only understand the points of the league and contract made betwixt God and the infant, but also that the Church then assembled may be more gravely informed and instructed of the duties which at all times they owe to God, according to the promise made unto Him, when they were received into His household by the lavachre¹²⁹¹²⁹Washing. of spiritual regeneration.

"Fourthly, We desire that the holy Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, or of His most blessed body and blood, may likewise be ministered unto us in the vulgar tongue; and in both kinds, according to the plain institution of our Saviour Christ Jesus.

"Lastly, We most humbly require that the wicked, slanderous, and detestable life of prelates, and of the estate ecclesiastical may be so reformed, that the people may not have occasion (as for many days they have had) to contemn their ministers, and the preaching whereof they should be messengers. If they suspect that we, envying their honours or coveting their riches and possessions rather than zealously desiring their amendment and salvation, do travail and labour for this Reformation; we are content not only that the rules and precepts of the New Testament, but also the writings of the ancient fathers, and the141 godly approved laws of Justinian the Emperor, decide the controversy between us and them. And if it shall be found that either malevolently or ignorantly we ask more than these three forenamed have required and continually do require of able and true ministers in Christ's Church, we refuse not correction, as your Grace, with right judgment, shall think meet. But if all the forenamed shall damn that which we damn and approve that which we require, then we most earnestly beseech your Grace that, notwithstanding the long consuetude which they have had to live as they list, they be compelled either to desist from ecclesiastical administration, or to discharge their duties as becometh true ministers; so that, the grave and godly face of the primitive Church reduced,¹³⁰¹³⁰Brought back. ignorance may be expelled and true doctrine and good manners may once again appear in the Church of this realm.

"These things we, as most obedient subjects, require of your Grace, in the name of the Eternal God and of His Son Christ Jesus, in presence of whose throne judicial, ye and all other that here on earth bear authority shall give account of your temporal regiment. The Spirit of the Lord Jesus move your Grace's heart to justice and equity. Amen."

When these petitions were presented, the Estate Ecclesiastical began to storm and to devise all manner of lies to deface the equity of our cause. They bragged that they would have public disputation. This we most earnestly asked them to arrange, upon two conditions: the one, that the plain and written Scriptures of God should decide all controversy; the other, that our brethren, of whom some were then exiled and by them unjustly condemned, might have free access to the said disputation, and safe conduct to return to their dwelling places, notwithstanding any process which before had been led against them in matters concerning religion. But these preliminary conditions were utterly denied. No judge would they admit but themselves, their Councils, and Canon law. They and their faction began to draw up certain Articles of Reconciliation. These stipulated that we should permit the142 Mass to remain in reverence and estimation, grant purgatory after this life, confess prayer to saints and for the dead, and suffer them to enjoy their accustomed rents, possession, and honour. Upon these terms, they were prepared to grant us freedom to pray and baptize in the vulgar tongue, if this were done secretly, and not in the open assembly.

The grossness of these articles was such, that with one voice we refused them; and continued to crave justice from the Queen Regent, and a reasonable answer to our former petitions. The Queen Regent, a woman crafty, dissimulate, and false, thinking to make profit of both parties, gave us permission to conduct ourselves in godly manner, according to our desires, provided that we should not make public assemblies in Edinburgh or Leith; and she promised her assistance to our preachers, until some uniform order might be established by a Parliament. To the clergy, she quietly gave signification of her mind, promising that, as soon as opportunity should serve, she should so arrange matters for them that they should have no more trouble. Some say that they gave her a large purse,—40,000 pounds, says the Chronicle gathered by Sir William Bruce, the Laird of Earlshall. Unsuspecting of her doubleness and falsehood, we were fully contented with her answer; and did use ourselves so quietly that, for her pleasure, we put silence to John Douglas. He would have preached publicly in the town of Leith; but in all things we sought the contentment of her mind, so far as we should not offend God by obeying her in things unlawful.

Shortly after these things, that cruel tyrant and unmerciful hypocrite, falsely called Archbishop of St. Andrews, apprehended that blessed martyr of Christ Jesus, Walter Myln; a man of decrepit age, whom most cruelly and most unjustly he put to death by fire in St. Andrews, the twenty-eighth day of April, the year of God 1558. This did highly offend the hearts of all godly, and immediately after his death a new fervency arose amongst the whole people; yea, even in the town of St. Andrews, the people began plainly to damn such unjust cruelty. In testification that the death of Walter Myln would abide143 in recent memory, there was cast together a great heap of stones at the place where he was burned. The Archbishop and the priests, offended, caused this to be removed once or twice, with denunciation, by cursing, of any man who should there lay a stone. But their breath was spent in vain; for the heap was always renewed, until the priests and papists did by night steal away the stones to build their walls, and for other their private uses.

Having no suspicion that the Queen Regent approved of the murder of Walter Myln, we did most humbly complain of this unjust cruelty, requiring that justice in such cases should be administered with greater indifference.¹³¹¹³¹Impartiality. A woman born to dissemble and deceive, she began to lament to us the cruelty of the Archbishop, excusing herself as innocent. She declared that sentence had been given without her knowledge, because the man had been a priest at one time; and the Archbishop's officer had prosecuted him without any commission from the civil authority, ex officio, as they term it.

Still unsuspicious, we required some order to be taken against such enormities; and this she promised, as she had often done before. But because a Parliament was to be held shortly after, for certain affairs pertaining rather to the Queen's particular profit than to the commodity of the commonwealth, we thought good to expose our matter unto the whole Parliament, and from them to seek some redress. Therefore, with one consent, we did offer to the Queen and Parliament a letter in this tenor:—

"Unto your Grace, and unto you, Right Honourable Lords of this present Parliament, humbly mean and show your Grace's faithful and obedient subjects: That we are daily molested, slandered, and injured by wicked and ignorant persons, place-holders of the ministers of the Church, who most untruly cease not to infame us as heretics, and under that name most cruelly have persecuted divers of our brethren, and further intend to execute their malice against us, unless by some godly order their fury and rage be bridled and144 stayed. Yet in us they are able to prove no crime worthy of punishment, unless it be that to read the Holy Scriptures in our assemblies, to invocate the name of God in public prayers, with all sobriety to interpret and open the places of Scripture that be read, to the further edification of the brethren assembled, and truly according to the holy institution of Christ Jesus to minister the Sacraments, are crimes worthy of punishment. Of other crimes they are not able to convict us.... Most humbly require we of your Grace, and of your right honourable Lords, Barons, and Burgesses assembled in this present Parliament, prudently to weigh, and, as becometh just judges, to grant these our most just and reasonable petitions:—

"Firstly, ... We most humbly desire that all such Acts of Parliament, as in the time of darkness gave power to the Churchmen to execute their tyranny against us, by reason that we were delated heretics, may be suspended and abrogated until a General Council, lawfully assembled, shall have decided all controversies in religion.

"Secondly, Lest this mutation should seem to set all men at liberty to live as they list, we require that it be enacted by this present Parliament that the prelates and their officers be removed from the place of judgment; granting unto them, not the less, the place of accusers in the presence of a temporal judge, before whom the Churchmen shall be bound to call any accused by them of heresy....

"Thirdly, We require, that all lawful defences be granted to the persons accused.... Also, that place be granted to the party accused to explain and interpret his own mind and meaning; which confession we require to be inserted in public Acts, and to be preferred to the depositions of any witnesses, seeing that none that is not found obstinate in his damnable opinion ought to suffer for religion.

"Lastly, We require, that our brethren be not damned for heretics, unless, by the manifest Word of God, they be convicted to have erred from that faith which the Holy Spirit witnesseth to be necessary to salvation....

"These things require we to be considered by you, who145 occupy the place of the Eternal God, who is God of order and truth, even in such sort as ye will answer in the presence of His throne judicial. And we require, further, that ye will favourably have respect to the tenderness of our consciences, and to the trouble which apparently will follow in this commonwealth, if the tyranny of the Prelates and of their adherents be not bridled by God and just laws. God move your hearts deeply to consider your own duties and our present troubles."

These petitions did we first present to the Queen Regent, because we were determined to enterprise nothing without her knowledge, most humbly requiring her favourable assistance in our just action. She spared not amiable looks, and good words in abundance; but she kept our bill in her pocket. When we required secretly of her Grace that our Petitions should be proposed to the whole Assembly, she answered that she did not think that expedient; for then would the whole ecclesiastical Estate be contrary to her proceedings. These at that time were great; for the matrimonial crown was asked, and in that Parliament granted. "But," said she, "as soon as order can be taken with these things, which now may be hindered by the Kirkmen, ye shall know my good mind; and, in the meantime, whatsoever I may grant unto you shall gladly be granted."

Still suspecting nothing of her falsehood, we were content to give place for a time to her pleasure and pretended reason. Yet we thought expedient to protest somewhat before the dissolution of Parliament; for our Petitions were manifestly known to the whole Assembly, as also that, for the Queen's pleasure, we ceased to pursue the uttermost....

