Church of Scotland; Knox, John, approximately 1514-1572; Reformation -- Scotland; Theology -- Early works to 1800
"Forsamekle as it is understand to the Queneis Grace, that the Duke
of Chastellerault hes laitlie directit his missyveis in all pairtis
of this realme, makand mentioun that the Frensche men lait arryvit,
with thair wyffis and bairneis, ar [begunne][959] to plant in
Leith, to the rewyne of the commun-welth, quhilk he and his
pairttakeris will not pas ower with patient behalding, desyring to
knaw quhat will be everie manis pairt; and that the fortificatioun
of Leith is[960] ane purpoise devysit in France, and that thairfoir
Monsieur de La Broche and the Bischop of Amiance ar cumit in this
cuntrey; ane thing sa vaine and untrew, that the contrarie thairof
is notour to all men of free jugement: Thairfoir hir Grace, willing
that the occatiouns quhairby hir Grace was movit sa to do be maid
patent, and quhat hes bene hir proceidingis sen the Appointment
last maid on the Linkis besyde Leith, to the effect that the treuth
of all thingis being maid manifest, everie man may understand how
injustlie that will to suppres the libertie of this realme is laid
to hir charge, hes thocht expedient to mak this discours
following:--
"Fyrst, Althocht efter the said Appointment, dyverse of the said
Congregatioun, and that not of the meaneast sort, had contravenit
violentlie the pointis thairof, and maid sundrie occatiouns of new
cummer, the samyn was in ane pairt wynkit att and ower-luikit, in
hoip that thay with tyme wald remember thair dewatie, and abstene
fra sick evill behaviouris, quhilk conversioun hir Grace ever
sochtt, rather than any puneisment, with sick cair and solicitud be
all meaneis, quhill, in the menetyme, na thing was providit for hir
awin securitie. Bot at last, be thair frequent messageis to and fra
Ingland, thair intelligence than was persavit: yit hir Grace
trestis the Quene of Ingland (lett thame seik as thay pleise) will
do the office of ane Christiane Princes in tyme of ane sworne peax;
throw quhilk force was to hir Grace (seand sua greit defectioun of
greit personageis,) to have recourse to the law of nature; and lyk
as ane small bird, being persewit, will provide sum nest, sua hir
Grace could do na less, in caise of persute, nor provide sum sure
retrait for hir selff and hir cumpany; and to that effect, chusit
the toun of Leith, as place convenient thairfoir; becaus, first, it
was hir derrest dochteris propertie, and na uther persone could
acclame tytle or enteress thairto, and als becaus in tyme afoir it
had bene fortifeit. About the same tyme that the seiking support of
Ingland was maid manifest, arryvit the Erle of Arrane, and adjoinit
him selff to the Congregatioun, upoun farder promisses nor the[961]
pretendit quarrell of religioun that was to be sett up be thame in
authoratie, and sua to pervert the haill obedience.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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