[901] MS. G, "sould not be."
[902] In MS. G, and Vautr. edit., "procurement was the preiching stooll."
[903] Alexander Whitelaw of New Grange, had been a pensioner in England so early as the time of Edward the Sixth, for which the Earl of Huntly caused him to be forfeited, 5th July 1549. See before, Note 538. At a later period, he became an active and confidential agent of Knox and the Reformed party; and his name frequently occurs in their correspondence in Sir Ralph Sadler's State Papers. Knox speaks of Whitelaw as a man who had often hazarded himself, and all he had, for the cause of God. Throgmorton calls him "a very honest, sober, and godly man, and the most truly affectionate to England of any Scotsman." Accordingly, he gave him a letter of recommendation to Elizabeth's Council, and, as he was very religious, he counsels them to let him see as little sin in England as possible.—(Note by Sir Walter Scott, in Sadler's Papers, vol. i. pp. 468, 537.) In the Account of the Collector of the Thirds of Benefices, 1561, two bolls of wheat are deducted—or "defalkit for the teindis of the Newgrange of Aberbrothock, be reasone the same was nocht lauborit the zeir compted, be occasion of the pley dependand thairupon, betuix Alexander Quhytlaw and William Stewart." Three bolls of bear, and eight bolls of meal, were deducted for the same cause.
[904] William Knox, a younger brother of the Reformer, was then a merchant. In September 1552, the English Council, out of respect to his brother, granted a patent "to William Knox, a merchant, giving him liberty, for a limited time, to trade to any port of England, in a vessel of one hundred tons burden."—(Strype's Memorials, vol. ii. p. 299.) And Knox himself, in a letter written in 1553, says, "My brother, William Knox, is presentlie with me. What ye wold haif frome Scotland, let me know this Monunday at nycht; for hie must depart on Tyisday."—(MʻCrie's Life of Knox, vol. i. pp. 90, 91.) He afterwards became a preacher, and was for many years minister of Cockpen in Mid-Lothian.—(MS. Books of Assignation of Stipends; Wodrow Miscellany, vol. i. pp. 369, 408.)
[905] In MS. G, "in four pieces."
[906] In the MS. "wald nott weir."
[907] In MS. G, this marginal note, and that on the next page, are taken into the text.
[908] In the MS. the date is left blank, "the &c. day." Vautr. edit. and MS. G, read, "the 28th day of August."
[909] In MS. G, "we can skairslie beleve."
[910] In MS. G, "was maid against, or without our advyse." In Vautr. edit. "was made by."