The Works of John Knox Volume II Part 49

[940] In MS. 1566, "hir placebo boyis."

"The Quenis Majestie is informit, that ye haif travellit to raise a tumult of hir subjectis against hir, and for certificatioun thairof, thair is presented to hir your awin letter subscryvit in your name.

Yit because hir Grace will do na thing without ane gude advys.e.m.e.nt, sche hes convenit you befoir this pairt of the n.o.bilitie, that thai may witness betwix you and hir."

"Lat him acknawlege," said sche, "his awin hand writ, and than sall we juge of the contentis of the letter."

And so wes the letter present.i.t from hand to hand to Johne Knox, who, taking inspectioun of it, said, "I glaidlie acknawlege this to be my hand writ: and also I remember, I dyteit ane letter in the month of October, giffin significatioun to the brether in sindrie quarteris, of sick thingis as displesit me. And that gude opinioun haif I of the fidelatie of the Scribes that willinglie thai wald nocht adulterat my originall, albeit I left diverse blankis subscryvit with thame; and so I acknawlege boith the hand write and the dytement."

"Ye haif done more," said Lethingtoun, "than I wald haif done."

"Charritie," said the uther, "is not suspicious."

"Weill, weill," said the Quene, "reid your awin letter, and than answer to such thingis as salbe demandit of you."

"I sall do the best I can," said the other; and so with loud voce he began to reid as befoir expressed.

Efter that the letter was red to the end, it was present.i.t agane to Mr. Johne Spens; for the Quene commandit him to accuse, as he efter did, but verie gentillie,--Efter, we say, that the letter was red, the Quene, behalding the hoill tabill, said, "Hard ye evir, my Lordis, ane mair dispitfull and tressonable letter?"[941]

[941] The Letter on which this accusation was founded, is printed at page 395.

Quhill that no man gaif ansuer, Lethingtoun addressit him to John Knox, and said, "Maister Knox, ar ye nocht sorie from your hairt, and do ye nocht repent that sick ane letter hes past your pen, and from you is c.u.min to the knawlege of utheris."

Johne Knox ansuerit, "My Lord Secretour, befoir I repent I maun be taucht of my offence."

"Offence," said Lethingtoun, "gif thair wer na mair but the convocatioun of the Quenis leigis, the offence can nocht be denyit."

"Remember your self, my Lord," said the uther, "thair is a differens betwix ane lauchfull convocatioun, and ane unlauchfull. Giff I haif bene giltie in this, I haif oft offendit sen I come [last] in Scotland: for what convocatioun of the brethering hes ever bene to this day into quhilk my pen servit not? Befoir this no man led it to my chairge as ane cryme."

"Than wes than," said Ledingtoun, "and now is now: We haif no neid of sick convocatiounis as sometimes we haif had."

Johne Knox ansuerit, "The time that hes bene is evin now befoir my eyis; for I see the pure flock[942] in no less daunger nor it hes bene at ony time befoir, except that the Devill hes gottin a vissorne upon his face. Befoir he come in with his awin face, discoverit be opin tyrannie, seiking the destructioun of all that hes refuissit idolatrie; and than I think ye will confess the brethering lauchfullie a.s.sembled thame selfis for defence of thair lyffeis. And now the Devill c.u.mis under the cloke of Justice, to do that quhilk G.o.d wald nocht suffer him to do by strength."

[942] In MS. 1566, "folk."

"What is this?" said the Quene. "Me think ye tryfill with him. Quho gaif him authoritie to mak convocatioun of my leigis? Is nocht that tressoun?"

"Na, Madam," said the Lord Ruithven, "for he makis convocatioun of the pepill to heir prayer and sermoun almost daylie, and whatevir your Grace or utheris will think thereof, we think it no tressoun."

"Hald your peace," said the Quene, "and let him mak ansuer for him self."

"I began, [Madam]" said Johne Knox, "to ressoun with the Secratour, quhome I tak to be ane far better dialectician[943] then your Grace is, that all convocatiouns ar nocht unlauchfull: and now my Lord Ruithven hes gevin the instance, quhilk gif your Grace will deny, I sall addres me for the prufe."

[943] In MS. 1566, "dalectiane."

