The servant of God, Master George Wishart, was carried first to Edinburgh; thereafter brought back to the House of Hailes, which was the principal place that then the Earl of Bothwell had in Lothian. As gold and women have corrupted all worldly and fleshly men from the beginning, so did they him. For the Cardinal gave gold, and that largely; and the Queen, with whom the said Earl was then in the glondours,[72] promised favours in all his lawful suits to women, if he would deliver the said Master George to be kept in the Castle of Edinburgh. He made some resistance at the first, by reason of his promise:[73] but an effeminate man cannot long withstand the assaults of a gracious Queen. And so the servant of God was transported to Edinburgh Castle, where he remained not many days. For that bloody wolf, the Cardinal, ever thirsting for the blood of the servant of God, so travailed with the abused Governor, that he was content that God's servant should be delivered to the power of that tyrant.
Thus, small inversion being made, Pilate obeyed the petition of Caiaphas and of his fellows, and adjudged Christ to be crucified. The servant of God being delivered into the hand of that proud and merciless tyrant, triumph was made by the priests. The godly lamented, and accused the foolishness of the Governor; for, by retaining the said Master George, he might have caused Protestants and Papists to have served: the one to the end that the life of their preacher might have been saved; the other, for fear that he should have set him at liberty again, to the confusion of the bishops. But, where God is forsaken, what can counsel or judgment avail?
The Bishops and Clergy are convoked to the Trial of Wishart.
How the servant of God was treated, and what he did from the day that he entered within the Sea-Tower of St. Andrews, which was in the end of January, in the year of God 1546, until the first of March in the same year, when he suffered, we cannot certainly tell. We understand that he wrote something when in prison; but that was suppressed by the enemies. The Cardinal delayed no time, but caused all bishops, yea all the clergy that had any pre-eminence, to be convocated to St. Andrews against the penult[74] of February, for consultation. The question was no less resolved in his own mind than was Christ's death in the mind of Caiaphas; but, that the rest should bear the burden with him, he desired that, before the world, they should subscribe to whatsoever he did.
In that day was wrought no less a wonder than that at the accusation and death of Jesus Christ, when Pilate and Herod, who before were enemies, were made friends, by both of them consenting to Christ's condemnation. There was no difference between the two cases, except that Pilate and Herod were brethren under their father the Devil in the estate called temporal, and these two of whom we are to speak were brethren, sons of the same father the Devil, in the estate ecclesiastical. If we interlace merriness with earnest matters, pardon us, good reader. The fact is so notable that it deserveth long memory.
A merry Tale of the Cardinal and Archbishop Dunbar.
The Cardinal was known to be proud; and Dunbar, Archbishop of Glasgow, was known for a glorious fool; and yet, because for some time he had been called the King's Master,[75] he was Chancellor of Scotland. The Cardinal had come to Glasgow this same year, in the end of harvest, upon what purpose we omit. But while they remained together, the one in the town, the other in the Castle, question arose as to precedence in the bearing of their croziers. The Cardinal alleged that, by reason of his cardinalship and of his office of Legatus Natus and primate within Scotland in the kingdom of Antichrist, he should have the pre-eminence, and that his crozier should not only go before, but should alone be borne, wheresoever he was. Good Gukstoun Glaikstour,[76] the foresaid Archbishop, lacked no reasons, as he thought, for maintenance of his glory. He was an Archbishop, and, within his own diocese and in his own Cathedral seat and Church, ought to give place to no man. The power of the Cardinal was but begged from Rome, and appertained but to his own person, and not to his bishopric; for it might be that his successor should not be Cardinal. But his dignity was annexed to his office, and did appertain to all that ever should be archbishops of Glasgow.
Howsoever these doubts were resolved by the doctors of divinity of both the prelates, the decision was as we shall hear. Coming forth, or going in, at the choir door of Glasgow Kirk there began a strife for position betwixt the two cross-bearers. From glooming they came to shouldering; from shouldering they went on to buffets, and from dry blows, by neifs and neifeling;[77] and then for charity's sake they cried, "Dispersit, dedit pauperibus," and assayed which of the croziers was finest metal, which staff was strongest, and which bearer could best defend his master's pre-eminence; and, that there should be no superiority in that behalf, to the ground went both the croziers.
And then began no little fray, but yet a merry game, for rochets were rent, tippets were torn, crowns were knapped,[78] and side gowns might have been seen wantonly wag from the one wall to the other. Many of them lacked beards, and that was the more pity, for they could not buckle each other by the birse,[79] as bold men would have done. But fie on the jackmen that did not their duty; for had the one part of them rencountered the other then had all gone right. The sanctuary, we suppose, saved the lives of many. However merrily this be written, it was bitter bourding[80] to the Cardinal and his court. It was more than irregularity. Yea, it might well have been judged lese-Majesty to the son of perdition, the Pope's own person; and yet the other in his folly, as proud as a peacock, would let the Cardinal know that he was a bishop when the other was but Beaton, before he got Arbroath!
Pilate and Herod patch the Quarrel.