The Works of John Knox Volume II Part 33

These and the lyke rea.s.sonis took suche deape roote in flesche and bloode, that the trewth of G.o.d was almost foryett; and from this fontaine (to wit, that flesche and blood was, and yitt allace, is preferred to G.o.d, and to his messengeris rebucking vice and vanitie) hath all our miserie proceeded. For as befoir, so even yitt, althought the Ministeris be sett to beg, the Guard and the Men of war maun be served. Though the blood of the Ministeris be spylt, it is the Quenis servand that did it. Althought Messes be multipleyed in all quarteris of the Realme, who can stop the Quenis subjectis to lyve of the Quenis religioun. Althought innocent men be empreasoned, it is the Quenis pleasur: sche is offended at such men. Althought under pretence of justice innocentis be crewellie murthered; the Lordis shall weape, but the Quenis mynd must be satisfeid. n.o.billis of the Realme, Baronis and Counsallouris ar banished, thair eschaittis disponed, and thair lyves maist injustlie persewed. The Quene hes lost hir trusty servand Davy: he was dear unto hir; and thairfoir, for hir honouris sake, sche maun schaw rigour to revenge his death. And yit farther, albeit that some know that sche hes plainlie purposed to wrak the religioun within this Realme; that to that Romane Antichrist sche hath maid hir promeise; and that from him sche hath tackin money to uphold his pompe within this Realme; yit will thai lett the people understand, that the Quene will establisse religioun, and provide all thingis ordourlie, yf scho war anes delivered.

[Sidenote: THIS WAS WRITTEN WHEN THE SECOUND RANK OF THE LORDIS WAS BANISSHED.][617]

[617] The Glasgow MS. of Book Fourth, as stated in the preface, vol.

i. p. x.x.xiii. formed originally a separate volume, and was written apparently some years earlier than the first three Books. It contains marginal notes, so nearly _verbatim_ with the MS. 1566, as to leave little doubt of its having been copied from it, probably about the year 1580. But to the above marginal note, after "banisshed," there is added: "Anno 1566, after Davie's slauchter."

Yf such dealings, which ar commoun amangis our Protestantis, be nott to prefer flesche and blood to G.o.d, to his treuth, to justice, to religioun, and unto the libertie of this oppressed Realme, let the warld judge. The plagues have bein, and in some part ar present, that war befoir threatned; the rest ayproaches: And yitt who from the heart cryis, "I have offended; the Lord knows: in Thee onlie is the trust of the oppressed; for vaine is the help of man." But now return we to our HISTORIE.

[Sidenote: THE QUENIS LAST ARRIVAL IN SCOTLAND.][618]

[618] In MS. G, "The Quenis arryval from France."

THE nyntene day[619] of August, the year of G.o.d J^m V^c threscoir ane yearis, betwix sevin and aught houris befoir noon, arryved MARIE QUENE OF SCOTLAND, then widow, with two galayis furth of France.[620]

In[621] hir c.u.mpany, (besydis hir gentilwemen, called the Maries,)[622] war hir thre uncles, the Duck D'Omall,[623] the Grand Priour,[624] and the Marques D'Elbuf.[625] Thare acc.u.mpanyed hir also,[626] D'Anweill, son to the Constable of France, with other gentilmen of inferiour conditioun, besydis servandis and officiaris.[627] The verray face of heavin, the time of hir arryvall, did manifestlie speak what confort was brought unto this c.u.n.trey with hir, to wit, sorow, dolour, darknes, and all impietie; for in the memorie of man, that day of the year, was never seyn a more dolorous face of the heavin, then was at hir arryvall, which two days after did so contineu; for besides the surfett weat,[628] and corruptioun of the air, the myst was so thick and so dark, that skairse mycht any man espy ane other the lenth of two pair of b.u.t.tis. The sun was not seyn to schyne two dayis befoir, nor two dayis after. That foir-warning gave G.o.d unto us; but allace, the most pairt war blynd.

