The Negotiations between the Congregation and the English Court.
From this time forward, frequent mention will be made of the comfortable support that we, by God's providence, received in our greatest extremity from our neighbours of England. We therefore think it expedient simply to declare how that matter was first moved, and by what means it came to pass that the Queen and Council of England showed themselves so favourable to us.
John Knox had forewarned us, by his letters from Geneva, of all dangers that he foresaw to ensue from our enterprise; and, when he came to Dieppe, mindful of these, and revolving with himself what remedy God would please to offer, he had the boldness to write to Sir William Cecil, Secretary of England. With him the said John had formerly been familiarly acquainted, and he intended thereby to renew acquaintance, and so to open his mind further....
To this letter no answer was made; for, shortly thereafter, the said John made forward to Scotland by sea, where he landed on the third day of May; and had such success as has been declared in the Second Book. The said John, being in St. Andrews after Cupar Moor, entered into deep discourse with the Laird of Grange: the dangers were evident, but the support was not easy to be seen. After many words, John Knox burst forth as follows: "If England would foresee their own commodity, yea, if they did consider the danger wherein they themselves stand, they would not suffer us to perish in this quarrel; for France hath decreed no less the conquest of England than of Scotland." After long reasoning, it was concluded betwixt them two that support should be craved of England. For that purpose, the said Laird of Grange first wrote to Sir Harry Percy, and afterwards rode from Edinburgh and spake with him. To him he made so plain demonstration of the apparent danger to England, that he took upon him to write to the Secretary Cecil; who with expedition returned answer back again. Sir Harry was given to understand that our enterprise was not altogether misliked by the Council, albeit they desired further resolution on the part of the principal Lords. When this was understood, it was concluded by some to write unto him plainly our whole purpose.... With this our letter, John Knox wrote two, one to the Secretary, and another to the Queen's Majesty herself.... These letters were directed by Alexander Whitelaw, a man that hath oft hazarded himself, and his all, for the cause of God, and for his friends when in danger for the same cause.
Within a day or two after the departure of the said Alexander, there came a letter from Sir Harry Percy to John Knox, requiring him to meet him at Alnwick, on the third of August, upon such affairs as he would not write of, nor yet communicate to any but the said John himself. While he was preparing himself for the journey, for Secretary Cecil had appointed to meet him at Stamford, the Frenchmen came forth furiously from Dunbar, intending to have surprised the Lords in Edinburgh, as in the Second Book has been declared. This stayed the journey of the said John, until God had delivered the innocent from that great danger; and then was he (having Master Robert Hamilton, minister of the Evangel of Jesus Christ, in his company) directed from the Lords, with full commission and instructions to set forth their whole cause and estate.
The passage was from Pittenweem, by sea. Arriving at Holy Island, and being informed that Sir Harry Percy was absent from the North, they addressed themselves to Sir James Crofts, then Captain of Berwick and Warden of the East Marches of England. They showed to him their credit and commission. He received them gently, and comforted them with his faithful counsel, which was that they should travel no farther, nor yet should they be seen in public, and that for divers considerations. First, the Queen Regent had her spies in England. Secondarily, the Queen and the Council favoured our action, but would that all things should remain secret as long as possible. And last, said he, "I do not think it expedient that, when preachers are so scarce, ye two should be any long time absent from the Lords. Therefore," said he, "ye shall do best to commit to writing your whole mind and credit, and I shall promise to you, upon my honour, to have answer delivered to you and the Lords, before ye yourselves could reach London. And where your letters cannot express all things so fully as your presence could, I, not only by my pen, but also by my own presence, shall supply the same, to such as will inform the Council sufficiently of all things."
The said John and Master Robert followed this counsel, for it was faithful and proceeded of love at that time. They tarried with Sir James Crofts very secretly, within the Castle of Berwick, for two days, when Alexander Whitelaw returned with answer to the Lords, and to John Knox, the tenor of whose letter was this:--
Master Cecil's Letter to John Knox.
"Master Knox,--Non est masculus neque foemina, omnes enim, ut ait Paulus, unum sumus in Christo Jesu. Benedictus vir qui confidit in Domino; et erit Dominus fiducia ejus. [154]
"I have received your letters, at the time that I had thought to have seen yourself about Stamford. What is the cause of your let, I know not. I forbear to descend to the bottom of things, until I may confer with such an one as ye are; and, therefore, if your chance shall be hereafter to come hither, I wish you to be furnished with good credit, and power to make good resolution. Although my answer to the Lords of Congregation be somewhat obscure, upon further understanding ye shall find the matter plain. I need wish to you no more prudence than God's grace, whereof God send you plenty. And so I end. From Oxford, the twenty-eighth of July 1559.--Yours as a member of the same body in Christ,--W. Cecil."
