thven a great
outburst of popular feeling in favour of Presbyterianism took place in
Edinburgh, the occasion being the return of John Durie from banishment.
'Ther was a grait concurs of the haill town, wha met him at the Nather
Bow; and, going upe the streit, with bear heads and loud voices, sang to
the praise of God, and testifeing of grait joy and consolation, the
124th Psalm, "Now Israel may say," etc., till heavin and erthe
resoundit. This noyes, when the Duc [of Lennox] being in the town, hard,
and ludgit in the Hie-gat, luiked out and saw, he rave his berde for
anger, and hasted him af the town.'

The peace of the Church was short-lived. In midsummer of 1583 the King
made his escape from the Ruthven lords and betook himself to the Castle
of St. Andrews. The old gang at once returned to Court. Lennox had died
in exile; but Arran was reinstalled at the Council-board, and
immediately renewed the old measures against the ministers, whose part
in causing his recent fall made him more than ever determined to crush
them. He began with Melville, who was summoned before the Council--it
was in February 1584--on a trumped-up charge of using treasonable
language in the course of one of his sermons. Melville declined the
jurisdiction of the Council on the ground that he was not accused of a
civil offence, but of doctrine uttered in the pulpit. His declinature
was taken so hotly by the King and Arran that all who were present felt
he was as good as a dead man; but 'Mr. Andro, never jarging[9] nor
daschit[10] a whit, with magnanimus courage, mightie force of sprit and
fouthe[11] of evidence of reason and langage, plainly tauld the King and
Council that they presumed ower bauldlie ... to tak upon them to judge
the doctrine and controll the ambassadors and messengers of a King and
Counsall graiter nor they, and far above tham! "And that," sayes he, "ye
may see weakness, owersight, and rashness in taking upon you that quhilk
yie nather aught nor can do" (lowsing a litle Hebrew Byble fra his belt
and clanking it down on the burd before King and Chancelar), "thair is,"
says he, "my instructiones and warrand."' A number of witnesses,
well-known enemies of Melville, who had been brought from St. Andrews to
support the accusation, gave their evidence, but to no purpose. Instead
of being discharged, however, he was condemned for the boldness of his
defence--which was construed as a new offence,--and sentenced to
imprisonment in the Castl