25 1560. Particularly when one of her chaplains (Mr Alexander Nowell, AN.REG. 2, Dean of St Paul's) had spoken less reverently in a sermon preached before her of the sign of the cross, she called aloud to him from her closet window, commanding him to retire from that ungodly digression, and to return unto his text1. And on the other side, when one of her divines had preached a sermon in defence of the Real Presence, on the day commonly called Good Friday, anno 1565, she openly gave him thanks for his pains and piety2. The Bishops and the Clergy had been but ill proficients in the school of conformity under so excellent a mistress, if they had not kept the Church in the highest splendour, to which they were invited by that great example. And in this glorious posture still had lasted longer, had not her order been confounded and her peace disturbed by some factious spirits; who, having had their wills at Frankfort, or otherwise ruling the Presbytery when they were at Geneva, thought to have carried all before them with the like facility when they were in England. 8. But leaving them and their designs to some other time, Violent Re97 we must next look upon the aid which the Queen sent to those Scotland. of the reformed religion in the realm of Scotland, but carried under the pretence of dislodging such French forces as were garrisoned there, and might have proved bad neighbours to the kingdom of England. Such of the Scots as desired a reformation of religion, taking advantage by the Queen's absence, the easiness of the Earl of Arran, and want of power in the Queen Regent to suppress their practices, had put themselves into a body; headed by some of the nobility, they take unto themselves the name of The Congregation, managing their own affairs apart from the rest of the kingdom, and, in assurance of their own strength, petition to the Queen Regent and the Lords of the Council, that the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper might be administered in both kinds, that divine offices 1 Harding, as quoted in the preceding note; Rishton, in Sanders, 304, (who, however, does not mention this as creditable to the Queen, but as an instance of improper interference with the Church.) Comp. Churton's Life of Nowell, 111. 2 See note 3, p. 216. Mr Ayre remarks,-" This Good Friday must have been March 31, 1564, as Good Friday 1565 was Apr. 20, and Harding's book is dated Apr. 12, 1565." 3 Qu. "she?" 1558. 1560. 1559. AN. REG. 2, might be celebrated in the vulgar tongue, and that they might have the choice of their own Ministers, according to the practice (as it was pretended) of the primitive times1. The answer hereunto was fair and gracious, but rather for the gaining of time than with a purpose to grant any of the points demanded. The principal leaders of the party, well followed by the common people, put themselves into Perth, and there begin to stand on higher terms than before they did. The news whereof occasioneth Knox to leave his sanctuary in Geneva, and join himself unto the Lords of the Congregation; at Perth he goes into the pulpit, and falls so bitterly on images, idolatry, and other superstitions of the Church of Rome, that the people in a popular fury deface all the images in that Church, and presently demolish all religious houses within that city. This happened about the end of May, anno 1559, and gave a dangerous example to them of Couper, who forthwith, on the hearing of it, destroyed all the images, and pulled down the altars in that Church also. Preaching at Craile he inveighed sharply against the Queen Regent, and vehemently stirred up the people to join together for the expulsion of the French; which drew after it the like destruction of all altars and images as was made before at Perth and Couper. The like followed on his preaching at St Andrew's also, the religious houses being pulled down as well as the images, and laid so flat, that there was nothing left in the form of a building 3. Inflamed by the same firebrand, they burned down the rich monastery of Scone, and ruined that of Cambuskenneth, demolished all the altars, images, and covents of religious persons in Sterling, Lithgow, Glascough, Edenburgh, make themselves masters of the last, and put up their own preachers into all the pulpits of that city, not suffering the Queen Regent to have the use of one Church only for her own devotions1. 9. Nor staid they there, but, being carried on by the same ill spirit, they pass an Act among themselves for depriving the Queen Regent of all place and power in the public government; concerning which the oracle", being first consulted, returned this answer-sufficiently ambiguous, as all oracles are,—that is to say, that "the iniquity of the Queen Regent ought not to 1 Spottiswoode, 117. Ibid. 121-2. See Keith, i. 190-1. * Ibid. 129. 3 Spottisw. 123-4. 5 i. e. Knox. 1560. withdraw their hearts from the obedience due to their Sove- AN. REG.2, reign, nor did he wish any such sentence to be pronounced against her, but when she should change her course, and submit herself to good counsel, there should be place left unto her of regress to the same honours, from which, for good causes, she ought to be deprived1." This Act is intimated to the Queen Regent, who now begins as seriously to provide for her own preservation, as she had done before in maintenance of the Queen's authority. Some forces had been sent from France, together with many arms and ammunition in proportion to them; but these not being great enough to suppress those insolencies, she is supplied at times with 3000 foot, beside Octavian's regiment sent over to make way for the rest. Some horse were also shipped from France, but so scattered and dispersed by tempest, that few of them came safely thither2. Yet by the terror of their coming, and the noise of more, she recovereth Edenburgh, compelleth the confederate Scots to go further