Our protestations were publicly read, and we desired that they should be inserted in the common register; but by labours of enemies that was denied unto us. Nevertheless, the Queen Regent said, "Me will remember what is protested; and me shall put good order after this to all things that now be in controversy." Thus, after she had by craft obtained her purpose, we departed in good hope of her favours, praising146 God in our hearts that she was so well inclined towards godliness. The good opinion that we had of her sincerity caused us not only to spend our goods and hazard our bodies at her pleasure, but also, by our public letters written to that excellent servant of God, John Calvin, we did praise and commend her for excellent knowledge in God's Word and her good-will towards the advancement of His glory; requiring of him that, by his grave counsel and godly exhortation, he would animate her Grace constantly to follow that which in godly fashion she had begun. We did further sharply rebuke, both by word and writing, all such as appeared to suspect any venom of hypocrisy in her, or were contrary to that opinion which we had conceived of her godly mind.

Suddenly, it became certain that we were deceived in our opinion, and abused by her craft. As soon as all things pertaining to the commodity of France were granted by us, and peace was contracted betwixt King Philip and France, and England and us, she began to spue forth, and disclose the latent venom of her double heart. She began to frown, and to look frowardly upon all such as she knew to favour the Evangel of Jesus Christ. She commanded her household to use all abominations at Easter; and she herself, to give example to others, did communicate with that idol, the Mass, in open audience; she controlled her household, and would know where every one received the Sacrament. It is supposed that after that day the Devil took more violent and strong possession in her than he had before; for, from that day forward, she appeared altogether altered, insomuch that her countenance and acts did declare the venom of her heart.

When, incontinently, the Queen caused our preachers to be summoned, we made intercession for them, beseeching her Grace not to molest them then in their ministry, unless any man were able to convict them of false doctrine. But she could not bridle her tongue from open blasphemy, and proudly said, "In despite of you and of your ministers both, they shall be banished out of Scotland, albeit they preached as truly as ever did St. Paul." This proud and blasphemous answer did147 greatly astonish us; and yet ceased we not most humbly to seek her favour, and by great diligence at last secured that the summonses should be delayed. Alexander, Earl of Glencairn, and Sir Hugh Campbell of Loudoun, knight, Sheriff of Ayr, were sent to reason with her, and to crave some performance of her manifold promises. To them she answered that it became not the subjects to burden their Princes with promises, further than it pleaseth them to keep these. Both these noblemen faithfully and boldly discharged their duty, and plainly forewarned her of the inconveniences that were to follow. Thereupon, somewhat astonished, she said she would advise.

In the meantime the town of Perth, called St. Johnston, embraced the truth, and this did provoke her to a new fury; in which she urged the Lord Ruthven, Provost of that town, to suppress all such religion there. He replied that he could make their bodies come to her Grace, and prostrate themselves before her, until she was fully satiate of their blood, but that he could not promise to force them to act against their conscience. In a fury, she said that he was too malapert to give her such answer, and affirmed that both he and they should repent it. She solicited Master John Haliburton, Provost of Dundee, to apprehend Paul Methven, but he, fearing God, gave secret warning to the man to leave the town for a time. At Easter, she sent forth men whom she thought most able to persuade, with commission to induce Montrose, Dundee, St. Johnston, and such other places as had received the Evangel, to communicate with the idol of the Mass; but they had no success. The hearts of many were bent to follow the truth revealed, and did abhor superstition and idolatry.

More angry than ever, she again summoned all the preachers to appear at Stirling, on the tenth day of May 1559. With all humble obedience, we sought means to appease her, and save our preachers from being molested. When it was seen that we could not prevail, the whole brethren agreed that the gentlemen of every county should accompany their preachers on the day appointed. All men were most willing; and for148 that purpose the town of Dundee, and the gentlemen of Angus and Mearns, proceeded with their preachers to Perth, without armour, as peaceable men, desiring only to give confession with their preachers. Lest such a multitude should raise the apprehensions of the Queen Regent, the Laird of Dun, a zealous, prudent, and godly man, went before to the Queen, who was then in Stirling. To her he declared that the cause of their convocation was only to give confession with their preachers, and to assist them in their just defence. She, understanding the fervency of the people, began to craft with him, soliciting him to stay the multitude, and also the preachers, promising that she would make some better arrangements. He, a man most gentle of nature, and most willing to please her in all things not repugnant to God, wrote requesting those that then were assembled at Perth to stay, and not to come forward, and informed them of the Queen's promise and the hope he had of her favour.... So did the whole multitude tarry at Perth with their preachers.

In the meantime, on the second of May 1559, John Knox arrived from France. Lodging two nights only in Edinburgh, and hearing the day appointed to his brethren, he repaired to Dundee. There he earnestly required that he might be permitted to assist his brethren, and to give confession of his faith with them. This granted to him, he departed to Perth with them; and there he began to exhort, according to the grace of God granted to him. The Queen, perceiving that the preachers did not obey her summons, began to utter her malice; and, notwithstanding any request made to the contrary, gave commandment to put them to the horn,¹³²¹³²Formal process of outlawry. inhibiting all men under pain of rebellion to assist, comfort, receive or maintain them in any way. When this extremity was perceived by the Laird of Dun, he prudently withdrew himself; for otherwise, by all appearance, he would not have escaped imprisonment. In this belief he was justified by the fact that the Master of Maxwell, a man zealous and stout in God's cause, as it then appeared, was, under the cloak of another small crime, that same day149 put under arrest, because he did boldly affirm that, to the uttermost of his power, he would assist the preachers and the congregation, notwithstanding any sentence which was, or should be, unjustly pronounced against them. The Laird of Dun, coming to Perth, expounded the case, and concealed nothing of the Queen's craft and falsehood.

The multitude, when they understood the Queen's treachery, were so inflamed that neither could the exhortation of the preachers nor the commandment of the magistrate stay them from destroying the places of idolatry. What happened was as follows. The preachers had declared how odious was idolatry in God's presence; what commandment He had given for the destruction of the monuments thereof; and what idolatry and what abomination was in the Mass. It chanced that the next day, the eleventh of May, after the sermon which had been vehement against idolatry, a priest in contempt insisted upon going to the Mass; and, to declare his malapert presumption, he opened up a glorious tabernacle which stood upon the high altar. Certain godly men were present, and amongst others a young boy, who cried with a loud voice, "It is intolerable that, when God by His Word hath plainly damned idolatry, we shall stand and see it used in despite." The priest, offended, gave the child a great blow; who in anger took up a stone, and casting it at the priest, did hit the tabernacle and broke down an image.

Immediately the whole multitude cast stones, and laid hands on the said tabernacle, and on all other monuments of idolatry. These they dispatched before the tenth part of the town's people were made aware, for the most part were gone to dinner. These deeds noised abroad, the whole multitude came together, not the gentlemen or those that were earnest professors, but the rascal multitude. Finding nothing to do in that church, these ran without deliberation to the Grey and Black Friars, and, notwithstanding that these monasteries had within them very strong guards for their defence, their gates were forthwith burst open. Idolatry was the occasion of the first outburst, but thereafter the common people began150 to look for spoil. In very deed, the Grey Friars was so well provided that unless honest men had seen it, we would have feared to report what provision they had. Their sheets, blankets, beds, and coverlets were such that no Earl in Scotland had better; their napery was fine. There were but eight persons in the convent, and yet there were found eight puncheons of salt beef (consider the time of the year, the eleventh day of May), wine, beer, and ale, besides store of victuals of the same sort. A like abundance was not found in the monastery of the Black Friars; and yet there was more than became men professing poverty. The poor were permitted to take the spoil; but no honest man was enriched by the value of a groat. For the preachers had before threatened all men, that for covetousness' sake none should put their hand to such a Reformation.

The conscience of the spoilers did so move them, that they suffered those hypocrites to take away what they could. The Prior of Charter-house was permitted to take away with him as much gold and silver as he was well able to carry. So had men's consciences before been beaten with the Word, that they had no respect to their own particular profit, but only to abolish idolatry, and the places and monuments thereof. In this they were so busy and so laborious that, within two days, these three great places, monuments of idolatry, to wit, the monasteries of the Grey and Black thieves and that of the Charter-house monks (a building of a wondrous cost and greatness) were so destroyed that only the walls remained.

When the Queen heard what had happened, she was so enraged that she vowed utterly to destroy Perth, man, woman, and child, to consume the place by fire, and thereafter to salt it, in sign of a perpetual desolation. Suspecting nothing of such beastly cruelty, but thinking that such words might escape her in choler without forethought, because she was a woman set afire by the complaints of those hypocrites who flocked unto her as ravens to carrion, we returned to our own houses, leaving John Knox in Perth to instruct the people, because they were young and rude in Christ. But she continued in her rage, set afire partly by her own malice, partly by commandment151 of her friends in France, and not a little by the bribes which she and Monsieur D'Oysel received from the bishops and the priests here at home.

The Queen first sent for all the Nobility, and to them she complained that we meant nothing but a rebellion. She did grievously aggreage¹³³¹³³Aggravate. the destruction of the Charter-house, because it was a King's foundation, and contained the tomb of King James the First. By these and other persuasions, she made the majority of them consent to attack us. And then in haste she sent for her Frenchmen; for it was ever her joy to see Scotsmen dipped in one another's blood. No man was at that time more frack against us than was the Duke, led on by that cruel beast, the Archbishop of St. Andrews, and by those that yet abuse him, the Abbot of Kilwinning and Matthew Hamilton of Millburn, two chief enemies to Christ Jesus; yea, enemies to the Duke himself and to his whole house, in so far as at least they may procure their own particular profit. These and such other pestilent papists ceased not to cast faggots on the fire, continually crying, "Forward upon these heretics; we shall for once and all rid this realm of them."

