The Works of John Knox Volume I Part 61

[934] In MS. G, "further."

[935] "Quhen thy neighbours house is on fire, take tent to thy awn."--("Scottish Proverbs: Gathered together by David Fergusson, sometime Minister at Dunfermline," &c. Edinburgh, 1641, 4to.)

[936] In MS. G, "Guysianis;" in Vautr. edit. "Guisians."

[937] In MS. G, "gevin to Princes."

[938] In MS. G, "Becaus this accusatioun is layd against;" Vautr. edit.

has, "Because this occasion is layd against."

[939] This marginal note occurs both in MS. G, and in Vautr. edit.; but MS. G, makes it, "Let sick as this day live, witness if G.o.d hes wrocht since the writting of this."--The precise time when this note was written is doubtful, as several leaves of the original MS., (folios 137 to 158,) corresponding with pages 381 to 432 of the present edition, seem to have been rewritten, after 1566, but before Knox's death, in 1572, and in all probability in the hand of his Secretary, Richard Bannatyne. In this portion of the MS. the colour of the ink, &c., resembles the latter part of Book Fourth; but it exhibits a peculiar orthography, and is transcribed with much less accuracy than usual.

[940] In MS. G, "haldis;" in Vautr. edit. "had."

[941] In the MS. "subjit."

[942] In MS. G, this marginal note reads, "The hame c.u.ming of the Erie of Arran out of France."

[943] In the MS. "discryve;" Vautr. edit. and MS. G, have "discover."

[944] In Vautr. edit. "the xxix day."

[945] Robert Carnegy of Kynnaird, in Fife, was the son of John Carnegy, who was killed at Floddon. On the 4th July 1547, he was nominated a Lord of Session.--(Senators of the College of Justice, p. 90.) He was sent to England in 1548, to treat for the ransom of the Earl of Huntley, Lord Chancellor, who had been taken prisoner at the Battle of Pinkie. In 1549 and 1550, Carnegy filled the office of "Clerk of our Soueraine Ladyis Thesaurar," for which he had a yearly pension of 26, 13s.

4d.--(Treasurer's Accounts.) In February 1551-2, the Treasurer paid "to Robert Carnegy, for his expensis pa.s.sand to France and England, in our Soueraine Ladyis and my Lord Governouris service, quhen he remanit the s.p.a.ce of xv weekis, in iiij^c crounis of the sone, v^c lib." (500.)--He was frequently employed in public negotiations; and had the honour of knighthood conferred on him for his services.

[946] Mr. David Borthwick of Lochill, Advocate, will be afterwards noticed. In 1578, he became Lord Advocate, and one of the Judges in the Court of Session.

[947] In MS. G, "cut-throattis."

[948] The charge of the royal family became a kind of hereditary employment for the Erskines of Mar. John, fourth Lord Erskine, had the keeping of James the Fifth in his youth; and was appointed Governor of Stirling Castle. In May 1525, he had a charter const.i.tuting him and his heirs Captain and Constable of the Castle of Stirling. He was likewise one of two n.o.blemen to whom the charge of Queen Mary, in her infancy, was entrusted. He was afterwards made Keeper of Edinburgh Castle, and died in 1552. He was succeeded by his third son, John fifth Lord Erskine, (as already noticed at page 213,) both in his t.i.tle and heritable offices. When the Duke of Chatelherault resigned the Regency to the Queen Dowager, the Castle of Edinburgh was put in the hands of Lord Erskine. In 1559, as Governor of this important fortress, he maintained a strict neutrality between the two contending parties, as Knox mentions at the beginning of Book Third of his History. And James the Sixth, while yet an infant, was entrusted to his care.

[949] In MS. G, "within it."

[950] In Vautr. edit. "your eyis of."

[951] In Vautr. edit. "the 29 day."

[952] In the other MSS. "men."

[953] Sir John b.e.l.l.e.n.den of Auchinoul, who, for thirty years, from 1547, was Justice-Clerk, appears to have been twice married. The above reference is to his first wife; and from a charter dated 12th May 1559, we learn that her name was Barbara Kennedy. She was thus the daughter of Sir Hugh Kennedy of Girvan-mains, by Lady Janet Stewart, eldest daughter of John second Earl of Atholl, who was killed at Floddon in 1513. This lady was four times married: first, to Alexander Master of Sutherland, who died in 1529; then, in 1532, to Sir Hugh Kennedy; next, in 1545, to Henry Lord Methven, who was killed at Pinkie in 1547. Her fourth husband was Patrick Lord Ruthven; and in a charter, granted in the prospect of this marriage in 1557, she is styled Lady Methven. She was Lord Ruthven's second wife, and probably survived him. Sir John b.e.l.l.e.n.den's second wife, according to a charter, 20th July 1574, was Janet Seyton. She survived him, as we learn from his Confirmed Testament: he having died on the 6th October 1576.--(Register of Conf.

