"I am assured then," said he, "that ye shall please God, and enjoy rest and tranquillitie within your Realme; which to your Majestie is more profitable than all the Papes power can be." And thus thei departed.
This conference we have inserted to let the world see how deaplie Marie, Quene of Scotland, can dissembill; and how that she could cause men to think that she bare no indignatioun for any controversie in religioun, whill that yitt in hir hearte was nothing but vennome and destructioun, as short after did appear.
Johne Knox departed, and prepaired him self for his jorney, appointed to Drumfreise; and from Glasgow, according to the Quenis commandiment, he wraitt this Lettir to the Erle of Ergile, the tenour whairof followis:—
"The Lord cumith and shall not tarie, &c.
"After commendatioun of my service unto your Lordschipe, yf I had knawin of your Lordshipis suddane departing, the last tyme it chaunsed me to see and speak you, I had opened unto you somewhat of my greaf. But supposing that your Lordshipe should have remaned still with the Quenis Grace, I delayed at that tyme to utter any part of that which now my conscience compelleth me to do. Your behaviour toward your wyff is verray offensive unto many godlie. Hir complant is grevouse, that ye altogetther withdraw the use of your body from hir. Yf so be, ye have great nead to look weill to your awin estait; for albeit that ye within your self felt no more repugnance, than any flesche this day on earth, yitt by promesse, maid befoir God, ar ye debttour unto hir, as reassonablie ye shalbe requyred of hir. But yf that ye burne on the one syd, (albeit ye do no worse,) and sche in your defalt upoun the other, ye ar not onlie mensworne befoir God, but also doeth what in you lyeth, to kendle against your self his wraith and havie displeasour. These wordis ar scharpe, and God is witnesse that in dolour of heart I wraitt thame; but becaus thei ar trew, and pronunced by God himself, I dar not but admonische you, perceaving you, as it war, sleaping in synne. The proude stubburnes, whairof your Lordship hath oft compleaned, will not excuise you before God; for yf ye be not able to convict hir of one cryme, ye aught to beir with other imperfectionis, and that ye wold that she should bear with you, in the lyik. In the bowellis of Christ Jesus, I exhort you, my Lord, to have respect to your awin salvatioun, and not to abuse the lenitie and long suffering of God: for that is a fearfull treasure that ye heap upoun your awin head, whill that he calleth you to reapentance, and you obstinatlie contineu in your awin impietie; for impietie it is, that ye abstract your confort and cumpany from your lauchfull wyff. I wrytt nothing in defence of hir mysbehavour towardis your Lordship in any sort; but I say, yf ye be not able to convict hir of adulterie committed since your last reconciliatioun, which was in my presence, that ye can never be excuissed befoir God of this freammed and strange intreatment of your wyff. And yf by you such impietie be committed, as is bruited, then, befoir God, and unto your awin conscience I say, that everie moment of that fylthie pleasure shall turne to you in a yearis displeasur; yea, it shalbe the occasioun and caus of everlasting dampnatioun, onless spedelie ye reapent: and reapent ye can nott, except that ye desist from that impietie. Call to mynd, my Lord, 'That the servand knawing the will of his Lord, and doing the contrarie, shalbe plagued with many plagues.' Syn, my Lord, is sweat in drinkyng, but in digesting more bitter then the gall. The Eternall move your heart earnestlie to considder, how fearfull a thing it is ever to have God to be [ane] ennemye.
"In the end, I most heartlie pray your Lordship, not to be absent from Edinburgh the nynetene of this instant, for sick causses as I will not wraitt. This much onlie I foirwarne your Lordship, that it will nott be profitable for the commoun quyetness of this Realme, that the Papistis brag, and that justice be mocked that day. And thus I cease farther to truble your Lordship, whom God assist. In haist from Glasgu, the 7. of May 1563. Your Lordships to command in godlynes.
(Sic subscribitur.)
"Johne Knox."
This bill was not weall accepted of the said Erle; and yitt did he utter no part of his displeasur in publict, but contrairrelie schew him self most familiar with the said Johne. He keapt the dyett, and sat in judgment him self, whair the Bischope and the rest of the Papistis war accused, as after followis.
ROBERT NORWALLIS FACT.
THE JUDGEMENT OF SOME.
HUNTLEY FOIRFALTED.
The summondis war direct against the Messe-mongaris with expeditioun, and in the streatest form. The day was appointed the xix of May, a day onlie befoir the Parliament. Off the Papis knychtis[887] compeared the Bischop of Sanctandrois,[888] the Priour of Whitthorne,[889] the Parsone of Sanquhair,[890] Williame Hammyltoun of Camskeyth, Johne Gordoun of Barskeoghe, with otheris diverse. The Protestantis convened hoill to crave for justice. The Quene asked counsall of the Bischope of Ross,[891] and of the old Laird of Lethingtoun,[892] (for the youngar was absent, and so the Protestantis had the fewar unfreindis,) who affirmed, "That she must see hir lawis keapt, or ellis she wold get no obedience." And so was preparatioun maid for thair accusationis. The Bischope, and his band of the exempted sorte, maid it nyse to entyre befoir the Erle of Argyle who sat in judgement;[893] butt at last he was compelled to entir within the barr. A meary man, (who now sleapis in the Lord,) Robert Norwell, instead of the Bischoppis croce, bair befoir him a steyll hammer; whairat the Bischope and his band was not a lytill offended, becaus the Bischoppis priviledges war nott then currant in Scotland, (which day God grant oure posteritie may see of longar continuance then we possessed it.) The Bischope and his fellowis, after much ado, and long dryft of tyme, cam in the Quenis will, and war committed to warde, some to one place, some to ane other. The Lady Erskin,[894] (a sweatt morsall for the devillis mouth,) gatt the Bischoppis for hir part. All this was done of a most deape craft, to abuse the simplicitie of the Protestantis, that thei should not prease the Quene with any other thing concernyng materis of religioun at that Parliament, quhilk began within two dayis thairefter.[895] Sche obteined of the Protestantis whatsoever sche desyred; for this was the reassone of many, "We see what the Quene has done; the lyek of this was never heard of within the Realme: we will bear with the Quene; we doubt not but all shalbe weill." Otheris war of a contrarie judgement, and foirspak thingis, as after thei cam to pas, to wit, that nothing was meant but deceat; and that the Quene, how soon that ever Parliament was past, should set the Papistis at freedome: and thairfoir willed the Nobilitie not be abused. But becaus many had thair privat commoditie to be handilled at that Parliament, the commoun cause was the less regarded.