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FORSAMEKLE as the Quenis Majestie hes understand the great inconvenientis that may come, through the divisioun presentlie standing in this Realme, for the difference in materis of Religioun, that hir Majestie is most desirous to see [it] pacifeit be ane good ordour, to the honour of God, and tranquillitie of hir Realme, and meanes to tack the same be advyse of hir Estaitis, sa soon as convenientlie may be; and that hir Majesties godlie resolutioun thairin may be greatlie hyndered, in case any tumult or seditioun be raised amanges the lieges, yf any suddane¹ alteratioun or novatioun be preassed [at] or attempted, befoir that the ordour may be establissed: Thairfoir, for eschewing of the saidis inconvenientis, hir Majestie ordanes letteris² to be direct to charge all and sindrie hir leiges, be oppin proclamatioun at the Mercat Croce of Edinburgh, and otheris places neidfull, that thai, and everie ane of thame, conteane thame selffis in quyetnesse, keap peace and civile societie amongis thame selffis: And in the meanetyme, while the Estaittis of this Realme may be assembled, and that hir Majestie have tackin ane finall ordour be thair advyse and publict consent, quhilk hir Majestie hopes shalbe to the contentment of the haill, That nane of thame tack upoun hand, privatlie or openlie, to mack alteratioun or innovatioun of the staite of Religioun, or attempt any thing against the form quhilk hir Majestie fand publictlie and universallie standing at hir Majesties arryvell in this hir Realme, under the pane of death: With certificatioun, that yf any subject of the Realme, shall cum in the contrarie heirof, he shalbe estemed and holden a seditious persone and raiser of tumult, and the said paine salbe execut upoun him with all rigour, to the example of otheris. Attour, hir Majestie, be the advise of the Lordis of hir Secreit Counsall, commandis and charges all hir leiges, that nane of thame tack upoun hand to molest or truble any of hir domesticall servandis, or personis whatsumever, come furth of France, in hir Gracis cumpany at this tyme, in wourd, deed, or countenance, for any caus whatsumever, eather within hir Palace or without, or mack ony derisioun³ or invasioun upoun any of thame, under whatsumever cullour or pretence, under the said paine of death: Albeit hir Majestie be sufficientlie persuaded, that hir good and loving subjectis wold do the same, for the reverence thai bear to hir persone and authoritie, notwithstanding that na sick commandiment war publisshed.

This Act and Proclamatioun, penned and put in form by such as befoir professed Christ Jesus, (for in the Counsall then had Papistis neathir power nor vote,) it was publictlie proclaimed at the Mercat Croce of Edinburgh, upoun Mononday foirsaid. No man reclamed, nor maid repugnance to it, except the Erle of Arrane onlie;⁴ who, in open audience of the Heraldis and people protested, "That he dissasented that any protectioun or defence should be maid to the Quenis domestickis, or to any that came from France, to offend Goddis Majestie, and to violat the lawis of the Realme, more then to any other subject: for Goddis law had pronunced death against the idolater, and the lawis of the realme had appoynted punishment for sayaris and heararis of Masse; quhilkis, (said he,) I here protest, be universallie observed, and that none be exempted, unto such tyme as a law, als publictlie maid, and als consonant to the law of God, have disannulled the formar." And thairupoun he took documentis, as the tenour of this his Protestatioun doeth witnesse:—

IN sa far as be this Proclamatioun it is understand to the Kirk of God, and memberis thairof, that the Quenis Grace is mynded, that the treu religioun and wyrschipping ellis establissed procead fordwart, that it may daly increase, unto the Parliament, that ordour then may be tane for extirpatioun of all idolatrie within this Realme: We rander maist hartlie thankis to the Lord our God for hir Gracis good mynd, earnestlie praying that it may be encreassed in hir Hienes, to the honour and glorie of His name, and weill of his Kirk within this Realme. And as tueching the molestatioun of hir Hienes servandis, we suppose that nane dare be sa bald as anes to move thair fyngar at thame, in doing of thair lefull busines; and as for us, we have learned at oure maister Christis school, "to keap peace with all men;" and thairfoir for our part, we will promeis that obedience unto hir Majestie (as is our dewitie) that nane of hir servandis salbe molested, trubled, or anes tueched, be the Kirk, or any member thairof, in doing thair lefull affairis. But, sen that God hes said, "The idolater shall die the death;" we Protest solempnedlie, in presence of God, and in the earis of the haill people that hearis this Proclamatioun, and specialie in presence of you Lyoun Herald, and of the rest of your collegues, &c., makaris of this Proclamatioun, that yf any of hir servandis shall commit idolatrie, specialie say Messe, participat thairwith, or tack the defence thairof, (quhilkis we war leyth should be in hir Grace cumpany,) in that caise, that this Proclamatioun be nott extended to thame in that behalf, nor be not a salfgard or gyrth to thame in that behalf, na mair nor give thai committ slauchter or murther, seing the ane is mekle mair abhominable and odiouse in the syght of God, then is the other: But that it may be laughtfull to inflict upoun thame the painis conteyned in Goddis word aganis idolateris, whairever thai may be apprehended, but favour. And this oure Protestatioun we desyre you to notifie unto hir, and gif hir the copie heirof, least hir Hienes should suspect ane uproar, gif we should all come and present the same. At Edinburgh, the day and year foirsaid.

