or drynk; and in that poynt was the Toune wonderouse
beneficiall; for the poore was no more neglected then was the rich.

Whill he was spending his lyve to conforte the afflicted, the Devill
ceassed nott to stirr up his awin sone the Cardinall agane, who
corrupted by money a disperat preast, named Schir Johne Wightone, to
slay the said Maister George, who looked not to him self in all thingis
so circumspectlie as worldlie men wold have wissed. And upoun a day, the
sermoun ended, and the people departing, no man suspecting danger, and
tharefore nott heading the said Maister George, the Preast that was
corrupted stood wating at the foot of the steppis, his goune lowse, and
his whinger drawin into his hand under his gown, the said Maister
George, as that he was most scharpe of eie and judgement, marked him,
and as he came neyr, he said, "My friend, what wald ye do?" And
tharewith he clapped his hand upoun the Preastis hand, wharein the
whingar was, which he tooke from him. The Preast abassed, fell down at
his feitt, and openly confessed the veritie as it was. The noyse rysing,
and cuming to the earis of the seik, thei cryed, "Deliver the tratour to
us, or ellis we will tack him by forse;" and so thei birst[350] in at
the yett. But Maister George took him in his armes, and said, "Whosoevir
trubles him shall truble me; for he has hurte me in nothing, bot he hes
done great conforte boyth to yow and me, to witt, he hes lattin us
understand what we may feare in tymes to come. We will watch better."
And so he appeased boith the one parte and the other, and saved the lyif
of him that soght his.

When the plague was so ceassed, that almost thare war none seak, he
tooke his leave of thame, and said, "That God had almost putt end to
that battell: he fand him self called to ane other." The gentilmen of
the West had written unto him, That he should meitt thame at Edinburgh;
for thei wald requyre disputatioun of the Bischoppis, and that he should
be publictlie heard. Whaireto he willinglye aggreed; but first, he
passed to Montrose, to salute the Kirk thare; whare he remaned occupyed
sometymes in preaching, but most parte in secreat meditatioun, in the
which he was so earnest, that nycht and day he wold continew in it.
Whill he was so occupyed with his God, the Cardinall drew a secreat
drawght for his slawchter. He caused to writt unto him a letter, as it
had bein frome his most familiare friend, the Larde of Kynneyre,[351]
"Desyring h