Johne Knox demanded, "Did ye consent, my Lord, to any part of that treassone?" He ansuered, "Nay." "Then, (said he,) in my judgement, his wordis, albeit thei war spoken, can never be treassone unto you; for the performance of the fact dependis upoun your will, whairto ye say ye have disassented; and so shall that purpose evanise and dye by the self, onless that ye waiken it; for it is not to be supposed that he will accuse you of that which he him self [hes] devised, and whairto ye wold not consent." "O, (said he,) ye understand not what craft is used against me: It is treassone to conceall treassone." "My Lord, (said he,) treasson maun importe consent and determinatioun, quhilk[775] I hear upoun neather of your partis. And thairfoir, my Lord, in my judgement it shalbe more suyre and moir honorable to you to depend upoun your [awin] innocencye, and to abyde the injust accusatioun of ane other, (yf any follow thairof, as I think thair shall not,) then ye to accuise, (especiallie after so lait reconciliatioun,) and have none other witnesses but your awin affirmatioun." "I know, (said he,) that he will offer the combatt unto me; but that wold not be suffered in France; but I will do that which I have purposed." And so he departed, and took with him to his loodgeing the saidis Alexander Guthery and Mr. Richart Strang; from whense was dyted and written a letter to the Quenis Majestie, according to the formar purpose, which letter was direct with all diligence to the Quenis Majestie, who then was in Falkland.
The Erle him self raid after to Kynneill, to his father, the Duckis Grace.[776] How he was entreated, we have but the commoun bruyte; but from thense he wrait ane other letter with his awin hand, in sypher, to the Erle of Murray, compleanyng upoun his rigorous handelling and entreatment by his awin father, and by his freindis; and affirmed farther, that he feared his lyef, in case that he gat not suddane reskew. But thairupoun he remaned not, but brack the chalmer whairin he was put, and with great pain past to Striveling, and from thense he was convoyed to the Hallyardis,[777] whair he was keapt till that the Erie of Murray cam unto him, and convoyed him to the Quene, then beand in Falkland, who then was sufficientlie instructed of the hoill mater; and upoun suspitioun conceaved, had caused apprehend Maister Gawan Hammyltoun and the Erle Bothwell foirsaid; who knowing nothing of the formar advertismentis, cam to Falkland,[778] which augmented the formar suspitioun.
But yit the letteris of Johne Knox maid all thingis to be used more circumspectlie; for he[779] did planelie foirwarne the Erle of Murray, that he espyed the Erle of Arrane to be stricken with phrenesy, and thairfoir willed not oure great credytt to be gevin unto his wordis and inventionis. And as he advertised, so it cam to pass; for within few dayis his seaknes increased; he devised of wonderouse signes that he saw in the heavin; he alledged that he was bewitched; he wold have bene in the Quenis bed, and affirmed that he was hir husband; and fynallie, he behaved him self in all thingis so foolishelie, that his phrenesy could not be hyd. And yit war the saidis Erle Bothwell and Abbott[780] of Kylwynning keapt in the Castell of Sanctandrois, and conventit[781] befoir the Counsall, with the said Earl of Arrane, who ever stoode ferme, that the Erle Boithwell proponed to him suche thingis as he advertissed the Quenis Grace of; but styflie denyed that his Father, the said Abbote, or freindis, knew any thing thairof, eathir yit that thei intended any violence against him; but alledged, that he was enchanted so to think and wryte. Whairat the Quene, heghlie offended, committed him to preasone, with the other two, first in the Castell of Sanctandrois, and thairafter caused thame to be convoyed to the Castell of Edinburgh. James Stewarte of Cardonall,[782] called Capitane James, was evill bruited [of], for the rigorous entreatment that he schew to the said Erle in his seaknes, being appointed keeper unto him.
To consult upoun these accusationis, the hoill Counsalle was assembled at Sanctandrois, the 18 day of Aprile, in the year of God Jm Vc, and threscoir twa yearis;[783] in which it was concluded, that, in consideratioun of the formar suspitioun, the Duck his Grace should render to the Quene the Castell of Dumbartane,[784] the custodie whairof was granted unto him by appointment, till that lauchfull successioun should be sein of the Quenis body: But will prevailled against reassone and promisses, and so was the said Castell delivered to Capitane Anstrudour, as having power fra the Quene and Counsall to receave it.[785]
Psal. 2.
