thairefter come ane Frinche schip out of France haistelie in to Scottland witht secreit wryttings to the Duik of Albanie, quho then was in presone in the castell of Edinburgh, to advertise him that it was concludit with the king and consall that he sould be iustifieit witht in ane certane day; quhilk was the day befoir the schip strak in the raid of Leyth besyde the Newheawin and gaif hir self fourtht as ane passinger witht wyne, and send wpe word to the castell to the Duik of Albanie gif he wald haue of the samin. Quhen he hard thir nowellis he desyrit the captaneis lecence to send for tuo bossis of wyne, quho gaif him leif glaidlie and provydit the bossis himself. And then the Duik of Albanie send his familiear servand to the said frincheman for the wyne and prayit him to send of the best and starkest ; quho grantit the samin werie heartfullie and send him the tuo bossis of mavasie, and in the on of the bossis he pat ane roll of wax quhairin was clossit ane secreit writting quhilk schew the Duik of Albanie sic tydings as he was nocht content witht, bot in the wther boss thair was ane certane fadame of cordis to support him in his neid at that tyme. The bossis was of the quantatie of tuo gallouns the peace, quhairfoir they war the les to be knawin that thair was ought in to them bot the wyne. Nochtwithtstanding the man that brocht the wyne sped him hame to his maister and schew him certane thingis be toung quhilk this stranger had bidin him, and that night the Duik of Albanie callit the captane to the supper and promissit him ane drink of goode wyne and he glaidlie desyrit the same, and came to him incontenent and suppit witht him. The Duik off Albanie gaif his chamberchyld command that he sould drink no wyne that night bot keip him fresche ffor he knew not quhat he wald haue adoe; thairfor he prayit him to be war witht him self and gif thair raise ony thing amangis them he prayit him to tak his pairt as he wald serue him. Quhen supper was done the captane went to the kingis challmer to sie quhat he was doand, quho was then ludgit in the castill; and quhen he had gart wesit it, he gart syne steik the zettis and syne gart sett the watch man and thairefter came againe to the Duik of Albanieis chamber to the collatioun ; and efter that they had drukin and all men was in thair bedis, the Duik and the captane zeid to the tabillis and playit for the wyne. The fyre was hott and the wyne was stark and the captane and his men became merie ; quhill at the last the Duik of Albanie persaueit his tyme and saw them merrie and maid ane signe to his chamber chyld to be redy as he had instructit him befoir. For the Duik thocht at that tyme that thair was no wther remeid bot ether do or die, because that he was suirlie adwertissit be the frinche schip that he was to be heidit wpoun the morne; thairfor he thocht it best to prevene the tyme and to put his lyffe in jeopardie, thinkand the tyme might fall that he might releif himself. Thairfor he gaif the evintour and lap fra the boorde and straik the captane witht ane quhinger and slew him and allso siclyk to ane wther. Bot his chamber chyld was right bussie in the meane tyme and sua the tua wther tuik foure, that is to say the captane and his thrie men, and quhen they had done cast them in the fyre; and efterwart tuik out thair cordis and past to the wall heid at ane quyit place quhair the watches might haue no sight of thame, and thair laid ower the tow ower the wall and the Duik lat done his chamber chyld first. Bot the tow was schort and he fell and brak his thie baine, and thairefter cryit to his maister and bad him mak lang for

he was gaine. Then the Duik raif the scheittis of his bed and maid the raipe langer and past doune him self saiflie and quhen he come doune he persawit his servant lyand in the poynt of his lyfe. He tuik him wpe on his bak and buire him as far as he might win away and hide him in ane quyit place quhair he trowit he might be saif, and syne went to the New hevin, quho send thair bott to the land to him and ressawit him in to the schip; bot I knaw not giue his servant past witht him or not, bot suirle money gentillmen of Scottland wissit to be witht him. Amangis the laif Schir Alexander Jeardane laird of Apillgirth past witht him, witht sindrie gentilmen. Bot on the morne quhen the watchis persauit that the tow was hingand ower the wall, they ran to seik the captane to haue schawin him the maner; bot he was not in his chamber, they could not gett him. Then they passit to the Duik of Albanieis chamber and thair they fand the doore standand oppin and ane ded man lyand athort it; and also they saw the captane and tuo wther in the fyre burnand, whiche was werie dollarus and feirfull wnto them; bot they mist the Duik of Albanie and his chamber chyld, and thairfoir they rane spedelie and tauld the king how the matter had hapnit, that the captane was slaine and his servantis. Bot the king wald not credit them quhill he past him self and saw how the matter stude, and saw the captane and his men lyand deid and brunt in the fyre. Then he considerit the haill cause how it stude, and caussit the zettis to be haldin close that no worde sould pass to the toune quhill he had searchit all the place to se gif the Duik of Albanie had bene withtin the place or not. Bot quhen

