Volume II Part 40 (1/2)
[769] In MSS. G, and L 4, ”Mr. Gawin Hammyltoun, Abbot of Kilwynning”
[770] Henry Drummond of Riccarton succeeded his father, who is mentioned as slain at the siege of Leith in 1560. But see note to vol.
i. p. 376. In 1574 he was succeeded by his brother of the same name, and probably the issue of a second marriage. (House of Drummond, p.
292.)
The said Johne Knox, in audience of thame boyth, and of thair freindis, said, ”Now, my Lordis, G.o.d hath brought you to gitther be the laubouris of semple men, in respect of such as wold have travailled thairin. I know my laubouris ar alreaddy tacken in ane evill parte; but becaus I have the testimonye of a good conscience befoir my G.o.d, that whatsoever I have done, I have done it in his fear, for the proffeit of you boith, for the hurt of none, and for the tranquillitie of this Realme: seing (I say) that[771] my conscience beareth witnesse to me, what I have sought and continewallie seak, I the more patientlie bear the mysreporttis and wrangouse judgementis of men. And now I leave you in peace, and desyres you that ar the freindis to study that amitie may increase, all formar offenses being forgett.” The freindis on eather partie embrased other, and the two Erles departed to ane wyndo, and talked by thame selfis familiarlie a reasonable s.p.a.ce. And thairafter the Erle Boithwell departed for that nycht: and upoun the nixt day in the mornyng returned, with some of his honest freinds, and came to the sermoun with the Erle foirsaid; whairat many rejoised. But G.o.d had ane other work to wyrk then the eyes of men could espy.
[771] In MS. G, ”Seeing therefore that.”
The Thurisday nixt[772] they dyned togetther; and thairafter the said Erle Boithwell and Maister Gawane Hammyltoun raid to my Lord Duckis Grace, who then was in Kynneill. What communicatioun was betwix thame, it is not certanelie knowne, but by the reporte which the said Erle of Arrane maid to the Quenys Grace, and unto the Erle of Murray, by his wryttingis. For upoun Fryday, the ferd day after thair reconciliatioun, the sermon being ended, the said Erle of Arrane cam to the house of the said Johne Knox, and brought with him Maister Richart Strang[773]
and Alexander Guthre,[774] to whom he opened the greaf of his mynd befoir that Johne Knox was called; for he was occupyed, (as commounlie he useth to be after his sermonis,) in directing of writtingis. Whiche ended, the said Erle called the thre togetther, and said, ”I am treasonablie betrayed;” and with these wordis began to weape. Johne Knox demanded, ”My Lord, who hes betrayed yow?” ”Ane Judas, or other (said he); but I know it is but my lyef that is sought: I regard it not.” The other said, ”My Lord, I understand not such dark maner of speaking: yf I shall geve you any ansuer, ye maun speik moir plane.”
”Weill, (said he,) I tack you three to witnesse that I oppen this unto you, and I will wryt it unto the Quene: Ane act of trea.s.sone is laid to my charge; the Erle Bothwell hes schawin to me in counsall, that he shall tack the Quene, and put hir in my handis in the Castell of Dumbertane; and that he shall slay the Erle of Murray, Lethingtoun, and otheris that now mysgyde hir: and so shall I and he reull all.
But I know that this is devised to accuse me of trea.s.sone; for I know that he will inform the Quene of it: But I tack you to witnes, that I oppen it hear unto you; and I will pas incontinent, and wryte to the Quenis Majestie, and unto my brother the Erle of Murray.”
[772] The 26th March, 1562.
[773] Mr. Richard Strang was an Advocate. His name occurs in the proceedings of the General a.s.sembly as one of the three Procurators who were appointed in 1567, ”to defend and pursue all actions pertaining to the Kirk.”
[774] Alexander Guthrie held for many years the office of Town Clerk of the City of Edinburgh.
Johne Knox demanded, ”Did ye consent, my Lord, to any part of that trea.s.sone?” He ansuered, ”Nay.” ”Then, (said he,) in my judgement, his wordis, albeit thei war spoken, can never be trea.s.sone unto you; for the performance of the fact dependis upoun your will, whairto ye say ye have disa.s.sented; and so shall that purpose evanise and dye by the self, onless that ye waiken it; for it is not to be supposed that he will accuse you of that which he him self [hes] devised, and whairto ye wold not consent.” ”O, (said he,) ye understand not what craft is used against me: It is trea.s.sone to conceall trea.s.sone.” ”My Lord, (said he,) trea.s.son maun importe consent and determinatioun, quhilk[775] I hear upoun neather of your partis. And thairfoir, my Lord, in my judgement it shalbe more suyre and moir honorable to you to depend upoun your [awin] innocencye, and to abyde the injust accusatioun of ane other, (yf any follow thairof, as I think thair shall not,) then ye to accuise, (especiallie after so lait reconciliatioun,) and have none other witnesses but your awin affirmatioun.” ”I know, (said he,) that he will offer the combatt unto me; but that wold not be suffered in France; but I will do that which I have purposed.” And so he departed, and took with him to his loodgeing the saidis Alexander Guthery and Mr. Richart Strang; from whense was dyted and written a letter to the Quenis Majestie, according to the formar purpose, which letter was direct with all diligence to the Quenis Majestie, who then was in Falkland.
[775] In MS. G, ”of the quhilks.”
