Library · The History of the Reformation in Scotland (Works, vol. 1)
Part 88
The History of the Reformation in Scotland (Works, vol. 1) · John Knox
[760] No notice of this Protest occurs in the Acts and Proceedings of the Parliament held at Edinburgh on the 29th November 1558, when, from the reference to the Crown Matrimonial, at page 312, it must have been presented. Knox indeed says it was refused; but the proceedings of that Parliament, which also sat on the 5th December, seem not to have been fully recorded, or at least preserved.
[761] The treaty of peace referred to was concluded at Cateau-Cambresis, between France, England, and Spain, on the 2d April 1559. The evident design of the Courts of France and Spain at this time was to endeavour the extirpation of heresy, or the Protestant Faith in England, as well as in other countries.
[762] In MS. G, "in hir hairt."
[763] It has already been noticed that the preachers summoned were Paul Methven, John Christison, William Harlaw, and John Willock. As they did not appear on the day finally fixed, they and their cautioners were denounced as rebels, on the 10th of May 1559. See the sentence, in M'Crie's Life of Knox, vol. i. p. 447.
[764] In the outer margin, (fol. III,) Knox had written some words which have been scored through, and are partly cut away by the binder. As well as I can decipher the words, the sentence may be thus read:--"Luik quhether it be best to tak in heir the Beggars Warning, or in the place befoir appoynted." See note 2, page 290; also pages 320, 321.
[765] Patrick Lord Ruthven held the Provostship of Perth for many successive years: see note 787.
[766] Mr. James Halyburton is usually styled Tuter of Pitcur. At the siege of Brochty, in 1547-8, he was left in command of certain companies of horse.--(Lesley's Hist. p. 203.) He filled the office of Provost of Dundee for a considerable period, as will afterwards be noticed. His name, as Provost, occurs in Parliamentary proceedings, 1554 and 1563.--(Acta Parl. Scot. vol. ii. pp. 536, 603.)
[767] In MS. G, "Meffen."
[768] At page 291, Knox says that the meeting of Provincial Council in 1558-9, continued till the day of his arrival; whilst according to Bishop Lesley, this Provincial Council, held at Edinburgh in 1559, "endit apoun the x daye of Apryle. Efter the quhilk, the Quene Regent immediatelie caused summounde John Knox, John Willox, John Douglas, and Paule Meffane, to compeir before the Justice in Striveling the x day of Maij, onder the pane of rebellioun."--(Hist, p. 271.) To reconcile this with the date of Knox's arrival in Scotland, Dr. M'Crie has remarked, that "though the Acts were concluded on the 10th April, it was not agreed to close the Council on that day."
[769] Sir John Maxwell, second son of Robert fourth Lord Maxwell, being presumptive heir of his brother, was called Master of Maxwell, in charters granted to him and his wife Agnes, eldest daughter and co-heiress of William fourth Lord Herreis of Terregles, 1st February 1549-50. His elder brother Robert was served heir of his father, 1st August 1550, and married Lady Beatrix Douglas, second daughter of James Earl of Morton; but he died 14th September 1552; and his posthumous son John became sixth Lord Maxwell. But Sir John Maxwell of Terregles still retained his designation as Master, and was actively employed in public affairs. In December 1552, and again in 1557, he was one of the Commissioners for a treaty of peace with England; and was Warden of the West Marches.--(Lesley's Hist. p. 258.) From the above statement by Knox, it appears he had been committed to ward by order of the Queen Regent. Bishop Lesley thus makes mention of his having escaped from the Castle of Edinburgh. Although the date 1558, appears in the printed copy as supplied by the Editor, the events recorded from page 273 to page 277, belong to 1559:--"About this tyme, the Master of Maxwell, quho was keped presoner in the Castell of Edinburgh, departed furth of the same be ane corde our the wall thairof, quhair thair was certane horsis in redines with frendis of his owne, quho receaved and convoyide him in his owne countrey; and sone thaireftir he joyned him selfe with the Lordis of the Congregatione."--(Hist. p. 276.)
[770] [In note 725, it is stated that Knox had changed his intention of inserting "The Beggars Summonds," at the end of Book First; and purposed introducing it into this place, with a sentence which was written on the top margin of the MS. The Glasgow Manuscript, fol. 83, b, in reference to this alteration, has this marginal note: "Thair is in this place, in the uther copie, inserted the Summoundis against the Freris, quhilk is in the end of the First Buke." Unfortunately the binder has cut away two lines at the top of the page, and the deficiency cannot be supplied from any other copy. In order, however, not to interrupt the narrative in the text, the Summonds is here inserted in a different type.]
