The Works of John Knox Volume II Part 2

(_Sic subscribitur_,) "Youris to command in G.o.dlines, "JHONE KNOX."

[58] This date is supplied from the original, in the Harl. MSS.

(British Museum) No. 7004. In the MSS. of Knox's History, it is dated the 10th of April.

To this letter was no answer maid; for schorte thairefter the said Jhone Knox maid forduard to Scotland by sea, where he landed the thrid day of Maij;[59] and had suche successe as in the Secound Booke is declaired. The said Jhone being in Sanctandrois efter Cuper Mure,[60]

entred in deipe discourse with the Laird of Grange: the dangeris war evident, b.u.t.t the supporte was nott easie to be seine. Efter many wordis, Jhone Knox burst.i.t furth as followis: "Yff England wald foirsie thair awin comoditie, yea, yf thai did consider the danger quhairin thei thameselfis stand, thai wald nott suffer us to perishe in this quarrell; for France hath decreit no less the conquest of England then of Scotland." After long rea.s.soning, it was concluded betuix thame two, that supporte sould be cravit of England; and for that purpois, the said Laird of Grange first wreit to Sir Harie Percie,[61] and efter raid frome Edinburgh and spak with him; to quhome he maid so plaine demonstratioun of the danger appeiring to England, that he tooke upoun him to wreit to the Secretarie Cycill; quho with expeditioun returned answer bak agane, geving him to understand, thatt oure interpryse altogitther myslyked nott the Counsall, albeit that thei desyrit farther resolutioun of the princ.i.p.all Lordis. Whiche thing understand, it was concluded by some[62] to wreitt unto him plainlie oure hoill purpois. The tennor of oure letter was this:--

[59] There is a slight discrepancy in the date of Knox's arrival in Scotland. Here it is the 3d of May 1559, but at page 318 of vol. i., the 2d of that month is the day specified.

[60] In June: see vol. i. p. 325.

[61] See _infra_, note 1, page 33.--Letters from Kirkaldy of Grange to Sir Henry Percy, between the 23d June and 1st July 1559, are preserved in the State Paper Office.

[62] The words, "by some," are omitted in MS. G.

THE FIRST LETTER TO [SIR] w.i.l.l.yAUME CYCILL, FRA THE LORDIS OF THE CONGREGATIOUN.

[Sidenote: LETT THE ENNEMYE SAY, GIF THAIR HOPE BE NOTT FRUSTRAT.]

"THE contentis of a letter direct by you (rycht worschipfull) to Sir Harie Percie, was notifeid unto us by Mr. Kircaldie of Grange, this Sonday the [16th][63] of Julij, by the whiche we perceave, that the said Grange, of zeill and faithfull hairt whiche he bereth to the furtherance of this our great, and, befoire the warld, dangerous interpryse, hath travelled with you as with ane unfeaned favorer of Chrystis trew religioun, and of the libertie of our countrye, for knawlege of your myndis towardis us, incais that we be a.s.saulted by ony forayne invasioun, or greater power then we be weill able to resist. Youre confortable answer to this questioun we have considered, to our joy and conforte, as also youre motiouns, and quhatt ye demand; to witt, What we, the Protestantis within this realme, do purpois? To quhatt end we meane to directe oure actiouns? How we will, and how we be[64] able to accompleis the same? What doubtis we have of ony adversare powar? And finallie, incais that supporte sould be send frome you, what maner of amytie mycht insew betuix these twa realmes? To the whiche in breve we answer, That oure hoille and only purpois (as knaweth G.o.d) is to advance the glorye of Chryst Jesus, the trew preaching of his evangell[65] within this realme; to remove superst.i.tioun, and all kynd of idolatrie;[66] to brydeill to our poweris the furie of those that heirtofoir have cruellie sched the bloode of our bretherein; and, to our utermest, to meanteine the libertie of this oure countrye frome the tirranie and thraldome of strangeris, as G.o.d sall a.s.sist us. How we [sall] be able to accompleiss these premisses, is to us unknawin; onlye oure hoip is guid that He that hes begune this guid wark in us, and hathe, by his power, to this hour confounded the faces of our adversaries, will performe the same to his glorie, whiche chieflie we seik in this oure interpryse. Because we suppoise, that neither oure present danger, neither yett the weirlyke preparatioun whiche France maketh aganis us, be hyd frome you nor frome the Counsall, we omitt that pairt. As tuicheing the a.s.surance of a perpetuall amity to stand betuix these twa Realmes; as no earthlie [thing] of us is more desyred, so crave we of G.o.d to mak us instrumentis by whiche this unnaturall debaite, whiche long hath continued betuix us, may anis be composed, to the prais of G.o.ddis name, and to the confort of the faithfull in boyth realmes. And gif youre wisdomes can foirsie and devyse the meanes and a.s.surances, how the same may be brocht to pa.s.se; perswade youreselfis, not onlye of oure consent and a.s.sistance, but also of oure constancie, as men may promeise, to oure lyves end; yea, and farther, of a charge and commandement by us to be left to oure posteritie, that the amity betuix [us], in G.o.d contracted and begun, may be by thame kept inviolat for ever.

