<B SDIA2A>
<Q SC2 NN DIARY MELVILL>
<N AUTOBIO AND DIARY>
<A MELVILLE KILRENNY>
<C SC2>
<O DATE 1600-1610>
<M MEDIUM MS>
<D CSC>
<V PROSE>
<T DIARY PRIV>
<G X>
<F X>
<W WRITTEN>
<X MALE>
<Y 40-60>
<H HIGH PROF>
<U NET FAMILY>
<E X>
<J X>
<I INFORMAL>
<Z NARR NON-IMAG>
<S SAMPLE X>

[^THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY AND DIARY OF MR. JAMES MELVILLE, MINISTER
OF KILRENNY, IN FIFE, ... WITH A CONTINUATION OF THE DIARY.
ED. R. PITCAIRN. WODROW SOCIETY. EDINBURGH 1842.

SAMPLE 1: PP. 13.19-38.3
SAMPLE 2: PP. 323.1-330.3
SAMPLE 3: PP. 414.24-424.2^]

<S SAMPLE 1>
<P 13>                       
[^THE TEXT IS PRECEDED BY A QUOTATION FROM THE BIBLE.^]
   I knawe a man in Chryst, brought from the wombe  of his      #
mother 
be God, the 25 day of the monethe July, (dedicat of auld to S. 
James the Apostle and Martyr,) in the yeir of our Lord 1556;    #
wha, 
for thankfulness of hart, to the praise and honour of his       #
gratius God 
and deir father in Chryst, and for edification and comfort of   #
his 
childring, and sic as sall reid the saming heirefter, is movit  #
to sett 
down, in monument of wryt, the benefets of God bestowit  on     #
him 
sen his first conception and day of his birthe foremarked; sa   #
far, 
at leist, as his weak understanding and freall memorie in       #
maters 
that ar esteimed of importance can conceave and recompt.        #
Whowbeit,
<P 14>
as I haiff professed, in the words of the Psalme with David, 
that the smalest of his unknawin benefits passes the graittest 
reatche of my apprehension and utterance. 
   And, first, God wald haiff me begottin of godlie, fathfull,  #
and 
honest parents, bathe lightned with the light of the gospell,   #
at the 
first dawning of the day thairof within Scotland, knawing and   #
beleving 
that Covenant of Grace, and sa the seid of the fathfull,        #
expreslie
mentioned in that Covenant, quhilk assures mie of the benefit 
thairof, yea of that root and weal-spring of all his            #
benefites, my 
eternall election in his Chryst befor the foundation of the     #
warld. 
These parents, be name, war Richard Melvill of Baldowy, and     #
Isobell 
Scrymgeour, sistar to the Lard of Glaswell for the tyme. 
My said father, brought upe in letters from  his youthe, and    #
gentlemanie 
effeares till he was past twentie yeirs of age, therefter 
chosine paedagog to James Erskine appeirand of Donne, he past 
with him to Germanie, whar he remeaned at the studie of         #
letters, 
namlie, Theologie; first with Doctor Macabeus, in Denmark, and 
thairefter a heirar of Philip Melancton in Wittenberg, be the   #
space
of twa yeirs. Of the grait mercie of God, haiffing the happe    #
of 
sic maisters as war the graittest lights of that age within     #
the countrey,
in the toun of Montrose, and companie of that Lard of Donne, 
and the maist godlie, lerned, and noble Scots Martyre, Mr
George Wyshart, and these nominant in Germanie. And the Lord 
blessing the seid sawin be tham in his hart, at last, soone     #
efter the 
first Reformation of Religion, thrust him out into his          #
hervest, and 
placed him Minister of his Evangell at the kirk of Mariton, a   #
myle 
from Montrose, harde adjacent to his awin house and roum of     #
Baldowy;
in the quhilk he continowed fathfullie unto his lyffes end. 
He died the 53 yeir of his age, (in the moneth of Junie,)       #
[\What is within brackets is supplied on the margin of the      #
MS.\] (\anno\) 
1575, in a icterik fevar, maist godlie; for efter manie most    #
comfortable 
exhortationes maid to the noble and gentle men of the 
cowntrey, wha all resorted to visit him during his disease,     #
and to 
<P 15>
his breither and frinds wha remeaned about him, about the       #
verie 
hour of his deathe, he caused reid to him the 8 chapter of the 
Epistle to the Romans, and immediatlie efter his brother, Mr    #
James, 
minister of Arbrothe, asking him, what he was doing? Lifting    #
upe 
eyes and handis toward heavin, with reasonable might of voice,  #
he 
answerit, "I am glorifeing God for the light of his gospell,    #
and 
resting in assurance of his sweit promises of lyff maid unto    #
mie, in 
my Saviour, the Lord Jesus Chryst;" and na ma intelligible      #
words 
thairefter. He was a man of rare wesdome, judgment, and         #
discretion;
and, therfor, mikle imployed in the trysts and effeares of the 
noble and gentle men of the countrey, quhilk distracted him     #
fra his 
calling, hinderit his vertew, and schortened his lyff. The      #
recompence 
quhilk he had was estimation and affection of all. Ther was 
nane of his rank, and verie few above it, that was sa honored   #
and 
loven as he: quhilk kythed specialie at his buriall, and hes    #
bein
often tauld me be men of all degries sen syne. 
   My mother died about a thrie quarters, or at least within a  #
yeir, 
efter I was born; a woman exceidinglie belovit of hir           #
housband's 
frinds and nibours. I haiff divers tymes hard, when my          #
father-breither
Roger, Jhone, Mr James and Robert, could nocht satisfie 
tham selves in comending hir godlines, honestie, vertew, and    #
affection
toward thame. And I haiff often hard Mr Andro say, that he 
being a bern verie seiklie, was maist lovinglie and tenderlie   #
treated 
and cared for be hir, embrasing him and kissing him oftentymes,
with these words, "God giff me an uther lad lyk thie, and syne  #
tak 
me to his rest!" Now sche haid haid twa laddies befor me,       #
wharof 
the eldest was dead; and betwix him and the second, sche bure 
thrie lasses; sa, in end, God granted hir desyre, and gaiff     #
hir an, 
wha wald to God he war als lyk to Mr Andro in gifts of mynd as 
he is thought to be in proportion of bodie and lineaments of    #
face;
for ther is nane, that is nocht utherwayes particularlie        #
informed, bot 
taks me for Mr Andro's brother. 

   The nixt benefit is of my education, till I cam to the age   #
of a 
<P 16>
man, and entered in my calling, wharin als manie moments, als 
manie benefits; bot the maist remarkable, to my judgement and   #
memorie,
I will record. And first, in generall, to the praise of my      #
heavinlie
parent, I man confess, with David, "My mother has now left 
mie, bot Jehova hes receavit mie;" and with Esai, "The mother 
hes forgat the fruit of hir wombe, bot the Lord hes rememberit  #
me 
alwayes!" I haid an evill-inclyned woman to my nuris;           #
therefter 
speaned and put in a cottar hous, and about four or fyve yeir   #
auld
brought hame to a step-mother; yit a verie honest burges of     #
Montros [\"Robert Clark," supplied by the author on the         #
margin.\]  
hes oft tauld me, that my father wald ley me down on my 
bak, pleying with mie, and lauche at me because I could nocht   #
ryse, 
I was sa fatt; and wald ask mie what ealed mie: I wald answer, 
"I am sa fatt I may nocht geang." And trewlie sen my            #
rememberance, 
I cam never to the place bot God moved sum an with a 
motherlie affection towardis me. About the fyft yeir of my      #
age, the 
Grate Buik was put in my hand, and when I was seavine, lytle    #
thairof
haid I lernit at hame; therfor my father put my eldest and      #
onlie 
brother, David, about a year and a halff in age above me, and   #
me 
togidder, to a kinsman and brother in the ministerie of his,    #
to scholl, 
a guid, lerned, kynd man; whome for thankfulnes I name, Mr      #
Wilyam
Gray, minister at Logie-Montrose. He haid a sistar, a godlie 
and honest matron, rewlar of his hous, wha often rememberit me  #
of 
my mother, and was a verie loving mother to us, indeid. Ther    #
was 
a guid nomber of gentle and honest men's berns of the cowntrey
about, weill treaned upe bathe in letters, godlines, and        #
exerceise of 
honest geames. Ther we lerned to reid the Catechisme, Prayers,
and Scripture; to rehers the Catechisme and Prayers (\par       #
ceur\) ; also
nottes of Scripture, efter the reiding thairof; and ther first  #
I fand,
(blysed be my guid God for it!) that Sprit of sanctification    #
begining
to work sum motiones in my hart, even about the aught and 
nynt yeir of my age; to pray going to bed and rysing, and       #
being 
in the fields alan to say ower the prayers I haid lernit with a #
sweit 
moving in my heart; and to abhore swearing, and rebuk and       #
complean 
<P 17>
upon sic as I hard swear. Wherunto the exemple of that 
godlie matron, seiklie, and giffen to read and pray in hir      #
bed, did 
mikle profit me; for I ley in hir chamber and heard hir         #
exerceises. 
We lerned ther the Rudiments of the Latin Grammair, withe the 
vocables in Latin and Frenche; also dyverse speitches in        #
Frenche, 
with the reiding and right pronunciation of that toung. We      #
proceidit
fordar to the Etymologie of Lilius and his Syntax, as also a    #
lytle 
of the Syntax of Linacer; therwith was joyned Hunter's          #
Nomenclatura,
the (\Minora Colloquia\) of Erasmus, and sum of the Eclogs 
of Virgill and Epistles of Horace; also Cicero his Epistles     #
(\ad Terentiam\) .
He haid a verie guid and profitable form of resolving the       #
authors;
he teatched grammaticallie, bathe according to the Etymologie
and Syntax; bot as for me, the trewthe was, my ingyne and 
memorie war guid aneuche, bot my judgment and understanding
war as yit smored and dark, sa that the thing quhilk I gat was
mair be rat ryme nor knawlage. Ther also we haid the aire guid,
and fields reasonable fear, and be our maister war teached to   #
handle 
the bow for archerie, the glub for goff, the batons for         #
fencing, also 
to rin, to loope, to swoom, to warsell to preve pratteiks,      #
everie ane 
haiffing his matche and andagonist, bathe in our lessons and    #
play. 
A happie and golden tyme, indeid, giff our negligence and       #
unthankfullnes
haid nocht moved God to schorten it, partlie be deceying of 
the number, quhilk caused the maister to weirie, and partlie    #
be a 
pest quhilk the Lord, for sinne and contempt of his Gospell,    #
send 
upon Montrose, distant from Over Logie bot twa myles; sa that 
scholl skalled, and we war all send for and brought hame. I was
at that scholl the space of almost fyve yeirs, in the quhilk    #
tyme, of 
publict news I remember I hard of (the mariage of Hendrie and 
Marie, King and Quein of Scots), [\This supplied on margin of   #
MS.\] Seingnour Davie's slauchter, of 
the King's mourder at the Kirk of Field, of the Quein's taking  #
at 
Carbarri, and the Langsyd feild. Wherof reid Mr Bowchannan 
Cornicle, lib. 17, 18, 19. 
<P 18>
   Even at that tyme, me thought the heiring of these things    #
moved 
me, and stak in my hart with sum joy or sorrow, as I hard they 
might helpe or hender the Relligion: Namelie, I remember the    #
ordour 
of the fast keipit (\in anno\) 1566; the evill handling of the  #
ministerie 
be taking away of their stipends; for Mr James Melvill, my      #
uncle, 
and Mr James Balfour, his cusing-german, bathe ministers and    #
stipendles, 
with guid, godlie, and kynd Patrick Forbes of Cors. The 
Lard of Kinnaber, and the godlie and zealus gentlemen of the    #
countrey,
partlie for thair bernes' cause, and partlie for that notable   #
instrument
in the Kirk of Scotland, Jhone Erskine of Done, Superintendent
of Merns and Angus, his residence in Logy at certean 
tymes, did oftentymes frequent our hous, and talk of sic        #
maters. 
Also, I remember weill whow we past to the head of the muir to  #
sic
the fyre of joy burning upon the stiple head of Montrose, (at   #
the 
day of the King's birthe). [\On margin of MS.\] These things    #
I mark for the grait benefit
of that place and companie, wherin the Lord wald haiff me 
treaned upe in my first and tender age. 
   Now, when my brother and I war come hame, our father         #
examined 
us,and was glad to sie that we had profited reasonablie: 
   Now, when my brother and I war come hame, our father         #
examined 
us, and was glad to sie that we had profited reasonablie: 
Nevertheless, the esteat of the countrey was sa uncertain and 
troublesome, the moyen he haid (wanting his awin stipend, and 
helping diverse that wanted of his breithring) bot mean and     #
small,
and the occasione of scholles nocht serving, we remeaned a      #
wintar 
at hame, rememberit of our buiks bot now and then, as our       #
father 
haid leaser, quhilk was bot verie seindle. Yit the Lord         #
sufferit
nocht that tyme to be fruittles nather, bot I remember therin   #
twa 
benefites; ane the reiding of the Storie of the Scripture that  #
wintar,
quhilk stak in my mynd; and of David Lindsayes book, quhilk 
my eldest sistare, Isbel, wald reid and sing, namlie,           #
concerning the 
letter judgment, the peanes of hell, and the joyes of heavin,   #
wherby 
scho wald caus me bathe greit and be glad. I lovit hir,         #
therfor, 
exceiding deirlie, and scho me by the rest. Scho schew me a     #
day,
amangs uthers, a ballet sett out in print against ministers,    #
that for 
want of stipend left thair charge, beginning -
<P 19>
Who so do put hand to the pleuche,
And therfra bakward goes;
The Scripture maks it plean aneuche,
My kingdom is nocht for those, &c.
With this scho burst furthe in teares, and sayes, "Alas! what   #
will 
com of thir at that letter day? God keip my father, and Mr      #
James 
Melvill, and Mr James Balfour, fra this!" And efter, cryes out  #
the 
verses of Davie Lindsay:-
Alas! I trimble for to tell
The terrible torments of the hell;
That peanful pit who can deplore?
Quhilk sall endure for evermore. 
With hir speitches and teares sche maid me to quak and chout 
bitterlie, quhilk left the deipest stampe of God's fear in my   #
hart of 
anie thing that ever I haid hard befor. I was giffen to a       #
bernlie 
evill and dangerus use of pyking; the quhilk sche perceaving,   #
of 
purpos gaiff me the credit of the key of hir kist, and haiffing #
sum 
small silver in a lytle schottle, I tuk sum of it, thinking     #
sche sould 
not haiff misset it. Bot be that occasion sche enterit sa upon  #
me 
with sa soar threatnings, and therwithall sa sweit and loving   #
admonition
and exhortations, that I thank thie, my God, I absteinit from 
it all my dayes therefter; and wherever I was, giff I could     #
haiff 
gotten anie thing to by, worthie of hir, I was accustomed to    #
send it 
hir, (in taken of our affectioun) [\Margin of MS.\] sa lang     # 
as sche leivit. This benefit 
I haid of God, by hir meanes, that wintar, for incress of his   #
fear 
and honestie of lyff. 
   The uther was for civill conversation and prudence. My       #
father, 
that wintar, put in our hands Palingenius, wherin he delyted    #
mikle 
him self; injoyning to us, at his rydings fra ham, to lern sa   #
manie 
verses (\par ceur\) . Therby I lernt weill, and ever keipit in  #
memorie, 
<P 20>
for daylie practise sen syne, these precepts for winning of     #
heartes, 
concielliating of affectiones, and peacable conversation,       #
quhilk he 
hes in Cancro from these verses following to the end of the     #
buik:-
[^LATIN VERSE^]
  Onlie a thing in the end, (quhilk he wald nocht haiff us to   #
lern,) for 
subtill revenge is nocht Christian, bot yit maist neidfull to   #
be market,
it is sa in use in the warld in this our age, and esteimed a    #
mean
point of prudence:
[^LATIN VERSE^]
   Machiavel him selff could nocht haiff prescryvit it sa       #
weill as I 
haiff knawin it practised in this countrey; and as yit it is    #
working
on: God mak us simple as doves, and wyse as serpents! I thank 
God fra my heart, that maid me to ken it fra my youthe to be    #
war 
of it, bot nocht to use it, as I bles my Chryst I deteast all   #
revenge 
as devillrie, and namlie serpentine. 