This baldnes did somewhat exasperat the Quene, and such as favoured hir in that poynt. As the Lordis, callit⁵ of the Congregatioun, repared unto the Town, at the first cuming thai schew thame selves wonderouslie offended, that the Messe was permitted; so that everie man as he cam accused thame that war befoir him: but after that thai had remaned a certane space, thai war as quyet as war the formare. Which thing perceaved, a zealous and godlie man, Robert Campbell of Kingzeancleucht, said unto the Lord Vchiltrie, "My Lord, now ye are come, and almost the last of all the rest; and I perceave, by your anger, that the fyre-edge is nott of you yit; but I fear, that after that the holy watter of the Courte be sprinckled upoun you, that ye sall become als temperat⁶ as the rest: For I have bene here now fyve dayis, and at the first I hard everie man say, 'Let us hang the Preast;' but after that thai had bene twyse or thrise in the Abbay, all that fervency was past. I think thair be some inchantment whareby men ar bewitched." And in verray deed so it came to pass: for the Quenis flattering wordis, upoun the ane pairte, ever still crying, "Conscience, conscience: it is a sore thing to constreane the conscience;" and the subtile persuasionis of hir suppostis (we mean evin of such as sometymes war judged most fervent with us) upoun the other parte, blynded all men, and putt thame in this opinioun, sche wilbe content to hear the preaching; and so no doubt but sche may be wone. And thus of all it wes concluded, to suffer hir for a tyme.

The nixt Sounday, Johnne Knox, inveighing against idolatrie, schew what terrible plagues God had tacken upoun Realmes and Nationis for the same; and added, "That one Messe (thair war no mo suffered at the first) was more fearful to him then gif ten thousand armed enemyes war landed in any pairte of the Realme, of purpose to suppress the hoill religioun. For (said he) in our God thair is strenth to resist and confound multitudis, yf we unfeanedlie depend upoun him; whairof heirtofoir we haif had experience; but when we joyne handis with idolatrie, it is no doubt but that both Godis amicable presence and confortable defence leaveth us, and what shall then become of us? Allace, I fear that experience shall teach us to the greaf of many." At these wordis, the guydaris of of the Court mocked, and plainlie spak, "That such fear was no poynt of thair fayth: it was besyd his text, and was a verray untymelie admonitioun." But we heard this same Johnne Knox, in the audience of the same men, recyte the same wordis agane in the myddest of trubles; and in the audience of many ask God mercy, that he was nott more vehement and upryght in the suppressing of that idoll in the begynning. "For, (said he,) albeit that I spack that which offended some, (which this day thai see and feall to be treu,) yit did I not [that] which I myght have done; for God had not onlie gevin unto me knowledge, and toung to maik the impietie of that idoll knowin unto this Realme, but he had gevin unto me credyte with many, who wold have put in executioun Goddis judgmentis, yf I wold onlie have consented thairto: But so cairfull was I[649] of that commoun tranquillitie, and so loth was I to have offended those of whom I had conceaved a good opinioun, that in secreat conference with earnest and zealous men, I travaled rather to mitigat, yea, to slokin, that fervencye that God had kyndled in otheris, than to animat or encorage thame to put thair handis to the Lordis work: Whairintill I unfeanedlie acknowledge my selff to have done most wickedlie; and from the bottom of my hart, askis of my God grace and pardon, for that I did not what in me lay to have suppressed that idoll in the begining." These and other wordis did many hear him speak in publict place, in the moneth of December, the year of God J^m V^c and threscoir fyve yearis, when such as at the Quenis arryvell onlie manteyned the Masse, war exyled the Realme, summoned upoun treassone, and decreit of forfaltour intended against thame. But to return from whence we have digressed.