And for the revolting frome you to France, whiche yee seeme to fear and suspect, at thair pleisour, we utterlie abhor that infidelitie; for now doeth the voyce[67] of G.o.d continualie sound in our earis, 'That suche as profaine the terrible and reverent name of G.o.d, sall nott eschaip veangence.' Oure confederacie, amitie, and leigue, sall nott be lyke the pactions maid by wardlie men for wardlie proffeit; but as we require it for G.o.ddis caus, so will we incall his name for the observatioun of the same. Moirover, gif we sould laike any thing to temporall commoditie, yitt sould we never have occasioun to returne to thame; ffor we now perceave and feill the wecht of thair yoke, and intend (by G.o.ddis grace) to cutt away suche instrumentis[68] as by quhome this realme wes befoire abused. Trew it is, that as yeit we have maid no mentioun of ony change in Authoritie, neither yeit were we myndit to [do] any suche thing, till extreme necessitie compelled us thairto: but seing it is now more than evident, that France, and the Quene Regent heir, with hir preistis, pretend to nothing bot the suppressing of Chrystis Evangell, the ruyne of us, and the subversioun of [this] poore realme; committing oure innocencie to G.o.d, and unto the judgment of all G.o.dlie and naturall men, we are determined to seik the nixt remedie, in whiche we hairtlie requyre youre counsaill and a.s.sistance. And this far we have interprysit, to mak you partic.i.p.ant of oure purpois; becauis in the said letteris you requyred of the [said] Mr.

Kirkcaldie sum farther a.s.surance then his awin woord of wreitting, whiche we dout nott bot ye sall schoirtlie receave frome mo then frome us. We dar nott haistellie mak the whole a.s.semblie, neither of n.o.blis, neither of barronis, prevy in this cause, for dangeris that may insew by policie and craft of the adversaries; youre Wisdomes, we doubt not, will communicat these onlye, with suche as ye knaw favoraris of such ane G.o.dlie conjunctioun. It should much help in oure opinioun, gif the preacharis boyth in persuasioun and in publict prayeris, (as ouris do heire,) wald commend the same unto the peopill. And thus, efter oure humill commendatiounis to the Quenis Majestie, (quhois reigne we desyre to be prosperous and long, to the glorie of G.o.d, and conforte of his Churche,) we hairtlie committ you to the protectioun of the Omnipotent. Fra Edinburgh, the [19th][69] of Julij 1559."

[63] In Vautr. edit, "the 26th of Julie;" MS. G. has "the 25th." In the MS. 1566, it might either be 25 or 28. The original letter reads distinctly, "this Sounday, the 15 of Julij;" but the 3d Sunday of July fell on the 16th; and it has been seen, that such mistakes on the part of Knox are not unusual.

[64] Vautr. edit. has, "how we be able;" MS. G, "how we sall be able."

[65] In MS. G, "his holie evangell;" in Vautr. edit. "his gospell."

[66] In MS. G, "externall idolatrie."

[67] In MS. 1566, "wolce."

[68] In the original letter, the words, "the papisticall clergye," are added in the margin.

[69] In all the copies of Knox's History, this letter is dated the 17th of July; the original has the 19th.

With this oure letter,[70] Jhonne Knox wreat two, one to the said Secratarie, and ane uther to the Quenis Majestie hirself, in tennour as efter followis:

JHONE KNOX[71] SECOUND LETTER TO MR. CYCILL, FOR DELIVERANCE OF ANE UTHER TO THE QUEIN OF ENGLAND.

[70] The original of this letter, in the hand-writing of Knox, is preserved in the State Paper Office. It is signed by the Earls of Argyle and Glencairn, the Prior of St. Andrews, and Lords Ruthven, Boyd, and Ochiltree. The original draft of Cecil's answer, in the same collection, is dated 28th July 1559. (See Tytler's Hist. of Scotland, vol. vi. pp. 122, 124.)