he could on nawayis comprehend him, he caussit to send out horsemen in all pairtis of the contrie to se gif they could comprehend him in ony place and bring him to the king againe, and they sall haue great revairdis thairfoir. Bot on nowayis could they gett wott of him, bot at last thair came ane man out of Leyth and schew the king that thair came ane bott of the frenche schip and tuik in certane men and thairefter pullit wpe thair saillis and trevissit wpe and doune the firth, quhom they iudgit all to be the Duik, as it was trew; for he past to France incontenent and thair was weill ressawit witht the king and gatt in marieaige the Duches of Ballan and gat wpoun hir Johnne Stewart quhilk efter him was Duik of Albanie and governour of Scottland.

The extract follows in all essentials the 1899 edition. The in such words as 'zettis' is for the old 3- practically y; the win 'wpon' is of course u. Quhill means till; to justifie is to execute; mell, meddle; thir, these; nowellis, news (nouvelles'); boss, cask or leathern butt; mavasie, malvoisie, malmsey; fadame, fathom; gart, caused; wesit, visit; steik, shut; zettis, yetts, gates; zeid, gaed, went; drukin, drunken; stark, strong; heidit, beheaded; gaif the evintour, gave the adventure,' made the venture; quhinger, whinger, hanger, large dirk; tow, rope; thie baine, thigh bone; wissit, wished; mak lang, make away; athet, athwart; dollarus, dolorous; get wott, get wit; Ballan, Boulogne. It is characteristic of Pitscottie that by him this very circumstantial story is referred to the year 1483, when Albany again fled to England, not to France; and conversely, he makes him do in 1479 what he could not have done till 1483.

John Leslie, or LESLEY, Churchman and historian, was the son of the parish priest of Kingussie. Born in 1526, he studied at Aberdeen and Paris, was professor of canon law at Aberdeen, and in 1565 was made Bishop of Ross. He was a warm supporter of the queen, followed her in her evil fortunes, and was her commissioner and confidential friend as well as ambassador to Elizabeth,

by whom he was imprisoned or confined for a year or two for promoting the marriage of Mary with the Duke of Norfolk. He pled Mary's cause at the courts of France, of Spain, and of the Empire; was sent from Rome as papal nuncio to the Emperor Maximilian; was vicar-general of the diocese of Rouen; and after Mary's execution (1587) retired to a monastery near Brussels, where he died in 1596. While in England he wrote in the vernacular Scots a History of Scotland from the death of James I. (where Boece left off) to his own time, which he finished during his confinement in the Bishope of London's house in the Cite of London' in 1570. At Rome after 1575 he rewrote this History in Latin, considerably expanding it, and prefixing a description of Scotland and a history from the fabulous beginnings, based on Boece and Major. This latter extended work was translated into Scots in 1596 by Father James Dalrymple, a monk of the monastery of St James at Ratisbon; the translation being edited for the Scottish Text Society in 1885-88. Leslie's History is wooden on the whole compared with Pitscottie, though it has its merits; and his original homely Scotch is both clear and vigorous, and is much less artificial than Father Dalrymple's translation.

The following is part of Leslie's account of the reign of James IV., in which we have the Churchman's frank admissions as to ecclesiastical abuses in the court of Rome as well as in Scotland :

James, eldest fone to King James the third, wes borne the [17th] day of Marche 1472, quha eftiruart wes callit James the fourt, and wes ane jufte and guide prince.