   About the spring tyme, my father resolved to keipe my eldar 
brother at hame withe him, to lern him housbandrie and          #
experience 
of the wardlie lyff, now almost past from the age of bernheid;  #
and
to send me to the scholl againe for a yeir or twa, that         #
therefter he 
might acquent me also with housbandrie, and prepear for me a 
roum; and that becaus he nather saw the meanes to mak us attein
to sic lerning as we might live upon, nor when we haid gottin 
it, anie sure interteinment in the countrey for it. Sa I was    #
put to 
the scholl of Montrose; finding, of God's guid providence, my 
<P 21>
auld mother, Marjorie Gray, wha parting from hir brother at     #
his 
mariage, haid taken upe hous and scholl for lasses in           #
Montrose; to 
hir I was welcome againe as her awin sone. The maister of the 
scholl, a learned, honest, kynd man, whom also for thankfulnes  #
I 
name, Mr Andro Miln; he was verie skilfull and diligent. The
first yeir he causit us go throw the Rudiments againe,          #
thairefter
enter and pas throw the first part of Grammer of Sebastian;     #
thairwith
we hard (\Phormionem Terentii\) , and war exerceisd in          #
composition;
efter that entered to the second part, and hard thairwith the 
Georgics of Virgill, and dyvers uther things. I never get a     #
strak 
of his hand, whowbeit I committed twa lurd faultes, as it war   #
with 
fyre and sword: Haifing the candle in my hand on a wintar       #
night,
befor sax hours, in the scholl, sitting in the class, bernlie   #
and negligentlie
pleying with the bent, it kendlet sa on fyre, that we haid 
all ado to put it out with our feit. The uther was being        #
molested 
by a condisciple, wha cutted the stringes of my pen and         #
ink-horn 
with his pen-knyff, I minting with my pen-knyff to his legges   #
to 
stey him; he feared, and lifting now a lag, now the uther,      #
rasht on 
his lag upon my knyff, and strak him selff a deipe wound in the 
schin of the lag, quhilk was a quarter of a yeir in curing. In  #
the 
tyme of the trying of this mater, he saw me sa humble, sa       #
feared, 
sa greived, yeild sa manie teares, and by fasting and murning   #
in the 
scholl all day, that he said he could nocht find his hart to    #
punishe 
me fordar. Bot my righteus God let me nocht slipe that fault,   #
bot 
gaiff me a warning, and rememberance what it was to be defyld   #
with 
blude, whowbeit negligentlie; for within a short space efter I  #
haid 
causit a cutlar, new com to the town, to polishe and scharpe    #
the sam 
pen-knyff, and haid bought a pennie-worthe of aples, and        #
cutting 
and eatting the sam in the Linkes, as I put the cheive, in      #
[{my{]
mouthe, I began to lope upe upon a litle sandie bray, haiffing  #
the 
pen-knyff in my right hand, I fell, and thairwithe strak my     #
selff, missing
<P 22>
my wombe, an inche deipe in the inwart syde of the left knie, 
even to the bean, wherby the aequitie of God's judgment and my
conscience strak me sa, that I was the mair war of knyffes all  #
my 
dayes. 
   In Montrose was Mr Thomas Andersone, minister, a man of mean
gifts, bot of singular guid lyff. God moved him to mark me,     #
and 
call me often to his chalmer to treat me, when he saw anie      #
guid in 
me, and to instruct and admonish me utherwayes. He desyrit me 
ever to rehearse a part of Calvin's Catechisme on the Sabothes  #
at 
efternoone, because he hard the peiple lyked weill of the       #
clearnes of 
my voice, and pronuncing with sum feiling; and thairby God      #
moved a 
godlie honest matron in the town to mak mikle of me thairfor,   #
and 
called me hir lytle sweit angle. The minister was able to       #
teatche 
na ofter but annes in the ouk; but haid a godlie man reidar,
wha read the Scripture distinctlie, and with a religius and 
devot feilling; wherby I fand my selff movit to giff guid       #
eare, and 
lern the Stories of Scripture, also to tak plesure in the       #
Psalmes, 
quhilk he haid almost all by hart, in prose. The Lard of Done, 
mentioned befor, dwelt oft in the town, and of his charitie     #
interteined
a blind man, wha haid a singular guid voice; him he causit the 
doctor of our scholl teatche the wholl Psalmes in miter, with   #
the 
tones thairof, and sing tham in the kirk; be heiring of whome   #
I was 
sa delyted, that I lernit manie of the Psalmes and toones       #
thairof in 
miter, quhilk I haiff thought ever sen syne a grait blessing    #
and comfort.
The exerceise of the ministerie was keipit ouklie then in       #
Montrose, 
and thair assemblies ordinarlie; quhilk when I saw I was movit 
to lyk fellon weill of that calling, bot thought it a thing     #
unpossible 
that ever I could haiff the abilitie to stand upe and speak     #
when all 
helde thair toung and luiked, and to continow speaking alean    #
the 
space of an houre. Ther was also ther a post, that frequented
Edinbruche, and brought ham Psalme buikes and ballates; namlie, 
of Robert Semple's making, wherin I tuik pleasour, and lernit   #
sum 
<P 23>
thing bathe of the esteat of the countrey, and of the missours  #
and 
cullors of Scottes ryme. He schew me first Wedderburn's Songs,
wharof I learned diverse (\par ceur\) , with great diversitie   #
of toones. 
He frequented our scholl, and of him also I lerned to           #
understand 
the Calender, efter the commoun use thairof. 
   And, finalie, I receavit the comunion of the bodie and blud  #
of 
the Lord Jesus Chryst first at Montrose, with  a graitter       #
reverence 
and sence, in my saull, then oft thairefter I could find, in    #
the 13 
year of my age; whar, coming from the table, a guid honest      #
man, 
ane eldar of the kirk, gaiff me an admonition concerning        # 
lightnes, 
wantonnes, and nocht takin tent to the preatching and word      #
read, 
and prayers, quhilk remeaned with me ever sen syne. Sa God 
maid everie persone, place, and action, to be my teatchers;     #
bot, 
alas! I used tham never sa fruitfullie, as the guid occasiones  #
servit, 
bot was caried away in vanitie of mynd with young and fullishe 
conceattes, quhilk is the heavie challange of my conscience.    #
The 
tyme of my being in Montrose was about twa yeirs, during the 
quhilk the comoun newes that I hard was of the grait praises of #
the 
government; and, in end, the heavie mean and pitiful regrat,    #
amangs 
men in all esteatts, for the traiterus murdour of James Earl    #
of 
Murro, called the Guid Regent, anent the quhilk, sic the 19     #
book 
of the fornamed Cornicle.

