Volume I Part 44 (1/2)

On the following day, the 22d of April, Sir Ralph Sadler communicates to Henry the Eighth the information, ”that the Governor was clearly altered from your Majesty, and will surely revolt to the Cardinal, the Earls of Lennox, Huntley, Argyle, and Murray, and the clergy, to his own utter confusion.... In so much as the said Governor hath not only _put away his Friers preachers_, which he hath all this while defended, and kept about him to preach the Word of G.o.d, but also hath secretly sent to the said Cardinal and Earls,” &c. (vol. i. p. 158.)

[249] In Vautr. edit., MSS. G, &c., the words ”in the dayis of Marie of curssed memorie,” are omitted.

[250] Calderwood, under the year 1531, says, ”A landed man, named Johne Scot, after he had travelled through Italie, France, and the Holie Land, returneth home. He brought with him from Jerusalem some date-tree leaves, and a pocke full of stones, which he fained were taken out of the pillar to which Christ was bound, when he was scourged.” He then records some instances of Scot's extraordinary fasting, first in Scotland, and afterwards at Rome, Venice, and London; and also of his deceptions.--(Hist. vol. i. p. 102.) In April 1532, John Scot ”was wardit in the Castle of Edinburgh, for not obeying a decreit against him be James Lawson of Hieriggs; the quhilk Johne Scot fast.i.t without meat or drink of veritie x.x.xij dayes, exceptand ane drink of water.” And on the 6th of October, ”he was brocht nakit to the Croce of Edinburgh, quhair he preichit publictlie, the samyne quhilk fasting was be helpe of the Virgin Marye.”--(Diurnal of Occurrents, pp. 14,16.) In 1541, on the 11th of July, there was paid ”to Johne Scot, callit the Santt, at the Kingis command, xxij s.”--(Treasurer's Accounts.) In George Makeson's MS., among his ”Recollectionis of my Lordis G[racis] missives,” &c., is this note, ”To let Freir Johne Scott vant [want] na thing for his bukis and pensioun: at command quhairof I gaif him xxiij lib. 3 Septembris 1553.”

[251] Edward Hope, in 1560, was one of the Bailies of Edinburgh.

[252] This Patrick Lyndesay was probably the same person whose name appears in the Treasurer's Accounts, as follows:--

1543, April 21. ”Item, gevin to Patrick Lindsay, goldsmyth, for making of the Quenis Grace selis, and graving thairof, and for service and laubouris done he him to our Soverane Lord, quham G.o.d a.s.solze, as the precept direct thairupoun beris, x.x.xj lib.”

[253] In Vautr. edit., &c., ”at length by notice given.”

[254] Sir Richard Maitland of Lethington, near Haddington, whose name is honourably a.s.sociated with the early poetical literature of Scotland, was born in 1496, and studied at St. Andrews. He then went to France to study the laws. He was admitted as a Judge in 1551, and was often employed in public commissions. He died at the advanced age of 90, on the 20th of March 1586.--(Brunton and Haig's Senators of the College of Justice, p. 97.)

[255] Cardinal Beaton was arrested in the end of January 1542-43, and imprisoned by the Governor first in the Castle of Dalkeith, from whence he was transferred to Blackness. He at last obtained permission to go to his own Castle of St. Andrews, under the guard of George fifth Lord Seaton, (who died in 1545.) Sir Ralph Sadler confirms the above statement by Knox, of Seaton having been bribed by the Cardinal. In a letter to Henry the Eighth, 12th April 1543, he says the Governor told him of the proposal to have the Castle of St. Andrews delivered to the Lord Seaton, and all the Cardinal's retainers put out, ”Nevertheless, (quoth he,) the Lord Seton being corrupt by the Cardinal with great sums of money and other gifts, brought the Cardinal into his own strength, in the said Castle of St. Andrews. And whereas the Lord Seton, (quoth he,) hath not twelve or sixteen men within the Castle, the Cardinal hath three hundred; so that he is plainly at his own liberty,” &c. Sadler adds, ”I told him he had been very evil served, and that the Lord Seton had a great matter to answer unto. Whereunto he said, That he should answer to it,” &c.--(Sadler's Papers, vol. i. pp. 70, 107, 131, 136, and 137.)

[256] Pasche, or Easter: the Parliament met on the 12th of March 1542-43.

