, it was said, of the Court. The
meeting was held, but adjourned, after resolving that it should be
resumed at Linlithgow. James Melville, fresh from his journey from
England, arrived in Linlithgow on the eve of the Assembly, and found his
brethren much dispirited. They had almost come to a rupture among
themselves, high words having passed between those of them who had
subscribed the deed of submission to the bishops and those who had
refused. This dispute had caused much trouble to Andrew Melville. In a
letter of James Melville written at the time to a friend, he says: 'Mr.
Andro hath been a traicked[14] man since he cam hame, ryding up and doun
all the countrie to see if he might move the brethren to repent and
joyne together.' The Assembly had little hope of Parliament doing
anything towards the repeal of the Black Acts. If the nobles now in
power would not press the King to redress the Church's grievances, it
was certain that he would do nothing in that direction of his own
accord. James was not in a mood to oblige the Church. He could not
conceal his revengeful feelings towards the ministers who had fled with
the Ruthven lords, and especially towards Melville. The Assembly,
however, did its duty. It sent a deputation to the nobles to urge them
to put the Church's claims before the King. The nobles refused, and the
deputation went to the King himself. Melville was its spokesman, and
many sharp and hot words passed between him and James. At length the
King ordered the Assembly to lay before him a statement of its
objections to the Black Acts. This was done, and within twenty-four
hours James issued a reply from his own pen, in which he showed a
conciliatory spirit, and made explanations to take the edge off the
harshness with which the Acts had been framed, but made no alteration in
their substance.

[Footnote 14: Overtoiled.]

If Parliament did not know when to take occasion by the hand to win
concessions from the King in the interests of liberty, he knew how to
use his opportunity for strengthening his own prerogatives. He brought
forward a measure which the Parliament passed, constituting it a capital
offence to criticise the King's conduct or government, and making it
unlawful for his subjects to enter into any association for political
ends without the consent of the throne.

At this time a fresh _casus belli_ between the Church and the Crown
arose through the Church's severe but well-merited handling of
Ar