The Queen held her peace; but all the Lords, with common voice, said, "God forbid that either the lives of the faithful, or yet the staying of teaching and preaching, stood in the power of the Papists: just experience has told us what cruelty lies in their hearts."
Knox. I must proceed, then, seeing that I perceive that all will grant that it was a barbarous cruelty to destroy such a multitude as profess the Evangel of Jesus Christ within this realm. This, oftener than once or twice, has been attempted by force, as things done of late days do testify. Disappointed by God and His providence, the Papists have invented more crafty and dangerous practices, to wit, to make the prince party, under colour of law: what they could not do by open force, they hope to perform by crafty deceit. For who thinks, my Lords, that the insatiable cruelty of the Papists within this realm shall end in the murdering of these two brethren now unjustly summoned, and more unjustly to be accused? I think no man of judgment can so esteem, but rather the direct contrary; that is, by this few number they intend to prepare a way to bloody enterprises against the whole. Therefore, Madam, cast up when ye list the Acts of your Parliament. I have offended nothing against them. In my letter, I accuse neither your Grace nor your nature of cruelty. But I affirm yet again that the pestilent Papists, who have inflamed your Grace without cause against those poor men at this present, are the sons of the Devil; and therefore must obey the desires of their father, who has been a liar and a murderer from the beginning.
A Councillor. Ye forget yourself, ye are not now in the pulpit.
Knox. I am in the place where I am demanded of conscience to speak the truth; and therefore I speak. The truth I speak, impugn it whoso list. And hereunto I add, Madam, that honest, gentle, and meek natures by appearance, may, by wicked and corrupt counsellors, be converted and altered to the direct contrary. We have example in Nero, who, in the beginning of his empire, had some natural shame; but, after his flatterers had encouraged him in all impiety, alleging that nothing was either unhonest nor yet unlawful for the personage of him who was emperor above others—when he had drunken of this cup, I say, to what enormities he fell: the histories bear witness. And now, Madam, to speak plainly, Papists and conjured enemies to Jesus Christ have your Grace's ear patent at all times. I assure your Grace they are dangerous counsellors, and that your mother found.
As this was said, Lethington smiled, and spake secretly to the Queen in her ear; what it was, the table heard not. But immediately she addressed her visage, and spake to John Knox.
Queen. Well, ye speak fair enough here before my Lords; but the last time I spake with you secretly, ye caused me greet many salt tears, and said to me stubbornly that ye set not by my greeting.
Knox. Madam, because now, the second time, your Grace has burdened me with that crime, I must answer, lest for my silence I be holden guilty. If your Grace be ripely remembered, the Laird of Dun, yet living to testify the truth, was present at the time whereof your Grace complains. Your Grace accused me of having irreverently handled you in the pulpit; that I denied. Ye said, What ado had I to speak of your marriage? What was I, that I should mell with such matters? I answered that, as touching nature, I was a worm of this earth, and yet a subject of this commonwealth; but as touching the office wherein it had pleased God to place me, I was a watchman, both over the realm and over the Kirk of God gathered within the same. For that reason, I was bound in conscience to blow the trumpet publicly, oft as ever I saw any upfall,[222] any appearing danger, either to the one or to the other. A certain bruit affirmed that traffic of marriage was betwixt your Grace and the Spanish ally; and as to that I said that if your Nobility and Estates did agree—unless both ye and your husband should be so straitly bound that neither of you might hurt this commonwealth, nor yet the poor Kirk of God within the same—in that case I would pronounce that the consenters were troublers of this commonwealth, and enemies to God, and to His promise[223] planted within it. At these words, I grant, your Grace stormed, and burst forth into an unreasonable weeping. What mitigation the Laird of Dun would have made, I suppose your Grace has not forgotten. While nothing was able to stay your weeping, I was compelled to say, "I take God to record that I never took pleasure to see any creature weep, yea, not my children when my own hands had beaten them, much less can I rejoice to see your Grace make such regret. But, seeing that I have offered your Grace no such occasion, I must rather suffer your Grace to take your own pleasure, before I dare conceal the truth, and so betray both the Kirk of God and my commonwealth." These were the most extreme words that I spoke that day.
After the Secretary had conferred with the Queen, he said, "Mr. Knox, ye may return to your house for this night."
"I thank God and the Queen's Majesty," said the other. "And, Madam, I pray God to purge your heart from Papistry, and to preserve you from the counsel of flatterers; for, however pleasant they appear to your ear and corrupt affections for the time, experience has told us into what perplexity they have brought famous princes."
Lethington and the Master of Maxwell were that night the two stoops[224] of her chair.