RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA
Knox Knox-Little
the eighteenth century at latest as " John Knox's house," may have been occupied by him toward the close of his life. With all his severity, there must have been much sympathy in a man who was repeatedly invited to reconcile the sundered, husband with wife, friend with friend. He lived in kindly relations with his neighbors, many of whom, in every rank, were among his intimate friends, and he was not indisposed to mirth and humor, of which, as of other traits of his character, his writings furnish abundant evidence.
An interesting description of Knox's appearance, and especially of his style as a preacher, in his later years, is furnished in the Diary of James Melville (published by the Bannatyne Club, Edinburgh, 1829, pp. 26, 33). Melville was at the time a student in St. Andrews, and the peio. Per- riod he refers to is the year 1571, when sonal Ap- Knox, for his personal security, had, pearance not for the first time in his life, taken and refuge in that city. " Of all the bene- Manner. fits I had that year," writes Melville, " was the coming of that most notable prophet and apostle of our nation, Mr. John Knox, to St. Andrews, who, by the faction of the queen occupying the castle and town of Edinburgh, was compelled to remove therefrom, with a number of the best, and chose to come to St. Andrews. Mr. Knox would sometimes come in, and repose him in our college-yard, and call us scholars unto him, and bless us, and exhort us to know God and his work in our country, and stand by the good cause; to use our time well, and learn the good instructions, and follow the good example, of our masters. He was very weak. I saw him every day of his doctrine go hulie and fear [slowly and warily], with a furring of martriks about his neck, a staff in the one hand, and good godly Richard Ballantyne, his servant, holding up the other oxter [arm-pit], from the abbey to the parish church; and by the said Richard and another servant lifted up to the pulpit, where he behoved to lean at his first entry; but ere he had done with his sermon, he was so active and vigorous that he was like to ding that pulpit in blads and flee out of it." A Latin epistle sent by Sir Peter Young to Beza in 1579, contains a description of the Reformer's personal appearance in later years. His stature was " a little under middle height "; his " limbs were graceful "; his head " of moderate size "; his face " longish "; his nose " beyond the average length "; his forehead "rather narrow"; his brows "standing out like a ridge "; his cheeks " somewhat full " as well as " ruddy "; his mouth " large "; his " complexion darkish "; his eyes dark blue (or bluish grey) and his glance " keen "; his beard " black, with white hairs intermingled " and a " span and a half long." In his countenance, which was "grave and severe," "a certain graciousness was united with natural dignity and majesty."
John Knox died as he had lived — full of faith, but always ready for conflict. He found a devoted nurse in his young wife; and all the noblest and best men of Scotland hung about his house for tidings of the progress of his malady, in the vain hope of his being longer spared. His servant,
Richard Ballantyne, after detailing the incidents of his last hours, says of him: " Of this manner departit this man of God, the lycht of Scotland, the comfort of the Kirke within the n. Testi- same, the mirrour of Godliness, and monies patrone and exemple to all trew minto His isteris, in puritie of lyfe, soundness Character, in doctrine, and in bauldness in reproving of wicketness, and one that caired not the favore of men (how great soever they were) to reprove thair abuses and synes What dexteritie in teiching, bauldness in reproving, and hatred of wickedness was in him, my ignorant dulness is not able to declair." A higher testimony to the worth of a man not without faults was pronounced at his grave in the churchyard of St. Giles by the Earl of Mortoun, the regent of Scotland, in the presence of an immense concourse, who had followed the body to its last resting-place: "Here lyeth a man who in his life never feared the face of man, who hath been often threatened with dagge and dagger, but yet hath ended his dayes in peace and honour."
W. Lee|, revised by Henry Cowan.
Bibliography: The Works of Knox are best consulted in the excellent edition by David Laing, printed for the Bannatyne Club, 6 vols., Edinburgh, 1864, which includes the principal sources for a biography, viz., his History of the Reformation, his correspondence, and other historical matter, such as Smeaton's account of his last illness and death. Other sources are: the Memorials of Transactions in Scotland by Richard Bannatyne and the Memoirs of J. Melville, both published for the Bannatyne Club, Edinburgh. Of modern lives the first was that by T. McCrie, new ed. with additions by A. Crichton, London, 1889. Other biographies or discussions of phases of the life are: by F. Brandes, Elberfeld, 1862; P. Lorimer, J. Knox and the Church of England, London, 1875; T. Carlyle, Heroes and Hero Worship, Essay iv., ib. 1884; W. M. Taylor, New York, 1885; R. W. Gosse, London, 1888; R. L. Stevenson, in Familiar Studies of Men and Books, ib. 1888; P. H. Brown, 2 vols., Edinburgh, 1895; J. C. Carrick, John Knox and his Land, Glasgow, 1902; R. Mulot, John Knox, 1505-72, Halle, 1904; J. Stalker, John Knox, his Ideals and Ideas, London, 1904; H. Cowan, New York, 1905; J. Glasse, New York, 1905; A. T. Innes, Edinburgh, 1905; A. Lang, John Knox and the Reformation, London, 1905; D. MacMillan, London, 1905; C. Martin, La Genese des doctrines de John Knox, Paris, 1906; I. Crook, Cincinnati, 1907; W Walker, Greatest Men of the Christian Church, Chicago, 1908; DNB, xxxi. 308-328. Besides this the various works on the Reformation of Scotland discuss the subject.
KNOX-LITTLE, WILLIAM JOHN: Church of England; b. at Stewartstown (12 m. n. of Armagh), County Tyrone, Ireland, Dec. 1, 1839. He was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge (B.A., 1862), and was ordered deacon in 1863 and ordained priest in the following year. He was curate of Christ Church, Lancaster (1863-64), assistant master of Sherborne School (1865-70), curate of Turweston, Bucks (1870-74), and of St. Thomas, Regent Street, London (1874-75), and rector of St. Alban's, Cheetwood, Manchester (1875-85), and vicar of Hoar Cross, Burton-on-Trent (1885-1907). He has also been canon of Worcester since 1881, proctor for chapter in Convocation of Canterbury since 1888, and subdean of Worcester since 1902. He has written: The Three Hours' Agony of Our Blessed Redeemer (Manchester, 1877); Sermons preached for the most Part in Manchester (London, 1880) ; Characteristics and Motives of the Christian Life (1880);
Knudtzon Koenigr