K N 
In 1569, Knox was extremely affii£led on receiving in¬ 
telligence of the barbarous murder of the regent, appre¬ 
hending that the interelt of the reformed religion would 
be expofed to the utmoft danger by that event; and, in 
1571, he found it neceflary to confult his perfonal fafety, 
by withdrawing from Edinburgh. For the Hamiltons 
and others, who had entered into a combination againlt 
the earl of Lenox, then regent, began to fortify that city. 
While they were thus employed, a council was held by 
them in the caltle, at which the laird of Grainge, captain 
of the caltle, propofed that they Ihould give lecurity for 
the perfon of Knox, which was alfo much delired by the 
citizens. To this propolal the Hamiltons anfwered, that 
they could not promife him fecurity upon their honour, 
Since there were many in the city who loved him not, be¬ 
tides other disorderly perfons, who might do him an injury 
•without their knowledge. When this anfwer was made 
known, it was juftly confidered to be indicative of no fa¬ 
vourable intentions towards Knox; upon which his friends 
in the city, with Mr. Craig, his colleague, at their head, 
entreated him to leave the place. In compliance with 
their requelt, he departed from Edinburgh, and went firft 
to Abbot’s-hall, in Fife, and from thence to St. Andrew’s, 
where he remained till Auguft 1572, in which year a con¬ 
vention was held at Leith, compoled of the leading-men 
among the minifters, together with a committee of privy 
-council, in which it was agreed, that a kind of epifcopacy 
Ihould be introduced into the church. The plan was, 
that the name and office of archbiffiop and bifliop Ihould 
be continued during the king’s minority, and thele offices 
be conferred upon the bell qualified among the proteftant 
minifters; but that, with regard to their fpiritual jurif- 
diftioc, they Ihould be fubjeft to the general aflembly of 
the church. The rules to be obferved in their election, 
and the perfons who were to l'upply the place and enjoy 
the privileges which belonged to the dean and chapter in 
times of popery, were likewife particularly fpecified. The 
whole being laid before the general aflembly, after fome 
exceptions to the name of arclibifliop, dean, chapter, &c. 
and a proteitation that it ffiould be confidered only as a 
temporary conftitution, until one more perfect could be 
introduced, itobtained the approbation of that court. Even 
Knox, who was prevented from attending the aflembly 
by the ill ftate of his health, though he declaimed loudly 
againft fuch fimoniacal paftions between different noble¬ 
man and minifters, as would give the latter pofleffion only 
of a very fmall part of'the revenues belonging to their 
fees, yet feems not to have condemned the proceedings of 
the convention ; and, in a letter to the aflembly, approved 
of fome of their regulations with refpect to the eledtion 
of bilhops, as worthy of being carefully obferved. 
The troubles of the country being at this time much 
abated, and the people of Edinburgh who had been obliged 
to leave it having returned, they fent a deputation to St. 
Andrew’s, to invite Mr. Knox to refume his miniftry 
among them. With this invitation he complied, after 
having previoufly Stipulated, that he Should be at full li¬ 
berty to fpeak to them according to the dictates of his 
conscience, as in former times; and on the laft day of Au¬ 
guft he preached to them in the great kirk. His voice, 
however was become fo weak, that but few could hear 
him in that large place ; and his fubfequent Sermons were 
delivered in the Tolbooth. His health, which was now 
greatly impaired, received a finishing Stroke from the news 
of the maffacre of the proteftants at Paris, which reached 
Edinburgh in September; yet he muttered fufficient 
Strength to preach againft that horrible a£t, and with much 
of lus ufual energy denounced God’s vengeance on the 
wicked agents in it, of which he delired that the French 
ambaffador might be informed. From this time his ap¬ 
proaching diffolution was observed with concern by all 
his friends. By an unwearied application to Study and 
to bufinefs, as well as by the frequency and fervour of his 
public difcourfes, he had worn out a conftitution never 
robuft. During a lingering ilinefs, he discovered the ut- 
VOh, XI. No. §00. 
