[Sidenote: CORRECTED BE MR. GEORGE.][288]
[288] There can be little doubt that by "Mr. George," we are to understand Mr. GEORGE BUCHANAN. He was in France at the time of the King's death, and it is highly probable he may not only have furnished Knox with the information contained in this paragraph, but also have supplied him with the translation of the Latin verses on page 136. The style of this version corresponds so much with the prose writings and the few letters of Buchanan written in his native tongue, as to warrant this ascription: but in either case, whether translated by Buchanan or Knox, these lines may be esteemed a literary curiosity. Buchanan returned to Scotland about the same time with Mary Queen of Scots, in the summer or autumn of 1561.
These cruell and conjured ennemyes of God, and of all godlynes, the Duck of Gwyse, the Cardinall of Lorane, and thair factioun, who then at thair awin appetite plaide the tyrantis in France, had determined the destructioun[289] of all that professed the trew knowledge of Jesus Christ within that Realme. What tyranny laite befoir thei had used at Amboyse, the historie of France doth witness. Now, in Orleance, in the moneth of November, conveyned the King, unhappie Francis, the Quene oure Soverane, and the Quene Mother, the Duck of Gweise, with all his factioun, the King of Navar, and the Prince his brother.[290] So that great was the confluence of the Nobilitie; but greater was the assemblie of the murtheraris; for thair was nott a hangman in all France whiche was nott thair. The preasonis ware full of the trew servandis of God: the King of Navar and the Prince war constitut preasonaris. The Schereff of Orleance, a man fearing God, was tackin, and so war many otheris of the toune. Breiflie, thair was none that professed God or godlyness within that toune, that looked nott for the extreamitie; for the walles and yettis war nycht and day keapt with tha garnysonis of the Gwysianes: miserable men war dalie browght in to suffer judgement, but none was suffered to departe furth butt at the devotioun of the tyrantis. And so thei proceided till the tent or twelft[291] of December, when that thei thowght tyme to putt thair bloody counsall in executioun, and for that purpoise conclusioun was tackin that the King should departe of the toune, and lye at a certane place; whiche was done to this intent, that thair should no suyte be maid to the King for the saiftie of any manis lyfe, whome thei thowght worthy of death. And so was the Kingis house in Orleance broken up, his beddis, cofferis, and tapistree sent away; his awin buttis putt on, he sitting at the Messe, immediatlie thairafter to have departed, and so thair tyrannie to have begune,--when all thingis, we say, war into this readdyness to sched the bloode of innocentis, the Eternall, our God, who ever watches for the preservatioun of his awin, begane to work, and suddandlie did put his awin werk in executioun. For as the said King satt at Messe, he was suddandlie strikkin with ane aposthume, in that deaf eare that never wald hear the treuth of God; and so was he caryed to ane void house, layd upoun a palliase unto suche tyme as a cannabie was sett up unto him; whair he lay till the fyftene day of December, in the year of God J^m V^c threscoir yearis,[292] when his glorie perished, and the pryde of the stubburne heart evanished in smok. And so was the snare brokin, the tyrantis disappoynted of thair crueltye; those that war appointed to death rased, as it war out of thair graves; and we, who by our foolischnes had maid our selves slaves to strangearis, war restored agane to freedome and libertie of a free Realme.