Library · The History of the Reformation in Scotland (Works, vol. 1)
Part 87
The History of the Reformation in Scotland (Works, vol. 1) · John Knox
[732] Lord James Stewart, the eldest of the natural sons of James the Fifth, is noticed at page 71, as having been educated under George Buchanan, and as Commendator of the Monasteries of Kelso and Melrose: see also page 249, note 5. But the date of his death is there erroneously stated. Instead of 1548, it happened in August or September 1558. The Queen Dowager nominated her uncle, Charles Cardinal of Lorraine, and brother of Francis Duke of Guyse, to be his successor, "be vertue of the Acte of Naturalization," (Lesley's History, p. 267;) but the Cardinal never obtained possession of these lucrative benefices. The Commendatorship of Melrose was afterwards conferred on James Douglas, a cadet of the Morton family.
[733] Parliament did not meet till the 29th of November 1558.
[734] The Duke of Chattelherault gave in, at the Parliament held at Edinburgh on the 14th December 1557, a protestation "tuiching the marriage of our Souerane Lady;" and another protest, on the 29th November 1558, "tuiching the Crowne Matrimoniale."--(Acta Parl. Scot. vol. ii. p. 605, 507.)
[735] In MS. G, "except the Duke for his interest."
[736] In MS. G, "professed;" and in the second next line, "profess;" but the words are corrected to "possessed," and "possess," in edit. 1732.
[737] In Vautr. edit. and MS. G, "Harlawe."
[738] These early and zealous friends of the Reformation, who undertook the office of Exhorters, were all laymen, with perhaps the exception of Robert Hamilton, who afterwards became minister of St. Andrews. Robert Lockhart is mentioned by Knox in October 1559, as endeavouring to make an agreement between the Queen Regent, and the Congregation, without success.
[739] In MS. G, "Meffen."
[740] Paul Methven, after the Reformation, was appointed minister of Jedburgh; but to the scandal of his brethren in the ministry, and according to the account of "this horrible fact," related by Knox in his Fourth Book, he was found guilty of adultery, and deposed and excommunicated, June 1563.
[741] Respecting Willock, see notes 633, 672.
[742] "Sacrate authoritie," here, and in other places, may mean the constituted rather than "sacred authority," as in MS. G, and Vautr. edit.
[743] Sir James Sandilands of Calder, the ancestor of the Torphichen family. His pedigree is fully detailed in Douglas and Wood's Peerage of Scotland, vol. ii. pp. 590-595. He was born about the year 1480; and had a charter of lands to himself and Margaret Forrester, only daughter of Archibald Forrester of Corstorphine, 23d August 1510. In the Peerage, Sir James is said to have "died after 1553." This date may have misled Mr. Tytler, in stating that it was the Preceptor of the Knights of St. John, commonly called Lord St. John, who made this appearance in Parliament.--(History, vol. vi. pp. 79, 90.) But Dr. M'Crie has in like manner confounded the father with his second son.--(Life of Knox, vol. i. p. 176.) Sir James probably survived till the beginning of 1560. On the 12th July 1559, his eldest son and successor was styled "John Sandilands of Calder, younger," which proves that his father was still alive. James Sandilands, his second son, became Lord St. John, and, as stated in note 641, he obtained the temporal lordship of Lord Torphichen, in 1563; but leaving no issue, the title, on his death, devolved on his grand-nephew, James Sandilands of Calder, 29th November 1596.
[744] This permission to read the Scriptures "in our common tongue," refers to the Act of Parliament 15th March 1542-3: see page 100.
[745] In Vautr. edit. "in severitie of prayer;" MS. G has "in fervent and oft prayers."
[746] MS. G has "stabilitie;" Vautr. edit. "abilitie."
[747] In MS. G, "lavacrie."
[748] The Council of Constance, in 1415, whilst acknowledging that "Christ instituted the venerable Sacrament of the Eucharist, after the Supper, and administered it to his Disciples under the forms of bread and wine;" nevertheless decreed that the laity should not be allowed to partake of the cup. This prohibition by the Romish Church, was the occasion of great discontent in some of the foreign Churches, more especially in Bohemia and Switzerland, from the time of John Huss to that of Luther.--As both George Wishart and Knox had previously dispensed the Sacrament, according to the original institution, this may have led to this demand for such a privilege to the Protestants in Scotland, in 1558.
[749] It is not unlikely that this last demand, and the increasing strength of the Reformers, may have led the Catholic Prelates and Clergy to enact some of the Canons in their last Provincial Council, for reforming the lives of their own body.
[750] In MS. G, "a longe purs."
[751] Vautr. edit. omits the important words, "sayis the Chronicle," and reads, "40,000 powndes gathered by the Laird of Earles haule."--In the anonymous "Historie of the Estate of Scotland," the sum to be paid, it is said, "was within 15,000 lib."--(Wodrow Miscellany, vol. i. p. 56.)
[752] This Chronicle is not known to be extant; but Robert Lindsay of Pitscottie, in his Chronicles of Scotland compiled about 1575, enumerates, as one of his authors, "SIR WILLIAM BRUCE OF EARLESHALL, Knight, who hath written very justly all the deeds since Floudoun Field."--In Douglas's Baronage, pp. 510-513, there is a genealogy of this family, from which we learn that Sir William was the heir of his father, Sir Alexander Bruce of Earlshall, who had the honour of knighthood conferred on him by James the Fourth. Sir William succeeded his father in 1504, and is said to have been knighted by the same Monarch. This is apparently a mistake; but his name appears as Miles, in a charter dated 1539. In May 1563, Sir William Bruce became surety for Maxwell of Teling, (Criminal Trials, vol. i. p. *427;) but how long after this he may have survived, is uncertain.
[753] Pitscottie, Calderwood, Spottiswood, and other writers, have given an account of the fate of this aged priest, who suffered martyrdom at St. Andrews, in the eighty-second year of his age. But Foxe's account of his trial and sentence is the earliest and most minute, and will be inserted as No. XIV. of the Appendix to the present volume. Myln himself expressed a hope, which was realized, that he would be the last person in this country thus to suffer for the cause of truth.
[754] Although this cairn was not allowed to remain, there has lately been erected, within sight of the Castle of St. Andrews, a granite obelisk, to commemorate the names of the more eminent Scotish Martyrs. It bears the following inscription:--
"IN MEMORY OF THE MARTYRS PATRICK HAMILTON, HENRY FORREST, GEORGE WISHART, WALTER MILL, WHO, IN SUPPORT OF THE PROTESTANT FAITH, SUFFERED BY FIRE AT ST. ANDREWS, BETWEEN THE YEARS MDXXVIII AND MDLVIII.
The righteous shall be held in everlasting remembrance.
[755] In Vautr. edit. "Officiall."
[756] See note 760.
[757] In Vautr. edit. "becommeth."
[758] In Vautr. edit. "officers."
[759] See page 294.