[619] In MSS. A, M, and L 4, "The twentie day."

[620] The Queen arrived in Leith harbour on Tuesday the 19th August 1561, and landed on the following day.

[621] In MSS. M, and L 4, instead of the next five lines, there is subst.i.tuted this sentence, which is also copied by Calderwood, (vol.

ii. p. 142,) "Shee brought with her als faire Jewells, pretious stones and pearles as wer to be found in Europe. Her tapestrie, and other stuff wer brought to Leith, in October. The verie face," &c.

[622] Celebrated in Scotish Song: see "The Queen's Marie," in Sir W.

Scott's Border Minstrelsy. One of the verses in this ballad of Mary Hamilton, thus names them:

Yestreen the Queen had four Maries, The night she'll hae but three; There was Marie Seaton, and Marie Beaton, And Marie Carmichael, and me

Bishop Lesley in describing the persons who accompanied the young Princess in her voyage to France in 1548, (see vol. i. p. 219,) says, "Of the quhilkis thair was four in speciall, of whome everie one of thame buir the samin name of Marie, being of four syndre honourable houses, to wyt, Flemyng, Levingstoun, Setoun, and Beatoun of Creich; quho remanit all foure with the Quene in France, during her residens thair, and returned agane in Scotland with her Majestie, in the yeir of our Lorde J^m V^c lxj yeiris." (History, p. 209.) And in his account of the Queen's arrival in Scotland in 1561, he repeats that she was attended "with many ladies and gentillwemen, speciallie the four maidis of honour quha pa.s.sit with hir Hienes in France, of hir awin aige, the name everie ane of Marie, as is before mentioned." (Ib.

p. 297.) Buchanan, in his verses, The Pomp of the G.o.ds at the Marriage of Queen Mary, 29th July 1565, speaks of her _five_ Maries. When she arrived in this country she was still in her first dule or mourning dress. But on the 11th November some change was made in the dresses of her pages and maidens; and one of the entries in the Treasurer's Accounts on that day, is as follows:--"Item, be the Quenis Grace precept, to Jacques de Soulis, talliour to hir Grace, to gif the Madynnis efter following, viz. to ---- Flemyng, ---- Betoun, ---- Sunpartew, ---- Levingstoun, ---- Seitoun, ---- Wardlaw, to by thair secund dule, ilk ane of the said five, ix lib., and to the said Wardlaw, x lib. vij s.--Summa, 55, 7s." There was also furnished black stannyng for clokis, and black velvet to 14 dames, damosels, and maidens, "to be thair secund dule;" to the extent of 144, 18s., and 112, 16s. 3d. Also, on the 18th, 4, 10s. for gray mantill claith, to be a gown, lined with green, for hir Grace's Fule; and on the 28th, 23, for "quhite tafiteis of the cord," and "red tafiteis of the foure threidis," to the Lady Seitoun.

[623] Claude de Lorraine, Duke d'Aumale, third son of Claude Duke de Guise, was born in 1526. He was in the army, and gave proofs of his courage. He was killed at the siege of Roch.e.l.le, by a cannon ball, 14th March 1573.

[624] Francis de Lorraine, seventh son of Claude Duke de Guise, was a Knight of Malta, Grand Prior, and General of the French galleys or war vessels. He distinguished himself in the wars with the Turks in 1557; and died from the effects of his exertions at the battle of Dreux, 6th March 1563, aged 29.

[625] Rene de Lorraine, Marquis d'Elbeuf, was the youngest son of Claude Duke de Guise, and was born in 1536. He became successor to his brother Francis in 1563, as General of the French galleys; but he died in 1566, aged 30.

[626] Henry second son of Anne Duke de Montmorency, and Constable of France, is known in history as the Seigneur de Damville. He was born in 1534, and upon the death of his elder brother in 1579, he succeeded to the Dukedom, and survived till 1614. (Anselme, Histoire Genealogique, vol. iii. p. 605.)

