Volume II Part 18 (2/2)

[324] Archibald Douglas of Kilspindie, filled the office of Provost of Edinburgh in the year 1561. By a special mandate from Queen Mary, dated 21st August 1562, Douglas was again chosen Provost of the City.

(Maitland's Hist. of Edinburgh, p. 24.)

[Sidenote: OF THE QUENE REGENTIS BURIALL.]

Off the deith of the Quene Regent, we haif befoir spokin,[325] but of hir buriall wes nothing herd; and it may appeir that suche matteris are unworthy of remembrance. Bot and gif all thingis salbe rychtlie weyit, we sall perceave G.o.ddis just jugementis, how secreit that ever thai be. Befoir, we herd[326] the barbarous inhumanitie that wes usit at Leyth by the Frenche, quha exponed the naked carcasis of the slane, as it war in a spectacle, dispiting G.o.d. We herd, that this Quene Regent rejosit at the sycht; bot hir joy was suddandlie turned in sorrow, as we haif herd. The questioun wes moved of hir buriall. The Precheouris boldlie ganestude, that ony superst.i.tious rytes suld be usit within that Realme, quhilk G.o.d of his mercy had begun to purge.

And sa conclusioun wes takin, that hir buriall suld be deferred till farther advis.e.m.e.nt; and sa scho wes lappit in a cope of leid, and keipit in the Castell, fra the nynt of Junij,[327] unto the nyntene of October, quhen scho by pynouris wes caryed to a schip, and sa caryed to France. Quhat pompe wes usit thair, we nather herd nor yit regard.

Bot in it we se, that scho that delited that utheris lay without buryall, gat it nether sa sone, as scho hir self (gif scho haid bene on the counsall in hir lyff) wald have requyred it, nather yit sa honorable in this realme, as sometymes scho lukit for. It may chance be a prognostication that the Guisians blude can nocht haif lang rest within this Realme.

[325] See supra, page 71.

[326] Ib. page 68.

[327] The 10th of July is the day usually a.s.signed for the Queen Regent's death: others say the morning of the 11th: See notices of the Queen's death and funerals in the Appendix to the present volume.

[Sidenote: _NOTA._]

The Papistis, a little befoir the Parliament, resorted in diverse bandis to the towne, and began to brag, as that thai wald haif defaced the Protestantes. Quhilk thing perceaved, the brethrein a.s.semblit togidder, and yeid[328] in such c.u.mpanyes, and that in peciable maner, that the Bischoppis and thair bandis forsuyk the calsay. The brethrene understanding quhat the Papistis meant, convenit in counsall in the Tolbuyth of Edinburght, the xxvij of May, the yeir of G.o.d J^m V^c thre scoir and ane yeir; and efter consultatioun, concludit, that ane humble Supplicatioun suld be present.i.t unto the Lordis of Secreit Counsall, and unto the haill a.s.semblie, that then wes convenit, in the quhilk suld thir subsequent heidis be required, and a law to pas thairupoun.

[328] In Vautr. edit. and MS. G, ”and went.”

First, That Idolatrie, and all monumentis thairof, suld be suppressit throwout the haill realme; that the sayaris, heiraris, mayntenaris, and usaris of the Messe, suld be punischit according to the Act of Parliament, as said is.

2. That speciall and certane provisioun be maid for the sustentatioun of the Superintendentes, Ministeris, Exhorters, and Readers. That Superintendentes and Ministeris suld be planted quhair nane war. That punyschment suld be appointed for suche as dissobeyid or contemned the Superintendentes in thair functioun.

3. That punischment may be appoynted for the abusaris of the sacramentis, and for the contempnaris of the same.

4. That na letteris of the Sessioun be gevin to answer or pay to ony persoun thair teyndis, without especiall provisioun, that the parrochinaris retene sa mekle in thair awin handis, as is appoynted to the ministrey; and that all suche as ar ellis gevin be called in, and dischargit; and lykewise that na Schireffis gif preceptis to that effect.

5. That nather the Lordis of Sessioun, nor ony uther Jugis, proceid upone suche preceptis or warnyngis, past at the instance of thame that of lait haif obtenit fewis of vicaragis, and personagis,[329] manses, and kirkyardis; and that s.e.x aikkeris (gif so muche thairbe) of the gleib, be alwayis reserved to the minister, according to the appointment of the Buke of Disciplyne; and that everie minister may haif letteris thairupoun.

