t, but the auditure was small. He should have begune to have
entreated the secound table of the Law; But thareof in that sermoun he
spak verray litill, but begane on this maner; "O Lord, how long shall it
be, that thy holy woord shalbe despysed, and men shall not regard thare
awin salvatioun. I have heard of thee, Hadingtoun, that in thee wold
have bein at ane vane Clerk play[367] two or three thowsand people; and
now to hear the messinger of the Eternall God, of all thy toune nor
parishe can not be nombred a hundreth personis. Sore and feirfull shall
the plagues be that shall ensew this thy contempt: with fyre and sword
thow shalt be plagued; yea, thow Haddingtoun, in speciall, strangearis
shall possesse thee, and yow, the present inhabitantes shall eyther in
bondage serve your ennemyes, or ellis ye shalbe chassed fra your awin
habitationis; and that becaus ye have not knawin, nor will nott know the
tyme of Goddis mercifull visitatioun." In such vehemency and threatnyng
continewed that servand of God neyr ane hour and ane half, in the which
he declared all the plagues that ensewed, as plainlie as after our eyes
saw thame performed. In the end he said, "I have forgotten my self and
the mater that I should have entraited; but lett these my last woordis
as concernyng publict preaching, remane in your myndis, till that God
send yow new conforte." Thairefter he maid a schorte paraphrasis upoun
the Secound Table, with ane exhortatioun to patience, to the fear of
God, and unto the werkis of mercy; and so putt end, as it war macking
his last testament, as the ischew declaired, that the spreat of trewth
and of trew judgement war both in his harte and mouth. For that same
nycht was he apprehended, befoir mydnycht, in the house of Ormestoun, by
the Erle Bothwell, made for money bucheour to the Cardinall.

The maner of his tackin was thus: departing frome the toune of
Hadingtoun, he tuk his good nyght, as it war for ever, of all his
acquentance, especiallie from Hew Dowglas of Langnudrye. Johne Knox
preassing to have gone with the said Maister George, he said, "Nay,
returne to your barnes, and God blisse yow. One is sufficient for one
sacrifice." And so he caused a twa handed sweard, (which commonly was
caiyed with the said Maister George,) be tackin fra the said Johnne
Knox, who, albeit unwillinglie, obeyit, and returned with Hew Dowglass
of Langnudrye.[368] Maister George having to accompany him the Lard of
Ormestoun, Johnne Sand