The Works of John Knox Volume II Part 50

Knox, ye may returne to your hous for this nicht."

"I thank G.o.d and the Quenis Majestie," said the other. "And, Madame, I pray G.o.d to purge your hairt from Papeistrey, and to preserve you from the counsall of flatteraris; for how pleasand that thei appeir to your ear and corrupt affectioun for the tyme, experience hes tauld us in what perplexatie thay have brocht famous princes."

Ledingtoune and the Maister of Maxwell [were] that nycht the two stoupeis of hir chair.

Johne Knox being depart.i.t, the Tabill of the Lordis, and utheris that wer present, wer demandit, everie man be his vote, Gif Johne Knox had nocht offendit the Quenis Majestie. The Lordis voteit uniformelie thai coulde find no offence. The Quene wes past to hir cabinet. The flatteraris of the Courte, and Ledingtoune prync.i.p.ally, raged. The Quene wes brocht agane, and placeit in hir chyre, and thai commandit to vote oure agane: quhilk thing heichlie offendit the haill n.o.bylattie, and began to speik in opin audience, "What! sall the Laird of Lethingtoune haif power to controle us: or sall the presence of ane woman caus us to offend G.o.d, and to dampne ane innocent aganis oure conscience for plesour of onie creatour?" And so the haill n.o.bylattie absolved Johne Knox agane, and praisit G.o.d for his modestie, and for his plane and sensible ansueris. Yit befoir the end, ane thing is to be noitt.i.t, to witt, that amangis sa monie placeboes, we mene the flatteraris of Courte, thair wes nocht ane that planelie durst condampne the pure man that was accusit, this same G.o.d reuling thair tounge that sometymeis reulit the toung of Balaam,[954] when gladlie he wald haif cursit G.o.dis pepill.

[954] In MS. 1566, "Balam."

[Sidenote: THE TANT OF THE QUENE TO MR. HENRIE SYNCLAIR.]

[Sidenote: THE CRAFT OF THE COURTE.]

This persaveit, the Quene began to upbraid Mr. Henrie Synclair, then Bischope of Ross, and said, heiring his vote to agree with the rest, "Trubill nocht the barne: I pray you trubill him nocht; for he is newlie walknit out of his sleip. Why soulde nocht the aulde fule follow the futestapis of thame that haif pa.s.sit befoir him." The Bischope answerit cauldlie, "Your Grace may considder, that it is neither affectioun to the man, nor yit lufe to his proffessioun that moved me to absolve him; but the sempill treuthe, quhilk planelie appeiris in his defence, drawis me efter it, albeit that utheris wald haif condampnit him." And this being said, the Lordis and haill a.s.sisteris araise and depart.i.t. That nycht wes nether dansing nor fyddilling in the Courte; for Madame wes disappoynt.i.t of hir purpois, quhilk wes to haif had Johne Knox in hir will be vote of hir n.o.bylattie.

Johne Knox, absolved be the votes of the grittest pairt of the n.o.bylattie from the cryme intendit aganis him, evin in the presence of the Quene, sche rageit, and the placebois of the Courte stormed: And so began new a.s.saultis to be maid at the handis of the said Johne, to confes ane offence, and to put him in the Quenis will, and thay soulde promeis that his gryttest punischement sould be to go within the Castell of Edinburgh, and immediatlie to returne to his awin hous. He answerit, "G.o.d forbid that my confessioune soulde dampne those n.o.bill men that of thair conscience, and with displasour of the Quene, have absolved me. And forder, I am a.s.sureit, ye will nocht in earnist desyre me to confes ane offence, onles that thairwith ye wald desyre me to ceise from preiching: for how can I exhorte utheris to peace and Cryssin quyetnes, gif I confes myself ane authour and mover of seditioun?"

[Sidenote: QUHILK BEGAN THE 25 OF DECEMBER.][955]

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

[Sidenote: THE COURTE REFUISIT THE MINISTERIS.]