Test., &c., vol. vi. 19th August 1578.)

[954] He was the son of John Spens of Condie, in the county of Perth, and was born about the year 1520. He was educated at St. Andrews, and became a Determinant, in St. Salvator's College, in 1543. In 1549, he was one of nine Advocates selected by the Court of Session, to procure before them in all actions. He was joined with Henry Lauder as Advocate to our Soueraine Lady, in 1558, and had the salary of 40; and on Lauder's death in 1560, he became his successor, and at the same time was raised to the Bench. He joined the Reformers, and is frequently noticed in the proceedings of the General a.s.sembly.

[955] In MS. G, "that the Quenis Grace favour."

[956] In Vautr edit. "craftie flatterer:" in MS. G, this marginal note is omitted.

[957] In MS. G, and Vautr. edit. "poore."

[958] In MS. G, the name is written in full, "James Stewart;"

in Vautr. edit. it is contracted as above, "J. St."

[959] This word, omitted in the MS., is supplied from Vautr. edit.

[960] In the orig. MS. "as."

[961] In Vautr. edit. and MS. G, "than the pretended."

[962] In MS. G, "mony uther thingis."

[963] In MS. G, "and the Quein Regent in this cais." Vautr. edit. has, "in this cause."

[964] Vautr. edit. has here in the margin, "Nota."

[965] This feeling of jealousy between the Towns of Edinburgh and Leith, originating in narrow-minded policy, was of an old standing. The harbour and mills of Lieth, then known as Inverleith, were granted by Robert the First, in the year 1329, to the community of Edinburgh; and in 1398, they acquired other rights and privileges by purchase from Logan of Restalrig, who possessed the banks of the river. During the 15th and following century, the Magistrates of Edinburgh pa.s.sed some Acts of a very oppressive and illiberal kind, against the inhabitants of Leith. In 1547, during the English invasion, the town and harbour were completely destroyed; but the Queen Regent, in favour of the inhabitants, purchased anew the superiority in 1555, from Robert Logan of Restalrig, for 3000 Scotish money; it was strongly fortified in 1559; and was taken possession of by the French auxiliary troops, on behalf of the Queen Regent, who proposed to have erected the Town into a Royal Burgh. Her death, in June 1560, defeated this project; and the citizens of Edinburgh afterwards obtained the superiority from Mary Queen of Scots, for the sum of 10,000 marks.

[966] In the MS. "had" is omitted; in MS. G, it is "hes or had;" in Vautr. edit. "hath or had."

[967] The Logans of Restalrig were an ancient family of great influence, from their possessions at Leith and Restalrig. The factious person to whom Knox alludes was Robert Logan, who was arrested by order of the Magistrates of Edinburgh, and committed to prison, 9th September 1560.

[968] In MS. G, "lawfull heirs and borne counsallers." Vautr. edit.

omits "heirs," or "heidis," and reads, "the lawfull and borne counsellers."

[969] In Vautr. edit. on the margin, "Nota."

[970] Not inserted in MS. G.

[971] See note 538.

[972] In the orig. MS. it is, apparently, "neir us:" MS. G. has "micht most noy us;" Vautr. edit. reads, "might most annoy us."

[973] In MS. G, "The caus of the taking of Brochtie Craig."

[974] In MS. G. and Vautr. edit. "dutifull."

[975] In MS. G, "forced with the Frenchmen, and reullit with be the counsaill of France;" Vautr. edit. has, "forced with the strength, and ruled by the counsell of France."

[976] This alludes to the emphatic phrase in the absolution sent from Rome, to Cardinal Beaton's murderers, _remittimus irremissibile_; but which was rejected by the parties who were concerned as not being the "sufficient a.s.sured absolution," which had been promised should be obtained for them: see page 203.

[977] George fifth Lord Seaton, was elected Provost of Edinburgh at Michaelmas 1558, by command of the Queen Regent; and he conducted the affairs of the City in such an arbitrary manner, that in April 1559 he committed one of the Bailies and the Town-Clerk to prison. On another occasion he threatened all the Bailies with a similar imprisonment, if, during his absence, they failed in securing certain persons whom he named.--(Maitland's Hist. of Edinburgh, p. 15.)

[978] In MS. G, "The Lord Seytounis unworthie regiment:" and it omits the three following marginal notes.

[979] In MS. G, "to steir;" Vautr. edit., as above, has, "to saile a schippe."

[980] In the orig. MS. "baith we and sche."

[981] In MS. G, "debtfull;" in Vautr. edit. "dutifull."