As the servandis of God uprychtlie travellit to haif vice punissit and verteu plantit, so did the Devill ever steir up some in the contrair of baith. Thair was a law maid aganis fornicatouris and adulteraris,[315] that the ane and the uther suld be cartit throcht the townis, and so banissit, till that thair repentance wes offerit and receavit. And albeit this wes nott the severitie of Goddis law, especiallie aganis adulteraris, yet wes it a greit brydill to malefactouris; quhairat the wickit did wonderouslie storme. It chancit that ane Sandersoun, a fleschour, wes deprehendit to haif put away his lauchfull wyffe, (under cullour that he was lauchfullie partit efter the maner of the Papisticall religioun,) and haid takin to him ane uther in [his] housse. The complaynt and sclander proponit to the Kirk, and tryall takin that he wes nott maryit with the secund woman, nather that he wes able to prove that he wes devorcit by any ordour of law from the first, he wes committit in the handis of the Magistratis, quha, according to the lawis, commandit him to be cartit. Bot the raschall multitude, enflambit be some ungodlie craftismen, maid insurrectioun, brake the carte, boistit the officiaris, and tuke away the malefactour. This wes the begyning of farther evillis, as we will efter heir.
[315] There were several Acts against immorality passed about this time, in Parliament, and in the Civil as well as Ecclesiastical Courts. One of these Acts of the Town Council of Edinburgh, when about to be enforced against a delinquent in the person of John Sanderson, Deacon of the Fleshers, led to the tumult to which Knox refers. On the 22d November 1560, "The quhilk day the Baillies and Counsale being convenit in the Over Counsale House of the Tolbuith of this bur^t. Comperit William Harlay, dekin of the Hammarmen, and certane uthir craftismen, and desyrit the decreit and sentence gevin aganis Jhone Sandersone, dekin of the Fleschouris, decernying him to be cartit throuch the town, and thairafter banischit the samyn, for his manifest adulterie committit with Margaret Lyell, to be continewit quhill the morne: Quhilk the Provost, Baillies, and Counsale foresaid grantit, and thairupoun the said William askis instruments."