Whetther it was by counsall of otheris, or of the Quenis awin desyre, we knaw not; but the Quene spack with Johne Knox, and had long ressoning with him, none being present except the Lord James: (two gentilwemen stood⁸ in the other end of the house.) The summe of thair reassoning was this. The Quene accused him, that he had raysed a part of hir subjectis against hir Mother, and against hir self: That he had writtin a book against hir just authoritie, (sche ment the treatise against the Regiment of Wemen⁹) which sche had, and should caus the most learned in Europe to wryte against it: That he was the caus of great seditioun and great slauchter in England; and that it was said to hir, that all which he did was by necromancye, &c.

To the whiche the said Johne answered, "Madam, it may please your Majestie patientlie to hear my sempill ansures. And first, (said he,) yf to teach the treuth of God in synceritie, yf to rebuke idolatrie, and to will a people to wyrschip God according to his word, be to raise subjectis against thair Princes, then can not I be excused; for it hes pleased God of his mercy to mack me ane (amongis many) to disclose unto this Realme the vanitie of the Papisticall religioun, and the deceat, pryde, and tyranny of that Romane Antichrist. Bot, Madam, yf the treu knowledge of God, and his rycht wirschipping be the cheaf causses, that must move men from thair heart to obey thair just Princes, (as it is most certane that thai ar,) whairin can I be reprehended? I think, and am surelie persuaded, that your Grace have had, and presentlie have, als unfeaned obedience, of such as profess Jesus Christ within this Realme, as ever your Father, or other progenitouris had of those that war called Bischoppis. And tueching that booke, which seameth so highlie to offend your Majestie, it is most certane that I wrait it, and am content that all the learned of the world judge of it. I hear that ane Englishe man hath writtin against it,¹⁰ but I have not redd him. Yf he have sufficientlie improved my ressones, and establissed his contrarie propositioun, with als evident testimonyes as I have done myne, I shall nott be obstinat, but shall confess my errour and ignorance. Bot to this hour I have thocht, and yit thinkis my self allone to be more able to sustene the thingis affirmed in that my wark, than any ten in Europe salbe able to confute it."

"Ye think then, (quod sche,) that I have no just authoritie?"

"Pleise your Majestie, (said he,) that learned men in all aiges have had thair judgmentis free, and most commonlie disagreing frome the commoun judgment of the warld; suche also have thei publisshed, boyth with pen and toung, and yit notwithstanding thei thame selves have lived in the commoun societie with otheris, and have borne patientlie with the errours and imperfectionis whiche thei could not amend. Plato, the philosopher, wrote his Bookis of the Commounwealth, in the whiche he dampneth many thingis that then war manteaned in the world, and required many thingis to have bene reformed; and yitt, notwithstanding he lived evin under suche policies, as then war universallie receaved, without farther trubling of any estait. Evin so, Madam, am I content to do, in uprightness of heart, and with a testimonye of a good conscience. I have communicat my judgment to the world: Yf the Realme fyndis no inconvenience frome the regiment of a woman, that whiche thei approve shall I not farther disallow, then within my awin breast, but salbe alse weall content to lyve under your Grace, as Paull was to lyve under Nero; and my hope is, that so long as that ye defyle not your handis with the blood of the sanctis of God, that neather I nor that Booke shall eather hurt you or your authoritie: for in verray deed, Madame, that Book was written most especialie against that wicked Jesabell of England."¹¹

"But (said sche) ye speak of women in generall."

"Most treu it is, Madame, (said the other,) and yit it appeareth to me that wisdome should persuade your Grace, never to raise truble for that, whiche to this day hath not trubled your Majestie, neather in persone nor yit in authoritie. For of lait yearis, many thingis, whiche befoir war haldin stable, have bene called in doubt; yea thei have bene plainlie impugned. But yit, Madame, (said he,) I am assured that neather Protestant nor Papist shalbe abill to prove, that any suche questioun was at any time moved in publict or in secreat. Now, Madam, (said he,) yf I had intended to have trubled your estaite, becaus ye ar a woman, I myght have chosen a tyme more convenient for that purpose, then I can do now, when your awin presence is within the Realme.

