by John Galt
CHAPTER XXIX
In the morning, all those who were in the house with the Earl of Murrayand John Knox were early afoot, and after prayers had been said, theywent out to meet the Queen at her place of landing from the castle,which stands on an islet at some distance from the shore; but, beforethey reached the spot, she was already mounted on her jennet and thehawks unhooded, so that they were obligated to follow her Highness tothe ground, the Reformer leaning on the Earl, who proffered him his leftarm as they walked up the steep bank together from the brim of the lake.
The Queen was on the upland when they drew near to the field, and onseeing them approach she came ambling towards them, moving in herbeauty, as my grandfather often delighted to say, like a fair rosecaressed by the soft gales of the summer. A smile was in her eye, and itbrightened on her countenance like the beam of something more lovelythan light; the glow, as it were, of a spirit conscious of its power,and which had graced itself with all its enchantments to conquer somestubborn heart. Even the Earl of Murray was struck with the unwontedsplendour of her that was ever deemed so surpassing fair; and John Knoxsaid, with a sigh, "THE MAKER had indeed taken gracious pains with thegoodly fashion of such perishable clay."
When she had come within a few paces of where they were advancinguncovered, she suddenly checked her jennet, and made him dance proudlyround till she was nigh to John Knox, where, seeming in alarm, shefeigned as if she would have slipped from the saddle, laying her handon his shoulder for support; and while he, with more gallantry than itwas thought in him, helped her to recover her seat, she said, with aravishing look, "The Queen thanks you, Master Knox, for this upholding,"dwelling on the word this in a special manner; which my grandfathernoticed the more, as he as well as others of the retinue observed, thatshe was playing as it were in dalliance.
She then inquired kindly for his health, grieving she had not givenorders for him to bed in the castle; and turning to the Earl of Murray,she chided his Lordship with a gentleness that was more winning thanpraise, why he had not come to her with Master Knox, saying, "We shouldthen perhaps have not been so sharp in our controversy." But, before theEarl had time to make answer, she noticed divers gentlemen by name, andtaking off her glove, made a most sweet salutation with her lily hand tothe general concourse of those who had by this time gathered around.
In that gracious gesture, it was plain, my grandfather said, that shewas still scattering her feminine spells; for she kept her hand for sometime bare, and though enjoying the pleasure which her beautiful presencediffused, like a delicious warmth into the air, she was evidentlyself-collected, and had something more in mind than only the triumph ofher marvellous beauty.
Having turned her horse's head, she moved him a few paces, saying,"Master Knox, I would speak with you." At which he went towards her, andthe rest of the spectators retired and stood aloof.
They appeared for some time to be in an easy and somewhat gay discourseon her part; but she grew more and more earnest, till Mr Knox made hisreverence and was coming away, when she said to him aloud, "Well, do asyou will, but that man is a dangerous man."
Their discourse was concerning the titular Bishop of Athens, a brotherof the Earl of Huntly, who had been put in nomination for asuperintendent of the church in the West Country, and of whose badcharacter her Highness, as it afterwards proved, had received a justaccount.
But scarcely had the Reformer retired two steps when she called himback, and holding out to him her hand, with which, when he approached todo his homage, she familiarly took hold of his and held it, playing withhis fingers as if she had been placing on a ring, saying, loud enoughto be heard by many on the field,--
"I have one of the greatest matters that have touched me since I cameinto this realm to open to you, and I must have your help in it."
Then, still holding him earnestly by the hand, she entered into a longdiscourse concerning, as he afterwards told the Earl of Murray, adifference subsisting between the Earl and Countess of Argyle.
"Her Ladyship," said the Queen, for my grandfather heard him repeat whatpassed, "has not perhaps been so circumspect in everything as one couldhave wished, but her lord has dealt harshly with her."
Master Knox having once before reconciled the debates of that honourablecouple, told her Highness he had done so, and that not having sinceheard anything to the contrary, he had hoped all things went well withthem.
"It is worse," replied the Queen, "than ye believe. But, kind sir, dothis much for my sake, as once again to put them at amity, and if theCountess behave not herself as she ought to do, she shall find no favourof me; but in no wise let Argyle know that I have requested you in thismatter."
Then she returned to the subject of their contest the preceding evening,and said, with her sweetest looks and most musical accents, "I promiseto do as ye required. I shall order all offenders to be summoned, andyou shall see that I shall minister justice."
To which he replied, "I am assured then, madam, that you shall pleaseGod, and enjoy rest and tranquillity within your realm, which to yourMajesty is more profitable than all the Pope's power can be." And havingsaid this much he made his reverence, evidently in great pleasure withher Highness.
Afterwards, in speaking to the Earl of Murray, as they returned toKinross, my grandfather noted that he employed many terms of softcourtliness, saying of her that she was a lady who might, he thought,with a little pains, be won to grace and godliness, could she bepreserved from the taint of evil counsellors; so much had the winningsorceries of her exceeding beauty and her blandishments worked even uponhis stern honesty and enchanted his jealousy asleep.
When Master Knox had, with the Earl, partaken of some repast, herequested that he might be conveyed back to Edinburgh, for that itsuited not with his nature to remain sorning about the skirts of thecourt; and his Lordship bade my grandfather be of his company, and tobid Sir Alexander Douglas, the master of his horse, choose for him thegentlest steed in his stable.
But it happened before the Reformer was ready to depart, that Queen Maryhad finished her morning pastime, and was returning to her barge toembark for the castle, which the Earl hearing, went down to the brim ofthe loch to assist at her embarkation. My grandfather, with others, alsohastened to the spot.
On seeing his Lordship, she inquired for "her friend," as she thencalled John Knox, and signified her regret that he had been so list toleave her, expressing her surprise that one so infirm should think sosoon of a second journey; whereby the good Earl being minded to cementtheir happy reconciliation, from which he augured a great increase ofbenefits both to the realm and the cause of religion, was led to speakof his concern thereat likewise, and of his sorrow that all his ownhorses at Kinross being for the chase and road, he had none well-fittingto carry a person so aged, and but little used to the toil of riding.
Her Highness smiled at the hidden counselling of this remark, for shewas possessed of a sharp spirit; and she said, with a look which toldthe Earl and all about her that she discerned the pith of his Lordship'sdiscourse, she would order one of her own palfreys to be forthwithprepared for him.
When the Earl returned from the shore and informed Master Knox of theQueen's gracious condescension, he made no reply, but bowed his head intoken of his sense of her kindness; and soon after, when the palfrey wasbrought saddled with the other horses to the door, he said, in mygrandfather's hearing, to his Lordship, "It needs, you see, my Lord,must be so; for were I not to accept this grace, it might be thought Irefused from a vain bravery of caring nothing for her Majesty's favour;"and he added, with a smile of jocularity, "whereas I am right wellcontent to receive the very smallest boon from so fair and blooming alady."
Nothing of any particularity occurred in the course of the journey; forthe main part of which Master Knox was thoughtful and knit up in his owncogitations, and when from time to time he did enter into discourse withmy grandfather, he spoke chiefly of certain usages and customs that hehad observed in other lands, and of things of indifferent import; butnev
ertheless there was a flavour of holiness in all he said, and mygrandfather treasured many of his sweet sentences as pearls of greatprice.