[}M.D.LXXI.}]

   The esteat of Montrose schol changit, be occasion of the     #
master's
taking of him to the ministerie, I cam hame to Baldowy about    #
the 
Lambes, (\in anno\) 1571. The fourtein yeir of my age, now      #
expyred,
whar my father setts me about the hervest-labour, wherin I haid 
litle pleasour; for whowbeit I spendit nocht the tyme sa        #
fructfullie 
as I might at scholl, yet I lyked the schollar's lyff best;     #
bot my father
held us in sic aw, that we durst nocht reasone with him, bot    #
his 
will was neidfull obedience to us. Sa to the glorie of my God,  #
I remember
<P 24>
a certean day my father send me to the smeddy for dressing
of hewkes and sum yron instruments, the way lying hard by       #
Mariekirk,
wherin my father pretched, I begoude to weirie soar of my 
lyff; and as my coustome haid bein fra my bernheid to pray in   #
my 
hart, and mein my esteat to my God, coming fornent the kirk,    #
and 
luiking to it, the Lord steirit upe an extraordinar motion in   #
my hart, 
quhilk maid me atteans, being alean, to fall on gruiff to the   #
ground, 
and pour out a schort and ernest petition to God, that it wald  #
please 
his guidnes to offer occasion to continow me at the scholles,   #
and inclyne 
my father's hart till use the saming; with promise and vow, 
that whatever missour of knawledge and letters he wold bestow   #
on 
me, I sould, by his grace, imploy the saming for his glorie in  #
the 
calling of the ministerie; and rysing from the ground with joy  #
and 
grait contentment in hart, again fell downe and worschipped,    #
and 
sa past on and did the earand, retourning and praising my God, 
singing sum Psalmes. Within a few dayes thairefter, Mr James 
Melvill, my uncle, comes to Baldowy, and brings with him a      #
godlie 
lernit man, named Mr Wilyeam Collace, wha was that sam yeir to 
tak upe the class as first regent of St Leonard's Collage,      #
within the 
Universitie of St Andros; efter conference with whome that      #
night,
God moves my father's hart to resolve to send me that sam yeir  #
to 
the Collage. Trew it was, I was bot weaklie groundit in         #
grammar, 
and young of yeirs; yit the lovingnes of the gentleman, and     #
promise 
of the benefeit of a bursare's place, and of taking peanes on   #
me, 
maid the mater to go fordwart; wherof, when I was informed be 
my said uncle, and haid sein and spoken a lytle with the man,   #
Rebecca 
was never blyther to go with the servant of Abraham, nor I 
was to go with him. And trewlie this finding of God, at a       #
neid, 
was the beginning of a ritche treassour of the pruiff of his    #
providence,
mercie, and grace, continowallie increassing sen syne, that I 
wald nocht giff for ten thowsand warlds. 
   Sa I cam to St Androis about the first of November, in the   #
forsaid
yeir 1571, and enterit in the course of Philosophie, under the 
<P 25>
regenterie of the said Mr Wilyeam, wha haid the estimation of   #
the 
maist solide and lernit in Aristotle's Philosophie. And first   #
hard 
under him Cassander his Rhetorik; but at the beginning, nather 
being weill groundet in grammer, nor com to the yeirs of        #
naturall 
judgment and understanding, I was cast in sic a greiff and      #
dispear, 
because I understood nocht the regent's langage in teatching,   #
that I
did nathing bot bursted and grat at his lessones, and was of    #
mynd
to haiff gone ham agean, war nocht the luiffing cear of that    #
man
comforted me, and tuik me in his awin chalmer, causit me ly     #
with 
him selff, and everie night teatched me in privat, till I was   #
acquented 
with the mater. [\"We hard the Oration, Pro Rege                # 
Deiotaro." Margin of MS.\] Then he gaiff us a compend of his    #
awin of  Philosophi
and the partes thairof; of Dialectik, of Definition, of         #
Division,
of Enunciation, and of a Syllogisme Enthymen, and Induction,
&c.; quhilk I thought I understuid better. About the quhilk     #
tyme 
my father coming to the town, begoude to examine me, and        #
finding 
sum beginning was exceidinglie rejoysit, and uttered sweittar   #
affection
to me then ever before. He interteined my regent verie hartlie 
in his ludging, and gaiff him grait thanks. He send me to him, 
efter he haid taken leive, with twa piece of gold in a          #
neapkine;
bot the gentleman was sa honest and loving, that he wald haiff  #
non 
of his gold, but with austere countenance send me bak with it,  #
na 
never wald receave gold nor silver all the tyme of my course.   #
We
enterit in the Organ of Aristotle's Logics that yeir, and       #
lernit till 
the Demonstrations. He haid a lytle boy that servit him in his 
chamber, called David Elistone, wha, amangs threttie-and-sax    #
schollars
in number, (sa manie war we in the class,) was the best. This 
boy he causit weat on me, and confer with me; whase ingyne and 
judgment past me als far in the wholl course of philosophie,    #
as the 
aigle the howlet. In the multiplication of Propositiones,       #
Medalles,
Conversion of Syllogismes, (\Pons Asinorum\) , etc., he was als #
read as 
I was in telling an-and-threttie. This I mark for a speciall    #
cause 
of thankfulnes following.
<P 26>
   Bot of all the benefites I haid  that yeir was the coming    #
of that 
maist notable profet and apostle of our nation, Mr Jhone Knox,  #
to 
St Androis; wha, be the faction of the Quein occupeing the      #
castell
and town of Edinbruche, was compellit to remove thairfra with 
a number of the best, and chusit to com to St Androis. I hard   #
him 
teatche ther the prophecie of Daniel that simmer, and the       #
wintar 
following. I haid my pen and my litle book, and tuk away sic
things as I could comprehend. In the opening upe of his text    #
he 
was moderat the space of an halff houre; bot when he enterit to
application, he maid me sa to grew and tremble, that I could    #
nocht
hald a pen to wryt. I hard him oftymes utter these thretenings 
in the hicht of their pryde, quhilk the eis of movie saw        #
cleirlie 
brought to pass within few yeirs upon the Captean of that       #
Castle, 
the Hamiltones, and the Quein hir selff. He ludgit down in the 
Abbay besyde our Collage; and our (Primarius, Mr James Wilkie, 
our) [\Margin of MS.\] Regents, Mr Nicol Dalgleise,             #
Mr Wilyeam Colace, and Mr
Jhone Davidsone, went in ordinarlie to his grace efter denner   #
and 
soupper. Our Regent taried all the vacans to heir him, whowbeit
he haid urgent effeares of his brother-sonnes to handle, to     #
whom he 
was tutor. Mr Knox wald sum tymes com in and repose him in our 
Collage yeard, and call us schollars unto him and bless us,     #
and exhort
us to knaw God and his wark in our contrey, and stand be the 
guid cause, to use our tyme weill, and lern the guid            #
instructiones, 
and follow the guid exemple of our maisters. Our haill          #
Collage, 
maisters and schollars, war sound and zelus for the guid        #
cause. 
The uther twa Collages nocht sa; for in the New Collage,        #
whowbeit
Mr Jhone Dowglass, then Rector, was guid aneuche; the 
thrie uther maisters and sum of the Regentes war evill myndit, 
viz. Mrs Robert, Archbald and Jhone Hamiltons, (wharof the      #
last 
twa becam efter apostates,) hated Mr Knox and the guid cause;
and the Comissar, Mr Wilyeam Skein, could nocht lyk weill of 
his doctrine. The Auld Collage was rewlit be Mr Jhon            #
Rutherfurd, 
<P 27>
then Dean of Facultie, a (man lernit in philosophie, bot)       #
[\Margin of MS.\] invyus
corrupt. This I mark for the setting furthe of the benefit I    #
receavit in the Collage and companie I was into. The public
newes I hard that yeir was of the Engliss armie that cam in     #
under 
the conduct of Mr Druri, and brunt and slew throuchout          #
Cliddisdall
and all the dominiones of the Hamiltons, for the slauchter of 
the Guid Regent. They brunt the castell, and palice, and town   #
of 
Hamiltone, and caried away grait pray; they wracked all the     #
Bordars
wast and est, and tuik the castell of Hume. Also Mathew 
Stewart, Erle of Lennox, was schosine Regent, wha that hervest 
cam to Breachine, beseigit the castell thairof, haldin be the   #
suddarts 
of the Erl of Hountlie, compellet tham to rander, and hangit 
threttie thairof, quhilk was callit "the Bourde of Breachine."
   (This yeir, in the monethe of July, Mr Jhone Davidsone, an   #
of 
our Regents, maid a play at the mariage of Mr Jhone Colvin, 
quhilk I saw playit in Mr Knox presence; wherin, according to   #
Mr 
Knox doctrin, the Castle of Edinbruche was beseiged, takin,     #
and 
the Captan, with an or twa with him, hangit in effigie.)        #
[\Supplied on margin of MS.\] 

[}M.D.LXXII.}]

   The second yeir of my course, we hard the Demonstrations,    #
the 
Topiks, and the Sophist Captiones. And the Primarius, a guid,
peacable, sweit auld man, wha luiffed me weill, teached the     #
four 
speaces of the Arithmetik, and sum thing of the Sphere; bot     #
the 
graittest benefit I had of him was his daylie doctrine at the   #
prayers
in the kirk, everie morning; for he past throw the twa buiks    #
of 
Samuel, and twa of the Kings, very pleanlie and                 #
substantiuslie, 
quhilk I rememberit the better ever since. He causit sing       #
comounlie 
the 44 and 79 Psalmes, quhilk I lernit (\par ceur\) , for that  #
was 
the yeir of the bludie massacres in France, and grait troubles  #
in 
this countrey, the warres betwix Leithe and Edinbruche being 
verie hat. The Castel of Dumbarten was notablie tean, and Jhone
Hamilton, Bischope of St. Androis, hangit. 
<P 28>
   In the monethe of August, " the Blak Parliament" of Stirling
haldin, [\"The parliament was haldin in August 1571, before I   #
cam to the Universitie." Margin of MS.\] whar the second        #
Regent was slean, in Womistones armes,
&c., (\vide\) Buchan. Chro. 

[}M.D.LXXIII.}]

   The thrid yeir of our course, we hard the fyve buikis of     #
the 
Ethiks, with the aught buikis of the Physiks, (and (\De Ortu et #
Interitu\) ). [\Margin.\]
That yeir we haid our Bachlar art, according to the solemnities 
then used of declamations, banqueting, and playes. And in 
the mean tyme thairof, my father maried my said eldest sistar 
Isbell, and second, Majorie, bathe on a day; bot efter that     #
festing,
we gat hard newes of the defeat of the Forbesses at the         #
Crabstean,
besyd Aberdein.