Albeit the said John received this letter at Berwick, yet would he answer nothing until he had spoken with the Lords. Them he found in Stirling, and unto them he delivered the answer sent from the Council of England.... The answer sent by Master Cecil was so general that many amongst us were despaired of any comfort to come from that country; and therefore were determined that they would request nothing further. John Knox laboured for the contrary purpose; but he could prevail no further than that he should have licence and liberty to write as he thought best. And so took he upon him to answer for all, in form as follows:--
The Reply of John Knox to Secretary Cecil.
"... Albeit Master Whitelaw, by his credit, Master Kirkaldy, by his letter, and I, both by letters and by that which I had learned from Sir James Crofts, did declare and affirm your good minds towards them and their support; yet could not some of the Council--those, I mean, of greatest experience--be otherwise persuaded, but that this alteration in France had altered your former purpose.
"It is not unknown to your countrymen what goodwill we three do bear to England. Therefore we heartily desire of you that your favours and good minds may appear to the Council by your own writings, rather than by any credit committed to any of us. The case of those gentlemen standeth thus:--Unless money be furnished without delay to pay their soldiers, who in number now exceed five hundred, for their service by-past, and to retain another thousand footmen, with three hundred horsemen for a time, they will be compelled every man to seek the next way for his own safety. I am assured, as flesh may be of flesh, that some of them will take a very hard life before they compone [155] either with the Queen Regent, or with France. But this I dare not promise at all, unless in you they see a greater forwardness to their support.
"To support us may appear excessive, and to break promise with France may appear dangerous. But, Sir, I hope ye consider that our destruction were your greatest loss; and that when France shall be our full master--which God avert!--they will be but slender friends to you. I heard Béthencourt brag in his credit, after he had delivered his menacing letters to Lord James Stewart, that the King and his Council would spend the Crown of France, unless they had our full obedience. But most assuredly I know that unless by us they thought to make an entrance to you, they would not buy our poverty at that price. They labour to corrupt some of our great men by money, and some of our number are poor, as before I wrote, and cannot serve without support; some they threaten; and against others they have raised up a party in their own country. In the meantime, if ye lie by as neutrals, ye may easily conjecture what will be the end! Some of the Council, immediately after the sight of your letters, departed, not well appeased. The Earl of Argyll is gone to his country for putting order to the same, [156] and is minded to return shortly with his forces, if assurance of your support be had.
"Therefore, Sir, in the bowels of Jesus Christ, I require you to make plain answer, that the Gentlemen here may know what to lippen to, [157] and at what time their support should be in readiness. How dangerous is the drift of time in such matters, ye are not ignorant...."
A practical Answer.
With great expedition, answer was returned to this letter. It was requested that some men of credit should be sent from the Lords to Berwick, to receive money for immediate support; and promise was made that, if the Lords of the Congregation meant no otherwise than they had written, and if they would enter into league with honest conditions, they should neither lack men nor money to aid their just cause. Upon receipt of this answer, Master Henry Balnaves, a man of good credit in both the realms, was sent by the Lords to Berwick. He immediately returned with such a sum of money as served all the public affairs until the next November; John Cockburn of Ormiston was then sent for the second support, and receiving the same, unhappily fell into the hands of the Earl Bothwell, and was wounded, taken, and spoiled of a great sum. Upon this mischance followed all the rest of our troubles before rehearsed....
In the negotiation of the Secretary Lethington with the Queen and Council of England, in which he travailed with no less wisdom and faithfulness than happy success, many things occurred that required the resolution of the whole Lords. Amongst these there was one of which we have made no previous mention.
After the Queen and Council of England had concluded to send their army into Scotland to expel the French, the Duke of Norfolk was sent to Berwick, with full instructions, power, and commission, to do in all things, concerning the present affairs of Scotland, as the Queen and Councillors in their own persons might do. Hereupon, the said Duke required such a part of the Lords of Scotland as had power and commission from the whole to meet him at such day and place as it might please them to appoint. The intimation came first to Glasgow, by means of the Master of Maxwell. When this had been read and considered by the Lords, it was agreed that they should meet at Carlisle. This arrangement was made on the procurement of the said Master of Maxwell, for his own ease.
John Knox reproaches the Lords for Slackness and Thoughtlessness.
