England on such Terms That the Government of Cumberland was always looked upon as previous to the Throne of Scotland for it had been so observed for some Ages past The King perceiving That this Malcolm for the Reasons aforementioned would be an hindrance to his Design not daring to do it openly caused him privately to be made away by Poyson Thus died that excellent young Man much lamented and near to his greatest Hope some Signs of Poison appeared in his Body but no Man ever dreamt of suspecting the King Yea his Deportment was such as to avert all Suspicion for he Mourned and Wept for his Death and made an Honourable mention of his Name when occasion was administred to speak of it and caused him magnificently to be Interred no Ceremony being omitted which could be invented for the Honour of the Deceased But this superlative Diligence of the King to remove the Suspicion from himself gave a shrewd Jealousie to the more Sagacious Yet they forbore to speak out for the Reverence all bore to and had conceived of the Kings Sanctity But soon after the King himself scattred some Words abroad to try the Minds of Men How they would bear the abrogating of an old Law and the enacting a new concerning the Succession of their Kings viz. That according to the Custom of many Nations if a King died his Son should succeed him and if he were under Age then to have a Protector or Tutor assigned to him so the Kingly Name might rest in the Child but the Power of Government in the Tutors or Guardians till he came to Age. Though a great Part of the Nobles praised his Speech as being willing to Gratifie him yet the Suspicion concerning the Death of Malcolm prevailed upon the Major part and especially upon the Nobility and Those of the Royal Stock who were afraid of the King Mens Spirits being in this posture Ambassadors came from England to comfort the King upon the loss of his Kinsman and withal desiring That in substituting another Governor he would remember That Cumberland being the Bond of Concord betwixt the Two Nations he would set Such a Person over it who might be an indifferent Arbiter of Peace and that would maintain the ancient Alliance betwixt the Two Nations for the Good of them Both and if any new Suspicions or Jealousies should arise that he would labour to extinguish them The King judged this Embassy fit for his purpose so that having Convened the Nobility at Scone he made a grave Harangue to them against the ancient Custom of the Assemblies of Estates in this Point wherein he recited all the Seditions which had happened for that Cause and with how great Impiety some of the surviving Kindred had treated the Children of former Kings and what Wars Rapines Slaughters and Banishâ—â—nts had ensued thereupon On the other side he put them in Mind How much more Peaceable and less Turbulent the Parliamenâ—â—â—y Assemblies of other Countries were and what great Reverence was born to the Royal Blood when without convasing for Succession Children succeeded their Parents in the Throne Having thus spoken he referred the matter to that Great Council to determine something in this Case He acquainted them also with the Demands of the English Ambassador and to give a greater Manifestation of his Condescention and Civility whereas it was in the Kings Power alone to appoint a Governor of Cumberland he left it to them to nominate One supposing that by this his Moderation he might the more easily obtain his Desire concerning the Succession to the Crown For if he himself had Nominated his Son for a Governor he thought he should have prejudiced his other Request because as I said before the Government or Prefecture over Cumberland was looked upon as the Designation of the Person to be the next succeeding King of Scotland Constantine the Son of Culenus and Grimus the Son of Mogal Brother to King Duffus who were thought most likely to oppose both Requests were first asked their Opinions in the Case who partly for Fear of Danger and partly that they might not run cross to the Major part of the Nobility who had been prepossessed and influenc'd by the King gave their Vote That it was in the Kings Power to Correct and Amend Laws which were inconvenient to the Publick and also to appoint what Governor he pleased over Cumberland The rest though they knew that they had spoken contrary to their own Sense yet Consented to what they said And by this means Malcolm the Kings Son though not of Age but Immature for Government was declared Governor of Cumberland and also Prince of Scotland which Title signifies in Scotland as much as Daulphin doth in France and Caesar amongst the old Roman Emperors and the King of the Romans amongst the Modern Germans whereby the Successor to the preceding Magistrate is understood Other Laws were also made viz. That as the Kings Eldest Son should succeed his Father so if the Son died before the Father the Nephew should succeed the Grandfather That when the King was under Age a Tutor or Protector should be Chosen some Eminent Man for Interest and Power to Govern in the Kings Name and stead till he came to Fourteen Years of Age and then he had Liberty to choose Guardians for Himself And besides many other Things were Enacted concerning the Legitimate Succession of Heirs which ran in common to the whole Nobility as well as to the King The King having thus by indirect and evil Practises setled the Kingdom on his Posterity as he thought yet his Mind was not at rest For though he were very