"Charritie," said the uther, "is not suspicious."
"Weill, weill," said the Quene, "reid your awin letter, and than answer to such thingis as salbe demandit of you."
"I sall do the best I can," said the other; and so with loud voce he began to reid as befoir expressed.
Efter that the letter was red to the end, it was presentit agane to Mr. Johne Spens; for the Quene commandit him to accuse, as he efter did, but verie gentillie,—Efter, we say, that the letter was red, the Quene, behalding the hoill tabill, said, "Hard ye evir, my Lordis, ane mair dispitfull and tressonable letter?"[941]
Quhill that no man gaif ansuer, Lethingtoun addressit him to John Knox, and said, "Maister Knox, ar ye nocht sorie from your hairt, and do ye nocht repent that sick ane letter hes past your pen, and from you is cumin to the knawlege of utheris."
Johne Knox ansuerit, "My Lord Secretour, befoir I repent I maun be taucht of my offence."
"Offence," said Lethingtoun, "gif thair wer na mair but the convocatioun of the Quenis leigis, the offence can nocht be denyit."
"Remember your self, my Lord," said the uther, "thair is a differens betwix ane lauchfull convocatioun, and ane unlauchfull. Giff I haif bene giltie in this, I haif oft offendit sen I come [last] in Scotland: for what convocatioun of the brethering hes ever bene to this day into quhilk my pen servit not? Befoir this no man led it to my chairge as ane cryme."
"Than wes than," said Ledingtoun, "and now is now: We haif no neid of sick convocatiounis as sometimes we haif had."
Johne Knox ansuerit, "The time that hes bene is evin now befoir my eyis; for I see the pure flock[942] in no less daunger nor it hes bene at ony time befoir, except that the Devill hes gottin a vissorne upon his face. Befoir he come in with his awin face, discoverit be opin tyrannie, seiking the destructioun of all that hes refuissit idolatrie; and than I think ye will confess the brethering lauchfullie assembled thame selfis for defence of thair lyffeis. And now the Devill cumis under the cloke of Justice, to do that quhilk God wald nocht suffer him to do by strength."