The Works of John Knox Volume II Part 5

LORD OCHILTRIE.

LORD ROBERT STEWARTE.

GAWIN HAMYLTOUN OF KILWYNING.[123]

ERLE OF ARGYLE.

LORD BORTHWICK.

LORD JAMES STEWARTE.

LORD OF SANCT JHONE.

ALEXANDER GORDOUN.

LORD JHONE OF ABERBROTHOK.[124]

LORD BOYDE.

LORD SOMMERVAILL.

ABBOT OF KINLOSS.

ABBOT OF CULROSS.

JAMES STEWART OF SANCT COLMES INCHE.[125]

[122] These Subscriptions obviously exhibit the names and not the actual signatures of the Subscribers.

[123] Commendator of Kilwinning.

[124] Lord John Hamilton, Commendator of Aberbrothock.

[125] Commendator of the Monastery of Inchcohn, or St. Colme's Inch.

THE INSTRUCTIONIS GEVIN, SUBSCRYVIT TO THE SAID COMMISSIONARIS [THAT WENT TO BERWICK, AR THIR AS][126] FOLLOW:--

[126] The words enclosed in brackets, are supplied from MS. G.

AND for the first, Gif it shalbe askyt of yow be the said Duck of Northfolk his Grace, and otheris, [by] the Quenes Majesties appointment, appointed Commissionaris, gif our pledges be in reddines?

Ye shall answer, that thei ar, and in Sanctandrois, the xxiiij of this instant, and shalbe reddy to delyver in hostages for securitie of our promisses, and part of contract, thei offering and macking securitie for thair part by the Quenes Majesties subscriptioun and great sealle, and delyvering the same unto you; provyding that thei chuse and mack thair electioun of the pledges as is convenient.

Secoundlie, Gif the saidis Commissionaris shall demand of yow, what interpryse the armye of England shall tak upoun hand at thair first inc.u.mminges? Ye shall answer, in generall the expulsioun of the Frenches soldiouris furth of this realme: and first and in specialle furth of the toun of Leyth, seing thair great forces ar thair.

3. _Item_, Gif it shalbe askit of yow, at what place our freindis and bretherin of England shalbe mett, and what day, what nomber, and what n.o.bill men in c.u.mpany? Ye shall referr all those thingis to thair electioun and choise.

4. _Item_, Gif it shalbe askit of yow how the armyes shalbe fournissed with victuallis, and especiallie the horse men? Ye shall answer, that with thair advyses ane sufficient order shalbe tackin thairin.

5. _Item_, Gif it be requyred, how the munitioun shalbe carryed, and oxen furnissed to that effect? Ye shall answer, as we have gevin in commissioun to Lethingtoun, quhilk we ratifie.

6. _Item_, Gif it beis asked, wha shalbe Lievtennent to the armie of Scotland? Ye shall answer, my Lord Duckes Grace.

7. _Item_, Gif it shalbe inquyred, what nomber our haill armye extendis to? Ye shall answer, thai will, G.o.d-willing, be fyve thousand men.

8. _Item_, Gif it shalbe askit, what maner of way Leyth shalbe a.s.saulted? Ye shall desyre all preparationis to be in reddenes, and the advyse to be taine after the placing of the armyes and view of the strenth schoirtlie.

9. _Item_, Gif it shalbe askit of the Castell of Edinburgh, gif thei will stand freindis or nott? Ye shall declair our diligence maid, and to be maid schoirtlie heirinto; but for the present can a.s.sure thame of nothing.

10. _Item_, Gif it beis askit, in caise the Castell be unfriend, whair the armye shalbe placed? Ye shall ansueir, for the first in Musselburgh and Tranent, and thei partis, till the battery, and all preparationis be in reddenes.

