Whether it was by counsel of others, or of the Queen's own desire, we know not; but the Queen spake with John Knox, and had long reasoning with him, none being present except the Lord James: two gentlewomen stood at the other end of the apartment. The sum of their reasoning was this. The Queen accused him of having raised a part of her subjects against her mother and against herself. He had, she said, written a book against her just authority (she meant the treatise against the regiment of women) which she had, and she should cause the most learned in Europe to write against it; he was the cause of great sedition and great slaughter in England; she was informed that all he did was by necromancy, and so on. The said John answered, "Madam, it may please your Majesty patiently to hear my simple answers. And first," said he, "if to teach the truth of God in sincerity, if to rebuke idolatry, and to will a people to worship God according to His Word, be to raise subjects against their princes, then can I not be excused; for it has pleased God in His mercy to make me one, amongst many, to disclose unto this realm the vanity of the papistical religion, and the deceit, pride, and tyranny of that Roman Antichrist. But, Madam, if the true knowledge of God and His right worshipping be the chief causes that must move men from their heart to obey their just princes, as it is most certain that they are, wherein can I be reprehended? I think, and am surely persuaded, that your Grace has had, and presently has, as unfeigned obedience from such as profess Jesus Christ within this realm, as ever your father, or other progenitors had from those that were called bishops. And, touching that book which seemeth so highly to offend your Majesty, it is most certain that I wrote it, and am content that all the learned of the world should judge of it. I hear that an Englishman hath written against it, but I have not read him. If he have sufficiently improved my reasons, and established his contrary proposition, with as evident testimonies as I have done mine, I shall not be obstinate, but shall confess my error and ignorance. But to this hour I have thought, and yet think myself alone to be more able to sustain the things affirmed in that work, than any ten in Europe shall be able to confute it." _Queen Mary._ Ye think, then, that I have no just authority?