The Works of John Knox Volume II Part 6

Efter the deliberatioun of twa dayis had at Enneresk,[135] the haill camp marchit fordwart with ordinance, and all preparatioun necessar for the seige, and came to Restalrig upoun the Palme Sunday Evin.[136]

The Frensche haid put thamselffis in battell array upoun the Linkis without Leith, and had send furth thair skyrmissaris; quha begynning befoir ten houris, contyneuit skyrmissing till efter foure houris at efter none, quhan thair was gevin upone thame ane charge be sum horsmen of Scotland, and sum of Yngland. Bot because the princ.i.p.all Capitane of the horsmen of Yngland was not present, the haill troupis durst not charge; and swa was not the owerthraw and slawchter of the Frensche sa greit as it anis appeirit to haif bene; for the greit battell was anis at the trote; bot quhen thay persevit that the greit force of the hors.e.m.e.n stuid still, and chargeit not, thay returnit and gaif sum rescourse to thair fallowis that fled; and swa thair fell onlie in that defait about three hundreth Frenschmen. G.o.d wald nocht gif the victorie swa suddanlie, leist that man sould glorye in his awin strenth. The small victorie that was gottin, putt baith the Yngliss and Scottis in ower greit securitie, as the ischew declairit.

The Frensche inclosit within the toun, the Yngliss armye began to plant thair palyeanis[137] betwix Leith and Restalrig.[138] The ordinance of the toun, and especiallie that quhilk lay upoun Sanct Anthonies Stepill[139] did thame greit annoyance: aganist quhilk place war bent aucht cannounis, quhilkis schott sa continewallie, and sua just, that within few dayis, that Stepill was condemnit, and all the ordinance that was on it dismont.i.t, quhilk maid the Ynglismen sum quhat mair negligent than it became guid men of war to have bene; for persaiving that the Frensche maid na persute without thair wallis, they tuik oppinioun that they wald never ishe mair, and that maid sum of the Capitanis for pastyme, go to the toun:[140] the soldiouris, for thair ease, did lay thair armour besyde thame, and, as men without daingear, fell to the dice and cairtis. And sua, upoun the Pasche Mononday,[141] at the verray hour of noon, the Frenche ischeit baith on horse and fute, and with greit violence, enterit in to the Yngliss trynscheis, slew and putt to flycht all that was fund thairin. The watche was negligentlie keipit, and so was the succourse slow, and lang in c.u.ming; for the Frenche, befoir that any resistance was made unto thame, approcheit hard to the greit ordinance. Bot than the horsmen troupit togidder, and the futemen gat thameselffis in array, and sua repulsit the Frenche back agane to the toun. Bot the slauchter was greit: sum sayis it doubill exceidit that quhilk the Frenche resavit the fyrst day. And this was the frute of thair securitie and oures, quhilk efter was remeidit; for the Ynglismen maist wyslie considdering thame selfis not abill to beseige the toun round about, devysit to mak montis at dyverse quarteris of it, in the quhilk thay and thair ordinance lay in as gude strenth as thay did within the toun. The common soldiouris keipit the trynscheis, and had the said montis for thair saifgaird and refuge, in case of any greiter persute than thay war abill to sustene. The patience and stowt curage of the Englismen, hot princ.i.p.allie of the horsmen, is worthy of all prayse: for, quhair was it ever hard that aucht thousand (thay never exceidit that number that lay in camp) sould beseige four thousand of the maist despairit throt-cuttaris that were to be found in Europe, and lye sua neir unto thame in daylie skyrmissing, the s.p.a.ce of thre monethis and mair. The horsmen nycht and day keipit watche, and did sa valiantlie behaif thameselffis, that the Frenche gatt na advantage fra that day back to the day of the a.s.sault, quhairof we shall schortlie heir.

[135] In MS. G, "Inneresk;" in Vautr. edit., "Enresk." The village of Inveresk may be said to form part of Musselburgh, and is situated on the east side of the River Esk, near its confluence with the Frith of Forth, about six miles from Edinburgh.

[136] Sat.u.r.day, the 6th of April, was the eve of Palm Sunday.