[71] This second letter to Cecil, and the following one to Queen Elizabeth, are omitted in Vautrollier's edition and the later MSS. It is highly probable that these letters were purposely suppressed while that edition was at press, in order to avoid giving offence to Queen Elizabeth.--As already mentioned, the originals of several of Knox's Letters of this period, are still preserved, and copies of them will be inserted in a subsequent volume.

"WITH my humill commendatiounis. Pleise you, SIR, to delyver this other letter inclosit to the Quenis Grace. It containeth in few and in semple wourdis my confessioun, quhat I think of hir Authoritie, how it is just, and quhat may mak it odious in G.o.ddis presence. I heir that thair is ane Confutatioun sett furth in prent aganis 'The First Blast.'[72] G.o.d grant that the wreitter have no more socht the favoris of this present estait, no less the glorie of G.o.d, and the stable commoditie of his countrey, then did he quho enterprysed in that 'Blast' to utter his conscience. When I sall have tyme, (whiche now is sumquhatt precious unto me,) to peruse that werk, I will communicat my judgement with you.

"The tyme is now, Sir, that all that either thrist Chryst Jesus to reigne in this yle, or yett the hairtes of the inhabitantes of the same to be joyned togidder in love unfained, aucht rather to studie how the same mycht be brocht to pa.s.se, then vanelie to travaill for the mantenance of that, quhairof we have allreddy seine the danger, and felt the smarte. Gif the most pairt of women be wicked, and suche as willinglie we wald nott reigne over us; and gif the most G.o.dlie, and suche as have rare graces be yett mortall, we aucht to tak heid, least in establissing one judged G.o.dlie and profitable to hir countrey, we mak ane entres and tytill to mony; off quhome not only sall the treuth be impugned, bot also sall the countrey be brocht in bondage. G.o.d give you, and utheris favoraris of your countrey, eyis to foirsee, and wisdome to avoyd the dangeris appeareing.

"By dyverse [letteris], I have requyred licence to have visited the North pairtis of England; but as yitt I have ressaved no favorabill answer.[73] The longer, Sir, that it be delayed, the less conforte sall the faithfull thair receive, the weaker sall the Quenis Grace be. Gif I war nott to hir Grace are unfeaned friend, I wald not instantlie begg suche libertie, whiche to me I knaw sall neither be profitable nor pleising in the flesche. The estait of thingis here comoun, I dout nott ye knaw. Some thingis I have, (as oft I have wreitten,) whiche gladlie I wald communicat, quhilk I mynd nott to committ unto paper and ynk: find, thairfoir, the meanis that I may speik suche one as ye will credit in all thingis. The grace of the Lord Jesus rest with you.

"I hairtlie beseik you to have my service humblie commended to the Quenis Grace; adding, that quhosoever maketh me odious to hir Grace, seiketh somequhatt besydis the glorie of G.o.d, and hir Grace's prosperitie; and thairfoir can nott be a.s.sured and unfayned freindis. From, &c."

[72] Alluding to the publication by John Aylmer, afterwards Bishop of London, which will be more particularly noticed in a subsequent volume, ent.i.tled, "An Harborowe for faithfull and trewe subjectes, against the late blowne Blaste concerninge the Government of Wemen." &c., Anno 1559. 4to.

[73] See _supra_, page 19, note 1.

The letter sent be the said Jhonne, to the Quenis Majestie of England, being inclosed in the foirsaid Mr. Cycillis letter.

"TO THE VERTEOUS AND G.o.dLIE ELIZABETH, BY THE GRACE OF G.o.d QUEIN OF ENGLAND, &C., JHONNE KNOX DESYRETH THE PERPETUALL CONFORTE OF THE HOLY SPREIT.