11. _Item_, In caise it beis inquyred of all bye-lyeris, and in speciall of my Lord Huntlie, in the North? Ye shall ansueir in generall, ane goode hope is had of the maist pairt thairof; and tuiching my Lord of Huntlie in speciale, ye shall schaw how he hes send writtingis to my Lord of Arrane, with ane servand in creddite, to a.s.sure him of his a.s.sistance; and for that caus hes desyred letteris of suspensioun of the Quene Dowageris commissioun, to be send to him, to be usit by him in thei partis, and utheris letteris to arreist the Clergies rentis and her's[127] boyth in thei partis, with proclamationis to cause all men to be in reddines to pa.s.s foruardis, for maintening of the religioun and expulsioun of strangeris. My Lord hes writtein to him, that he may come to him in proper persone, whairof the answer is nott returned as yitt.

[127] In MS. 1566, "hires;" MS. G, "hyres."

12. _Item_, Gif it shalbe askit, the place and maner of meiting of oure folkis, or of us and thame, in caise Striveling be kept? We referr the ansueir heirof to youre discretionis.

13. _Item_, Gif it shalbe askit that thair layed money shall have pa.s.sage for thair viveris? Ye shall reasoun the commoditie and incommoditie thairof with the Counsale.[128]

[128] In Vautr. edit., "the Comishall."

14. _Item_, Gif it shalbe askit, what pioneris shalbe had? Ye shall answer, the nomber being expressed, and money be in reddenes to seld[129] thame, thei shall have sufficientlie.

[129] In. MS. G, "to pay;" in Vautr. edit. "to sell," and in both copies, "have sufficiencie," at the end of the sentence.

15. _Item_, Gif thei shall desyre that we declair our cause unto the Princes of Alamagne, and the King of Denmarke, desyring thair a.s.sistance? Ye shall answere, that we think the same good, and shall speedelie tak ordour thairwith.

16. _Item_, Gif it shalbe askit of yow to confirme for us, and in oure name, the thingis past and granted be oure formare Commissionare the young Laird of Lethingtoun? Ye shall in all poyntis for us, and in oure name, confirme the same, sa far as it shall mak either for the weill and conjunctioun of the twa realmes, or this present cause, or yitt for the securitie of oure pairt for fulfilling of the samein: and also, ye shall accept thair offeris, tending to the same fyne, and sic securitie on that parte, as ye may purchese, and especiallie sic as we heirtofoir exprimit. Gevin at Glaskow, the tent of Februar 1559.

_Item_, We gif and grantis you full power to augment, or diminische thir saidis heidis and Articles, as ye think the weall of the cause sall requyre in all pointis.

JOHNNE OF MENTEITH.[130]

ANDRO OF ROTHESS.

R. BOYD.

WILLIAME MURRAY _of Tullibardin_.

JOHNNE ERSKIN _of Dun_.

JAMES HAMYLTOUN.

ALEX^R. GORDOUN.

AR^D. ERGYLE.

GLENCARNE.

VCHILTRE.

JAMES HALIBURTOUN.

[130] The names of these Commissioners are mostly well known:--John Earl of Menteith, Andrew Earl of Rothes, Robert Lord Boyd, Sir William Murray of Tullibardine, John Erskine of Dun, James Hamilton Earl of Arran, Alexander Gordon, Bishop of Galloway, and Commendator of Inchaffray, Archibald Earl of Argyle, Alexander Earl of Glencairn, Andrew Lord Ochiltre, and James Halyburton, Provost of Dundee.

Schort efter this Contract, war oure pledgeis delyverit to Maister Winter, Admirall of the Navye, that came to Scotland, a man of great honestie, sua far as ever we could espy of him, quha war saiflie convoyit to New Castell. And sua the Ingliss army began to a.s.sembill towardis the Bordour; quhairof the Frensche and Quene Regent a.s.surit, thay began to distroy quhat thay could in the tounis and c.u.n.trey about; for the haill victuallis they careit to Leith; the mylnes thay brak; the scheip, oxin, and kyne, yea, the horse of poore lauboraris, thay maid all to serve thair tyrannye. And, fynallie, they left na thyng quhilk the verray ennemeis could have devisit, except that thay demolischit not gentilmenis housses, and brunt not the tonne of Edinburgh: in quhilk poynt, G.o.d brydillit thair furye, to lett his afflict.i.t understand that he tuik cair for thame.