Ane comette mervellus appeirit in the fouthe, the xvij day of Januer till the xviij day of Februar, caftand gret beames of licht touart the fouth, and wes placet betuix the pole and the pleyaidis callit the fevin ftarnis, quhilk the aftrologis did afferme to be ane figne of mony mervellus changes in the warld.

The greyt schip biggit be the bifchop of St Androis, callit the bifchoppis barge, being laidinnit with merchandice, brak and perifchit befid Bamburghe, the xijth day of Marche; in the quhilk mony merchandis, clarkis, and utheris paffingeris war drownit, except ane few number quha did efchaip be ane boitt, in the quhilk the Abbot of Saint Colme wes takin prefoner, and haldin be ane James Kar in Ingland, quhill he payit four score pundis for his ranfoun. The haille gudeis being in the faide fchip wes fpulyeit and takin away be the Inglishmen, to the gryet hurt of the merchandis and awnaris thaireof, notwithstanding of the trewis.

The Abbacye of Dunfermeling vacand, the convent cheifit ane of thair awn monkis, callit Alexander Thomfsun, and the King promovit Henry Creychtoun Abbat of Paiflay thairto, quha wes preferrit be the Paip, through the Kingis fupplicationis, to the saide Abbacye. And fic lik Mr Robert Shaw, perfoun of Mynto, was promovit be the King, of the Abbacye of Paislay; and fua than first began fic maner of promotione of fecularis to abbacies be the Kingis fupplicationis, and the godlie electiones war fruftrate and dekayde, becaus that the Court of Rome admittit the princis fupplicationis, the rather that thay gat greyt proffeit and fowmes of money thairby; quhair

fore the bifchoppis durft not conferme thame that wes chofin be the convent, nor thay quha wer electit durst not perfew thair awn ryght. And sua the Abbayis come to fecular abuffis; the abbottis and pryouris being promovit furth of the court, quha levit courtlyk, fecularlye, and voluptuoflye: And than ceiffit all religious and godlye myndis and deidis, quhairwith the fecularis and temporall men beand fklanderit with thair evill example, fell fra all devocioun and godlynes to the warkis of wikednes, quhairof daylie mekill evill did increase.

This yeir [1474] in September, the indulgence of the feitt of St Androis wes publifchet be Patrick Grahame Archebifchop thairof, and the fame feitt erectit in ane Archebifchoprik; quhilk wes impetrat be the faide Patrick Grahame, quha maid narrative to the Paip, that becaus the Archebischoprick of York wes metropolitane of Scotland before, and that thair wes oftymis wearis betuix Scotland and Ingland, quhairthrouch thay could not haif acceffe to thair metropolitane, speciallie for remedie of appellacione, the Paip confentit to mak St Androis primat and metropolitan of Scotland, and ordanit the uther xij bischoppis of Scotland to be under his primacie ; quha refiftit thairto, and promefit ane taxacione of xij thousand merkis to the King for his mayntenance aganis the Archebifchop. And the prelattis fend to Rome, quhair thay pleyit the cause.

Guide, good; starnis, stars; laidinnit, laden; clarkis, clergy; quhill, till; spulyeit, spoiled, plundered; awnaris, owners; trewis, truce; cheisit, chose; Paip, Pope; impetrat, obtained; pleyit, plea'd, pled.

The following, from the same reign, is Leslie's story of a famous incident, the subject of a satire by Dunbar (see page 199), who made out that the alchemist was the devil in disguise :

This tyme thair wes ane Italiene with the King, quha wes maid Abbott of Tungland, and wes of curious ingyne. He caufet the King believe that he, be multiplyinge and utheris his inventions, wold make fine gold of uther metall, quhilk fcience he callit the quintaffence; quhairupon the King maid greit coft, bot all in vaine. This Abbott tuik in hand to flie with wingis, and to be in Fraunce befoir the faidis ambaffadouris; and to that effect he causet mak ane pair of wingis of fedderis, quhilkis beand feffinit apoun him, he flew off the caftell wall of Striveling, bot fhortlie he fell to the ground and brak his thee bane; bot the wyt thairof he afscryvit to that thair was sum hen fedderis in the wingis quhilk yarnit and covet the mydding and not the skyis.

