One day, the sermon ended, and the people departing, suspecting no danger and therefore not heeding the said Master George, the priest that was corrupted stood waiting at the foot of the steps, his gown loose, and his drawn whinger in his hand under his gown. The said Master George, who was most sharp of eye and judgment, marked him, and as he came near said, "My friend, what would ye do?" Therewith he clapped his hand upon the priest's hand wherein the whinger was, and took this from him. The priest, abashed, fell down at his feet and openly confessed the truth. The noise coming to the ears of the sick, they cried, "Deliver the traitor to us, or else we will take him by force;" and burst in at the gate. But Master George took him in his arms and said, "Whosoever troubles him shall trouble me. He has hurt me in nothing, but has done great comfort both to you and me, he has let us understand what we may fear in times to come. We will watch better." Thus he appeased both the one part and the other, and saved the life of him that sought his.
When the plague was so ceased that there were almost none sick, Master George took his leave of the people of Dundee; saying that God had almost put end to that battle, and he found himself called to another. The gentlemen of the west had written unto him that he should meet them at Edinburgh; for they would demand disputation with the bishops, and he should be publicly heard. Thereto he willingly agreed; but first he passed to Montrose to salute the kirk there. There he remained, occupied sometimes in preaching but for the most part in secret meditation, in which he was so earnest that he would continue in it night and day.
Further Treachery of the Cardinal.
While Master George was so occupied with his God, the Cardinal drew a secret draught for his slaughter. He caused to be written unto him a letter, purporting to be from his most familiar friend, the Laird of Kynneir, desiring him to come unto him with all possible diligence, for he was stricken with a sudden sickness. In the meantime the traitor had provided threescore men, with jacks[69] and spears, to lie in wait within a mile and a half of the town of Montrose, for his despatch. The letter coming to his hand, he made haste at the first, for the boy had brought a horse; and so with some honest men, he passed forth of the town. But suddenly he stayed and, musing a space, turned back. "I will not go," he said; "I am forbidden by God. I am assured there is treason. Let some of you go to yonder place, and tell me what ye find." Diligence made, they found the treason, as it was; and this being shown with expedition to Master George, he answered, "I know that I shall finish my life in that bloodthirsty man's hands; but it will not be in this manner."
The Agony of Master George Wishart.
When the time at which he had appointed to meet the gentlemen at Edinburgh approached, Master George took his leave of Montrose, and, sorely against the judgment of the Laird of Dun, entered on his journey. He returned to Dundee, but did not remain, going on to the house of a faithful brother named James Watson, who dwelt in Invergowrie, two miles distant from the said town. That night, according to information given to us by William Spadin and John Watson, both men of good credit, he passed forth into a yard, a little before day. The said William and John followed privily, and took heed what he did. When he had gone up and down in an alley for some time, with many sobs and deep groans, he platt upon his knees, and remaining thus, his groans increased. From his knees, he fell upon his face; and then the persons forenamed heard weeping, and an indistinct sound, as it were of prayers. In this agony he continued for nearly an hour, and afterwards began to be quiet, when he arose and came in to his bed.
They that had watched got in before Master George, as if they had been ignorant of his absence until he came in; and then they began to ask where he had been. But that night he would answer nothing. Upon the morrow they urged him again; and, when he dissimulated, they said, "Master George, be plain with us; we heard your groans; yea, we heard your bitter mourning, and saw you both upon your knees and upon your face." With dejected visage, he said, "I had rather ye had been in your beds. It would have been more profitable for you, for I was scarcely well employed." They insistently urged him to let them know something for their comfort, and he then said, "I will tell you that I am assured that my travail is near an end. Therefore call to God with me, that now I shrink not, when the battle waxes most hot." When they wept, and said, that was "small comfort unto them;" he answered, "God shall send you comfort after me. This realm shall be illuminated with the light of Christ's Evangel, as clearly as ever was any realm since the days of the Apostles. The house of God shall be builded in it. Yea, it shall not lack the very copestone, whatsoever the enemy imagine to the contrary." Neither shall this be long; there shall not many suffer after me, before the glory of God shall evidently appear, and shall once triumph in despite of Satan. But, alas! if the people shall thereafter be unthankful, fearful and terrible shall the plagues be that shall follow." With these words he marched forward in his journey towards Perth; and so to Fife, and then to Leith.
Master George arrives in Leith.
Arrived in Leith, and hearing no word of those that had appointed to meet him, to wit, the Earl of Cassillis and the gentlemen of Kyle and Cunningham, Master George kept himself secret for a day or two. But beginning to wax sorrowful in spirit, and being asked the cause, he said, "What differ I from a dead man, except that I eat and drink? Unto this time, God has used my labours for the instruction of others, and for the disclosing of darkness; and now I lurk as a man that is ashamed, and dare not show himself before men." From these and like words, they that heard him understood that his desire was to preach; and therefore said they, "Most comfortable it were unto us to hear you; but, because we know the danger wherein ye stand, we dare not desire you." "Only dare ye and others hear," said he, "and then let my God provide for me, as best pleaseth Him." Finally, it was concluded that he should preach in Leith on the next Sunday. This he did, taking the text, "The parable of the sower that went forth to sow seed." (Matthew xiii.) This was fifteen days before Yule.
For Safety he is removed to the Lothians; preaches at Inveresk.
The sermon ended, the gentlemen of Lothian, who then were earnest professors of Christ Jesus, thought it not expedient that Master George should remain in Leith, as the Governor and Cardinal were shortly to come to Edinburgh. Therefore they took him with them, and kept him sometimes in Brunstone, sometimes in Longniddry, and sometimes in Ormiston; for those three Lairds diligently waited upon him. On the Sunday following, he preached in the kirk of Inveresk, beside Musselburgh, both before and after noon. There was a great congregation of people, amongst them being Sir George Douglas, who said publicly after the sermon, "I know that my Lord Governor and my Lord Cardinal shall hear that I have been at this preaching. Say unto them that I will avow it, and will not only maintain the doctrine that I have heard, but also the person of the teacher, to the uttermost of my power." These words greatly rejoiced the people and the gentlemen then present.
We cannot pass by one notable thing in that sermon. Amongst others, there came two Grey Friars, who, standing in the entry of the kirk door, made some whispering to such as came in. This perceived, the preacher said to the people that stood nigh them, "I heartily pray you to make room for those two men. It may be that they be come to learn." Unto them he said, "Come near,"—they stood in the very entry of the door—"for I assure you ye shall hear the Word of truth, which shall this same day seal unto you your salvation, or your condemnation." He then proceeded with his sermon, supposing that they would have been quiet. But, when he perceived that they still troubled the people that stood nigh them (for vehement was he against the false worshipping of God), he turned unto them the second time, and with an awful countenance said, "O sergeants of Satan and deceivers of the souls of men, will ye neither hear God's truth, nor suffer others to hear it? Depart, and take this for your portion—God shall shortly confound and disclose your hypocrisy. Within this realm ye shall be abominable unto men, and your places and habitations shall be desolate." This sentence he pronounced with great vehemence, in the midst of the sermon; and, turning to the people, he said, "Yon wicked men have provoked the Spirit of God to anger." Then he returned to his matter, and proceeded to the end.
That day's travail ended, he came to Longniddry; and on the two next Sundays he preached in Tranent, with the like grace
