Page:History of the Scottish martyrs.pdf/7

7 related, took place precisely forty days afterwards, wandered about a forlorn and hideous lunatic.

The severity exercised upon Hamilton had a direct contrary effect to that which was hoped for by his prosecutor. Previous to his martyrdom, he had successfully disseminated the opinions which he himself entertained on the important subject of religious he had preached openly and abroad, and was, on every occasion, in the discharge of this duty; attended by vast multitudes; who, delighted with his instructions, and captivated by his mild and affable manner, so opposite to the haughty bearing of the Romish clergy, readily appreciated the great truths which he divulged, and became converts to his faith. The patience, therefore, and calm resignation with which they saw their youthful guide and teacher meet the terrible fate to which he was doomed, had the effect only bf rendering his memory more dear, and his tenets more popular.

The consequence was, a general spirit of disaffection to the church, which her clergy endeavoured to suppress by committing, from time to time, some hapless victim to the flames. The first of these, after Hamilton's martyrdom, was one Friar Forrest, who was condemned to be burnt as a heretic merely for having said that "Patrick Hamilton died a-martyr." Whilst his persecutors were consulting about the place and manner of the unhappy man's execution, John Lindsay, one of the bishop's attendants, who secretly favoured the new doctrine, said, “If ye will burn and more do it in a hollow cellar, for the smoke of Master Patrick Hamilton hath infected all those on whom it blew." This significant remark; however, had but little effect on those to whom it was addressed. They saw that