I DO not meruell in onv wayis to se sic ane multitude of pepill assembilit at this pre­sont, to behald the infortunat Tragedie of yis my wretchit lyfe. For the cace is rair, and sa­uing the gude prouydence of God to be ad­myrit, and wounderit, yat I being ye creature of God suld haue attemptit to remuif ye lyfe from thame in quhome God had plantit his awin image: being ane husband suld vnmerci­fully and besydis the Law of nature put hand [Page] in my awin fleshe, bot cheifly being ane Mi­nister of Godis word, suld haif sa far bene ca­ryit captiue be the temptatioun of the wickit Spreit, as to dishonour Godis treuth be my horribill iniquitie, and procure that the ene­meis of the Euangel with oppin mouthis suld blaspheme Godis eternal veritie. For I persaif at yis tyme cōuenit an greit multitude, quhair of sum I dout not from the bottome of thair hart dois lament and beuail my estait, & callis to God ernestly to continew the gift of re­pentance with me. Vtheris ar assembillit to gest and mok, not sa mekill at me, as at ye E­uangell, quhilk I (allace) ane vnworthy Mini­ster, hes befoir preichit vnto the pepill. And in deid, all prais alwayis appertening to God, I was brocht vp from my ȝouth in exercise of leirning, and imployit my mynde sa diligent­lie to the meditatioū of vertew, that I was not estemit in the leist sort of them that did mini­ster Godis word into this Realme. And be­caus my first ingres in the Kirk of God was vnfeynitly, & without hypocresie to set furth his godly Name, I haue that assurance in his mercyis, that albeit he hes sufferit me to fall, ȝit he sall not leif me destitute of comfort in the end. Bot this I wald recommend vnto e­uerie ane be my exempill, that ȝe mesure not [Page] the treuth of Godis word altogidder be the lyuis of sic as at appoyntit Pastoris ouer ȝow. For thay beir the self same fleshe of corrupti­oun that ȝe do, and the mair godly ye charge is quhairinto thay ar callit, the reddyer is the enemie to draw thame bak from Godis obe­dience. And the treuth is, that I my self had not only the testimonie of ane trew preicher in the countreis quhair I did trauell, bot lyk­wise of ane sinceir and vncorruptit conuersa­tioun. Nether was thair ony of my vocatioun within this Realme of Scotland that detestit mair from his hart, & publictly in ye chair of treuth the abhominabill murtheris of Harie STEWART King of this land, and my Lord Regent laitly murtherit, declaring out of the buik of God that the plaigis suld neuer ceis quhill the land war purgit, and the inuē ­teris, cōspyreris, pertakeris, proponit ane pub­licte exempill of Godis seueir Iudgementis. Bot now (allace) the committeris thereof wil haue me in thair mouth for ane patroun. Quhat meruell is it will thay say yat ane vaik veschell, brocht vp in plesuris, had not ye feir of God befoir hir eyis, quhen ane Minister not of smallest reputatioun hes sa trespassit. Wald to God that as yai ar prompt, to speik of my fall, so my repentance to God, and cō ­fessieun [Page] of my offence mycht sa lyuelie tuich tham, that the appeirand vengeance of God be humiliatioun of thair hartis micht be re­mouit from this commoun welth. For I wald that ȝe suld vnderstand, that I come not heir compellit be na men, nouther apprehendit be the Iustice, bot hauing perswatioun of frein­dis to saif my lyfe in sum vther countrie, was rather willing to glorifie God in my deith, then that my lyfe should be ane opprobrie & sclander to his treuth.

¶Bot now because I persaif my voce is not abill to streiche the self vnto the earis of the multitude heir conuenit, I will be content to leif ane schort memoriall aganis my self of my awin offence. For as concerning ye vther quhair of I am sclanderit, I tak God and his Angellis witnessis in ye cōtrarie, yat nouther had I ony ingres in the wickit practises of the Magiciens, nouther was farther curyous to vnderstand thā God had manifestit in his word. Bot as concerning the cryme, I do not deny, bot maist vnnaturally I pat hands in hir quha at na tyme had geuin me ony iust caus of of­sence: for war it possibill, yat ye cours of my age micht be renewit, & ye time spent brocht bak agane, yair is na flesh I wald rather chuse to be associat with in mariage than hir, nou­ther [Page] did ony vther thing muif me to this wie kit interpryse, bot the continuall suggestioun of the wickit Sprite to aduance my self far­ther, & farther in ye warld. And yat ȝow may persaif the ground of this mater, I had first ane lytill portioun of mony in my awin han­dis, quhilk I bestowit in Lynlithgow vpon profite, and did wickitly ressaif sum ganis and filthie ocker thairby, ane thing (allace) ouer mekill vsit in this countrie. This maner of de­ling, kendillit in me ane desyre of auarice, quhilk the Apostill Paull not without caus termit the ruit of all euill. And therefoir ef­ter a certane tyme that I had bestowit in the toun of Spot, I bocht ane portioun of land thair, for the quhilk I wedset landis at Lyn­lithgow and contractit farther det. Then be­ing disapoyntit of the ordinar prouysioun for preiching of the word, and not weill intretie of thame quhais dewtie was to half takin cair for me, I enterit in ane meruellous perplexitie of mynde, and oppinnit ane reddy windo to the temptatiounis of the enemie. For I resso­nit with my self, yat being singill without ane partie I micht ye mair esylie spend my tyme.