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

[956] Christopher Goodman was a native of Chester, born about the year 1520, and educated at Oxford. During the persecutions in England, after Queen Mary's accession to the throne, he went first to Frankfort, then to Strasburg, and in September 1555, he was chosen Knox's colleague at Geneva. In 1558, he published his celebrated treatise, "How Superior Powers ought to be obeyed," which rendered him so obnoxious to Queen Elizabeth, on account of his statements on "The Regiment of Women." Finding no encouragement, on returning to England, he accompanied Knox's wife and family to Scotland, in September 1559, and became minister of Ayr. He was soon afterwards translated to St.

Andrews, as a place of greater importance. He returned to England towards the close of 1565. (Booke of the Kirk, vol. i. p. 72.) He died at an advanced age, at Chester, in 1601. See notices collected by Dr.

M'Crie, Life of Knox, vol. ii. pp. 331-333, 459.

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

[Sidenote: KNOX FALSLIE REPOIRt.i.t OF.]

Monie wonderit at the sylence of Johne Knox; for in all those quick ressonyngis he openit not his mouthe. The cause thairof he himself expressit in those wordis: "I haif travellit, rycht honorabill and belovit Bretherin, sen my last arryval within this Realme in ane uprycht conscience befoir my G.o.d, seiking no thing more, as he is [my]

wytness, than the advancement of his glorie, and the stabillitie of his Kirk within this Realme; and yit of lait dayis I haif bene accuseit as ane sedytious man, and as ane that usurpes unto my self power that bec.u.mis me nocht. Trew it is, I haif gevin adverteismentis into the bretherin in dyveris quarteris, of the extremitie intendit aganis certane faythfull for luiking to ane Preist going to Mess, and for observing of those that transgressit juste lawis; bot [that]

thairintill I haif usurped farther power than is gevin into me, till that be you I be dampned, I utterlie deny; for I say, that be you, that is be the chairge of the Generall a.s.semblie, I haif als just power to adverteise the bretherin from tyme to tyme of daingers appeiring, as that I haif to preche the worde of G.o.d in the pulpett of Edinbrough; for be you I wes appoynt.i.t to the one and to the uther; and thairfoir, in the name of G.o.d, I craif your jugementis. The dainger that appeirit to me in my accusatioun wes nocht sua feirfull as the wordis that come to my earis wer dollorous to my hairt; for thir wordis wer planelie spokin, and that be sum Protestantis, 'What can the Pape do mair then send furth his Letteris, and requyreit thame to be obeyit.' Lat me haif your jugementis thairof, quhidder that I haif usurped onie power to my self, or gif I haif bot obeyit your commandiment."

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

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

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

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

[Sidenote: 1563.]

[Sidenote: HURDOME AND MURDOUR IN THE COURTE.]

[Sidenote: SEMPILL AND LEVINGSTOUN.]

[Sidenote: MARIES REGIMENT.]

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

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

[961] John Sempill was the son of Robert third Lord Sempill, by a second marriage with Elizabeth Carlyle. (Wood's Peerage, vol. ii. p.

494.) Mary Levingstone was one of the Queen's Maries who accompanied her to France, and was the youngest daughter of Alexander fifth Lord Levingstone. It may have been to ensure their marriage that the Queen, by a special grant under the Privy Seal, to "John Sempill, sone to hir cousin Robert Lord Sempill, and Marie Levingstoun his spous, sister to William Lord Livingstone," granted a charter of various lands, in consideration that "it had pleisit G.o.d to move thair hartis to joyne togidder in the stait of matrimonye." It is dated 9th March 1564-5. In the Parliament 19th April 1567, when it proposed to annul the forfeiture of George Earl of Huntley, which would affect various grants that had been made, the charter of infestment in the lands of Auchtermuchty, Stewarton, and others, to Sempill, was anew ratified by the Queen. (Acta Parl. Scot., vol. ii. p. 559.) The same favour was continued by James the Sixth, on the penult November 1581, from his general Revocation of grants, among other exceptions, "reservit and except.i.t" the infestment made by Queen Mary "to umquhile John Semple of Butress, and Marie Livingston his spous, of the town and lands of Auchtermuchtie, and otheris," &c. (ib. vol. iii. p. 245.) This shews that Semple was then deceased. He had acquired the lands of Beltrees in Renfrews.h.i.+re--a name distinguished in the literature of Scotland during the 17th century.