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . "Zealous Brether . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
upon the gaittis and ports of all the Freiris places within this realme, in the moneth of Januar 1558, preceding that Whitsunday that they delodged, which is this, etc. And so tak in heir the Beggars Warning.
"THE BLYND, CRUKED, BEDRELLES, WEDOWIS, ORPHELINGIS, AND ALL UTHER PURE, SA VISEIT BE THE HAND OF GOD, AS MAY NOT WORKE,
TO THE FLOCKES OF ALL FREIRES WITHIN THIS REALME, WE WISHE RESTITUTIOUN OF WRANGES BYPAST, AND REFORMATIOUN IN TYME CUMING, FOR SALUATIOUN.
"Ye yourselfes ar not ignorant, and thocht ye wald be, it is now, thankes to God, knawen to the haill warlde, be his infallible worde, that the benignitie or almes of all Christian pepill perteynis to us allanerly; quhilk ye, being hale of bodye, stark, sturdye, and abill to wyrk, quhat under pretence of povertie, (and nevirtheles possessing maist easelie all abundance,) quhat throw cloiket and huided simplicitie, thoght your proudnes is knawen, and quhat be feynzeit holines, quhilk now is declared superstitioun and idolatrie, hes thir many yeirs, exprese against Godis word, and the practeis of his holie Apostles, to our great torment, (allace!) maist falslie stowen fra us. And als ye have, be your fals doctryne and wresting of Godis worde, (lerned of your father Sathan,) induced the hale people, hie and law, in sure hoip and beleif, that to cloith, feid, and nurreis yow, is the onlie maist acceptable almouss allowit before God; and to gif ane penny, or ane peice of bread anis in the oulk, is aneuch for us. Evin swa ye have perswaded thame to bigge to yow great Hospitalis, and manteyne yow thairin be thair purs, quhilk onlie perteinis now to us be all law, as biggit and dottat to the pure, of whois number ye are not, nor can be repute, nether be the law of God, nor yit be na uther law proceiding of nature, reasoun, or civile policie. Quhairfore seing our number is sa greate, sa indigent, and sa heavilie oppressit be your false meanis, that nane takes care of oure miserie; and that it is better for us to provyde thir our impotent members, quhilk God hes gevin us, to oppone to yow in plaine contraversie, than to see yow heirefter (as ye have done afoir) steill fra us our lodgeings, and our selfis, in the meintyme, to perreis and die for want of the same. We have thocht gude thairfoir, or we enter with yow in conflict, to warne yow, in the name of the grit God, be this publick wryting, aflixt on your yettis quhair ye now dwell, that ye remove furthe of our said Hospitalis, betuix this and the Feist of Whitsunday next, sua that we the onelie lawfull proprietaris thairof may enter thairto, and efterward injoye thai commodities of the Kyrk, quhilke ye have heirunto wranguslie halden fra us. Certifying yow, gif ye failye, we will at the said terme, in haile number, (with the helpe of God, and assistance of his sanctis in eirthe, of quhais reddie supporte we dout not,) enter and tak possessioun of our said patrimony, and eject yow utterlie furthe of the same.
"Lat him thairfor that befoir hes stollen, steill na mair; but rather lat him wyrk wyth his handes, that he may be helpefull to the pure.
"FRA THE HAILL CITIES, TOWNIS, AND VILLAGES OF SCOTLAND, THE FYRST DAY OF JANUARE 1558."
[771] The Monastery of the Observantine order of Franciscan or Grey Friars of Perth, is said to have been founded in the year 1460, by the Lord Oliphant.--(App. to Keith's Bishops, p. 452.) This was Sir Lawrence Oliphant of Aberdalgy, created Lord Oliphant, before 1458. According to Dempster, the founder was Hieronymus Lyndesay, Doctor of Laws, and brother to the Earl of Crawfurd.--(See. also Hay's Scotia Sacra, MS. p. 553.) It was situated near the walls, on the south side of the City of Perth; and after the destruction of the building, the ground was converted into a public burial place.
[772] The Monastery of the Dominican or Black Friars of Perth, was situated near the walls, on the north side of the town, and was founded by Alexander the Second, in the year 1231. In this building the Scotish Monarchs usually resided when at Perth; and meetings of Parliament were sometimes held within the Church, as well as several of the Provincial Councils. It was here where James the First met with his tragical fate, 20th February 1437-8.
[773] Adam Forman, last Prior of the Charter-House, along with the rest of his brethren, retired to Errol, of which Church they were patrons, carrying with them, no doubt, as much of the treasures they possessed as they were able to appropriate. He afterwards granted a feu to his relation, John Forman, of some lands belonging to the Monastery. In 1572, George Hay of Nethirlyff was created Commendator, and the lands erected into a lordship; but eventually, in 1598, he resigned his title, and the name of Lord and Prior of the Charter-House of Perth became extinct.