And nixt, in cace I wald marie thairefter I micht iune my self with sic ane as suld haue freindis in the countrie to mantene me in my [Page] possessioun, and procure my farther aduance­ment. Thir was the glistering promisis quhair with Satan efter his accustomit maner, eludit my sensis, and preuaillit sa far in my corruptit mynde, that the space of fourtie day is togid­der I did auait only vpon the oportunitie of tyme to put my wickit desyre in executioun. Ȝit sum tymis hauing the commoditie offerit, God straik sic terroris in my hart, that I was not abill to perfurneis myne intent. Immedi­atlie thairefter I was vesyit with seiknes, and greit disesis, quhilk I am assurit was the Mes­singeris of God, to muif my hart to his obe­dience. But that quhilk suld haue seruit to abstract my mynd from the consauit impietie, I abusit maist wickitly to bring my purpois to effect. For vnder pretence of seiknes I labou­rit secreitly to haue takin hir away be poy­soun. And quhen I persauit that the cleinnes of hir stomok did reiect that violence, I was alwayis preissit fordwart be the temptatioun of the enemie, till I had performit that cruell fact with my handis aganis hir, quha in ye ve­rie deith culd not beleif I buir hir ony euill will, bot was glaid, as scho yan said, to depart, gif hir deith culd do me outher vantange or plesure. Bot the farther I do remember of hir the mair intollerabill is ye burding of my dis­plesure, [Page] quhilk notwithstanding I laubourit by hypocrisie to haue cullourit. For ane cer­tane space besoir hir deith I did mak my Te­stament, and thairin appoyntit hir to haue ye haill cair of my geir and vpbringing of my children, that na man suld suspect me to be Author of that wickitnes quhilk I had consa­uit. And immediatly befoir, did spred abrode ane rumur of hir that scho was temptit terri­billie in the nicht, that it micht thairefter ap­peir hir self to haue bene the Author & mur­therer of hir awin selfe. Lykwise efter I had stranglit hir, I left ye keyis within and escha­pit by ane bak dur of my studie, quhilk was not accustomit to be oppinnit. And quhen ye bruit did aryse that scho had murtherit hir self, for ye gude oppinioun quhilk euerie ane had asweill of my doctrine and conuersatioū, maid na man to suspect my innocencie, I did feynȝe my self only to be solist for hir salua­tioun, and to dispute with yame that come to comfort me, quhidder it war possibil yat scho quha had put handis in hir self culd be vnder the protectioun of God, and quhidder ony man micht suppois that being vnder sa terri­bill temptatioun scho culd anis sob for God is mercyis. And that my effectioun to wardis hir micht appeir the greiter, I did sa far abuse the [Page] lycht of my awin conscience, as to deny in plane termis thair was ane God quha sufferrit sa innocent a creature gif place to the tēptatioun and rage of Sathan. Quhilk thingis I pas­sit about maist craftely to conceil, ȝit ye gude prouydence of God did be lytill and lytill bring all thing is to licht, and me to that ac­knawledge of my awin offence, that I desyre nathing mair vnder God then to be separate fra the contagioun of this wickit flesche, in the quhilk I haue sa offendit God, and disho­nourit his name. And in deid thair was not small support in the mouth of sum faithfull brethrene to bring me to this Confessioun of my awin offence. Bot abuif all, Maister Andro Symsone Minister of Dunbar, did sa lyuelie rype furth the inwart cogitatiounis of myne hart, and discouer my mynd sa planelie, that I perswadit my self God spak in him, and be­sydis vther Notabill coniecturis quhilk he trewly deducit befoir my eyis, he rememberit me of ane dreime, quhilk in my greit seiknes did appeirandly present the self. ¶ Brother (said he) I do remember quhen I vesyit ȝow in tyme of ȝour seiknes, ȝe did oppin to me this visioun, that ȝe war caryit be ane grym man befoir the face of ane terribill Iudge, and to eschaip his furie ȝe did precipitat ȝour self [Page] in ane deip Riuer, quhen his Angellis & mes­singeris did follow ȝow with twa edgit swor­dis. And euer quhē thay struik at ȝow, ȝe did declyne and Iouk in the watter, quhill in the end be ane way vnknawin to ȝow ȝe did ef­chaip. This visioun I do sa interpreit, yat ȝe ar the Author ȝour self of this cruell murther then