Multiplying is a regular word for alchemy in Chaucer; the saidis, the said, the above-mentioned; fedderis, feathers; fessinit, fastened; thee, thigh; wyt, blame; yarnit, &c., yearned for and desired; mydding, dunghill.

A sentence or two from Dalrymple's translation of the passage on the corruption in monasteries will show his Latinised style:

Now alms deidis abuset ar turnet into plesures, now what laid up was to help the miserie of the pure, is gyuen to satisfie the volupteousness of the ryche. The mounkis now electis nocht Abbotis quha godlie ar maist and deuote, but kingis cheisis Abbots quha ar lustiest and maist with thame in fauour.

Sir James Melville (1535–1617), privy-councillor and gentleman of the bed-chamber to Mary Queen of Scots, was born at Hallhill, in Fifeshire. He was page to Queen Mary at the French court, and subsequently undertook missions to the court

of England and to the Elector Palatine. He left in manuscript an historical work, which long lay unknown in the Castle of Edinburgh, but, discovered in 1660, was published in 1683, as the Memoirs of Sir James Melville of Hallhill, professing to give 'an impartial account of the most remarkable affairs of state during the last age,' especially those under Elizabeth, Mary Queen of Scots, and James, in which the author was personally concerned. This work, of which the Bannatyne Club's standard edition appeared in 1827, is memorable for the vigour and liveliness of its style, and as sole authority for some important events.

An Interview with Queen Elizabeth. Sche apperit to be fa effectionit to the Quen hir gud fifter, that sche had a gret defyre to se hir; and because ther desyred meting culd not be sa haistely brocht till pass, sche delyted oft to luk vpon hir picture, and tok me in to hir bed chamber, and oppenit a litle lettroun wherin wer dyuers litle pictures wrapped within paiper, and wreten vpon the paiper, ther names with hir awen hand. Vpon the first that sche tok vp was wreten, 'My lordis picture.' I held the candell and preffit to se my lordis picture. Albeit sche was laith to let me se it, at lenth I be importunite obteanit the ficht therof, and afkit the same to cary hame with me vnto the Quen; quhilk sche refused, alleging fche had bot that ane of his. I faid again, that sche had the principall; for he was at the fartheft part of the chamber speaking with the secretary Cicill. Then sche tok out the Quenis picture and kiffit it; and I kiffit hir hand, for the gret loue I saw sche bure to the Quen. Sche fchew me alfo a fair ruby, gret lyk a racket ball. Then I defyred that sche wald eyther fend it as a token vnto the Quen, or elis my Lord of Lecefters picture. Sche said, gene the Quen wald folou hir confaill, that fche wald get them baith with tym, and all that sche had; bot fuld fend hir a dyamont for a token with me. Now it was lait efter fupper; fche appointed me to be at hir the nyxt mornyng be 8 houres, at quhilk tym sche vsed to walk in hir garden; and inquyred fundre things at me of this contre, or vther contrees wherin I had laitly trauelit; and caused me to eat with hir dame of honour, my lady Stafford, ane honorable and godly lady, wha had bene at Geneva, banisfit during the regne of Quen Mary, that I mycht be alwayes neir hir Maiefte, that sche mycht conferr with me; and my lady Staffordis dochter was my meftres, for I was of ther acquantance when they paffit throw France, and had gud intelligence be hir and be my lady Throgmortoun.

At dyuers metingis ther wald be dyuers purposes; and the Quen my fouerane had inftructed me fomtymes to leau matters of grauite, and caft in fome purposes of mirrines, or elis I wald be tyred vpon, as being weill infourmed of hir fifters naturell. Therfore in declaring the customes of Dutchland, Polle and Italy, the bufking and clothing of the dames and wemen was not forget, and what contrey weid was beft fetten for gentilwemen to wair. The Quen of England faid fche had of dyuers fortis; quhilkis euery day fa lang as I was ther sche chengit; ane day the Englisch weid, ane the Frenche, and ane the Ytalien, and fa of others; afking at me quhilk of them fet hir best. I faid the Italien weid; quhilk plefit hir weill, for fche delyted to schaw her golden coloured hair, wairing a kell and bonet as they

