Page:History of the Scottish martyrs.pdf/21

21 it was thus you found me engaged when you seized upon the, and brought me here.

When this poor and inoffensive man was asked. if he would acknowledge his errors, and saves his life by a public recantation, he replied, in a similar spirit of heroism with those who had gone before him in the path of martyrdom.-"That will I not. I am a poor servant of God's, often retiring to my bed without food or worldly comforts of any kind; vet I desire do more wealth on earth, for I trust to meet my reward in Heaven: o with me therefore as ye think best; I will pa- ently abide your judgment., the affectingly dded, "better it were if your lordships gave me ome little thing to relieve the wants of my poor life and children who are like to perish for want: for myself I care not how soon I die." Neither e extreme age of this venerable and worthy old nn, nor his poverty, nor the pathetic language hich be delivered, produced the slightest effect his obdurate and bigotted judges, who imme- ately condemned him to death

The principles of reform, however had now be- me so general, and had taken such deep root at the sentences of the ecelesiastical urts were greater difficulty, and more timidly earned execution than at an earlier period. In the ance of Mylne, the bishop of St Andrews would no one for some time who would undertake to ry the sentence passed upon that poor man in-effect. In the dilemma he sent for the provost St Andrews, who was also steward of his rega- for the time, and desired lim execute the ence of the court on Myine. The provost tly replied, “That will not, my lord; I have no share in persecuting the servant of Any duty pertaining to my o lice, which I