Poor Chattelett was brocht back from Kinghorne to Sanctandrois, examinat, putt to ane assise, and so beheaded, the twenty-twa day of Februar, the year of God Jm Vc threscoir twa. He begged licence to wryte to Fraunce the cause of his death, which, said he, in his toung, was, "Pour estre trouvé en lieu trop suspect;" that is, "Becaus I was found in a place too much suspect." At the place of executioun, when he saw that thair was no remeady but death, he maid a godly confessioun, and granted, that his declyning from the treuth of God, and following of vanitie and impietie, was justlie recompensed upoun him. But in the end he concluded, looking unto the heavenis, with these words, "O cruelle Dame," that is, "Cruell Maistress."[872] What that complaint imported, luvaris may devine. And so receaved Chattelett the reward of his dansing; for he lacked his head, that his toung should nott utter the secreattis of our Quene. "Deliver us, O Lord, from the raige of such inordinat reullaris."
THE PUNISHMENT OF GOD FOR MANTEYNYNG AND ERECTING OF THE MESSE.
DEARTH AND FAMYN IN THE NORTH.
The year of God a thousand fyve hundreth threscoir thre yearis, thair was ane universall dearth in Scotland. But in the northland, whair the harvest befoir the Quene had travailled, thair was ane extreame famyn, in the qubilk many dyed in that countrey. The dearth was great ower all, but the famyn was principallie thair. The boll of wheat gave sax pound: the boll of bear, sax markis and ane half: the boll of meill, four markis: the boll of aittis, fyfty schillingis: ane ox to draw in the pleuch, xx markis: a weddir, thretty schillingis. And so all thingis apperteanyng to the sustentatioun of man, in tripill and more exceaded thair accustomed prices. And so did God, according to the threatnyng of His law, punish the idolatrie of our wicked Quene, and our ingratitud, that suffered hir to defyle the land with that abominatioun agane, that God so potentlie had purged, by the power of his wourd. For the ryotouse feasting, and excessive banquetting, used in Court and countrey, whair soevir that wicked Woman repaired, provocked God to stryck the staff of braid, and to geve his maledictioun upoun the fructis of the earth.[873] But, O allace, who looked, or yit lookis to the very cause of all our calamities.
PASCH OR EASTER.
Lethingtoun was absent, as befoir we have heard, in the Quenis effairis.[874] The Papistis, at that Pasche,[875] anno lxiijo, in diverse partis of the Realme, had erected up that idoll, the Messe; amongis whom the Bisshope of Sanctandrois, the Priour of Whithorne,[876] with diverse otheris of thair factioun, wold avow it. Besydis the first proclamatioun, thair had letteris past in the contrair, with certificatioun of death to the contraveanar.
THE STOUTNES OF THE PROTESTANTIS IN THE WEST.[877]
The brethren universallie offended, and espying that the Quene, by hir proclamationis, did but mock thame, determined to put to thair awin handis, and to punishe for example of otheris. And so some Preastis in the westland war apprehended, intimatioun maid unto otheris, (as unto the Abbot of Crossraguell,[878] the Parsone of Sanquhair,[879] and such,) that thei should nether complayne to Quene nor Counsall, but should execute the punishment that God has appointed to idolateris in his law, by such means as thei mycht, whairever thei should be apprehended.
JOHNE KNOX SEND FOR BY THE QUENE.