do in Italy. Hir hair was reder then zellow, curlit apparantly of nature. Then sche entrit to dicern what kynd of coulour of hair was reputed beft; and inquyred whither the Quenis or hirs was best, and quhilk of them twa was fairest. I said, the fairness of them baith was not ther worst faltes. Bot fche was erneft with me to declaire quhilk of them I thocht fairest. I faid, fche was the fairest Quen in England, and ours the fairest Quen in Scotland. Yet fche was erneft. I faid, they wer baith the faireft ladyes of ther courtes, and that the Quen of England was whytter, bot our Quen was very lufome. Sche inquyred quhilk of them was of hyeft ftature. I faid, our Quen. Then sche said, the Quen was ouer heych, and that hir felf was nother ouer hich nor ouer laich. Then sche afkit what kynd of exercyfes sche vsed. I faid, quhen [when] that I was dispatchit out of Scotland, that the Quen was bot new com bak from the hyland hunting; and when sche had leafer fra the affaires of hir contre, fche red vpon gud bukis, the hiftories of dyuers contrees, and fomtymes wald play vpon lut and virginelis. Sche fperit gene sche plaid weill. I said, raisonably for a Quen.

That fame day efter dener, my L. of Hundfden drew me vp till a quyet gallerie that I mycht heir fome musik, bot he faid he durft not advow it, wher I mycht heir the Quen play vpon the virginelis. Bot efter I had harkenit a whyll, I tok by the tapifferie that hang before the dur of the chamber, and feing hir bak was toward the dur, I entrit within the chamber and ftod ftill at the dur chek, and hard hir play excellently weill; bot sche left aff fa fchone as fche turnit hir about and faw me, and cam forwartis femyng to ftryk me with hir left hand, and to think schame; alleging that fche vfed not to play before men, bot when fche was folitary hir allaine, till efchew melancholy; and afkit how I cam ther. I faid, as I was walken with my L. of Hundfden, as we past by the chamber dur, I hard fic melodie, quhilk rauyst and drew me within the chamber I wift not how; excufing my falt of hamelynes, as being brocht vp in the court of France, and was now willing to fuffer what kynd of puniffement wald pleife hir lay vpon me for my offence. Then fche fat down laich vpon a kusschen, and I vpon my knee befyd hir; bot fche gaif me a kuffchen with hir awen hand to lay vnder my kne, quhilk I refused, hot fche compellit me; and callit for my lady Stafford out of the nyxt chamber, for fche was hir allain ther. Then fche afked whither the Quen or fche played beft. In that I gaif hir the prayfe. Sche faid my Frenche was gud; and sperit gif I culd speak Italen, quhilk sche spak raifonable weill. I faid, I taried not abone tua monethes in Italy, and had brocht with me fome bukis to reid vpon; bot had na leaser to learn the langage perfytly. Then fche fpak to me in Dutche, bot it was not gud; and wald wit what kynd of bukis I lyked beft, whither of theologie, hiftory, or loue matters. I faid, I lyked wei!!

of all the fortis.

I was erneft to be difpetfchit; bot fche faid that I tyred schoner of hir company nor fche did of myn. I faid, albeit I had na occasion to tyre, that it was tym to retourn; bot I was stayed twa dayes langer till I mych fe hir dance, as I was infourmed; quhilk being done, fche inquyred at me whither fche or the Quen dancit best. I said, the Quen dancit not fa hich and difpofedly as fche did. Then again fche wiffit that fche mycht fe the Quen at fome convenient place of meating. I offerit to convoy hir fecretly in Scotland be poift, clothed lyk a

paige difgyfed, that sche mycht se the Quen; as K. James the 5 paft in France difgyfed, with his awen ambassadour, to fe the Duc of Vendomes fifter that fuld haue bene his wyf; and how that hir chamber fuld be kepit as thoch fche wer feak, in the mean tym, and nane to be preuy therto bot my lady Stafford, and ane of the grumes of hir chamber. Sche faid, Alace! gene fche mycht do it; and feamed to lyk weill of fic kynd of langage, and vsed all the meanis fche culd to cause me perfuad the Quen of the gret loue that sche bure vnto hir, and was myndit to put away all geleusies and suspitions, and in tymes comyng a straiter frendschip to ftand between them then euer had bene of before; and promyfed that my dispasche fuld be delyuerit vnto me very fchortly, be Mester Cicill at Londoun.