north, fortifies Lieth, the port-town to Edenburgh and the chief key of all that kingdom,-garrisoned forthwith by the 98 French, not only to make good their entrance, but second their exit3. On these discouragements, many of the Scots soldiers drop away, and the rest refuse to stand unto their arms without present pay. Had the French gone to work like soldiers, and poured such forces into that kingdom as the condition of affairs did require at their hands, they might easily have suppressed that scattered faction, before they were united under the protection of a foreign power; but this doing of their work by halves proved the undoing of the whole, and only served to give the Scots sufficient time to renew their forces, and call the English to their aid. They had all along maintained a correspondence with some in England, but more particularly with Crofts, Governor of the town of Barwick. To him they send for a supply in this great necessity; by whom their agents are dispatched with four thousand crowns; but the Queen Regent was so seasonably advertised of it, that she intercepted on the way both the men and the money1. 26 beth assists 10. In this extremity they take counsel of despair with Queen ElizaKnox, by whom they are advised to cast themselves into the the Scotch Reformers. 1560. AN. REG. 2, arms of the Queen of England, the only visible means then left to support the cause; to whom the neighbourhood of the French, upon just jealousies and reasons of State, was not very acceptable. No better counsel being offered (as indeed none could) Maitland and Melvin1 are dispatched to the Court of England; by whom the Queen is made acquainted with the state of that kingdom, the difficulty under which it struggled, the danger like to fall on her own dominions if the French should grow too strong in Scotland; and thereupon entreat her succours and assistance for the expulsion of that people, who otherwise might to both realms prove alike destructive. The business being taken into consideration, it was conceived by some of the Council, that the Queen ought not to give ear unto their desires; that it was a matter of dangerous consequence, and of ill example, to assist the subjects of that or any other kingdom against their own natural and lawful Princes; and that she did not know how soon it might be her own case, to have the like troubles and commotions raised against her by those who liked not her proceedings in the change of religion. By others it was thought a matter of no small impiety not to assist their brethren of the same profession, imploring their assistance in the present exigency; that it was a work of charity to defend their neighbours from the oppression of strangers; that the French were always enemies to the Crown of England, and therefore that it could not be consistent with the rules of prudence to suffer them to grow too strong upon their borders; that the French King had already assumed the title of England, and it concerned them to take care that they gave him not by their improvidence the possession also2. These reasons carried it for the Scots, and so they are dismissed with promise of such present aid, and on such conditions, as should be agreed on by Commissioners on both sides in the town of Barwick. 11. About the middle of February the Commissioners meet, the Duke of Norfolk for the Queen, the Lord James Stewart (one of the bastard brothers of the Queen of Scots), the Lord Ruthven, and some other principal men of the Con 1 Maitland of Lethington, and "Robert Melvil, brother of the laird of Raith." Spottisw. 141. gregation in the the name of the rest: by whom it was concluded on the 27th of that month, that the Queen should send sufficient forces into Scotland, both by sea and land, furnished with money, arms, and ammunition; that she should not recall her forces till that kingdom was cleared of all the French; that provision of victuals for the army should be made by the Scots, and that the Scots should shew themselves enemies to all such as were enemies to the Crown of England, whether Scots or French; but by all means, that nothing should be done by virtue of this agreement, which might import the least withdrawing of the Scots from that loyalty, duty, and obedience which was due unto their natural Queen, or the King her husband1. By which agreement with the Scots, the Queen abundantly provided for her own security from all invasions on that side; and by affording them such succours as their wants 27 required, but chiefly by conferring some small annual pensions 9 on the chiefs among them, she made herself more absolute on that side of the Tweed than either the Queen of Scots herself, or King James her son, or any of their predecessors in all times before. According to these capitulations, an army gallantly appointed is sent into Scotland, consisting of 6000 foot and 2000 horse, and commanded by the Lord Gray, a right expert soldier, accompanied by some lords and gentlemen of eminent quality; some ships were also sent to block up the haven, and hinder all relief which might come by sea to the town of Lieth, on the defence whereof depended the whole hopes of the French, together with the interest of that Crown in the realm of Scotland 3. 12. It was about the beginning of April that the English army came before it; recruited afterwards by the coming of 2000 more; which fresh supply, together with some ill success which they found in the action, did so disanimate the besieged, that they conceived no possibility of a long resistance1. Embassadors are therefore sent from France to Edenborough, 1 Camden, 48-9. Spottisw. 142-3. 2 Edd. 3 reads "3000;" Camden says 1200. 3 Stow, 641. Spottisw. 144. Holinshed is very full on this expedition. iv. 190, seqq. * Heylyn has omitted to mention that the Queen Regent of Scotland died on the 10th of June. Spottisw. 146. [HEYLYN, II.] Y AN. REG. 2, 1560. |