THIS WES THE FIRST TYME THAT THE ERLE OF MURRAY SPAK TO THE SAID JOHN[936] EFTER THE PARLIAMENT.] "
At thoise wordis thai semeit baith offendit; and so the Secretarie departit. But the said Erle remanit still, and wald haif interit in farder discourse of the estait of the Court with the said Johne, quho ansuerit, "My Lorde, I understand mair than I wald of the effairis of the Court; and thairfoir it is nocht neidfull that your Lordschip trubill you with the recompting thairof. Gif ye stand in gude caise I am content; and gif ye do not, as I fear you do nocht allreddie, or ellis ye sall nocht do or it be lang, blame nocht me. Ye haif the Counsalouris quhome ye haif chosin; my waik judgement baith ye and thay dispyseit: I can do no thing but behald the end, quhilk, I pray God, be other than my trubilled hairt feireth."
JOHN KNOX CALLIT BEFOIR THE QUENE AND COUNSELL IN ANNO 1563.[937]
Within four days, the said Johne wes callit befoir the Quene and Counsell betwix sax and sevin houris at nycht:[938] The seassoune of the yeir wes the middes of December. The bruit rysing in the toune, that Johne Knox wes send for be the Quene, the brethering of the Kirk[939] followit in such noumer, that the inner close was full, and all the stairs, evin to the chalmer dure whair the Quene and Counsall sat; quho had bene ressonyng amangis thame selves befoir, but had nocht fullie satisfeyit the Secretaris mynd. And so wes the Quene retyreit to hir cabinet, and the Lordis wer talkand ilk one with uther, as occasioune served. Bot upoun the entre of John Knox, thay wer commandit to tak thair places, and so thai did, sytting as Counsalouris one aganis ane uther.
The Duke, according to his dignitie, began the one syde. Upone the uther syde sat the Erle of Argyle, and consequentlie followit the Erle of Murray, the Erle of Glencarne, the Erle of Merchell, the Lord Ruthven, the commoun officeris, Pettarro than Controllor, the Justice Clark, Mr. John Spens of Condie Advocat; and diverse utheris stude by. Removeand from the tabill sat auld Lethingtoun, father to the Secretour, Mr. Henrie Synclare then Bischope of Rosse, and Mr. James M'Gill Clark Register.
Thingis thus put in ordour, the Quene cam furth, and with no littill warldlie pomp, wes placeit in the chyre, haifing twa faithfull supportis, the Maister of Maxwell upoun the ane tor, and Secretour Lethingtoun on the uther tor of the chyre; quhairupoun thay waittit dillegentlie all time of that accusatioun, sumtymes the one occupying hir ear, sumtymes the uther. Hir pomp lackit one principall point, to wit, womanlie gravitie; for when sche saw John Knox standing at the uther end of the tabill bair-heided, sche first smyleit, and efter gaif ane gawf lauchter. Quhairat quhen hir placeboes[940] gaif thair plaudite, affirming with lyke countenance, "This is ane gude begyning," sche said: "But wat ye whairat I lauch? Yon man gart me greit, and grat never teir him self: I will see gif I can gar him greit." At that word the Secretoure quhisperrit hir in the ear, and sche him agane, and with that gaif him ane letter. Efter the inspectioun thairof, he directit his vissage and speche to Johne Knox in this maner:—
"The Quenis Majestie is informit, that ye haif travellit to raise a tumult of hir subjectis against hir, and for certificatioun thairof, thair is presented to hir your awin letter subscryvit in your name. Yit because hir Grace will do na thing without ane gude advysement, sche hes convenit you befoir this pairt of the Nobilitie, that thai may witness betwix you and hir."
"Lat him acknawlege," said sche, "his awin hand writ, and than sall we juge of the contentis of the letter."
And so wes the letter presentit from hand to hand to Johne Knox, who, taking inspectioun of it, said, "I glaidlie acknawlege this to be my hand writ: and also I remember, I dyteit ane letter in the month of October, giffin significatioun to the brether in sindrie quarteris, of sick thingis as displesit me. And that gude opinioun haif I of the fidelatie of the Scribes that willinglie thai wald nocht adulterat my originall, albeit I left diverse blankis subscryvit with thame; and so I acknawlege boith the hand write and the dytement."
"Ye haif done more," said Lethingtoun, "than I wald haif done."