[}M.D.LXXIV.}]

   The fourt and last yeir of our course, quhilk was the 17     #
yeir of 
my age outpast, and 18 rinning, we learned the buikis (\de      #
Coelo\) and 
Mateors, also the Spher, more exactlie teachit be our awin      #
Regent,
and maid us for our Vicces and Blakstens, and haid at Pace our
promotion and finissing of our course. The beginning of this    #
yeir 
was also maist dulfull to me, by the departour of my deirest    #
sistar 
Isbell, wha died of hir first bern; in whom I lossit my         #
naturall 
mother the second tyme. 
   (The ordour of four kirks to a minister, then maid be the    #
Erl of 
Morton, now maid Regent; against the quhilk Mr Jhone Davidsone,
an of the Regents of our Collage, maid a buik called the 
"Conference betwix the Clark and the Courtieur;" for the        #
quhilk 
he was summoned befor the Justice-ear at Hadinton this wintar, 
the last of our course, and banisched the cowntrey.) [\This     #
paragraph is also supplied from the margin of the MS.\] )
   In the thrid and fourt yeirs of my course, at the            #
direction of my 
father, I hard the Comissar, Mr Wilyeam Skein, teatche Cicero   #
(\de 
Legibus\) , and divers partes of the (\Institutiones\) of       #
Justinian. I was 
<P 29>
burdet in the hous of a man of law, a very guid honest man,     #
Andro 
Greine be nam, wha lovit me exceiding weill; whase wyff also 
was ane of my mothers. I am sure sche haid nocht sone nor bern 
sche loved better. This lawier tuk me to the Consistorie with   #
him, 
whar the Comissar wald tak pleasour to schaw us the practise,   #
in 
judgment, of that quhilk he teatched in the scholles. He was a 
man of skill and guid conscience in his calling, lernit and     #
diligent 
in his profession, and tuk delyt in na thing mair nor to        #
repeat ower 
and ower again to anie schollar that wald ask him the thingis   #
he haid 
bein teatching. Lykwayes my ost, Andro, acquentit me with the 
formes of summonds and lybelling, of contracts, obligatiounes,  #
actes, 
&c.; but my hart was nocht sett that way.
   Mairower, in these yeirs I lerned my music, wherin I tuk     #
graitter
delyt, of an Alexander Smithe, servant to the Primarius of our 
Collage, wha haid been treaned upe amangis the mounks in the    #
Abbay.
I lerned of him the gam, plean-song, and monie of the treables
of the Psalmes, wherof sum I could weill sing in the kirk; bot  #
my 
naturalitie and easie lerning by the ear maid me the mair       #
unsolide
and unreadie to use the forme of the art. I lovit singing and   #
playing
on instruments passing weill, and wald gladlie spend tyme whar 
the exerceise thairof was within the Collage; for twa or thrie  #
of our 
condisciples played fellon weill on the virginals, and another  #
on the 
lut and githorn. Our Regent haid also the pinalds in his        #
chalmer,
and lernit some thing, and I eftir him; bot perceaving me ower 
mikle caried efter that, he dishanted and left of. It was the   #
grait 
mercie of my God that keipit me from anie grait progress in     #
singing 
and playing on instruments; for, giff  I haid atteined to anie  #
reasonable
missure thairin, I haid never don guid utherwayes, in respect 
of my amorus disposition, wherby Sathan sought even then to 
deboiche me; bot my God gaiff me a piece of his fear, and       #
grait naturall
shamfastness, quhilk by his grace war my preservatives. Als
I haid my necessars honestlie aneuche of my father, bot nocht   #
els;
for archerie and goff, I haid bow, arrose, glub and bals, but   #
nocht a 
<P 30>
purs for catchpull and tavern; sic was his fatherlie wisdom for #
my 
weill. Yit now and then I lernit and usit sa mikle bathe of     #
the hand
and racket catche as might serve for moderat and halsome        #
exerceise
of the body.
   I wald haiff gladlie bein at the Greik and Hebrew toungs,    #
because 
I red in our Byble that it was translated out of Hebrew and 
Greik; bot the langages war nocht to be gottine in the land.    #
Our
Regent begoud and teatched us the A, B, C, of the Greik, and    #
the 
simple declintiones, bot went no farder. Be that occasion he    #
tauld 
me of my uncle Mr Andro Melvill, whom he knew in the tyme of 
his course in the New Collage to use the Greik Logics of        #
Aristotle;
quhilk was a wounder to tham that he was sa fyne a schollar,    #
and 
of sic expectation. This maid me inquyre for Mr Andro, when
I cam ham, the second and thrid yeir of our course; bot my      #
father 
and Mr James schew me they fearit he was dead, because of the 
grait civill warres in France, and that they hard he was in     #
Poictears 
beseiged; that it was aught or nyne yeirs sen he past to        #
France, and 
four or fyve yeirs sen they gat anie letters or word from him.  #
This
twitched my hart wounder soar, in respect of the grait          #
comendation 
I hard of him be my Regent and diverse uthers. Bot soon efter, 
about the middes of our thrid yeir, Alexander Young cam ham     #
from 
Genev, from his uncle, and my neir kinsman, Mr Henrie           #
Scrymgour, 
of honourable memorie, with sum propynes to the King, and       #
letters
to Mr. George Bowchanan and Mr Piter Young, that an the 
King's maister, that uther his paedagog; and amangs the rest 
brought letters from the said Mr Andro to my father, and his    #
brother 
Mr James; and thairwithall word of his weilfear and singular 
estimation in Genev, whar he haid four yeirs professit. Of      #
these 
newes my hart was exceiding glade, and the said Alexander       #
being 
with all diligence to return againe to Genev, I haid a letter   #
in readines 
pennit at lainthe in Latin, the best I could, quhilk I          #
delyverit 
to my cowsing Alexander, wha within a twa monethes put it in    #
the 
hands of my said uncle Mr Andro. And he tauld me at meitting, 
<P 31>
and oft sen syne, it was a speciall motion of his ham-coming,   #
then 
the quhilk, I, nor Scotland nather, receavit never a graitter   #
benefit 
of the hands of God, as will better appeir heirefter. 
   Bot because, in all my course, the graittest benefit was     #
the sight 
and heiring of that extraordinar man of God, Mr Jhone Knox; sa 
far as I then knew and hard of him, I man heir record. In the 
tyme of his being in St Androis, ther was a General Assemblie   #
hauldin
in the scholles of St Leonards, our Collage. Thair, amangs      #
uther 
things, was motioned the making of Bischopes; to the quhilk Mr 
Knox opponit him selff directlie and zealuslie. Yit a number    #
of 
Commissionars of the Kirk, meatt at Leithe, [\"The Conference   #
at Leithe was in Januare; and the General Assemblie in Merche   #
therefter, 1571." Margin of MS.\] with the Lords that 
haid the guid caus in hand, (wherof everie ane was hounting     #
for a 
fatt kirk leiving, quhilk gart them feght the fastar,) and      #
ther aggreit 
to mak Bischopes; the warst turn that ever was done for the     #
kirk 
leiving, as experience atteanes declared, when they war named 
"Tulchains," that is, calffs' skinnes stuffed with stra, to     #
cause the 
cow giff milk; for everie lord gat a bischopric, and sought     #
and presented
to the kirk sic a man as wald be content with least, and sett 
tham maist of fewes, takes, and pensiones. Amangs the rest, the
Erle of Mortoun gat the bischoprik of St Androis, efter the     #
hanging 
of Jhone Hamiltone; and presented therunto that honorable       #
father 
of the Universitie, as Rector thairof for the present, Mr       #
Jhone 
Dowglass, a guid, upright-harted man, bot ambitius and simple, 
nocht knawing wha delt with him. I hard Mr Knox speak against 
it, bot sparinglie, because he lovit the man; and with regrat,  #
saying,
"Alas! for pitie, to lay upone an auld weak man's back that     #
quhilk 
twentie of the best gifts could nocht bear. It will wrak him    #
and 
disgrace him!" And, indeid, it cam to pass sa; for within twa   #
or 
thrie yeirs he died; during the quhilk he haid nather that      #
honour,
welthe, nor helthe, as he was wount to haiff, ever repenting    #
that he 
tuk it on. That was the first tyme I hard Mr Patrik             #
Constantine, 
wha, then new retourned out of France with young Mr James       #
Macgill,
the Clark Register eldest sone, thought, be the said Clark's 
<P 32>
court, wha was grait with the Erle of Mortoun, to haiff bein    #
preferrit
to the bischoprik, bot coming schort, becam a zealus            #
preatchour 
against Bischopes. I hard a sermont of his the ouk efter the    #
Bischope
was maid, upon ane extraordinar day, that he might haiff the 
graitter audience; wherin he maid thrie sorts of Bischoppes:    #
My 
Lord Bischop, My Lord's Bischop, and The Lord's Bischope. "My 
Lord Bischope," said he, " was in the Papistrie: My Lord's      #
Bischope 
is now, when my Lord getts the benefice, and the Bischope 
serves for na thing bot to mak his tytle sure: And The Lord's
Bischope is the trew Minister of the Gospell." Mr Patrik was 
then weill lyked, and of guid expectation with sic as knew him 
nocht intus. The yeir efter was maid Bischope, Geordie of       #
Murro, 
whom I saw a haill wintar mumling on his pretching af his       #
peapers 
everie day at our morning prayers; and haid it nocht weill      #
(\par ceur\) 
when all was done: And efter him, Bischope Patone of Dunkell. 
[\"I saw them bathe gett imposition of hands be B. Douglas and  #
Mr Jhon Woundrom, Superintendent, whom I saw inaugarat (as they #
cald it) B. Douglas." Margin of MS.\] 
This greivit the hart of the man of God to the dead; bot the    #
warres
war sa hatt, and the Lords cryed they behud to leave tham, giff
they gatt nocht the kirk leiving; and monie knew nocht yit the 
corruption and unlawfulness of that invention of men, and sa    #
the 
mater past fordwart. 
   At Mr Knox coming to St Androis, Robert Lekprivik, printar, 
transported his lettres and press from Edinbruch to St          #
Androis, 
whar first I saw that excellent art of printing; and haid then  #
in 
hand Mr Patrik Constant's Catechisme of Calvin, converted in 
Latin heroic vers, quhilk with the author was mikle estimed of. 
   About the sam tyme cam to St Androis, to visit Mr Knox, 
Jhone Durie, fellow minister of Leith with Mr David Lindsay,    #
wha 
was then for stoutness and zeall in the guid cause mikle        #
renouned
and talked of. For the gown was na sooner af, and the Byble     #
out 
of hand (fra the kirk) [\Taken from the margin of MS.\] )       #
when on ged the corslet, and fangit was 
the hagbot, and to the fields! Him I saw first at St Androis    #
with 
Mr Knox.
<P 33>
   The town of Edinbruche recovered againe, and the guid and 
honest men therof retourned to thair housses. Mr Knox with his 
familie past hame to Edinbruche. Being in St Androis he was     #
verie 
weak. I saw him everie day of his doctrine go hulie and fear,   #
with 
a furring of martriks about his neck, a staff in the an hand,   #
and  guid 
godlie Richart Ballanden, his servand, halding upe the uther    #
oxtar, 
from the Abbay to the paroche kirk; and be the said Richart     #
and 
another servant, lifted upe to the pulpit, whar he behovit to   #
lean 
at his first entrie; bot or he haid done with his sermont, he   #
was sa 
active and vigorus that he was lyk to ding that pulpit in       #
blads, and 
fly out of it! Sa, soone efter his coming to Edinbruche, he     #
becam 
unable to preatche; and sa instituting in his roum, be the      #
ordinar 
calling of the kirk and congregation, Mr James Lawsone, (a man  #
of 
singular learning, zeal, and eloquence, whom I never hard       #
preatche 
bot he meltit my hart with teares,) [\This has been afterwards  #
added by the Author on the margin of the MS.\] he tuk him to    #
his chamber, and 
most happelie and comfortablie departed this lyff. (\Vide\)     #
concerning 
his lyff and dathe, Mr Thomas Smeton's buik against Hamiltone 
the Apostat. 
   Ther was twa in St Androis wha war his aydant heirars, and   #
wrot
his sermonts; an, my condisciple, Mr Andro Yowng, now minister 
of Dumblean, wha transleated sum of tham in Latin, and read     #
tham 
in the hall of the Collage in stead of his orations: that       #
uther was 
servant to Mr Robert Hamilton, minister of the town, whom Mr 
Robert causit to wrait, for what end God knawes. The            #
threatnings 
of his sermonts war verie soar; and sa particular, that sic as  #
lyket 
nocht the cause, tuk occasion to reprotche him as a rashe       #
raler, 
without warrand. And Mr Robert Hamilton himselff being          #
offendit,
conferrit with Mr Knox, asking his warrand of that particular 
thretning against the Castel of Edinbruche, that it sould rin   #
lyk a 
sand-glass; it sould spew out the Captan with scham; he sould 
nocht com out at the yet, bot down ower the walles; and sic     #
lyk.
Mr Knox answerit, " God is my warrant, and yie sall sie it."    #
Whill 
as the uther was skarslie satisfeit, and tuk hardlie with it,   #
the nixt
<P 34>
sermont from pulpit, he repeates the thretnings, and addes      #
therto, 
"Thow, that will nocht beleive my warrand, sall sie it with     #
thy eis 
that day; and sall say, What haif I to do heir?" This sermont   #
the 
said Mr Robert's servand wrot; and, being with his maister in   #
Edinbruche
a twa yeir thairefter, at the taking of the Castell, they ged
upe to the Castell-hill, saw the forwark of the Castell all     #
demolished,
and rinning lyk a sandie bray; they saw the men of wear all 
sett in ordour; the Captan, with a lytle cut of a staff in his  #
hand, 
takin doun ower the wall upon the leathers; and Mr Robert,
troublet with the thrang of the peiple, sayes to his man, "Go,  #
what 
haif I ado heir?" And, in going away, the servant remembers     #
his 
maister of that sermont, and the words; wha was compellit to 
glorifie God, and say, he was a trew prophet. 
   Ane uther strange particular was recompted to me be Mr       #
David 
Lindsay, minister of Leithe: That efter Mr Knox haid taken      #
bed, he 
cam in to visit him, as he was accustomed, and asked him whow   #
he 
did? He answerit, " Weill, brother, I thank God. I haiff        #
desyrd 
all this day to haif yow, that I may send yow yit to yon man    #
in 
the Castell, whom yie ken I haif loved sa deirlie: Go, I pray,  #
and 
tell him that I haif send yow to him, yit annes, to warn and    #
bid
him, in the nam of God, leave that evill cause, and giff ower   #
that 
Castle; giff nocht, he salbe brought down ower the wals of it   #
with 
shame, and hing against the sune: Sa God has assurit me." Mr 
David, whowbeit he thought the message hard, and the thretning 
ower particular, yit obeyit, and past to the Castell; and       #
meiting 
with Sir Robert Melvill walkin on the wall, tauld him; wha      #
was, as 
he thought, mikle movit with the mater. Therefter communed 
with the Captan, whom he thought also sumwhat moved; but he 
past from him to the Secretar Lithintone, with whom, when he 
haid conferrit a whyll, he cam out to Mr David again, and said  #
to 
him, "Go, tell Mr Knox he is bot a drytting prophet!" Mr David 
returning, tauld Mr Knox he haid dischargit the commission      #
fathfullie;
but that it was nocht weill accepted of, efter the Captan 
haid conferrit with the Secretar. "Weill," (sayes Mr Knox,) "I 
<P 35>
haif bein ernest with my God anent tha twa men; for the an I    #
am 
sorie that sa sould befall him, yit God assures me ther is      #
mercie for 
his saul; for that uther I haif na warrand that ever he salbe   #
weill."
Mr David sayes, he thought it hard, yit keipit it in mynd till  #
Mr 
Knox was at rest with God. 
   The Engliss armie cam in, with munition meit for the seage   #
of 
the Castell; and within few dayes the Captean is sean to        #
rander,
and com down the leathers ower the wall. He is committed to a 
ludging in the town with a custodie of souldarts. Mr David,     #
because 
of grait acquentance, comes to visit him, whom he employes to 
go to the Erle of Morton, and offer him his haill heritage,     #
the band of 
manrent of all his frinds, and to pass af the countrie in       #
exyll, during 
his will. Mr David goes that night and speakes the Erle, then 
being Regent, proponing to him the offers. The Regent goes      #
asyde, 
and consultes with the Abbot of Dumfermling and Clark Register;
thairefter Mr David comes, craving his answer. It was giffen,   #
It 
could nocht be: The peiple could nocht be satisfeit, nor ther   #
cause 
clerit and crowned, with [{out{] exemplar punishment of that    #
man and 
his counsellour, the Secretar. Mr. David the morn, be nyne      #
hours,
comes agean to the Captean, the Lard of Grange, and taking him 
to ane fore stare of the ludgin apart, resolves him it behoved  #
him 
to suffer. "O then, Mr David," sayes he, "for our auld          #
frindschipe,
and for Chryst's seak, leave me nocht!" So he remeanes 
with him, wha paecing up and down a whyll, cam to a schot, and 
seeing the day fear, the sune cleir, and a scaffald preparing   #
at the 
Corss in the Hie-geatt, he falles in a grait studie, and        #
alteris countenance
and cullour; quhilk, when Mr David perceaved, he cam to 
him, and asked him what he was doing? "Fathe, Mr David."
sayes [{he,{] "I perceave weill now that Mr Knox was the trew   #
servant 
of God, and his thretning is to be accomplissed;" and desyred 
to heir the treuthe of that againe. The quhilk Mr David         #
rehersed;
and added thairunto, that the sam Mr Knox, at his retourning,   #
haid
tauld him that he was ernest with God for him; was sorie, for   #
the 
<P 36>
love he buir him, that that sould com on his bodie, bot was     #
assurit 
ther was mercie for his saull. The quhilk he wald haiff         #
repeated 
ower againe to him; and thairupon was graitlie comforted, and   #
becam
to be of guid and cheirfull cowrage. Sa that he dyned           #
moderatlie;
and thairefter tuk Mr David apart, for his streinthning to 
suffer that dethe; and in end beseikes him nocht to leave him,  #
bot 
convoy him to the place of execution: "And tak heid," sayes he,
"I hope in God, efter I salbe thought past, to giff yow a taken #
of 
the assurance of that mercie to my saull, according to the      #
speakine 
of that man of God!" Sa, about thrie houres efter none, he was 
brought out, and Mr David with him; and about foure, the sune 
being wast about af the north-west nuk of the steiple, he was   #
put 
af the leddar, and his face first fell to the est; bot within   #
a bonie 
whyll turned about to the west, and ther remeaned against the 
sune: At quhilk tyme, Mr David, ever present, sayes, he marked 
him, when all thought he was away, to lift upe his hands that   #
war 
bund befor him, and ley tham doun again softlie; quhilk moved 
him, with exclamation, to glorifie God befor all the peiple.    #
This last 
part of his execution I hard also of Jhone Durie, wha was       #
present
with him on the scaffald. 
   Sa, in lyk maner, whatever he spak concerning the            #
Hamiltones 
and the Quein, whowbeit in appeirance, in the mean tyme, bot    #
contrar,
and monie guid folks thought hard and strange, yit cam to 
pass, and was marked in particular to the grait glorie of God,  #
terrour
of the enemies, and joy of the godlie.
 
