The person who drew up the agreement is either a great knave or a great fool.
Knox does not seem to have known beforehand of Rizzio's "slaughter," which had been intended to be a semi-judicial act; but soon after it he records that "that vile knave Davie was justly punished, for abusing of the commonwealth, and for other villainy which we list not to express."
From the Greek sophists they borrowed ingenious ways of playing off one duty against another, or duty in general against self-interest - leaving the doubter in the alternative of neglecting the one and being a knave, or neglecting the other and being a fool.
It had a knave and chancel and the knave is all that remains.
Second novel, King, Queen, Knave appears, and causes the first stirrings of interest and controversy.