Page:A biographical dictionary of eminent Scotsmen, vol 7.djvu/140

276 discover himselff to Mr Edmont, to whom he says he was alsmikle behauldin as to anie man in the warld; for, notwithstanding that he perceavit his mynd turned away from thair ordour and relligion, yit he ceased nocht to counsall him friridlie and fatherlie, and suffered him to want na thing. And being a verie wyse man, lie thinks to keipe Mr Thomas quyet, and nocht to suffer him to kythe an aduersar against them. Perceaving, tlierfor, the young man giften to his hulk, he giffes him this counsall, to go to a quyet collage, situat in a welthie and pleasant part in Lorain, whair he sould haiff na thing to do, but attend vpon his bulks; whair he sould haiff all the antient doctors, and sic bulks as yie [he] pleisit to reid ; he sould leak na necessars ; thair he sould keip him quyet, till God wrought fordar with him, vtherwayes he wald cast himselff in grait danger. Thair was na thing that could allure Mr Thomas mair nor this, and therfor he resolued to follow his counsall ; and, taking iorney, went towards Lorain, whair be the way the Lord leyes his hand vpon him, and visites him with an extream fever, casting him in vttermaist pean and perplexitie of body and mynd. Thair he fought a niaist strang and ferfull battelle in his conscience: bot God at last prevealling, he determines to schaw himselff, abandone that damnable societie, and vtter, in plean proffesson, the treuthe of God, and his enemies' falshods, hypocrisie, and craft. Sa coming bak to Paris again, he take; his leiue of Mr Edmont, wha yit, nochtwithstanding, kythes na thing bot lowing frindschipe to him; and at his parting, giffes thrie counsalles: I. To reid and studie the antient doctors of the kirk, and nocht to trow the ministers. 2. To go ham to his a win countrey. And, thridly, To marie a wyff. From that he manifested himselff amangs the professours of religion, till the tyme of the massacre, quhilk schortlie ensewit ; at the quhilk, being narrowlie sought, he cam to the Engliss ambassator, Mr Secretarie Walsingham, in whase house, lyand at Paris for the tyme, as in a comoun girthe, he, with manic ma, war seaff. With whome also he cam to Eingland soone efter, whar he remeaned schoolmaister at Colchester, till his coming to Scotland.

"At his coming to Scotland, he was gladlie content to be in companie with my vncle, Mr Andro [Melville], and sa agreit to be minister at Pasley, in place of Mr Andro Pulwart, wha enterit to the subdeanrie of Glasgw, when Mr David Cuninghame was bischopit in Aberdein. A litle efter his placing, Mr Andro, principal! of the collage, put in his hand Mr Archibald llamiltone's apostats' buik, 'De Confusione Caluinianae Sectee apud Scotos ;' and efter conference theranent, movit him to niak answer to the sain, quhilk was published in print the yeir following, to the grit contentment of all the godlie arid lernit. Mr Thomas was verie wacryff and peanfull, and skarslie tuk tyme to refreche nature. I haiff sein him oft find fault with lang denners and suppers at general assemblies ; and when vthers wer therat, he wald abstein, and be about the penning of things, (wherin he excellit, bathe in langage and form of letter.) and yit was nocht rustic nor auster, bot sweit and affable in companie, with a modest and naiue grauitie ; verie frugall in fude and reyment ; and walked niaist on ful, whom I was verie glad to ccompanie, whylis to Sterling, and now and then to his kirk, for my instruction and comfort. He louit me exceiding weill, and wald at parting thrust my head into his bosom, and kis me.

" He being weill acquented with the practizes of papists, namlie, jcsuists, and their deuyces for subuerting the kirk of Scotland, bathe public-lie and privatlie, ceasit nocht to cry and warn ministers and schollars to be diligent vpon ther charges and buiks, to studie the controuersies, and to tak head they neglected nocht the tyme, for ther wald be a strang vnseatt of papists. Also, he was carefull to know the religion and affection of noble men, insinuating him in thair companie, in a wyse and graue maner and warning tham to be war of