   Thus, ending my course of Philosophie in St Androis, whar    #
upon 
the part of God I haid offerit to me all guid occasion of       #
godlines, 
lerning, and wesdome, sa mikle as was in the countrey for the   #
tyme, 
(and might fall in my age;) [\Added on margin of the MS.\]      # 
bot on my part, wha throw wantones 
and vanitie neglected and mispent the occasiones, haid gottin   #
na thing
bot a nam and opinion of lerning, a babling of words without    #
wit,
at least wesdome: For my light young nature was giffen mair to 
<P 37>
be superficiall nor solid, circumferentiall nor centrik,        #
desyring to 
heir and haiff the names of manie things, bot never weill       #
degesting 
nor ryping out the nature of anie, bot fleiting and flowing,    #
soon 
lyking and soon lothing everie thing. Onlie now and then I      #
fand 
sum sweit and constant motiones of the feir and love of God     #
within 
me. 
   I cam to Dondie, whar my uncle Roger, a man godlie, kynd,    #
and 
wyse, enterit with me to understand to what calling my hart     #
inclyned;
and gaiff out that my father's intention was to haiff me a 
lawer. I said nocht mikle against it, bot wissed at God I       #
might 
haiff the gifts and grace to be a minister. Coming ham, my      #
father 
tented me in the sam maner, bot nocht sa familiarlie; nather    #
durst
I utter anie thing against his opinion and judgment, bot said   #
I was 
readie to obey his will and direction in all things. He         #
commandit 
me then to occupie my tyme weill amangs his books till the      #
vacans, 
at what tyme he wald haiff occasion to meit with sum guid man   #
of 
law in Edinbruche, to whom he wald put me in service. Giff sa   #
he 
meinde, indeid, because he saw na provision for the ministerie, #
or to 
essay my resolution, I can nocht tell. Going a day to Bonitone, #
I 
past by the Kirk of Maritone and place wher I haid prayed, and 
vowed to God: the sam cam in my memorie, with a grait motion 
of mynd and determination to pay my vow, giff God wald giff     #
the 
grace and moyen. Sa, praying and worshiping befor God, it cam 
in my mynd to pen a sermont upon a part of Scripture, and       #
leave 
it in a buik of my father, whar he might find it; and sa I tuk  #
the 
beginning of the nynt of Jhone's Evangell, of the blind man,    #
and 
studeing his comentares thairon, Musculus and Marlorot, wrot    #
it and 
left it in Musculus' Comentars; quhilk, when he fand it, lyked  #
him 
weill; yit spak na thing, bot left me in suspence till it       #
pleasit God
to giff me full resolution. For, a lytle befor Lambes, word cam
that Mr Andro was com to Edinbruche, and within twentie dayes 
efter he cam to Baldowy; with whom when my father had conferit,
and knawin what opinion he haid of me, he delyverit me ower     #
unto
<P 38>
him, thinking he was disburdenit of me; and sa indeid he was,   #
as 
the continuation of this narrative will declar. This was in     #
the yeir 
of God 1574.