"I will say nathing," said the Quene, "aganis your religioun, nor aganis your convenyng to your sermonis: But quhat authoritie haif ye to convocat my subjectis quhen ye will, without my commandiment?"

"I haif no plesour," said Johne Knox, "to declyne from the formar purpoise. And yit, Madam, to satisfie your Grace's two questiounis, I ansuer, that at my will I nevir convenit four persounis in Scotland; but at the ordour that the bretherin hes appoynt.i.t, I haif gevin diverse adverteismentis, and grit mult.i.tudis haif a.s.semblit thairupone. And gif your Grace complane that this wes done without your Graceis commandiment, I ansuer, sa hes all that G.o.d hes blissed within this Realme from the begyning of this actioun. And thairfoir, Madam, I maun be convyckit be ane just law, that I haif done aganis the deutie of G.o.dis messinger in writting of this letter, befoir that either I be sorie, or yit repent for the doing of it, as my Lord Secretour wald perswaid me: For what I haif done, I haif done [at] the commandiment of the generall Kirk of this Realme; and thairfoir, I think, I haif done na wrang."

"Ye sall not eschaip so," said the Quene. "Is it nocht tressoun, my Lordis, to accuse ane Prince of creweltie? I think thair be Actis of Parliament aganis sick whisperaris." That wes grant.i.t of monie.

"But whairintill," said Johne Knox, "can I be accusit?"

"Reid this pairt of your awin bill," said the Quene, quhilk began, "Thir feirfull summondis is direct aganis thame, (to wit, the bretherin foirsaid,) to make, no dout, preparatioun[944] upoun ane few, that ane dore may be opened till execute creweltie upoun ane grytter mult.i.tude." "Lo," said the Quene, "quhat say ye to that?"

[944] In MS. G. "a preparatyve."

Quhill monie doubt.i.t quhan the said Johne sould ansuer, he said unto the Quene, "Is it lauchfull for me, Madam, to ansuer for my self? Or sall I be dampned befoir I be hard?"

"Say what ye can," said sche; "for I think ye haif eneuch ado."

"I will first [then] desyre this of your Grace, Madam, and of this maist Honorabill audience, quhidder gif your Grace knawis nocht, that the obstinat Papistis ar deidlie ennemeis to all sick as profess the Evangill of Jesus Christ, and that thai moist eirnistlie desyre the exterminatioun of thame, and of the trew doctrine that is taucht within this Realme?"

The Quene held hir peace: but all the Lordis, with commoun voce, said, "G.o.d forbid that either the lyves of the faythfull, or yit the staying of the doctrine, stude in the power of the Papistis: for just experience hes tauld us what creweltie lyis in[945] thair hertis."

[945] In MS. G, 1566, "is in."

"I maun proceid than," said Johne Knox, "seing that I persaif that all will grant that it wer ane barbarous creweltie to destroy sick ane mult.i.tude as profess the Evangell of Jesus Christ within this Realme, quhilk ofter then anis or twyse thai haif tempit to do be force, as thingis done of lait dayis do testify, quhairof thay, be G.o.d and his providence, being dissapoint.i.t, haif invent.i.t moir craftie and daingerous practises, to wit, to mak the Prince pairtie under cullour of law: and so what thai could not do [be] oppin force, thai sall perform be craftie deceat. For who thinkis, my Lordis, that the insatiable crewaltie of the Papistis, within this Realme, I meane, sall end in the murthering of these two bretherin now injustlie summond, and moir unjustlie to be accusit. I think no man of judgement can sa esteme, but rayther the direct contrair, that is, that by this few noumer thai intend to prepair a way to thair bloodie interprises aganis the whole. And thairfoir, Madam, cast up when ye list the Actis of your Parliment. I haif offendit nathing aganis thame; I accuse nocht in my letter your Grace, nor yit your natoure of creweltie. But I affirm yit agane, that the pestilent Papistis, quho have inflamit your Grace without caus againis those pure men at this present, ar the sonis of the devill; and thairfoir maun obey the desires of thair father, quho hes bene ane liar and ane murtherour from the begyning."

"Ye forget your self," said ane; "ye ar not now in the pulpit."

