The Works of John Knox, Vol. 1 | Page 6

personal and no unimportant share in most of the transactions of
those times, which have left the character of his own mind so indelibly
impressed on his country and its institutions. It is scarcely necessary to
subjoin the name of JOHN KNOX.
The doubts which were long entertained respecting Knox's share in the
"History of the Reformation," have been satisfactorily explained. Such

passages as were adduced to prove that he could not have been the
author, consist of palpable errors and interpolations. Without adverting
to these suspicions, we may therefore attend to the time when the work
was actually written.
* * * * *
The necessity of leaving upon record a correct account of their
proceedings suggested itself to the Reformers at an early period of their
career, and led to this History being commenced. Knox arrived in
Scotland in May 1559; and by his presence and counsels, he served to
animate and direct their measures, which were attended with so much
success. In a letter dated from Edinburgh 23d October that year, while
alluding to the events which had taken place during their contentions
with the Queen Regent and her French auxiliaries, he uses these words,
"Our most just requeastes, which ye shall, God willing, schortlie
hereafter onderstand, together with our whole proceeding from the
beginning of this matter, which we ar to sett furth in maner of
Historie." That he had commenced the work, further appears from a
letter, dated Edinburgh, 23d September 1560, and addressed to
Secretary Cecil by the English Ambassador, Randolph, in which he
says, "I have tawlked at large with MR. KNOX concerning his
HYSTORIE. As mykle as ys written thereof shall be sent to your
Honour, at the comynge of the Lords Embassadours, by Mr. John
Woode. He hath wrytten only one Booke. If yow lyke that, he shall
continue the same, or adde onie more. He sayethe, that he must have
farther helpe then is to be had in thys countrie, for more assured
knowledge of thyngs passed than he hath hymself, or can come bye
here: yt is a work not to be neglected, and greatly wyshed that yt sholde
be well handled."
Whether this portion of the work was actually communicated to Cecil
at that time, is uncertain; as no such manuscript has been discovered
among his papers, either in the British Museum or the State Paper
Office. It could only have consisted of part of the Second Book; and
this portion remains very much in its original state, as may be inferred
from these two passages.--In July 1559, while exposing "the craftyness

of the Queen Regent," in desiring a private conference with the Earl of
Argyle and Lord James Stewart, with the hope that she might be able to
withdraw them from their confederates, we read, "And one of hir cheaf
Counsale in those dayis, (and we fear but over inward with hir yit,)
said," &c. See page 368 of this volume. This must necessarily have
been written during the Queen Regent's life, or previously to June 1560.
During the following month, after noticing the Earl of Arran's escape
from France, and the imprisonment of his younger brother, Lord David
Hamilton, it is stated, "For the same tyme, the said Frensche King,
seing he could not have the Erle him self, gart put his youngar brother ...
in strait prisoun, quhair he yitt remaneis, to witt, in the moneth of
October, the yeir of God 1559." See page 383. In like manner, in a
letter of intelligence, dated at Hamilton, 12th October 1559, and
addressed to Cecil, Randolph says, "Since Nesbot went from hence, the
Duke never harde out of Fraunce, nor newes of his son the Lord
David."--(Sadler's State Papers, vol. i. p. 500.) We might have
supposed that his restraint was not of long duration, as he is named
among the hostages left in England, at the treaty of Berwick, 27th
February 1559-60; a circumstance of which Knox could not have been
ignorant, as he gives a copy of the confirmation of the treaty by the
Duke of Chastelherault and the Lords of the Congregation; but it
appears from one of the articles in the treaty of peace in July, that Lord
David Hamilton, who was still a prisoner at Bois de St. Vincent, in
France, then obtained liberty to return to Scotland; and he arrived at
Edinburgh in October 1560. We are therefore warranted to infer that
this portion of the Second Book of his History, must have been written
towards the end of the year 1559.
Knox himself in his general Preface, says, the intention was to have
limited the period of the History from the year 1558, until the arrival of
Queen Mary from France to assume the government in this country, in
August 1561;