<S SAMPLE 2>
<P 323>
[}M.D.XCV.}]
   [In the monethe of Merche, 27, (1595,) being Furisday, about
alleavin houres of the night, in place of a sarie las that      #
never
leuche, God gave me of my wyff, dearlie beloved, a pleasand     # 
boy,
wha, during his infancie, being of a fyne sanguine              #
complexioun, was 
a pastyme and pleasour, nocht onlie to my haill familie, bot    #
almost 
throw all the town whar ever he was caried. Sa it is a guid     #
thing 
to tak in patience whatever God sends. His guid-shyr, Jhone 
Durie, being with me at that tyme, gave him the bage of         #
baptisme,
and called him Jhone, in remembrance of the inspeakable grace   #
of 
God bestowit on him and his successioun. The grace of God mak 
as mikle to kythe in him, coming to age, if sa be His           #
pleasure, as 
appeires in the youthe inwartlie and outward!] [^EDITOR'S       #
BRACKETS^]
   The yeir following, (1595,) Mr David Blak's ministerie in    #
St Androis,
quhilk haid wrought notable guid effects, bathe in the town
for the weill of all the peiple's saulles, and ther republict,  #
and guid 
ordour of provisioun for the pure, as also to landwart for      #
purpose 
of biging of kirks, and in the Presbyterie moving               #
non-residents to 
tak tham to thair kirks and charges, began now, be the devill   #
invying
it, to be branglit. The instruments war the Manse-moungar, 
(sa Mr David named him,) Wilyeam Balfour, and his favourars, 
wha, fearing Mr David's prevaling against him, and evicting of  #
his 
hous in the Abbay to be a manse to the Minister, causit, be     #
divers 
courtiours and uthers, the King's cares to be filled with       #
calumnious
informationes of the said Mr David his doctrine and ministerie:
As lykwayes be his occasioun of Mr Andro, my uncle, Rector of 
the Universitie, being the principall mean of the said Mr       #
David's 
bringing and placing thair, and meantiner and assistar of him   #
in his 
ministerie. 
   Sa, in the monethe of August 1595, the said Mr David and my 
uncle ar chargit to compeir befor the King and Counsall at      #
Falkland,
to answer for certean speitches uttered be tham in thair        #
doctrin
<P 324>
against his Majestie's progenitours; of the quhilk I knew na 
thing bot be advertisment fra my uncle from St Androis to       #
keipe 
the dyet. Coming to Falkland, the King inquyres of me, What I 
thought of Mr David Blak? I answerit, "I thought him a guid 
and godlie man, and a mightie preatchour, and a man whase       #
ministerie
haid bein verie forcible and fruitfull in St Androis." - "O,"
sayes the King,"yie ar the first man, and onlie, that ever I    #
hard 
speak guid of him amangs ministerie, gentilmen, or burgesses!"-
"Surlie, then, (says I,) I am verie sorie, Sir, that your       #
Majestie 
hes nocht spoken with the best sort of them all."-"I ken,"      #
sayes 
the King in coler, "the best, and hes spoken with tham; bot     #
all 
your seditius deallings ar cloked, and hes bein with that name  #
of 
the best men."-"Then, surlie, (says I,) Sir, your Majestie      #
sall 
do weill to giff Mr David a syse of anie in all tha thrie       #
ranks, excepting
nan bot sic as hes knawin particulars; and giff they fyle 
him, I sall speak na mair in this maner to your Majestie, till  #
your 
Majestie find what he is in effect." The King slipping away     #
fra 
me, goes to a speciall courtier, and sayes to him, "Fathe, Mr
James Melvill and I ar at our graittest, for I perceave he is   #
all for 
Mr David Blak, and that sort!" The King, lest he sould irritat 
the Kirk be calling befor his Counsall anie Minister for thair  #
doctrine,
quhilk haid nocht succeidit weill of befor, called onlie a      #
nomber 
of the Breithring of the ministerie, (namlie, sic whilk war     #
offendit
with Mr David's scharpe and plean forme of doctrine, sparing 
nather King nor Minister,) to try the mater, and judge          #
thairupon. 
   Mr David compeiring, declynit the King's judicator, in       #
doctrine;
and as for the Breithring, he refusit tham nocht, being anie    #
sort of 
Assemblie of the Kirk, rightlie callit for that effect, or      #
utherwayes
in privat to confer with thame, and satisfie tham in anie dout  #
conceavit
of his doctrine. The King summarlie and  confusedlie passit 
ower all, and put nan of these things to interloquutor, bot     #
called for 
the witneses. And Mr David, called to sie what he haid to say
against tham, answerit, Gif that was a judicator, he sould      #
haiff an 
<P 325>
answer concerning the unlawfulnes and incompetencie alleagit;
as lykwayes, put ceas it war, as it is nocht, he sould haiff    #
an accusar
fortifeit with twa witneses, according to the rewll of the      #
Apostle,
&c. That in lyk maner is past, and a nomber of witneses is      #
examined,
Burley, the delatter and accusar,  being alwayes present:       #
Whilk,
when my uncle, Mr Andro Melvill, perceaving, chapping at the 
chalmer dure, whar we war, comes in, and efter humble reverence
done to the King, he braks out with grait libertie of           #
speitche, letting
the King planlie to knaw, that quhilk dyvers tymes befor with 
small lyking, he haid tooned in his car, "That thair was twa 
Kings in Scotland, twa Kingdomes, and twa Jurisdictiones: Thir
was Chryst Jesus, &c.: And gif the King of Scotland, civill     #
King 
James the Saxt, haid anie judicator or cause thair,             #
presentlie, it 
sould nocht be to judge the fathfull messanger of Jesus         #
Chryst, the 
King, &., bot (turning him to the Lard of Burley, standing      #
there)
this trator, wha hes committed divers poincts of hie treasone
against his Majestie's civill lawes, to his grait dishonour     #
and offence
of his guid subjects, namlie, taking of his peacable subjects 
on the night out of thair housses, ravishing of weimen, and     #
receatting
within his hous of the King's rebels and forfault enemies!" &c.
   With this, Burley falles down on his knies to the King, and 
craves justice. "Justice!" sayes Mr Andro, "wald to God yow 
haid it! Yow wald nocht be heir to bring a judgment from Chryst
upon the King, and thus falslie and unjustlie to vex and        #
accuse the 
fathfull servants of God!" The King began, with sum             #
countenances
and speitches, to command silence and dashe him; bot he,        #
insurging 
with graitter bauldnes and force of langage, buir out the
mater sa, that the King was fean to tak it upe betwix tham with
gentill termes and mirrie talk; saying, "They war bathe litle   #
men, 
and thair hart was at thair mouthe!" Sa that meitting was       #
demissit
the forenoone. Nather war we assemblit again in anie forme of 
judicator; bot, when I perceavit the King to be incensed, and 
<P 326>
verie evill-myndit bathe against Mr Andro and Mr David, I spak 
the Erle of Mar, being at Court, informing him of the treuthe   #
of 
maters, and whow dangerus a thing it was to his Majestie, at    #
sic a 
tyme, to brak out with the Kirk, whill as Boduell haid          #
confederit 
with the Papist Lords, and as he knew ther war presentlie a     #
grait 
commotioun in all the Bordars, besought him thairfor to         #
counsall 
his Majestie aright, and mitigat these maters. The quhilk he    #
did 
fathfullie. And sa, the King callit Mr David to him selff, in   #
privat 
and hamlie maner, desyring to understand the treuthe be way of 
conference; the quhilk Mr David schew him to his satisfactioun.
In lyk maner, Mr Andro, wha, efter his fasone, maist frilie     #
reasonit 
with the King, and tauld him his mynd betwix tham to the King's
contentation; and sa, in end, his Majestie directed me, efter   #
lang 
conference on thir maters, to go to St Androis and teatche,     #
and 
declar the mater, sa as the peiple might be put out of evill    #
opinion,
baithe of his Majestie and thair Minister, and whow that all    #
was 
weill aggreit. Whilk I did upon the morn, in St Androis,        #
teatching
the 127 Psalme; and because I knew it wald be marked, I sett 
down the haill poincts I was to speak, in wrait, upon that      #
mater, 
as followes:
   "Now, I am sure, guid Christianes and breithring, yie wald 
fean haiff newes from this last dyet whilk we have keipit with  #
his 
Majestie at Falkland! And, indeid, the King's Majestie and      #
breithring
of the Ministerie ther convenit, fearing that quhilk in effect  #
is 
fallen out, viz., the fasones of evill fame, quhilk ever        #
reports of all 
things to the warst, and oftentymes sawes abrod lies for        #
veritie, 
and evill newes for guid, as we heir it hes been reported       #
amangs 
yow, that the King haid begoun to put at the Kirk, and to       #
plunge 
in maters with the Ministerie, namlie, haid melde with your     #
Pastor,   
and ather put him in exyll, warde, or sylence, whilas, indeid,
ther is na thing les; therfor hes his Majestie and the said     #
breithring
directed me to this place to testifie and declar the treuthe. 
<P 327>
First, then, it is of veritie, that a grait number of evill     #
reports hes 
bein caried from this place to the King, sa bissie hes men      #
bein, 
specialie sic as war twitched in thair particulars, quhilk      #
might
have easelie moved and crabet the King; bot he suspendit his 
opinion, and reservit all to a just tryell, as occasion might   # 
best 
serve for the saming. 
   "Amangs the rest, a delatioun of leat was maid, maist        #
offensive 
and odious, That Mr David, your Pastor, by name, sould have 
publictlie from pulpit traducit the King's mother maist         #
vyllie, to 
mak his Majestie contemptible in the eis of his peiple, and to  #
steir 
upe the seditius to treasonable and dangerus attempts against   #
his 
Majestie's esteat and persone; the quhilk could nocht be        #
sufferit 
unput to tryell. Compeiring then befor his Majestie, and a      #
guid 
number of the breithring of the Ministerie, bathe the accusar   #
and 
accusit, the accusar affirmed that your Pastor haid spokin      #
never a 
guid word of the King's mother, but mikle evill; the quhilk,    #
gif he 
sould nocht prove be sufficient witneses ther present, he       #
sould be 
content to tyne his land, his lyff and all.
   "Your Pastor answered, he haid comendit his Majestie's       #
mother 
for manie grait and rare gifts, and excellent verteus; and      #
onlie 
verie sparinglie and soberlie haid twitched the treuthe of the  #
judgments 
of God, quhilk haid com on hir for refuising the wholsome 
admonitioun of the Word of God. Sa the witneses war producit 
and examined. It was fund cleir, in end, that your Pastor,      #
contrar 
to the accusation, haid spokin mikle guid of the King's         #
mother, as 
also haid spokin concerning the judgments of God upon hir, in   #
hir 
fall. 
   "The King could nocht think it altogidder unlawfull to use   #
his 
mother for example; bot thought it na wayes expedient in his 
tyme, because of the peiple, that is ever readie to draw that   #
to the 
contempt of his Hienes' persone, and of the seditius and        #
treasonable,
wharof ther is manie in the land, wha ar ever readie to grip
thairat; as thought the forme of men's dealing against hir,     #
quhilk 
<P 328>
was extraordinar, might be drawin in exemple, and usit be tham:
Therfor, it was thought expedient be the haill breithring       #
ther, that 
nather Mr David nor na Minister sould speak a word of his       #
Majestie's 
mother, till that a certean Act of the Generall Assemblie,
maid thairanent at Dondie, war sein and considderit, and in     #
all 
tymes coming the tennour thairof to be keipit preceislie.
   "And for satisfaction of his Majestie, the said Mr David     #
cam 
maist humblie in his Majestie's presence, and acknawlagit       #
ther, 
that, as he sould mak answer to God, upon the usage of his      #
ministerie, 
he thought nocht that his speitches could be offensive to his 
Majestie, nor anie wayes meinit to haiff offendit his Hienes,   #
bot 
onlie usit that exemple to bear down sinne in the persone       #
quhilk
he was rebuking; nather yit wald he heirefter use that          #
speitche,
nor anie uther wilfullie or undewtifullie, to his Majestie's    #
offence or 
displeasour; bot as his hart wes afauld, upright and maist      #
affectioned
to his Majestie, as anie subjects or Ministers in this realme, 
sa wald he mak it knawin in experience, and all dewtie to his 
Hienes heirefter. Wharwith his Majestie was weill pleasit, and  #
in 
guid favour dimissed the said Mr David. Conceave thairfor       #
rightlie 
and reverentlie, and stand in guid opinion bathe of your Prince
and Pastor, for the discharge of all dewties addettit to tham,  #
and 
pray God to keipe his Majestie in guid concord and aggriment 
with his fathfull and trew servands, deteasting from your       #
harts the 
evill disposition of sic persones, that, for thair particular,  #
is sett to 
the contrar."