Hearing of this, some of us repaired to Perth again about the twenty-second day of May, and there we did abide for the comfort of our brethren. After invocation of the name of God, we began so to fortify the town and ourselves in the manner that we thought might prove best for our just defence. And, because we were not utterly despaired of the Queen's favour, we drew up a letter to her Grace, as followeth:—

"To the Queen's Grace Regent, all humble obedience and duty premised. As heretofore, with jeopardy of our lives, and yet with willing hearts, we have served the authority of Scotland, and your Grace, now Regent in this realm, in service dangerous and painful to our bodies; so now, with most dolorous minds we are constrained by unjust tyranny purposed against us to declare unto your Grace, that, unless this cruelty be stayed by your wisdom, we will be compelled to take the152 sword of just defence against all that shall pursue us for the matter of religion, and for our conscience' sake; which ought not, nor may not, be subject to mortal creatures, farther than by God's Word man be able to prove that he hath power to command us.

"We signify moreover unto your Grace, that if by rigour we be compelled to seek the extreme defence, we will not only notify our innocence and petitions to the King of France, to our Mistress and to her husband, but also to the Princes and Council of every Christian realm, declaring unto them that this cruel, unjust, and most tyrannical murder, intended against towns and multitudes, was and is the only cause of our revolt from our accustomed obedience, which, in God's presence, we faithfully promise to our Sovereign Mistress, to her husband, and unto your Grace Regent; provided that our consciences may live in that peace and liberty which Christ Jesus hath purchased unto us by His blood; and that we may have His Word truly preached, and holy Sacraments rightly ministrate unto us, without which we firmly purpose never to be subject to mortal man. For we think it better to expose our bodies to a thousand deaths than to hazard our souls to perpetual condemnation, by denying Christ Jesus and His manifest verity, which thing not only do they that commit open idolatry, but also all such as, seeing their brethren unjustly pursued for the cause of religion, and having sufficient means to comfort and assist them, do not-the-less withdraw from them their dutiful support.

"Your Grace's obedient subjects in all things not repugnant to God,

"The Faithful Congregation of Christ Jesus
in Scotland."

In the same tenor we wrote to Monsieur D'Oysel in French, requiring of him that, by his wisdom, he would mitigate the Queen's rage, and the rage of the priests; and warning him that otherwise that flame, then beginning to burn, would so kindle that it could not be slockened. We added that he declared himself no faithful servant to his153 master the King of France if, for the pleasure of the priests, he persecuted us, and so compelled us to take the sword of just defence. In like manner we wrote to Captain Serra la Burse, and to all other captains and French soldiers in general, admonishing them that their vocation was not to fight against us natural Scotsmen; and that they had no such commandment from their master. We besought them, therefore, not to provoke us to enmity against them, considering that they had found us favourable in their most extreme necessities. We declared further unto them that, if they entered into hostility and bloody war against us, this should continue longer than their and our lives, to wit, even in all posterity to come, so long as natural Scotsmen should have power to revenge such cruelty, and most horrible ingratitude....

Our letters were suppressed to the uttermost of the power of the enemy, and yet they came to the knowledge of many. But the rage of the Queen and priests could not be stayed; and they moved forward against us: we were then but a very few and mean number of gentlemen in Perth. Perceiving the extremity to approach, we wrote to all brethren enjoining them to repair towards us for our relief. To this we found all men so readily bent, that the work of God was evident. And, because we wished to leave nothing undone that would declare our innocency to all men, we addressed a letter to those of the nobility who then persecuted us....

When our letters were divulged, some man began to reason whether of conscience it would be right to make war upon us, considering that we offered due obedience to the authority, and required nothing but liberty of conscience, and that our religion and actions should be tried by the Word of God. Our letters came with convenient expedition to the hands of the brethren in Cunningham and Kyle. These convened at the Kirk of Craigie, where, after some contrarious reasons, Alexander, Earl of Glencairn, in zeal, burst forth in these words, "Let every man serve his conscience. I will, by God's grace, see my brethren in Perth; yea, albeit never man should154 accompany me, I will go, were it but with a pike upon my shoulder; for I had rather die with that company than live after them." These words so encouraged the rest that all decided to go forward, and that they did so stoutly that, when Lion Herald, in his coat armour, by public sound of trumpet in Glasgow, commanded all men under pain of treason to return to their houses, never man obeyed that charge, but all went forward....

Our requests and advertisements notwithstanding, Monsieur D'Oysel and his Frenchmen, with the priests and their bands, marched against Perth, and approached within ten miles of the town. Then repaired the brethren from all quarters for our relief. The gentlemen of Fife, Angus, and Mearns, with the town of Dundee, first hazarded resistance to the enemy; and for that purpose chose a platt of ground, distant a mile and more from the town. In the meantime the Lord Ruthven, Provost of Perth, and a man whom many judged godly and stout in that action (as in very deed he was, even unto his last breath), left the town, and departed first to his own place, and afterwards to the Queen. His defection and revolt was a great discouragement to the hearts of many; and yet God did so comfort that, within the space of twelve hours after, the hearts of all men were erected again. Those then assembled did not so much hope for victory by their own strength, as by the power of Him whose truth they professed; and they began to comfort one another, until the whole multitude was encouraged by a reasonable hope.

The day after the Lord Ruthven departed, which was the twenty-fourth of May, the Earl of Argyll, Lord James, Prior of St. Andrews, and the Lord Semple arrived in Perth, with commission from the Queen Regent to inquire into the cause of the convocation of lieges there.... On the morning of the day after that, the twenty-fifth day of May, before the said Lords departed, John Knox desired to speak with them, and, permission being granted, he was conveyed to their lodging by the Laird of Balvaird, and thus he began:—

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"Not only the hearts of the true servants of God, but also those of all who bear any favour to their country and fellow-countrymen, ought to be moved by the present troubles to descend within themselves and to consider deeply what shall be the end of this pretended tyranny....

"Firstly, I most humbly require of you, my Lords, to say to the Queen's Grace Regent, in my name, that we whom she in her blind rage doth persecute are God's servants, and faithful and obedient subjects to the authority of this realm; that that religion which she pretendeth to maintain by fire and sword is not the true religion of Christ Jesus, but is expressly contrary to it, a superstition devised by the brain of man; which I offer myself to prove against all that within Scotland will maintain the contrary, liberty of tongue being granted to me, and God's written Word being admitted for judge.

"And, secondly, I farther require your Honours to say unto her Grace, in my name, that, as I have already written, so now I say that this enterprise of hers shall not prosper in the end; and albeit for a time she trouble the saints of God, she does not fight against man only, but against the eternal God and His invincible truth; and the end shall be her confusion, unless she repent and desist betimes.

"These things I require of you, in the name of the eternal God, to say unto her Grace as from my mouth; adding that I have been and am a more assured friend to her Grace than are these servants to her corrupt appetites, who either flatter her, or else inflame her against us. We seek nothing but the advance of God's glory, suppression of vice, and the maintenance of truth in this poor realm."

All three did promise to report these words so far as they could, and we learned afterwards that they did so. Yea, the Lord Semple himself, a man sold under sin, enemy to God and to all godliness, yet made such report that the Queen was somewhat offended that any man should use such liberty in her presence. She still proceeded in her malice; for she sent her Lion Herald immediately after with letters in which all men were straitly charged to quit the town, under pain of treason. After he had declared these letters to the chief156 men of the congregation, the Herald proclaimed them publicly, upon Sunday, the twenty-eighth of May.

In the meantime, sure knowledge came to the Queen, to the Duke, and to Monsieur D'Oysel, that the Earl of Glencairn, the Lords Ochiltree and Boyd, the young Sheriff of Ayr, the Lairds of Craigie-Wallace, Cessnock, Carnell, Barr, Gadgirth, and the whole congregation of Kyle and Cunningham, approached for our relief. In very deed they came with such diligence, and in such a number that the enemy had just cause to fear, and all that professed Christ Jesus had just matter to praise God for their fidelity and stout courage in that need; for the tyranny of the enemy was bridled by their presence.... Their number was estimated at twenty-five hundred men, and of these twelve hundred were horsemen. The Queen, understanding how the said Earl and Lords approached with their company, caused all ways to be beset, so that no information should come to us, and that we, despairing of support, might consent to the terms required by her. At the same time, she sent to require that some discreet men of our number should come and speak with the Duke and Monsieur D'Oysel (who lay with their army at Auchterarder, ten miles from Perth) for the purpose of making some reasonable appointment....

