An English Fleet arrives in the Forth.
The French were incensed, and vowed the destruction of St. Andrews and Dundee. Upon Monday morning, the twenty-third day of January 1560, they marched from Dysart, and crossed the water of Leven; ever keeping the sea-coast, for the sake of their ships and victuals. About twelve o'clock they espied ships. These had been seen that morning by us that were upon the land, but they were not known. Monsieur D'Oysel affirmed them to be French ships, and so the soldiers triumphed, shot their volley for salutation, and marched forward to Kincraig, fearing no resistance. But shortly after, the English ships, meeting with Captain Cullen, seized him and his ships, and this made them muse a little.
Suddenly came Master Alexander Wood, and assured Monsieur D'Oysel, that they were Englishmen, and that they were the fore-riders of a greater number that followed for the support of the Congregation. Then might have been seen the riving of beards, and might have been heard such despite as cruel men are wont to spue forth when God bridleth their fury. Weariness and the night constrained them to lodge where they were. They supped scarcely, because their ships were taken. In these were their victuals, and also the ordnance which they intended to have placed in St. Andrews. They themselves durst not stray abroad to forage; and the Laird of Wemyss's carriage, which likewise was coming with provisions for them, was stayed. Betimes in the morning, they retired towards Kinghorn, and made more expedition in one day in retiring, than they had done in two in advancing.
The French retire on Edinburgh.
The storm, which had continued for the space of nearly a month, broke at the very time of the retreat of the French. Many thought they would have been stayed by this until a reasonable company might have been assembled to have fought them; and with that purpose William Kirkaldy cut the bridge of Tullibody. But the French, expert enough in such work, took down the roof of a parish kirk, and made a bridge over the water called the Devon. So they escaped, and came to Stirling, and syne to Leith.
A greedy Frenchman dies in a Beef-tub.
In their retreat, the French spoiled the country and lost divers men; amongst whom there was one whose miserable end we must rehearse. A Frenchman—captain or soldier, we cannot tell, but he had a red cloak and a gilt morion—entered upon a poor woman, that dwelt in the Whyteside, and began to spoil. The poor woman offered him such bread as she had ready prepared. But he, in no ways content therewith, demanded the meal and a little salt beef with which she had to sustain her own life, and the lives of her poor children. Neither could tears nor pitiful words mitigate the merciless man; he would have whatsoever he could carry. The poor woman perceiving him so bent, and that he stooped down into her tub to take forth such stuff as was within it, cowped up his heels, so that his head went down; and there he ended his unhappy life.
The Negotiations between the Congregation and the English Court.
From this time forward, frequent mention will be made of the comfortable support that we, by God's providence, received in our greatest extremity from our neighbours of England. We therefore think it expedient simply to declare how that matter was first moved, and by what means it came to pass that the Queen and Council of England showed themselves so favourable to us.