He became a favourite of King James the Fifth, with whom he had been educated. He was admitted a Privy Councillor in 1535, and was const.i.tuted Lieutenant-General of the North in 1540. In 1546 he succeeded Cardinal Beaton as Lord Chancellor. He obtained in 1549 a grant of the Earldom of Murray, but this he was forced to resign in 1559. The estates and dignities of Mar and Murray having afterwards been conferred upon Lord James Stewart, this served to encrease those fatal dissensions which ultimately led to the Earl"s death, at Corrichie, on the 28th October 1562.
[Sidenote: BOTHWELL BRAKE WARDE.]
[Sidenote: THE FALS BISHOPE AND HIS TRAFIQUE]
Whill thingis war so wyrking in the North, the Erle Bothwell brack his ward, and cam furth of the Castell of Edinburgh, the 28th of August.
Some say that he brack the stancheour of the wyndo; utheris whispered, that he gat easye pa.s.sage by the yettis. One thing is certane, to wit, The Quene was litill offended at his eschaiping. Thair pa.s.sed with him a servand of the Capitane"s, named James Porterfield. The said Erle schew him self not verray affrayed, for his commoun residence was in Lowthean. The Bischope of Sanctandrois and Abbot of Crosraguell keapt secreat conventioun that same tyme in Paslay, to whom resorted diverse Papistis; yea, the said Bischope s.p.a.ck the Duck, unto whom also cam the Lord Gordon from the Erle of Huntley, requyring him "to putt to his handis in the South, as he should do in the North; and so it should not be Knoxis crying nor preaching that should stay that purpose." The Bischope, be he never so close, could not altogether hyd his mynd, but at his awin table said, "The Quene is gone into the North, belyke to seak disobedience: sche may perchance fynd the thing that sche seikis." It was constantlie affirmed, that the Erle Bothwell and the said Lord Gordon s.p.a.ck together, but of thair purpoise we heard no mentioun.
[Sidenote: COMMISSIONARIS.]
That same year, and at that instant tyme, war appointed Commissionaris by the Generall a.s.semblie to Carryk and Cunighame, Maister George Hay, who, the s.p.a.ce of a moneth preached with great fruct in all the churches of Carryk. To Kyle, and to the partis of Galloway was appointed Johnne Knox, who besyde the doctrine of the evangell schawen unto the commoun people, foirwarned some of the n.o.bilitie and Baronis of the dangearis that he feared, and that war appearing schortlie to follow; and exhorted thame to put thame selfis in sic ordour as that thei mycht be able to serve the authoritie, and yit not to suffer the ennemeis of G.o.ddis treuth to have the upper hand. Whairupoun a great part of the Baronis and Gentilmen of Kyle and Cunynghame and Carrik, professing the treu doctrine of the evangell, a.s.sembled at Ayre; and after exhortationis maid, and conference had, subscrivit this Band.
The tennour whairof followis:--
WE, whais Names are underwrittin, do promesse, in the presence of G.o.d, and in the presence of his Sone our Lord Jesus Christ, that we, and everie ane of us, shall and will manteane and a.s.sist the preaching of his holy Evangell, now of his mear mercy, offered unto this Realme; and also will manteane the ministeris of the same against all personis, power, and authoritie, that will oppone the self to the doctrin proponed, and by us receaved. And farther, with the same solempnitie, we protest and promesse, that everie ane of us shall a.s.sist otheris; yea, and the hoill body of the Protestantis within this Realme, in all lauchfull and just actionis, against all personis; so that whosoever shall hurt, molest, or truble ony of our body, shalbe reaputed ennemye to the hoill, except that the offendar wilbe content to submit him self to the judgement of the Kirk, now establisshed amangis us. And this we do, as we desyre to be accepted and favored of the Lord Jesus, and reaccompted worthy of credyte and honestie in the presence of the G.o.dlie. At the Brough of Air, the ferd day of September, the year of G.o.d J^m V^c threscoir twa zeiris.
