the servant of God was treated, and what he did from the day that he entered within the Sea-Tower of St. Andrews, which was in the end of January, in the year of God 1546, until the first of March in the same year, when he suffered, we cannot certainly tell. We understand that he wrote something when in prison; but that was suppressed by the enemies. The Cardinal delayed no time, but caused all bishops, yea all the clergy that had any pre-eminence, to be convocated to St. Andrews against the penult[74] of February, for consultation. The question was no less resolved in his own mind than was Christ's death in the mind of Caiaphas; but, that the rest should bear the burden with him, he desired that, before the world, they should subscribe to whatsoever he did.
In that day was wrought no less a wonder than that at the accusation and death of Jesus Christ, when Pilate and Herod, who before were enemies, were made friends, by both of them consenting to Christ's condemnation. There was no difference between the two cases, except that Pilate and Herod were brethren under their father the Devil in the estate called temporal, and these two of whom we are to speak were brethren, sons of the same father the Devil, in the estate ecclesiastical. If we interlace merriness with earnest matters, pardon us, good reader. The fact is so notable that it deserveth long memory.
A merry Tale of the Cardinal and Archbishop Dunbar.
The Cardinal was known to be proud; and Dunbar, Archbishop of Glasgow, was known for a glorious fool; and yet, because for some time he had been called the King's Master,[75] he was Chancellor of Scotland. The Cardinal had come to Glasgow this same year, in the end of harvest, upon what purpose we omit. But while they remained together, the one in the town, the other in the Castle, question arose as to precedence in the bearing of their croziers. The Cardinal alleged that, by reason of his cardinalship and of his office of Legatus Natus and primate within Scotland in the kingdom of Antichrist, he should have the pre-eminence, and that his crozier should not only go before, but should alone be borne, wheresoever he was. Good Gukstoun Glaikstour,[76] the foresaid Archbishop, lacked no reasons, as he thought, for maintenance of his glory. He was an Archbishop, and, within his own diocese and in his own Cathedral seat and Church, ought to give place to no man. The power of the Cardinal was but begged from Rome, and appertained but to his own person, and not to his bishopric; for it might be that his successor should not be Cardinal. But his dignity was annexed to his office, and did appertain to all that ever should be archbishops of Glasgow.
Howsoever these doubts were resolved by the doctors of divinity of both the prelates, the decision was as we shall hear. Coming forth, or going in, at the choir door of Glasgow Kirk there began a strife for position betwixt the two cross-bearers. From glooming they came to shouldering; from shouldering they went on to buffets, and from dry blows, by neifs and neifeling;[77] and then for charity's sake they cried, "Dispersit, dedit pauperibus," and assayed which of the croziers was finest metal, which staff was strongest, and which bearer could best defend his master's pre-eminence; and, that there should be no superiority in that behalf, to the ground went both the croziers.
And then began no little fray, but yet a merry game, for rochets were rent, tippets were torn, crowns were knapped,[78] and side gowns might have been seen wantonly wag from the one wall to the other. Many of them lacked beards, and that was the more pity, for they could not buckle each other by the birse,[79] as bold men would have done. But fie on the jackmen that did not their duty; for had the one part of them rencountered the other then had all gone right. The sanctuary, we suppose, saved the lives of many. However merrily this be written, it was bitter bourding[80] to the Cardinal and his court. It was more than irregularity. Yea, it might well have been judged lese-Majesty to the son of perdition, the Pope's own person; and yet the other in his folly, as proud as a peacock, would let the Cardinal know that he was a bishop when the other was but Beaton, before he got Arbroath!
Pilate and Herod patch the Quarrel.
This enmity was judged mortal, and without all hope of reconciliation. But the blood of the innocent servant of God buried in oblivion all that bragging and boasting; for the Archbishop of Glasgow was the first unto whom the Cardinal wrote, signifying unto him what was done, and earnestly craving of him that he would assist with his presence and counsel, that such an enemy unto their estate might be suppressed. Thereto the other was not slow, but kept time appointed, sat next to the Cardinal, voted and subscribed first in the rank, and lay over the east block-house with the said Cardinal, until the martyr of God was consumed by fire. For we must note that as all these beasts consented in heart to the slaughter of that innocent, so did they approve it with their presence, having the whole ordnance of the Castle of St. Andrews bent towards the place of execution, ready to have shot if any would have made defence or rescue to God's servant.
Upon the last day of February,[81] by the commandment of the Cardinal and his wicked Council, the Dean of the town was sent to the prison where lay the servant of God, the said Master George Wishart. Him he summoned to appear before the judge upon the following morning, then and there to give account of his seditious and heretical doctrine. The said Master George answered: "What needeth my Lord Cardinal to summon me to answer for my doctrine openly before him under whose power and dominion I am thus straitly bound in irons? May not my Lord compel me to answer to his extortionate power; or believeth he that I am not prepared to render account of my doctrine? To manifest what kind of men ye are, it is well that ye keep your old ceremonies and constitutions made by men."
Master George Wishart before the Cardinal's Tribunal.
Upon the next morn, my Lord Cardinal caused his servants to dress themselves in their most warlike array, with jack, knapscall,[82] splent,[83] spear, and axe, more seemly for war than for the preaching of the true Word of God. And when these armed champions, marching in warlike order, had conveyed the Archbishops into the Abbey Church, incontinently they sent for Master George, who was conveyed unto the said church by the captain of the Castle and a hundred men dressed in manner foresaid. Like a lamb led they him to sacrifice. As he entered the Abbey Church door, a poor man, vexed with great infirmities, asked his alms. To him he flung his purse. When he had come before the Cardinal, the sub-prior of the Abbey, Dean John Winram, stood up in the pulpit and made a sermon to all the congregation there assembled, taking his matter out of the thirteenth chapter of Matthew.
The Sub-prior preaches on Heresy.
His sermon was divided into four principal parts. The first was a short and brief declaration concerning the evangelist. The second was of the interpretation of the good seed; and because he called the Word of God the good seed, and heresy the evil seed, he declared what heresy was and how it should be known. He defined in this manner: "Heresy is a false opinion, defended with pertinacity, clearly repugning to the Word of God." The third part of his sermon was concerning the cause of heresy within that realm and all other realms. "The cause of heresy," quoth he, "is the ignorance of those who have the cure of men's souls. To them it necessarily belongeth to have the true understanding of the Word of God, that they may be able to win again the false doctors of heresies, with the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God; and not only to win again, but also to overcome, as saith Paul, 'a bishop must be faultless, as becometh the minister of God, not stubborn, nor angry; no drunkard, no fighter, not given to filthy lucre; but harberous,[84] one that loveth goodness, sober minded, righteous, holy, temperate, and such as cleaveth unto the true word of the doctrine, that he may be able to exhort with wholesome learning, and to improve that which they say against him.'"
The fourth part of his sermon was as to how heresies should be known. "Heresies be known on this manner. As the goldsmith knoweth the fine gold from the imperfect, by use of the touchstone, so likewise may we know heresy by the undoubted touchstone, that is, the true, sincere, and undefiled Word of God." At the last, he added that "heretics should be put down in this present life. The Gospel appeared to repugn this proposition—'let them both grow unto the harvest.' The harvest is the end of the world: nevertheless, he affirmed, they should be put down by the civil magistrate and law."
A fed Sow accuses and curses Master George.
When the Sub-prior ended his sermon, incontinently they caused Master George to ascend into the pulpit, there to hear his accusation and articles. Right against him stood up one of the fed flock, a monster, John Lauder, laden full of cursing written on paper. Of these he took out a roll both long and full of cursings, threatenings,