and against such disturbances of religious services as the Protest just
described declared to be imminent, all such deeds being denounced under
"pain of death"--as pain of death was used to be threatened against
poachers of deer and wild fowl. {92a}

Mary, however, had promised, as we saw, that she would summon the nobles
and Estates, "to advise for some reformation in religion" (March 7,
1559), and the Archbishop called a Provincial Council to Edinburgh for
March. At this, or some other juncture, for Knox's narrative is
bewildering, {92b} the clergy offered free discussion, but refused to
allow exiles like himself to be present, and insisted on the acceptance
of the Mass, Purgatory, the invocation of saints, with security for their
ecclesiastical possessions. In return they would grant prayers and
baptism in English, if done privately and not in open assembly. The
terms, he says, were rejected; appeal was made to Mary of Guise, and she
gave toleration, except for public assemblies in Edinburgh and Leith,
pending the meeting of Parliament. To the clergy, who, "some say,"
bribed her, she promised to "put order" to these matters. The Reformers
were deceived, and forbade Douglas to preach in Leith. So writes Knox.

Now the "Historie" dates all this, bribe and all, _after the end of
December_ 1558. Knox, however, by some confusion, places the facts,
bribe and all, _before April_ 28, 1558, Myln's martyrdom! {93a} Yet he
had before him as he wrote the Chronicle of Bruce of Earlshall, who
states the bribe, Knox says, at 40,000 pounds; the "Historie" says
"within 15,000 pounds." {93b}

In any case Knox, who never saw his book in print, has clearly dislocated
the sequence of events. At this date, namely March 1559, the preaching
agitators were at liberty, nor were they again put at for any of their