Spottiswoode Society > History of the affairs of the Church and State of Scotland from the beginning of the reformation to the year 1568 > Volume 2

88 THE HISTORY OF THE AFFAIRS [1561.
all kind of magistrates in a good reformed commonwealth.
He hath received your letter sent by the Laird of Lidington,
and purposeth to write unto your Honour again by the next.^
" I spoke with the L. of Lidington as he passed to the
Court :2 I know as well be him as otherwise, how much I
am beholding unto your Honour ; whensoever I fail to
acknowledge the same, I would my life might end. He was
as greedy to hear news of this country, as I was desirous to
hear of mine. I find that his absence has nothing hindred
his credit : He standeth notwithstanding in ticklish terms ;
for either must he be reclaimed from the Mass, or his credit
witli her will hinder his reputation with all others that are
honest. This is as well spoken of him that is nearest about
lier^ as the other. God knoweth what bruits these two sus-
tain of that that they are little guilty of, no less than if her
whole power and will rested in their hand?. It is suspected
that the Lord James seeketh too much his own advancement,^
which hitherto little appeareth for any thing that ever he
received worth a groat.^ It is thought that Lidington is
too politick ; and take me these two out of Scotland, and
those that love their country shall soon find the want of
them.6 The Papists bruit them to favour England too
well ;7 others, that they are too well affectioned to their own ;
some judge them too far off from that they would have them
at : So that these two alone bear the bruit and brunt of
whatsoever is either done, thought or spoken.
" Other tales there are here a thousand, as, That the
Lord of Arran is now in England : Scotsmen's ships kept
both in England and Flanders for the spoils that we made
upon Portugal's. Yesterday there came a Scotsman from
1 By this we perceive that Secretary Cecil still kept up a correspond-
ence with Mr Knox, not much, it is to be presumed, for the benefit of
the Queen.
2 i. e. Where the Queen was at the time in her progress. Mr Maitlaad
has made but a sliort stay in England.
^ i. e. Prior of St Andrews.
* Compare this with Bishop Leslie's report.
^ We shall quickly see how long this holds true.
^ They were certainly two men of great parts. But probity and parts
are distinct accomplishments.
'' Events are the best interpreters of men's minds. Common bruit is
not always groundless.