ons: no tear now, no outburst of impatience. She did not
even attempt to deny the tremendous indictment, but allowed Knox to
resume his pleading. And when she spoke again it was with a complete
change of subject. Apparently her quick intelligence perceived that
after that remarkable incident the less said to recall the first object
of the council the better. She went back to her original grievance,
accusing Knox though he spoke fair before my lords (which indeed it was
a strain of forbearance to say) that he had caused her "to weep many
salt tears" at their previous meeting. His reply has much homely
dignity.

"Madam," he said, "because now the second time your Grace has
branded me with that crime I must answer, lest for my silence I be
holden guilty. If your Grace be ripely remembered, the Laird of Dun,
yet living to testify the truth, was present at that time whereof
your Grace complains. Your Grace accused me that I had irreverently
handled you in the pulpit; that I denied. Ye said, what ado had I
with your marriage? What was I that I should mell with such matters?
I answered as touching nature I was ane worm of this earth, and ane
subject of this Commonwealth, but as touching the office whereintil
it has pleased God to place me, I was ane watchman both over the
Realm, and over the Kirk of God gathered within the same, by reason
whereof I was bound in conscience to blow the trumpet publicly as
oft as ever I saw any upfall, any appearing danger either of the one
or of the other. But so it was that ane certain bruit appeared that
traffic of marriage was betwixt your Grace and the Spanish Ally;
whereunto I said that if your nobilitie and your Estates did agree,
unless that both you and your husband shall be so directly bound
that neither of you might hurt this Commonwealth nor yet the poor
Kirk of God within the same, that in that case I would pronounce
that the consenters were troublers of this Commonwealth and enemies
to God and to His promise planted within the same. At those words I
grant your Grace stormed and burst forth into an unreasonable
weeping. What mitigation the Laird of Dun would have made I suppose
your Grace has not forgot. But while that nothing was able to stay
your weeping I was compelled to say, I take God to witness that I
never took pleasure to see any creature weep (yea, not my own
children