[40] D'Aubigné's Reformation in the Time of Calvin, vi. 131.--Like his predecessor Archbishop Forman, who--thirty years before, in the interests of France, which had richly rewarded him with the Archbishopric of Bourges--had so cruelly embroiled Scotland with England and almost courted the disaster of Flodden, Betoun never ceased either during the life or after the death of James V. to sow the seeds of discord between the two realms, and so to court reverses to the Scottish arms, and destruction to the Scottish monasteries near the southern border. He shunned no risk, shrank from no cruelty, to remove out of the way those who thwarted his schemes or favoured the better policy which in the end was to carry the day. [41] Theiner's Vetera Monumenta Hibernorum et Scotorum, 1864, pp. 608-612. [42] [Betoun's Commission as Legate is dated 30th January 1543-44 (Lemon's State Papers, v. 443; Thorpe's Calendar, i. 46).] [43] [There is such a reference to him in Theiner's Vetera Monumenta, p. 608.] [44] Robertson's Concilia Scotiæ, vol. i. p. cxxxvi, n. [45] See Appendix C. [46] D'Aubigné's Reformation in the Time of Calvin, vi. 132. [47] Concilia Scotiæ, vol. i. pp. cxxxix, cxl. [48] [14th Dec. 1542.] [49] [His letter to the Pope is dated 10th May 1543 (Theiner's Monumenta Hibernorum et Scotorum, pp. 614, 615).] [50] [On the 8th of September "he was enjoyned to passe to the Freres in Stirling, ... and there received open pennance and a solempne othe, in the presence and hereing of all men that was there, that he shulde never doo the same againe, but supporte and defende the professon and habit of mounkes, freres, and such other; and therupon, being absolved by the Cardinall and the Busshoppes, herde masse and received the sacramente" (Hamilton Papers, ii. 38).] [51] D'Aubigné's Reformation in the Time of Calvin, vi, 206. [52] Concilia Scotiæ, ii. 294. [53] Acts of Parliament, ii. 443. [This was on the 15th of December 1543.] [54] [This letter is dated 20th May 1545 (Theiner's Monumenta, p. 616).] [55] Theiner's Monumenta, p. 617. [This letter is dated 6th July 1545.] [56] Hume Brown's Knox, i. 64, 65. Grimani's opinion, as sent from Stirling, is thus summarised by Father Stevenson: "The realm is in such confusion, so divided, so full of heresy that, but for the interposition of God, it will soon become as bad as England. The queen and the cardinal have spent all their money in the common cause; and the clergy are unable to assist, for the fruits of their benefices have been seized by the Lutherans" (Mary Stuart, 1886, p. 51). CHAPTER IV. GEORGE WISHART.