The History of the Reformation of the Church of Scotland

To the same purpose we wrote to Monsieur Dosell in French, requiring of him, That by his wisdom he would mitigate the Queens rage, and the rage of the Priests, otherwise that flame which then began ⟨p. 139⟩to burn, would so kindle, that when some men would, it could not be slackened. Adding further, That he declared himself no faithful servant unto his Master the King of France, if for the pleasure of the Priests he would persecute us, and so compel us to take the sword of just defence. In like manner we wrote to Captain Sere la Bourse, and to all other Captains and French Soldiers in general, admonishing them that their Vocation was not to fight against us natural Scottish-men, nor yet that they had any such Commandment of their Master: We besought them therefore not to provoke us to enmity against them, and to consider that they had found us favourable, in their most great extremities. We declared farther unto them, That if they entered in hostility and bloody War against us, that the same should remain longer then their own lives, to wit, even in all posterity to come, so long as natural Scottish-men should have power to revenge such cruelty, and most horrible ingratitude. These Letters were caused to be spread abroad in great abundance, to the end that some might come to the knowledge of men. The Queen Regent her Letter was laid upon her Cushion in the Chapel Royal at Stirling, where she was accustomed to sit at Mass; she looked upon it, and put in the pocket of her Gown: Monsieur d' Osel and the Captains, received theirs, delivered even by their own soldiers (for some amongst them were favourers of the Truth) who after the reading of them, began to pull their own beards, for that was the modest behaviour of Monsieur d' Osell, when truth was told unto him, so that it repugned to his fantasy. These our Letters were suppressed to the utmost of their power, and yet they came to the knowledge of many. But the rage of the Queen and the Priests could not be stayed, but forward they move against us, who then were but a very few and mean number of Gentlemen in S. Johnston; we perceiving the extremity to approach, did write to all brethren to repair towards us for our relief, to the which we found all men so ready bent, that the Work of God was evidently to be espied: the Tenor whereof followeth.

To the same purpose we wrote to Monsieur Dosell in French, requiring of him, That by his wisdome he would mitigate the Queenes rage, and the rage of the Priests, otherwise that flame which then began ⟨p. 139⟩