vective on another
prelate present--Barlow--who in writing on the Hampton Court Conference
had spoken of the King as in the Kirk of Scotland, but not of it: he
marvelled that the Bishop had been left unpunished 'for making the King
of no religion.' He was just beginning to put the rapier of his satire
into the four sermons preached in the Royal Chapel against Presbytery,
when he was interrupted by a Scottish nobleman present. 'Remember,' said
he, 'where you are and to whom you are speaking.'--'I remember it very
well, my lord,' retorted Melville, 'and am only sorry that your
lordship, by sitting here and countenancing such proceedings against me,
should furnish a precedent which may yet be used against yourself or
your posterity.'

An hour after the close of this memorable scene, the Eight were
recalled, and Melville was admonished by the Lord Chancellor and
ordered to go into ward, at his Majesty's pleasure, with the Dean of St.
Paul's; the others were 'commandit to the custodie of their ain wyse and
discreit cariage.' A warrant was at the same time issued by the Council
to the Dean, enjoining him to give no one access to his prisoner, and to
do his utmost to convert him to Episcopacy. To the Dean's house,
accordingly, Melville went, and he remained there till the following
March.

In that month the King renewed his order to the other ministers to take
up their lodgings, each in a bishop's house. James Melville again sent a
protest to the clerk of the Council; he also saw both the Bishop of
Durham and the Primate on the business; and his accounts of the
interviews are very piquant. In his visit to the Primate he was
accompanied by Scott. Bancroft received them with great deference, and
sought to impress them with the King's courtesy in desiring that they
should be entertained by the highest of the clergy. James Melville
answered, with much dignity, that compulsory courtesy was agreeable to
no man; that the Scottish ministers were more acustomed to bestowing
hospitality than receiving it; and that with such contrary opinions as
they held on matters of Church and State, the bishops would not be
pleasant hosts, and as little would the ministers be pleasant guests.
Bancroft was frank enough to admit, that it was more to meet the wishes
of the King than to please themselves that he and the other prelates
offered entertainment to the ministers: he was, in truth, afraid that
the latter, with their scrupulous notions, would