prove dull guests and
be offended at the games of cards and other diversions with which the
lords of the Anglican Church were in the habit of passing their social
hours. The conversation then turned to the pet project of the King--the
conforming of the Scottish Church to Episcopacy. James Melville,
speaking in his own mild way, was listened to with patience by the
Primate; but when Scott began to enter into the subject in a
characteristically Scottish fashion, with great seriousness and
elaboration, Bancroft's patience failed him; and interrupting his
discourse, smiling and laying his hand on his shoulder, the Primate
said, 'Tush, man! Tak heir a coupe of guid seck.' And therewith filling
the cup, he made them both drink, and after a little mild conviviality
the two ministers left the Palace.

At the end of March the chief prisoner received an order from the
Council to transfer himself to the custody of the Bishop of Winchester.
He left the Dean's, but _forgot_ to go to the Bishop's, and for two
months his evasion of the Council's instruction was winked at, and he
lodged with the other brethren. The last act in this prolonged drama was
now to be performed, and the King's part in it was characteristically
base. Early in the morning of Sabbath, 26th April, one of the Earl of
Salisbury's servants came to Melville at his lodging in Bow with an
urgent message to him to meet the Earl at Whitehall early on the same
day. Melville had no suspicion that the Premier had summoned him for any
unfriendly purpose, and at once, borrowing his landlord's horse, posted
off to Court. He took a moment to look in on his nephew, who suspected
that he was to be called again before the Council, and who, as soon as
his uncle left, followed on foot to the Palace with other two of the
ministers. The Premier did not keep his appointment; and Melville, tired
of waiting, came to the inn at Westminster, where he knew that his
nephew and other two brethren were to dine, and joined them in their
meal: 'And quhill our buird coverit,[26] and the meitt put thairon, he
uttirit to us ane excellent meditatioun, quhilk he had walking in the
gallerie, on the second Psalme, joyneing thairwith prayer; quhairby we
wer all muche movit; accounting the same in place of our Sabbath
foirnoone's exercise, endit, and, sitting doun to dinner, he rehersit
his St. Georgis Verses, with vehement invectioun againes the
corruptiounes and superstitiounes of England. Thairfoir, h