Courteous to all and highly Beneficial and Obliging to a great many and withal did so manage the Kingdom that no one Part of a good King was wanting in him yet his Mind being disquieted with the guilt of his Offence suffered him to enjoy no sincere or solid Mirth but in the Day he was vexed with the Thoughts of that foul Wickedness which did inject themselves and in the Night terrible Apparitions disturbed his Rest. At last a Voice was heard from Heaven either a true one as some think or else such an one as his disquieted Mind suggested as it commonly happens to Guilty Consciences speaking to him in his Sleep to this Sense Dost thou think That the Murder of Malcolm an Innocent Man secretly and most impiously Committed by thee is either unknown to me or That thou shalt go unpunished for the same Nay there are already Plots laid against thy Life which thou canst not avoid neither shalt thou leave a Firm and Stable Kingdom to thy Posterity as thou thinkest to do but a Tumultuous and Stormy one The King being terrified by this dreadful Apparition betimes in the Morning hastned to the Bishops and Monks to whom he declared the Confusion of his Mind and his Repentance for his Wickedness They instead of prescribing him a true Remedy according to the
Forman Principal Herauld King of Arms as they call him giving him these Commands in answer to them First of all you shall declare to them that I am mightily surpriz'd and look upon it as an unexpected thing that any other Man should claim any Power here besides my Son in Law and Daughter on whom all my Authority depends The former Actings of the Nobles and these their present Postulations or rather Commands do sufficiently declare that they acknowledg no Authority Superior to themselves That their Petition or rather their Threats though guilded over with smooth Words were not at all new to Her Next you shall require the Duke of Castle-herault to call to Mind what he promis'd to me by word of Mouth and to the King by Letters that he would not only be Loyal to the King but also would take effectual Care that his Son the Earl of Arran should not mix himself in these Tumults of his Country you shall ask him Whether his present Actings do correspond with those Promises To their Letters you shall Answer That for the sake of the publick Tranquillity I will do and so I promise whatsoever is not contrary to Piety towards God or Duty towards the King as for the destruction of Law and Liberty it never entred into her Heart much less to subdue the Kingdom by Force For whom said She should I conquer it seeing my Daughter doth now as lawful Heiress possess it As to the Fortification at Leith you shall ask Whether ever She attempted any thing therein before they in many Conventions and at length by a mutual Conspiracy had openly declar'd That they rejected the Government set over them by Law and without her Advice or Notice though She held the Place and Authothority of a chief Magistrate had broke the publick Peace at their Pleasure and had strengthned their Party by taking of Towns and had treated with old Enemies for establishing a League yea that now many of them kept English in their Houses so that to omit other Arguments What Reason have they to judg it lawful for themselves to keep up an Army at Edinburgh to invade those who are in Possession of the Government and yet it must not be lawful for me to have some Forces about me at Leith for my own Defence Their aim is principally This to compel Me by often shifting of Places to avoid their Fury as I have hitherto done Is there any mention in their Letters about Obedience to lawful Magistrates Do they discover any Way to renew Peace and Concord By what Indication do they manifest that they are willing that these Tumults should be appeased and all things reduced to their former State Let them colour and guild their Pretensions how they please with the shew of publick Good yet 't is plain that they mind nothing less for if that one thing were a Remora to Concord I have often shewed the Way that leads thereto They themselves are not ignorant that the French at the Command of their own King had long since quitted Scotland if their Actings had not occasion'd their longer Stay And therefore if now they will offer any honest Conditions which may afford a probable ground of hope that the Majesty of the Government may be preserved and that they will with Modesty obey their Superiours I shall refuse no Way of renewing Peace nor omit any thing relating to the Publick Good neither am I only thus affected towards them but the French King is of the same mind too who hath sent over an Illustrious Knight of the Order of St. Michael and another prime Ecclesiastical Person with Letters and Commands to that purpose whom yet they had so slighted as not to vouchsafe them an Answer no nor Audience neither And therefore you shall require the Duke the other Nobles and Country-men of all sorts presently to separate themselves otherwise they shall be proclaimed Traitors To this Letter the Nobles sent an Answer the day after which was October 23. to this purpose We plainly perceive by your Letters and Commands sent us by your Herauld how you persist in your Disaffection to God's true Worship to the Publick Good of the whole Country and to the Common Liberty of us all which that we may perserve according to our Duty we do in the Name of our King and Queen suspend and inhibit that publick Administration which you usurp under