cotland, as he had done
these many years ago. Ere he had finished his sermon "he was like to
ding the pulpit to blads and fly out of it." He attended a play, written
by Davidson, later a famous preacher, on the siege and fall of the
Castle, exhibiting the hanging of his old ally, Kirkcaldy, "according to
Mr. Knox's doctrine," says Melville. This cheerful entertainment was
presented at the marriage of John Colville, destined to be a traitor, a
double spy, and a renegade from the Kirk to "the Synagogue of Satan."
{267a}

Knox now collected historical materials from Alexander Hay, Clerk of the
Privy Council, and heard of the publication of Buchanan's scurrilous
"Detection" of Queen Mary, in December 1571. {267b}

Knox had denounced the Hamiltons as murderers, so one of that name
accused our Reformer of having signed a band for the murder of
Darnley--not the murder at Kirk o' Field, but a sketch for an attempt at
Perth! He had an interview with Knox, not of the most satisfactory, and
there was a quarrel with another Hamilton, who later became a Catholic
and published scurrilous falsehoods about Knox, in Latin. In fact our
Reformer had quarrels enough on his hands at St. Andrews, and to one
adversary he writes about what he would do, if he had his old strength of
body.

Not in the Regency, but mainly under the influence of Morton, bishops
were reintroduced, at a meeting of the Kirk held at Leith, in January
1572. The idea was that each bishop should hand over most of his
revenues to Morton, or some other person in power. Knox, of course,
objected; he preached at St. Andrews before Morton inducted a primate of
his clan, but he refused to "inaugurate" the new prelate. The
Superintendent of Fife did what was to be done, and a bishop (he of
Caithness) was among the men who imposed their hands on the head of the
new Archbishop of St. Andrews. Thus the imposition of hands, which Knox
had abolished in the Book of Discipline, crept back again, and remains in
Presbyterian usage. {268a}

Had Knox been in vigour he might have summoned the brethren in arms to
resist; but he was weak of body, and Morton was an ill man to deal with.
Knox did draw up articles intended to minimise the mischief of these
bastard and simoniacal bishoprics and abused patronages (August 1572).
{268b} On May 26, 1572, he describes himself as "lying in St. Andrews,
half dead." {268c} He was able, however, to preach at a witch, who was
probably none