It's far from my hand and intent to write a history of the tribulations
which ensued from the day of the uproar and first outbreaking of the
wrath of the people against the images of the Romish idolatry; and
therefore I shall proceed, with all expedient brevity, to relate what
farther, in those sore times, fell under the eye of my grandfather, who,
when he returned to Edinburgh, found the Lord James Stuart on the point
of proceeding to the Queen Regent at Stirling, and he went with him
thither.
On arriving at the castle, they found the French soldiery all collected
in the town, and her Highness, like another fiery Bellona, vowing to
avenge the calamities that had befallen the idols and images of Perth;
and summoning and envoking the nobility, and every man of substance she
could think of, to come with their vassals, that she might be enabled to
chastise such sacrilegious rebellion.
The Lord James Stuart seeing her so bent on extremities, and knowing by
his secret intelligences, that strong powers were ready to start forward
at a moment's warning, both in the West, and in Fife, Angus and Merns,
entreated her to listen to more moderate councils than those of revenge
and resentment, and rather to think of pacification than of punishment.
But she was fiery with passion, and a blinded instrument in the hands of
Providence to work out the deliverance of the land, even by the crooked
policy that her papistical counsellors hurried her into. So that the
Lord James, seeing she was transported beyond reason, sent my
grandfather and other secret emissaries to warn the Lords and leaders of
the Congregation, and to tell them that her Highness was minded to
surprise Perth as soon as she had gathered a sufficient array.
The conduct of that great worthy was in this full of wisdom, and
foresight, and policy. By staying with the Queen he incurred the
suspicion of the Reformed, to whom he was a devoted friend; but he
gained a knowledge of the intents of their enemies, by which he was
enabled to turn aside the edge of vengeance when it was meant to be most
deadly. Accordingly, reckless of the opinions of men, he went forward
with the Queen's army towards Perth; but before they had crossed the
Water of Earn, word was brought to her Highness that the Earl of
Glencairn, at the head of two thousand five hundred of the Reformed, was
advancing from the shire of Ayr.
Such were the fruits of my grandfather's mission to the Lord Boyd, and
he heard likewise that the bold and free lairds of Angus and Merns, with
all their followers, had formed themselves in battle-array to defend the
town. Still, however, her Highness was resolute to go on; for she was
instigated by her feminine anger, even as much as by the wicked councils
of the papist lords by whom she was surrounded.
But when she reached the heights that overlooked the sweet valley of the
Tay, whose green and gentle bosom was then sparkling with the glances of
warlike steel, her heart was softened, and she called to her the Lord
James Stuart and the young Earl of Argyle--the old Lord, his father, had
died some time prior,--and sent them to the army of the Congregation,
that peace might still be preserved. They accordingly went into the
town, and sending notice to the leaders of the Reformed to appoint two
of their party to confer with them, John Knox and the Master Willocks
were nominated. My grandfather, who attended the Lord James on this
occasion, was directed by him to receive the two deputies at the door
and to conduct them in; and when they came he was much troubled to
observe the state of their minds; for Master Willocks was austere in his
looks as if resolved on quarrel, and the Reformer was agitated and
angry, muttering to himself as he ascended the stairs, making his staff
often dirl on the steps. No sooner were they shown into the presence of
the two lords, even before the door was shut, than John Knox began to
upbraid the Lord James for having broken the covenant and forsaken the
Congregation.
Much to that effect, my grandfather afterwards learnt, passed; but the
Lord James pacified him with the assurance that his heart and spirit
were still true to the cause, and that he had come with Argyle to
prevent, if possible, the shedding of blood; he likewise declared both
for himself and the Earl, who had hitherto always abided by the Queen,
that if she refused to listen to reasonable terms, or should break any
treaty entered into, they would openly take part against her.
Upon these assurances a treaty was concluded, by which it was agreed
that both armies should retire peaceably to their respective
habitations; that the town should be made accessible to the Queen
Regent; that no molestation should be given to those who were then in
arms for the Congregation, and no persecutions undertaken against the
Reformed,--with other covenants calculated to soothe the Congregation
and allay men's fears. But no sooner was this treaty ratified, the army
of the Congregation dispersed, and her Highness in possession of the
town, than it was manifest no vows nor obligations were binding towards
the heretics, as the Reformed were called. The Queen's French guards,
even when attending her into the town, fired into the house of a known
zealous protestant and killed his son; the inhabitants were plundered
and insulted with impunity, and the magistrates were dismissed to make
way for men devoted to papistry.