their Names as being fully persuaded that your Actingâ— are quite contrary to their Inclinations and against the Publick Good of the Kingdom And as you do not esteem us a Senate and publick Council who are the lawful Inhabitants of this Kingdom and Country so we do not acknowledg you as Regent in supream Authority over us especially since your Government if you have any such entrusted to you by our Princes is for weighty and just Reasons abrogated by us and that in the Name of those Kings to whom we are born Counsellors especially in such Things as concern the Safety of the whole Common-wealth And though we are determined to undergo the utmost Hazard for the freeing of that Town wherein you have a Garison from foreign Mercenaries which you have hired against us yet for the Reverence and due Respect we bear you as the Mother of our Queen we earnestly intreat you to withdraw your self whilst Necessity compels us to reduce that Town by Force which we oft endeavour'd to gain by fair Means And withal we desire that within the space of twenty four hours you would withdraw likewise Those who challenge the Name of Embassadours to themselves and forbid them either to decide Controversies or to manage Civil and Martial Affairs and also that all Mercenary Souldiers in that Town would retire likewise for we would willingly spare their Lives and consult their Safety both by reason of that ancient Amity which hath interceded betwixt the Kings of Scotland and France and also by reason of the Marriage of their King with our Queen which doth equitably ingage us rather to encrease our Union than diminish it The same Day the Herauld also related that the Day before in a full Assembly of Nobles and Commons it was voted That all the Regent's Words Deeds and Designs tended only to Tyranny and therefore a Decree was made to abrogate her Authority to which all of them subscribed as most just Moreover they did inhibit the Trust her Son-in-Law and Daughter had committed to her they also forbad her to execute any Act of publick Government till a general Convention of the Estates which they determined to summon as soon as conveniently they could The 25 th day the Nobles sent an Herauld to Leith to warn all the Scots to depart out of the Town within the space of twenty four hours and to separate themselves from the Destroyers of publick Liberty After these Threats Horsemen made Excursions on both sides and the War began yet without any considerable Slaughter In the beginning of
Dovalian Faction without the Suffrages of the People The Nobles hearing of it though they judged Nothatus worthy of the worst of Punishments yet did not approve so bad an Example and they took it in greater disdain because a Publick Convention was not consulted but the choice of the chief Magistrate devolved on the Pleasure and Arbitrement of one Man Besides that it was not to be thought an Obliging Act in him thus to advance the young Man to the chief Power who was as yet unfit to Rule For such as look'd narrowly into the matter would find That only the Name of King would be given to Reutherus but the whole Power would reside in Dovalus However it did not much concern the Publick whether Nothatus or Dovalus were King unless perhaps they did hope for a more Tolerable Life under Him who being a private Man durst adventure to Murder his King and so to deliver over the Scepter to another private Man than under one who was not so extream or Cruel in his Government until by the Permission of the People he was back'd with Power and with the Terrour of an Army The Kindred of Nothatus hearing such things to be bruited abroad insinuating themselves into the Societies of those who did Regret such Evil Carriages at last gain'd this Point That War should be denounced against Dovalus and that Ferchard Nothatus his Son in Law should be General of their Army Neither did Dovalus refuse to give Battel They fought twice in one and the same Day the Dovalians though Superior in number yet were beaten and put to flight more of them being Slain in the pursuit than in the Battel For besides Dovalus himself and the chief of his Faction there fell also Getus the King of the Picts with many of his Men. Reutherus the new King was taken Prisoner and pardoned out of respect to his tender Age to the Memory of his Father and to the Royal Blood which ran in his Veins Neither was the Victory Un-bloody even to the Conquerors themselves almost all the chief of the Clans being Slain with many common Souldiers also This Conflict of the Scots and Picts brought matters to that low ebb in Britain that they who survived fled into Desert and Mountainous Places and even into the Neighbour Islands lest they should become a prey to the Brittons who having now gotten that opportunity which they long thirsted after peirced into the Country as far as Bodotria now called Forth without any resistance Afterwards having made a little Settlement of Things there they went forward against the Caledonians and having scattered those who were there gathered together to oppose them they seized upon the Champion Countries of the Picts and placing Garisons there thinking the War to be at an end they return'd home with their Army In the mean time the remainders of the Scots and Picts which had retired to the Mountains Woods and other inaccessible Places did vex the Governors of Castles and Garisons by Robbing them of their Cattle upon which they themselves also did Live and being