soever, without your special directioun,
the same never punished; but rather, holde foote deere and
neere, with a parentage of neare allya. Good Lord! me thinke I
doe but dreame: no king a weeke would beare this! Their forces
assembled, and held neere your persoun, held plotts to take
your persoun neere the seaside; and that all this wrapped up
with giving them offices, that they mighte the better
accomplishe their treasoun! These be not the formes of
governments that my yeeres have experimented: I would yours had
noucht, for I sweare unto you myne sould never in like sort.

'I exhort you be not subject to such weaknesse, as to suffer
such lewdnesse so long to roote, as all your strenth sall not
plucke up (which God forbid!), which to shunne, after you have
perused this great packet that I sent you, take speedie order
lest you linger too long; and take counsell of few, but of wise
and trustie. For if they suspect your knowledge they will
shunne your apprehensioun. Therefore of a suddantie they must
be clapped up in safer custodie than some others have been,
which hath bred their laughter. You see my follie when I am
entered to matter that toucheth you so neere. I know not how to
ende but with my prayers to God to guide you for your best. My
agent with you sall tell you the rest.

'Your most aproved loving sister and consignesse,

'ELIZABETH R.'[18]

[Footnote 18: Calderwood's _History_, v. 9.]

An incident which occurred at the close of 1592, and which is known in
our history as 'The Spanish Blanks,' brought to an acute crisis the
suspicion and discontent of the country, and especially of the
ministers. A Papist of the name of Kerr was about to embark on his ship,
which was lying off Fairlie Roads on the Ayrshire coast, when he was
arrested by a posse of Glasgow students and local gentry, with Knox the
minister of Paisley at their head. In conversation with some of the
people, Kerr had led them to suspect that he was bound for Spain as the
agent of some plot, and information to this effect was immediately
communicated to the authorities in the neighbourhood, and among others
to Knox. Only a month before, at the instance of Melville, the ministers
had formed a vigilance committee to gather reports from every parish in
the country of any sinister movements on the part of the Papists,