Volume II Part 3 (1/2)
[82] Mr. Robert Hamilton was educated at St. Andrews. As witness of a deed, dated 1558, he is styled Rector of Torrens.--(Lyon's St.
Andrews, vol. ii. p. 262.) He afterwards became Minister of St.
Andrews.
[Sidenote: SIR JAMES CROFTIS COUNSALE.]
Thair pa.s.sage was from Petinweame,[83] by sea. Thei arryvit at Holy-Iland; and being advertissed that Sir Harye Percie was absent from [the North], thei addressed thame selfis to Sir James Croftis, then Capitane of Berwik, and Wardein of the East Marches of England.
Thei schew unto him thair creddit and commissioun. He receaved thame gentlie, and comforted thame with his faithfull counsall, which was: ”That thei sould travaill no farther,[84] neather yitt sould thei be seine in publict, and that for dyverse consideratiouns. First, The Quene Regent had her espyellis in England. Secoundarlie, The Quene and the Counsall that favored our actioun, wald that all thingis should be secreat so long as thei mycht. And last, (said he,) I think it nott expedient, that in such raritie of preachearis, ye two be ony long tyme absent from the Lordis. And thairfoire, (said he,) ye shall do best to committ to wreating your hoile mynd and creddit, and I shall promeise to you, upoun my honour, to haif answer at you, and at the Lordis againe, befoire that ye your selfis can be at Londoun. And quhaire that your letteris can nott expresse all thingis so fully as your presence could, I sall supplie the same, not only by my penne, but also by my awin presence, to suche as will informe the Counsall sufficientlie of all thingis.”
[83] Pittenweem, a royal burgh and sea-port on the east-coast of Fife.
[84] As this portion of the History supplies a defect in the previous Book, where the application made by the Protestants for aid from England is scarcely alluded to; and as there is an apparent confusion in some of the dates, owing to the letters being partially or inaccurately copied, a few words of explanation may here be added.
Knox's conversation with Kirkaldy of Grange, (see page 21,) took place at St. Andrews, after Cupar Muir, before the end of June 1559; and letters from Kirkaldy, to Cecil and Percy, on the 23d and 25th of that month, and on the 1st of July, are still preserved. Knox himself wrote to Cecil, on the 28th June. The result of their correspondence was, that Whytelaw, who had then returned from France, and having pa.s.sed through England, had brought letters from Sir William Cecil, was sent back on the 20th of July, as the bearer of the letters from the Lords of the Congregation, and from Knox, to Cecil and Queen Elizabeth, which are printed in pages 22 to 30. After Whytelaw's departure, Knox received a letter from Sir Henry Percy, wis.h.i.+ng that they should meet at Alnwick. His journey thither was delayed, in consequence of the Queen and the French troops having advanced from Dunbar, on Monday the 23d of July, and the Congregation having retired from Edinburgh on the 24th; but Knox, after a short delay, pa.s.sed through Fife to Pittenweem, and crossed the Firth to Holy Island. Having acceded to the suggestions of Sir James Crofts, instead of proceeding farther, he remained at Berwick until Whytelaw came with Cecil's letter, on the 2d or 3d of August: (see page 35, note 1.)
The said Jhone and Maister Robert followed his counsall,[85] for it was faithfull, and proceidit of luif at that tyme. Thei taried with him verry secretly, within the Castell of Berwick, two dayis. In the which tyme, returned Alexander Quhytlaw foirsaid, with answer to the Lordis, and to Jhone Knox;[86] the tennour of whose letter was this:--
[85] The Articles and Instructions, written by Knox, and left with Crofts to be transmitted to the English Privy Council, are dated 31st July 1559. (See Tytler's History of Scotland, vol. vi. p. 128.)
[86] MS. G. makes it, ”Maister Knox.”
MAISTER CYCILLIS LETTER TO JHONE KNOX.
”MAISTER KNOX,
”_Non est masculus neque foemina, omnes enim, ut ait Paulus, unum sumus in Christo Jesu. Benedictus vir qui confidit in Domino; et erit Dominus fiducia ejus._[87]
[87] That is, ”There is neither male nor female, for as saith Paul, they are all one in Christ Jesus. (Galat. iii. 28.) Blessed is the man who trusteth in the Lord; and the Lord will be his confidence.”
”I have resavit your letteris, at the same tyme that I have thocht to have sein your self about Stampfurd. Quhat is now hitherto the caus of your [lett], I knaw nott. I forbeir to descend to the bottome of thingis, untill I may conferr with such one as ye ar; and, thairfoire, gif your chance shalbe heirefter to c.u.m hither, I wishe you furnissed with good credite, and power to mak good resolutioun. Althocht my answer to the Lordis of Congregatioun be some quhat obscure, yitt upoun farther understanding ye sall find the matter plaine. I neid wishe to you[88] no more prudence then G.o.ddis grace, quhairof G.o.d send you plentie. And so I end. From Oxford, the 28th of Julij 1559.
(_Sic subscribitur,_) Youris as ane member of the same body in Christ, ”W. CECILL.”[89]
[88] In MS. 1566, ”need you writ.”
[89] In MS. 1566, ”M. Cecill;” and this mistake is followed in all the copies.
