"Say what ye can," said sche; "for I think ye haif eneuch ado."
"I will first [then] desyre this of your Grace, Madam, and of this maist Honorabill audience, quhidder gif your Grace knawis nocht, that the obstinat Papistis ar deidlie ennemeis to all sick as profess the Evangill of Jesus Christ, and that thai moist eirnistlie desyre the exterminatioun of thame, and of the trew doctrine that is taucht within this Realme?"
The Quene held hir peace: but all the Lordis, with commoun voce, said, "God forbid that either the lyves of the faythfull, or yit the staying of the doctrine, stude in the power of the Papistis: for just experience hes tauld us what creweltie lyis in[945] thair hertis."
"I maun proceid than," said Johne Knox, "seing that I persaif that all will grant that it wer ane barbarous creweltie to destroy sick ane multitude as profess the Evangell of Jesus Christ within this Realme, quhilk ofter then anis or twyse thai haif tempit to do be force, as thingis done of lait dayis do testify, quhairof thay, be God and his providence, being dissapointit, haif inventit moir craftie and daingerous practises, to wit, to mak the Prince pairtie under cullour of law: and so what thai could not do [be] oppin force, thai sall perform be craftie deceat. For who thinkis, my Lordis, that the insatiable crewaltie of the Papistis, within this Realme, I meane, sall end in the murthering of these two bretherin now injustlie summond, and moir unjustlie to be accusit. I think no man of judgement can sa esteme, but rayther the direct contrair, that is, that by this few noumer thai intend to prepair a way to thair bloodie interprises aganis the whole. And thairfoir, Madam, cast up when ye list the Actis of your Parliment. I haif offendit nathing aganis thame; I accuse nocht in my letter your Grace, nor yit your natoure of creweltie. But I affirm yit agane, that the pestilent Papistis, quho have inflamit your Grace without caus againis those pure men at this present, ar the sonis of the devill; and thairfoir maun obey the desires of thair father, quho hes bene ane liar and ane murtherour from the begyning."
"Ye forget your self," said ane; "ye ar not now in the pulpit."
LAT THE WARLD JUGE QUHAT EFFER SCHORTLIE ANSUERIT.[946]
"I am in the place," said the uther, "quhair I am demandit of conscience to speik the treuth; and thairfoir I speik. The treuth I speik impung it quhoso list. And heirunto [I add,] Madam, that honest, gentill, and meik naturis be appeirance, be wickit and corrupt counsallouris, may be convertit and alter[947] to the direct contrair. Exampill we haif of Nero, who in the begyning of his impyre, we find haifing some naturall schame;[948] but efter that his flatteraris had encuraged him in all impietie, alleging, that na thing wes either unhonest nor yit unlauchfull for his personage, quho wes Empriour abuif utheris: quhen he had drunken of this coup, I say, to quhat enormiteis he fell, the historeis beiris witnes. And now, Madam, to speik planelie, Papistis and conjureit ennemeis to Jesus Christ, haif your Graceis eare patent at all tymeis. I assure your Grace thai ar daingerous counsallouris, and that your Mother fand."
As this wes said, Ledingtoun smyleit,[949] and spak secreitlie to the Queue in hir eare; what it wes, the tabill hard nocht. But immediatlie sche addressit hir vissage, and spack to Johne Knox, and said, "Weill, ye speik fair eneuch heir befoir my Lordis; but the last tyme I spak with you secreitlie, ye causit me weip monie salt teiris, and said to me stubernelie, 'Ye set not by my greitting.'"
"Madam," said the uther, "becaus now the secound tyme your Grace hes burdened me with that crime, I maun ansuer, as [leist] for my silence I be haldin gyltie. [If your Grace] be rypelie rememberit, the Laird of Dun, yit leving to testifie the treuth, was present at that tyme quhairof your Grace complenis. Your Grace accuseit me, that I had irreventlie handyllit you in the pulpat; that I denyit. Ye said, What ado had I to speik of your marriage? What was I, that I sould mell with syk maiteris? I ansuerit, As tueching natour, I wes ane worm of this earth, and yet ane subject of this Commounwelth; but as tueching the office whairintill it hes plesit God to place me, I wes ane watchman, bayth over the Realme, and over the Kirk of God gatherit within the same; be reasoun whairof I wes bound in conscience to blaw the trumpet publictlie, so oft as evir I saw onie upfall, onie appeiring dainger,[950] either of the one or of the other. But sa it wes, that ane certane bruit affermed that traffick of mariage wes betwix your Grace and the Spanishe allya; quhairinto I said, that gif your Nobylattie and Estaitis did agrie, unles that bayth ye and your husband sould be so straitlie bound, that neither of you mycht hurte this Commounwealth, nor yit the pure Kirk of God within the same, that in that cais I wald pronunce, that the consentaris wer trubleris[951] of this Commounwelth, and ennemeis to God, and to his promeis plantit within the same.[952] At these wordis, I grant, your Grace stormed, and burstit furth into ane unressonable weiping. Quhat myttigatioun the Laird of Dun wald haif maid, I suppois your Grace hes not forget. But whill that nathing wes abill to stay your weiping, I wes compellit to say, I tak God to record, that I never tuik plesour to see onie creatour weip, [yea, not my children quhen my awin hands had bett thame,[953]] meikle less can I rejoise to see your Grace mak sick regreat. But seing I haif offerit your Grace no such occasioun, I maun rather suffer your Grace to tack your awin plesour, or that I dar conceil the treuth, and so betray baith the Kirk of God and my Commounwelth. Thir wes the maist extreme wordis that I spak that day."
Efter that the Secretar had conferrit with the Quene, he said, "Mr. Knox, ye may returne to your hous for this nicht."