The History of the Reformation of the Church of Scotland

This Contract and Band came not only to the ears, but also to the sight of the Queen Dowager: whereat she stormed not a little, and said, The malediction of God I give unto them that counselled me to persecute the Preachers, and to refuse the Petitions of the best part of the true subjects of this Realm. ¹It was said to me, That the English Army could not continue in Scotland ten days; but now they have lien near a month, and are more like to remain,² then they were at the first day that they came. They that gave information to the Queen, spake as worldly wise men, and as things appeared to have been; for the Country being almost in all the parts thereof wasted, the Victuals next adjacent to Leith, either brought into their Provision, or else destroyed; the Mills, and other places, as before is said, being cast down, it appeared that the Camp could not have been furnished (except it had been by their own Ships; and as that could not have been of any long continuance,³ so should it have been little comfortable.) But God confounded all worldly wisdom, and made his own Benediction as evidently to appear, as if in a manner he had fed the Army from above: For all kind of Victual there was more abundant, and at more easy prices in the Camp all the time that it lay, after that eight days were past, then either they have been in Edinburgh any of two years before, or it hath been in this Town to this day, the 20 of May, Anno 1566.

This Contract and Band came not onely to the ears, but also to the sight of the Queen Dowager: whereat she stormed not a little, and said, The malediction of God I give unto them that counselled me to persecute the Preachers, and to refuse the Petitions of the best part of the true subjects of this Realm. ¹It was said to me, That the English Army could not continue in Scotland ten dayes; but now they have lien neer a moneth, and are more like to remain,² then they were at the first day that they came. They that gave information to the Queen, spake as worldly wise men, and as things appeared to have been; for the Countrey being almost in all the parts thereof wasted, the Victuals next adjacent to Leith, either brought into their Provision, or else destroyed; the Mills, and other places, as before is said, being cast down, it appeared that the Camp could not have been furnished (except it had been by their own Ships; and as that could not have been of any long continuance,