[137] In MS. G, and Vautr. edit., "pavilliones."

[138] The village of Restalrig lies about a-mile to the south-east of Leith.

[139] The building thus converted by the French troops into a place of defence, was the Hospital or Preceptory of St. Anthony, founded by Robert Logan of Restalrig, in 1435. It stood near the Kirkgate Street, at the south-west corner of what is still called St. Anthony's Wynd; and is said to have been the only establishment in Scotland belonging to the Canons of St. Anthony. During the siege in May 1560, the building was probably nearly all demolished. On the 17th of that month, the English troops having raised earthen mounds for their great ordinance, "beganne to shoote at Sanct Anthonyes steeple in Leith, upon the which steeple the Frenche had monted som artillerie, which was very noisome to the campe; bot within a few hours after, the said steeple was broken and shott doune; likewise they shott doune some part of the east end of the kirk of Leith." (Historie of the Estate of Scotland, in the Wodrow Miscellany, vol. i. p. 84.) Another old authority states,--"Upon the 20th day [of April] the principell blokhous within Leith, callit St Anthonies Kirk, was dung doun with cannones, and also the High Street where the viveris (provisions) lay, and many uther houssis upon the east syd of the toun."--(Lindesay of Pitscottie's Chronicles.)

[140] MS. G. has "go upe to the toun of Edinburgh."

[141] Easter Monday fell on the 15th of April.

In this meanetyme was this uther Band made of all the n.o.bilitie, Barronis, and Gentilmen, professing Chryst Jesus in Scotland, and of dyveris utheris that joynit with us, for expelling of the Frenche army; amangis quham, the Erle of Huntlie was princ.i.p.all. The Band followis:--

[ANE CONTRACT OF THE LORDS AND BARONS, TO DEFEND THE LIBERTY OF THE EVANGELL OF CHRIST.][142]

[142] In the MS. copies of Knox, this Band of a.s.sociation by the Lords and Barons of Scotland, for setting forward the Reformation, is simply ent.i.tled, "The Last Band at Leyth." It was printed "from the Original"

at Hamilton Palace, by Bishop Burnet, in his History of the Reformation, vol. iii. p. 287. It was probably not very accurately transcribed, but some slight corrections from that work have been adopted. It was reprinted in the Appendix to Crawford's Officers of State, p. 444; and in Keith's History, vol. i. p. 273. In all these copies, as well as in Knox, the names of the Lords and Barons who subscribed the Band are omitted. A contemporary copy in the British Museum, among the Harleian MSS. (No. 289. fol. 70.) has enabled me to supply this important omission.

[Sidenote: _NOTA._--HEIRUPONE CAME THE PERSUTE.][143]

[143] In Vautr. edit. "Now hereupon," &c.