From us were sent the Laird of Dun, the Laird of Inverquharity, and Thomas Scott of Abbotshall to learn what appointment the Queen would offer. The Duke and Monsieur D'Oysel required that access to the town should be given, and that all matters in dispute should be referred to the Queen's pleasure. To this they answered that neither had they commission so to promise, nor durst they conscientiously persuade their brethren to agree to such a promise. But, they said, if the Queen's Grace would promise that no inhabitant of the town should be troubled for any such crimes as might be alleged against them for the late change of religion, and the abolition of idolatry and downcasting of the places of idolatry; and if she would suffer that the religion begun should continue, and would on her departure leave the town free from the garrisons of157 French soldiers, they for their part would labour to secure from their brethren that the Queen should be obeyed in all things.

Monsieur D'Oysel perceived the danger to be great, should a speedy appointment not be made. He saw, also, that they would not be able to execute their tyranny against us after the congregation of Kyle, of whose coming we had no information, should be joined with us. So, with good words, he dismissed the said Lords to persuade the brethren to quiet concord. All men were well disposed to this course, and with one voice they cried, "Cursed be they that seek effusion of blood, war, or dissension. Let us possess Christ Jesus, and the benefit of His Evangel, and none within Scotland shall be more obedient subjects than we shall be." After the coming of the Earl of Glencairn was known, the enemy quaked for fear, and with all expedition there were sent from Stirling again the Earl of Argyll and the Lord James, in company with a crafty man, Master Gavin Hamilton, Abbot of Kilwinning, to finish the appointment foresaid....

With the Earl of Glencairn came our loving brother John Willock; John Knox was in the town already. These two went to the Earl of Argyll and Prior, and accused them of disloyalty, in that they had defrauded their brethren of their dutiful support and comfort in time of their greatest necessity. They both answered that their heart was constant with their brethren, and that they would defend the cause to the uttermost of their power. But because they had promised to labour for concord and to assist the Queen should we refuse reasonable offers, conscience and honour did not permit them to do less than be faithful in their promise made. Therefore, they required that the brethren might be persuaded to consent to that reasonable appointment; promising, in God's presence, that, if the Queen did break in any jot thereof, they, with their whole powers, would assist and co-operate with their brethren in all times to come. This promise made, the preachers appeased the multitude, and ultimately secured the consent of all men to the appointment foresaid; although they did not obtain this without great labour. And no wonder, for many foresaw the158 danger to follow; yea, the preachers themselves, in open sermon, did affirm plainly that they were assuredly persuaded that the Queen did not mean to act in good faith. But, to stop the mouth of the adversary, who unjustly accused us of rebellion, they most earnestly required all men to approve the appointment, and so to suffer hypocrisy to disclose itself. The appointment was concluded on the twenty-eighth of May, and on the day following the Congregation departed from Perth....

Before the Lords departed they made this bond:—

"At Perth, the last day of May, the year of God 1559, the Congregations of the West country, with the Congregations of Fife, Perth, Dundee, Angus, Mearns, and Montrose, being convened in the town of Perth, in the name of Jesus Christ, for forthsetting of His glory; understanding nothing more necessary for the same than to keep a constant amity, unity, and fellowship together, according as they are commanded by God, are confederate, and become bound and obliged, in the presence of God, to concur and assist together in doing all things required by God in His Scripture, that may be to His glory: and with their whole power to destroy, and put away all things that do dishonour to His name, so that God may be truly and purely worshipped. And in case any trouble is intended against the said Congregation, or any part or member thereof, the whole Congregation shall concur, assist, and convene together, to the defence of the Congregation or person troubled; and shall not spare labours, goods, substance, bodies, and lives, in maintaining the liberty of the whole Congregation, and every member thereof, against whatsoever power shall intend the said trouble, for the cause of religion or any other cause dependent thereupon, or laid to their charge under pretence thereof, although it happen to be coloured with any other outward cause. In witnessing and testimony of this, the whole Congregations foresaid have ordained and appointed the Noblemen and persons underwritten to subscribe these presents.

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On the twenty-ninth of May the Queen, the Duke, Monsieur D'Oysel, and the Frenchmen entered Perth.... The swarm of Papists that entered with her began at once to make provision for their Mass.... The Queen began to rage against all godly and honest men; their houses were oppressed by the Frenchmen; the lawful magistrates, Provost as well as Bailies, were unjustly and irregularly deposed from their authority. A wicked man, void of God's fear, and destitute of all virtue, the Laird of Kinfauns, was intrused by her as Provost of the town.... She gave order that four ensenyes¹³⁴¹³⁴Companies. of the soldiers should abide in the town, to maintain idolatry and to resist the Congregation. Honest and indifferent men asked why she did so manifestly violate her promise. She answered that she was bound to keep no promise to heretics; and, moreover, that she had only promised to leave the town free of French soldiers. This last she said she had done, because those that were left were Scotsmen. When it was reasoned, to the contrary, that all those who took wages of France were accounted French soldiers, she answered, "Princes must not so straitly be bound to keep their promises. Myself," said she, "would make little conscience to take from all that sort their lives and inheritance, if I might do it with as honest an excuse." And then she left the town in extreme bondage, after her ungodly Frenchmen had most cruelly treated the majority of the citizens that remained.

The Earl of Argyll, and Lord James, perceiving in the Queen nothing but mere tyranny and falsehood, and mindful of their former promises to their brethren, secretly conveyed themselves and their companies from the town. With them departed the Lord Ruthven, the Earl of Menteith, and the Laird of Tullibardine.... The Queen, highly offended at the sudden departure of these persons, charged them to return, under the highest pain of her displeasure. But they answered that they could not, with safe conscience, be partakers in so manifest tyranny as that committed by her, and in the great iniquity which they perceived to be devised by her and her ungodly Council, the160 prelates. This answer was given to her on the first day of June, and immediately the Earl of Argyll and Lord James repaired toward St. Andrews, and in their journey intimated to the Laird of Dun, to the Laird of Pittarrow, to the Provost of Dundee, and to other professors in Angus, their desire that they should visit them in St. Andrews on the fourth of June, that Reformation might be made there. This they did, bringing John Knox in their company.

The Archbishop, hearing of Reformation to be made in his cathedral Church, thought it time to stir if ever he were to do so. He assembled his colleagues and confederate fellows, besides his other friends, and came to the town upon the Saturday night, accompanied by a hundred spears, desiring to have stopped John Knox from preaching. The two Lords and gentlemen foresaid were only accompanied by their quiet households, and the sudden coming of the Archbishop was the more fearful; for the Queen and her Frenchmen having departed from Perth, were then lying in Falkland, within twelve miles of St. Andrews. Besides, the town had not at that time given profession of Christ, and therefore the Lords could not be assured of their friendship. After consultation, many were of opinion that the preaching should be delayed for that day, and especially that John Knox should not preach; for the Archbishop had affirmed that he would not suffer this, seeing that the picture of the said John had formerly been burned by his commandment. He instructed an honest gentleman, Robert Colville of Cleish, to say to the Lords that did John Knox present himself at the preaching place in his town and principal church, he should "gar¹³⁵¹³⁵Cause. him be saluted with a dozen culverins, whereof the most part should light upon his nose."

After long deliberation, the said John was called, that his own judgment might be had. Many persuasions were used to induce him to delay for that time, and great terrors were threatened if he should enterprise such a thing, in seeming contempt of the Archbishop. But he answered, "God is witness that I never161 preached Christ Jesus in contempt of any man, nor am I disposed at any time to present myself at that place, from respect to my own private commodity, or to the worldly hurt of any creature; but I cannot conscientiously delay to preach to-morrow, unless my body be violently withholden. In this town and church, God first began to call me to the dignity of a preacher. From this I was reft by the tyranny of France, by procurement of the bishops, as ye all know well enough. How long I continued prisoner, what torment I sustained in the galleys, and what were the sobs of my heart, it is now no time to recite. This only I cannot conceal. More than one have heard me say, when the body was far absent from Scotland, that my assured hope was that I should preach in St. Andrews in open audience before I departed this life.

"Therefore," said John Knox, "my Lords, seeing that God hath, beyond the expectation of many, brought me in the body to the place where first I was called to the office of a preacher, and from the which most unjustly I was removed, I beseech your Honours not to stop me from presenting myself unto my brethren. As for the fear of danger that may come to me, let no man be solicitous. My life is in the custody of Him whose glory I seek; and therefore I cannot so fear their boast or tyranny as to cease from doing my duty, when of His mercy He offereth occasion. I desire the hand or weapon of no man to defend me; only do I crave audience. If this be denied here to me at this time, I must seek further where I may have it."

At these words, the Lords were fully content that John Knox should occupy the preaching place, which he did upon Sunday, the eleventh of June. In his sermon he treated of the ejection of the buyers and the sellers from the Temple of Jerusalem, as it is written in the Evangelists, Matthew and John. He applied the corruption that was there to the corruption that is in the Papistry; and Christ's act, to the duty of those to whom God giveth power and zeal thereto. The result was that the magistrates within the town, the provost and162 bailies, as well as the community for the most part, agreed to remove all monuments of idolatry, and this they did with expedition.

