sweard and
fyre, with pestilence, strangearis, and famyne;" which all thei fand in
such perfectioun, that to this day yitt, that toune hes neyther
recovered the formar beautie, nor yit men of such wisdome and
habilitie, as then did inhabite it.

Hearafter was Peace contracted betuix France and England and
Scotland;[609] yea, a severall Peace was contracted betuix Scotland and
Flanderis, togetther with all the Easterlingis; so that Scotland had
peace with the world.[610] Butt yitt wold thare Bischopcs maik warr
against God; for how sone that ever thei gat any qwyetness, thei
apprehended Adame Wallace,[611] alias Fean, a sempill man, without great
learnyng, but ane that was zelous in godlynes and of ane uprycht lyeff.
He, with his wyif Beatrice Levingstoun, frequented the cumpany of the
Lady Ormestoun,[612] for instructioun of hir childrein, during the
truble of hir husband, who then was banissed. This bastard, called
Bischope of Sanctandrois, took the said Adame furth of the place of
Wyntoun,[613] (men supposed that thei thowght to have apprehended the
Lard,) and caryed him to Edinburgh; whare, after certane dayis, he was
presented to judgement in the Kirk of the Blak thevis alias
Freiris,[614] befoir the Duik, the Erle of Huntley, and diverse otheris
besydis, the Bischoppes and thare rable. Thei begyn to accuse him,
(Maister Johnne Lauder[615] was Accusatour,) [SN: THE ACCUSATIOUN OF
ADAME WALLACE AND HIS ANSWERIS.] "That he took upoun him to preach." He
answered, "That he never judged himself worthy of sa excellent a
vocatioun, and tharefoir he never took upoun him to preach; but he wold
not deny, butt sometymes at the table, and sometymes in other prevey
places, he wald reid, and had red the Scriptures, and had gevin such
exhortatioun as God pleaseth to geve to him, to such as pleased to hear
him." [SN: THE PAPISTICALL MANER OF ACCUSATIOUN.] "Knave, (quod ane,)
what have ye to do to medle with the Scriptures?" "I think, (said he,)
it is the dewitie of everie Christiane to seak the will of his God, and
the assurance of his salvatioun, whare it is to be found, and that is
within his Old and New Testament." "What then, (said ane other,) shall
we leave to the Bischoppis and Kirkmen to do, yf everie man shalbe a
babler upoun the Byble?" "It becumith[616] yow, (said he,) to speak more
reverentlie of God, and of his blessed worde: Yf the judge war
uncorrupt, he wald punish yow for your blasphemye. But to your
questioun, I