   This piece of service was weill aneuche lyked and accepted   #
on 
bathe the partes; bot my court grew les thairefter, and, as we  #
will 
heir, at the ham-coming of the Papists Lords, clean deceyit.    #
And 
to leave the treuthe of my courting testified befor God, befor  #
whom 
I walked, I sought it nocht, but it fell on me be the occasion  #
rehersed.
When it cam on, I interteined it as I could in conscience, 
(quhilk, indeid, was hard to do, and cost me manie soar prik
<P 329>
in hart,) chieflie and first, to mak the King to ken that we    #
loved 
him deirlie, and wald do anie thing that ley in us for his      #
pleasuring 
with the warrand of God and a guid conscience, that, by his 
throuche lyking and conjunction with the Kirk maters, bathe in 
Kirk and polecie, might go right and weill forwart. And         #
trewlie, 
I thank God, during my twa yeirs court, it was sa. Bot as I     #
was 
thus about to win the King, as in me lay, to the Kirk, sa was   #
he 
in winning of me to the Court; and when on ather syde all       #
meanes 
was usit, and bathe keipit our groundes, without grait vantage  #
an 
of another, we relented and fearlie reteired, as the            #
continowing of 
this storie will in the awin place declar. The onlie particular
quhilk I haid, was the pitifull esteat of the guid honest men   #
of St
Androis, whase cause and condition was joyned sa with the       #
esteat 
of the Kirk and guid breithring, that thairwith it stud and     #
fell.
Bot for my selff, as God knawes, I haid never a croun be my     #
courtein,
bot spendit everie yeir the halff of my stipend thairon; and 
the treuthe was, I never sought nane, and I gat nan unsought.
   In the monethe of September following, the Erle of Orkney,   #
be 
the Lard of Burleyes moyen, cam to St Androis, as direct from 
the King, and reconcyled the said Lard with Mr Andro Melvill, 
Rector, and Mr David Blak, and Mr Robert Wallace, Ministers of 
St Androis, and that verie craftelie, under pretext thairof to  #
draw 
again the peiple to the hous of Darsy, and cause tham change    #
thair 
Provest again, as they did: For Captean Murray, perceaving the 
changeablenes of the peiple, and the weght of the office,       #
demitted 
the sam willinglie; and sa be the uther faction of the peiple,  #
favored
be Court, the Lard of Darsy wes receavit again. That cost us 
a faschius jorney to St Jhonstoun. Returning fra the quhilk,
certean newes cam of the Chancellar, Mr Jhone Metellan's        #
departour,
whom Mr Andro, Mr Robert Bruce, and I, haid  visited nocht
lang befor, and left at a verie guid esteat for the lyff to     #
come. He 
was a man of grait lerning, wisdome, and stoutnes, and kythe    #
in 
end to have the feir of God, deing a guid Christian, and lovar  #
of 
<P 330>
Chryst's servants. And, indeid, he was a grait instrument in    #
keiping
the King af the Kirk, and fra favoring of Papists, as the yeir 
efter it kythed cleirlie.

<S SAMPLE 3>
<P 414>
   Sic an Assemblie then as this first cam in, and was haldin   #
at 
Dondie the ...... day of May, 1597. In the quhilk the twa cheiff 
purposes was, ane to relax from excomminicatioun the Papist
Earls, ane uther to gett the Articles, alleagit concludit in    #
ane Generall
Assemblie at Perth, declarit and ratified at the present        #
Assemblie,
and as far furthe further as might be atteined unto. For 
preparatioun to the quhilk, the King, perceaving the estats of  #
the 
Ministers of Edinbruche and of Mr David Blak to be mikle        #
meined,
for purchassing ther favour and forderance to his purposses, he 
<P 415>
heires sic as travelit in thair cause, and makes his awin men   #
of the 
Ministerie till obtein sa mikle at his hand as to bring the     #
Ministers 
of Edinbruche to his conference; efter the quhilk, he grantes 
tham to be relaxit from the horn, and libertie to do thair      #
effeares 
abrod as frie subjects, yea, to come to Dondie to the           #
Assemblie to 
knaw farder of his mynd. In lyk maner, to Mr David Blak licence
from his warde to com to Dondie. 
   Also ther was a grait plat leyed, and mikle ado usit,        #
(plewing 
alwayes with our hiffers!) whow to gett a Moderator meit for    #
the 
purpose. For this effect, Mr Thomas Buchannan was woun be the 
grant of verie weill lyked sutt for the guid Lord Lindsaye's    #
relaxing
and restitutioun, wha haid at tutorie, in a maner, Mr Robert 
Rolloc, Principall of the Collage of Edinbruche, a guid,        #
godlie,
lernit man, bot fellon simple and pusillanimie, and sa as he    #
was 
easilie caried with counsall; sa, efter the Assemblie was       #
lawfullie 
fenced be the doctrine of the last Moderatour lawfull, viz., Mr
Robert Pont, and a Clark chosine, viz., Mr Thomas Nicolsone,    #
it 
was drifted and weiried be the King's command till the coming   #
of 
the said Mr Robert Rolloc, nocht being present at the first;    #
and 
then be the fore-provydit sure course of maniest vottes         #
moyennit 
be manie and grait persuasiones and motives usit with the       #
breithring,
bathe in publict and privat, the said Mr Robert was declarit
Moderator; whom, when the King and his men haid dressit for 
thair purposses, the Assemblie is keipit frequentlie,           #
(\Imperatore presidente\) ,
with grait congratulatioun.
   With this all men of anie mark or valour was practised be    #
Sir
Patrik; and sic as war alreadie woun, and brought to be         #
acquented,
and to confer with his Majestie. This was the  exerceise,       #
morning
and evening, diverse dayes. On a night at evin, I, sitting at 
my supper, Sir Patrik sends for me to confer with him in the    #
kirkyeard.
I, raising from supper, cam to him. The matter was 
anent my uncle, Mr Andro, whom the King could nocht abyde. 
I wald do weill to counsall him to return ham, or the King      #
wald 
<P 416>
discharge him. I answerit, It wald be bot in vean to me sa to   #
do,
for he wald nocht tak that counsall; and gif the King wald use 
his authoritie, he wald suffer patientlie; bot I was certean    #
that 
deathe wald nocht cause him do against his conscience!          #
"Surlie,"
sayes he, "I fear he suffer the dint of the King's wrathe!"     #
"And 
trewlie," said I, "I am nocht fearit bot he will byd all!"      #
Returning
to my uncle, whar I left him at supper, I tauld him; whase 
answer I neid nocht to wrait.
   Upon the morn, befor Assemblie tyme, I was commandit to com 
to the King, and Mr Andro withe me; wha, entering in his        #
Cabbinet,
began to dell verie fearlie with my uncle; bot thairefter       #
entering 
to twitche maters, Mr Andro brak out with his wounted humor
of fredome and zeall, and ther they heeled on till all the      #
hous,
and clos, bathe hard, mikle of a large houre. In end, the King 
takes upe and dismisses him favourablie.
   The things that war done at that Assemblie I can nocht       #
exactlie 
recount. Ther was, at the chosing of the Clark, an ordonnance, 
that at the penning of everie act ther sould be certean         #
Brether with 
the Clark, wharof I was an, and Mr James Nicolsone an uther;
but whill as I cam till attend, they war commandit to com to    #
the 
King with the Minutes, and sa I gat nocht acces againe. Also,   #
it 
was ordenit that all sould be read in publict befor the         #
dissolving of 
the Assemblie, bot [{that was{] nocht keipit.
   The Articles proponit at St Jhonstoun, and answerit, war     #
hard 
again at this Assemblie. It was schawin and verifiet to the     #
Assemblie
whow they haid past, bot litle mendit ther; whowbeit a 
guid number of guid honest Breithring did honestlie ther part,  #
as 
they might.
   The Lords excommunicat war be a worschipfull Commissioun     #
ordeanit
to be relaxit, and that be a few vottes ma, efter sic           #
reasoning,
as when a speciall frind asked me, coming out of the Assemblie 
the Sessioun befor, to schaw him my judgment in effect,         #
because it 
dependit on his credit, wither I thought they wald be ordeanit  #
to 
<P 417>
be absolvit at that tyme? I tauld him, as I thought, that, in   #
my 
judgment, they wald gett na absolutioun at that Assemblie nor   #
the 
nixt, till they kythed better fruicts of repentance. Bot by     #
votting
and dealling the King's will was wrought.
   The Ministers of Edinbruche's mater and Mr Blak I refer to 
tham selff. 
   Mr Jhone Lindsay, Secretar, intendit an accusatioun against  #
Mr 
Robert Walace, Minister of St Androis, befor his Presbyterie,   #
wha 
was ther challengit also, bot all these are leiving, and can    #
declar 
thair awin causses better nor I. 
   In end was devysit a certean Commissionars, to have powar    #
from 
the Assemblie to convein with the King at what tyme and place 
his Majestie sould requyre, to keipe concord betwix the Kirk    #
and 
King, and to intreat of all maters that might serve or          #
apertein to 
that effect. The quhilk, as experience hes provin sen syne,     #
hes devolvit 
and transferit the haill powar of the Generall Assemblie in 
the hands of the King and his Ecclesiastic Counsall, these      #
Commissionars;
for, bathe in Generall Assemblies, and without, they 
rewill all.