The Archbishop, informed of this, departed that same day to the Queen, who lay in Falkland with her Frenchmen, as we have said. The hot fury of the Archbishop did so kindle her choler (and yet the love was very cold betwixt them) that, without any further delay, it was decided to invade St. Andrews.... When this was known, counsel was given to the Lords to march forward and get to Cupar before the Queen. This they did, giving notice to all brethren to repair towards them with possible expedition. This also was done with such diligence that in their assembling the wondrous work of God might have been espied. When the Lords came to Cupar at night, they were not a hundred horse, and a certain number of footmen, whom Lord James brought from the coast side; and yet, before the next day at twelve o'clock, which was Tuesday, the thirteenth of June, their number exceeded three thousand men.... Finally, God did so multiply our number that it appeared as if men had rained from the clouds. The enemy, understanding nothing of our force, assured themselves of victory.... Before midnight they sent forward their ordnance, themselves following before three o'clock in the morning.

The Lords, being notified of this, assembled their company upon Cupar Moor early in the morning.... The Lord Ruthven took charge of the horsemen, and so ordered them that the enemy was never permitted to espy our number; the day was dark, and that helped. The enemy, thinking to have found no resistance, after they had twice or thrice made a feint of retiring, advanced with great expedition, and approached within a mile before ever their horsemen stayed.... After twelve o'clock, the mist began to vanish, and then some of their horsemen occupied an eminence whence they might discern our number. When they perceived this, their horsemen and footmen came to a speedy halt. Posts ran to the Duke and Monsieur D'Oysel to163 declare our number, and what order we kept; and then were mediators sent to make appointment. They were not suffered to approach the Lords, nor yet to view our camp. This put them in greater fear.... Answer received, the Duke and Monsieur D'Oysel, having commission from the Queen Regent, required that assurance¹³⁶¹³⁶Truce. might be taken for eight days, to the end that indifferent men in the meantime might commune upon some final agreement concerning those things which were then in controversy. To this we fully consented, albeit that in number and force we were far superior....

The assurance granted by the Earl of Arran and others contained faithful promise, "that we, and our company foresaid, shall retire incontinent to Falkland, and shall with diligence transport the Frenchmen and our other folks now presently with us; and that no Frenchman or other soldiers of ours, shall remain within the bounds of Fife, except as many as before the raising of the last army lay in Dysart, Kirkcaldy, and Kinghorn, these to lie in the same places only, if we shall think good. And this to have effect for the space of eight days following the date hereof exclusive, that in the meantime certain noblemen, by the advice of the Queen's Grace and rest of the Council, may convene to talk of such things as may make good order and quietness amongst the Queen's lieges...."

Having received this assurance, we departed first, because we were requested by the Duke to do so. We returned to Cupar, lauding and praising God for His mercy showed; and thereafter every man departed to his dwelling place. The Lords and a great part of the gentlemen proceeded to St. Andrews, and abode there certain days, always looking for those that had been promised to be sent from the Queen, for the preparation of an appointment. Perceiving her craft and deceit (for under that assurance she meant nothing else than to convey herself, her ordnance, and Frenchmen, over the water of Forth) we took consultation as to what should be done to deliver Perth from these ungodly164 soldiers, and how our brethren, exiled from their own houses, might be restored again. It was decided that the brethren of Fife, Angus, Mearns, and Strathearn should convene at Perth on the twenty-fourth day of June for that purpose; and in the meantime letters were written by the Earl of Argyll, and Lord James, to the Queen Regent....

At Perth, a trumpet was sent by the Lords, commanding the captains and their bands to vacate the town, and to leave it to its ancient liberty and just inhabitants; and also commanding them and the Laird of Kinfauns, provost, thrust upon the town by the Queen, to open the gates of the town and admit all our sovereign's lieges.... To this they answered proudly that they would keep and defend that town, according to promise made to the Queen Regent.... And so, upon Saturday, the twenty-fourth of June, at ten o'clock at night, the Lord Ruthven, who besieged the west quarter, commanded to shoot the first volley. This being done, the town of Dundee, whose ordnance lay upon the east side of the bridge, did the like. The captains and soldiers within the town, perceiving that they were unable long to resist, requested a truce until twelve o'clock noon, promising that, if before that hour there came no relief to them from the Queen Regent, they would surrender the town, provided that they should be suffered to depart from the town with ensigns displayed. We, thirsting for the blood of no man, and seeking only the liberty of our brethren, suffered them freely to depart without any further molestation....

The Bishop of Moray lay in the Abbey of Scone, and it was thought good that some proceedings should be taken against him and against that place, which lay near to the town-end. The Lords wrote unto him, for he lay within two miles of Perth, that, unless he would come and assist them, they neither could spare nor save his place. He answered, by writing, that he would come, and would do as they thought expedient; that he would assist them with his force, and would vote with them against the rest of the clergy in Parliament. But his answer was slow in coming, and the town of Dundee marched forward.

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John Knox was sent unto them to stay them; but before his coming, they had begun the pulling down of the idols and dortour.¹³⁷¹³⁷Hangings. And, albeit the said John and others did what in them lay to stay the fury of the multitude, they were not able to restore complete order, and therefore they sent for the Lords, Earl of Argyll, and Lord James, who, coming with all diligence, laboured to save the Palace and Kirk. But, the multitude having found a great number of idols buried in the Kirk for the purpose of preserving them to a better day (as the Papists speak), the towns of Dundee and Perth could not be satisfied, until the whole furnishings and ornaments of the Church were destroyed. Yet did the Lords so travail that they saved the Bishop's Palace, with the Church and place for that night; for the two Lords did not depart until they brought with them the whole number of those that most sought the Bishop's displeasure.... The Bishop's girnell¹³⁸¹³⁸Granary. was kept for the first night by the labours of John Knox, who, by exhortation, removed such as violently would have made irruption....

On the morrow, some of the poor, in hope of spoil, and some of the men of Dundee, to see what had been done, went up to the Abbey of Scone. The Bishop's servants were offended, and began to threaten and speak proudly, and, as it was constantly affirmed, one of the Bishop's sons stogged through with a rapier a man of Dundee, for looking in at the girnell door.... The multitude, easily inflamed, gave the alarm, and the Abbey and Palace were appointed to sackage. They took no long deliberation in carrying out their purpose, but committed the whole to the merciment of fire....

While these things were being done at Perth, the Queen, fearing what should follow, determined to send certain bands of French soldiers to Stirling, to stop the passage to us that then were upon the north side of Forth. Hearing of this, the Earl of Argyll and Lord James departed secretly over-night, and with great expedition, getting in before the Frenchmen, took the166 town. Before their coming, the rascal multitude had laid hands on the thieves', I should say Friars', places and utterly destroyed them.

The Queen and her faction, not a little afraid, departed hastily from Edinburgh to Dunbar. So we, with all reasonable diligence, marched forward to Edinburgh to make reformation there, and arrived on the twenty-ninth of June. The Provost for that time, the Lord Seton, a man without God, without honesty, and oftentimes without reason, had formerly greatly troubled and molested the brethren. He had taken upon himself the protection and defence of the Black and Grey Friars; and for that purpose not only lay himself in one of the monasteries every night, but also constrained the most honest of the town, to their great grief and trouble, to keep vigil for the safety of those monsters. Hearing of our sudden coming, however, he had abandoned his charge, and had left the spoil to the poor, who had made havoc of all such things as were movable in those places before our coming, and had left nothing but bare walls, yea, not so much as door or window. We were the less troubled in reforming such places.

For certain days we deliberated as to what was to be done, and then determined to send some message to the Queen Regent.... After safe conduct was purchased¹³⁹¹³⁹Sued out; procured. and granted, we directed unto her two grave men of our Council. We gave commission and power to them to expose our whole purpose and intent, which was none other than before at all times we had insisted upon, to wit, that we might enjoy the liberty of conscience; that Christ Jesus might be truly preached, and His holy Sacraments rightly ministered unto us; that unable ministers might be removed from ecclesiastical administration; that our preachers might be relaxed from the horn, and permitted to perform their duties without molestation, until such time as, either by a General Council, lawfully convened, or by a Parliament within the realm, the controversies in religion were decided; and that the bands of Frenchmen,167 who were an intolerable burden to the country, and so fearful to us that we durst not in peaceable and quiet manner haunt the places where they did lie, should be sent to France, their native country. These things granted, her Grace should have experience of our customary obedience.

To these heads the Queen did answer at the first pleasantly, but then she began to handle the matter more craftily, complaining that she was not sought in a gentle manner; and that they in whom she had put most singular confidence had left her in her greatest need. In discussing these and such other things, pertaining nothing to their commission, she sought to spend and drive the time.... In the end of this communing, on the twelfth day of July 1559, she desired to have private talk with the Earl of Argyll, and Lord James, Prior of St. Andrews.... The Council, after consultation, thought it inexpedient that the Earl and Prior should talk with the Queen in any way; for her former practices made all men suspect that some deceit lurked under such coloured communing. It was known that she had said that, if she could by any means sunder those two from the rest, she was sure she should shortly attain her whole purpose; and one of her chief counsellors in those days had said that before Michaelmas day these two should lose their heads.... The Queen, perceiving that her craft could not prevail, was content that the Duke's Grace and the Earl of Huntly, with others appointed by her, should convene at Preston, to commune with the said Earl and Prior, and such others as the Lords of the Congregation would appoint. These, convening at Preston, spake the whole day without any certain conclusion. For this was the subterfuge of the Queen and of her faction. By drift of time she hoped to weary our company, who, for the most part, had been in the field from the tenth day of May, and that when we were dispersed she might come to her purpose. In this she was not altogether deceived; for our commons were compelled to skaill for lack of expenses, and our gentlemen, partly constrained by lack of furnishing and partly hoping that some168 small appointment would result from so many communings, returned for the most part to their dwelling places, to repose themselves.

