rrounded, or the difficulties of her
position, with the "State Ecclesiastical" so strong and wealthy,
arbiters for the moment of her faith, and France and her kindred
expectant of impossible things from her, and Rome itself regarding with
a watchful eye what a Princess of so Catholic a family--defender of the
faith in a distant but at this moment exceedingly important
field--should do. Mary temporised, which was perhaps the best thing
possible for the Reformers if not for herself, and promised to take
order, to regulate matters for their advantage so soon as it was
possible, when she should have concluded various matters of more
importance that were in hand, such, for instance, as that of awarding
the crown matrimonial to her daughter's husband the young King of
France, to whom all earthly distinctions were soon to matter so little.
During this period of delay the Reformers were left unmolested to
multiply and mature, so that when her other business was despatched, and
the Queen could no longer avoid some action in the matter, the
Congregation had attained both numbers and power. When the preachers
were summoned to appear before her to plead their own cause "it was
concluded by the whole brethren that the gentlemen of every county
should accompany their preachers to the day and place appointed." This
was a proceeding entirely sanctioned by Scotch custom, of which there
were many historical examples, but it was not perhaps calculated to
promote the ends of peaceful discussion; for the gentlemen thus
described were accompanied by their households at least, if not by a
stout following of retainers, and the result was the assemblage of "such
a multitude" that even the leaders considered it likely to have "given
fear" to the Queen, although this multitude was, as the record says,
with a gleam of grim humour, "without armour as peciable men, minding
only to give confession with their preachers." Mary wisely interposed
another period of delay when she was warned what the "peaceable" escort
was with which the preachers were obeying her call.

It was, however, as little safe to let loose such an army of confessors
through the country which had to be traversed before they could reach
their homes, as to receive them in Stirling where the appointment had
been. For, mild as was their purpose and godly their intentions, it
proved too much for the sense and moderation even of that religious
crowd when they found themselves on their wa