"Thy knee
shall bow," he says, "thy cap shall off, thy tongue shall
speak reverently of thy sovereign." For himself, his tongue
is even more than reverent. Nothing can stay the issue of
his eloquent adulation. Again and again, "the remembrance of
Elizabeth's virtues" carries him away; and he has to hark
back again to find the scent of his argument. He is
repressing his vehement adoration throughout, until, when the
end comes, and he feels his business at an end, he can
indulge himself to his heart's content in indiscriminate
laudation of his royal mistress. It is humorous to think
that this illustrious lady, whom he here praises, among many
other excellences, for the simplicity of her attire and the
"marvellous meekness of her stomach," threatened him, years
after, in no very meek terms, for a sermon against female
vanity in dress, which she held as a reflection on herself.
(3)
(1) I am indebted for a sight of this book to the kindness of
Mr. David Laing, the editor of Knox's Works.
(2) SOCIAL STATICS, p. 64, etc.
(3) Hallam's CONST. HIST. OF ENGLAND, i. 225, note m.
Whatever was wanting here in respect for women generally,
there was no want of respect for the Queen; and one cannot
very greatly wonder if these devoted servants looked askance,
not upon Knox only, but on his little flock, as they came
back to England tainted with disloyal doctrine.
Pages:
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341
342
343
344
345
346
347
348
349