Thingis ordoured in Fyfe, the Quene returned to Edinburgh,[786] and then began dansing to grow hote; for hir freindis began to triumph in France. The certantie heirof came to the earis of Johne Knox, for thair war some that schew to him, from tyme to tyme, the estait of thingis; and amangis otheris, he was assured, that the Queyne had daunced excessivelie till after mydnycht, becaus that sche had receaved letteris that persecutioun was begun agane in France, and that hir Uncles war begyning to steir thair taill,[787] and to truble the hoill Realme of France. Upoun occasioun of this text, "And now understand, O ye kingis, and be learned, ye that judge the earth," he began to taxt the ignorance, the vanitie, and the dyspyte of princes against all virtue, and against all those in whom haitterent of vice and love of vertew appeired.[788]
THE SECOUND COMMONYNG OF JOHNE KNOX WITH THE QUENE
The reporte heirof maid unto the Quene, the said Johne Knox was send for. Mr. Alexander Cockburne,[789] who befoir had bone his scolare, and then was very familiare with him, was the messinger, who geve him some knowledge both of the report and of the reportairis. The Quene was in hir bed-chalmer, and with hir, besydis the Ladyes and the commoun servandis, war the Lord James, the Erle of Mortoun, Secreatarie Lethingtoun, and some of the garde that had maid the report. He was called and accused, as are that had irreverentlie spoken of the Quene, and that travailled to bring hir in haitterent and contempt of the people, and that he had exceaded the boundis of his text: And upoun these three headis, maid the Quene hir self a long harangue or orisoun;[790] whairto the said Johne ansuered as followis:—
"Madame, this is often tymes the just recompense which God geveth to the stubburne of the world, that becaus thei will nott hear God speaking to the conforte of the penitent, and for amendment of the wicked, thai are oft compelled to hear the fals report of otheris to thair greatter displeasur. I doubt not but that it cam to the earis of proud Herode, that our Maister Christ Jesus called him a fox; but thai told him not how odiouse a thing it was befoir God to murther ane innocent, as he had laitlie done befoir, causing to behead Johne the Baptiste, to reward the dansing of a harlottis doughtter. Madam, yf the reportaris of my wordis had bene honest men, thai wold have reaported my wordis, and the circumstances of the same. But becaus thai wold have credyte in Courte, and lacking vertew worthy thairof, thai mon haif somewhat to pleise your Majestie, yf it war but flatterye and lyes. But such pleasour (yf any your Grace tack in suche personis) will turn to your everlasting displeasour. For, Madam, yf your awin earis had heard the hoill mater that I entreated; yf thair be into you any sparckle of the Spreit of God, yea, of honestie or wisdome, ye could not justlie have bene offended with any thing that I spack. And becaus that ye have heard thair report, please your Grace to hear my self reherse the same, so neyr as memory will serve." (It was evin upoun the nixt day after that the sermon was maid.) "My text, (said he,) Madam, was this, 'And now, O kings, understand; be learned, ye judges of the earth.' After, Madam, (said he,) that I had declaired the dignitie of kingis and reullaris, the honour whairinto God lies placed thame, the obedience that is dew unto thame, being Goddis lievtennentis, I demanded this questioun,—But, O allace! what compte shall the most part of princes maik befoir that Supreme Judge, whose throne and authoritie so manifestlie and schamefullie thai abuse? That the complaynt of Salomon is this day most trew, to wit, 'That violence and oppressioun do occupy the throne of God here in this earth:' for whill that murtheraris, blood-thrystie men, oppressouris, and malefactouris dar be bold to present thame selfis befoir kingis and princes, and the poor sanctis of God are banisshed and exyled, what shall we say, But that the devill hath tacken possessioun in the throne of God, which aught to be fearfull to all wicked doiris, and a refuge to the innocent oppressed. And how can it otherwyse be? For princes will not understand; thai will nott be learned as God commandis thame. But Goddis law thei dispyse, His statutis and holy ordinances thei will not understand; for in fidling and flynging thei ar more exercised then in reading or hearing of Goddis most blessed word; and fidlaris and flatteraris (which commonlie corrupt the youth) are more pretious in thair eyes then men of wisdome and gravitie, who by holsome admonitioun mycht beat doun into thame some part of that vanitie and pryde whairintill all are borne, but in princes tack [deepe] roote and strenth by wicked educatioun. And of dansing, Madam, I said, that albeit in Scripturis I fand no praise of it, and in prophane wryttaris, that it is termed the jesture rather of those that ar mad and in phrenesye then of sober men; yitt do I not utterlie dampne it, provyding that two vices be avoided: the formare, That the principall vocatioun of those that use that exercise be not neglected for the pleasur of dansing; Secoundly, That they daunse not, as the Philisteanis thair fatheris, for the pleasur that thai tack in the displeasur of Goddis people. For yf any of boyth thai do, as thai shall receave the reward of dansaris, and that willbe drynk in hell, onless thai spedilie repent, so shall God turn thair myrth in suddane sorow: for God will not alwayes afflict his people, neither yitt will he alwayes wynk at the tyranny of tyrantis. Yf any man, Madam, (said he,) will say that I spack more, let him presentlie accuse me; for I think I have nott only tueiched the somme, but the verry wordis as I spack them." Many that stood by bair witnesse with him, that he had recyted the verray wordis that publictlie he spack.
The Queyn looked about to some of the reaportaris, and said, "Your wourdis ar scharpe yneuch as ye have spocken thame; but yitt thei war tald to me in ane uther maner. I know (said sche) that my Uncles and ye ar nott of ane religioun, and thairfoir I can nott blame you albeit you have no good opinioun of thame. But yf ye hear any thing of my self that myslyikis you, come to my self and tell me, and I shall hear you."