Lettroun, lectern, desk; gene, gin, if; leau, leave; tyred upon, fatigued; Polle, Poland; weid, raiment ; setten, suited; kell, cap; lusame, lovely; heych, hich, high; laich, low; kusschen, cushion ; wissit, wished; seak, sick.

James Melville (1556–1614) was, like his uncle, the Hellenist, divine, and great Presbyterian Churchman, Andrew Melville (1545-1622), born at Baldowie, Montrose, and became successively regent or tutor in the College of Glasgow, professor of Oriental Languages at St Andrews, and minister in 1586 of Anstruther and Kilrenny, whence he was ejected in 1606. He died at Berwick-on-Tweed. He is best remembered for his Diary (rather autobiography), which was edited for the Bannatyne Club (1829) and the Wodrow Society (1842).

His Childhood.

I haid an evill-inclyned woman to my nuris; therefter speaned and put in a cottar hous, and about four or fyve yeir auld brought hame to a step-mother; yit a verie honest burges of Montros hes oft tauld me, that my father wald ley me down on my bak, pleying with mie, and lauche at me because I could nocht ryse, I was sa fatt; and wald ask mie what ealed mie: I wald answer, 'I am sa fatt I may nocht geang.' And trewlie sen my rememberance, I cam never to the place bot God moved sum an with a motherlie affection towardis me. About the fyft yeir of my age, the Grate Buik was put in my hand, and when I was seavine, lytle thairof haid I lernit at hame; therfor my father put my eldest and onlie brother, David, about a year and a halff in age above me, and me togidder, to a kinsman and brother in the ministerie of his, to scholl, a guid, lerned, kynd man; whome for thankfulnes I name, Mr Wilyam Gray, minister at Logie-Montrose. He haid a sistar, a godlie and honest matron, rewlar of his hous, wha often rememberit me of my mother, and was a verie loving mother to us, indeid. Ther was a guid nomber of gentle and honest men's berns of the cowntrey about, weill treaned upe bathe in letters, godlines, and exerceise of honest geames. Ther we lerned to reid the Catechisme, Prayers, and Scripture; to rehers the Catechisme and Prayers par ceur; also nottes of Scripture, efter the reiding thairof; and ther first I fand (blysed be my guid God for it!) that Sprit of sanctification beginning to work sum motiones in my hart, even about the aught and nynt yeir of my age; to pray going to bed and rysing, and being in the fields alan to say ower the prayers I haid lernit with a sweit moving in my hart; and to abhore swearing, and rebuk and complean upon sic as I hard swear. Wherunto

Ther

the exemple of that godlie matron, seiklie, and giffen to read and pray in hir bed, did mikle profit me; for I ley in hir chamber and heard hir exerceises. We lerned ther the Rudiments of the Latin Grammair, withe the vocables in Latin and Frenche; also dyverse speitches in Frenche, with the reiding and right pronunciation of that toung. We proceidit fordar to the Etymologie of Lilius and his Syntax, as also a lytle of the Syntax of Linacer; therwith was joyned Hunter's Nomenclatura, the Minora Colloquia of Erasmus, and sum of the Eclogs of Virgill and Epistles of Horace; also Cicero his Epistles ad Terentiam. He haid a verie guid and profitable form of resolving the authors; he teatched grammaticallie bathe according to the Etymologie and Syntax; bot as for me, the trewthe was, my ingyne and memorie war guid aneuche, bot my judgment and understanding war as yit smored and dark, sa that the thing quhilk I gat was mair be rat ryme nor knawlage. also we haid the aire guid, and fields reasonable fear, and be our maister war teached to handle the bow for archerie, the glub for goff, the batons for fencing, also to rin, to loope, to swoom, to warsell, to preve pratteiks, everie ane haiffing his matche and andagonist, bathe in our lessons and play. A happie and golden tyme, indeid, giff our negligence and unthankfullnes haid nocht moved God to schorten it, partlie be deceying of the number, quhilk caused the maister to weirie, and partlie be a pest quhilk the Lord, for sinne and contempt of his Gospell, send upon Montrose, distant from Over Logie bot twa myles; sa that scholl skalled, and we war all send for and brought hame. I was at that scholl the space of almost fyve yeirs, in the quhilk tyme, of publict news I remember I hard of the mariage of Hendrie and Marie, King and Quein of Scots, Seingnour Davie's [Riccio's] slauchter, of the King's mourder at the Kirk of Field, of the Quein's taking at Carbarri, and the Langsyd feild. Wherof reid Mr Bowchannan Cornicle, lib. 17, 18, 19.