Subscrivit by all these with thair handis, as followis:--
MR. MICHAELL WALLACE, Provest of Air,[813]
JAMES LOCKART,[814]
WILLIAME MONTGOMERY, JOHNNE CRAUFURD of Wolstoun,[815]
GLENCARNE,[816]
RO. BOYD,[817]
R. FAILFURD,[818]
MATTHEW CAMPBELL of Lowden, knyght, ALLANE LORD CAYTHCART, JOHNNE MURE in Wole, HEW WALLACE of Carnell, JAMES CHALMER of Gathgirth, HEW MONTGOMERY of h.e.s.h.eilhead, JOHNNE FULLARTOUN of Dreghorne, I WILLIAME CUNYGHAME, with my hand, SKELDOUN,[819]
FARGUSHILL,[820]
MR. OF BOYD,[821]
JOHNNE LOCKART of Barr, WILLIAME CUNYGHAME of Capringtoun younger, ROBERT KER of Carsland, ROBERT CRAWFURD, DAVID CRAWFURD, WILLIAME CUNYGHAME, CHARLES CAMPBELL, Burgess of Air, JAMES DALRYMPLE of Stayre, MUNGO MURE, JAMES REID, JAMES KENNEDY, Burgess of Air, GEORGE LOCKART, Burgess thair, JOHNE CUNYNGHAME of Capringtoun, CUNYNGHAMHEID,[822]
VCHILTRIE,[823]
GEORGE CRAUFURD of Lefnoreise, JOHNE MURE of Rowallane, HEW CUNYGHAME of Watterstoun, ROBERT CUNYGHAME, AKYNHARVYE,[824]
MYDDILTOUN,[825]
JOHNE WALLACE of Cragie, JOHNE BOYD of Narstoun, ROBERT CAMPBELL of Kingzeanclewcht, GILBERT ECCLES, THOMAS CAYTHCARTE, with my hand, ALLANE CAITHCART of Clawance,[826]
ADAM REYD of Barskymming, JOHNNE CAITHCART of Gibiszard,[827]
JOHNE REID, with my hand, JOHNE ...[828]
ROBERT SCHAW, Burgess thair, JOHNNE DUNBAR of Blantyre, ROBERT CHALMER of Martnem,[829]
ROBERT HUNTAR of Huntarstoun, ROBERT RANKIN, ARCHIBALD BOYLE, ALEXANDER NYSBETT, JAMES LOCKART, WILLIAME STEWART of Halrig, HECTOUR DUNBAR of Clousting, JAMES CAMPBELL of Louchley, ADAM CAITHCART of Bardarocht, GEORGE RYD of Chapellhouse, HEW WALLACE of the Meanfurd, ROBERT CAMPBELL of Cragdow, ANDRO NEVEN of Monkredden, WILLIAME CAITHCART, DAVID CRAUFURD of the Kerse, JOHNNE KENNYDYE of Ternganoche, PATRIK KENNYDIE of Daljarocht,[830]
ALLANE CAITHCART of Carlton, ROBERT BOYD of Pemont,[831]
WILLIAME CAMPBELL of Horsclewcht,[832]
WILLIAME CAITHCART, brother to the Lord Caithcart, JOHNNE MACQUHIDAILL, GEORGE CORRY of Kelwod, WILLIAME KENNYDIE of Ternganocht, JOHNNE KENNYDIE of Kirkmichaell, THOMAS MACKALEXANDER of Corsclais.[833][834]
[813] The Provost of Ayr was, no doubt, Wallace of Holmstone, on the south bank of the river, about a mile from the town.
[814] Probably Sir James Lockhart of Lee.
[815] Or Walston, parish of Tarbolton.
[816] Alexander fourth Earl of Glencairn.
[817] Robert fourth Lord Boyd: see page 259, note 7.
[818] Robert Cunningham, minister of Failfurd: see a subsequent note.
[819] William Campbell of Skeldon, in the parish of Dalrymple.
[820] John Fergushill of Fergushill, in the parish of Kilwinning.
