Knox to Sir James Croft
1559.
KNOX TO MKS. ANNA LOCK.
their estate.
Our God comfort them.
We stand universallie in great feare, and yit we hope deliverance.
I wrote unto you before to be suter to some faithfull, that they wold move such as have abundance to consider our estate, and to mak for us some provisioun of money, to keepe souldiours and our companie togither ; and heirin, yit againe, I cannot cease to move you.
I cannot weill write to anie other, becaus the actioun may seeme to appertaine to my countrie onlie.
But becaus I trust yee suspect me not of avarice, I am bold to say to you, that if we perishe in this our interprise, the limits of Londoun wiTPBe straiter than they are now, within few yeercs.
Manie things I have which I wold have required for my self, namelie, Calvine upoun Isaie, and his Institutiouns revised ; but commoun trubles cause me to neglect all privat bussinesses.
If ye can finde the meanes to send me the bookes before written, or anie other that be new and profitable, I will provide that yee sail receave the prices upoun your advertisement.
My Wife saluteth you.
Salute all faithfull heartilie in my name, especiallie these of familiar acquaintance, of whom I crave pardoun that I write not, being not so quiet as ye wold wishe.
My onlie comfort is, that our trubles sail passe sooner, peradventure, than our enemies looke.
Grace be with you.
From Sanct Andrewes, in haste, the 18th of November 1559.
Yours knowne, JoHNE Knox.
Mr. Gudman is in the west countrie, in Air, who willed me to salute you in his name, so oft as I wrote to you.
XLVI.
Knox to Sir James Croft.
Hostages ar granted with mor giaid will, then thei war required, and other thingis ar so fully ansuered, that, as I suppose,
LETTERS, ETC.
1559. the counsall above shall have just occasion to be satisfied in all thiDsis, which before war dowbtfull.
The common bruite is, that the French have in hand som haisty and som great enter
prise ; and the rumour lackest not appearance, for thei have shipped much ordinaunce, and ar not verrey soUist to re-enforte the ruptures and daly decayes of Leyth.
It is feared, that either thei shall tack Styrviling or Sanctandrois ; and therfor, I was send by the Lordis from Styrviling in diligence, to advertiss, that thare earnest desyr is, that your shippes with possible expedition schew themselves upon these coasts. Tym was never mor "Htt, for the most part of the French shippes, which last departed from Fraunce with men, ar driven by , storme of wetther towardis the northt.
It is supposed that the I Marquess D'Elbeuf is in thare cumpanye.
If any shippes war I to awaite upon thare entrie in the Fritht, thei could not eschape.
If eyther Styrviling or Sanctandrois be tacken by the Frenche, after thei have possessed any of both few dales, it wold be hard to remove thame : God geve you wisdom in all thingis.
Thare be now last arrived 900 men; the rest, as thei bruit,^ of 15 enseinzes, ar loked for.
Further, in all thingis ye wilbe instructed by the messinger, which last cam from above, who cumest, as I beleve, by the West bordour.
Thus hartlie committing you to the protection of the Eternall, I cease farther to truble you.
From Sanctandrois, the 26 of December 1559.
Youris, to commaund in godlines, John Knox.
To the right worshipfull Sir James Croftis, knyght, Capitane of the Quen's Majesties town and castell of Berwick.
Be these delivered.
Berwick.^ * As they bruit, or report.
(Sadler's State Papers, vol. ii. p. 208.) ^ Enclosed in a letter from Sadler and The commencement of Knox's letter is Croft to Cecill, Slst December 1559.— evidently lost.
1559.
KNOX TO MRS. ANNA LOCK.
XLVII.—Knox to Mrs. Anna Lock.
The letters I have receaved frome yon, deir Sister, both almost at one time, the one is dated at Loudoun, the 28tli of November, the other, of the same place, the 2d of December.
The letter of the last date I read first, which made mentioun of your truble, by reasoun of a suddane fire in a loodging neere unto you ; that yee had soght all meanes for our support, als weil of these of hie as of low degree, bot that it was not neidfuU that anie thing sould be sent unto us, becaus, it was supposed, that the Hiest wold support us
; and last, that yee had not receaved the Answere of your Doubts.
In your other letters, after your most comfortable discourse of God's providence for his people in their greatest necessitie, yee godlie and truelie conclude, that nather could their unworthines, nather yit the want of thmgs judged for their preservatioun, stoppe his Majesties mercie from them.
Therafter, yee will me to ayoide daungers, and rather to fight by prayer in some place removed frome daunger, than to expone my self to the hazard of battell and so yee conclude, with the praising of God's mercie, as did Jeremie in his greatest anguish.
What support sould come to us by consent of counsell and authoritie, I am uncertane.
But suppose that it sail be greater than yitt is bruited, that ought not to stay the liberall hands of the godlie to support us privatlie ; for the publick support of an armie sail not make suche as now be superexpended able to serve without privat support.
I will make the matter more plaine by one example.
I know one man,^ that since the 10th of May hath spent in this actioun thretteene thowsand crowns of the sunne,^ beside his victuals, and other fruicts of the ground.
If he, and suche others that are in like condition with him, sail 1 Lord James Stewart. — (Note in - French coins with tlie snn on reCalderwood.) verse.
10-i
LETTERS, ETC.
1569. be absent, or yitt if their numbers sail decay, our enemeis sail seeme to prevaile in the feilcl ; and therefore desired I some collectioun to be made, to the end that the present necessitie of some might have beene releeved.
If the mater perteaned not to my native countrie, I would be more vehement in persvvasioun.
But God sail support, even how, when, and by whom it sail please his blessed Majestie.
Sorie I am, that ye have not receaved my Answere unto your Doubts ; not so much that I think ye greatlie need them, as that I wold not putt you in suspicioun, that I contemned your requests.
The rest of my Wife hath been so unrestfull since her ariving heir, that skarslie could she tell upoun the morrow, what she wrote at night.
She cannot find my first extract ; and therefore, if anie scruple remaine in your conscience, putt penne againe to paper, and looke for an answere, as God sail give opportunitie.
God make your self participant of the same comfort which ye write unto me.
And in verie deid, deir Sister, I have no lesse neid of comfort (notwithstanding that I am not altogither ignoraunt), than hath the livand man to be fed, albeit in store he hath great substance.
I have read the caires and tentatiouns of Moses, and some times I supposed my self to be
Weill practised in suche dangerous battells.
But, alas !
I now perceave that all my practise before was but meere speculatioun ; for one^day of trubles, since my last arrivall in Scotland, hath more peirced my heart than all the torments of the galeyes did the space of 19 moneths ; for that torment, for the most If part, did tuiche the bodie, but this pearces the soule and inward affectiouns.
Then was I assuredlie perswaded, that I sould not die till I had preached Christ Jesus, even where I now am.
And yit, having now my heartie desire, I am nothing satisfied, nather yit rejoice.
My God, remove my unthankfulnes !
Frome Sanct Andrewes, the last of December 1559.
Your's, knowne in Christ, JoHNE Knox.