"As youre Grace's displeisoure aganis me, most injustlie conceaved, hath bein, and is to my wretched hearte a burdene greavouse, and almost intollerable; so is the testimony of ane cleir conscience to me ane stay and uphald, that in disperatioun I synk nott, how vehement that ever the tentatiouns appeir. For, in G.o.ddis presence, my conscience beareth me record, that maliciously, nor of purpoise, I never offended youre Grace, nor youre realme; and, thairfoir, howsoever I be judged of man, I am a.s.sured to be absolved of him quho only knaweth the secreitis of hairtis. I can not deny the wreiting of a booke aganis the usurped Authoritie, and injust Regement of Women;[74] neither [yit] am I myndit to retract or call back any princ.i.p.all point, or propositioun of the same, till treuth and verritie do farder appeir. But quhy, that either youre Grace, either yitt ony suche as unfeanedlie favore the libertie of England, be offendit at the auth.o.r.e of suche ane warke, I can perceave no just occasioun. For, first, my booke tueched nott youre Grace's persoune [in speciall,] neither yitt is it prejudiciall till any libertie of the realme, gif the tyme of my wretting be indifferentlie considdered. How could I be ennemy to youre Grace's persone, for delyverance quhairof I did more studie, and interpryse farther, then ony of these that now accuise me? And, as concerning youre Regiment, how could or can I invy that whiche most I have thrist.i.t, and for the quhilk (as oblivioun will suffer) I render thankis unfeandlie unto G.o.d?

That is, 'That he hath pleised him, of his eternall goodness, to exalt your head, (which some tymes was in danger,) to the manifestatioun of his glorie, and extirpatioun of idolatrie.'

And as for my offense, quhilk I have committed against England, either in wreitting that, or of any uther werk, I will nott refuise that moderat and indifferent man judge and discerne betwix me and those that accuise [me]: to witt, quhither of the parties do maist hurt to the libertie of England, I that affirme, 'That no woman may be exalted above any[75] realme, to mak the libertie of the same thrall to ane strange, proude, and cruell natioun;' or, they that approve quhatsoever plaeseth Princes for the tyme. Gif I war alsweill disposed to accuse, as some of thame (till thair awin schame) have declaired thame selfis, I no thing doubt, bot that in few wourdis I sould lett rea.s.sonable men understand, that some that this day lawlie crouche to your Grace, and laubor to mak me odiuss in your eyes, did, in your adversitie, neather schaw thame selfis faithfull freindis to your Grace, neather so loveing and carefull over thair awin native countrey, as thei wald be estemed. But omitting the accusatioun of utheris, for my awin purgatioun, and your Grace's satisfactioun, I say, that nothing in my booke contained, is, nor can be prejudiciall to your Grace's just regiment, providit that ye be nott found ungrate unto G.o.d: Ungrate ye sallbe provein in presence of his throne, (howsoever that flattereris justifie your factioun,) gif ye transferr the glorye of that honor, in quhilk ye now stand, to any uther thing, then to the dispensatioun of his mercie, which only maketh that lauchfull to your Grace, quhilk nature and law denyeth to all woman. Neither wald I that your Grace should feare that this your humiliatioun before [G.o.d] sould, in ony caise, infirme or weaken your Grace's just and lauchfull authoritie befoire men. Nay, Madame, such unfeaned confessioun of G.o.ddis benifits receaved shalbe the establiss.e.m.e.nt of the same, nott only to youre self, but also to youre seid and posteritie; whair, contrariwyse, a proude conceat and elevatioun of youre self, salbe the occasioun, that youre reigne salbe unstable, troublesome, and schorte.

G.o.d is witnesse, that unfeanedlie I boyth love and reverence youre Grace; yea, I pray, that youre reigne may be long, prosperouse, and quyet; and that, for the quyetnes which Christis membres, befoire persecuted, have receaved under you.

"Bot yett, gif I should flatter youre Grace, I war no friend, bot ane deceavable traitor. And thairfoire of conscience, I am compelled to say, that neather the consent of people, the process of tyme, nor mult.i.tude of men, can establische a law which G.o.d sall approve; bot quhatsoever he approveth by his eternall wourd, that shalbe approved, and quhatsoever he condempneth salbe condempned, thocht all men in earth wald hasard the justificatioun of the same. And, thairfoire, Madame, the only way to reteane and kept those benefites of G.o.d, aboundantlie poured now of laitt dayis upoun you, and upoun youre realme, is unfeanedlie to rander unto G.o.d, to his mercie, and undeserved grace, the [whole] glorie of this youre exaltatioun. Forgett youre birth, and all tytill which thairupoun doeth hing; and considder deiplie, how for feir of your lyef, ye did declyne from G.o.d, and bow till idollatrie.

Lett it not appeire ane small offence in your eyes, that ye have declyned from Christ Jesus in the day of his batteill.