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

(Maitland's Hist. of Edinb., p. 14.)

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

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

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

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

[966] Or, in the year 1566.

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

[SIDENOTE: WONDARIS SENE IN FEBRUAR.]

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

[Sidenote: THE QUENIS PROMEIS.]

G.o.d from hevin, and upone the face of the eirth, gaif declaratioun that he wes offendit at the iniquitie that wes committ.i.t evin within this Realme; for upone the 20th day of Januare thair fell weit in grit aboundance, quhilk in the falling freisit so vehementlie, that the eirth wes bot ane scheit of ysce. The foules baith grit and small freisit, and mycht nocht flee: monie deyit, and sum wer takin and laid besyde the fyre, that thair fetheris mycht resolve. And in that same moneth the sey stude still, as wes clerlie observed, and nather ebbit nor flowit the s.p.a.ce of 24. houris. In the moneth of Februare, the 15th and 18th day thairof, wes sene in the fyrmament battelis arrayit, speiris, and utheris weapounis, and as it had bene the joinyng of two armeis. Thir thingis wer nocht onlie observed, bot also spokin and constantlie affyrmed be men of jugement and credit. But the Quene and our Court maid myrrie. Thair wes banketting upoun banketting. The Quene wald banket all the Lordis; and that wes done upoun polessie, to remove the suspitioune of hir displesour aganis thame, becaus thai wald nocht at hir devotioun dampne Johne Knox. To remove, we say, that jeloussie, sche maid the banket to the haill Lordis, quhairat sche wald haif the Duke amangis the rest. It behuifit thame to banket hir agane; and so did banketting continew till Fastronis-evin and efter.

But the pure Mynisteris wer mockit, and reputed as monsteris; the gaird, and[967] the effairis of the kytcheing wer so gryping, that the Mynisteris stipendis could nocht be payit; and yit at the a.s.semblie precedeand, solemnitlie promeis wes maid in the Quenis name, be the mouth of Secretour Lethingtoune, in the audiance of monie of the n.o.bylatie and of the hoill a.s.semblie, who affyrmeit, that he had commandiment of hir Heichnes to promeis[968] unto thame full contentatioun to all the Mynisteris within the Realme of thingis bygane; and of suche ordour to be keipit in all tymeis to c.u.m, that the whole bodie of the Protestantis soulde haif occasioune to stand content. The Erle of Murray affermit the same, with monie uthair fair promeisses gevin be writ be Lethingtoune him self; as in the register of the Actis done in the Generall a.s.semblie may be sene.[969] Bot how that, or yit anie uther thing promissit by hir, or in hir name, unto the Kirk of G.o.d, wes observed, the Warlde can witnes.

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

[968] In MS. 1566, "to p.r.o.nunce."

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

The Mynisteris perceaving all thingis tend to ruyne, dischairgit thair conscience in publict and in previt; but thay ressaifit for thair laubouris haitred and indignatioun; and amangis utheris, that worthie servand of G.o.d, Mr. John Craig, speiking aganis the manifest corruptioun that then withoute schame or feir declareit the self, said, "Sum tymeis wer hypocriteis knawin be thair disgyseit habittis, and we had men to be monkis, and women to be nunis; but now all thingis ar so chaingit, that we can nocht dyscerne the Erle frome the Abbot, nor the Nun frome sik as wald be haldin the n.o.bill-wemin;[970]

so that we haif gottin ane new ordour of monkis and nunis. But, (said he,) seing that ye eschame not of that unjuste proffeit, wald G.o.d that thairwith ye had the coule of the nun, the vaill, yea, and the taill joyned with all,[971] that so ye mycht appeir in your awin cullouris."

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

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

[Sidenote: LETHINGTOUNE TWYSE DEFYIT THE SERVANDIS OF G.o.d.]