[627] In the Queen's retinue, among other persons of note, was Peter de Bourdeille, known by the name of the Sieur de Brantome, of which he was Abbot. He was attached to the Court as one of the gentlemen of the bed-chamber to Charles IX., and Henry III. of France. He owes his distinction to his posthumous Memoirs, which serve at least sufficiently to ill.u.s.trate the licentious and corrupt state of manners of the time. In his _Vies des Dames Ill.u.s.tres_, there is a _Discours_ on Mary Queen of Scots, who, he says, on the day of her nuptials with Francis, "paroistre cent fois plus belle qu'une Deesse du Ciel." He died in July 1614, at the age of 87.

[628] In MS. G, "surfece weitt." MS. L 4, follows that of 1566, in "surfett."

[Sidenote: THE QUENIS FIRST GRACE IN DISPYTE OF RELIGIOUN.]

At the sound of the cannonis whiche the galayis schot, the mult.i.tude being advertissed, happie was he and sche that first myght have the presence of the Quene. The Protestantis war not the slowest, and thairintill thai war not to be blamed.[629] Becaus the Palace of Halyrudhous was not throughlie put in ordour, (for hir c.u.ming was more suddane[630] than many looked for,) sche remaned in Leyth till towardis the evenyng, and then repaired thitther. In the way betwixt Leith and the Abbay, met hir the rebellis of the craftis, (of whom we spak befoir,[631]) to wit, those that had violated the authoritie of the Magistratis, and had besieged the Provost. But, because sche was sufficientlie instructed, that all thai did was done in dispite of the religioun, thai war easilie apardoned. Fyres of joy war sett furth all nyght, and a c.u.mpany of the most honest,[632] with instrumentis of musick, and with musitians, geve thair salutationis at hir chalmer wyndo.[633] The melody, (as sche alledged,) lyked hir weill; and sche willed the same to be contineued some nightis after.

[629] Instead of this sentence, in MSS. M, and L 4, we find, "Shee wes honnorablie receaved be the Erle of Argyle, the Lord Areskin, Lord James, and other n.o.blemen, and the Citizens of Edinburgh. Becaus," &c.

[630] The Queen's arrival was earlier than was expected. On the 7th of August, the Treasurer had paid messengers pa.s.sing "with clois writings" of the Lords of Secret Counsall to the n.o.bility and Magistratis, and others, "to be in Edinburgh with thair honorable c.u.mpaneis to the Quenis grace enteres furth of France, _agane the last day of August_." It has been seen that she landed on the 20th of that month.

[631] See pages 155-159.

[632] In MS. G, "of most honest men." MSS. A, and L 4, "the most honest."

[633] Brantome in his account of the Queen's arrival, takes notice of the thick fog (grand brouillard) which prevailed, so that they could not see from one end of the vessel to the other. His account of the serenading of the pious minstrels, is very unlike that of the text.

His words are,--"Le soir, ainsi qu'elle se vouloit coucher, estant logee en-bas en l'Abbaye de l'Islebourg, qui est certes un beau bastiment, et ne tient rien du Pays, vindrent sous la fenestre cinq ou six cent marauds de la ville, luy donner aubade de meschants violons et pet.i.ts rebecs, dont il n'y en a faute en ce pays-la; et se mirent a chanter Pseaumes, tant mal chantez et si mal accordez, que rien plus.

He! quelle musique! et quel repos pour sa nuit!"

[Sidenote: THE QUENIS FIRST MESSE.]

[Sidenote: LORD JAMES [HIS] FACT.]

[Sidenote: CONVOYARIS OF THE PREAST.]