Albeit the said Jhone ressaved this letter at Berwyk, yett wald he answer no thing till that he had spokein the Lordis; quhome he fand in Striveling, and unto quhome he delyvered the answer send from the Counsall of England; (for Alexander Quhytlaw tuik seakness betwix Berwyk and Edinburgh, and was troubled be the Lord Seatoun, as in the formar booke is declaired.[90]) The answer send by Maister Cycill, was so generall, that many amanges us war dispaired of ony comforte to come from that countrey; and thairfoire war determined that thei wald requeast no farder. Jhone Knox laboured in the contraire;[91] but he could prevaill no farther, but that he should have licence and libertie to writt as he thocht best. And so tuik he upoun him to answer for all, in forme as follows:--
[90] Dr. M'Crie says, Knox, ”at this time, prudently returned by sea to Fife:” the above statement, I think, clearly shows, he must have returned by land. He set out from Berwick, in company with Whytelaw, on the 3d of August, but the latter _being detained on the road_ by sickness, Knox proceeded, without delay, and reached Stirling on or before the 6th of August, on which day he addressed letters to Sir James Crofts: see Tytler's Hist. vol. vi. pp. 127, 130. Soon afterwards, Whytelaw having recovered, and set out on his journey, along with William Knox, _when between Preston and Edinburgh_, they were pursued by Lord Seaton, and narrowly escaped: see vol. i. p. 393.
[91] The result of Knox's previous communications was very important, having led to the resolution of the English Council to support the Protestants in Scotland in their contest with the Queen Regent, but with so much secrecy as might not infringe the treaty of peace between the two kingdoms. For this purpose a commission was granted on the 8th of August to Sir Ralph Sadler, in conjunction with the Earl of Northumberland and Sir James Crofts, to reside at Berwick, ostensibly to settle some Border disputes, and to strengthen the fortifications of that city; and the sum of 3000 was placed at Sadler's disposal. A similar sum was paid to him on the 5th of October; and a third payment in November. It was part of this money that was sent to Scotland with Balnaves, and with c.o.c.kburn of Ormiston. (See Letter of Queen Elizabeth to Sadler, in Sir H. Ellis's Original Letters, 3d Series, vol. iii. p. 332.)--Sadler's Correspondence, extending from August 1559 to April 1560, (included in his ”State Papers and Letters,”
Edinb. 1809, 2 vols. 4to,) furnish copious and most important materials for ill.u.s.trating the negotiations and proceedings at this time.
ANSWER TO MR. CYCILLIS LETTER.[92]
”Two causes impeded me, Richt Worschipfull, to visite you at any pairt of England. Formar, no significatioun of your mynd and plaisour was maid unto me, for only did Sir Harye Percye[93] will me to c.u.m and speak him, which, convenientlie at that tyme I could nott do, be reasone that the Frenche men, (which was the Secound cause of my stay,) did then most furiouslie persew us, whill our company was dispersed; and then durst I nott be absent for dyverse inconvenientis. Neather did I think my presence greatlie necessarie with you, considdering that the mater, which I desyred maist, was opened and proponed. To the quhilk I wald have wished that a more plaine and especiall answer should have bein maid. For, albeit Mr. Quhitlaw, by his credite, Mr. Kirkcaldie, by his letter, and I, boyth by letteris, and by that which I had ressaved from Sir James Croftis, did persuade your goode mindis; yitt could not the Counsall be uthairwayis persuaded, but that this alteratioun in France had altered your former purpois. It is nott unknawin what favor we three do beare to England; and, thairfoir, I wishe, that rather your pen then our credite, or ony thing writtin to ony of us, should a.s.suire the Lordis and otheris, of your goode myndis, (who ar bot now in nomber fyve hundreth).
Onless that money be fournissed without delay to pay the soldiouris with, for thair servise bypast, and to reteane ane uther thousand footmen, with three hundreth horsmen, till some stay be had in this danger, these gentilmen will be compelled to leave the feildis. I am a.s.sured, as fleshe may be of fleshe, that some of thame will tak a verry harde lyve befoir that ever they compone eather with the Quene Regent, eather yitt with France; but this I dar nott promeise of all, onless in you they see a greatter fordwardness. To support us will appeir excessive, and to break promeisse with France, will appeir dangeruss. But the loss of expensses, in my opinioun, aucht nott to be esteamit from the first payment; neather yitt the danger from the first appearance. France is most fervent to conqueise us, and avoweth, that against us thei will spend thair Croune, (so did my awin earis heare b.u.t.tencourt brag[94]). But, most a.s.suredlie I knaw, that onless by us thei thocht to mak ane enteress to you, that thei wald nott bye oure povertie at that price. Thei labour to corrupt some of oure great men by money, (and some of oure nomber ar poore, as befoire I wraitt, and can nott serve without supporte); some thei threattin; and against utheris thei have raised up ane partie in thair awin countrey. In this meane tyme, gif ye lye by as neutrallis, quhat wilbe the end, ye may easellie conjecture. And, thairfoire, Sir, in the bowellis of Christ Jesus, I requyre you to mak plaine answer; What the gentillmen heir may lippin to, and quhatt the Quenis Majestie will do, may without long delay be put in executioun. Rest in Christ Jesus. Off Sanct Johnstoun, the &c. day of, &c.”[95]
[92] In MS. G. and Vautr. edit., ”to Maister Cicillis writing.”
[93] ”Sir Henry Percy, second son of Sir Thomas Percy, who was executed in 1537, on account of Aske's rebellion, and brother of Thomas seventh Earl of Northumberland. Having remained attached to the Queen, and even taken arms against the insurgents, in the great northern rebellion, headed by his brother and Westmoreland, he escaped one great peril, and succeeded to the family t.i.tles and domains upon his brother's execution, in 1572. But having engaged in Lord Paget's enterprise for setting Queen Mary at liberty, and being imprisoned, he shot himself through the heart to prevent the attainder and forfeiture which must have attended a conviction for treason.”--(Note by Sir Walter Scott, in Sadler's State Papers, vol. i. p. 409.)