Knox, John, approximately 1514-1572; Reformation -- Scotland
3. They shall be dutiful subjects, except in matters of religion.
4. They shall not disturb the clergy in their persons or by withholding
their rents, &c., before January 10, 1560.
5. They shall not attack churches or monasteries before that date.
6. The town of Edinburgh shall enjoy liberty of conscience, and shall
choose its form of religion as it pleases till that date.
7. The Regent shall not molest the preachers nor suffer the clergy to
molest them for cause of religion till that date.
8. Keith, Knox, and Spottiswoode, add that no garrisons, French or
Scots, shall occupy Edinburgh, but soldiers may repair thither from their
garrisons for lawful business.
The French soldiers are said to have swaggered in St. Giles's, but no
complaint is made that they were garrisoned in Edinburgh. In fact, they
abode in the Canongate and Leith.
Now, these were the terms accepted by the Congregation. This is certain,
not only because historians, Knox excepted, are unanimous, but because
the terms were either actually observed, or were evaded, on a stated
point of construction.
1. The Congregation left Edinburgh.
2. They handed over the stamps of the Mint, Holyrood, and the two
pledges.
3. 4, 5. We do not hear that they attacked any clerics or monastery
before they broke off publicly from the treaty, and Knox (i. 381) admits
that Article 4 was accepted.
6. They would not permit the town of Edinburgh to choose its religion by
"voting of men." On July 29, when Huntly, Chatelherault, and Erskine,
the neutral commander of the Castle, asked for a plebiscite, as provided
in the treaty of July 24, the Truth, said the brethren, was not a matter
of human votes, and, as the brethren held St. Giles's Church before the
treaty, under Article 7 they could not be dispossessed. {142a} The
Regent, to avoid shadow of offence, yielded the point as to Article 6,
and was accused of breach of treaty because, occupying Holyrood, she had
her Mass there. Had Edinburgh been polled, the brethren knew that they
would have been outvoted. {142b}
Now, Knox's object, in that part of Book II. of his "History," which was
written in September-October 1559 as a tract for contemporary reading, is
to prove that the Regent was the breaker of treaty. His method is first
to give "the heads drawn by us, which we desired to be granted." The
heads are--
1. No member of the Congregation shall be troubled in any respect by any
authority for the recent "innovation" before the Parliament of January
10, 1560, decides the controversies.
2. Idolatry shall not be restored where, on the day of treaty, it has
been suppressed.
3. Preachers may preach wherever they have preached and wherever they
may chance to come.
4. No soldiers shall be in garrison in Edinburgh.
5. The French shall be sent away on "a reasonable day" and no more
brought in without assent of the whole Nobility and Parliament. {143a}
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account