John Leslie, according to his former vows, struck the Cardinal once or twice, and so did the said Peter. But James Melvin, a man of nature most gentle and most modest, perceiving that they were both in choler, withdrew them, and said, "This work and judgment of God, although it be secret, ought to be done with greater gravity." Presenting the point of his sword at the Cardinal, he said, "Repent thee of thy former wicked life, but especially of the shedding of the blood of that notable instrument of God, Master George Wishart, which, albeit the flame of fire consumed it before men, yet cries a vengeance upon thee. We are sent from God to revenge it: for here, before my God, I protest that neither the hatred of thy person, nor the love of thy riches, nor the fear of any trouble thou couldst have brought on me in particular, doth move me to strike thee, I do so only because thou hast been and remainest an obstinate enemy against Christ Jesus and His holy Evangel." And so he struck him twice or thrice through with a stog sword;[94] and so the Cardinal fell, never word heard out of his mouth, but "I am a priest, I am a priest: fie, fie: all is gone." [94] Long small sword. The death of this tyrant was dolorous to the priests, dolorous to the Governor, most dolorous to the Queen Dowager; for in him perished faithfulness to France, and comfort to all gentlewomen, especially to wanton widows: his death must be revenged.... The Archbishop, to declare the zeal that he had to revenge the death of him that was his predecessor (and yet he would not have had him living again) still blew the coals. And first, he caused to be summoned, then denounced, accursed, and last, proclaimed rebels, not only the first enterprisers, but all such as did accompany them. And last of all, the siege of the Castle was decided upon. [Sidenote: The Reforming Party is besieged in the Castle of St. Andrews.] The siege began in the end of August; for on the twenty-third day thereof the soldiers departed from Edinburgh, and it continued until near the end of January. At that time, they had no other hope of winning it but by hunger; and of that they were despaired, for those within had broken through the east wall, and made a plain passage by an iron gate to the sea. This greatly relieved the besieged, and abased the besiegers; for they could not stop them of victuals, unless they should be masters of the sea, and that they clearly understood they could not be.