consauit in ȝour hart, and ȝe ar caryit befoir ye terribill Iudgmentis of God in ȝour awin conscience quhilk now standis in Godis presence to accuse ȝow, the Messingeris of God is the Iustice of the countrie, befoir the quhilk ȝe fall be presentit, the watter quhair­in ȝe stuid, is that vaine Hypocrisie of ȝour awin, and feynȝeit blaspheming of Godis Name, quhairby ȝe purpois to cullour ȝour impietie, ȝour delyuerance sall be spirituall. For albeit ȝe haue vtherwyse deseruit, ȝit god sall pull ȝow surth of the bandis of Sathan, & caus ȝow confes ȝour offence to his glorie, & confusioun of the enemie. Nouther do ȝe in ony wyse distruft in Godis promysis, for ȝow sall find na sin almaist committit be ye repro­bat, bot ȝe sall find the children of God to haue fallin in the lyke. And ȝit the same mer­cyis of God abydis ȝow, gif from ȝour hart ȝe acknawledge ȝour offence, and desyris at God pardoun. At this tyme did God mui [Page] my hart to acknawledge the horror of myne awin offence, and how far Sathan had obtenit victorie ouer me. But as the flesche is cairfull of the self, I discursit within my awin hart quhat thing ratherest to do for my releif, of the quhilkis twa necessiteis occurrit, outher to abandoun this countrie, or to remaine. Gif I left the countrie and acceptit the deith vpō me, I suld leif in perpetuall terror, and haue the mark of Cain vpon me quhair sa euer I went, besydis that I suld leif ane perpetuall infamie vpō ye Kirk of God, quhair of befoir I was comptit ane member albeit vnworthy. So did I conclude to remaine. But heir had I the battell mair strong with my self. For I thocht to haue dissimulit my fact befoir the warld. And did enter in this argument, that sufficient it was to acknawledge my offence befoir God, nouther was it necessair to pub­lische my awin schame befoir men, and did sa flatter my self with this reasoun quhill at last.

Quhat and I be presentit [...]efoir ane Iudge, quhair Confessioun of the treuth sall be re­quyrit? Sall I not only leif in murther, bot help sin vpon sin, and conferme my dampna­tioun with periurie? Sall the luif of this wret­chit lyse sa schuit the durris of my hart, that I sall neuer returne vnfeynȝeitly toward is my [Page] God? Sall I miserabill creature leif ane immor call sclander vpon the Kirk of God, for the quhilk Christ the Sone of God gaif his lyfe? God forbid, and sa did I conclude my self to mak publict confessioun of my offence, & to present me to ressaif punischement, quhilk cā not be sufficiētly imaginit for my deseruings. And in deid this far I do witnes, that I was euidētly trubillit & disesit not only in mynd, bot in body also, euer quhill I resoluit with my self to tak this iourney in hand. And sen [...]yne I haif bene at sic rest of baith, yat I am at quyetnes with God in my conscience. And hes sic strenth of body as I had not this lang [...]yme ago. Now brethrene, ȝe haue hard the confessioun of my offence, & I desyre euerie [...]ne of ȝow that is Cristianis in Gods name to forgif me of yat sclander quhilk I haue raissit [...]e my wickit exempill. Especially ȝow, bre­threne, quha ar callit to be preicheris of his word, quhais doctrine and laubouris Sathan had laubourit in me for to euert. Bot praisit be God he is takin in his awin craft. And sa far do I traist in his mercyis, that I sall be couth[?] amang his elect, quhais namis ar writtin in the buik of lyfe. Desyring ȝow all to incall ernestty vpon God to continew his fauour & grace with me to the end.

[Page] ¶ This being en dit, he prostrate him self v­pon his face, and maid sa godly a prayer that maid euerie ane to murne. First confessing yat God was ane iust God, quha had reueillit his offence to the warld, desyring lykwife that the innocent murtheris cōmittit befoir micht be manifestit, and the land purgit frō blude. Nixt he confessit him to be ane God of mer­cy, quha wald not suffer this blot to ly vpon his Kirk, nouther him self in the end to be o­uercum be Sathan. And thairfoir humblie de­syrit for Christis saik to be ressauit in Godis fauour, that the deipnes of Godis gudnes micht be knawin to pas the haill ini­quitie of man. And sa efter con­stant Confessioun of Godis mercyis, and incalling of his Name, he ȝeildit the Sprite in the handis of our Sauiour, ye fourt day of Oc­tober. 1570.