[777] Hallyards, in the parish of Auchertule in Fifeshire. Sir Robert Sibbald, in 1710, speaks of "Hallyairds, the residence of a gentleman of the name of Skeen: a great building, surrounded with gardens, large enclosures and planting: having large meadows to the west, and a loch fertile of fish to the east." (Hist. of Fife, edit. 1710, App. p. 3.) At the time referred to by Knox, it belonged to Sir William Kirkaldy of Grange: see vol. i. p. 90.
[778] "Upon the last day of March (1562,) my Lord Bothwill and the Commendatare of Kilwynning wer commandit in ward, in the Palice of Falkland." Diurnal, p. 71.)
[779] It is a peculiarity in Knox's chief amanuensis, always to write "he" as "hie."
[780] In MS. G, "Mr. Gawin, Abbot," &c.
[781] In MSS. G, and L 4, "conveened."
[782] James Stewart of Cardonald, about two miles from Paisley, in the county of Renfrew. In a letter dated 7th September 1561, Randolph says, "James Steward's admission to be Captain of the garde, stayett upon the Lord of Lidington's retorne, to certifye whether he be sworne Englishman." (Wright's Queen Elizabeth, vol. i. p. 74.) On the 4th May 1562, "Capitane Stewart, capitane of the Quenis gard," with 24 horsemen, convoyed Arrane, Bothwell, and the Abbot of Kilwinning from St. Andrews to Edinburgh. (Diurnal of Occurrents, p. 72.)
[783] In the Acts of the Privy Council, there is no minute of any meeting held on the 18th of April 1562. But the records of that time are not very entire. In the Diurnal of Occurrents it is stated, that a Convention was appointed to be held at St. Andrews, on the 15th of that month, "for taking tryell of the matter above written, and thair compeirit certane Lordis to the samyne;" and that, on the 18th of April, "My Lord Duke raid to the Quenis Grace in Sanctandrois, quhairintill he purgit himself of the conspiracie foirsaid in hir presens."
[784] "Upon the xxvij day of April (1562) the Castell of Dumbartane wes deliverit be my Lord Duke to Capitane Anstruther, in the name and behalf of the Quenis Grace." (Diurnal of Occurrents, p. 72.) Captain Robert Anstruther, in the previous year, had the command of the fortified island of Inchkeith, in the Frith of Forth, with "40 hagbutteris, remanand within the said Inche," (Treasurer's Accounts.)
[785] At the end of this paragraph, the transcriber of MS. L 4, has added, "Thus farr Mr. Knox in the Fourth Booke of his Historie. Let the Reader compare this relation with Buchanan's, and follow his own judgement." In like manner Calderwood (Hist. vol. ii. p. 177,) says, "Thus I have related this part of the Historie, as Knox hath sett it down in the Fourth Booke of his Historie. Mr. Buchanan, his relation, is somewhat different. He writeth," &c. Instead of quoting this passage, the reader may be referred to Buchanan's own work, in which he ascribes a plot to murther the Earl of Murray, as having been devised by the Earl of Bothwell, upon finding that he would not join Bothwell in his first design against the Hamiltons.
[786] Queen Mary returned from her journey and residence in Fife, to Edinburgh, early in May. Knox probably confounded this absence from Edinburgh, with the Queen's more protracted progress in the North in Autumn, (see page 381,) which may account for his mistaking the precise time of his second communing with the Queen, which actually took place in December: see next page, note 2.