Neither yett wald I, that ye sould esteme that mercie to be vulgare and commoun which ye have received; to witt, that G.o.d hath covered your former offense, hathe preserved you quhen ye war most unthankfull; and in the end, hath exalted and raiseit you up, nott only from the dust, bot also from the portis of deith, to reule above his people, for the confort of his Kirk. It apperteneth to you, thairfoire, to ground the justice of your Authoritie, nott upoun that law, which from year to year doeth change, but upoun the eternall providence of Him, who, contrair to nature, and without your deserving, hath thus exalted your head. Gif thus, in G.o.ddis presence, ye humill your self, as in my heart I glorifie G.o.d for that rest granted to his afflicted flocke within Ingland, under you a weik instrument; so will I with toung and penn justifie your Authoritie and Regiment, as the Holy Ghost hath justified[76] the same in Debora, that blissed mother in Israell. Bot gif the premisses (as G.o.d forbeid) neglected, ye sall begin to bragg of your birth, and to builde your Authoritie and Regiment upoun your awin law, flatter you quho so list, your felicitie salbe schorte. Interpreit my rude wordis in the best pairte, as written by him who is no ennemye to your Grace.

"By dyverse letteris I have requyred license to veseit your Realme, nott to seik my self, neither yett my awin ease nor commoditie; which, gif ye now refuise and deny, I most remit my caus to G.o.d; adding this for conclusioun, that commonlie it is seine, 'That such as refuise the counsaill of the faithfull, (appeir it never so scharpe,) ar compelled to follow the deceat of flattereris to thair awin perditioun.'

The mychtie Spreit of the Lord Jesus move your hairt to understand quhat is said; give unto you the discretioun of spreittis, and so rewll you in all your actions and interpryses, that in you G.o.d may be glorified, his Kirk edified, and ye your self as ane lyvlie member of the same, may be an example of vertew and G.o.dlie lyffe till all utheris. So be it. Of Edinburgh, the [20th][77] day of Julij 1559."

[74] Referring to his "First Blast of the Trumpet," &c., published at Geneva, in 1558.

[75] In MS. G, "over any."

[76] In the MS. of 1566, "inst.i.tued."

[77] MS. G. makes it the 28th; but the date of the original letter, as Mr. Tytler has noticed, is the 20th of July. (Hist. vol. vi. p. 122.)

These letters war directed by Alexander Quhytlaw,[78] a man that oft hath hazarded him self, and all that he had, for the cause of G.o.d, and for his freindis being in danger for the same cause.

[78] See a brief notice of Whytelaw, in vol. i. p. 393. Throkmorton, in a letter dated at Paris, 21st June 1559, says, "One Sanders Whitlo, a Scottishman, who was heretofore pensioner in England, in King Edward's tyme," and "being a very honest, sober, and G.o.dly man, and the most truely affectionat to England of any Scottishman I know here, hath been with me, and given me diverse advertis.e.m.e.nts of things which be trew;" and he recommends that he should receive the same pension he had enjoyed, after his lands in Scotland had been forfeited by the Earl of Huntley. (Forbes's State Papers, vol. i p. 137.) On the 28th June, he was the bearer of a letter from Throkmorton to Secretary Cecil.--(Ib. p. 147.) A postscript to the letter adds, "This bearer is greatly estemyd of John Knokes, and he doth also favour him above other: nevertheles, he is sory for his boke rashly writen."

Within a day or twa efter the departing of the said Alexander, thair come a lettre from Sir Harye Percye to Jhone Knox, requyring him to meitt him at Annyk,[79] the threid of August, for such effairis as he wald nott wreit, nor yitt communicat with any but with the said Jhone him self. While he was preparing him self for the journay, (for Secretary Cycill had appointed to have mett him at Stampfourd,)[80]

the Frenche men furiouslie come furth of Dumbar, of purpose to have surprised the Lordis being in Edinburgh, as in the Secound Booke befoir is declared: Which stayit the journay of the said Jhonne, till that G.o.d had delyvered the innocentis from that great danger; and then was he, having in his company,[81] Maister Robert Hamyltoun,[82]

minister of the Evangell of Jesus Christ, directed from the Lordis, with full commissioun and instructiouns to expone thair hole cause and estait quhairin thei stoode.

[79] In MS. G, "Anwich," the town of Alnwick, in the county of Northumberland, 84 miles from Newcastle.

[80] Stamford, an ancient borough town in the county of Lincoln. The Castle, of which scarcely any vestiges are now visible, was granted by Queen Elizabeth to Sir William Cecil.

[81] In Vautr. edit. "then was he hated of his companie."