The Queen, in all these conventions, seemed to indicate that she would give liberty to religion, provided that, wheresoever she was, our preachers should cease, and the Mass should be maintained. We, perceiving her malicious craft, answered that we would compel her Grace to no religion, but that we could not, of conscience, for the pleasure of any earthly creature, put silence to God's true messengers. Nor could we suffer that the right administration of Christ's true sacraments should give place to manifest idolatry; for in so doing we should declare ourselves enemies to God, to Christ Jesus His Son, to His eternal truth and to the liberty and establishment of His Church within this realm. If her request were granted, there could be no Kirk within the realm so established but that, at her pleasure, and by her residence and remaining there, she might overthrow the same....

To no point would the Queen answer directly; but in all things she was so general and so ambiguous, that her craft appeared to all men. She had gotten sure information that our company was skailled—for her Frenchmen were daily amongst us, without molestation or hurt done to them—and therefore she began to disclose her mind. "The Congregation," she said, "has reigned these two months bypast: me myself would reign now other two." The malice of her heart being plainly perceived, there was deliberation as to what was to be done. It was decided that the Lords, Barons and gentlemen, with their substantial households, should remain in Edinburgh that whole winter, for the purpose of establishing the Church there. When it was found that, by corrupting our money, the Queen made to herself immoderate gains for maintaining her soldiers, thereby destroying our whole commonwealth, it was thought necessary that the printing irons¹⁴⁰¹⁴⁰Coining dies. and all things pertaining to them should be taken into custody, for fear that she should privily cause them to be transported to Dunbar.

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In the meantime there came assured information, first, that the King of France was hurt, and, afterwards, that he was dead.... This wondrous work of God in his sudden death ought to have daunted the fury of the Queen Regent, and given her admonition that the same God could not long suffer her obstinate malice against His truth to remain unpunished. But her indurate heart could not be moved to repentance; and, hearing of the detention of the printing irons, she raged more outrageously than before.... We answered that we, without usurpation of anything justly pertaining to the Crown of Scotland, had stayed the printing irons because the commonwealth was greatly hurt by the corrupting of our money....

Partly by her craft and policy, and partly by the labours of the Archbishops of St. Andrews and Glasgow, the Queen Regent procured, from the whole number that were with her, consent to pursue us with all cruelty and expedition, before we could again assemble our forces, then dispersed for new equipment. Certain knowledge of this reached us on the Saturday at night, on the twenty-second of July, and we did what in us lay to give notice to our brethren. It was impossible, however, that those of the West, Angus, Mearns, Strathearn, or Fife, in any number, could come to us; for the enemy marched from Dunbar upon the Sunday, and approached within two miles of us before sunrise upon Monday. They verily supposed that they should have found no resistance, being assured that only the Lords and certain gentlemen remained, with their private households.... The most part of the town appeared rather to favour us than the Queen's faction; and offered us the uttermost of their support, a promise that, for the most part, they faithfully kept. The town of Leith made similar promise, but they did not keep the like fidelity; for, when we were upon the field, advancing to their support, when the French were close upon them, they surrendered without further resistance. Their unprovided and sudden defection astonished many; and yet we retired quietly to the side of Craig-end gate, where we took up a defensive position.... Before eight o'clock in the morning, God had given170 us both courage and a reasonable number wherewith to withstand the fury of the enemy. As many of the town of Edinburgh as had been trained to arms, and divers others besides, behaved themselves both faithfully and stoutly. The gentlemen of Lothian, and especially Calder, Haltoun, and Ormiston, were very helpful....

The enemy took such fright that they determined not to invade us where we stood, but planned to approach Edinburgh by the other side of the Water of Leith, and that because they had, unknown to us, secured the support of the Castle. We had supposed the Lord Erskine, Captain of the Castle, either to be our friend, or at least to be neutral. But, when we had determined to fight, he sent word to the Earl of Argyll, to Lord James, his sister's son, and to the other noblemen, that he would declare himself both enemy to them and to the town, and would shoot at both, if they made any resistance to the entrance of the Frenchmen to the town. We could not fight or stop the enemy, but under the mercy of the Castle and whole ordnance thereof. In conclusion, it was found less damage to take an appointment, albeit the conditions were not such as we desired, than to hazard battle betwixt two such enemies. After long talking, certain heads were drawn by us....

At the Links of Leith appointment was made and subscribed on the twenty-fifth of July. We returned to the town of Edinburgh, where we remained until the next day at noon; when, after sermon, dinner, and a proclamation made at the Market Cross, we withdrew from the town....

We came first to Linlithgow, and after that to Stirling, where, after consultation, a bond of defence, for maintenance of religion, and for mutual defence, every one of the other, was subscribed by all that were present.... This bond subscribed, we, foreseeing that the Queen and bishops meant nothing but deceit, thought good to seek support from all Christian Princes against her and her tyranny, in case we should be more sharply pursued. And because England was of the same religion, and lay next to us, it was171 judged expedient first to approach her rulers. This we did by one or two messengers, as hereafter, in the proper place, shall be declared more fully....

For comfort of the brethren and continuance of the Kirk in Edinburgh, our dear brother John Willock was left there. He, for his faithful labours and bold courage in that battle, deserves immortal praise. When it was found dangerous for John Knox, already elected minister to that Kirk, to continue there, the brethren requested the said John Willock to abide with them, lest, for lack of ministers, idolatry should again be erected. To this he so gladly consented that it was evident that he preferred the comfort of his brethren and the continuance of the Kirk there to his own life. One part of the Frenchmen were appointed to lie in garrison at Leith (that was the first benefit they got for their confederacy with them), the other part were appointed to lie in the Canongate; the Queen and her train abiding in the Abbey. Our brother John Willock, the day after our departure, preached in St. Giles's Kirk, and fervently exhorted the brethren to stand constant in the truth which they had professed.

The Duke, and divers others of the Queen's faction, were present at this and some other sermons. This liberty and preaching, with the resort of all people thereto, highly offended the Queen and the other Papists, and they began to give terrors to the Duke; affirming that he would be reputed as one of the Congregation, if he gave his countenance to the sermons. Thereafter they began to require that Mass should be set up again in St. Giles's Kirk, and that the people should be set at liberty to choose what religion they would: for, they affirmed, it had been a condition in the Appointment that the town of Edinburgh should have what religion they cared for. To ascertain this, the Duke, the Earl of Huntly, and the Lord Seton were sent to the Tolbooth, to solicit all men to submit to the Queen's opinion. The two last named did what they could, but the Duke remained a mere beholder, and of him172 the brethren had good hopes. After many persuasions and threatenings by the said Earl and Lord, the brethren stoutly and valiantly, in the Lord Jesus, gainsaid their most unjust petitions....

The foresaid Earl and Lord Seton, then Provost of Edinburgh, perceiving that they could not prevail in that manner, began to entreat that the citizens would so far submit to the Queen's pleasure as to choose another kirk within the town, or at least be contented that Mass should be said either after or before their sermons. Answer was given that they could not give place to the Devil, who was the chief inventor of the Mass, for the pleasure of any creature. They were in possession of that kirk, and they could not abandon it; nor could they suffer idolatry to be set up there, unless they should be constrained so to do by violence, and, if this were resorted to, they were determined to seek the next remedy.... By God's grace, the citizens continued in faithful service of God until the month of November. They not only convened to the preaching, daily supplications, and administration of baptism; but also the Lord's Table was administered, even in the eyes of the very enemy, to the great comfort of many afflicted consciences.

As God did potently work through His true minister, and in His troubled Kirk, so did not the Devil cease to inflame the malice of the Queen, and of the Papists with her. Shortly after her coming to the Abbey of Holyroodhouse, she caused Mass to be said, first in her own chapel, and after that in the Abbey, where the altars had before been cast down. Her malice extended in like manner to Cambuskenneth; for there she cancelled the stipends of as many of the Canons as had forsaken Papistry. She gave command and inhibition that the Abbot of Lindores should not receive payment of any part of his living in the north, because he had submitted himself to the Congregation, and had made some reformation to his place. By her consent and procurement, the preaching stools in the Kirk of Leith were broken, and idolatry was re-erected there. Her French173 captains, with their soldiers in great companies, resorted to St. Giles's Kirk in Edinburgh at the time of preaching and prayers, and made their common deambulator¹⁴¹¹⁴¹Promenade. therein, with such loud talking that it was impossible to hear the preacher distinctly. Although the minister was oft times compelled to cry out on them, praying to God to rid the people of such locusts, they continued in their wicked purpose. This had been devised and ordered by the Queen, who sought to draw our brethren of Edinburgh into a cummer¹⁴²¹⁴²Entanglement. with the soldiery, so that she might have a colourable occasion for breaking the league with them. Yet, by God's grace, they so behaved themselves that she could find no fault with them. On the other hand, in all these things, and in every one of them, she is worthily counted to have contravened the said Appointment....

