innocent, against our
conscience for pleasure of any creature?' And so the haill nobilitie
absolved John Knox again."

The Queen was naturally enraged at this decision, and taunted bitterly
the Bishop of Ross, who joined in the acquittal, with following the
multitude, to which he answered with much dignity, "Your Grace may
consider that it is neither affection to the man nor yet love to his
profession that moved me to absolve him, but the simple truth"--a noble
answer, which shows that the entire body of prelates in Scotland were
not deserving of the abuse which Knox everywhere and on all occasions
pours upon them.

This was his last meeting with Mary. The part he played in public
affairs was as great, and the standing quarrel with the Court, and all
those who favoured it, more acrimonious than ever, every slanderous tale
that came on the idle winds of gossip being taken for granted, and the
most hideous accusations made in the pulpit as well as in private places
against the Queen and her lighthearted company. The principles, of such
profound importance to the nation, which were undoubtedly involved, are
discredited by the fierce denunciations and miserable personal gossip
with which they were mingled. That judgment should follow the exhibition
of "tarjetted tails," _i.e._ embroidered or highly decorated trains, and
loom black over a Court ball; and that Scotland should be punished
because the Queen and her Maries loved dancing, were threats in no way
inconsistent with the temper of the time; but they must have filled the
minds of reasonable men with many revoltings of impatience and disgust.
It says much for the real soundness of purpose and truth of intention
among the exclusive Church party that they did not permanently injure
the great cause which they had at bottom honestly at heart.

[Illustration: DOORWAY, HOLYROOD PALACE]

CHAPTER III

THE TRIUMPH AND END

When the Assembly of the Church met in December shortly after these
stirring incidents it was remarked that Knox took no part at first in
the deliberations, an unexampled event. After the first burst of
discussion, however, on the subject of the provision for the Church, he
disclosed the reason of his unusual silence, which was that he had of
late been accused of being a seditious man, and usurping power to
himself--and that some had said of him, "What can the Pope do more than
send forth his letters, and require them to be obeyed?" When