James's accession to the English throne brought to ^lelville a permit enlarging his circle of activity to within six miles of the college, and three congratu- latory poems, which he had written for the occasion, seemed even to have established peace between the two combatants. In 1G06, however, the war broke out anew, and this time it ended onlv with the removal
MELVILLE
69
MEMBER
of the sturdy reformer. In 1604 and in 1605, Mel- ville had sorely provoked the king by his activity against the royal measures. In 1606 Melville was se- lected to represent his presbytery at Parliament, and protest against the act of restoring episcopacj' and re- viving chapters. This action was unfavorably com- mented upon before the king, and the latter determined to punish Melville. One fine day Melville quite unex- pectedly received a letter from his majesty desiring him to repair to London before September 15, that his maj- esty might consult him and others of his learned breth- ren on ecclesiastical matters. Melville and others went accordingly, and had various interviews with the king, who at times condescended even to be jocular with them ; but they soon learned that they were interdicted from leaving the place without special permission from his majesty, and that James was only waiting for a fa- vorable opportunity to vent his wrath upon Melville. The occasion was not long wanting. Melville having written a short Latin epigram, in which he expressed his feelings of contempt and indignation at some rites of the English Church on the festival of St. Michael, was immediately summoned before the privy council, found guilty of " scandalum magnatum," and, after a confinement of nearly twelve months, first in the house of the dean of St. Paul's, and afterwards in that of the bishop of Winchester, was committed to the Tower, and was there kept a prisoner for more than four years, in violation of every principle of justice. The first year of his imprisonment was particularly severe. He was deprived of all opportunity to give expression to his thoughts either by writing or oral communication. Through the influence of Sir James Sempill, he was re- moved, at the end of ten months, to a more healthy and spacious apartment, and was allowed the use of pen, ink, and paper. When the rigor of his confinement was re- laxed, he was consulted both by Arminius and his an- tagonist Lubbertus on their theological disputes. He continued to refresh his mind by occasionally writing a poem, and in two or three letters to his nephew, James Melville, whom he loved as a son, he reviewed Dr. Down- ham's sermon on Episcopacy. In 1610 he printed a specimen of poetical translations of the Psalms into Lat- in verse, and he never wrote a letter to his nephew with- out transmitting copies of some of his verses. In l(jll he was released, on the solicitation of the duke of Bouil- lon, who wanted his services as a professor in the uni- versity at Sedan, in France. Melville, now in his sixty- sixth year, would fain have gone home to Scotland to lay his bones there, but the king would on no account hear of such a thing, and he was forced to spend his old age in exile. Melville died about 1622, but neither the date of his death nor the events of his last years are as- certained.
Melville appears to have been low in stature and slender in his person, but possessed of great physical energy. His voice was strong, his gesture vehement, and he had much force and fluency of language, with great ardor of mind and constancy of purpose. His natural talents were of a superior order, and he was a scholar and divine of no common attainments. "As a preacher of God's word, he was talented in a very high degree — zealous, untiring, instant in season and out of season, and eminently successful — and as a saint of God, he was a living epistle of the power of religion on the heart. Sound in faith, pure in morals, he recommended the Gospel in his life and conversation — he fought the good fight ; and, as a shock cometh in at its season, so he bade adieu to this mortal life, ripe for everlasting glorj'. If John Knox rid Scotland of the errors and supersti- tions of popery, Andrew Melville contributed materially, by his fortitude, example, and counsel, to resist, even to the death, the propagation of a form of worship uncon- genial to the Scottish character" (Howie, p. 278). Dr. ]\IcCrie concludes his two interesting volumes of Mel- ville's Life (1819) with the declaration, '• Next to the Keformer, I know no individual from whom Scotland
has received such important services, or to whom she continues to owe so deep a debt of national respect and gratitude, as Andrew Melville." See, besides McCrie's biography, Hetherington, Hist, of the Church of Scotland (N. Y. 1856, 8vo), p. 78 sq. ; Cook, Rpformation in Scot- land, chap, xxvii; Stephen, /7w<. of the Church of Scot- land (Lond. 18-45, 4 vols. 8vo), i, 258 sq. ; Russel, Hist, of the Church of Scotland (Lond. 1834,2 vols. 18mo), i, chap. ixi ii, chap, x sq.; Howie, Scots Worthies, p. 239 sq.; Chambers and Thomson, Biog. Diet, of Eminent Scots- men (1855), iv, 1 sq.; Blackwood's Magazine, Sept. 1824, (J. II. W.)