"But now, Madam, schortlie to ansuer to the other two accusationis. I hartlie praise my God, throwgh Jesus Christ, that Sathan the ennemye of mankynd, and the wicked of the world, have no other crymes to lay to my charge, then suche as the verray world it self knoweth to be most fals and vane. For in England I wes resident onlie the space of fyve yearis.¹² The places war Berwick, whair I abode two yearis; so long in the New Castell; and a year in London. Now, Madam, yf in any of these places, during the tyme that I wes thair, any man salbe able to prove, that thair wes eather battell, seditioun, or mutinie, I shall confesse that I my selff was the malefactour, and the scheddar of the bloode. I eschame not, Madam, farther to affirme, that God so blissed my waik laubouris, that in Berwick (whair commonlie befoir thair used to be slauchter, be ressone of quarrellis that used to aryse amongis soldartis) thair was as great quyetnes, all the tyme that I remaned thair, as thair is this day in Edinburgh.¹³ And whare the sclander me of magick, nycromancie, or of any other arte forbidden of God, I have witnesses, (besydis my awin conscience,) all¹⁴ congregationis that ever heard me, what I spake both against suche artis, and against those that use suche impietie. But, seing the wicked of the world said, That my Maister, the Lord Jesus, was possessed with Beelzebub, I man patientlie bear, albeit that I, wretched synnar, be injustlie accused of those, that never delyted in the veritie."

"But yit, (said sche) ye have taught the peeple to receave ane other Religioun, than thair Princes can allow: And how can that doctrin be of God, seing, that God commandis subjectis to obey thair Princes?"

"Madam, (said he,) as rycht Religioun tooke nather originall strenth¹⁵ nor authoritie frome worldly Princes, but frome the Eternall God allone, so are not subjectis bound to frame thair Religioun according to the appetites of thair Princes. For oft it is, that Princes ar the most ignorant of all otheris in Goddis treu Religioun, as we may reid in the historyes alse weill befoir the death of Christ Jesus, as efter. Yf all the sead of Abraham should have bene of the Religioun of Pharao, whome to thei war lang subjectis, I pray you, Madam, what Religioun should thair have bene in the world? Or, yf all men in the dayis of the Apostles should have bene of the Religioun of the Romane Emperouris, what Religioun should thair have bene upoun the face of the earth? Daniell and his fellowis war subjectis to Nabuchadonozzar, and unto Darius, and yitt, Madam, thei wold nott be of thair Religioun, neather of the one or of the other: for the thre Children said, "We maik it known unto thee, O King, that we will not worschip thy goddis." And Daniell did pray publictlie unto his God against the expressed commandiment of the King. And so, Madam, ye may perceave, that subjectis ar not bound to the Religioun of thair Princes, albeit thei ar commanded to geve thame obedience."

"Yea, (quod sche,) but nane of thai men raised the sweard against thair Princes."

"Yit, Madam, (quod he,) ye cane not deny but that they resisted: for these that obey nott the commandimentis that ar gevin, in some sort resist."

"But yit, (said sche,) thei resisted not by the sweard?"

"God, (said he,) Madam, had not gevin unto thame the power and the meanes."

"Think ye, (quod sche,) that subjectis having power may resist thair Princes?"

"Yf thair Princes exceed thair boundis, (quod he,) Madam, and do against that whairfoir they should be obeyed, it is no doubt but thei may be resisted, evin by power. For thair is neather greattar honour, nor greattar obedience to be gevin to kings or princes, then God hes commanded to be gevin unto father and mother: But so it is, Madam, that the father may be stricken with a phrensye, in the which he wold slay his awin childrene. Now, Madame, yf the children aryese, joyne thame selfis togetther, apprehend the father, tack the sweard or other weaponis frome him, and finallie bind his handis, and keape him in preasone, till that his phrenesy be over past; think ye, Madam, that the children do any wrang? Or, think ye, Madam, that God wilbe offended with thame that have stayed thair father to committ wickedness? It is even so, (said he,) Madam, with Princes that wold murther the children of God that are subject unto thame. Thair blynd zeall is no thing but a verray mad phrenesie; and thairfoir, to tack the sweard frome thame, to bynd thair handis, and to cast thame selfis in preasone, till that thei be brought to a more sober mynd, is no disobedience against princes, but just obedience, becaus that it aggreith with the will of God."

At these wordis, the Quene stood as it war amased, more then the quarter of ane hour. Hir countenance altered, so that Lord James begane to entreat her, and to demand, "What hes offended you, Madam?"

At lenth, sche said, "Weall then I perceave that my subjectis shall obey you,¹⁶ and not me; and shall do what thei list, and nott what I command: and so man I be subject to thame, and nott thei to me."