o X- 841 
molt fortitude; and met the approaches of death with .t 
magnanimity inseparable from his character. He was con¬ 
stantly employed in acts of devotion, and comforted him- 
feIf with thofe profpedts of immortality, which not only 
preferve good men from defponding, but fill them with 
exultation in their laft moments. He died on the 24th 
of November, 1572, in the fixty-feventh year of his age ; 
and his corpfe was attended to the grave by Several of the 
nobility then in Edinburgh, particularly by the earl of 
Morton, juft chofen regent, who, as foon as he was in¬ 
terred, Said, “There lies he, who never feared the face of 
man ; who hath often been threatened with dag and dag¬ 
ger, but yet hath ended his days in peace and honour. 
For he had God’s providence watching over him in an 
elpecial manner, when his very life was Sought.” Dr. Ro- 
bertlon juftly obferves, that this eulogium is the more ho 
nourable, as it was pronounced by one whom he had often 
cenfured with peculiar feverity. 
The following account of Knox’s charafter, family, 
and works, is from M‘Crie’s-Life of John Knox. Edin. 
1812. 
There are perhaps few who have attended to the active 
and laborious exertions of Knox, who have not been led 
infenfibly to form the opinion that he was of a robult con¬ 
ftitution. This is however a miftake. He was of a fmall 
ftature, and of a weakly habit of body; a circumftance 
which Serves to give a higher idea of the vigour of hi? 
mind. His portrait feems to have been taken more than 
once during his life, and has been frequently engraved. 
It continues Still to frown in the bed-chamber of queen 
Mary, to whom he was often an ungracious vifitor. We 
difcern in it the traits of his charadteriftic intrepidity, auf- 
terity, and keen penetration. Nor can we overlook his 
beard , which, according to the cuftom of the times, he 
wore long, and reaching to his middle; a circumftance 
which I mention the rather, becaufe Some writers have af- 
fured us, that it was the chief thing which procured him 
reverence among his countrymen. 
That he pofleffed Strong natural talents is unquestion¬ 
able. Inquifitive, ardent, acute ; vigorous and bold in 
his conceptions; he entered into all the fubtleties of the 
fcholaftic fcience then in vogue, yet, difgufted with its 
barren refults, fought out a new courfe of Study, which 
gradually led to a complete revolution in his fentiments. 
In his early years he had not accefs to that finished edu¬ 
cation which many of his contemporaries obtained in the 
foreign universities, and he was afterwards prevented, by 
his unfettled and active mode of life, from profecuting 
his Studies with leifure ; but his abilities and application 
enabled him in a great meafure to Surmount thele disad¬ 
vantages, and he. remained a Stranger to none of the 
branches of learning cultivated in that age by perfons of 
his profeflion. He united the love of Study with a diSpo- 
fition to adtive employment, two qualities which arefeldom 
found in the fame perfon. The truths which he discovered 
he felt an irrefiftible impulfe to impart unto others, for 
which he was qualified by a bold and fervid eloquence. 
Singularly adapted to arrelt the attention, and govern the 
minds, of a fierce and unpoliffied people. 
From the time that he embraced the reformed dodtrines, 
the defire of propagating them, and of delivering his 
countrymen from the delufions and corruptions of popery, 
became bis ruling paffion, to which he was always ready 
to facrifice his eafe, his intereft, his reputation, and his 
life. An ardent attachment to civil liberty held the next 
place in his breaft to love of the reformed religion. 
That the zeal with which he laboured to advance thele 
was of the moft diftinterefted kind, no candid perlon who 
has paid attention to his life can doubt for a moment, 
whatever opinion he may entertain of fome of the means 
which he employed for that purpole. In fadt, he thought 
only of advancing the glory of God, and promoting the 
welfare of his country. Intrepidity, a mind elevated 
above Sordid views, indefatigable adtivity, and constancy 
■which no disappointments could lhake, eminently quali- 
E fied 
