BOOK THIRD. [151]
1559-1561.
The Regent possesses Edinburgh: Arran is proclaimed Traitor.
After our dolorous departure from Edinburgh, the fury and the rage of the French increased; for then neither man nor woman that professed Christ Jesus durst be seen within that town. The houses of the most honest men were given by the Queen to the Frenchmen for a part of their reward. The Earl Bothwell, by sound of trumpet, proclaimed the Earl of Arran traitor, with other despiteful words; and all this was done for the pleasure and at the suggestion of the Queen Regent, who then thought the battle was won, without fear of further resistance. Great practising she made towards obtaining the Castle of Edinburgh. The French made faggots and other preparations for assaulting the Castle, by force or by treason. But God wrought so potently with the Captain, the Lord Erskine, that neither did the Queen prevail by flattery, nor the French by treason.
French Reinforcements meet with Disaster at Sea.
With all diligence, intelligence was sent to the Duke of Guise, who was then virtual King of France, requiring him to use expedition, if he desired the full conquest of Scotland. He delayed no time, and sent away a new army with his brother, Marquis D'Elboeuf, and the Count de Martigues, promising that he himself should follow. But the righteous God, who in mercy looketh upon the affliction of those that unfeignedly sob unto Him, fought for us by His own outstretched arm. One night, upon the coast of Holland, eighteen ensigns of them were drowned, so that there only remained the ship in which were the two leaders with their ladies. These, violently driven back again to Dieppe, were compelled to confess that God fought for the defence of Scotland.
News from England: a waiting Game is played.
Robert Melvin, who had gone to London in company with the Secretary, a little before Christmas, now returned from England and brought certain Articles to be answered by us. Thereupon the Nobility convened at Stirling, and returned answer with diligence. The French, informed of this, marched to Linlithgow, spoiled the Duke's house, and wasted his lands of Kinneil; thereafter coming to Stirling, where they remained for some days. The Duke, and the Earls of Argyll and Glencairn, with their friends, moved on to Glasgow, the Earl of Arran and Lord James, to St. Andrews; for charge had been given to all the Protestant Nobility to conserve their forces until God should send them further support.
The French invade Fife.
The French laid their plans for assaulting Fife first; for it had stirred their great indignation. Their purpose was to have taken and fortified the town, the Abbey, and the Castle of St. Andrews. So they came to Culross, after that to Dunfermline, and then to Burntisland, where they began to fortify. But they soon had reason to desist and march to Kinghorn. For, when the Earl of Arran and the Lord James learned that the French had departed from Stirling, they departed also from St. Andrews, and began to assemble their forces at Cupar. They also sent their men of war to Kinghorn; and to them there resorted divers of the coast side, who were of mind to resist at the beginning, rather than when the French had destroyed a part of their towns. As the Lords had given express command that nothing should be hazarded until they themselves were present, the Lord Ruthven, a man of great experience, and inferior to few in stoutness, was dispatched to Kinghorn.
An Affair at Pettycur.
The men of war, and the rascal multitude, perceiving Frenchmen landing from certain boats which had come from Leith, determined to stop their coming ashore. Not considering the enemies that approached from Burntisland, they unadvisedly rushed down to the Pettycur, as the brae be-west Kinghorn is called, and at the sea-coast began skirmishing. They never took heed to the enemy that approached by land, until the horsemen charged down upon their backs, and the whole bands met them in the face. They were thus compelled to give back, with the loss of six or seven men killed, and some others taken prisoner. The reason why there was so small a loss in so great a danger was, next to the merciful providence of God, the sudden coming of the Lord Ruthven. Immediately after our men had given back, he and his company came to the head of the brae, and stayed the French footmen, while some of ours broke upon their horsemen, and so repulsed them that they did no further hurt to our footmen.
The French occupy Kinghorn.
The French took Kinghorn, and there they lay, wasting the country about, as well Papists as Protestants, yea, even those that were confederate with them, such as Seafield, Wemyss, Balmuto, Balweary, and others, enemies to God and traitors to their country. They spared not the sheep, the oxen, the kine, and horse of these men, and some say that their wives and daughters got favours of the French soldiers. Thus did God recompense the Papists in their own bosoms, for, besides the defiling of their houses, two of them received more damage than did all the gentlemen that professed the Evangel within Fife, the Laird of Grange only excepted. His house of the Grange the French overthrew by gunpowder.
The Queen Regent, proud of this victory, burst forth in blasphemous railing, and said, "Where is now John Knox's God? My God is now stronger than his, yea, even in Fife." To her friends in France she posted news that thousands of the heretics had been slain, and that the rest were fled; and required that some nobleman would come and take the glory of that victory. Upon that information, the Count de Martigues, with two ships, and some captains and horse, were directed to come to Scotland; but little to their own advantage, as we shall hear.
John Knox preaches at Cupar.
The Lords of the Congregation, offended at the foolishness of the rascal multitude, recalled the men of war, and remained certain days at Cupar. To them repaired John Knox, and, in our greatest desperation, preached a most comfortable sermon. His subject was, "The danger in which the disciples of Christ Jesus stood when they were in the midst of the sea, and Jesus was upon the mountain." He exhorted us not to faint, but still to row against these contrary blasts, until Jesus Christ should come; "for," said he, "I am as assuredly persuaded that God shall deliver us from the extreme trouble, as I am assured that this is the Evangel of Jesus Christ which I preach unto you this day. I am assured, albeit I cannot assure you, by reason of this present rage; God grant that ye may acknowledge His hand, after your eyes have seen His deliverance." In that sermon he comforted many. And yet he offended the Earl of Arran, who apprehended that certain words were spoken in reproach of him, because he kept himself more close and solitary than many men would have wished.
