great men are denied, because, if it had them, it would be incapable of appreciating them, and would infallibly treat them basely;-but their eminence must be measured by what they were in their own time and day. At any rate be it remembered, that although George Wisheart be not now regarded as a Reformer" of eminence," it will not be altogether foreign to our purpose to cite him here, because, from his views and experience, we obtain further light concerning the sentiments of Knox who records them, and of whom we have just been speaking.

WISHEART or WISCHARD. He came to Scotland in 1544, and suffered martyrdom, 1546. The first thing to be noticed in his predictions is, that, (as in the case of Knox himself,) there are many of them which cannot by any means be resolved into mere prognostications; but that he distinctly claims particular inspiration for them. For instance, after warning his hearers of the troubles that came on Scotland not long after, he says,

If it long prospers with you, I am not led with the Spirit of Truth. But if trouble unlooked for apprehend you, acknowledge the cause, and turn to God, for he is merciful. But if ye turn not at the first, he will visit you with fire and sword *."

Again, it must have been by no general impressions derived from Scripture, but, as he himself alleged, by particular revelation, that he knew of an ambush for his destruction, and of the particular part of the road where the assassins lay concealed.

"While he was so occupied with his God, [in preaching and meditation] the cardinal drew a secret draucht. He

* Knox's History, p. 43.

caused write unto him a letter, as it had been from his most familiar friend the Laird of Kinnyre, desiring him with all possible diligence to come unto him, for he was struck with a sudden sickness. In the mean time had the traitor provided threescore men, with jackis and spears, to lie in wait within a mile and a half of the town of Montrois, for his despatch. The letter coming to his hand, he made haste at the first, for the boy had brought a horse, and so with some honest men he passed forth of the town. But suddenly he stayed, and musing a space, returned back; whereat they wondering, he said, I will not go, I am forbidden of God. I am assured there is treason. Let some of you, said he, go to yon place, and tell me what they find. Diligence made, they found the treason as it was which being shewn, with expedition, to Mr. George, he answered, I know that I shall end my life in that bloodthirsty man's hands, but it will not be of this manner

In like manner, alleging the influence of God's Holy Spirit, he rebuked and forewarned two Grey Friars, who had disturbed the congregation while he was preaching.

Depart, and take this for your portion, God shall shortly confound and disclose your hypocrisy within this realm. Ye shall be abominable unto men, and your places and habitations shall be desolate..... And, turning to the people, he said, 'Yon wicked men have provoked the Spirit of God to anger;' and so he returned to his matter +."

There is something far too particular, again, in the denunciations of Wisheart against Haddington, the inhabitants of which place had displayed a marked contempt for the preaching of the Gospel, to be accounted for as merely general prognostication, or warning for sin and unbelief.

"Sore and fearful shall the plagues be that shall ensue this thy contempt, with fire and sword shalt thou be

plagued; yea, thou Haddington in special, strangers shall possess thee; and ye, the present inhabitants shall either in bondage serve the enemies, or else ye shall be chaced from your habitations; and that because ye have not known, nor will not know the time of God's merciful visitation. In such vehemency and threatening continued that servant of God near an hour and a half, in the which he declared all the plagues that ensued, as plainly as, after, our eyes saw them performed." [It is added, that he concluded] " and so put an end, as it were, making his last testament, as the issue declared, that the Spirit of truth and true judgment was both in his heart and mouth *"

The last sentence manifests the opinion of KNOX, that Wisheart spoke by revelation, as plainly as, in the preceding citations, we have seen the same truth asserted by Wisheart himself.

As the denunciation was particular, so was its fulfilment exact.

"God begins to fight for Scotland. For in the town" (Haddington) "he sent a pest so contagious, that with great difficulty could they have their dead buried. They were oft refreshed with new men, but all was in vain. Hunger and pest within, and the pursuit of the enemy with a camp-volant lay about them, and intercepted all victuals, except when they were brought by a convoy from Berwick, so constrained them that the council of England was compelled, in spring time, to call their forces from that place. And so spoiling and burning some part of the town, they left it to be occupied to such as first should take possession, and these were the Frenchmen, with a mean [small, inconsiderable] number of the old inhabitants. And so did God perform the words and threatening of Master George Wisheart, who said, that for their contempt of God's messenger, they should be visited with sword and fire, with pestilence, strangers, and famine:'

*p. 48 (misprinted 52.)

which all they found in such perfection, that to this day yet, that town has neither recovered its former beauty, nor yet men of such wisdom and ability as then did inhabit it *.'

In the trouble, then, that thus befel Haddington, (the town distinguished, also, by a sad priority, in a calamity which has recently visited Scotland,) we have to note, not only the fulfilment of Wisheart's prophecy, but the decided testimony given, as we see, to this circumstance by Knox in relating it.

We have already seen, in the account of Wisheart's escape from the ambush laid for him by the cardinal, that he had received a premonition of his dying, at last, "in that blood-thirsty man's hands:" and, as the time approached, the foreknowledge of it seems to have been imparted to him with more and more distinctness.

"In all his sermons, after his departure from Angus, he forspake the shortness of time he had to travel, and of his death, the day whereof, he said, approached nearer than any would believe +."

This was about Christmas time (Yuill); and the event confirmed his words. At the end of January he was apprehended, and he suffered on the first of March. Again:

"That night, as information was give us by W. Spadone and J. Watson, both men of good credit, before day he passed forth into a yard; the said William and John (followed privily, and took heed what he did. When he had gone up and down in an alley a reasonable space, with many sighs and deep groans, he plat down upon his knees, and sitting thereon his groans increased, and from his knees he fell upon his face and then the persons forenamed heard

you

weeping, and as it were an indigest sound, as it were of prayers, in the which he continued near an hour, and after began to be quiet, and so rose and came to his bed. They that awaited, prevented him, as they had been ignorant, till that he came in; and then began they to demand, where he had been. But that night he would answer nothing: before the morn they urged him again: and while that he dissembled, they said, Mr. George, be plain with us, for we heard your groans. Yea, we heard your mourning, and saw you both upon your knees and upon your face. With dejected visage he said, I had rather been in your beds, and it had been more profitable for you; for I was scarce well occupied. When they instantly urged him to let them know some comfort, he said, I will tell you that I am assured, that my travel is near an end: and therefore call to God with me, that now I shrink not, when the battle waxes most hot. And while that they wept and said, That was small comfort unto them, He answered, God shall send you comfort after me. This realm shall be enlightened with the light of Christ's Gospel, as clearly as ever was any realm, since the days of the Apostles. The house of God shall be built in it. Yea, it shall not want (whatsoever the enemy imagine to the contrary) the very keep-stone (meaning that it should be brought to full perfection). Neither, said he, shall this be long to. There shall not many suffer after me, till that the glory of God shall evidently appear, and shall once triumph in despite of Satan. But, alas! if the people shall be after unthankful, then fearful and terrible shall the plagues be, that after shall follow*."

As the actual time of his capture and martyrdom approached, the premonition became still more definite and particular.

"The manner of taking him was this-departing from the town of Haddington, he took his good night, as it were, for ever of all his acquaintance, especially from Hugh Douglas of Langnudrie. John Knox pressing to have

* p. 46.