In the meantime the Queen Regent, knowing assuredly what force was shortly to come to her aid, ceased not, by all means possible, to cloak the incoming of the French, and to inflame the hearts of our countrymen against us.... She used these means to abuse the simplicity of the people, that they should not suddenly espy for what purpose she brought in her new bands of men of war. These, to the number of a thousand men, arrived about the middle of August. The rest were appointed to come after with Monsieur de la Broche and the Bishop of Amiens, who arrived on the nineteenth day of September, as if they had been Ambassadors. What was their negotiation, the result declared, and they themselves could not long conceal; for, both by tongue and pen, they proclaimed that they had been sent for the utter extermination of all that would not profess the papistical religion in all points....

Prudent men foresaw that the Queen intended a complete conquest. But, to the end that the people should not suddenly stir, she would not bring in her full force at once, but by continual traffic purposed to augment her army, so that in the end we should not be able to resist. The greatest part174 of the nobility and many of the people were so enchanted by her treasonable agents that they could not listen to, or credit, the truth plainly spoken. The French, after the arrival of their new men, began to brag: then began they to divide the lands and lordships according to their own fancies; for one was styled Monsieur d' Ergyle; another, Monsieur le Prior; the third, Monsieur de Ruthven; yea, they were so assured, in their own opinion, to possess whatsoever they list, that some asked for statements of the rentals and revenues of divers men's lands, to the end that they might choose the best....

As we have already said, a Convention was appointed to be held at Stirling on the tenth day of September. To this repaired the most part of the Lords of the Congregation, ... and in the meantime came assured word that the Frenchmen had begun to fortify Leith. This action more evidently disclosed the Queen's craft, and so deeply grieved the hearts of the whole nobility that, with one consent, they addressed a letter to the Queen on the subject. This letter was signed by my Lord Duke, the Earls of Arran, Glencairn and Menteith, by the Lords Ruthven, Ochiltree and Boyd, and by divers other barons and gentlemen....

The Duke and Lords, understanding that the fortification of Leith was still proceeding, directed their whole forces to convene at Stirling on the fifteenth day of October, that from thence they might advance to Edinburgh, for redress of the great enormities committed by the French upon the whole country, which was so oppressed by them that the life of every honest man was bitter to him.¹⁴³¹⁴³In framing a historical record of the important events in Scotland in which he took a part, Knox seems to have considered it incumbent upon him to preserve in his chronicle complete copies of the numerous documents and missives concerning the relations of the Reformers among themselves, or embodying the communings of the Reformers with the Queen Regent and with the Sovereign of England. In the present edition, these are omitted, or only quoted in abbreviated form, so far as may be necessary to keep the reader in close touch with the thread of the narrative, and the attitude of the different parties.—Ed....

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There came from the Queen Regent, on the twenty-first day of October, Master Robert Forman, Lion King of Arms, who brought unto us the following credit:—

"That she wondered how any durst presume to command her in that realm, which needed not to be conquered by any force, considering that it was already conquered by marriage; that Frenchmen could not justly be called strangers, seeing that they were naturalised; and therefore that she would neither make the town of Leith patent, nor yet send any man away, except as she thought expedient. She accused the Duke of violating his promise; she made long protestation of her love towards the commonwealth of Scotland; and in the end she commanded that, under pain of treason, all assisters to the Duke and to us should depart from the town of Edinburgh."...

The whole nobility, barons, and burgesses, then present, were commanded to convene in the Tolbooth of Edinburgh, the same twenty-first day of October, for deliberation. The whole cause being exponed there by the Lord Ruthven, the question was proponed, Whether she that so contemptuously refused the most humble request of the born counsellors of the realm, being also but a Regent whose pretences threatened the bondage of the whole commonwealth, ought to be suffered so tyrannously to empire over them? Because this question had not before been disputed in open assembly, it was thought expedient that the judgment of the preachers should be required. These being called and instructed in the case, John Willock spoke as follows, affirming:—

"First. That, albeit magistrates be God's ordinance, having power and authority from Him, their power is not so largely extended, but that it is bounded and limited by God in His Word.

"Secondarily. That, as subjects are commanded to obey their magistrates, so are magistrates commanded to fulfil their duty to the subjects, as God by His Word has prescribed the office of the one and of the other.

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"Thirdly. That, albeit God has appointed magistrates to be His Lieutenants on earth, and has honoured them with His own title, calling them gods, He did never so establish any, but that for just causes they might be deprived.

"Fourthly. That, in deposing Princes and those in authority, God did not always use His immediate power; but sometimes He used other means which His wisdom thought good, and justice approved. By Asa He had removed Maachah, his own mother, from the honour and authority which she had brooked;¹⁴⁴¹⁴⁴Soiled. by Jehu He had destroyed Joram and the whole posterity of Ahab; and by divers others He had deposed from authority those whom previously He had established by His own Word.

"The Queen Regent had denied her chief duty to the subjects of this realm, which was to minister justice unto them indifferently, to preserve their liberties from invasion by strangers, and to suffer them to have God's Word freely and openly preached amongst them. Moreover, she was an open and obstinate idolatress, a vehement maintainer of all superstition and idolatry; and, finally, she had utterly despised the counsel and requests of the nobility. Upon these grounds he argued that there was no reason why they, the born counsellors, nobility, and barons of the realm, might not justly deprive her from all regiment and authority amongst them."...

The individual vote of every man being required, and every man commanded to speak what his conscience judged in that matter, as he would answer to God, there was none found amongst the whole number who did not, by his own tongue, consent to her deprivation....

After our Act of Suspension was by sound of trumpet divulged at the Market Cross of Edinburgh, we dismissed the herald with his answer, and on the following day we summoned the town of Leith by the sound of trumpet, requiring, in name of the King and Queen and of the Council then in Edinburgh, that all Scots and French men,¹⁴⁵¹⁴⁵That is, men-at-arms. of whatsoever estate and degree they should be, to depart from the177 town of Leith within the space of twelve hours, and "make the same patent to all and sundry our Sovereign Lady's lieges."...

Defiance given, there was skirmishing, without great slaughter. Preparation of scaills¹⁴⁶¹⁴⁶Scaling-ladder. and ladders was made for the assault, which had been agreed upon by common consent of the nobility and barons. The scaills were appointed to be made in St. Giles's Church, and preaching was neglected. This not a little grieved the preachers, and many godly persons.... The Queen had amongst us her assured spies, who did not only signify unto her what was our state, but also what were our counsel, purposes, and devices. Some of our own company were vehemently suspected to be the very betrayers of all our secrets. A boy of the Official of Lothian, Master James Balfour, was caught carrying a writing which disclosed the most secret thing that was devised in the Council; yea, these very things which were thought only to have been known to a very few.

By such domestic enemies not only were our purposes frustrated, but also our determinations were often overthrown and changed. The Duke's friends sought to alarm him, and he was greatly troubled; by his fear many others were troubled. The men of war, for the most part men without God or honesty, made a mutiny, because they lacked a part of their wages.... All these troubles were practised by the Queen, and put into execution by the traitors amongst ourselves.... To pacify the men of war, a collection was devised. But, because some were poor and some were niggardly and avaricious, no sufficient sum could be obtained. It was thought expedient that a cunyie¹⁴⁷¹⁴⁷Mint. should be erected, so that every nobleman might cunyie his silver to supply the immediate necessity. David Forrest, John Hart, and others who before had charge of the Cunyie-house, promised their faithful labours; but, when the matter came to the very point, the said John Hart and others of his faction stole away, and took with them the necessary tools....

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There now remained no hope that any money could be furnished among ourselves; and therefore it was concluded by a few of those whom we judged most secret that inquiry should be directed to Sir Ralph Sadler, and Sir James Crofts, then having charge at Berwick, to ascertain whether they would support us with any reasonable sum in that urgent necessity. And for that purpose the Laird of Ormiston was directed to them in as secret manner as we could devise. But our counsel was disclosed to the Queen, who appointed the Lord Bothwell, as he himself confessed, to await the return of the said Laird. That he did with all diligence; and, being assuredly informed by what way he would come, the said Earl Bothwell foreset his way, and, coming upon him at unawares, did capture him, and the sum of four thousand crowns of the sun, which Sir Ralph Sadler and Sir James Crofts had most lovingly sent for our support.... The Earl of Arran, the Lord James, the Master of Maxwell, with the most part of the horsemen, took sudden purpose to pursue the said Earl of Bothwell, in the hope that they might apprehend him in Crichton or Morham.... But, albeit the departure and counsel of the Earl of Arran and Lord James was very sudden and secret, the Earl Bothwell, then being in Crichton, received information of this, and so escaped with the money....