increased by the accession of greater Forces from the Islands they sometimes burnt Villages and fetcht in Preys further off so that the Ground was left without Tillage in many places The Brittons either being detained by home-bred Dissensions or not thinking it adviseable or safe to lead their Army into such difficult and almost inaccessible Places where they could meet their Enemies with no Forces more numerous than they had to oppose them did by their slow Actings increase the boldness of their Contrariants The Scots and Picts being thus miserably afflicted for Twelve years at length a new Fry of Lusty Warlike Youths grew up who in so great streights that they had undergone were enured to Hardship those sent Messengerâ— all about and mutually exhorting one another they resolved to try their Fortunes Whereupon Reutherus sails out of Ireland into the Aebuaae and from thence into Albium and Landing his Forces at the Bay now called Lough Brien and there joyning with young Gethus the Son of old Gethus who was slain who was also his Wifes Brother they Consulted together concerning the Manage of the War The Issue of their Consult was That it was best to draw towards the Enemy unawares whilst he was unprepared assoon as they met the Service was so hot and the Fight so sharp that neither Army had reason to boast so that Both of them being wearied with Slaughter made Peace for some years Reuther or as Bede calls him Reuda returned to his ancient Seat of Argyle and the Scots were a long time after from him called Dalreudini for Daal in old Scotish signifieth a Part as some or a Meadow or Plain as others From whence he made a further Progress and in a short time enlarged his Dominions even to their Ancient Bounds After he had Reigned Twenty Six Years he died leaving a Son behind him named Thereus begot upon the Daughter of Gethus Reutha the Seventh King BEcause Thereus was yet scarce Ten Years old and so too young to undertake the Kingdom according to the Law long before made and observed concerning the Succession of Kings therefore his Uncle Reutha was declared King who being free from External Wars endeavoured to reduce the People who were grown almost wild by their former Sufferings and also insolent upon their late Victory though a bloody one into a milder Carriage and Deportment and accordingly he enacted many publick and profitable Laws of which not a few yet remain amongst the Ancient Scots Having Reigned Seventeen Years with so good a Decorum being reverenced and beloved of all either for want of Health to which he himself imputed it or else fearing the Ambitious Nature of his Kinsman Thereus he resigned up the Government the People being hardly brought to consent thereunto and at his Resignation there was a large Panegyrick made in his Praise Thereus the Eighth King THereus was substituted in his stead in the first Six Years of his Reign he so managed the Government that Reutha's Predictions concerning him seemed to be true But after That time was expired he ran headlong into all manner of Vice not by degrees but all at once insomuch that putting the Nobles to Death by False Indictments some lewd Fellows thereupon did without fear range over all the Kingdom using Rapines and Robberies at their pleasure The Phylarchae i. e. chief of the Clans bewailing the deplorable State of the Publick determined to proceed judicially against him which he having notice of fled to the Brittons where despairing of his return he ended his Days in great Contempt and Ignominy In the mean time Conanus a prudent and regular Person was elected Vice-Roy he restored and strengthened what the other had impaired and weakened he restrained Robberies and having composed Matters as well as he could he received News of the Death of Thereus whereupon in a Publick Assembly or Convention of the
to have their Cause heard and never shunned the Determination of an Equal Judge nor the Arbitration of any Good men and moreover when they produced many Grants and Summons of Former Popes which made for them and against their Enemies the Scots were always present at the day and the English tho' they had Notice given never came Hereupon the Pope was easily reconciled to the Scots and the French as easily induced to renew the Ancient League only one Article was added to the old Conditions That if any Controversy did hereafter arise amongst the Scots concerning him who was to succeed in the Kingdom the same should be decided by the Council of the States and the French if there were need were to assist Him by his Authority and with his Arms who by Lawful Suffrages was by them declared King Our Writers cast the Rise of the Hamiltons now a powerful Family in Scotland upon these Times There was a certain Nobleman in the Court of England who spake Honourably of the Fortune and Valour of Bruce whereupon one of the Spencers Bed-Chamber Man to the King either thinking That his Speech was Reproachful to the English or else to curry Favour with the looser sort of the Nobility drew forth his Faucheon and making at him gave him a slight wound in the Body The Man being of a great Spirit was more concerned at the Contumely than at the Damage and being hindered by the coming in of many to part the Fray from taking present Revenge the day after finding his Enemy in a sit Posture in the same place he run him thorough And fearing the Punishment of the Law and the great Power of the Spencers at Court he fled presently into Scotland to King