After sick tanting reassonyng of boyth the sydis, the multitude concluded, that the Supplicatioun, as it was conceaved, should be presented, onless that the Secreatarie wold forme one more aggreable to the present necessitie. He promest to keap the substance of ouris, but he wold use other termes, and ask thingis in a mair gentill maner. The first writtar ansured, "That he served the Kirk at thair commandiment, and was content, that in his dictament should men use the libertie that best pleased thame, provided that he was not compelled to subscryve to the flatterie of such as more regarded the personis of men and wemen, then the simple treuth of God." And so was this formar Supplicatioun gevin to be reformed as Lethingtounis wisdome thought best. And in verray deid he framed it so, that when it was delivered by the Superintendentis of Lotheane and Fyfe, and when that sche had redd somewhat of it, sche said, "Here ar many fair wordis: I can not tell what the heartis ar." And so for our paynted oratorye, we war termed the nixt name to flatteraris and dissemblaris. But for that Sessioun the Kirk receaved none other ansuer.

JOHNE GORDOUN AND OGILBY.

Schort after[808] the conventioun of the Kirk, chansed that unhappy persuyt whilk Johnne Gordoun, Laird of Fynlater,[809] maid upoun the Lord Ogilby,[810] who was evill hurt, and almost yit abydis mutilat. The occasioun was, for certane landis and rights, quhilkis old Fyndlater had resigned to the said Lord, which he was perseuing, and was in appearance to obteane his purpose. Whairat the said Johne and his servandis war offended, and thairfoir maid the said persuyt, upoun a Setterday, at nycht, betwix nyne and ten. The freindis of the said Lord war eather not with him, or ellis not weall willing to feght that nycht; for thei took straikis, but geve few that left markis. The said Johne was tane, and put in the Tolbuyth, whair he remanent certane dayis, and then brack his warde, some judged, at his fatheris commandiment; for he was macking preparatioun for the Quenis cuming to the North, as we will after hear.

The interview and meating of the two Quenis, delayed till the nixt year, oure Soverane took purpose to visyt the North, and departed from Striveling in the moneth of August. Whitther thair was any secreat pactioun and confederacye betwix the Papistis in the South, and the Erle of Huntley and his Papistis in the North; or, to speak more planelie, betwix the Quene hir self and Huntley, we can not certanlie say.[811] But the suspitionis war wounderous vehement, that thair was no good will borne to the Erle of Murray, nor yit to such as depended upoun him at that tyme. The History we shall faythfullie declair, and so leave the judgement free to the readaris.

That Johne Gordoun brack his ward, we have already heard, who immediately thairafter reapared to his father George, then Eric of Huntley;[812] and understanding the Quenis cuming, maid graite provisioun in Strabogye, and in other partis, as it war to receave the Quene. At Aberdene the Quene and Court remaned certane dayis to deliberat upoun the affaires of the countrey; whair some began to smell, that the Erle of Huntley was under gatthering, as heirefter shalbe declaired.

BOTHWELL BRAKE WARDE.

THE FALS BISHOPE AND HIS TRAFIQUE

Whill thingis war so wyrking in the North, the Erle Bothwell brack his ward, and cam furth of the Castell of Edinburgh, the 28th of August. Some say that he brack the stancheour of the wyndo; utheris whispered, that he gat easye passage by the yettis. One thing is certane, to wit, The Quene was litill offended at his eschaiping. Thair passed with him a servand of the Capitane's, named James Porterfield. The said Erle schew him self not verray affrayed, for his commoun residence was in Lowthean. The Bischope of Sanctandrois and Abbot of Crosraguell keapt secreat conventioun that same tyme in Paslay, to whom resorted diverse Papistis; yea, the said Bischope spack the Duck, unto whom also cam the Lord Gordon from the Erle of Huntley, requyring him "to putt to his handis in the South, as he should do in the North; and so it should not be Knoxis crying nor preaching that should stay that purpose." The Bischope, be he never so close, could not altogether hyd his mynd, but at his awin table said, "The Quene is gone into the North, belyke to seak disobedience: sche may perchance fynd the thing that sche seikis." It was constantlie affirmed, that the Erle Bothwell and the said Lord Gordon spack together, but of thair purpoise we heard no mentioun.

COMMISSIONARIS.

That same year, and at that instant tyme, war appointed Commissionaris by the Generall Assemblie to Carryk and Cunighame, Maister George Hay, who, the space of a moneth preached with great fruct in all the churches of Carryk. To Kyle, and to the partis of Galloway was appointed Johnne Knox, who besyde the doctrine of the evangell schawen unto the commoun people, foirwarned some of the Nobilitie and Baronis of the dangearis that he feared, and that war appearing schortlie to follow; and exhorted thame to put thame selfis in sic ordour as that thei mycht be able to serve the authoritie, and yit not to suffer the ennemeis of Goddis treuth to have the upper hand. Whairupoun a great part of the Baronis and Gentilmen of Kyle and Cunynghame and Carrik, professing the treu doctrine of the evangell, assembled at Ayre; and after exhortationis maid, and conference had, subscrivit this Band. The tennour whairof followis:—