habitant of the town should be trublit for any suche crymes as myght
be alledged aganis thame for the lait mutatioun of religioun, and
abolishment of idolatrie, and for douncasting the places of the same; yf
sche wald suffer the religioun begun to go fordward, and leif the town
at hir depairting free from the garysonis of Frenche soldiouris, that
thay wald labour at the handis of thair bretherin that the Quene should
be obeyed in all thingis." Monsieur Dosell perceaving the danger to be
great, yf that are suddane appointment should nocht[803] be maid; and
that thay war nocht able to execut thair tyranny against us, after that
the Congregatioun of Kyle (of quhose cuming we had no advertisment)
should be joyned with us; with gud wordis dismissed[804] the saidis
Lairdis to perswaid the bretherin to quiet concord. To the whiche all
men war so weill mynded, that with one voce thay cryed, "Curssed be thay
that seak effusioun of bloode, war, or dissentioun. Lett us possess
Christ Jesus, and the benefite of his Evangell, and none within Scotland
shalbe more obedient subjectis than we shalbe." With all expeditioun war
send from Striviling agane, (efter that the cuming of the Erle of
Glencarne was knawin, for the enymie for fear quaiked,) the Erle of
Ergyle and Lord James foirsaid, and in thair cumpany a crafty man,
Maister Gavine Hammiltoun, Abbot of Kilwynning,[805] who war send by the
Quene to finishe the appointment foirsaid. Bot befoir that thay came,
was the Erle of Glencarne and his honorable cumpany arryved in the town;
and then began all men to praise God, for that he had so mercifullie
hard thame in thare maist extreme necessitie, and had send unto thame
suche releafe as was able, without effusioun of bloode, to stay the
raige of the ennemy. The Erle of Ergyle and Lord James did earnistlie
perswaid the agreement,[806] to the whiche all men was willing. But sum
did smell the craft of the adversarie, to wit, that thay war mynded to
keip no point of the promeise longar than thay had obteanit thair
intent.

[SN: THE ANSUER OF THE ERLE OF ERGYLE, AND PRIOUR OF
SANCTANDROIS.]

With the Erle of Glencarne come our loving brother Johne Willok; Johne
Knox was in the town befoir. These two went to the Erle of Ergyle and
Priour, accusing thame of infidelitie, in sa fer as thay had defrauded
thair brethering of thair debtfull support and confort in thair greatest
necessitie. Thay ansuered boith, "That thair hart was constant with