Spottiswoode Society > History of the affairs of the Church and State of Scotland from the beginning of the reformation to the year 1568 > Volume 1

BOOK I.] APPENDIX. 40.")
I did speak, it will please you remember that the Master of
Maxwell 1 hath susteaned great damaige. Ormeston is joynecl
with us, to the comfort of many. Touching secreasie, which
ye request, I dar promess for som, and for myself ; but diffi-
cill, it is, Sir, to bridill the tonges of a multituid in maters
which must pass by publick and common suffrage, but ma-
ters which concern particular persons ar not to my know-
ledge verrey patent. I hope that God hath delivered me
from the most part of those civill effaires, for now ar men
of better judgement and greatter experience occupied in
those maters. Young Ledingthon, Secretarie, is delivered
from the fearfull thralldom of the Frenchmen, and is now
with us in Edinburgh, who, I truist, shall releas me of the
presupposed jorney. In few words, Sir, yf ye joyn not with
us in oppen assistance, we will both repent when the remeady
shal be more difficill. Ye have now the man to whom ye
may communicat all things, to whom also I wold wishe ye
had respect. The Lord prosper all to his glory, and to the
comfort of our posteritie. In great hast from Edinburgh,
this 29th of October 1559.
Yours to power,
John Sinclear.
Mr. Henry Balnavis to Mr Croft. 2
After most hearty commendations, Rycht Worschipfull,
this is to certifie, that the mater has evill chancit the Lord
of Ormestoun, who by the Erie Bothwell was this last Tus-
day at nycht besyde Haddyngtoun takin, hurt, and spolziet
of that he hadde. How sone this word came to the Lords,
they upon Weddinsday raid to Crechtoun, 3 four hundrecht
horsmen, thre hundrecht futemen, and certan peces of ordi-
nance, trusting to have found there the Erie of Bothwell ;
1 [The Peerage Lists, especially Douglas' Peerage, edited by Wood,
folio, vol. ii. p. 316, 317, under Earls of Nithsdale, represent that Robert
fourth Lord Maxwell died in 1546', and was succeeded by his son Robert,
who was served heir in 1550. This Lord was succeeded by his posthu-
mous son John, who was served heir in 1569. Probably Robert fifth
Lord, who in his father's lifetime was designated Master of Maxwell, is
the personage mentioned by John Knox in this letter. — E.]
2 Calig. F. 80.
3 [Crichton Castle, now in ruins, in the parish so called, on the banks
of the Tvne, nearly five miles south of Dalkeith. — E.]