Duck D'Omell[666] returned with the galayes to France. The Quene entered in hir progresses, and in the moneth of September traveled from Edinburgh to Lynlythqu, Striveling, Sanct Johnestoun, Dondie, Sanctandrois;[667] which all partis sche polluted with hir idolatrie. Fyre followed hir verray commounlie in that jorney. The townis propyned hir liberallie, and thairof war the Frenche enriched.
BALFOUR, HIS DOCTRINE.
In the begyning of October,[668] sche returned to Edinburgh, and at the day appointed sche was receaved in the Castell. Great preparationis war maid for hir enteress in the town. In ferses, in masking, and in other prodigalities, faine wold fooles have counterfooted France. Whatsoever myght sett furth hir glory, that sche heard, and glaidlye beheld. The keyes war delivered unto hir by a pretty boy, descending as it war from a cloud. The verses of hir awin praise sche heard, and smyled. But when the Bible was presented, and the praise thairof declared, sche began to frown: for schame sche could not refuise it.[669] But she did no better, for immediatelie sche gave it to the most pestilent Papist within the Realme, to wit, to Arthoure Erskyn.[670] Edinburgh since that day had reaped as thai sew. Thai gave hir some taist of thair prodigalitie; and becaus the liquor was sweet, sche hes licked of that buist oftar than twyse since.[671] All men know what we mean: the Quene can not lack, and the subjectis have.
In Edinburgh it hath bene ane auncient and laudable custom, that the Provest, Baillies, and Counsall, after thair electioun, which useth to be at Michaelmess, caused publictlie proclame[672] the Statutes and Ordinances of the town. And thairfoir Archibald Dowglas, Provest; Edwarde Hope, Adame Fowllartoun, [Mr. James Watsone, and David Somer,[673]] Baillies, caused proclame, according to the formar Statutes of the town, that no adulterar, [no fornicatour,] no noted drunkard, no mess-mongare, no obstinate Papistis that corrupted the people, such as preastis, freiris, and otheris of that sorte, should be found within the toun within fourty-aught houris thairafter, under the paines conteaned in the statutes. Which blawin in the Quenis earis, thair began pryde and maliciousnes to schaw the self; for without farther cognitioun of the caus, was the Provest and Baillies charged to ward in the Castell; and immediatlie was commandiment gevin, that other Provest and Baillies should be elected.[674]
THE QUENIS FIRST PRYDE AFTER HIR ARRYVALL.
Some ganestood for a while the new electioun, alledgeing, that the Provest and Baillies whom thai had chosen, and to whom thai had gevin thair oath, had committed no offence whairfoir that justlie thai aught to be depryved. But whill charge was doubled upoun charge, and no man was found to oppone thame selffis to iniquitie,[675] Jesabellis letter and wicked will is obeyed as a law. And so was Mr. Thomas Mackalzeane chosen[675] for the other. The man, no doubt, was boyth discreat and sufficient for that charge;[676] but the depositioun of the other was against all law. God be mercyfull to some of our owen; for thai war not all blameless that hir wicked will was so far obeyed.
THE QUENIS TREW LIEGES, WHA?
A contrair proclamatioun was publictlie maid, that the toun should be patent unto all the Quenis lieges; and so murtheraris, adulteraris, theavis, hooris, drunkardis, idolateris, and all malefactouris, gatt protectioun under the Quenis wyngis, under that cullour, becaus thai war of hir religioun. And so gatt the Devill fredome agane, whair that befoir he durst nott have bene sene in the day lyght upoun the commoun streatis. "Lord deliver us from that bondage."
THE DEVILL GETTING ENTRESS WITH HIS FYNGAR, WILL SCHOOT FURTH[677] HIS HOLL ARME.
The Devill finding his rainzeis lowse, ran fordwarte in his course; and the Quene took upoun hir grettar boldness than sche and Baalles bleatting preastis[678] durst have attempted befoir. For upoun Allhallow day[679] thai blended up thair Messe with all myscheivous solempnitie. The ministeris thairat offended, in plane and publict place, declared the inconvenientis that thairupoun should ensew. The Nobilitie war sufficientlie admonished of thair dewiteis. But affectioun caused men to call that in doubt, whairin schort befoir thai seamed to be most resolute, to wit, "Whitther that subjectis mycht put to thair hand to suppresse the idolatrie of thair Prince?" And upoun this questioun conveined in the house of Mr. James[680] Mackgill, the Lord James, the Erle of Mortoun, the Erle Merschell, Secretarie Lethingtoun, the Justice Cleark,[681] and Cleark of Registre;[682] who all reassoned for the parte of the Quene, affirmyng, "That the subjectis mycht not lauchfullie tack hir Messe frome hir." In the contrair judgement war the principall Ministeris, Mr. Johne Row,[683] Maister George Hay,[684] Maister Robert Hammyltoun,[685] and Johne Knox. The reassonis of boyth partyes we will omitt, becaus thai wilbe explaned after, whair the same questioun, and otheris concernyng the Obedience dew unto Princes, war long reassoned in open assemblie. The conclusioun of that first reassonyng was, "That the questioun should be formed, and letteris direct to Geneva for the resolutioun of that Churche," whairin Johne Knox offered his laubouris. But Secretarie Lethingtoun, (alledging that thair stood mekle in the informatioun,) said, that he should wryte. But that was onlie to dryve tyme, as the treuth declaired the self. The Quenis partye urged, "That the Quene should have hir religioun free in hir awin chapell, to do, sche and hir houshold, what thei list." The Ministeris boyth affirmed and voted the contrair, adding, "That hir libertie should be[686] thair thraldome or it was long." But neathir could reassone nor threatnyng move the affectionis[687] of such as war creipping in credite. And so did the vottis of the Lordis prevail against the Ministeris.