The Erle him self raid after to Kynneill, to his father, the Duckis Grace.[776] How he was entreated, we have but the commoun bruyte; but from thense he wrait ane other letter with his awin hand, in sypher, to the Erle of Murray, compleanyng upoun his rigorous handelling and entreatment by his awin father, and by his freindis; and affirmed farther, that he feared his lyef, in case that he gat not suddane reskew. But thairupoun he remaned not, but brack the chalmer whairin he was put, and with great pain past to Striveling, and from thense he was convoyed to the Hallyardis,[777] whair he was keapt till that the Erie of Murray cam unto him, and convoyed him to the Quene, then beand in Falkland, who then was sufficientlie instructed of the hoill mater; and upoun suspitioun conceaved, had caused apprehend Maister Gawan Hammyltoun and the Erle Bothwell foirsaid; who knowing nothing of the formar advertismentis, cam to Falkland,[778] which augmented the formar suspitioun.
[776] ”Upon the 25th day of March 1562, my Lordis of Arrane, quha was eldest sone to James Duke of Chattellarault, and Bothwill, wer aggreit be Johne Knox minister, and thairefter raid and spak with the Duke.”
(Diurnal of Occurrents, p. 71.) ”And upoun the 29th day of March, my Lord of Arrane come furth of the Palice of Kynneill, in ane franysy, in the nycht, at ane heich wyndo, and past to the Quenis Grace at Falkland, and sayd to her that my Lord Duke his fader, and my Lord Bothwill, and Gawin Commendatare of Kilwynning, had conspirit aganis the Quenis Grace and Lord James.” (Ib. p. 71.)
[777] Hallyards, in the parish of Auchertule in Fifes.h.i.+re. Sir Robert Sibbald, in 1710, speaks of ”Hallyairds, the residence of a gentleman of the name of Skeen: a great building, surrounded with gardens, large enclosures and planting: having large meadows to the west, and a loch fertile of fish to the east.” (Hist. of Fife, edit. 1710, App. p. 3.) At the time referred to by Knox, it belonged to Sir William Kirkaldy of Grange: see vol. i. p. 90.
[778] ”Upon the last day of March (1562,) my Lord Bothwill and the Commendatare of Kilwynning wer commandit in ward, in the Palice of Falkland.” Diurnal, p. 71.)
But yit the letteris of Johne Knox maid all thingis to be used more circ.u.mspectlie; for he[779] did planelie foirwarne the Erle of Murray, that he espyed the Erle of Arrane to be stricken with phrenesy, and thairfoir willed not oure great credytt to be gevin unto his wordis and inventionis. And as he advertised, so it cam to pa.s.s; for within few dayis his seaknes increased; he devised of wonderouse signes that he saw in the heavin; he alledged that he was bewitched; he wold have bene in the Quenis bed, and affirmed that he was hir husband; and fynallie, he behaved him self in all thingis so foolishelie, that his phrenesy could not be hyd. And yit war the saidis Erle Bothwell and Abbott[780] of Kylwynning keapt in the Castell of Sanctandrois, and convent.i.t[781] befoir the Counsall, with the said Earl of Arrane, who ever stoode ferme, that the Erle Boithwell proponed to him suche thingis as he advertissed the Quenis Grace of; but styflie denyed that his Father, the said Abbote, or freindis, knew any thing thairof, eathir yit that thei intended any violence against him; but alledged, that he was enchanted so to think and wryte. Whairat the Quene, heghlie offended, committed him to preasone, with the other two, first in the Castell of Sanctandrois, and thairafter caused thame to be convoyed to the Castell of Edinburgh. James Stewarte of Cardonall,[782] called Capitane James, was evill bruited [of], for the rigorous entreatment that he schew to the said Erle in his seaknes, being appointed keeper unto him.
[779] It is a peculiarity in Knox's chief amanuensis, always to write ”he” as ”hie.”
[780] In MS. G, ”Mr. Gawin, Abbot,” &c.
[781] In MSS. G, and L 4, ”conveened.”
[782] James Stewart of Cardonald, about two miles from Paisley, in the county of Renfrew. In a letter dated 7th September 1561, Randolph says, ”James Steward's admission to be Captain of the garde, stayett upon the Lord of Lidington's retorne, to certifye whether he be sworne Englishman.” (Wright's Queen Elizabeth, vol. i. p. 74.) On the 4th May 1562, ”Capitane Stewart, capitane of the Quenis gard,” with 24 hors.e.m.e.n, convoyed Arrane, Bothwell, and the Abbot of Kilwinning from St. Andrews to Edinburgh. (Diurnal of Occurrents, p. 72.)
To consult upoun these accusationis, the hoill Counsalle was a.s.sembled at Sanctandrois, the 18 day of Aprile, in the year of G.o.d J^m V^c, and threscoir twa yearis;[783] in which it was concluded, that, in consideratioun of the formar suspitioun, the Duck his Grace should render to the Quene the Castell of Dumbartane,[784] the custodie whairof was granted unto him by appointment, till that lauchfull successioun should be sein of the Quenis body: But will prevailled against rea.s.sone and promisses, and so was the said Castell delivered to Capitane Anstrudour, as having power fra the Quene and Counsall to receave it.[785]
[783] In the Acts of the Privy Council, there is no minute of any meeting held on the 18th of April 1562. But the records of that time are not very entire. In the Diurnal of Occurrents it is stated, that a Convention was appointed to be held at St. Andrews, on the 15th of that month, ”for taking tryell of the matter above written, and thair compeirit certane Lordis to the samyne;” and that, on the 18th of April, ”My Lord Duke raid to the Quenis Grace in Sanctandrois, quhairintill he purgit himself of the conspiracie foirsaid in hir presens.”
[784] ”Upon the xxvij day of April (1562) the Castell of Dumbartane wes deliverit be my Lord Duke to Capitane Anstruther, in the name and behalf of the Quenis Grace.” (Diurnal of Occurrents, p. 72.) Captain Robert Anstruther, in the previous year, had the command of the fortified island of Inchkeith, in the Frith of Forth, with ”40 hagb.u.t.teris, remanand within the said Inche,” (Treasurer's Accounts.)