And I daresay the opposition quickened his
inclination. I find him writing to Mrs. Bowes that she need
no further trouble herself about the marriage; it should now
be his business altogether; it behoved him now to jeopard his
life "for the comfort of his own flesh, both fear and
friendship of all earthly creature laid aside." (4) This is
a wonderfully chivalrous utterance for a Reformer forty-eight
years old; and it compares well with the leaden coquetries of
Calvin, not much over thirty, taking this and that into
consideration, weighing together dowries and religious
qualifications and the instancy of friends, and exhibiting
what M. Bungener calls "an honourable and Christian
difficulty" of choice, in frigid indecisions and insincere
proposals. But Knox's next letter is in a humbler tone; he
has not found the negotiation so easy as he fancied; he
despairs of the marriage altogether, and talks of leaving
England, - regards not "what country consumes his wicked
carcass." "You shall understand," he says, "that this sixth
of November, I spoke with Sir Robert Bowes" (the head of the
family, his bride's uncle) "in the matter you know, according
to your request; whose disdainful, yea, despiteful, words
hath so pierced my heart that my life is bitter to me. I
bear a good countenance with a sore troubled heart, because
he that ought to consider matters with a deep judgment is
become not only a despiser, but also a taunter of God's
messengers - God be merciful unto him! Amongst others his
most unpleasing words, while that I was about to have
declared my heart in the whole matter, he said, `Away with
your rhetorical reasons! for I will not be persuaded with
them.
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