[257] Knox apparently refers to various Acts pa.s.sed in the Parliament held at Edinburgh, 14th of March 1540-41, at which the King was present.

These Acts prohibited all discussion on matters of religion; and persons from arguing against the Pope's authority, under the pain of death and confiscation of their goods; suspected heretics were declared to be incapable of exercising any office; and such as had fled to avoid the censures of the Church, were held to be condemned.--(Acta Parl. Scot.

vol. ii. p. 370.) There were still earlier Acts against Heresy, and the importation of Heretical books. The Act 17th July 1525, contains some additions in the original record, on the 5th September 1527, (see fac-simile plate, vol. ii. p. 295;) and the Act so enlarged was renewed, 12th June 1535, (ib. p. 341.) There is also preserved a letter written by James the Fifth, addressed to the Lords of Council and Session, dated at Aberdeen, 3d May 1534, in reference to ”diverse tractatis and bukes translat.i.t out of Latin in our Scottis toung be Heretikis, favouraris and of the secte of Luther,” which were sent to various parts of the realm; and the Lords, on the 8th of May, pa.s.sed some stringent rules, for destroying all such books, and for punis.h.i.+ng trespa.s.sers and suspected persons.--(Acts of Sederunt, p. 21, Edinb. 1811, folio.) But the Acts alluded to were in part nullified by the additions made to them on the 15th March 1542-43, (Acta Parl. Scot. vol. ii. p. 415.) On the same day, Parliament sanctioned the ”haifing the Haly Write, in the vulgar toung,” as mentioned in note 265.

[258] These words, ”Now, yf” &c., are omitted in MSS. A and W.

[259] The words, ”and to hear it preached,” are omitted in MS. G.

[260] In MS. G. ”[Greek: agape.]”

[261] David Rizzio.

[262] Henry, Lord Darnley.

[263] It may be remarked, that either Hay's name, or Dean of Restalrig, appear to be a mistake; and the marginal note may have had reference to this.--In 1540, Thomas Gibson, Dean of Restalrig, was conjoined with Cardinal Beaton as his suffragan; and it was proposed, that whilst acting in that capacity, Gibson should retain the benefices which he then held. At the Provincial Council in 1549, Mr. John Sinclair, afterwards Bishop of Brechin, and Lord President, sat as Dean of Restalrig.--(Wilkins, Concilia, vol. iv. p. 46.)

[264] In MS. G, ”lesoun,” (lesum.) In Vautr. edit. ”lawfull.”

[265] The Act of Parliament, 15th March 1542-3, allowing the translation of the Scriptures ”in the vulgar tongue, in the English or Scotish, of a good translation,” was proclaimed on the 19th of that month. It has been doubted whether, during the short interval which this Act was allowed to remain in force, any edition was printed in Scotland; most probably there was. But we know that Parliamentary enactments of a previous date were insufficient to prevent the importation of copies of Tyndale's translation of the New Testament, so early as 1526, as well as in subsequent years: See the Rev. C. Anderson's Annals of the English Bible, vol. ii.

[266] Sir Ralph Sadler was born in the year 1507. Having gained a situation in the family of Thomas Lord Crumwell, he was brought under the notice of Henry the Eighth, and after various other engagements, he commenced his diplomatic career in 1537, by an emba.s.sy to Scotland. He was again in this country as amba.s.sador on seveval subsequent occasions.

His ”State Papers and Letters,” edited by Arthur Clifford, with a Memoir by Sir Walter Scott, Edinb. 1809, 2 vols. 4to, is a work of great importance for ill.u.s.trating the history of the period to which they relate.

[267] Lady Jane Seymour.

[268] In Vautr. edit., and in MS. G, Hamilton's name is omitted.

[269] The Commissioners sent to England in March 1542-43, were Sir James Learmonth of Balcomie, Treasurer; Sir William Hamilton of Sanquhar; and Henry Balnaves of Halhill, Secretary. Their names frequently occur in the political transactions of the period. They returned to Edinburgh sometime between the 10th and 31st of July 1543. In the course of their negotiation, (in May,) the Earl of Glencairn and Sir George Douglas wore joined with them. See Sadler's State Papers, vol. i. pp. 59-63, 83, 90.

[270] Alluding to the pensions granted by the English Monarch, as an effectual mode of securing such persons to his interest.