him free of the Scoon-comptrollers, who had letters of
caption to apprehend him, and to commit him to Blackness. This was
refused, and a search made for him, which obliged him to abscond and
lurk among his friends for a considerable time.

He was subjected to several other hardships during the remainder of his
life, but still maintained that steady faithfulness and courage in the
discharge of his duty, which is exemplified in the above instances,
until the day of his death, of which we have no certain account.

_The Life of Mr. ANDREW MELVIL._

Mr. Melvil, after finishing his classical studies, went abroad, and
taught, for some time, both at Poictiers in France, and at Geneva. He
returned to Scotland in July 1574, after having been absent from his
native country near ten years. Upon his return, the learned Beza, in a
letter to the general assembly of the church of Scotland, said, "That
the greatest token of affection the kirk of Geneva could show to
Scotland, was, that they had suffered themselves to be spoiled of Mr.
Andrew Melvil."

Soon after his return, the general assembly appointed him to be the
principal of the college of Glasgow, where he continued for some years.
In the year 1576, the earl of Morton being then regent, and thinking to
bring Mr. Melvil into his party, who were endeavouring to introduce
episcopacy, he offered him the parsonage of Govan, a benefice of
twenty-four chalders of grain, yearly, beside what he enjoyed as
principal, providing he would not insist against the establishment of
bishops, but Mr. Melvil rejected his offer with scorn.

He was afterwards transported to St. Andrews, where he served in the
same station he had done at Glasgow, and was likewise a minister of that
city. Here he taught the divinity class, and as a minister continued to
witness against the incroachments then making upon the rights of the
church of Christ.

When the general assembly sat down at Edinburgh, _anno_ 1582, Mr. Melvil
inveighed against the absolute authority, which was making its way into
the church, whereby he said, they intended to pull the crown from
Christ's head, and wrest the sceptre out of his hand, and when several
articles, of the same tenor with his speech, were presented by the
commission of the assembly, to the king and council, craving redress,
the earl of Arran cried out, "Is there any here that dare subscribe
these articles." Mr. Melvil went forward and said, "We dare, and will
r