Even at that tyme, me thought the heiring of these things moved me, and stak in my hart with sum joy or sorrow, as I hard they might helpe or hender the Relligion Namelie, I remember the ordour of the fast keipit in anno 1566; the evill handling of the ministerie be taking away of their stipends; for Mr James Melvill, my uncle, and Mr James Balfour, his cusing-german, bathe ministers and stipendles, with guid, godlie, and kynd Patrick Forbes of Cors. The Lard of Kinnaber, and the godlie and zealus gentlemen of the countrey, partlie for thair bernes' cause, and partlie for that notable instrument in the Kirk of Scotland, Jhone Erskine of Done, Superintendent of Merns and Angus, his residence in Logy at certean tymes, did oftentymes frequent our hous, and talk of sic maters. Also, I remember weill whow we past to the head of the muir to sie the fyre of joy burning upon the stiple head of Montrose, at the daye of the King's birthe. These things I mark for the grait benefit of that place and companie, wherin the Lord wald haiff me treaned upe in my first and tender age.

Speaned, weaned; ealed, ailed; geames, games, sports, exercises; alan, alone; seiklie, sickly; ingyne, intelligence; smored, smothered, obscured; was mair rat ryme nor knawlage, was more by rote than knowledge; fear, fair; lowpe, leap; glub, club; warsell, wrestle; preve pratteiks, prove practiques, defend theses; deceying, decay. ing; skalled, 'skailled,' emptied, was dismissed; Bowchannan Cornicle, Buchanan's History of Scotland; bernes', bairns'; whow, how; fyre of joy, bonfire; treaned, trained.

His Flight by Sea from St Andrews to Berwick.

To keipe the sie all night in an opin litle bott, it was dangerus, and to go to Dumbar we durst nocht; sa, of necessitie, we tuk us toward St Tab's Heid. Bot we haiffing but twa eares, and the boot slaw and heavie, it was about alleavin houres of the night or we could win ther; whowbeit, na man was ydle, yea, I rowit my selff, till the hyd cam af my fingars, mair acquented with the pen nor working on an are. Coming under the crag, we rowit in within a prettie lytle holl betwix the mean and the head, whare easelie going a-land, we refreschit us with cauld water and wyne; and returning to our boot, sleipit the dead of the night, bot neidit nan to wakin us, for soon, be the day-light piped, ther was sic a noyse of foulles on the crag, and about us, because of thair young annes that we war almaist pressed to lainche

out.

Now we haid Cawdingham bay and Hay-mouth to pas by, and that but slawly, rowing be the land, whar the residence of Alexander Home of Manderston, an of our cheiff confederat enemies, and wha haid intercepted a boot of the Earle of Angus coming about from Tamtallon to Berwik nocht lang befor. This put us in grait feir; but our guid God gardit us, making a sweik thik mist till aryse, wherby we might bot skarslie gis at the sight of the land; and thairfra nane could sie us. Sa we cam on hulie and fear till we wan within the bounds of Berwik, whar we was in graittest danger of all, unbesett in the mist be twa or thrie of the cobles of Berwik, quhilk war sa swift in rowing, that they ged round about us; bot we being fyve within burd, and haiffing twa pistolets, with thrie swords, and they na armour, they war fean to let us be, namlie, when they understud that we was making for Berwik.