[329] In MSS. 1566, G, &c., and Vautr. edit. ”personis.”

6. That na letteris of the Sessioun, nor [any] utheris tak place, quhill the stipendis contened in the Buke of Disciplyne, for sustentatioun of the ministeris, be first consignat in the handis, at the leist, of the princ.i.p.allis of the parochinaris.

7. That punischement be appoynt.i.t aganis sik as purchess, bringis hame, or executis within this Realme, the Paipis Bullis.

The tennour of the Supplicatioun wes this:--

PLEIS your Honouris, and the wisdomes of suche as ar heir presentlie convenit with yow in Counsall, to understand, that by mony argumentis we perceave quhat the pestilent generatioun of that Romane Antichrist within this Realme pretendis; to wit, that thai wald of new erect thair idolatrie, tak upone thame to impyre abufe our conscience, and so to command us, the trew subjectis of this Realme, and suche as G.o.d of his mercy hes (under our Soverane) subjected unto us, in all thingis to obey thair appet.i.tis. Honestie cravis, and conscience movis us, to mak the verray secreittis of oure hertis patent to youre Honouris in that behalf; quhilk is this, ”That befoir that ever thai tyrantis and dumb doggis impyre abufe us, and abufe suche as G.o.d hes subjected unto us, that we the Barronis and Gentilmen professing Christ Jesus within this Realme, ar fullie determined to hasard lyffe, and quhatsoever we haif received of our G.o.d in temporall thingis.” Most humblie thairfoir beseiking your Honouris, that suche ordour may be takin, that we haif nott occasioun to tak agane the swerd of just defence into oure handis, quhilk we haif willinglie (efter that G.o.d hes gevin victorie, bayth to your Honouris and us) resignit ovir in your handis; to the end, that G.o.ddis Evangell may be publiklie within this Realme preached; the trew Ministeris thairof resonabillie sustened; Idolatrie suppressed, and the committaris thairof punissit, according to the lawes of G.o.d and man. In doing whairof, your Honouris sall find us, nott onlie obedient unto yow in all thingis lauchfull, but also reddy at all tymes to bring under ordour and obedience, suche as wald rebell aganis your just authoritie, quhilk, in absence of our Soverane, we acknawlege to be in your handis. Beseiking your Honouris, with uprycht jugement and indifferencie, to luyk upone thir oure few Articles, and, by thir oure brethrein, to signifie unto us suche answer agane, as may declair your Honouris worthy of that place, quhairunto G.o.d (efter some dangeris sustened) in his mercy hes called yow. And lett thir ennemeis of G.o.d a.s.sure thameselfis, that gif your Honouris put nocht ordour unto thame, that we sall schortlie tak suche ordour, that thai salbe nather abill to do quhat thai list, nather yit to leif upone the sweit of the browis of suche as ar na debteris unto thame. Lett your Honouris conceave na thing of us, bot all humble obedience in G.o.d.

Bott let the Papistis be yitt anys agane a.s.sured that thair pryid and idolatrie we will not suffer.

(Directed fra the a.s.semblie of the Kirk, the 28th[330] of Maij 1561, and send by thir brethrein,[331] the Maister of Lindesay, the Laird of Lochinvar,[332] the Laird of Pharnyhirst, the Laird of Quhittingham, Thomas Menzies Provest of Abirdene, and George Lowell burges of Dundee.)

[330] In MSS. 1566, G, &c. ”the 18.” Vautr. edit. gives the correct date, ”28th:” see next page, note 4.

[331] The persons who formed this deputation from the General a.s.sembly to the Lords of Secret Council, were, (1.) Patrick Master of Lindesay, who succeeded to the t.i.tle of Lord Lindsay of Byres, on his father's death in 1563; (2.) John Gordon of Lochinvar, in Kirkcudbrights.h.i.+re; (3.) Andrew Ker of Farnihurst, in Roxburghs.h.i.+re, ancestor to the Earls of Lothian; (4.) William Douglas of Whittingham, in East Lothian, a grandson of James second Earl of Morton, and afterwards one of the Senators of the College of Justice; (5.) Thomas Menzies of Pitfoddellis, who was Provost of Aberdeen, from 1547 to 1576, without interruption; and, (6.) George Lovell, burgess of Dundee, whose name has already occurred in Knox.

[332] In MS. 1566, ”the Lard of Low^clewen.”

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