"John Knox and the Reformation" by Andrew Lang is a historical account of the life and work of John Knox, a Scottish Protestant reformer who played a key role in the Scottish Reformation of the 16th century. The book details Knox's early life as a Catholic priest and his conversion to Protestantism under the influence of the reformer George Wishart. Knox became a fiery preacher and advocate for the reformed faith, and his teachings and writings helped to spread the Protestant message throughout Scotland. The book also describes Knox's involvement in the political and social upheavals of his time, including his support for the Scottish nobility in their struggle against the Catholic Queen Mary, and his eventual role in the establishment of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland. Through his leadership and preaching, Knox inspired a generation of Scots to reject the authority of the Catholic Church and embrace the principles of the Reformation. Despite persecution and opposition from the Catholic establishment, Knox's legacy endured, and his ideas helped shape the religious and political landscape of Scotland for centuries to come. Overall, "John Knox and the Reformation" is a vivid and engaging account of one of the most important figures in Scottish history and his impact on the Protestant movement.
Andrew Lang was a Scottish poet, novelist, literary critic, and contributor to anthropology who lived from 31 March 1844 to 20 July 1912. He is primarily known for being a folklore and fairy story collector. At the University of St. Andrews, he is honored through the Andrew Lang lectures. In the Scottish Borders town of Selkirk, Lang was born in 1844. He was the oldest of the eight children born to John Lang, the town clerk of Selkirk, and Jane Plenderleath Sellar, who was a relative of the first Duke of Sutherland. Jane Plenderleath Sellar was the daughter of Patrick Sellar. He wed Leonora Blanche Alleyne, the youngest child of C. T. Alleyne of Clifton and Barbados, on April 17, 1875. She was alternately acknowledged as the author, co-author, or translator of Lang's Color/Rainbow Fairy Books, which he edited (or should have been). He attended the Edinburgh Academy, Loretto School, Selkirk Grammar School, and University of St. Andrews as well as Balliol College in Oxford, where he earned a first-class degree in the final classical schools in 1868. From there, he went on to become a fellow and later an honorary fellow of Merton College. As a journalist, poet, critic, and historian, he quickly established himself as one of the best and most diverse writers of his day.