AT EDINBURGH, the xxvij day of Aprile, the yeir of G.o.d ane thousand fyve hundreth threescoir yeiris: We, quhais namis ar underwrittin, haif promitt.i.t and oblist oure selffis faithfullie, in the presens of oure G.o.d, and be thir presentis promittis, that we altogidder in generall, and every ane of us in speciall, be him selff, with oure bodeis, guidis, freyndis, and all that we may do, sall sett fordwart the Reformatioun of Religioun, according to G.o.ddes word; and procure, be all meanis possibill, that the treuth of G.o.ddes word may haif free pa.s.sage within this Realme, with due administratioun of the sacramentis, and all thingis depending upoun the said word: And siclik, deiplie weying with oure selfis the misbehavour of the Frenche Ministeris heir; the intollerabill oppressiouns commit.i.t be the Frenche men of weir upon the poore subjectis of this Realme, by meyntenance of the Quene Dowager, under cullour and pretence of authoritie; the tyrannye of thair Capitanis and leadaris; and manifest danger of conqueist, in quhilk this countrey presentlie standis, be reasoun of dyverse fortificatiouns upoune the sea-coast; and uther novelties of lait attempt.i.t be thame; promittis, that We sall, als weill every ane with uther, as altogidder, with the Quene of Englandis armie, presentlie c.u.mit in for oure delyverance, effectuallie concur and joyne togidder, taiking anefald plane pairt,[144] for expulsioun of the said strangeris, oppressouris of oure libertie, furth of this Realme, and recovery of oure ancient fredomis and liberteis; to the end, that in tyme c.u.ming, we may, under the obedience of the Kyng and Quene our Soveranis, be onlie rewllit be the lawis and customeis of the c.u.n.trey, and borne men of the land: And that never ane of us sall haif pryvey intelligence be writting, message, or communicatioun with ony of oure saidis ennemeis or adversareis in this cause, bot be the advise of the rest (at least of fyve) of the Counsale. Attour, that we sall tender the commun cause, as gif it war the cause of everie ane of us in particular; and that the causses of everie ane of us now joinit togidder, being leifull and honest, sall be all oure causses in generall: And he that is ennemy to the causses foirsaid, sall be ennemy to us all: in sa far, that quhatsoever persone will planelie resist thir oure G.o.dlie interpryseis, and will not concur as ane guid and trew member of this Common weill, we sall fortifie the auctoritie of the Counsale, to reduce thame to thair dewitie. Lyke as we sall fortifie the auctoritie foirsaid of the Counsale, in all thyngis tending to the furtherance of the saidis causses: And gif ony particular debait, quarrell, or contraversie, sall arryse, for quhatsoever cause, bygane, present, or to c.u.m, betwix ony of us, (as G.o.d forbid,) in that caise, we shall submit our selfis and oure saidis questionis, to the decisioun of the Counsale, or to arbitratouris to be namit[145] be thame. And providing alwayis, that this be not prejudiciall to the ordinarie jurisdictioun of Judgeis, but that men may persew thair actiouns by ordour of law civilie or criminallie, befor the Judges Ordinaris[146] gif thai please.

[144] In MS. G, "taking and hald plain parte;" Vautr. edit. has "take and holde ane playne parte." In Burnet, "taking one fold and plain part of the expulsion."

[145] In MS. G, "to be maid."

[146] In Knox these four words are omitted.

[In wytnes of the quhilk we have subscrivit this present Band with our hands, day, zeir, and place above wryttine.

JAMES.

JAMES HAMMYLTON.

HUNTLEY.

AR^D. ARGILL.

GLENCARN.

ROTHES.

MORTOUN.

A. GORDOUN.

JAMES JOHNSON, _Apparand of Elphistoun_.

PATRYK DOWGLa.s.s.

ROBERT CAMPBELL.

ANDREW JHONSON.

ROBYN CAR.

JAMES STEWART.

JHON MONTEY^T.

RUTHWEN.

R. BOYD.

OGYLWYE.

VCHILTREE.

JHON MAXVEL.

PATRYK LYNDSAY.

JHON MAISTER PHORBES.

LORD SOMERWELL.

JAMES HALYBURTOUN.

ALEX^R. DUNBAR _of c.u.mnok_.

GRAYTLY.

W^M. DOUGLAS _of Whyttingeym_.

GEORGE HWME _of Spott_.

JHON GORDON, _of Finlatter_.

ALEX^R. SETON, _Younger of Meldrum_.

HENRY GRAHAME, _Youngar of Morphy_.

ALEX^R. GORDOUN _of Abyrzelde_.

DRUMLAYNRYK.

FAUNHAUS.[147]

CRAYNSTON _of that Ilk_.

WEDDERBURN.

ALEX^R. HUME.

JHONSON.

GEORGE NYSBYT, _with my hand at the pen_.

CUNNYNGAYMHYD.

LESLYE _of Bowquhane_.

JHON INNES _of that Ilk_.

ARTHUR PHORBES.

W^M. LESLEY _Youngar of Wardes_.

JHON WISHART.

DRUMLOYGHIE.

CESFUIRD.

HUNDHILL.

MARK KAR.]

[147] I suspect some of these names may have been mistaken; such as "Graytly," and "Faunhaus," which an examination of the original might correct.

[Sidenote: THE DOCHTER WILL NOT TAK EXAMPILL BY THE MOTHER.]

[Sidenote: THE 20 OF MAIJ, ANNO 1566.][148]