Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 11.djvu/627

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KNOX. 567 KNOX. Queen's party, including Murray and Maitland, and many of his former friends, lie took up an attitude of unjielding opposition to the Court, and in his sermons and prayers indulged freely iu the expression ot his feelings. The result was his temporary alienation from the more moderate frotestant I'arty, who tried to govern the coun- try in the (^)uecn's nanje. For a wliile, from 1563 to 15ti.3, he retired into comparative privacy. In 1500 his first wife had died, and on Palm Sun- day. 15li4, he married .Margaret Stewart, da.ugh- ter of Lord Stewart of Ochiltree, a girl of six- teen. The rapid series of events which followed Mary's marriage with Darnley served once more to bring Kno. into the field. He was recon- ciled with -Murray, and strongly al)etted him in all his scliemes of policy during his regency. Furtiier reforms were efiected by the Parliament which convched under iiis sway in the close of loOT. Some provision, although still an imper- fect one, was made for the support of the Protes- tant clergy. Knox seemed at lengtli to see his great work accomplished, and is said to have en- tertained the idea of retiring to Geneva. But the bright prospect on which he gazed for a little was soon overcast — Murray's assassination (Jan- uary 23, 1570). and the confusion and discord which sprang out of it. plunged the reformer into profound grief. He once more became an object of suspicion and hostility to the dominant nobles, and misunderstandings even sprang up Iietween him and some of his brethren in the General Assembly. He retired to Saint Andrews (1571) for a while, to escape the danger of assassination, with which he had lieen threatened. There, although suffering from extreme debility, he roused himself to preach once more. and. in the parish cluirch where he had liegiin his ministry, made his voice heard again with something of its old power. Assisted by his servant, the "good, godly Richard Ballenden," into the pulpit, "he oehoved to lean upon it at his first entry: but ere he was done with his sermon, he was so active and vigorous that he was lyke to ding the pulpit in blads and die out of it." In the end of 1572 he returned to Edinburgh to die; his strength was exhausted: he was 'weary of the world,' he said : and on Xovember 24th he died. Knox's character was distinguished by firm- ness and decision, and a plain, severely harsh sense of reality. He was a man of strong, and even stern convictions, and he felt no scruples, and recognized no dangers in carrying out his aims. He was shrewd, penetrating, inevitable in his perceptions and purposes, and his language is always plain, homely, and often harsh. He had learned, he himself says, "to call wickedness by its own terms — a fig. a fig: a spade, a spade." Aliove all. be was fearless: nothing daimted him; his spirit rose high in the midst of danger. In Scotland Knox w'as the leading spirit in the Reformation. To him above all others may be attributed this result. His violent methods, however, do him little credit, and recent histo- rians condemn him severely on this score. Knox wrote his own biography in his History rtf the Itrformnlion iif Hrliriioun in the Renlmr of >frntt(i>ifl, iiegun about 1560. and completed as far as 1564, The first three books were printed in London in 1584: the entire five in 1664; the 'modernized' edition by (futhric (London, ISflS) is abridged and incomplete. His Works have been well edited by Laing (Edinburgh. 1846-64), and his life written by M'Crie (Edinburgh, 1813; 7th ed. 1872). Both Laing and M'Crie give full bibliographical data concerning his writings. Consult, also, his life by W. M. Taylor (Xew York, 1885) ; bj' P. Hume Brown (London, 1805) ; Lorimer, John Knox and the Church of EnijUmd (London. 1875); Carrick, John Knox inul Bis Land (Glasgow, 1!)02). Knox's liturgy. The Book of Common Order of the Church of Scotland, has been edited by Sprott (London, 1!M)1 ). KNOX, John Jay (1828-92). An American financier, born iu Knoxboro. N. Y. He graduated at Hamilton College in 1849, and entered the banking business. Becau.se of his vigorous sup- port of the niitional banking plan of Secretary Chase, he was given a position in the Treasury De- partment in 1806, serving as Deputy Comptroller of the Treasury from 1867 to 1872. From 1872 until 1884 he held the position of Comptroller of the Treasury, In the latter year he resigned in order to become president of the National Bank of the Republic of Xew York City, which position he filled until his death. In 1870 he prepared a bill codifying the mint and coinage laws, and a report on the subject of coinage. The bill was transmitted to Congress by Secretary Boutwell, and with few amendments became law in 1S73. This was the famous 'Coin- age Act of 1873,' which dropped the silver dol- lar from the coinage. (See Money.) Mr, Knox was the author of numerous reports and articles and of a book on the United States Notes (New York. 1887). KNOX, Philander Chase (18.53—). An .merican lawyer and Cabinet officer, born at Brownsville. Fayette County. Pa. He graduated at ilount L'nion College (.lliance, Ohio) in 1872, studied law in an office at Pittsburg. Pa., was admitted to the baa- in 1875. and in 1876 was United States district attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania. In 1877 he became a partner in a Pittsburg law firm. As a practi- tioner he acted as counsel for the Carnegie Steel Company and other large corporations. It was stated that in 18il7 he was considered as ap- |)ointee to the Attorney-Generalship in the Mc- Kinley Cabinet, but at that time was reluctant to withdraw from his legal practice. However, he accepted the appointment, in IDOL to succeed John V. Griggs of New .Jersey, resigned. Re- peated criticisms of his alleged inactivity in the prosecution of corporations said to be operated contrary to law were met by the statement that, under existing conditions, he was not empowered by his office to tjike the action demanded. In isn7 he was elected president of the Pennsylvania Bar Association. KNOX, Robert (c.1640-1720). The first Eng- lish writer on Ceylon. He was a prisoner there anions the natives for nearly tweniy years, the ship on which he and his father were homeward hound from India having put into Cottiar Bay for safety in a storm. Robert Knox, senior, a Scottish employee of the East India Company. died after three years' captivity, but his son finally made his escape from the interior of the island to .i Dutch coli>ny on the coast, whence ho reached England ( 1 680 ) , Knox made later voyages to India and the South Seas, but he is chiefly noted for An Historical Relation of the