The Earl of Argyle and Lord James Stuart, filled with wrath and
indignation at such open perfidy, went straight into her Highness'
presence without asking audience, and reproached her with deceit and
craftiness; and having so vented their minds, instanter quitted the
court and the town, and, attended by my grandfather and a few other
servants, departed for Fife, to which John Knox had also retired after
the dispersion of the Congregation at Perth. The Lord James, in virtue
of being Prior of St Andrews, went thither attended by the Earl, and
sent my grandfather to Crail, where the Reformer was then preaching, to
invite him to meet them and others of the Congregation with all
convenient expedition.
My grandfather never having been before in Crail, and not knowing how
the people there might stand affected, instead of inquiring for John
Knox, bethought himself of his acquaintance with Bailie Kilspinnie, and
so speired his way to his dwelling, little hoping, from the fearful
nature of that honest man, he would find him within. But, contrary to
his expectation, he was not only there, but he welcomed my grandfather
as an old and very cordial friend, leading him into his house and making
much of him, telling him, with a voice of cheerfulness, that the day of
reckoning had at last overtaken the lascivious idolaters.
Then he caused to be brought in before my grandfather the five pretty
babies that his wife had abandoned for her papistical paramour, the
eldest of whom was but turned of nine years. The thoughts of their
mother's shame overcame their father at that moment, and the tears
coming into his eyes he sobbed aloud as he looked at them, and wept
bitterly, while they flocked around, and wreathed him, as it were, with
their caresses and innocent blandishments. So tender a scene melted my
grandfather's spirit into sadness; and he could not remain master of
himself, when the eldest, a mild and meek little maiden, said to him, as
if to excuse her father's sorrow, "A foul friar made my mother an
ill-doer, and took her away ae night when she was just done wi'
harkening our prayers."
At this juncture, a blooming and modest-eyed damsel came into the room;
but, seeing a stranger, she drew back and was going away, when the
bailie, drying his eyes, said,--
"Come ben, Elspa; this is the young man that ye hae heard me sae commend
for his kind friendship to me, in that dotage-dauner that I made in my
distraction to St Andrews. This," he added, turning to my grandfather,
"is Elspa Ruet, the sister of that misfortunate woman;--to my helpless
bairns she does their mother's duty."
Elspa made a gentle beck as her brother-in-law was speaking, and,
turning round, dropt a tear on the neck of the youngest baby, as she
leant down to take it up for a screen to hide her blushing face, that
reddent with the thought at seeing one who had so witnessed her sister's
shame.
From that hour her image had a dear place in my grandfather's bosom, and
after the settlement of the Reformation throughout the realm, he courted
her, and she became his wife, and in process of time my grandmother. But
of her manifold excellencies I shall have occasion to speak more at
large hereafter, for she was no ordinary woman, but a saint throughout
life, returning in a good old age to her Maker, almost as blameless as
she came from His pure hands; and nothing became her more in all her
piety, than the part she acted towards her guilty sister.
Having taken away the children, she then brought in divers refreshments,
and a flagon of posset; but she remained not with the bailie and my
grandfather while they partook thereof; so that they were left free to
converse as they listed, and my grandfather was glad to find, as I have
already said, that the poor man had triumphed over his fond grief, and
was reconciled to his misfortunes as well as any father could well be,
with so many deserted babies, and three of them daughters.
He likewise learnt, with no less solace and satisfaction, that the
Reformed were strong in Crail, and that the magistrates and beinest
burgesses had been present on the day before at the preaching of John
Knox, and had afterwards suffered the people to demolish the images and
all the monuments of papistry, without molestation or hinderance; so
that the town was cleansed of the pollution of idolatry, and the worship
of humble and contrite hearts established there, instead of the pagan
pageantry of masses and altars.
After the repast was finished, the bailie conducted my grandfather to
the house where John Knox then lodged, to whom he communicated his
message from the Lord James Stuart.
"Tell your master," was the reply of the Reformer, "that I will be with
him, God willing; and God is willing, for this invitation, and the state
of men's minds, maketh His will manifest. Yea, I was minded myself to go
thither; for that same city of St Andrews is the Zion of Scotland. Of
old, the glad tidings of salvation were first heard there,--there,
amidst the damps and the darkness of ages, the ancient Culdees, men
whose memory is still fragrant for piety and purity of faith and life,
supplied the oil of the lamp of the living God for a period of four
hundred years, independent of pope, prelate, or any human supremacy.
There it was that a spark of their blessed embers was, in our own day,
first blown into a flame,--and there, please God, where I, His unworthy
instrument, was condemned as a criminal for His truth's sake, shall I,
in His strength, be the herald of His triumph and great victory."