[364] Sir Richard Maitland of Lethington: [see note [254].—The house of Lethington, being a massive old tower, with some modern additions, and now called Lennox Love, is rather more than a mile to the south of Haddington.
[365] This is the first occasion on which Knox introduces himself.
[366] In MS. G, the words after "world," are omitted.
[367] Clerk Plays was another name for those dramatic entertainments, which in France and England were known under the title of Mysteries, and which were usually founded on some passage of Scripture.
[368] Long-Niddry is situated in the parish of Gladsmuir, East-Lothian, about four miles from Tranent, near the shore of the Firth.
[369] In MS. G, "mirrelie."
[370] These lines occur in a metrical version of some of the Psalms, visually, and no doubt correctly, attributed to John Wedderburn, Vicar of Dundee. Whether there was any printed edition so early as 1546, cannot be ascertained; but there was a large impression (1034 copies) of what was culled "the Dundee Psalms," printed in Scotland before 1603, in the stock of Robert Smyth, bookseller in Edinburgh.—(Bannatyne Miscellany, vol. ii. pp. 189, 234.) The collection of Psalms and Sacred Poems, known by the title of "The Gude and Godly Ballates," may have been the Psalms alluded to; and of this collection there still exist one copy at least of editions printed at Edinburgh, by John Ross, in 1578; by Robert Smyth, in 1600; and again by Andre Hart, in 1621.
In this collection is found the version of the 51st Psalm, mentioned by Knox as having been sung by Wishart. It extends to 40 verses: the first four may serve as a specimen. The reader may consult Calderwood's History, vol. i. pp. 141-143, for an interesting account of the family of James Wedderburn, merchant in Dundee, his eldest son James, and another son, as well as John the translator of the Psalms, having distinguished themselves by their "good gifts of poesie."
Miserere mei Deus. Psal. 51.
Have mercy on me, God of might,
Of mercy Lord and King;
For thy mercy is set full right
Above all eirdly thing.
Therefore I cry baith day and night,
And with my hert sail sing:
To thy mercy with thee will I go.
Have mercy on me, (O gude Lord,)
Efter thy greit mercy.
My sinfull life does me remord,
Quhilk sair hes grevit thee:
Bot thy greit grace hes mee restord,
Throw grace, to libertie:
To thy mercy with thee will I go.
Et secundum multitudinem.
Gude Lord I knaw my wickednes,
Contrair to thy command,
Rebelland ay with cruelnes,
And led me in ane band
To Sathan, quha is merciles;
Zit, Lord, heir me cryand:
To thy mercy with thee will I go.
Quhat king can tell the multitude,
Lord, of thy greit mercy,
Sen sinners hes thy celsitude
Resisted cruellie.
Zit na sinner will thou seclude,
That this will cry to thee:
To thy mercie with thee will I go.
[371] Patrick third Earl of Bothwell succeeded his father in 1513, when an infant. In 1543, he was Lord of Liddesdale, and Keeper of the Royal Castle of Hermitage. Sir Ralph Sadler, on the 5th of May that year, says of him, "As to the Earl of Bothwell, who, as ye know, hath the rule of Liddersdale, I think him the most vain and insolent man in the world, full of pride and folly, and here, I assure you, nothing at all esteemed."—(Sadler's Papers, vol. i. p. 184.) At the time of Wishart's apprehension, he was High Sheriff of the county of Haddington. In Douglas and Wood's Peerage of Scotland, (vol. i. pp. 227-229,) will be found a detailed account of his subsequent fortunes. He died, probably in exile, in September 1550.