The next day, Elspa Ruet, under the escorting of my grandfather, was
minded to have gone home to Crail, but the news that John Knox was to
preach on the morrow at St Andrews had spread far and wide; no man could
tell by what wonderful reverberation the tidings had awakened the whole
land. From all quarters droves of the Reformed and the pious came
pressing to the gates of the city, like sheep to the fold and doves to
the windows. The Archbishop and the priests and friars were smitten with
dread and consternation; the doom of their fortunes was evident in the
distraction of their minds--but the Earl of Argyle and the Lord James
Stuart, at the priory, remained calm and collected.
Foreseeing that the step they had taken would soon be visited by the
wrath of the Queen Regent, they resolved to prepare for the worst, and
my grandfather was ordered to hold himself in readiness for a journey.
Thus was he prevented from going to Crail with Elspa Ruet, who, with a
heavy heart, went back in the evening with the man and horses that
brought the Reformer to the town. For John Knox, though under the ban of
outlawry, was so encouraged with inward assurances from on High, that he
came openly to the gate, and passed up the crown of the causey on to the
priory, in the presence of the Archbishop's guards, of all the people,
and of the astonished and dismayed priesthood.
As soon as the Antichrist heard of his arrival, he gave orders for all
his armed retainers, to the number of more than a hundred men-at-arms,
to assemble in the cloisters of the monastery of the Blackfriars; for he
was a man of a soldierly spirit, and though a loose and immoral
churchman, would have made a valiant warrior; and going thither himself,
he thence sent word to the Lord James Stuart at the priory, that if John
Knox dared to preach in the cathedral, as was threatened, he would order
his guard to fire on him in the pulpit.
My grandfather, with others of the retinue of the two noblemen, had
accompanied the Archbishop's messenger into the Prior's chamber, where
they were sitting with John Knox when this bold challenge to the
champion of Christ's cause was delivered; and it was plain that both
Argyle and the Lord James were daunted by it, for they well knew the
fearlessness and the fierceness of their consecrated adversary.
After the messenger had retired, and the Lord James, in a particular
manner, had tacitly signified to my grandfather to remain in the room,
and had taken a slip of paper, he began to write thereon, while Argyle
said to the Reformer,--
"Master Knox, this is what we could na but expect; and though it may
seem like a misdooting of our cause now to desist, I'm in a swither if
ye should mak the attempt to preach."
The Reformer made no answer; and the Lord James, laying down his pen,
also said, "My thoughts run wi' Argyle's,--considering the weakness of
our train and the Archbishop's preparations, with his own regardless
character,--I do think we should for a while rest in our intent. The
Queen Regent has come to Falkland wi' her French force, and we are in
no condition to oppose their entrance into the town; besides, your
appearance in the pulpit may lead to the sacrifice of your own most
precious life, and the lives of many others who will no doubt stand
forth in your defence. Whether, therefore, you ought, in such a
predicament, to think of preaching, is a thing to be well considered."
"In the strength of the Lord," exclaimed John Knox, with the voice of an
apostle, "I will preach. God is my witness that I never preached in
contempt of any man, nor would I willingly injure any creature; but I
cannot delay my call to-morrow if I am not hindered by violence. As for
the fear of danger that may come to me, let no man be solicitous; for my
life is in the custody of HIM whose glory I seek, and threats will not
deter me from my duty when Heaven so offereth the occasion. I desire
neither the hand nor the weapon of man to defend me; I only crave
audience, which, if it be denied to me here at this time, I must seek
where I may have it."
The manner and confidence with which this was spoken silenced and
rebuked the two temporal noblemen, and they offered no more
remonstrance, but submitted as servants, to pave the way for this intent
of his courageous piety. Accordingly, after remaining a short time, as
if in expectation to hear what the Earl of Argyle might further have to
say, the Lord James Stuart took up his pen again, and when he had
completed his writing, he gave the paper to my grandfather (it was a
list of some ten or twelve names) saying, "Make haste, Gilhaize, and let
these, our friends in Angus, know the state of peril in which we stand.
Tell them what has chanced; how the gauntlet is thrown; and that our
champion has taken it up, and is prepared for the onset."
My grandfather forthwith departed on his errand, and spared not the spur
till he had delivered his message to every one whose names were written
in the paper; and their souls were kindled and the spirit of the Lord
quickened in their hearts.
The roads sparkled with the feet of summoning horsemen, and the towns
rung with the sound of warlike preparations.
On the third day, towards the afternoon, my grandfather embarked at
Dundee on his return, and was landed at the Fife water-side. There were
many in the boat with him; and it was remarked by some among them, that,
for several days, no one had been observed to smile, and that all men
seemed in the expectation of some great event.
The weather being loun and very sultry, he travelled slowly with those
who were bound for St Andrews, conversing with them on the troubles of
the time, and the clouds that were gathering and darkening over poor
Scotland; but every one spoke from the faith of his own bosom, that the
terrors of the storm would not be of long duration--so confident were
those unlettered men of the goodness of Christ's cause in that epoch of
tribulation.
While they were thus communing together, they came in sight of the city,
with its coronal of golden spires, and Babylonian pride of idolatrous
towers, and they halted for a moment to contemplate the gorgeous
insolence with which Antichrist had there built up and invested the
blood-stained throne of his blasphemous usurpation.
"The walls of Jericho," said one of the travellers, "fell at the sound
but of ram's horns, and shall yon Babel withstand the preaching of John
Knox?"
Scarcely had he said the words, when the glory of its magnificence was
wrapt with a shroud of dust; a dreadful peal of thunder came rolling
soon after, though not a spark of vapour was seen in all the ether of
the blue sky; and the rumble of a dreadful destruction was then heard.
My grandfather clapped spurs to his horse, and galloped on towards the
town. The clouds rose thicker and filled the whole air. Shouts and
cries, as he drew near, were mingled with the crash of falling edifices.
The earth trembled, and his horse stood still, regardless of the rowels,
as if it had seen the angel of the Lord standing in his way. On all
sides monks and nuns came flying from the town, wringing their hands as
if the horrors of the last judgment had surprised them in their sins.
The guards of the Archbishop were scattered among them like chaff in the
swirl of the wind: then his Grace came himself on Sir David Hamilton's
fleet mare, with Sir David and divers of his household fast following.
The wrath of heaven was behind them, and they rattled past my
grandfather like the distempered phantoms that hurry through the dreams
of dying men.
My grandfather's horse at last obeyed the spur, and he rode on and into
the city, the gates of which were deserted. There he beheld on all sides
that the Lord had indeed put the besom of destruction into the hands of
the Reformers; and that not one of all the buildings which had been
polluted by the papistry--no, not one--had escaped the erasing
fierceness of its ruinous sweep. The presence of the magistrates lent
the grace of authority to the zeal of the people, and all things were
done in order. The idols were torn down from the altars, and
deliberately broken by the children with hammers into pieces. There was
no speaking; all was done in silence; the noise of the falling churches,
the rending of the shrines, and the breaking of the images were the only
sounds heard. But for all that, the zeal of not a few was, even in the
midst of their dread solemnity, alloyed with covetousness. My
grandfather himself saw one of the town-council slip the bald head, in
silver, of one of the twelve apostles into his pouch.