[77] MS. G. makes it the 28th; but the date of the original letter, as Mr. Tytler has noticed, is the 20th of July. (Hist. vol. vi. p. 122.)
[78] See a brief notice of Whytelaw, in vol. i. p. 393. Throkmorton, in a letter dated at Paris, 21st June 1559, says, "One Sanders Whitlo, a Scottishman, who was heretofore pensioner in England, in King Edward's tyme," and "being a very honest, sober, and godly man, and the most truely affectionat to England of any Scottishman I know here, hath been with me, and given me diverse advertisements of things which be trew;" and he recommends that he should receive the same pension he had enjoyed, after his lands in Scotland had been forfeited by the Earl of Huntley. (Forbes's State Papers, vol. i p. 137.) On the 28th June, he was the bearer of a letter from Throkmorton to Secretary Cecil.—(Ib. p. 147.) A postscript to the letter adds, "This bearer is greatly estemyd of John Knokes, and he doth also favour him above other: nevertheles, he is sory for his boke rashly writen."
[79] In MS. G, "Anwich," the town of Alnwick, in the county of Northumberland, 84 miles from Newcastle.
[80] Stamford, an ancient borough town in the county of Lincoln. The Castle, of which scarcely any vestiges are now visible, was granted by Queen Elizabeth to Sir William Cecil.
[81] In Vautr. edit. "then was he hated of his companie."
[82] Mr. Robert Hamilton was educated at St. Andrews. As witness of a deed, dated 1558, he is styled Rector of Torrens.—(Lyon's St. Andrews, vol. ii. p. 262.) He afterwards became Minister of St. Andrews.
[83] Pittenweem, a royal burgh and sea-port on the east-coast of Fife.
[84] As this portion of the History supplies a defect in the previous Book, where the application made by the Protestants for aid from England is scarcely alluded to; and as there is an apparent confusion in some of the dates, owing to the letters being partially or inaccurately copied, a few words of explanation may here be added. Knox's conversation with Kirkaldy of Grange, (see page 21,) took place at St. Andrews, after Cupar Muir, before the end of June 1559; and letters from Kirkaldy, to Cecil and Percy, on the 23d and 25th of that month, and on the 1st of July, are still preserved. Knox himself wrote to Cecil, on the 28th June. The result of their correspondence was, that Whytelaw, who had then returned from France, and having passed through England, had brought letters from Sir William Cecil, was sent back on the 20th of July, as the bearer of the letters from the Lords of the Congregation, and from Knox, to Cecil and Queen Elizabeth, which are printed in pages 22 to 30. After Whytelaw's departure, Knox received a letter from Sir Henry Percy, wishing that they should meet at Alnwick. His journey thither was delayed, in consequence of the Queen and the French troops having advanced from Dunbar, on Monday the 23d of July, and the Congregation having retired from Edinburgh on the 24th; but Knox, after a short delay, passed through Fife to Pittenweem, and crossed the Firth to Holy Island. Having acceded to the suggestions of Sir James Crofts, instead of proceeding farther, he remained at Berwick until Whytelaw came with Cecil's letter, on the 2d or 3d of August: (see page 35, note 1.)
[85] The Articles and Instructions, written by Knox, and left with Crofts to be transmitted to the English Privy Council, are dated 31st July 1559. (See Tytler's History of Scotland, vol. vi. p. 128.)
[86] MS. G. makes it, "Maister Knox."