As soon as the bishops got the opportunity which they constantly sought, they renewed the battle against Jesus Christ. In the year of God 1534, the foresaid leprous Archbishop caused to be summoned Sir William Kirk, Adam Deas, Henry Cairns, and John Stewart, indwellers of Leith, with divers others, such as Master William Johnstone, and Master Henry Henderson, schoolmaster of Edinburgh. Some of these compeared in the Abbey Kirk of Holyroodhouse and abjured, and publicly burned their bills: others compeared not, and were exiled. But two were brought to judgment, to wit, David Stratoun, a gentleman, and Master Norman Gourlay, a man of reasonable erudition. Of them we must shortly speak. [Sidenote: David Stratoun and his Teind Fish.] In Master Norman appeared knowledge, albeit joined with weakness. But in David Stratoun there could only be espied, from the first, a hatred against the pride and avarice of the priests. The cause of his delation was as follows. He had made himself a fishing boat to go to sea, and the Bishop of Moray, then being Prior of St. Andrews, and his factors, urged for the teind thereof. His answer was that, if they would have teind of that which his servants won in the sea, it was but reason that they should come and receive it where he got the stock.[24] So, as was constantly affirmed, he caused his servants to cast every tenth fish into the sea again. Process of cursing was led against him, for non-payment of such teinds; and when he contemned this, he was delated[25] to answer for heresy. It troubled him vehemently; and he began to frequent the company of such as were godly; for before he had been a very stubborn man, and one that despised all reading, chiefly of those things that were godly. Miraculously, as it were, he appeared to be changed; for he delighted in nothing but in reading, albeit he himself could not read, and he became a vehement exhorter of all men to concord, to quietness, and to the contempt of the world. He frequented much the company of the Laird of Dun, whom God in those days had marvellously illuminated. [24] The crop from which the teind was drawn. [25] Accused. [Sidenote: The Conversion of Stratoun.] One day, the present Laird of Lauriston, then a young man, was reading to him from the New Testament, in a certain quiet spot in the fields. As God had appointed, he chanced to read these sentences of our Master, Jesus Christ: "He that denies Me before men, or is ashamed of Me in the midst of this wicked generation, I will deny him in the presence of My Father, and before His angels." At these words he suddenly, being as one ravished, platt[26] himself upon his knees. After extending both hands and visage fixedly to the heavens for a reasonable time, he burst forth in these words: "O Lord, I have been wicked, and justly mayest Thou withdraw Thy grace from me. But, Lord, for Thy mercy's sake, let me never deny Thee or Thy truth, from fear of death or corporal pain." [26] Threw.