[Sidenote: LAT THE WARLD JUGE QUHAT EFFER SCHORTLIE ANSUERIT.][946]

[946] This marginal note is omitted in MS G.

"I am in the place," said the uther, "quhair I am demandit of conscience to speik the treuth; and thairfoir I speik. The treuth I speik impung it quhoso list. And heirunto [I add,] Madam, that honest, gentill, and meik naturis be appeirance, be wickit and corrupt counsallouris, may be convert.i.t and alter[947] to the direct contrair.

Exampill we haif of Nero, who in the begyning of his impyre, we find haifing some naturall schame;[948] but efter that his flatteraris had encuraged him in all impietie, alleging, that na thing wes either unhonest nor yit unlauchfull for his personage, quho wes Empriour abuif utheris: quhen he had drunken of this coup, I say, to quhat enormiteis he fell, the historeis beiris witnes. And now, Madam, to speik planelie, Papistis and conjureit ennemeis to Jesus Christ, haif your Graceis eare patent at all tymeis. I a.s.sure your Grace thai ar daingerous counsallouris, and that your Mother fand."

[947] In MS. G, "be subverted and altered."

[948] In M.S. 1566, "some mortell."

As this wes said, Ledingtoun smyleit,[949] and spak secreitlie to the Queue in hir eare; what it wes, the tabill hard nocht. But immediatlie sche addressit hir vissage, and s.p.a.ck to Johne Knox, and said, "Weill, ye speik fair eneuch heir befoir my Lordis; but the last tyme I spak with you secreitlie, ye causit me weip monie salt teiris, and said to me stubernelie, 'Ye set not by my greitting.'"

[949] In MS. G. "smyrklit."

"Madam," said the uther, "becaus now the secound tyme your Grace hes burdened me with that crime, I maun ansuer, as [leist] for my silence I be haldin gyltie. [If your Grace] be rypelie rememberit, the Laird of Dun, yit leving to testifie the treuth, was present at that tyme quhairof your Grace complenis. Your Grace accuseit me, that I had irreventlie handyllit you in the pulpat; that I denyit. Ye said, What ado had I to speik of your marriage? What was I, that I sould mell with syk maiteris? I ansuerit, As tueching natour, I wes ane worm of this earth, and yet ane subject of this Commounwelth; but as tueching the office whairintill it hes plesit G.o.d to place me, I wes ane watchman, bayth over the Realme, and over the Kirk of G.o.d gatherit within the same; be reasoun whairof I wes bound in conscience to blaw the trumpet publictlie, so oft as evir I saw onie upfall, onie appeiring dainger,[950] either of the one or of the other. But sa it wes, that ane certane bruit affermed that traffick of mariage wes betwix your Grace and the Spanishe allya; quhairinto I said, that gif your n.o.bylattie and Estaitis did agrie, unles that bayth ye and your husband sould be so straitlie bound, that neither of you mycht hurte this Commounwealth, nor yit the pure Kirk of G.o.d within the same, that in that cais I wald p.r.o.nunce, that the consentaris wer trubleris[951]

of this Commounwelth, and ennemeis to G.o.d, and to his promeis plant.i.t within the same.[952] At these wordis, I grant, your Grace stormed, and burst.i.t furth into ane unressonable weiping. Quhat myttigatioun the Laird of Dun wald haif maid, I suppois your Grace hes not forget.

But whill that nathing wes abill to stay your weiping, I wes compellit to say, I tak G.o.d to record, that I never tuik plesour to see onie creatour weip, [yea, not my children quhen my awin hands had bett thame,][953] meikle less can I rejoise to see your Grace mak sick regreat. But seing I haif offerit your Grace no such occasioun, I maun rather suffer your Grace to tack your awin plesour, or that I dar conceil the treuth, and so betray baith the Kirk of G.o.d and my Commounwelth. Thir wes the maist extreme wordis that I spak that day."

[950] In MS. G, "ony upfall or apparand danger." In MS. 1566, "apfaw."

[951] In MS. G, "wer traytors."

[952] In MS. G, "and to his truth planted within the same."

[953] These words omitted in MS 1566.

Efter that the Secretar had conferrit with the Quene, he said, "Mr.