"God forbid, (answered he,) that ever I tack upoun me to command any to obey me, or yitt to set subjectis at libertie to do what pleaseth thame. Bot my travell is, that boyth princes and subjectis obey God. And think not, (said he,) Madam, that wrong is done unto you, when ye ar willed to be subject unto God: for it is he that subjects people under princes, and causses obedience to be gevin unto thame; yea, God craves of Kingis That thei be as it war foster-fatheris to his Churche, and commands Quenis to be nurisses unto his people. And this subjectioun, Madam, unto God, and unto his trubled Churche, is the greatest dignitie that flesche can get upoun the face of the earth, for it shall cary thame to everlasting glorie."

"Yea, (quod sche,) but ye are not the Kirk that I will nureiss. I will defend the Kirk of Rome, for, I think, it is the treu Kirk of God."

"Your will, (quod he,) Madam, is no reassone; neather doeth your thoght maik that Romane harlot to be the treu and immaculat spous of Jesus Christ. And wonder nott, Madam, that I call Rome a harlott; for that Churche is altogidder polluted with all kynd of spirituall fornicatioun, alsweall in doctrine as in maneris. Yea, Madam, I offer myselff farther to prove, that the Churche of the Jewes that crucifyed Christ Jesus, was not so far degenerated frome the ordinances and statutis which God gave be Moses and Aharon unto his people, when that thei manifestlie denyed the Sone of God,¹⁷ as that the Churche of Rome is declyned, and more than five hundreth year hath declyned frome the puritie of that Religioun, whiche the Apostles taught and planted."

"My conscience, (said sche,) is nott so."

"Conscience, Madam, (said he,) requyres knowlege; and I fear that rycht knowlege ye have none."

"But, (said sche,) I have bayth heard and red."

"So, (said he,) Madam, did the Jewes that crucifyed Christ Jesus, read both the Law and the Prophetis, and heard the same interprete after thair maner. Have ye heard, (said he,) any teache, but such as the Pope and his Cardinalles have allowed? And ye may be assured, that suche will speak nothing to offend thair awin estaite."

"Ye interprete the Scripturis (said she,) in one maner, and thei interprete in ane other; Whome shall I beleve? And who shalbe judge?"

"Ye shall beleve (said he,) God, that planelie speaketh in his word: and farther then the word teaches you, ye neather shall beleve the ane or the other. The word of God is plane in the self; and yf thair appear any obscuritie in one place, the Holy Ghost, whiche is never contrariouse to him self, explanes the same more clearlie in other places: so that thair can remane no doubt, but unto suche as obstinatlie remane ignorant. And now, (said he,) Madam, to tack ane of the cheaf pointis, whiche this day is in contraversie betwix the Papistis and us: for example, the Papistis allege, and boldly have affirmed, That the Messe is the ordinance of God, and the institutioun of Jesus Christ, and a sacrifice for the synnes of the quyck and the dead. We deny bothe the one and the other, and affirme, that the Messe, as it is now used, is nothing but the inventioun of man; and, thairfoir, is an abominatioun befoir God, and no sacrifice that ever God commanded. Now, Madam, who shall judge betwix us two thus contending? It is no reassone that eather of the parteis be farther beleved, then thei are able to prove by insuspect witnessing: Let thame lay down the book of God, and by the plane wordis thairof prove their affirmatives, and we shall geve unto thame the pley granted. But so long as thei ar bold to affirme, and yit do prove nothing, we man say, that albeit all the warld beleved thame, yit beleve thei not God, but receaves the lyes of men for the treuth of God. What oure maister Jesus Christ did, we know by his Evangelistis: what the preast doeth at his Messe, the warld seeth. Now, doeth nott the word of God planelie assure us, that Christ Jesus neather said, nor yit commanded Messe to be said at his Last Suppar, seing that no suche thing as thair Messe is maid mentioun of within the whole Scripturis?"

"Ye ar oure sair for me, (said the Quene,) but and yf thai war here that I have heard, thai wold ansuer you."

"Madam, (quod the other,) wold to God that the learnedest Papist in Europe, and he that ye wold best beleve, war present with your Grace to sustene the argument; and that ye wald patientlie abyd to hear the mater reassoned to the end; for then I doubt not, Madam, but that ye should hear the vanitie of the Papisticall religioun, and how small¹⁸ ground it hath within the wourd of God."

"Weall (said sche) ye may perchance gett that sonner than ye beleve."

