ng of the swords, the
gleaming torches of the force who came to keep order, were sights very
familiar to Edinburgh. But this fray brings upon us, prominent in the
midst of the nightly brawls, the dark and ominous figure whose trace in
history is so black, so brief, and so disastrous--once only had he
appeared clearly before, when he intercepted in the interest of the
Queen Regent the money sent from England to the Congregation. Now it is
in a very different guise. Bothwell, as probably the ringleader in the
disorders of the young nobles, was apparently the only person punished.
He was confined to his own lodging, and it was apparently at this time
that he sought the intervention of Knox, who seems to have been the
universal referee. Knox gladly granted his prayer for an interview,
which was brought him by a citizen of Edinburgh, with whom the riotous
Earl had dealings. No doubt the Reformer expected a new convert; and
indeed Bothwell had his preliminary shrift to make, and confessed his
repentance of his previous action against the Congregation, which he
said was done "by the entysements of the Queen Regent." But the Earl's
object was not entirely of this pious kind. He informed Knox that he had
offended the Earl of Arran, and that he was most anxious to recover that
gentleman's favour, on the ground, apparently, that a feud with so great
a personage compelled him to maintain a great retinue, "a number of
wicked and unprofitable men, to the utter destruction of my living."

Knox received with unusual favour this petition for his intervention,
and for (to the reader) an unexpected reason: "Albeit to this hour," he
said, "it hath not chanced me to speak to your lordship face to face,
yet have I borne a good mind to your honour, and have been sorry in my
heart of the troubles that I have heard you to be involved in. For, my
lord, my grandfather, goodsire and father, have served your lordship's
predecessors, and some of them have died under their standards; and this
is part of the obligation of our Scottish kindness." He goes on
naturally to exhort his visitor to complete repentance and "perfyte
reconciliation with God;" but ends by promising his good offices for the
wished-for reconciliation with man. In this mediation Knox was
successful: and as the extraordinary chance would have it, it was at the
Kirk of Field, doomed to such dismal association for ever with
Bothwell's name, that the meeting with Arran, under the auspice