   In the monethe of Junie, immediatlie efter his retourn from  #
the 
Assemblie, the King enters in practise with his Commissionars   #
conveinit 
at Falkland; and, calling the Presbyterie of St Androis,        #
reducit
a sentence of depositioun pronuncit against Mr Jhone            #
Rutherfurd 
from his ministerie of Kinnouchar be the said Presbyterie, and 
approvin be the Synod of Fyffe. The quhilk, nochtwithstanding,  #
I 
am certean was ratefied in the heavines, for he never did guid  #
in 
the ministerie sen syne! (And, now, hes renunced the            #
ministerie, and 
takin him to be a mediciner.) [\This is added, at a             #
subsequent period, by the Author on the margin of the MS.\] The #
said Mr Jhone purchassit his 
court be calumnies and dilationnes of Mr David Blak and his     #
ministerie.
   And within a fourtein dayes thairefter, the King commandit   #
Mr 
Jhone Lindsay to com to St Androis, (as the said Mr Jhone       #
allegit,)
<P 418>
and intend the prosecutioun of his actioun against Mr Robert 
Wallace befor him and his Commissionars, takand it out of the 
hands of the Presbyterie.
   Mr Robert was to teatche upon the morn efter the King's      #
coming, 
according to the cours of his office in the ministerie of St    #
Androis. 
The King coming to his doctrin, heires him till he cam to       #
applicatioun,
at the quhilk he interrupted him, and spak against him          #
publictlie.
For the quhilk, all uthers being sylent, Mr Andro Melvill 
rebukit the King maist scharplie, thretning him with feirfull   #
judgments, 
gif he repented nocht; and those Commissioners of the Kirk, 
and his particular Ministers also, for nocht discharging a      #
fathfull 
and maist necessar dewtie to him in that respect. Thus, God     #
assisted 
his servant wounderfullie, nochtwithstanding he knew that 
the cheiff purpose of thair coming was against him. For his     #
cause 
they intendit a visitatioun and reformatioun of the             #
Universitie;
they sought out all they could gett or find against him. (Ther  #
was 
a number of strangers, Polonians, Dences, Belgians, and         #
Frenchmen,
schollars, wha, at the fame of Mr Androe's lerning, cam to the 
Universitie of St Androis that yeir, and war resident within    #
the 
sam; quhilk crabit the King mikle, and restranit his purpose 
against him. This is remarkable for God's providence.)          #
[\Margin of MS.\] I saw 
befor the King lying, and thairefter haid in my hand, a quare   #
of 
peiper of calumnies, in fear wraitt, giffen upe to the King.    #
They
called him diverse tymes, they leyed diverse things to his      #
charge,
they hard all his mislykers, evill-willars, and sic as haid     #
anie complents
against him; bot God was sa withe him, with sic courage,        #
utterance,
and powar of his image, that they could do na thing to him 
in end, but mak a new chose of the Rector of the Universitie.   #
At 
the quhilk, according to the custome, he willinglie dimitted    #
his 
office, wherof he wald have gladlie bein quyt for manie         #
causses, 
namlie, for that it importeth a mixture of the Civill           #
Magistracie, 
with the Ministerie Ecclesiastic, war nocht from yeir to yeir   #
the 
haill Universitie haid burdenit him thairwithe. And yit they    #
fearit
<P 419>
sa the publict opinioun, that they gaiff him ane office als     #
honourable,
and mair setting and aggreiable to him in all respects, to      #
wit, 
to be Dean of the Facultie of Theologie, the quhilk indeid      #
they 
could nocht giff by him to nan uther bearing ever the sam in    #
effect, 
without compear or matche for his incomparable lerning; and     #
yit 
of that quhilk they behoved to do of necessitie, they wald      #
moyen 
thanks bathe at his hands and the comoun aestimatioun. 
   As they wald have thankes in this, sa wald they in the       #
mater of 
the Ministerie of Edinbruche, for whom they sufferit tham to    #
be 
suted and intreated that they sould be enterit againe everie    #
an in 
thair awin roumes, and that to thair severall flocks, with a    #
new 
stampe of impositioun of hands. Bot all this was to the wrak    #
of 
the thrid, viz., the Ministerie of St Androis; that that being  #
done, 
the rest might be the easiar prey as occasioun served           #
thairefter. 
And sa Mr Robert Wallace was proceidit against and removit      #
from 
St Androis, be sum form of kinglie Commissionar proceiding and 
proces. Bot Mr David Blak was never annes called, and yit of 
mere kinglie powar it behovit him to be debarrit St Androis,    #
and 
tak him to an upeland roum, or then want all roum in his native
countrey; and with post diligence, summarlie, Mr George         #
Gladsteanes
placed in his roum. 
   To receave Mr Robert Bruce, Minister of Edinbruche, and      #
giff 
him impositioun of handes, war apointed be his Majestie and     #
Commissionars,
Mr Thomas Buchannan and Mr James Nicolsone, wha 
apprehendit sic a feare of leying of on the handes of the       #
peiple upon 
tham, [\"The peiple of Edinbruche was almost in an uproar that  #
day, at least the Commissionars war effrayit of it." Note by    #
Author on the margin of MS.\] that it stak to thair stomak all  #
that yeir efter-hend; and
was the occasioun of a verie faschious antipathie and           #
contradictioun
betwix the Ministers of Edinbruche and the Commissionars; whom,
gif the King haid nocht stoutlie with might and mean assisted,  #
the 
said Commissionars haid gottin lytle thank, and all thair awin  #
travell 
at the nixt Generall Assemblie. And, as it was, they spak na    #
thing 
<P 420>
les tham selves, bot that they haid gottin peyment for thair    #
travell 
of that coyne and streak. 
   About the sam verie tyme that the King interrupted Mr        #
Robert 
Wallace, and undid the Ministerie of St Androis, ther was an    #
erthquak
quhilk maid all the North parts of Scotland to trimble, from 
St Johnstoun throw Athall, Bredalban, and all these Hie-lands   #
to 
Ros, and thairin, and Kinteall; quhilk was schawin me for       #
certean 
be sum of our merchants wha war in Ros and Crommartie Firthe    #
for 
the tyme; and as the countrey peiple ther reported it to my     #
selff,
being directed that sam yeir, in the monethe of October, be     #
the 
King and Generall Assemblie, to the Visitatioun of the Northe. 
   This maid sic as haid red the storie of the King of Juda,    #
Uzzias, 
to remember, whow that when he, at a solemn feast, usurped the 
Priestlie office, and went in to the Temple to offer incense    #
on the 
Golden Altar, the Lord sent a mightie erthquak quhilk reased    #
the 
halff of the montean Eroge, situat on the southe and west of    #
Jerusalem,
and caried it four stades, that is, halff a myll, toward the
Est, and lighted on the syde of the Mont of Offence, condamnit  #
the 
hie-way, and spilt all the King's Gardings. Thairwith also the
Temple reave, and, a beam of the sune coming throw, strak the 
King in the face, wharby he becam leprouse, and sa be the       #
preists 
was cast out of the Temple, yea of his kingdome, and finalie    #
died 
of melancholie and greiff; as wryttes Josephus, lib. ix.        #
Antiq. Jud.
cap. 11. Wharof also by the storie of the Kings, Amos and       #
Zacharie 
the prophetes mentionnes. Anent the quhilk this                 #
(\Dix-huitaine\) was maid:- 
[^VERSE^]
<P 421>
[^VERSE^]
   A heavie fact for all the hartes of the godlie and honest,   #
and 
maist detestable, traterus, and crewall in respect of the       #
devysars 
and committars, fell furthe upon this alteratioun of the        #
ministerie 
of St Androis. For the forementioned malitius, craftie          #
misrewlars 
of the citie, seing now the auband of that ministerie removit,  #
and 
all sic as lyked of the best ministers to be mislyked at        #
Court, and 
that they haid gottin a ministerie that wald go throuch with    #
thair 
factioun, they steir upe and incitats four deboshit young       #
limmers, 
and wattes that maist notable man amangs all the merchants of 
St Androis, and for godlines and vertew nocht inferior to       #
manie in 
the land, James Smithe, as he was coming ham at night from the 
cost syde, and crewallie demeanes and murdares him. The guid 
honest man was maist innocent of anie cryme or wrang done to 
anie, as we schew befor, (whowbeit, persones led with the       #
sprit of 
that murdarar and liar from the begining, nocht contented to    #
have 
murderit his body, presses yit to murdar his guid fame, bot in  #
vean, 
<P 422>
amangs the childring of godlines and treuthe!) and thinking it  #
was 
bot gear they sought, was resolvit to have bought pace with     #
large 
soumes; and for aggriment thairanent, the King him self haid 
apointed the day following to be keipit be frinds, and a        #
commissioner 
directed from him expreslie for that effect, and thus under     #
tryst 
was cut of. Thair was never a cais that befell a man that       #
woundit 
my hart sa sare, and cast me in sa terrible a tentatioun of     #
doutting 
of the Providence of God, [seing sa guid a man left in the      #
hands of 
sa vyll lowns!] [^EDITOR'S BRACKETS^] I knew the innocencie and #
gudnes of the man sa 
weill, the vylnes of his maist wicked enemies, and the veritie  #
of his 
cause. I was even drounde, a certean dayes, even almaist in a   #
deadlie
and sencles dispear, till my deir Father of mercie and God of 
all consolatioun haid pitie on me, and brought me in the light  #
of 
his sanctuarie, and maid me better to knaw and beleive thairby,
that ther was a hell prepared for the wicked, and a heavine     #
for 
the godlie heirefter! and all the rest of the poincts of that   #
maist 
deipe and comfortable doctrine of his Providence.
   I haid a grait cear of that man's esteat, for the onlie      #
reasone befor 
schawin; and seing that alteratioun coming on, I often said 
to him, that he haid a thing graitlie for his comfort, that     #
the cause 
of Chryst and his Kirk in Scotland was sa joyned with his, that #
sa 
lang as the an went weill, I sould warrand the uther; bot when 
the an alterit I fearit the uther! And often hes he answerit    #
me, 
"That was over grait honour for sic a vyll worme; and that      #
maist 
gladlie wald he tak his part in the hardest sort as in the      #
best." At
the tyme of that alteratioun I was meikle and verie instantlie  #
urget 
be the King to mak the sermont at the receaving of Mr George. 
Fallon leathe was I, and soar was it against my hart for manie
weghtie reasones, bot, seing the guid honest men was at ane     #
extream 
poinct of wrak, having ane interlocutor of the Sessioun past 
against tham of ten thowsand mark, quhilk tendit to thair       #
utter 
hearschipe, I indented with the King for the staying of that    #
decreit,
and composing of that mater, (wherin I haid sa lang travelit    #
with 
<P 423>
his Majestie,) I wald  condiscend to do that quhilk utherwayes  #
my 
hart could nocht suffer me to do: For I thought ther could be   #
na 
ill don in teaching the Word trewlie; and I thank God thairin   #
I 
satisfied my conscience; bot the doing of it, at that tyme,     #
and by 
sic a compactioun, was a grait huik in my hart, and wrought     #
sear 
remorse at the newes of his deathe. Bot as the cersar of harts  #
and 
reanes knawes, the overthraw of that ministerie of St Androis   #
was 
a heavie overthraw to the joy and pleasure of my saull, sa far  #
was 
I from art, part, read, counsall, consenting thairto, or        #
allowing thairof. 
And wheras I tuk grait peanes thairefter in placeing of Mr      #
Blak at 
Mr George's Kirk, I did it because I kend the fathfull, honest 
brother's danger; for the King and Commissionars bathe war 
carles of him, and desyrit nocht better nor to cast him lous on #
his
awin default, (as they wald alleage,) that throw necessitie he  #
might 
be compelled till abandone the countrey.
   James Smithe was my deir frind whill he leivit, and from     #
whom 
I parted in my awin hous about twa houres befor his slauchter,  #
with 
als grait sweitnes and joy of hart, arissin of a heavinlie      #
conference, 
whilk haid stowin twa houres from us or we was awar, as ever I 
haid in this warld; during the quhilk me thought that he and I
bathe was caried from the erthe, and delyting our saulles in    #
that 
lyff and glorie purchassed be the deathe of the Mediator and    #
Saviour 
Jesus Chryst; till Mr George Mernse, bailyie of St Androis
for the tyme, a guid simple man, and his frind, cam and tuk     #
him 
out of my maist hartlie embracing, sear against my will, for I  #
was 
determined to keipe him with me that night, and go with him to 
St Androis on the morn, for keiping of that tryst of agriment 
apointed be the King. 
   Gif the reidar be holelie affectionat in trew and godlie     #
frindschipe,
he will nocht lothe of the poeticall passioun quhilk pleasit 
and easit me for the tyme; and, thairfor, for my frind's sak,   #
I can 
nocht suffer to pearishe, whowbeit bot a dwabbling countrey     #
ryme, 
<P 424>
meittar to be swipped away with the mouse-wobbes, nor byd as
a picture in the palace of Apollo!



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