the faces of mony angry _men_, and yit have not bene affrayed above measour.”[68] There was at that time but one place of worship in the city of Edinburgh.[69] The number of inhabitants was, indeed, small, when compared with its present population; but still they must have formed a very large congregation. St Giles’s church, the place then used for worship, was capacious; for we learn that, on some occasions, three thousand persons assembled in it to hear sermon.[70] In this church, Knox had, since 1560, performed all the parts of ministerial duty, without any other assistant than John Cairns, who acted as reader.[71] He preached twice every Sabbath, and thrice on other days of the week.[72] He met regularly once every week with his {53} kirk‑session for discipline,[73] and with the assembly of the neighbourhood for the exercise on the scriptures. He attended, besides, the meetings of the provincial synod and general assembly; and at almost every meeting of the latter, he received an appointment to visit and preach in some distant part of the country. These labours must have been oppressive to a constitution which was already much impaired; especially as he did not indulge in extemporaneous effusions, but devoted a part of every day to study. His parish was sensible of this; and, in April 1562, the town council came to a unanimous resolution to solicit the minister of Canongate to undertake the half of the charge. The ensuing general assembly approved of the council’s proposal, and appointed the translation to take place.[74] It was not, however, accomplished before June 1563, owing, as it would seem, to the difficulty of obtaining an additional stipend.[75]