[Sidenote: The Crewell Fact of Martyckis.]

Befoir the c.u.ming of the land armye, the Frensche past to Glasgu, and distroyit the c.u.n.trey thair about. Quhat tyrannye the Martyckis[131]

usit upone ane poore Scottis suldiour, it is feirfull to heir, and yitt his fact may not be omitt.i.t. Silver wald thay gif nane to the poore men, and sua war thay slow to depairt of the toun; for albeit the drum struik, the enseingze could not be gottin. Thair was ane poore craftis man, quha haid bocht for his victuallis are gray laif, and was eitting ane morsell of it, and was putting the rest of it in his bosome. The tyranne cam to him, and with the poore catyveis awin quhynger first straik him in the breist, and after cast it at him, and sua the poore man, stagring and falling, the mercyless tyranne ran him through with his rapper, and thairefter commandit him to be hingit ower the stair. Lord, thow wilt yitt luik, and recompense sick tyrrannye; how contemptable that ever the persoun was!

[131] See _supra_, page 12, note 1.

The secunde of Aprile, the yeir of G.o.d, J^m V^c and threscoir yeiris, the army be land enterit in Scotland, the conducting quhairof was commit.i.t to the Lord Gray,[132] quha haid in his company the Lord Scrope, Sir James Croftis, Sir Hary Peircey, Sir Francis Laike, with mony uthir capitaneis and gentilmen having charge, sum of futmen, sum of horsmen. The armye be land was esteimit to ten thowsand men. The Quene Regent past to the Castell of Edinburgh,[133] and sum utheris of hir factioun.[134] At Prestoun met thame the Duckes Grace, the Erle of Argyle, (Huntlie came not till that the seige was confirmit,) Lord James, the Erlles of Glencairne and Menteith, Lordis Ruthwen, Boyd, Ochiltre, with all the Protestantis gentilmen of the West Fyffe, Anguss, and Mearneis. Swa that for few dayis the armye was greit.

[132] William Lord Gray de Wilton, "a gallant warrior," who distinguished himself on several occasions, and who, in 1559, was appointed Warden of the Middle and Eastern Marches.

[133] In a letter to Sadler, Randall writes on the 25th January 1559-60,--"It is thought that the Quene Douagier shalbe received very shortlie into the Castell of Edinburgh, for any travaile that can be to the contrarie, with her onlie howsholde servaunts and gentlewoomen." Two months later, on the 28th March 1560, he says, "It hath been longe in doubte whether the Quene Douagier woolde either to the Castell of Edinburgh or to Lythe; it is saide, that it is now resolved, that it will to the Castell this daye."--(State Papers, vol.

i. pp. 696, 712.) That the Queen had the purpose of entering the Castle at the time first specified, is evident from an incidental notice in the Treasurer's Accounts of his having paid 8 on the 26th January 1559-60, "to Maister Johne Balfour, for transporting of the Quenis Grace cofferis fra the Abbay of Halierudhous to the Castell of Edinburgh." On the same day, a messenger was sent "with clois writtingis of the Quenis Grace to Monsr. Dosell;" and two days later 17s. was paid "to ane boy pa.s.sand of Edinburgh, with clois writtingis of the Quenis Grace to Monsr. Labroce, rynnand all the nycht." On the last of January, the Queen herself received the sum of 250. The actual date when the Queen pa.s.sed from Holyrood House to the Castle, was the 1st of April. (Diurnal of Occurrents, pp. 56, 274.)

[134] The chief persons who remained in the Castle of Edinburgh with the Queen Regent, were John Hamilton, Archbishop of St. Andrews, William Earl Marischal, William Chisholm, Bishop of Dunblane, Robert Crichton, Bishop of Dunkeld, Abraham Crichton, Provost of the Church of Dougla.s.s, and James Makgill, Clerk-Register.--(Lesley's History, p.

284; Diurnal of Occurrents, p. 274; Holinshed's Chronicles, &c.)