Volume II Part 18 (1/2)
There are several entries in the Town Council Records on this subject: see the account given in Maitland's History of Edinburgh, p. 20.
[Sidenote: AMBa.s.sADOUR FRA FRANCE, AND HIS DEMANDIS.]
In the meantyme, quhill Lord James (we say) wes in France, thair came ane Amba.s.sadour frome France,[316] subornit, na doubt, with all craft that mycht truble the Estait of the Religioun. His demandis wes 1.
That the league betwix us and Ingland suld be broken: 2. That the ancient league betwix France and Scotland suld be renewit: And, 3.
That the Bischops and Kirkmen suld be reponit in thair formair places, and be sufferit to intromet with thair levingis. The Counsall delayit answer to the Parliament appoynt.i.t in May. In the meantyme the Papistis of Scotland practisit with him. The Erlis of Huntlie, Atholl, Bothwell, and utheris, intendit to haiff takin Edinburgh befoir the said Parliament. The haill Bischoppis a.s.semblit, and held counsall in Striveling. Some quhispering thair wes, that the Duke and the Bischop of Sanctandrois were too familiare; and some feared that the auctoritie of the Quene suld haif bene usurpit, be ressone of her absence, and that the Duke wes secound persone, for thairat haid some of his preissit immediatlie efter the death of the King of France. The Protestantis thairof advertised, prevent.i.t thame, and came to Edinburgh. The Erle of Arrane stude constant with his brethrene. Thair war some that cairfullie and panefullie travellit that nathing prejudiciall to the Quenis auctoritie, suld be done in absence of the Lord James; to quhom the Quene hes recompensit evill for gude service.
Maister James Makgill,[317] in that poynt did baith stoutlie and treulie; for Johne Knox and he war than fallin in familiaritie, in quhilk thay yet contineu, 20 Octobris 1567,[318] be ressone that the said Maister James haid embrasit the Religioun, and professit it publiclie.
[316] The Amba.s.sador here spoken of was Mons. de Noailles, Master of Requests, who had formerly been Amba.s.sador in England. (Hardwicke's State Papers, vol. i. p. 157.) He arrived on the 11th of March, and returned on the 7th of June 1561. (Diurnal of Occurrents, pp. 64, 282-3.)
[317] Mr. James Makgill or M'Gill, eldest son of Sir James Makgill, Provost of Edinburgh.
He was educated at St. Andrews, having been incorporated in St.
Leonard's College in 1532. He probably took his Master's degree, and completed his studies at some foreign University. On the 1st March 1549-50, he was admitted an Advocate. On the 25th June 1554, he was advanced to be Clerk-Register; and continued to be employed in various public affairs. He joined the Reformers, but on account of his concern in the murder of David Riccio, 9th March 1566, he fled from Edinburgh, and his situation as Clerk-Register was conferred upon Sir James Balfour. Upon a vacancy, in December 1567, after the accession of the Regent Murray to power, Makgill was restored, and he continued in office till 1577. He died in 1579. (Senators of the College of Justice, p. 99.)
[318] This date occurs in the text; and the set or quire in this place was no doubt transcribed about that time.
[Sidenote: SOME SAYIS HIS NAME IS KYLLONE]
The Papistis and Bischoppis, dissapoynt.i.t of thair princ.i.p.all purpose and interpryse did yet mak broillie for trouble; for the raschall mult.i.tude war stirred up to mak a Robene Hude,[319] quhilk enormitie wes of mony yeiris left and dampnit by statute and act of Parliament.
Yit wald thay nott be forbiddin, bot wald disobey and truble the Towne, especiallie upone the nycht. Quhairat the Baillies offendit, tuke fra thame some swerdis and an enseynze, quhilk wes occasioun that thay that same nycht maid a mutinye, keippit the portis of the towne, and intendit to have persewit some men within thair awin housses; bot that, upoun the rest.i.tutioun of thair swerdis and enseynze, wes stayit. Bot yit thay cea.s.sit nott to molest, alsweill the inhabitantes of Edinburgh as diverse countrey men, taking frome thame money, and threitnyng some with farder injureis. Quhairwith the Magistratis of the towne, heychtlie offendit, tuke mair diligent heid to suche as resort.i.t to the towne, and so apprehendit ane of the princ.i.p.all of that misordour, namit Gillone,[320] a cordinare, quhome thai put to ane a.s.sisse; [and being convicted, for he could not be absolved,][321]
(for he wes the cheif man that spoillit Johnne Mowbray of ten crownis of the Sone,) thai thocht to have execute jugement upone him, and so erected a jebbete beneath the Croce. But, quhidder it came by pactioun with the Provest and some uther, or by instigatioun of the Craftismen, quha ever haif bene bent too muche to mayntene suche vanitie and ryotousnes, we fullie knaw nott, but suddandlie thair did ryse a tumult; the Tolbuyth wes brokin up, and not onlie the said Gillone, quho befoir wes dampnit, wes violentlie takin furth, bot also all uther malefactouris wer set at fredome; the jebbete wes pullit downe, and dispitfullie brokin; and thairefter, as the Provest and some of the Counsall a.s.semblit to the Clerkis[322] chalmer for consultatioun, the haill rascall [mult.i.tude] bandit togidder, with some knawin unhonest[323] craftismen, and intendit invasioun of the said chalmer.
