AT this same Assemblie was the Lord James appoynted to go to France to the Quene oure Soverane;[308] and a Parliament was appointed to begyn the twenty of Maij nixt following; for at that tyme was the returne of the said Lord James looked for. And so was that Conventioun dissolved without any other thing of importance concluded. The said Lord James prepared him for his jornay; (for albeit he past in the publict effairis, he susteaned the charge of his awin expensses; and yit thair never past fra this Realme in the cumpanye of one man so many, and so honest, throwght England to France.) Befoir he departed, he was foirwarned asweill of the danger in France, as of the Quenis craft, (not that we then suspected her nature, but that we understoode the malice of hir freindis:) he was planelie premonisshed, that yf ever he condiscended that sche should have Messe publictlie or privatlie within the Realme of Scotland, that then betrayed he the caus of God, and exponed the religioun evin to the uttermoist danger that he could do. That sche should have Messe publictlie, he affirmed that he should never consent: but to have it secreatlie in hir chalmer, who could stopp hir? The danger was schawin; and so he departed. [308] Lord James Stewart was appointed to repair to Queen Mary, by the Convention, 15th January 1560-1. Chalmers is undoubtedly correct when he says, he had no authority, to persuade the Queen to return to Scotland. (Life of Queen Mary, vol. iii. p. 141.) But Lord James, as we are informed by Randolph, was in no hurry to depart "till he see what will be done at the ensuing Parliament." (Ib.) In a letter to Cecil, 7th February 1560-1, he desires a passport, "being ordered by the Nobility and Council, to our Sovereign, for declaration of our duty and devotion to her Highness." (Ib.) He left Edinburgh, on his way to France, 18th March, passing through England, where he was well entertained, and reached the town of Diziers, where Queen Mary was residing, on the 15th April 1561. (Bishop Lesley's History, p. 294.) * * * * * The Electioun of the Superintendentis heirefter followed in this maner:[309]-- [309] In the MS. 1566, of Knox's History, several blank pages occur after these words; but the deficiency, consisting of the "Forme and Order of the Election of Superintendents," &c., (ending at page 150 of the present volume,) has been supplied from the Glasgow MS., collated with a copy annexed to "The Ordour of Excommunication," &c., subjoined to an edition of the Psalms and Prayers, printed at Edinburgh, by Robert Charteris, 1596. It is also included in the "Collection of Confessions of Faith," &c., vol. ii. p. 625, Edinb. 1722. The Editor says, he has printed it according to an edition by Robert Lekprevik 1569; and that "it differs little from the ordinary copies that are printed with the old Psalms, but in the manner of spelling of words."