The Campaign in Fife.
After these things, determination was taken that the Earl of Arran and Lord James, with the men of war and some company of horsemen, should go to Dysart, and there lie in wait upon the French, so that they should not utterly destroy the sea-coast, as they had intended to have done. The said Earl and Lord James did as they were appointed, albeit their company was very small; and yet they did so valiantly, that it passed all credibility. For twenty-one days they lay in their clothes; their boots never came off: they had skirmishing almost every day; yea, some days, from morn to even. The French had four thousand soldiers, beside their favourers and faction of the country. The Lords had never altogether five hundred horsemen, with a hundred soldiers; and yet they held the French so busy, that for every horse they slew to the Congregation, they lost four French soldiers.
William Kirkaldy of Grange, on the day after his house was cast down, sent in his defiance to Monsieur D'Oysel and the rest, declaring that to that hour had he used the French favourably. He had saved their lives, when he might have suffered their throats to be cut; but, seeing that they had used him with that rigour, let them not look for that favour in times to come. The said William Kirkaldy, and the Master of Lyndsay, escaped many dangers. The Master had his horse slain under him: the said William was almost betrayed in his house at Hallyards. Yet they never ceased; night and day they waited upon the French.
On one occasion, they with some gentlemen laid themselves in a secret place, before day, to await the French, who were wont to ish in companies, to seek their prey. Forth came a Captain Battu, with his hundred men, and began to spoil. The said Master, now Lord of Lyndsay, and the said William, suffered this without showing themselves or their company, until they had them more than a mile from Kinghorn. Then the horsemen began to break. Perceiving this, the French drew together to a place called Glennis House, and made for debate; some took the house, and others defended the close and yard. The hazard appeared very unlikely, for our men had nothing but spears, and were compelled to light upon their feet. The others were within dykes; and all had culverins: the shot was fearful to many, and divers were hurt. Kirkaldy, perceiving men to faint and begin to recoil, cried, "Fie, let us never live after this day, if we shall recoil for French schybalds
[152] ;" and so the Master of Lyndsay and he burst in at the yett, and others followed. The Master struck with his spear at La Battu, and glancing upon his harness, for fierceness stammered [153] almost upon his knees. But, recovering suddenly, he fastened his spear, and bare the Captain backward, who, because he would not be taken, was slain, and fifty of his company with him. Those that were in the house, with some others, were saved, and sent to Dundee to be kept. This mischance to the Frenchmen made them more circumspect in scattering abroad in the country; and so the poor folk got some relief.
To furnish the French with victuals, Captain Cullen, with two ships, travelled betwixt the south shore and Kinghorn. For his wages, he spoiled Kinghorn, Kirkcaldy, and as much of Dysart as he might. For remedy, two ships were sent from Dundee, Andrew Sands, a stout and fervent man in the cause of religion, being in command. At the same time Count de Martigues arrived. Without delay he landed himself, his coffers, and the principal gentlemen that were with him at Leith, leaving the rest in his two ships until more convenient opportunity. But the said Andrew, and his companion, striking sail and making as if they would cast anchor hard beside them, boarded them both, and carried them to Dundee. In them were gotten some horse and much harness, with some other trifles; but of money we heard not.
An English Fleet arrives in the Forth.
The French were incensed, and vowed the destruction of St. Andrews and Dundee. Upon Monday morning, the twenty-third day of January 1560, they marched from Dysart, and crossed the water of Leven; ever keeping the sea-coast, for the sake of their ships and victuals. About twelve o'clock they espied ships. These had been seen that morning by us that were upon the land, but they were not known. Monsieur D'Oysel affirmed them to be French ships, and so the soldiers triumphed, shot their volley for salutation, and marched forward to Kincraig, fearing no resistance. But shortly after, the English ships, meeting with Captain Cullen, seized him and his ships, and this made them muse a little.
Suddenly came Master Alexander Wood, and assured Monsieur D'Oysel, that they were Englishmen, and that they were the fore-riders of a greater number that followed for the support of the Congregation. Then might have been seen the riving of beards, and might have been heard such despite as cruel men are wont to spue forth when God bridleth their fury. Weariness and the night constrained them to lodge where they were. They supped scarcely, because their ships were taken. In these were their victuals, and also the ordnance which they intended to have placed in St. Andrews. They themselves durst not stray abroad to forage; and the Laird of Wemyss's carriage, which likewise was coming with provisions for them, was stayed. Betimes in the morning, they retired towards Kinghorn, and made more expedition in one day in retiring, than they had done in two in advancing.
The French retire on Edinburgh.
The storm, which had continued for the space of nearly a month, broke at the very time of the retreat of the French. Many thought they would have been stayed by this until a reasonable company might have been assembled to have fought them; and with that purpose William Kirkaldy cut the bridge of Tullibody. But the French, expert enough in such work, took down the roof of a parish kirk, and made a bridge over the water called the Devon. So they escaped, and came to Stirling, and syne to Leith.
A greedy Frenchman dies in a Beef-tub.
In their retreat, the French spoiled the country and lost divers men; amongst whom there was one whose miserable end we must rehearse. A Frenchman--captain or soldier, we cannot tell, but he had a red cloak and a gilt morion--entered upon a poor woman, that dwelt in the Whyteside, and began to spoil. The poor woman offered him such bread as she had ready prepared. But he, in no ways content therewith, demanded the meal and a little salt beef with which she had to sustain her own life, and the lives of her poor children. Neither could tears nor pitiful words mitigate the merciless man; he would have whatsoever he could carry. The poor woman perceiving him so bent, and that he stooped down into her tub to take forth such stuff as was within it, cowped up his heels, so that his head went down; and there he ended his unhappy life.