take credit over their brethren in the North; and to learn from Fox of Hereford, that the Bishops of England were "in danger of being laughed to scorn by the common people (who knew more of the Scriptures than they did), as having not one spark of learning or godliness within them;" and to witness a native of that same Edinburgh, from which he wrote, on the point of adjusting the balance more correctly between the English and the Scottish bench, putting Stokesly, Bishop of London, in a rage, though simply pleading for the authority and all-sufficiency of Scripture with a power and point which excited the fear of even Crumwell and Cranmer, who shrunk from the responsibility of allowing him to fight the battle out. These equal reminiscences show that the Clergy in both countries were equally hostile, and at the same moment, to the highest favour which Heaven had ever bestowed on them both, while "the lay people" alike in Scotland as in England were far ahead of them.

MDXXXVIII.-
-MDXLII.

STATE

OF THE COUNTRY-BEATON A CARDINAL AND PERSECUTION REVIVED— THE MARTYRDOMS OF 1538-DEAN FORRET-THE CAUSE OF ALL THE TUMULT IN OPPOSITION TRACED TO THE NEW TESTAMENT IN THE NATIVE TONGUEANOTHER MARTYRDOM-MEN ESCAPING THE CRUEL PROGRESS OF CARDINAL BEATON-DEATH OF THE KING JAMES V.-GLOOMY STATE OF THE COUNTRY AS TO ITS GOVERNMENT AT THIS MOMENT.

HROUGHOUT these five years ensuing, or from 1538 to 1542 inclusive, just as though it had been intended by Divine Providence to be the more observed by the people as such, and at all events by posterity, the only cause that looked upward was that which was most hated; the only progress towards improvement, in any department, was in that of Divine Truth. At the close of this period the King is to die, and even now, whether in relation to himself or the country at large, every movement was from bad to worse. All things went the downward road.

6 See p. 256.

David Beaton, Prior of Arbroath, a nephew to the Archbishop of the same name, was now rising into power. As licentious and ambitious as Wolsey, he was far more unrelenting in his disposition. He had been sent to France to bring home the young and amiable Queen of James; but she having died within fifty days after her arrival, Beaton was sent again to France to negotiate another marriage. He returned in May, 1538, with Mary of Guise, an alliance perfectly agreeable to the clergy, but most injurious to the best interests of the country. While at the French Court, Beaton had contrived to be made Bishop of Mirepoix in Languedoc; but this was only a step to higher promotion. He applied to the Pontiff for the office and power of a Cardinal, and though but an Abbot in his own country, he succeeded at the Court of Rome, and was actually raised to that honour by Paul III., on the 20th December, 1538.

Throughout the year 1538, the "new learning" having made very manifest progress, the disposition to persecute was about to be fully gratified. The secret of Beaton's zeal for power could not long remain hid, and since James was both so married, and too far gone to profit by any warning; his character as a man must "smart for it," as Henry, his uncle, had predicted. Nothing improved by his former visit to France, gay, licentious, and thoughtless, James was as much in want of money as his uncle always was, and money he must have. In younger life he had shrunk from the shedding of blood, but now, in order to beguile him from an eye to clerical wealth and the accumulated treasures of the monasteries, the property of all who should either die for their opinions, or abjure, was held out as the base incitement to the enslaved and infatuated monarch. If, therefore, among the subjects of James there were those who would "take joyfully the spoiling of their goods, knowing that they had in heaven a better and an enduring substance," and if their attachment to the Word of God as such should thus become apparent, a better evidence of progress made could not be wished. At the same time, the course about to be pursued by the enemy, is worthy of notice, on another account. It was the choice plan of Stephen Gardiner in England to hunt after such as he styled "the head deer;" and as the persecutor

in Scotland is about to gratify not merely his own malice, but supply the King's necessities; the poor believer, who had nothing to forfeit or leave behind him, not being a subject suitable to the miserable end in view, must have been, most providentially, passed over. The poor, often the richest in faith, were below notice, merely because not worth the trouble and expense.

Before, however, noticing any instances of persecution, it must be remembered that "the New Testament in the vulgar tongue" had been pointed out since May, 1536, by public proclamation. There may have been some other English books suspected of heresy already in Scotland, but even still, no other book is expressly named. The presumption therefore is, that in all these proceedings, the Scriptures chiefly, if not solely, were now aimed at, and all opinions grounded on the Sacred Volume.