With great diligence[634] the Lordis repared unto hir from all quarters. And so was nothing understand[635] but myrth and quyetness till the nixt Sunday, which was the xxiiij of August, when preparatioun began to be maid for that idoll the Messe to be said in the Chapell; which perced the hartis of all. The G.o.dlie[636] began to bolden; and men began openlie to speak, "Shall that idoll be suffered agane to tack place within this Realm? It shall not." The Lord Lyndesay, (then but Maister,)[637] with the gentilmen of Fyiff, and otheris, plainlie cryed in the close, "The idolater Preast should dye the death," according to G.o.ddis law. One that caryed in the candell was evill effrayed; but then began flesche and blood to schaw the self. Thair durst no Papist, neathir yitt any that cam out of France whisper. But the Lord James[638] (the man whom all the G.o.dlye did most reverence) took upoun him to keap the Chapell door. His best excuse was, that he wald stop all Scotishe men to enter in to the Messe. But it was, and is sufficientlie known, that the door was keapt, that nane should have entress to truble the Preast; who, after the Messe, was committed to the protectioun of Lord Johne of Coldinghame,[639] and Lord Robert of Halyrudehouse,[640] who then war boyth Protestantis, and had communicat at the Table of the Lord. Betwix thame two was the Preast convoyed to his chalmer.

[634] In MS. G, these words are added to the previous sentence. MS. L 4, follows that of 1566.

[635] In MS. G, "understude."

[636] In MS. G, "which perceaved, the hearts of all the G.o.dlie." In MS. M, "The hearts of the G.o.dly being pierced with that grosse abhomination, began to bowden and swell." In MS. L 4, "pierced all the heartis of the G.o.dlie, that they began to bowden and swell."

[637] Patrick, eldest son of Lord Lindesay, was styled Master of Lindesay, during his father's life. As already noticed, he succeeded to the t.i.tle in 1563.

[638] Lord James Stewart, Prior of St. Andrews.

[639] Lord John Stewart, a natural son of James the Fifth, had the Priory of Coldingham conferred on him in his youth. He has previously been mentioned (_supra_, page 88) as having joined the Reformers.

[640] Lord Robert Stewart, also a natural son of King James the Fifth, by Euphemia Elphinstone, daughter of Lord Elphinstone. He had a grant of the Abbacy of Holyrood in 1539, when only seven years of age. See vol. i. p. 458, and a subsequent note in the present volume.

[Sidenote: THE END IS NOTT YITT SEANE.]

And so the G.o.dlie departed with great greaf of heart, and at after noon repaired to the Abbay in great companeis, and gave plane significatioun, that thai could not abyd that the land which G.o.d by his power had purged from idolatrie, should in thair eyes be polluted agane. Which understand, thair began complaint upoun complaint. The old dounty-bowris, and otheris that long had served in the Court, and hes no remissioun of synnes, but by virtew of the Messe, cryed, "Thai wald to France without delay: thai could not live without the Messe."

The same affirmed the Quenis Uncles. And wold to G.o.d that that menzie, togitther with the Messe, had tacken good nyght at this Realme for ever; for so had Scotland bene rydd of ane unprofitable burthen of devouring strangearis, and of the maledictioun of G.o.d that hes stricken, and yitt will strike for idolatrie.

[Sidenote: THE PERSUASIOUN OF THE COURTEOURIS.]

The Counsall a.s.sembled, disputatioun was had of the nixt remeadye.

Polytick headis war send unto the Gentilmen, with these and the lyke persuasionis, "Why, allace, will ye chase our Soverane from us? Sche will incontinent return to hir galayes; and what then shall all Realmes say of us? May we nott suffer hir a lytill whill? We doubt not but sche shall leave it. Yf we war not a.s.sured that sche myght be wonne, we should be als greate ennemyes to hir Ma.s.se, as ye should be.

Hir Uncles will depart, and then sall we reull all at our plesour.

Wold not we be as sorry to hurt the Religioun as any of you wald be?"

With these and the lyke persuasionis, (we say,) was the fervencie of the Bretheren quenched; and ane Act[641] was framed: the tennour whairof followeth:--

[641] This Act is not contained in the existing volumes of the Privy Council Records.--In MS. M, the Act itself is omitted, but its purport is briefly stated.