Marginalia1543.Persecuters.	Martyrs.	Their causes.
Dauid Be- ton byshop and Cardi- nall of S. An drevves.	Robert Lambe. W. An- derson. Iames Hū- ter. Iames Ra- ueleson. Iames Foūleson. Hellen Stirke hys vvyfe.	FIrste there was a cer- tayne act   Commentary     Close March 1543. The Acts of the Parliaments of Scotland, vol. II: 1424-1567 (1814), p. 415. of Parliament made in the gouernment of the Lord Hamleton Earle of MarginaliaProclamation in Scotland permitting the priuate reading of Scripture.Arran, & gouernour of Scot- land, geuing priuiledge to all men of the Realme of Scot- land to reade the Scriptures in their mother toung & lan- guage, secluding neuerthe- lesse all reasoning, conferēce, cōuocation of people to heare the scriptures read or expoun ded. Whych libertie of pri- uate reading being graunted by publicke proclamation, lac ked not his owne fruite, so that in sūdry partes of Scot- land therby were opened the eyes of the elect of God to see the truth, and abhorre the Pa pisticall abominations. Amongest the which were certayne persons in Saint Iohnston, as after is de- clared.

MarginaliaBlasphemous doctrine of a Papist.At this time  

there was a Sermon made by Frier Spense, in S. Iohnston, aliâs called Perth, affirming prayer made to Saintes to be so necessarye, that without it there coulde bee no hope of saluation to man. Which blasphemous doctrine, a Burges of the sayde towne calledMarginaliaRobert Lambe, Martyr. Robert Lambe, could not abyde, but accused him in open audience of erronious doctrine, and adiured him in Gods name to vtter the truth. The which the Frier being stricken with feare, promised to do, but the trouble, tumult and sturre of the people encreased so, that the Frier could haue no audience, MarginaliaRobert Lambe in great daunger.and yet the sayd Robert wyth great daunger of hys lyfe escaped the handes of the multitude, namely of the women, who contrary to nature, addressed thē to extreme crueltie agaynst hym.

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At this tyme, in the yeare of our Lord. 1543. the enemies of the truth procured Iohn Chartuous, who fauoured the truth, and was Prouost of the sayde Citye and towne of Perth, to bee deposed from hys office by the sayde Gouernours authoritie, MarginaliaA Papist set in office.and a Papist called Maister Alexander Marbecke to bee chosen in hys roome, that they myght bring the more easely their wicked enterpryse to an ende.

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After the deposing of the former Prouost & election of the other, in the moneth of Ianuary the yeare aforesayd  

, on S. Paules day, came to Saint Iohnston þ^e Gouernour, the Cardinall, þ^e Earle of Argile Iustice, Sir Ioh. Campell of Lunde knyght, & Iustice Defort, the L. Borthwyke, þ^e bishop of Dunblane, & Orkney, with certayn others of þ^e Nobility. And although there were many accused for the crime of heresie (as they terme it) MarginaliaRobert Lambe, Will. Anderson, Iames Hunter, Iames Raueleson, Iames Foūleson, Hellen Styrke his wife, cast in prison.yet these persons were onely apprehended vpon the sayd Saynt Paules day, Robert Lambe, William Anderson, Iames Hunter, Iames Raueleson, Iames Founleson, and Hellen Stirke hys wyfe, and cast that nyght in the Spaye Tower of the sayd City, the morrowe to abyde iudgement.

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Vpon the morrow, when they appeared and were brought forth to iudgement in the towne, was layd in generall to all theyr charge, the violating of the act of Parliament before expressed, and their conference and assamblies in hearing and expoundyng of scripture against the tenour of the sayd act. Robert Lambe was accused in speciall for interruptyng of the Frier in the pulpyt: which he not onely confessed, but also affirmedconstantly, that it was the dutye of no man, which vnderstoode and knewe the truth, to heare the same impugned wythout contradiction, and therefore sundrye whych there were present in iudgement, who hyd the knowledge of the truth, should beare theyr burden in Gods presence for consenting to the same.

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MarginaliaLambe, Anderson, Raueleson, for hanging S. Fraunces in a corde.The sayd Robert also with William Anderson, and Iames Raueleson were accused for hanging vp the Image of Saint Fraunces in a corde, nayling of Rāmes hornes to hys head, and a Cowes rumpe to hys tayle, and for eating of a Goose on Alhallow euen.

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MarginaliaIam. Hunter for vsing suspect cōpany.Iames Hunter being a simple man and without learning, and a fletcher by occupation, so that he coulde be charged with no great knowledge in doctrine, yet because he often vsed the suspect company of the rest, hee was accused.

MarginaliaHellen Syrke for calling vpō Iesus and not our Ladye in childbed.The woman Hellen Stirke was accused, for that in her chyldbed she was not accustomed to call vpon the name of the virgin Mary beyng exhorted therto hy her neyghbours, but onelye vpon God for Iesus Christes sake, and because she sayd in lyke maner, that if she her selfe had beene in the time of the virgyne Mary, God myght haue looked to her humility and base estate, as he dyd to the Virgyns, in makyng her the mother of Christ, thereby meaning, that there was no merites in the virgyn, whych procured her that honor, to be made þ^e mother of Christ, & to be preferred before other women, but Gods onely free mercye exalted her to that estate. Which wordes were counted most execrable in the face of the Clergy and whole multitude.

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MarginaliaRauelson, for setting vp in hys house a triple crowne of S. Peter.Iames Raueleson aforesayd buildyng a house, set vpon the round of hys fourth stayre the three crowned diademe of Peter carued of tree, whych the Cardinall tooke as done in mockage of hys Cardinals hat, and thys procured no fauour to the sayde Iames at theyr handes.

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MarginaliaSentence geuen agaynst them.These forenamed persons vpon the morrowe after S. Paules day, were condemned and iudged to death, & that by an Assise, for violating (as was alledged) the act of Parliament, in reasoning and conferring vpō scriptures, for eating flesh vpon dayes forbidden, for interrupting the holy Frier in þ^e pulpit, for dishonoring of Images, and blaspheming of the virgine Mary, as they alledged.

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After sentence geuen, their handes were bound, and the mē cruelly entreated. Which thing the woman beholding, desired likewyse to bee bound by the Sergeantes wyth her husband for Christes sake.

There was great intercession made by the towne in the meane season for the life of these persons forenamed, to the Gouernour, who of hym selfe was wylling so to haue done that they might haue bene delyuered. But the Gouernour was so subiect to the appetite of the cruell Priestes, that he could not do that whych he would. Yea they manased to assist hys enemies, and to depose hym, except he assisted their cruelty.

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There were certayn priestes in þ^e City, who did eate & drinke before in these honest mens houses, to whō þ^e Priestes were much bounden. MarginaliaCruell priestes and vnkinde.These Priestes were earnestly desired to entreate for theyr Hostes, at the Cardinals hands: but they altgether refused, desiring rather their death, then preseruation. So cruell are these beastes from the lowest to the hyghest.

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Then after, they were caryed by a great band of armed men (for they feared rebellion in the towne, except they had theyr men of warre) to the place of execution, whych was common to all theeues, and that to make theyr cause appeare more odious to the people.

MarginaliaThe Martyrdome of these good men.Robert Lambe at the gallowes foote made hys exhortation to the people, desiring them to feare God, & leaue the leuen of papisticall abominations, and manifestly there prophecied of the ruine and plague which came vpon the Cardinall thereafter. So euery one cōforting an other, and assuring them selues to sup toge-

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