"Assuredlie, (said the other) yf ever I gett that in my lyeff, I gett it sonnar than I beleif; for the ignorant Papistis can not patientlie reassoun, and the learned and crafty Papist will never come in your audience, Madam, to have the ground of thair religioun searched out; for thai know that thai ar never able to sustene ane argument, except fyre and sweard, and thair awin lawis be judges."

"So say ye, (quod the Quene,) but I cane beleve that."

"It hes bene so to this day,¹⁹ (quod he,) for how oft have the Papistis in this and other realmes bein required to come to conference, and yitt could it never be obteaned, unless that thame selfis war admitted for judges. And thairfoir, Madam, I must yitt say agane, that thai dar never dispute, but whare thame selfis are both judge and partye. And whensoever that ye shall let me see the contrarye, I shall grant my selff to have bene deceaved in that poynt."

And with this the Quene was called upon to dennar, for it was after-noon. At departing, Johnne Knox said unto hir, "I pray God, Madam, that ye may be als blessed within the Commoun-wealth of Scotland, yf it be the pleasur of God, as ever Debora was in the Commoun-wealth of Israell."

Of this long Conference, whairof we onlie tueich a part, war diverse opinionis. The Papistis grudged, and feared that which thai neided not. The godlye, thinking at least that sche wold have heard the preaching, rejoised; but thai war alluterly deceaved, for sche continewed in her Messing; and dispised and quyetlie mocked all exhortationis.

Johne Knox his awin judgement, being be some of his²⁰ familiaris demanded, What he thought of the Quene? "Yf thair be not in hir (said he) a proud mynd, a crafty witt, and ane indurat hearte against God and his treuth, my judgment faileth me."

When the hoill Nobilitie war convened, the Lordis of Privey Counsall war chosen,²¹ who war appointed,²² the Duke his Grace, the Erles of Huntley, Ergyle, Atholl, Mortoun, Glencarne, Merschell, Bothwell: Lordis Erskin, &c., Lord James, &c. Of these war a certane appointed to wait upoun [the] Court by course; but that ordour continewed not lang.

Duck D'Omell²³ 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;²⁴ 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.

In the begyning of October,²⁵ 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.²⁶ But she did no better, for immediatelie sche gave it to the most pestilent Papist within the Realme, to wit, to Arthoure Erskyn.²⁷ 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.²⁸ 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 proclame²⁹ the Statutes and Ordinances of the town. And thairfoir Archibald Dowglas, Provest; Edwarde Hope, Adame Fowllartoun, [Mr. James Watsone, and David Somer,]³⁰ 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.³¹

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,³² Jesabellis letter and wicked will is obeyed as a law. And so was Mr. Thomas Mackalzeane chosen³² for the other. The man, no doubt, was boyth discreat and sufficient for that charge;³³ 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.

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 finding his rainzeis lowse, ran fordwarte in his course; and the Quene took upoun hir grettar boldness than sche and Baalles bleatting preastis³⁴ durst have attempted befoir. For upoun Allhallow day³⁵ 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. James³⁶ Mackgill, the Lord James, the Erle of Mortoun, the Erle Merschell, Secretarie Lethingtoun, the Justice Cleark,³⁷ and Cleark of Registre;³⁸ 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,³⁹ Maister George Hay,⁴⁰ Maister Robert Hammyltoun,⁴¹ 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 be⁴² thair thraldome or it was long." But neathir could reassone nor threatnyng move the affectionis⁴³ of such as war creipping in credite. And so did the vottis of the Lordis prevail against the Ministeris.

For the punishement of thift and of reaf, which had encreassed upoun the Borders, and in the Sowth, from the Quenis arryvall, was the Lord James maid Lievtenent.⁴⁴ Some suspected that suche honour and charge proceaded frome the same heart and counsall that Saull maid David capitane against the Philisteanis. But God assisted him, and bowed the heartis of men boyth to fear and obey him. Yea, the Lord Bothwell him self at that tyme assisted him (but he had remissioun for Lyddisdaill.) Scharpe executioun was maid in Jedburgh,⁴⁵ for twenty-aught of ane clan, and others war hanged at that Justice Courte. Brybes, buddis, nor solisitatioun saved not the gilty, yf he myght be apprehended; and thairfoir God prospered him in that his integritie.

That same tyme the said Lord James spack the Lord Gray of England at Kelso, for good reull to be keapt upoun boyth the Bordouris, and agreed in all thingis.