[821] Robert Master of Boyd. He predeceased his father Lord Boyd.
[822] Sir William Cunningham of Cunninghamhead.
[823] Andrew second Lord Stewart of Ochiltrie.
[824] In the list this appears as a distinct name, but Robert Cunningham was Laird of Auchinharvy.
[825] The Laird of Middleton was also a Cunningham.
[826] Or Clavanes, parish of Dundonald.
[827] Or Gibb"s-yard.
[828] In all the copies of Knox this name is left blank, his transcriber in 1566 apparently being unable to decypher it.
[829] Or Martinham, parish of Dalrymple.
[830] Or Daljarrock, parish of Colmonell.
[831] Or Piedmont.
[832] Or Horsecleuch, in the parish of c.u.mnock, a designation a.s.sumed by the Campbells of Skerrington, although probably at first by a distinct branch of the family.
[833] Or Corseclays, in the parish of Colmonell.
[834] In MS. G, at the end of this list of names is added, "With many uther Gentilmen of worth, and Burgesses." In MS. L 4, the list is dated, the 3d of September; but the names of the Subscribers of this Bond are only partially given; but adding these words, "with an hundreth more gentlemen," &c. Calderwood also gives a similar abridged list. (Hist. vol. ii. p. 202.)
These thingis done at Ayr, the said Johne pa.s.sed to Nethisdaill and Galloway, whair, in conference with the Maister of Maxwell,[835] a man of great judgment and experience, he communicat with him such thingis as he feared; who by his motioun wraytt to the Erle Bothwell, to behave himself as it became a faythfull subject, and to keape good quyetness in the partis committed to his charge, and so wold his cryme of the breaking of the ward be the more easelie pardoned. Johne Knox wrait unto the Dukis Grace, and earnestlie exhorted him neather to geve eare to the Bischope[836] his b.a.s.t.a.r.d brother, nor yit to the persuasionis of the Erle of Huntley; for yf he did, he a.s.sured him, that he and his House should come to a suddane ruyn.
[835] Sir John Maxwell of Terreglis, Warden of the West Marches: see vol. i. p. 319.
[836] Giving ear to the Bishop, that is, John Hamilton, Archbishop of St. Andrews.
By such meanis war the South partis keapte in rea.s.sonable quyetness, during the tyme that the trubles war in brewing in the North. And yit the Bischope and the Abbote of Corsraguell,[837] did what in thame lay to have rased some truble; for besydis the fearfull bruytes that thei spa.r.s.ed abroad, (sometymes that the Quene was tacken; sometymes that the Erle of Murray and all his band war slane; and sometymes that the Quene had gevin her self unto the Erle of Huntley,--besydis such bruites) the Bischope, to brek the countrey of Kyle, whair quyetness was greatest, rased the Craufurdis against the Readis for the payment of the Bischopis Pasche fynes; but that was stayed by the laubouris of indifferent men, who favored peace.
[837] Quintin Kennedy was the fourth son of Gilbert second Earl of Ca.s.sillis. As a younger son, intended for the church, he pursued his studies at St. Andrews, and afterwards at Paris. He obtained the Abbacy of Crossraguell in Ayrshire, in the year 1549. He died on the 22d August 1564. See notice of his life in the Wodrow Miscellany, vol.
i. p. 89.
[Sidenote: DISPUTATIOUN.]
[Sidenote: CROSRAGUELL OFFFRED HIM ANES TO PREACH.]
The Abbot of Crosraguell requyred disputatioun of Johne Knox for mantenance of the Messe, which was granted unto him, and whiche held in Mayboll thre dayis. The Abbot had the advantage that he requyred, to wit, He took upoun him to prove that Melchisedeck offered bread and wyne unto G.o.d, which was the ground that the Messe was builded upoun to be a Sacrifice, &c. But in the travaill of thre dayis thair could no prooff be produced for Melchisedeckis oblatioun, as in the same disputatioun (which is to be had in print[838]) clearlie may appear.