Beaton once a Cardinal, there was no farther occasion for troubling either the Lords of the Privy Council, or those of the Justiciary, in prosecution for heresy. Wherever his cross was borne before him, there he reigned as lord paramount over the conscience, and the suspected will not now easily escape. By the 10th of January, 1539, we find Robert Forrester, brother to the Laird of Arngibbon, William Forrester, son of John, burgess of Stirling, Walter Cousland, David Graham, and James Watson, all of Stirling, were seized for books, suspected to be heretical; "for breaking his Highness' proclamation, in having and using such books as are suspected of heresy, and are prohibited by the KIRK." Observe the altered phraseology, or how soon and slily they were interposing their own authority. caution at once exacted from these parties amounted to no less than 3,100 marks, so that the entire property must have been considerable. The first gentleman, we shall find die at the stake; the second and third, as well as another, a burgess of Edinburgh, Robert Cant, were all entirely forfeited in March. Similar forfeitures extended to Perth, as well as to Stirling, where John Stewart, son to Henry, Lord Methven, was among the number; and so far as the seizure of property was concerned, the persecution lay very heavy upon Dundee.

The

Two parties had now fully engrossed the mind of Beaton, namely, the Kirk and the King. The former was to be defended

Not fewer

by fire, the latter to be cajoled by fines; and this month of March served to unfold his character, as equally busy in both departments. The most fearful week was the first in this month, and Saturday the 1st its most shocking day. The country hitherto had witnessed no scene so outrageous. The trial, such as it was, and the sentence to death being all overtaken before the sun went down, it must have been intended to strike with terror, not Edinburgh alone, but every other place. than five different men appeared; John Keillor and John Beveridge, two Benedictine monks or Black Friars, nor improbably from the same monastery in Edinburgh where Prior Buckingham had lodged till 1535, when he set off to the persecution of Tyndale; Sir Duncan Simpson, so called as being a priest, from Stirling; Mr. Robert Forrester, notary, a gentleman of the same place; and last, though not least, a Dean of the Kirk, Thomas Forret, canon regular in the Monastery of St. Colm's Inch, and Vicar of Dollar. Having been summoned before Beaton, and Chisholm, Bishop of Dunblane, men equally notorious for licentious habits and bigoted attachment to their system, no mercy was in store for any of the five, while the last was treated with characteristic reproach and barbarity. The trial soon over, the fire was prepared on the esplanade of the Castle, visible at once far and near, to two counties, Mid-Lothian and Fife.

The King, too, must proceed one step farther on the present occasion. In 1534 he had presided in a red dress at the trial of Straiton, but his authority on the bench was now not consulted. It had, in fact, been superseded by that of this Cardinal, but still his Majesty must sanction all. He must follow the footsteps of his father-in-law Francis I., in 1535, and himself be present to see the red flames on the Castle-hill, when five of his best subjects were consumed to ashes before his eyes, on the 1st of March, 1539.1

"1 March, 1538-39. Accusatio hæreticorum et eorum combustio, apud Edinburg Rege presente." Household Book of King James V. The King left the city, next day, for Lithgow, perhaps to escape odium; but it was in perfect keeping with the whole affair, that on the day itself, the Searcher was gone after the property! March 1, Item. "Delivered to Archibald Heriot, Messenger, to pass and search their goods, who were abjured and declared heretics in Edin

From the record of Dean Forret's trial, it appears that his official accuser, John Lauder, having demanded a proof of some statement made, he produced a New Testament, which Lauder snatched out of his hand, and holding it up, cried, "Behold, Sirs, he has the book of heresy in his sleeve, that MAKES ALL THE DIN AND PLAY IN OUR KIRK!" Brother," said the Dean, "God forgive you! Ye could say better, if ye pleased, nor to call the book of the Evangel of Jesus Christ, heresy!" But he was immediately interrupted by his accuser with, "Knows thou not, heretic, that it is contrary to our acts and express commands, to have a New Testament or Bible in English, which is enough to burn thee for ?” Then proceeds the record, "The Council of the Clergy gave sentence on him to be burnt, for the having and using of the same book-the New Testament in English."

No attestation could be more distinct than that which was here given by those unprincipled and wicked men. No other book is once named. All the healthful and life-giving commotion is ascribed to one source, and that the Book of God. This alone, it is confessed and deplored, was that which gave such great annoyance, and, in their style, occasioned all the din and play throughout the country!

Not satisfied with this horrible scene, Beaton must look westward, where it seems to have been resolved there should be another martyrdom by way of terror. Here, however, he was to meet with some temporary obstruction from Gavin Dunbar, who was not only an Archbishop (of Glasgow), but at the same time possessing the highest civil authority, as the Lord Chancellor. The fact was that Beaton, though nominally a Cardinal, had not even yet received the "instrument of possession" to his title, nor did he do so till October; but though he had been in full power, Glasgow as well as Ross would have demurred to his authority, and objected to his cross being borne there. He will provide for all this presently, but now, being still only an Abbot in Scotland, if resolved to push his way over the head

burgh and Stirling," 16sh. Lord Treasurer's Accounts. Independently of the cruelty and deep depravity of persecution, it is generally accompanied by a meanness most detestable.

NN