[774] In MS. G, "the Blak and Gray Freiris;" Vautr. edit. has "theeves."
[775] Bishop Lesley, in describing the ruthless manner in which "the multitude of the people and craftismen" proceeded in demolishing the altars, images, &c., in the parish Kirk of Perth, says, they then "passed strait way to the Abbay of the Charter House, and pullit the hoill place downe, alsweill the Kirk thairof as uther housses, places, and all the coastlie bigginnis quhilkis was maid be King James the First, fundatour thairof, quhilk was the farest Abbay and best biggit of any within the realme of Scotlande; and cuttit downe the hoill growing trees and all uther policies."--(History, p. 272.) The destruction seems to have been very complete. But the Prior and his brethren were allowed to retire in safety: see note 773.
[776] The Charter-House, or, as it was called, "Monasterium Vallis Virtutis," at Perth, was a splendid edifice, founded and richly endowed by King James the First, in the year 1429. It was the only religious establishment of any extent in Scotland of the Order of Carthusians, or White Friars. Holinshed says it "was not as yet throughly finished" at the time of that Monarch's barbarous murder, in 1437-8; but he was buried there with great solemnity. James the Second, in the General Council held at Perth, 12th May 1450, granted a charter of several lands in Perthshire to the Prior and Convent of the Carthusian Monastery of the Valley of Virtue, near Perth.--(Reg. Magni Sigilli: Acta Parl. Scot. vol. ii. p. 65.) A century later, in November 1541, Margaret, the mother of James the Fifth, having died at Methven, in the vicinity of Perth, was also "buried in the Charterhouse Church of Saint Johns Towne, by [beside] the tombe of King James the First. The King himself and many Nobles of the Realme were present at the funeralles, which were kept in most solemne and pompous maner."--(Holinshed's Chronicles, Scotland, p. 445; Chronicle of Perth, p. 2. Edinb. 1830.)
[777] James Duke of Chattelherault.
[778] Gawin Hamilton, the fourth son of James Hamilton of Raploch, was born about the year 1515, and educated at St. Andrews. His name occurs as a Determinant of St. Leonard's College in 1534, and a Licentiate in 1536. His connexions early secured for him promotion in the Church; and in 1549, he sat as Dean of the Metropolitan Church of Glasgow, and as Vicar-General during the vacancy in that See. As already mentioned, (page 274,) Hamilton, in the year 1550, exchanged the Deanery of Glasgow for the Abbacy of Kilwinning. In 1552-3, he was sent in embassy to the King of France.--(Treas. Accounts.) In Anderson's House of Hamilton, p. 364; Keith's Catal. of Bishops, p. 408; and in Brunton and Haig's Senators, p. 101, his subsequent history is somewhat fully detailed.
[779] Matthew Hamilton of Mylburne has already been noticed, at page 207, as the son of John Hamilton of Mylburne, who had been sent to France in 1547. He was succeeded by his brother Robert, who had a charter under the Great Seal, "Roberto Hamilton, fratri quondam Mathei Hamilton de Milburne, terrarum de Livingstone, in vic. de Linlithgow," dated 6th June 1569.
[780] Vautr. edit. omits six words, and reads, "two chiefe enemies to the Duke."
[781] Monsieur D'Oysel, who had been resident Ambassador in Scotland from the King of France, in 1547, till his return in 1551, (see page 203,) was again sent in that capacity in 1554.--(Lesley's Hist. pp. 203, 250.) He continued from that time, as formerly, to be one of the Queen Dowager's principal counsellors in all her affairs. In 1555, he is called "Lord Dosell, Lieutenant of the King of France," (Crim. Trials, vol. i. p. *375;) and under this title he will be noticed in a subsequent page. But here I may add, that Doysel must have returned to France when the French troops left Scotland, in 1560, as, in the following year, he was a third time about to proceed to this country, "to haif remanit in the Castle of Dunbar and fort of Inchekeith, to the cuming of the Quenes Hienes, (Queen Mary, from France,) and than to haif randerit these strenthis at hir command. Notwithstanding, (Bishop Lesley continues,) whosone he come to London, the Queen of Ingland wald not suffer him to pas farder, but causit him returne agane in France, for that she affermit that he and Monsieur Rubie was the principall aucthoris of all the trubles quhilkis was in Scotland, betuix the Quene Regent and the Nobilitie thairof, and that it was to be fearit he wald do the lyke in tyme cuming, gif he war permittit to pas in thair cuntrey."--(History, p. 298.)
[782] In MS. G, "Kirkmen."