Religion & morality > Chronicles of the kirk, or, Scenes and stories from the history of the Church of Scotland

HISTORY OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 139
treated as common galley-slaves. During their cap¬
tivity, Knox and his companions endured many se¬
vere trials. Of these trials one not the least painful
was the attempts that were constantly made to in¬
duce them to recant and embrace the Popish religion.
This trial they bravely endured, nor did the fear of
death or the hope of liberty prevail with one of them,
to make shipwreck of faith and a good conscience.
“ On one day,” says a modem writer, who has drawn
the character of Knox with singular ability, “ an
officer or priest presented them an image of the Vir¬
gin Mary, requiring that they should do it reve¬
rence as the Mother of God. ‘ Mother—Mother of
God ?’ said Knox, ‘ this is no Mother of God, this
is a pented brodd. She is fitter I think for swim-
ing than for being worshipped.’ So he threw it
into the river, adding, ‘ Let her swim, slje is light
enough.’ It was not very cheap jesting there, but
come of it what might, this thing to Knox was a
pented brodd and nothing more, and worship it he
would not.” To add to the sufferings of Knox, he
was seized with a fever which brought him to the
gates of death. Yet even then his fortitude never
failed him.
He exhorted his fellow prisoners to be of good
courage, and held out hopes constantly to them of
release. To their anxious enquiries, “ if he thought