accept it! Nobles and Kirk alike. The whole
people ..,'
'You
think not, lad? Pray God that you are right. Pray God! But, I say, it
is up to us, man, who have the leadership in this land, to see that
the realm does not! Charles will have done what the Edwards and the
Henrys never could do â wiped out this ancient realm and put us
under the English heel. That is the size o' it. That it should be
under the heels oâ damnable English prelates is the measure oâ
our abasement, by God!'
James
Graham looked from one to the other. 'What do you wish for me?' he
asked, quietly.
'Just
that the Graham does not fail his ancestors, lad. At Dunbar, at
Stirling Brig, at Bannockburn, at Flodden-field, at Pinkie Brae,
Graham has stood - aye, and fallen if need be - for the freedom o'
this sair-harried realm. Do you stand
aside, man ?'
Levelly,
Alexander Henderson spoke. 'All we ask, my lord, is that you lend
your name and support, when the time comes. For a stand for our
liberty, our right to worship God in our own way, our determination
that none shall take from us our birthright as free men.'
Montrose
inclined his handsome head. 'I could do no less,' he said.
'Praise
be! Aye, lad - so I believed. And so said Archie Napier. Here is
right excellent augury. We came to you amongst the first, James - for
where the Graham leads, lesser men will follow. And it is the lesser
men, the common folk, the townsmen, that we must rally, see you,
Charles himsel' has rallied the nobles against him, by his Act o'
Revocation, his taking o' the tithes and teinds o' our lands to pay
for his bishops. He will unite the Kirk against him by this Liturgy
and doing awa 1 with the presbyteries. But, the common folk ..
'Fear
not for the common folk, my good lords, 1 Henderson interrupted. âKing Charles has assured of them rising
also, I think 1'
â You
say so ?'
â Yes.
Or the man Laud has done it for him! This of the surplices. In his
Canons, you tell me, it is ordained that every minister of the Gospel
discards his black Geneva gown and dons a white linen surplice.
Likewise on pain of excommunication. I tell you, he could scarce
have served us better! Here is something which the ordinary man and
woman can see and understand. Compared with the rest, it is little or
nothing I agree. But they, the common folk, will see it as popery,
the trappings of idolatry. That, and these pictures which your
lordship tells me are
to be painted
in the prayer-book, on the initial letters of each page and prayer -
cherubs, angels and the like. Imagery, devices of the Devil. Aye,
smile my lords - but, I tell you, who am of the people myself, that
this will serve better than all your doctrine and pronouncements.
Aye, or my sermons!
This they will see as bowing down to idols! The folk will rise in
their wrath.'
Rothes
shrugged. 'So be they rise,' he said. 'But they must learn o' them,
first.'
'They
will learn, never doubt it. We - the ministers of God's Kirk - will
not fail to equip ourselves with the King's white surplices, I
promise you! Though we will never wear them. They will hang from
every pulpit in the land, as text for our discourses. The
prayer-books too, when they come. We will not use
them - but every kirk will show them to the people, with their
pictures and popery ...'
â Ha
- and there is more for you to display, Henderson man. Now I mind oâ
it. A Kalendar o' Scots saints. Saints, mark
you. Such Kalendar to be printed with each book, by the King's
personal command! Saints, and their days, for observation,
veneration, worship! Show that!'
Obviously
this was news to Alexander Henderson. He looked shocked, no less.
'Saints ... !' he gasped. 'Is ... is the man clean out of his wits?'
â You
may ask! That is Charles, by the Grace o' God, King! Aye.' John
Leslie reached for the flagon. 'So there you have it, James. Wc can
rely on you? When the time comes?'
'You can
rely on me not to stand dumb, my lord. Not to withhold my
people ..,'
'You
think not, lad? Pray God that you are right. Pray God! But, I say, it
is up to us, man, who have the leadership in this land, to see that
the realm does not! Charles will have done what the Edwards and the
Henrys never could do â wiped out this ancient realm and put us
under the English heel. That is the size o' it. That it should be
under the heels oâ damnable English prelates is the measure oâ
our abasement, by God!'
James
Graham looked from one to the other. 'What do you wish for me?' he
asked, quietly.
'Just
that the Graham does not fail his ancestors, lad. At Dunbar, at
Stirling Brig, at Bannockburn, at Flodden-field, at Pinkie Brae,
Graham has stood - aye, and fallen if need be - for the freedom o'
this sair-harried realm. Do you stand
aside, man ?'
Levelly,
Alexander Henderson spoke. 'All we ask, my lord, is that you lend
your name and support, when the time comes. For a stand for our
liberty, our right to worship God in our own way, our determination
that none shall take from us our birthright as free men.'
Montrose
inclined his handsome head. 'I could do no less,' he said.
'Praise
be! Aye, lad - so I believed. And so said Archie Napier. Here is
right excellent augury. We came to you amongst the first, James - for
where the Graham leads, lesser men will follow. And it is the lesser
men, the common folk, the townsmen, that we must rally, see you,
Charles himsel' has rallied the nobles against him, by his Act o'
Revocation, his taking o' the tithes and teinds o' our lands to pay
for his bishops. He will unite the Kirk against him by this Liturgy
and doing awa 1 with the presbyteries. But, the common folk ..
'Fear
not for the common folk, my good lords, 1 Henderson interrupted. âKing Charles has assured of them rising
also, I think 1'
â You
say so ?'
â Yes.
Or the man Laud has done it for him! This of the surplices. In his
Canons, you tell me, it is ordained that every minister of the Gospel
discards his black Geneva gown and dons a white linen surplice.
Likewise on pain of excommunication. I tell you, he could scarce
have served us better! Here is something which the ordinary man and
woman can see and understand. Compared with the rest, it is little or
nothing I agree. But they, the common folk, will see it as popery,
the trappings of idolatry. That, and these pictures which your
lordship tells me are
to be painted
in the prayer-book, on the initial letters of each page and prayer -
cherubs, angels and the like. Imagery, devices of the Devil. Aye,
smile my lords - but, I tell you, who am of the people myself, that
this will serve better than all your doctrine and pronouncements.
Aye, or my sermons!
This they will see as bowing down to idols! The folk will rise in
their wrath.'
Rothes
shrugged. 'So be they rise,' he said. 'But they must learn o' them,
first.'
'They
will learn, never doubt it. We - the ministers of God's Kirk - will
not fail to equip ourselves with the King's white surplices, I
promise you! Though we will never wear them. They will hang from
every pulpit in the land, as text for our discourses. The
prayer-books too, when they come. We will not use
them - but every kirk will show them to the people, with their
pictures and popery ...'
â Ha
- and there is more for you to display, Henderson man. Now I mind oâ
it. A Kalendar o' Scots saints. Saints, mark
you. Such Kalendar to be printed with each book, by the King's
personal command! Saints, and their days, for observation,
veneration, worship! Show that!'
Obviously
this was news to Alexander Henderson. He looked shocked, no less.
'Saints ... !' he gasped. 'Is ... is the man clean out of his wits?'
â You
may ask! That is Charles, by the Grace o' God, King! Aye.' John
Leslie reached for the flagon. 'So there you have it, James. Wc can
rely on you? When the time comes?'
'You can
rely on me not to stand dumb, my lord. Not to withhold my
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