John Knox, at the age of fifty-eight, entered into the state of wedlock
for the second time, by marrying Margaret Stewart, daughter of Lord
Ochiltree. She proved a good wife to the old man, and survived him.
The circumstance of a young woman of rank, with royal blood in her
veins--for such was the case--accepting an elderly husband so far
below her degree, did not fail to excite remark; and John’s papist
enemies could not account for it otherwise than by a supposition of the
black art having been employed. The affair is thus adverted to by the
reformer’s shameless enemy, Nicol Burne: ‘A little after he did pursue
to have alliance with the honourable house of Ochiltree, of the king’s
majesty’s awn bluid. Riding there with ane great court [cortège], on
ane trim gelding, nocht like ane prophet or ane auld decrepit priest,
as he was, but like as he had been ane of the bluid royal, with his
bands of taffeta fastenit with golden rings and precious stanes: and,
as is plainly reportit in the country, by sorcery and witchcraft, [he]
did sae allure that puir gentlewoman, that she could not live without
him; whilk appears to be of great probability, she being ane damsel of
noble bluid, and he ane auld decrepit creature of maist base degree,
sae that sic ane noble house could not have degenerate sae far, except
John Knox had interposed the power of his master the devil, wha, as he
transfigures himself sometimes as ane angel of licht, sae he causit
John Knox appear ane of the maist noble and lusty men that could be
found in the warld.’[29]
* * * * *
[Sidenote: MAY 17.]
‘... the Lord Fleming married the Lord Ross’s eldest daughter, wha
was heretrix both of Ross and Halket; and the banquet was made in the
park of Holyroodhouse, under Arthur’s Seat, at the end of the loch,
where great triumphs was made, the queen’s grace being present, and the
king of Swethland’s ambassador being then in Scotland, with many other
nobles.’--_Mar._
In the romantic valley between Arthur’s Seat and Salisbury Crags,
there is still traceable a dam by which the natural drainage had
been confined, so as to form a lake. It was probably at the end of
that sheet of water that the banquet was set forth for Lord and Lady
Fleming’s wedding. The incident is so pleasantly picturesque, and
associates Mary so agreeably with one of her subjects, that it is
gratifying to reflect on Lord Fleming proving a steady friend to
the queen throughout her subsequent troubles. He stoutly maintained
Dumbarton Castle in her favour against the Regents, and against
Elizabeth’s general, Sir William Drury; nor was it taken from him
except by stratagem.[30]
* * * * *
[Sidenote: 1564.