[837] Quintin Kennedy was the fourth son of Gilbert second Earl of Cassillis. As a younger son, intended for the church, he pursued his studies at St. Andrews, and afterwards at Paris. He obtained the Abbacy of Crossraguell in Ayrshire, in the year 1549. He died on the 22d August 1564. See notice of his life in the Wodrow Miscellany, vol. i. p. 89.
[838] The Disputation referred to took place at Maybole in September 1562. Knox published a detailed account of it, under the title of "The Copie of the Reasonyng which was betwix the Abbot of Crossraguell and Johne Knox, in Maybole, concerning the Masse," &c. Printed at Edinburgh by Robert Lekprevik, 1563, 4to. This, of course, will be reprinted in a subsequent volume of his Works.
[839] Mr. George Hay was first minister of Eddilston, and in or before 1563, was appointed Commissioner of the Diocese of Aberdeen and Banff, and also Minister of Ruthven. In August 1562, he had been appointed to visit Ayrshire (see page 347); and Knox's allusion is evidently to Hay's controversy with the Abbot at this time, which was published under this title, "The Confutation of the Abbote of Crosraguells Masse, set furth by Maister George Hay. Imprinted at Edinburgh, by Robert Lekprewik, 1563," 4to; dedicated "To the Most Noble, Potent, and Godly Lord James, Earle of Murray."
[840] The following is a brief notice of the Queen's progress in the North of Scotland. She set out from Edinburgh, on horseback, on the 11th August 1562, dined that day at Calder, and then reached the Palace of Linlithgow. Next day, after dinner, at Lord Livingstone's, in Callander House, she came to Stirling Castle, where she remained till the 18th. She proceeded to Aberdeen, where she arrived on the 27th, and remained till the 1st of September. Having changed her purpose of visiting the Earl of Huntley, she proceeded, stopping at places not so well prepared for her reception, passed the Spey, and reached Elgin on the 4th. On the 8th she passed forward to Kinloss Abbey; on the following day to Tarnaway Castle, the chief mansion of the Earldom of Murray, where a Privy Council was held on the 10th of September; and Lord James Stewart having resigned the title of Mar, produced his patent, and assumed the title of Murray. Next day the Queen reached Inverness. On the 15th she set out on her return, stopping at Tarnaway and Spynie Castle, recrossed the Spey at Fochabers, and reached Aberdeen on the 22d, where the inhabitants shewed their loyalty on occasion of her public entry. Here she remained till the 5th of November, during which time the fatal conflict at Corrichie took place, ensuring the triumph of Murray, and the ruin of Huntley, which Chalmers and other writers assert was the chief object in inducing the Queen to undertake this journey. In her return she passed through Dunottar, Montrose, Dundee, Perth, and arrived at Holyrood on the evening of the 21st of November, after more than three months' absence. See Chalmers's Life of Queen Mary, vol. i. sect. iv.
[841] Being denounced rebels, in August and October 1565.—Some letters in this marginal note, cut away by the binder, are supplied from MS. G.
[842] Apparently Capt. Alexander Stewart, son of Capt. James Stewart of Cardonald, who is mentioned at page 329. On the 29th October 1562, there was paid by the Queen's speciale command "to Capitane Moffet ensinge to Capitane Stewart for his trew service done and to be done, £66, 13s. 4d."
[843] The battle of Corrichie takes its name from the vale or small stream so called, in the parish of Mid-Mar, about twenty miles west of Aberdeen. The hill of Fare is computed to be 1793 feet above the level of the sea.
[844] This veteran has been several times mentioned by Knox: see vol. i. p. 317; vol. ii. pp. 56, 63. It may be added that at a later period of life he obtained a grant of the Commendatorship of the Priory of Pittenweem. As elsewhere mentioned he died in 1588, aged seventy. He was buried in the church of Dundee, and the inscription on his monument, which, I believe, is still preserved, was published by Monteith, in his "Theater of Mortality." Edinb. 1713, 8vo.
[845] In MS. G, this marginal date is inserted in the text.
[846] In MS. L 4, all the words after "should be there dead," are omitted.