64 MEMORIALS OF EDINBURGH.
including the Earls of Argyle and Glencairn, and the Lord James Stewart. The place of
meeting was the Quarry Holes, or as it is not inappropriately styled by the writers of the
time, the Quarrel Holes ; a famous place of meeting for duels and private rencontres, at
the east end of the Calton Hill, in the immediate neighbourhood of the Palace of Holyrood-
and there the two first-named Earls engaged, that should the Regent fail to fulfil
the conditions of agreement, and especially that of the dismissal of the French troops, they
would willingly join forces with them to enforce their fulfilment.‘
Although the main body of the reformers had withdrawn from
Edinburgh, Nome of the leaders continued to reside there, and the
people refused to yield up St Giles’s Church to be again used for
means, to recover it. She had already received notice of further
assistance coming from France, and did not choose to provoke a
quarrel till thus reinforced. As one means of driving them from
the church, the French soldiers made it a place of promenade during
the time of service, to the great disturbance of the Congregation. But though the preacher,
Mr Willocks, denounced them in no measured terms from the pulpit, and publicly prayed
God to rid them of guch locusts, the people prudently avoided an open rupture, (‘ except
that a horned cap was taken off a proud priest’s head, and cut in four quarters, because
he said he would wear it in spite of the Congregation.”
In the month of September 1559, Sir Ralph Sadler arrived at Berwick from Queen
Elizabeth, and entered into secret negotiations with the reformers, paying over to them,
for their immediate use, the sum of two thousand pounds, with the promise of further
pecuniary assistance, for the purpose of expelling the French from Scotland, so that it
could be managed with such secrecy as not to interfere with the public treaties between
the two nations.
The Queen had
already received a reinforcement of a thousand French troops, who disembarked at Leith
in the end of August, and with their aid she immediately proceeded to enlarge and complete
the fortifications of that port, while she renewed her entreaties to the French Court
for further aid.
Shortly after, the Bishop of Amiens arrived at Edinburgh, aN legate from the Pope, and
earnestly laboured to reconcile the reformers to the Church ; but any little influence he
might possibly have had, was destroyed in their eyes by the discovery that he had arrived
in company with a second body of French auxiliaries.
The Congregation at length marched to Edinburgh, towards the end of October, with
a force amounting to twelve thousand men, resolved to dislodge the French garrison from
Leith ; and the same day the Regent hastily retreated from Holyrood Palace, and took up
her residence within the protection of the fortifications at Leith.
The Congregation proceeded in the most systematic manner,-conmittees were chosen
for the direction of civil and religious affairs, and a letter was immediately addressed to the
,
I the service of the mass, although the Regent sought, by various
The preparations for war were now diligently pursued by both parties.
* Bishop Keith, vol. i. p. 224. * Calderwood, vol. i. p. 502.
VIQNETTE--COFbel from the old south door of St ailea’a Church.
