"The General Assembly of the Church conveened at Edinburgh the 25. of December, the exhortation and invocation of the name of God being made by John Knox. John Ærskin of Dun, Superintendent of Angus and Mearnes, was chosen Moderator. In this Assembly Paul Methven's supplication anent his receiving to repentance, &c., was read and considered. The Brethren were content to receive him, providing he presented himself personally before them, and shew evident signes of unfained repentance, and willingness to obey such a forme of repentance as they should enjoyne. As for deleting the processe out of their Books, they could no wayes condescend, neither thought they such a Petition could proceed of the Holy Spirit, seeing David, a notable servant of God, was not ashamed to leave in register his offence, to God's glory and his own confusion. Anent his admission and re-entrie to the Ministrie within this Realme, it was ansuered, That could not be granted till the memorie of his former offence were more deeply buried, and some particular Kirks within the Realme made request for him. And, further, That his entrie in the Ministrie of England, hee being excommunicated and unreconciled to the Kirk, hath grievously offended them." This paragraph is copied nearly verbatim from the Acts of Assembly, 27th December 1564. (Book of the Kirk, vol. i. p. 55.)
[1061] The General Assembly met on the 25th December 1564.
[1062] The Queen left Edinburgh on the 19th January 1564-5. Randolph, who followed soon after, transmitted to England an interesting account of his interviews with her at St. Andrews. (Chalmers' Life of Queen Mary, vol. i. p. 123-127. Keith's Hist., vol. ii. p. 261.) She afterwards visited Wemyss Castle. where she received Darnley's first visit, on the 16th February, and returned to the Palace of Holyrood on the 24th of that month.
[1063] Randolph, in a letter to Cecil, dated 20th March 1564-5, refers to the excesses of both parties at this time; and in particular, that "one of the Queen's chappel, a singing man, said, that he believed as well a tale of Robin Hood as any word is written in the Old Testament or New." He further adds, the Queen's "own Mass, and the resort into it; such blasphemies as there unpunished; her will to continue Papistry, and her desire to have all men live as they list, so offendeth the godly men's consciences, and so many besides that desire alteration, that it is continually feared that these matters will shortly break out to some greater mischief."
[1064] Henry Lord Darnley, then in the twentieth year of his age, arrived in Edinburgh, on the 13th February 1564-5. After visiting the Queen at Wemyss Castle, in Fife, on the 16th, he proceeded to Dunkeld, where his father the Earl of Lennox was residing; but he hastened back to Edinburgh to wait the Queen's arrival at Holyrood.—In both edit. 1644, his name is always printed "Darley."
[1065] Within a month of Darnley's arrival in Scotland, Queen Mary had fixed her affections on him, as her proposed husband, and to communicate this to Queen Elizabeth, was the main object of Lethington's mission to the English Court. He had arrived there on the 18th April, and had returned to Edinburgh on the 13th May 1565. (Chalmers's Life of Queen Mary, vol. iii p. 551.)
[1066] An error in both edit. 1644 for Lady Margaret Douglas: see page 336, note 2.
[1067] So in both edit. 1644; but at page 476 the name is "Carvet."
[1068] Throckmorton, in his letter to the Queen of England, on the 20th May 1565, mentions that he reached Edinburgh on the 13th, and Stirling on the morning of 15th May; when, he says, "At my arrival at the Castle, the gates were shut against me, whether it proceeded from fear, or of some other passion, I know not. I thus remaining some time before the gate, there came unto me the Master of Arskine and the Justice-Clerk, who desired me, in the Queen their Mistress's behalf, to retire unto my lodging which was appointed in the town, saying, that after I had reposed myself, the Queen did mind to give me audience." (Keith's History, vol. ii. p. 279.)
[1069] According to a memorial transmitted by Sir Nicholas Throckmorton to Queen Elizabeth, this ceremony took place at Stirling on the 15th May; and he enumerates the names and titles of the fourteen Knights. (Keith's History, vol. ii. p. 289.)