Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 10.djvu/211

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i572.j THE MASSACRE OF ST BARTHOLOMEW. igi and give over the Castle. If not, lie shall be brought down over the walls with shame and hung against the sun/ Lindsay went as he was bidden and saw Grange, and ' somewhat moved him/ But he talked to Mait- land, and Maitland turned the warning into ridicule.

  • Go, tell Mr Knox/ he said at last in answer, ' that he

is but a drytting prophet/ ' Well, well/ said Knox, when the words were brought back to him, ' I have been earnest with my God anent they twa men. For the one, I am sorry that sa should befall him ; yet God assures me there is mercy for his soul. For the other, I have na warrant that ever he shall be well/ On the 1 7th of November the elders of the November. congregation came to his bed to receive his final instructions. He went over the chief incidents of the last year with them. ' He had done his best to in- struct them/ he said, ' and if at any time he had spoken hardly, it was not from passion or ill-will, but only to overcome their faults. Now that he was going away, he could but charge them to remain true to make no compromise with evil especially to yield in nothing to the Castle rather to fly with David to the mountains than remain at home in the company of the wicked/ Two days later, the 1 9th, Morton came, and Ruthven and Glencairn ; and to them he spoke at length, though what passed none ever knew. Afterwards some fine lady came ' to praise him/ to flatter him in a foolish way for the great things which he had done. ' Hush, hush ! ' he said, ' flesh is ower proud, and needs no means to esteem the self/