FRIAR JOHN BLACK, of the Dominican Order, is celebrated by Lesley,
Dempster, and other Roman Catholic writers, for his learning and
exertions on behalf of the orthodox faith. In August 1559, the Queen
Regent came from Dunbar to Edinburgh, and having taken possession of
Holyrood House, it is stated, that Archbishop Hamilton, "upon a day,
past to the pulpit in the Abbay," and after displaying "a little of
his superstition, he declared he had not bene weill exercised in that
profession, (_i.e._ of preaching,) therefore desyred the auditors to
hold him excused. In the meantyme he showed unto them that there was a
learned man, meaning Fryer Blacke, who was to come immediately after
him into the pulpitt, who would declare unto them the truth; and
therefore desyred them to lett him cease." (Hist. of the Estate of
Scotland, Wodrow Miscellany, vol. i. p. 67.)
Bishop Lesley mentions a public disputation between Friar Black and
John Willock, at Edinburgh, in the summer of 1561, which lasted for
two days. As usual, however, in all such controversial disputes, "_in
the ende, nothing was agreit_." (Hist. p. 295. See also Leslæus de
Rebus Gestis Scotorum, p. 577, Romæ, 1578, 4to; and Sir James
Balfour's Annals, Works, vol. i. p. 235.) Under the year 1560, (see
this vol. p. 68,) Knox mentions Friar Black as performing Mass when
the Queen Regent was in the Castle of Edinburgh, notwithstanding that
she was aware of his licentious conduct. Two years later the Town
Council of Edinburgh having apprehended and confined Friar Black "for
manifest adultery," Queen Mary addressed the following letter to the
Provost, Baillies, &c., of Edinburgh, commanding them to deliver the
said Friar to the Captain of the Castle, to remain there till he
should be brought to trial:--
"PROVEST, BAILLIES, AND COUNSALE OF EDINBURGH,--It is oure
Will, and we charge zow, that incontinent efter the sicht
heirof, ze deliver Freir Johne Black to the Capitane,
Constabill, and Keiparis of oure Castell of Edinburgh, till
be keipit thairintill surelie, unto sic tyme as we haue
ordanyt for the triell of his offences before oure
Justice-Generale or his Deputtis; and this on na wayis ze
leaf undone, as ze will ansuer to ws thairupoun. At Sanct
Androis, the 11th of April 1562.
(_Sequitur subscriptio_,) "MARIE R."
The records of criminal proceedings furnish no evidence of the Friar
having ever been brought to trial; but this warrant, no doubt, saved
him from the punishment which the Town Council at this time had
adjudged to all fornicators, to be ducked in the North Loch. (See
Maitland's Hist. of Edinb. p. 25.)
On the 12th February 1565, Andro Armestrang, and three other burgesses
of Edinburgh, were brought to trial, "delatit of the hurting and
wounding of Freir Johne Blak, betwix his schulderis, to the effusione
of his blude, upon the fyft day of Januar last bypast, betwix aucht
and nyne houris at evin, in the Cowgait, betwix Nwyderis Wynd and the
Freir Wynd." (Pitcairn's Criminal Trials, vol. i. pp. 475*, 476*.)
From another authority, mentioned below, it would seem that the Friar
was killed during the fray in Holyrood, on the same night when Riccio
was murdered.
The transcriber of MS. W, of Knox's History, has introduced some
lines, playing upon the Friar's name, "because he was borne in the
_Blak_ Freirs in Edinburgh, and was a man of _Blak_ personage, called
_Blak_ to his name, and one of the Ordour of _Blak_ Friers;" and in
the margin of the MS. he says, "This was added be me, Tho. Wood,
quhilk I heard, thocht not mentioned by Mr. Knox." Mr. Sharpe, who
says, "this copy of verses affords an excellent (?) specimen of the
satirical poetry of the Reformers," has inserted the lines, in a note
to Kirkton's History of the Church, p. 10, Edinb. 1817, 4to.
In a MS. volume of Calderwood's History, written in the year 1636, we
find introduced, as "A description of the Queen's Black Chaplane," a
somewhat different version of the lines referred to:--
"Master Knox relateth, that the Queen Regent herself had a little
before deprehended the said Frier Black with his harlot in the
chappel. But whoordoome and idolatrie agrie weill together. This Frier
Black was Black in a threefold consideration, first in respect of his
Order, for he was a Black Frier by profession; secondlie in respect of
his Surname; thirdlie in respect of his Black workes. Wherupon these
black verses following wer made as a black trumpet to blaze furth all
his blacknesses:--
"A certane Black Frier, weill surnamed Black,
And not nicknam'd: for Black wer all his workes,
In a black houre borne, in all Mack deedes frack;
And of his black craft one of the blackest Clerks;
He took a black whoor to wash his black sarks,
Committing with her black fornication:
Black was his soule to shoote at such black markes;
Frier Black, Black Frier, Black was his vocation."
It may be considered more important to notice, that Black had been
promoted by Archbishop Hamilton, to the place of Second Master in St.
Mary's College, St. Andrews. This fact, not elsewhere recorded,
appears from the following grant, in the Register of Presentations to
Benefices:--
"Our Soverane Lord, &c., ordanis this letter under the Previe Seill,
ratifiand and perpetualie confirmand the gift and provisioun maid and
grantit be John Archebishop of Sanct Androis, foundar and erectar of
our Lady College, within the citie of Sanct Androis, to Maister Robert
Hamiltoun, then Third Maister of the said College _of the Secund place
and Maister thairof_, usit to be possessit be ane theologe (the lyke
quhairof he is) _vacand be deceis of Johne Black, Blackfriar_, last
possessour of the samyn," &c., 12th November 1567. "Subscrivit at
Saint Androis the last day of Maij 1569." (Register of Presentation to
Benefices, vol. i. fol. 25.)
Dempster celebrates Black (_præclarus Christi miles_) for his
eloquence and opposition to heresy, and for having sealed his constant
profession of the faith with his blood. (Hist. Ecclesiastica Gentis
Scotorum, p. 85.) This alludes to the fatal termination of the Friar's
career, not on the 7th of January 1562, for which he quotes Lesley, p.
577, but on the 8th March 1565-6, when he was slain on the night of
David Riccio's murder, in Holyrood House. It is singular that no
notice of this should occur in our own historical writers. But
Parkhurst, Bishop of Norwich, in a letter to Buttinger, giving him a
summary of passing events, dated 21st August 1566, after noticing the
murder of "Signor David, skilled in necromancy, and in great favour
with the Queen of Scots," mentions that Black, a Dominican Friar, held
in great estimation among the Papists, was also killed that night. But
even this grave prelate cannot restrain his humour in reference to the
Friar's name; his words are: "Fraterculus quidam, nomine Blacke
(niger, _Swartz_,) Papistarum antesignanus, eodem tempore in Aula
occiditur.
"Sic Niger hic Nebulo, nigra quoque morte peremptus,
Invitus Nigrum subito descendit in Orcum."
This letter, first published by Burnet, (Hist. Reform., vol. iii.
App., p. 360,) is included in the collection of Zürich Letters,
published by the Parker Society, p. 99. London, 1842, 8vo. The
translator thus renders the above distich:--
"Seized by black Death, this blacker Knave
Descended to the gloomy grave." (Ib. p. 166.)
No. V.