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bell rent asunder. A farmer, rather more shrewd than the rest of his auditors, suspecting the truth of this assertion, asked liberty to take an oath in the presence of those assembled, about an affair which nearly concerned him. The monk could not refuse; and the farmer addressing the crowd, said, "Friends, before I swear, you see the rent, how large it is, and that I have nothing on my fingers to make them stick to the bell." Then laying his hand on it, he took this oath — "I swear, in the presence of the living God, and before these good people, that the pope of Rome is Antichrist, and that all the rabble of his clergy, cardinals, archbishops, bishops, priests, monks, with all the rest of the crew, are locusts come from hell, to delude the people, and to withdraw them from God; moreover, I promise they will all return to hell:" and lifting his hand he added, “See, friends, I have lifted my hand freely from the bell, and the rent is no larger, this sheweth that I have sworn the truth."
The cause of reformed religion, was powerfully supported by the ambition of the Queen-dowager (Mary of Guise.) After the death of James V, her husband, the Earl of Arran, was appointed Regent of the kingdom during the minority of her daughter; and from that situation she wished to exclude him, that she might enjoy the first honours of the state alone, and promote the designs of her brothers upon Scotland. For this purpose she applied to the favourers of the Reformation, as being the most numerous of the Regent's enemies, and forming a respectable body in the state; and although her promises of protection were insincere, they, in a very considerable degree, abated the fury of persecution.
John Knox, who contributed so much, both by precept and example, to work out the Reformation
