Ten thousand French troops arrive at Leith…
June 1548 CE
Ten thousand French troops arrive at Leith on June 16 and besiege Haddington with artillery.
When the French galleys return to Scotland to scout for English ships, Knox's health is at its lowest point due to the severity of his confinement.
He is ill with a fever and others on the ship are afraid for his life.
Even in this state, Knox recalled, his mind remained sharp and he comforted his fellow prisoners with hopes of release.
While the ships are lying offshore between St. Andrews and Dundee, the spires of the parish church where he had preached appear in view.
James Balfour, a fellow prisoner, asks Knox whether he recognizes the landmark.
He replies that he knows it well, recognizing the steeple of the place where he first preached and he declares that he will not die until he has preached there again.