Wishart has many sympathizers. Knox, who had…

Wishart has many sympathizers.

Knox, who had avoided being arrested by Hepburn through Wishart's advice to return to tutoring, had taken shelter with Hugh Douglas of Longniddry, whose sons he had tutored.

Several months later, he was still in charge of the pupils, the sons of Douglas and John Cockburn of Ormiston, who wearied of moving from place to place while being pursued.

He had toyed with the idea of fleeing to Germany and taking his pupils with him.

While Knox remained a fugitive, Cardinal Beaton is murdered on May 29, 1546 by a gang of five persons, within his residence, the Castle of St. Andrews, in revenge for Wishart's execution.

The conspirators, led by Norman Leslie, master of Rothes, and William Kirkcaldy of Grang, seize the castle.

It is widely believed that Beaton’s death is in the interests of Henry VIII of England, who regards Beaton as the chief obstacle to his policy in Scotland.

Beaton’s murder is certainly a significant point in the eventual triumph of Protestantism in Scotland, yet even at this time it is not necessarily condoned, even among his opponents.

His contemporary, the poet Sir David Lyndsay, a strong critic of Beaton, will write soon after The Tragedie of the Cardinal, which concludes:

As for the Cardinal, I grant, He was the man we weel could want' And we’ll forget him soon!

And yet I think, the sooth to say, Although the loon is well away, The deed was foully done.