Quhilk perceavit, the Provest, and such as wer in his c.u.mpany, past to the Tolbuyth, suspecting nothing that thai wald haif bene sa enragit that thai wald mak new persute, efter that thai had obtenit thair intent: Bot thai wer suddandlie deceavit, for from the Castelhill thai come with violence, and with stanis, gunnis, and such uther weaponis as thei had, began to a.s.sault the said Tolbuyth, ran at the dure of it, quhilk that parte by stanis cast from above, and partlie by a pystoll schott by Robert Norwell, quhilk hurt ane Twedy, thai wer repulsit [fra the door]; bot yit cea.s.sit not thai to cast and schute in at the wyndowis, threitnyng deith to all that war within. And in verray deid the malice of the craftismen, quho wer suspect.i.t to be the occasioun of that tumult, bare na gude will to dyvers of thame that wes with the Provost.
[319] During the festivities of the month of May, the games of Robin Hood were attended with so much disorderly license, that they were ordered to be suppressed by an Act of the Scotish Parliament in 1555.
It is not easy, however, to abolish long continued customs; and complaints to the General a.s.sembly for their continued observance were made until the close of the 16th century. Of the tumult that took place in Edinburgh, on the 21st of June 1561, a very minute and interesting account is preserved in the Diurnal of Occurrents, pp.
283-4.
Several persons were brought to trial on account of these riots. On the 20th July 1561, Robert Hannay, smith, and nine others were tried, as art and part in choosing George Durye in the month of April last, and calling him Lord of In.o.bedience, and for rioting on Sunday the 12th May. (See Pitcairn's Criminal Trials, vol. i. p. 409.) And James Fraser, sadler, and five others, were tried on the 8th of August, on account of the riots in the month of July. (Ib. p. 410.)
[320] In MS. G, ”Kyllone:” Vautr. edit. makes the name ”Balon.” In the Diurnal of Occurrents, he is called James Killone and Kellone, at p.
65, but James Gilloun and Gillone, at p. 283.
[321] The words enclosed in brackets, omitted in MS. 1566, are supplied from MS. G.
[322] Alexander Guthrie, city clerk.
[323] In MS. G, ”and honest.”
The argumentis that the Craftis wer the caus of that uproire, besydis thair first misordour that thai haid usit befoir, in tackin Sandersoun from the exectioun of punishment, are twa. The formar, Archibald Dewar, Patrik Schange, with uther five deaconis [of the craftis] come to Johnne Knox, and willit him to solist the Provest and the towne to delay the executioun: quho did answer, ”That he haid sa oft solist.i.t in thair favouris, that his awin conscience accusit him, that thai usit his labouris for na uther end, bot to be a patrone to thair impietie.” For he haid befoir maid intercessioun for William Harlaw, James Frissall, and utheris, that wer convict of the formare tumult.
Thai proudlie said, ”That gif it was not stayit, bayth he and the Baillies suld repent it.” Quhairto he answerit, ”He wald not hurt his conscience for ony feir of man.” And sa thai depart.i.t; and the tumult (as said is) immediatlie thairefter did aryse. The secund argument is, the tumult continewit fra twa at efter none till efter aucht at nycht.
The Craftismen wer requyrit to a.s.semble them selfis togidder for deliverance of thair Provest [and Baillies]; bot thai past to thair foure houris penny, and in thair jesting said, ”Thai will be Magistratis allone, latt thame reule the mult.i.tude allone.” And sa, contrair to the ayth that thai haid maid, thai denyit thair a.s.sistance, counsall, and conforte to thair Provest and Baillies; quhilk ar argumentis verray probable, that the said tumult raise by thair procurement. The end heirof was, that the Provest[324] and Baillies wer compellit to gif thair handwrittis, that thai suld never perseu ony of thame that war of that tumult, for ony cryme that wes done in that behalf. And this wes proclamet at the Croce efter nyne houris at nycht; and sa that truble quyetted. Bot the n.o.bilitie avowit, that thai suld not spare it; and sa a greit nomber of that factioun war absent frome the towne, till the arryvall of the Quene.
The haill mult.i.tude wer haldin excomunicat, and war admitt.i.t to no partic.i.p.atioun of the sacramentis, unto suche tyme as thai satisfied the Magistratis, and maid humble sute unto the Kirk.