In the absence of the said Lords and horsemen (we mean the same day that they departed, which was the last of October) the Provost and town of Dundee, together with some soldiers, issued from the town of Edinburgh, and carried with them some great ordnance to shoot at Leith.... The French being notified that our horsemen were absent, and that the whole company were at dinner, made a sortie, and with great expedition came to the place where our ordnance was laid. The town of Dundee, with a few others, resisted for a while, with their ordnance as well as hackbuts; but, being left by our ungodly and feeble soldiers, who fled without stroke offered or given, they were compelled to give back, and so to leave the ordnance to the enemies. These pursued the fugitives to the middle of the Canongate,179 and to the foot of Leith Wynd. Their cruelty then began to discover itself; for the decrepit, the aged, the women and children, found no greater favour in their fury than did the strong man who made resistance.

It was very apparent that amongst ourselves there was some treason. Upon the first alarm, all men made haste to come to the relief of their brethren, and in very deed we might have saved them, and at least we might have saved the ordnance, and have kept the Canongate from danger; for we were at once marched forward with bold courage. But then a shout was raised amongst ourselves (God will disclose the traitors one day) affirming that the whole French company had entered Leith Wynd at our backs. What clamour and disorder then suddenly arose, we list not to express with multiplication of words. The horsemen and some of those that ought to have maintained order overrode their poor brethren at the entrance of the Nether Bow. The cry of distress arose in the town; the wicked and malignant blasphemed; the feeble (amongst whom was the Justice Clerk, Sir John Bellenden) fled without mercy. With great difficulty could they be kept in at the West Port.... In the meantime, the French retired themselves with our ordnance....

From that day forward, the courage of many was dejected. With great difficulty could men be retained in the town; yea, some of the greatest estimation determined to abandon the enterprise. Many fled away secretly, and those that did abide—a very few excepted—appeared destitute of counsel and manhood.... Thus we continued from Wednesday, the last of October, until Monday the fifth of November, never two or three abiding firm in one opinion for the space of twenty-four hours.... Upon the last-named day, the French made an early sally from Leith, for the purpose of kepping¹⁴⁸¹⁴⁸Intercepting. the victuals which should have come to us. We being troubled amongst ourselves, and divided in opinions, were neither circumspect when they did ish,¹⁴⁹¹⁴⁹Come forth; issue. nor did we follow with such expedition as had been meet for men that would have sought our advantage....

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William Maitland of Lethington, younger, Secretary to the Queen, perceiving himself not only to be suspected as one that favoured our part, but also to stand in danger of his life if he should remain amongst so ungodly a company, surrendered himself to Master Kirkaldy, Laird of Grange. He, coming to us, exhorted us to constancy, assuring us that there was nothing but craft and deceit in the Queen. He travailed exceedingly to keep the Lords together, and most prudently laid before their eyes the dangers that might ensue upon their departing from the town. But fear and dolour had seized the hearts of all, and they could admit no consolation.

The Earl of Arran, and Lord James, offered to abide, if any reasonable company would abide with them. But men continued to steal away, and the wit of man could not stay them. Yea, some of the greatest determined plainly that they would not abide. The Captain of the Castle, then Lord Erskine, would promise us no favours, but said he must needs declare himself friend to those that were able to support and defend him. When this answer was given to the Lord James, it discouraged those that before had determined to have abided the uttermost, rather than abandon the town, had but the Castle stood their friend. But the contrary being declared, every man consulted his own safety. The complaint of the brethren within the town of Edinburgh was lamentable and sore. The wicked, too, began to spue forth the venom which lurked in their cankered heart....

It was finally agreed to withdraw from Edinburgh; and, to avoid danger, it was decided that the forces should depart at midnight. The Duke made provision for his ordnance, and caused it to be sent before; but the rest was left to the care of the Captain of the Castle, who received it, both that of the Lord James, and that of Dundee. The despiteful tongues of the wicked railed upon us, calling us traitors and heretics: every one provoked the other to cast stones at us. One cried, "Alas, if I might see;" another, "Fie, give advertisement to the Frenchmen that they may come, and we shall help them now to cut the throats of these heretics."181 And thus, as the sword of dolour passed through our hearts, the cogitations and former determinations of many hearts were then revealed. We would never have believed that our natural countrymen and women would have wished our destruction so unmercifully, and have so rejoiced in our adversity.... We stayed not until we came to Stirling, which we did the day after that we departed from Edinburgh; for it was concluded, that consultation should be taken there as to the next remedy in so desperate a matter.

The next Wednesday, which was the seventh of November, John Knox preached (John Willock having departed to England, as he had previously arranged) and treated of the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth versicles of the Fourscore Psalm.... In his exposition he declared the reasons for which God sometimes suffered His chosen flock to be exposed to mockage, to dangers, and to apparent destruction: to wit, that they might feel the vehemency of God's indignation; that they might know how little strength was in themselves; that they might leave a testimony to the generations following, as well of the malice of the Devil against God's people, as of the marvellous work of God in preserving His little flock by far other means than man can espy. In explaining these words, "How long shalt Thou be angry, O Lord, against the prayer of Thy people?" he declared how dolorous and fearful it was to fight against the temptation to believe that God turned away His face from our prayers, for that was nothing else than to comprehend and conceive God to be armed for our destruction. This temptation no flesh could abide or overcome, unless the mighty Spirit of God interponed Himself suddenly.

By way of example, he noted the impatience of Saul, when God would not hear his prayers. He plainly declared that the difference between the elect and reprobate in that temptation was that the elect, sustained by the secret power of God's Spirit, did still call upon God, albeit He appeared to contemn their prayers. That, he said, was the sacrifice most acceptable to God, and was in a manner even to fight with182 God, and to overcome Him, as Jacob did in warselling with His Angel. But the reprobate, said he, being denied of their requests at God's hand, either ceased to pray, and altogether contemned God, albeit He had straitly commanded us to call upon Him in the day of adversity; or else they sought from the Devil that which they saw they could not obtain from God.

In the second part, he declared how hard it was to this corrupt nature of ours not to rejoice and put confidence in itself when God gave victory; and, therefore, how necessary it was that man by affliction should be brought to the knowledge of his own infirmity, lest, puffed up with vain confidence, he should make an idol of his own strength, as did King Nebuchadnezzar. He gravely disputed upon the nature of the blind world, which, in all ages, had insolently rejoiced when God did chasten His own children. The reprobate could never see their glory and honour, and therefore despised them, and the wondrous work of God in them. "And yet," said he, "the joy and rejoicing of the world is but mere sorrow, because the end of it tendeth to sudden destruction, as the riotous banqueting of Belshazzar declareth.... I doubt not that some of us have oftener than once read this Psalm, as also that we have read and heard the travail and troubles of our ancient fathers. But which of us, either in reading or hearing their dolours and temptations, did so descend into ourselves that we felt the bitterness of their passions? I think none. And therefore has God brought us to some experience in our own persons....

"When we were few in number, in comparison with our enemies, when we had neither Earl nor Lord, a few excepted, to comfort us, we called upon God; we took Him for our protector, defence, and only refuge. Amongst us, we heard no bragging of multitude, of our strength, nor policy: we did only sob to God, to have respect to the equity of our cause, and to the cruel pursuit of the tyrannous enemy. But since our number hath been thus multiplied, and chiefly since my Lord Duke's Grace and his friends have been joined with us, there has been nothing heard, but, 'This Lord will bring183 these many hundred spears:' 'this man hath the credit to persuade this country:'¹⁵⁰¹⁵⁰District. 'if this Earl be ours, no man in such a bounds will trouble us.' And thus the best of us all, who formerly felt God's potent hand to be our defence, have of late days put flesh to be our arm....

"I am uncertain if my Lord's Grace hath unfeignedly repented of his assistance to these murderers unjustly pursuing us. Yea, I am uncertain if he hath repented of that innocent blood of Christ's blessed martyrs which was shed in his default. But let it be that so he hath done (as I hear that he hath confessed his offence before the Lords and Brethren of the Congregation), I am yet assured that neither he nor his friends have felt before this time the anguish and grief of heart suffered by us when in their blind fury they pursued us. Therefore hath God justly permitted both them and us to fall into this confusion at the same time: us, because we put our trust and confidence in man; and them, that they should feel in their own hearts how bitter was the cup which they made others drink. It only remains that both they and we should turn to the Eternal our God, who beats down to death, to the intent that He may raise up again, and leave the remembrance of His wondrous deliverance, to the praise of His own name....

"Yea, whatever shall become of us and of our mortal carcases, I doubt not but that this cause, in despite of Satan, shall prevail in the realm of Scotland. For, as it is the eternal truth of the eternal God, so shall it once prevail, howsoever for a time it be impugned. It may be that God shall plague some because they delight not in the truth, albeit for worldly respects they seem to favour it. Yea, God may take some of His dearest children away before their eyes see greater troubles. But neither shall the one nor the other hinder this action, and in the end it shall triumph."

Upon the conclusion of this sermon, in which John Knox had vehemently exhorted all men to amendment of life, to prayers, and to the works of charity, the minds of men began wondrously to be erected.... In the end, it was concluded that William Maitland should go to London to lay our estate184 and condition before the Queen and Council, and that the Noblemen should go home and remain quiet until the sixteenth day of December. That date was appointed for the next Convention in Stirling, as in our Third Book shall be more amply declared.

Look upon us, O Lord, in the multitude of Thy mercies; for we are brought even to the deep of the dungeon.