Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 33.djvu/304

Lindsay 298 Lindsay  of French, appointed by the kirk to attend on him with a view to his conversion to protestantism. By his nominal success, he became the unconscious tool of Stuart in his designs against Morton. After the banishment of those concerned in the Ruthven raid, Lindsay endeavoured to obtain the co-operation of Bowes, the English ambassador, to bring about a reconciliation between the two factions, but his endeavours were unsuccessful. He had gradually won considerable influence with the king, and acquired the reputation of being 'the minister whom the court liked best.' On this account he was in May 1584 selected by the ministers in and around Edinburgh to induce the king to delay his assent, until a meeting of the assembly, to certain acts circumscribing the authority of the kirk; but as he entered the palace gate was apprehended and lodged in Blackness Castle (, iv. 63; Hist. of James the Sext, p. 205). Here he had a remarkable dream, recorded at length by Calderwood (iv. 167–8). On the fall of Arran shortly afterwards, he was set at liberty. Lindsay was the only one of the ministers of the kirk — with the exception of the 'king's own minister' — who complied with the request of the king to pray for Queen Mary before her execution.

As chaplain of the king he accompanied him in October 1589 when he set sail for Norway to bring home his bride, Anne of Denmark, and on 23 Nov. he married them at Upsala (Letter from Lindsay in ,v. 69). He and Robert Bruce crowned them in the abbey kirk, Edinburgh,on 12 May 1590. On the occasion of the baptism of the young prince Henry at Stirling, 23 Aug. 1594, Lindsay delivered a learned speech to the ambassadors in French. He came to Edinburgh from Falkland Palace in 1600 in order to assure the clergy of the truth of the official version of the Gowrie House conspiracy of 5 Aug. 1600. When the clergy declined to order a general service of thanksgiving for the king's deliverance, a service was conducted by Lindsay at the market cross (ib. vi. 16), and on the arrival of the king at Leith, 16 Aug., Lindsay also preached a thanksgiving sermon in his own church (ib. p. 50). Soon afterwards he received a special mark of royal favour by his promotion on 5 Nov. 1600, in accordance with the act for the establishment of a modified episcopacy, to the new bishopric of Ross. On the 30th he was also admitted a member of the privy council (Reg. P. C. Scotl. vi. 187).

As bishop of Ross Lindsay sat and voted in parliament, but in the assembly of the kirk the new bishoprics were not recognised till November 1602. At that date commissions were appointed for general visitation: Lindsay and the other bishops were sent as commissioners to the districts of which they were bishops, and thus, laments James Melville, 'thair was thrie bishops put in possession of thair bishoprics.' Lindsay was one of those who accompanied James to England, when he set out to take possession of the English throne. On 1 April 1604 he obtained a pension of 200l. per annum for life (Cal. State Papers, Dom. Ser. 1603–10, p. 93). At the parliament held at Perth in July of this year he was appointed a commissioner for the union with England.He died towards the end of 1613, 'having,' according to his son-in-law, Archbishop Spotiswood,'attained to fourscore and two or three years.' 'He was,' says the same authority, 'of a placable nature, and greatly favoured of the king, to whom he performed diverse good services, especially in the troubles he had with the church: a man universally beloved and well-esteemed of by all wise men.' His corpse was interred at Leith by his own direction, as desiring to rest along with that people on whom he had taken great pains in his life (Hist., Spotiswood Soc. ed., iii. 220).

By his wife, a daughter of Ramsay of Clattie, he had two sons — Jerome, who was knighted as Sir Jerome Lindsay of Annatland, and appointed Lyon king-at-arms, and who is now represented by a family in Virginia, and David Lindsay (d. 1627) [q. v.] — and a daughter, Rachel, who married John Spotiswood, afterwards archbishop of St. Andrews.

 LINDSAY, DAVID (1566?–1627), presbyterian divine, born about 1566, was possibly the son of David Lindsay [q. v.], bishop of Ross. He was educated at St. Salvator's College, St. Andrews, and graduated M.A. in 1586. He was admitted to the charge of Forfar in 1590, to the second charge of St. Andrews on 17 Aug. 1597, to Forgan on 20 May 1606, to South Leith, second charge, on 30 July 1609, and to the first charge in 1613. According to Calderwood, the appointment to Leith was made at the instance of the bishops, and 'notwithstanding the protestation of the parochiners made in the 