St Tab's Heid, St Abb's Head; eares, oars; hyd, skin; nor working on an are, than pulling an oar; betwix. . . head, betwixt the mainland and St Abb's Head; nan, nane, none; piped, peeped, dawned; foulles, fowls; lainche, launch; Cawdingham and Haymouth, Coldingham and Eyemouth; sweik, deceptive; gis, guess; unbesett, surrounded and attacked; fean, fain.

Lesser Sixteenth Century Prose Writers. As we have seen, Scottish prose writing had made but feeble beginnings in the fifteenth century: the examples already cited show that development had taken place in the next century, which was active in historical, theological, and political disquisition. In theology both the Catholic Kirk and the Reformed found effective spokesmen. A few of the less prominent authors and books of this period may here be more summarily treated.

The old faith is well represented by Ninian Winyet (Winzet, i.e. Wingate), born at Linlithgow in 1518, who at the Reformation was provost of the collegiate church of his native town. Deprived of his post by the religious revolution, Winyet secured the queen's patronage for Certain Tractatis for Reformatioun of Doctryne and Maneris, discussing the Church question from the point of view of a modest reformer who remained loyal to the Catholic Kirk. He subsequently held offices in the University of Paris and the English college of Douay, and ended his life in 1592 as abbot of a monastery at Ratisbon. Quintin Kennedy (1520–64), abbot of Crossraguel, and son of the Earl of Cassillis, was an even more vehement defender of

the papal cause after the Reformation. He conducted a famous Disputation with Knox at Maybole, and he printed also a Compendious Treatise to establish the Conscience of a Christian Man on the points in dispute.

On the other side we have such men as John Gau, who, born at Perth in the last decade of the fifteenth century, was a student at St Andrews in 1504 'drank of St Leonard's well,' and as a follower of the Reformed doctrines fled to Malmoe or Scania (then Danish). He ended his days as a prebendary of Our Lady's Church in Copenhagen. At Malmoe he in 1533 translated from the Danish of Christian Pedersen (who had in 1531 translated from the German of Urbanus Rhegius) a treatise-mainly Lutheran-on The Richt Vay to the Kingdom of Heuine. It is the earliest prose treatise on the Reformed doctrines in the Scottish dialect (edited for the Scottish Text Society in 1886-87), and contains in the appended 'epistil to ye nobil lordis and barons of Scotland' an interesting reference by a contemporary to the martyrdom of Patrick Hamilton. Another was John Craig (c. 1512-1600, an Aberdeenshire man, who studied at St Andrews. and became head of a monastery at Bologna; but, passing over to the new faith, escaped from Italy to Vienna, and became a colleague of Knox in the High Kirk of Edinburgh and coadjutor in Reformation work. He had an important share in drawing up the Second Book of Discipline and the National Covenant or Confession of 1560, and was the author of the Short Summe of the whole Catechisme, edited by Dr Law in 1883. Robert Rollock (C. 1555-1599), a Stirlingshire man, was brought in 1583 from his chair in St Andrews to be regent and then principal of the newly-founded University of Edinburgh. He was ultimately professor of theology and minister of the High Kirk, and was one of the earliest and most copious of Scottish Protestant commentators on the Bible. The greater number of his score of works were in Latin, but some commentaries and sermons were in vigorous vernacular. Two volumes of his select works were published by the Wodrow Society in 1844-49. The following is part of the sermon on 2 Cor. v.:

Will ye speir at men and wemen quhen they ar lying bathing them selfis in wickitnesse, gif they will gang to hevin; they will answere, Yes they will gang to heviz or ever their feit be cauld. Bot vain lown, thou never knew Christis purpose in deing for thee. His purpose was that thou suld be ane new man, and thou suld not live to thy awin self, bot to him. And the end sal prove (and [if] thou proceid sa, living to thyself and not to him quha hes died for thee) that the deith of Christ neve: had force in thee. Thairfoir luik gif thou livis [examine whether thou livest] to Christ; and gif thou dois sa, then assure thyself that Christ died for thee. Another in the same series concludes thus:

And the Lord grant me this sinceritie; and I beseik him that as he hes bene with me sen the beginning of my ministrie, sa he wald never leif me untill the time I