MEL'VILLE, or MELVILL, ANDREW (1545 1622). A Scottish reformer. He was horn August 1, 1545. at TIaldovie, near Montrose, Forfar:shire. He was educated at the grammar school of Mont rose, whence he removed in his fourteenth year to the University of Saint Andrews. Here he re mained four years, and then proceeded to Paris, where he continued his studies for two years. In 1566 he was chosen regent in the College of Saint Slarceon, Poitiers, whither he had gone to acquire a knowledge of law-. From Poitiers he proceeded to Geneva. where. by the influence of his friend Beza, he was appointed to the chair of humanity in the academy. He returned to Scotland in 1574, and was. in the course of the year, ap pointed principal of the University of Glasgow. In 1580 Melville was chosen principal of Saint Mary's College, Saint Andrews. In 1582 he preached the opening sermon before the General Assembly, and boldly "inveighed against the bloody knife of absolute authority, whereby men intended to pull the crown off Christ's head, and to wring the sceptre out of his hand." The As sembly applauded his intrepidity, drew up a re monstrance in a similar spirit, and appointed Melville and others to present it. In 1584 was summoned before the Privy Council. lie maintained that whatever a preacher Might say in the pulpit, even if it should be called treason. be
was not bound to answer for in a civil court, until he had been first tried in a church court. For this denial of secular jurisdiction he was condemned to imprisonment, but escaped to Lon don, where he remained till the downfall of Art-an in the following year. After an absence of twenty months he returned to Scotland and re sumed his otTme at Saint Andrews. In 1606 Mel ville was called to England to attend the famous conference at Hampton Court. Having ridieuled the service in the chapel royal in a Latin epi gram, he was twice summoned before the English Privy Council, and on the second occasion his temper gave way, and he broke nut into a torrent of invective against the Archbishop of Canter bury for encouraging popery and superstition, profaning the Sabbath, etc. The King imme diately sent him to the Tower, where he re mained for more than fora• years. In 1611 he was released on the of the Duke of Bouillon, who wanted his services as a professor in his university at Sedan in France. Melville died in London, in 1622, hut neither the exact date of his death nor the events of his last, years are ascertained. He published much in prose and verse. in Latin and English. Consult his Life by SlcCrie (2 vols., London, 1819; revised ed. 1856).