No. IV.
NOTICES OF JOHN BLACK, A DOMINICAN FRIAR.
Friar John Black, of the Dominican Order, is celebrated by Lesley, Dempster, and other Roman Catholic writers, for his learning and exertions on behalf of the orthodox faith. In August 1559, the Queen Regent came from Dunbar to Edinburgh, and having taken possession of Holyrood House, it is stated, that Archbishop Hamilton, "upon a day, past to the pulpit in the Abbay," and after displaying "a little of his superstition, he declared he had not bene weill exercised in that profession, (i.e. of preaching,) therefore desyred the auditors to hold him excused. In the meantyme he showed unto them that there was a learned man, meaning Fryer Blacke, who was to come immediately after him into the pulpitt, who would declare unto them the truth; and therefore desyred them to lett him cease." (Hist. of the Estate of Scotland, Wodrow Miscellany, vol. i. p. 67.)
Bishop Lesley mentions a public disputation between Friar Black and John Willock, at Edinburgh, in the summer of 1561, which lasted for two days. As usual, however, in all such controversial disputes, "in the ende, nothing was agreit." (Hist. p. 295. See also Leslæus de Rebus Gestis Scotorum, p. 577, Romæ, 1578, 4to; and Sir James Balfour's Annals, Works, vol. i. p. 235.) Under the year 1560, (see this vol. p. 68,) Knox mentions Friar Black as performing Mass when the Queen Regent was in the Castle of Edinburgh, notwithstanding that she was aware of his licentious conduct. Two years later the Town Council of Edinburgh having apprehended and confined Friar Black "for manifest adultery," Queen Mary addressed the following letter to the Provost, Baillies, &c., of Edinburgh, commanding them to deliver the said Friar to the Captain of the Castle, to remain there till he should be brought to trial:—
"Provest, Baillies, and Counsale of Edinburgh,—It is oure Will, and we charge zow, that incontinent efter the sicht heirof, ze deliver Freir Johne Black to the Capitane, Constabill, and Keiparis of oure Castell of Edinburgh, till be keipit thairintill surelie, unto sic tyme as we haue ordanyt for the triell of his offences before oure Justice-Generale or his Deputtis; and this on na wayis ze leaf undone, as ze will ansuer to ws thairupoun. At Sanct Androis, the 11th of April 1562.
(Sequitur subscriptio,) "Marie R."
The records of criminal proceedings furnish no evidence of the Friar having ever been brought to trial; but this warrant, no doubt, saved him from the punishment which the Town Council at this time had adjudged to all fornicators, to be ducked in the North Loch. (See Maitland's Hist. of Edinb. p. 25.)
On the 12th February 1565, Andro Armestrang, and three other burgesses of Edinburgh, were brought to trial, "delatit of the hurting and wounding of Freir Johne Blak, betwix his schulderis, to the effusione of his blude, upon the fyft day of Januar last bypast, betwix aucht and nyne houris at evin, in the Cowgait, betwix Nwyderis Wynd and the Freir Wynd." (Pitcairn's Criminal Trials, vol. i. pp. 475*, 476*.) From another authority, mentioned below, it would seem that the Friar was killed during the fray in Holyrood, on the same night when Riccio was murdered.
The transcriber of MS. W, of Knox's History, has introduced some lines, playing upon the Friar's name, "because he was borne in the Blak Freirs in Edinburgh, and was a man of Blak personage, called Blak to his name, and one of the Ordour of Blak Friers;" and in the margin of the MS. he says, "This was added be me, Tho. Wood, quhilk I heard, thocht not mentioned by Mr. Knox." Mr. Sharpe, who says, "this copy of verses affords an excellent (?) specimen of the satirical poetry of the Reformers," has inserted the lines, in a note to Kirkton's History of the Church, p. 10, Edinb. 1817, 4to.
In a MS. volume of Calderwood's History, written in the year 1636, we find introduced, as "A description of the Queen's Black Chaplane," a somewhat different version of the lines referred to:—
"Master Knox relateth, that the Queen Regent herself had a little before deprehended the said Frier Black with his harlot in the chappel. But whoordoome and idolatrie agrie weill together. This Frier Black was Black in a threefold consideration, first in respect of his Order, for he was a Black Frier by profession; secondlie in respect of his Surname; thirdlie in respect of his Black workes. Wherupon these black verses following wer made as a black trumpet to blaze furth all his blacknesses:—
"A certane Black Frier, weill surnamed Black,
And not nicknam'd: for Black wer all his workes,
In a black houre borne, in all Mack deedes frack;
And of his black craft one of the blackest Clerks;
He took a black whoor to wash his black sarks,
Committing with her black fornication:
Black was his soule to shoote at such black markes;
Frier Black, Black Frier, Black was his vocation."
It may be considered more important to notice, that Black had been promoted by Archbishop Hamilton, to the place of Second Master in St. Mary's College, St. Andrews. This fact, not elsewhere recorded, appears from the following grant, in the Register of Presentations to Benefices:—
"Our Soverane Lord, &c., ordanis this letter under the Previe Seill, ratifiand and perpetualie confirmand the gift and provisioun maid and grantit be John Archebishop of Sanct Androis, foundar and erectar of our Lady College, within the citie of Sanct Androis, to Maister Robert Hamiltoun, then Third Maister of the said College of the Secund place and Maister thairof, usit to be possessit be ane theologe (the lyke quhairof he is) vacand be deceis of Johne Black, Blackfriar, last possessour of the samyn," &c., 12th November 1567. "Subscrivit at Saint Androis the last day of Maij 1569." (Register of Presentation to Benefices, vol. i. fol. 25.)
Dempster celebrates Black (præclarus Christi miles) for his eloquence and opposition to heresy, and for having sealed his constant profession of the faith with his blood. (Hist. Ecclesiastica Gentis Scotorum, p. 85.) This alludes to the fatal termination of the Friar's career, not on the 7th of January 1562, for which he quotes Lesley, p. 577, but on the 8th March 1565-6, when he was slain on the night of David Riccio's murder, in Holyrood House. It is singular that no notice of this should occur in our own historical writers. But Parkhurst, Bishop of Norwich, in a letter to Buttinger, giving him a summary of passing events, dated 21st August 1566, after noticing the murder of "Signor David, skilled in necromancy, and in great favour with the Queen of Scots," mentions that Black, a Dominican Friar, held in great estimation among the Papists, was also killed that night. But even this grave prelate cannot restrain his humour in reference to the Friar's name; his words are: "Fraterculus quidam, nomine Blacke (niger, Swartz,) Papistarum antesignanus, eodem tempore in Aula occiditur.
"Sic Niger hic Nebulo, nigra quoque morte peremptus,
Invitus Nigrum subito descendit in Orcum."
This letter, first published by Burnet, (Hist. Reform., vol. iii. App., p. 360,) is included in the collection of Zürich Letters, published by the Parker Society, p. 99. London, 1842, 8vo. The translator thus renders the above distich:—
"Seized by black Death, this blacker Knave
Descended to the gloomy grave." (Ib. p. 166.)