least in no way pauses to deplore: they had left nothing, he says, "but
bare walls, yea, not so much as door or windok: wherthrou we were the
less troubled in putting order in such places." Thus the flood of
Revolution, of Reformation, of fundamental, universal change flowed on.
The victory was not assured, however, as perhaps they had hoped when
they entered Edinburgh, for though for a time everything went well, and
the preaching seems to have been followed by the greater part of the
city, the Queen, ever active, though never striking any decisive blow,
had received reinforcements from France, and to the great alarm of the
Congregation had begun to fortify Leith, forming a strong garrison there
of French soldiers, and making a new stronghold near enough to be a
perpetual menace to Edinburgh almost at her door. The position of
affairs at this moment was curious in the extreme. The Queen in Leith,
surrounded by the newly arrived forces of France, with Frenchmen placed
in all the great offices, fulminated forth decrees, commands,
explanations, orders, from within the walls that were being quickly
raised to make the fort a strong place, and from amidst the garrison of
her own countrymen, in whose fidelity she could fully trust. In
Edinburgh the Congregation were virtually supreme, but very uneasy;
their substantial adversaries quieted, but ever on the watch; the
populace ready to pull down and destroy at their indication, but not to
change their life or character--an unstable support should trouble come;
while in the castle Lord Erskine sat impartial, a sort of silent umpire,
taking neither side, though ready to intervene with a great gun on
either as occasion moved him. The fire of words which was kept up
between the two parties is one of the most amazing features of the
conflict. For every page the Queen's secretaries wrote, John Knox was
ready with ten to demonstrate her errors, her falsehood, the
impossibility that any good could come from an idolater such as she.
Other persons take part in the great wrangle, but he is clearly the
scribe and moving spirit. He writes to her in his own person, in that of
the Lord James, in that of the Congregation. She accuses them of
rebellion and treasonable intentions against herself--and they her of
her Frenchmen and her fortifications. She summons them to leave
Edinburgh on peril of all the penalties that attend high treason; they
demand from her that the Frenchmen should be sent away