Letters were directed from the Lords, lying at Glasgow, to Lord James, requiring him to repair towards them for the purpose named, with all possible expedition. When these letters had been read and advised upon, commandment was given to John Knox to make the answer.... And he wrote as follows:--"I have written oftener than once to Mr. Henry Balnaves concerning things that have misliked me in your slow proceedings in supporting your brethren, who many days have sustained extreme danger in these parts, as well as in making provision how the enemy might have been annoyed, when they lay in few numbers nigh to your quarters in Stirling; and in making provision how the expectation of your friends, who long have awaited for your answer, might have been satisfied. But although I have complained of those things, of very conscience, I am yet compelled to signify unto your honours that, unless I shall espy some redress of these and other enormities, I am assured that the end shall be such as godly men shall mourn, and that a good cause shall perish for lack of wisdom and diligence.
"In my last letters to Mr. Henry Balnaves, I declared that your especial friends in England wonder that no greater expedition is made, the weight of the matter being considered. I wrote also that, if the fault were with the Lord Duke and his friends, the greatest loss should be his and theirs in the end. And now, I cannot cease both to wonder and lament that your whole Council was so destitute of wisdom and discretion as to charge this poor man, the Prior, to come to you to Glasgow, and thereafter to go to Carlisle, for such affairs as are to be entreated. Was there none amongst you who did foresee what inconveniences might ensue his absence from these parts?
"I cease to speak of the dangers from the enemy. Your friends have lain in the Firth now for fifteen days bypast, and what was their former travail is not unknown; yet they have never received comfort from any man, him only excepted, more than if they had lain upon the coast of their mortal enemy. Do ye not consider that such a company needs comfort and provision from time to time? Remove him, and who abideth that carefully will travail in that or any other weighty matter in these parts? Did ye not further consider that he had begun to meddle with the gentlemen who had declared themselves unfriends heretofore; and also that order would have been taken for such as have been neutral? Now, by reason of his absence, the former will escape without admonition, and the latter will retain their former liberty. I am assured that the enemy will not sleep, either in that or in other affairs. They will undermine you and your whole cause; and, especially, they will hurt this part of the country in revenge for their former folly.
"If none of these causes should have moved you to have considered that such a journey, at such a time, was not meet for the Lord James, or for them that must accompany him, discreet men would yet have considered that the men that have lien in their jacks, and travailed their horses continually the space of a month, require some longer rest than yet they have had, both for themselves and, especially, for their horses, before they should have been charged to take such a journey. The Prior may, for satisfaction of your unreasonable minds, make the enterprise; but I am assured that he shall not be able to procure in all Fife six honest men to accompany him. How that stands either with your honour or his safety, judge ye yourselves.
"Again, it is a wonder that ye did not consider to what pain and fashery [158] ye put your friends of England; especially the Duke of Norfolk and his Council, whom ye would cause to travel the most wearisome and fashous gait [159] that is in England. In my opinion, whoever gave you that counsel either lacked right judgment in things to be done, or else had too much respect to his own ease, and too small regard to the travail and danger of his brethren. A common cause requireth a common concurrence, and that every man bear his burden proportionably. Prudent and indifferent men espy the contrary in this cause, especially of late days; for the weakest are most grievously charged, and those to whom the matter most belongeth, and to whom justly the greatest burden is due, are in a manner exempted both from travail and expenses.
"To speak the matter plainly, wise men do wonder what my Lord Duke's friends do mean; they are so slack and backward in this cause. In other actions, they have been judged stout and forward; and in this, which is the greatest that ever he or they had in hand, they appear destitute both of grace and of courage. I am not ignorant that they that are most inward in his counsels are enemies to God, and therefore cannot but be enemies to His cause. But the wonder is that he and his other friends do not consider that the tinsel of this godly enterprise will mean the rooting of them and their posterity from this realm. Considering, my Lords, that by God's providence ye are joined with the Duke's Grace in this common cause, do ye admonish him plainly of the danger to come. Will him to beware of the counsel of those that are plainly infected with superstition, with pride, and with venom of particular profits. If he do not this at your admonition, he shall smart, before he be aware; if ye cease to put him in mind of his duty, it may be that, for your silence, ye shall drink some portion of the plague with him...."
Upon the receipt of this letter, and consultation thereupon, a fresh decision was made; to wit, that the Lords would visit the Duke of Norfolk at Berwick, where he was.
Thus far have we digressed from the style of the history, to let the posterity that shall follow understand by what instruments God wrought the familiarity and friendship that afterwards we found in England. Now we return to our former history.