Robert by whom he was courteously received and some Lands near the River Clyde were bestowed upon him His Posterity not long after were admitted to the Degree of Noblemen and the Opulent Family of the Hamiltons was Sirnamed from him and also the Name of Hamilton was imposed on the Lands which the King gave him Not long after Edward had great Combustions at home insomuch that he put many of the Nobles to Death and advanced the Spencers the Authors of all Evil Counsel higher than his own Kindred could bear so that he was apprehended by his Son and by his Wife who had received a small Force from beyond the Seas and kept close Prisoner and not long after he was slain by a course sort of Death an hot Iron was thrust into his Fundament through a Pipe of Horn by which his Bowels were burnt up and yet no Sign of so terrible a Fact appeared on the outside of his Body His Wife and Son were thought Privy to the Parricide either because his Keepers would never have dared to commit such a Deed so openly unless they had had Great Authors or else because they were never called in Question for so Immane a Butchery These Disturbances in England which were followed by the Kings Death Bruce also growing old and weak in Body were the Occasions that Peace for some Years did intercede between the Two Neighbour Nations For Bruce being freed from the Fear of the English and being also called upon by his Age converted his Thoughts to settle his Domestick Affairs And first he made hast to confirm the Kingdom which was not yet quite recovered nor fully setled from the Commotions of former Times to his only Son yet but a Child by the Consent and Decree of the Estates And if he died without Issue then he appointed Robert Stuart his Nephew by his Daughter to be his Successor He caused the Nobles to take an Oath for the Performance of this Decree But afterwards fearing That after his Death Baliol would begin his old Dispute about the Kingdom especially seeing his Heirs because of their Minority might be liable to be injured by others he sent Iames Douglas to Iohn Baliol being in France with large Gifts and Promises That he would cease his Claim to the Kingdom This he did not so much to acquire a new Right because according to the Scotish Custom The King is made by the Decree of the Estates who have the Supream Power in their Hands but that he might cut off all Occasion from Wicked Men to Calumniate his Posterity and also that he might Eradicate the very Seeds of Sedition Douglas found Baliol far more placable than he or others thought he would be for he was now surrounded with the Miseries of Extream Old Age. He ingenuously Confessed That his Peccant Exorbitance was justly restrained and that he was deservedly driven out of the Kingdom as unworthy to Reign And therefore he was very willing That his Kinsman Robert should enjoy the Crown by whose high Valour singular Felicity and great Pains-taking 't was Vindicated into its Ancient Splendour In one thing he rejoyced That they by whom he was deceived did not enjoy the Reward of their Perfidiousness When Robert had setled these Matters according to his own desire the same Year which was 1327. our Writers say That Ambassadors were sent into Scotland by Edward the Third for a Pacification in which Matter they seemed to act Treacherously and instead of Peace they carried home War but what the particular Fraud was is not expressed and the English say That the War was openly denounced by Robert but they describe not the Cause of it surely it must needs be some great and mighty One or else a valetudinary old Man when Peace was scarce setled at home and who might have been sated with his former Victories rather than with War would not so soon have been provoked to reassume his Arms. This is certain That the King by reason of his Age could not manage the War himself in Person so that Thomas Randolfe and Iamâ—s Douglas the Valiantest and Wisest of all that Age were sent by him into England with Twenty Thousand brave nimble Horse but no Foot at all The Reason was That they might fly up and down swiftly and not abide in one place nor be forced to Fight the English unless they themselves pleased For they knew that the English would make Head against them in their first Expedition with a far more numerous Army Neither were they deceived in their Opinions for the King of England besides his Domestick Forces had procured great Assistance of Horse from Belgium but in regard they and the English fell out at York some English Writers say That they returned home again But Frossard a French Writer of the same Age says That they accompanied the English during the whole Expedition and that not only for Honours sake but also for Fear of Sedition they had the next Place to the Kings Regiment always assigned to them in the Camp The King having made a Conjunction of all his Forces which were clearly above Sixty Thousand Men marched against the Scots who had already passed over the Tine Now there were
to bear the Government of a Stranger he return'd back and provided a stately Fleet with great Cost yet no great Benefit because it was against Men who were very well provided both with Land and Sea-Forces At length he set upon their numerous Fleet returning from Dantzic which he took and pillaged and slew the Mariners and burnt the Ships so that he repaid the Enemy for the Loss he receiv'd from them many times over yea he so subdued the Fierceness of their Minds that they desired a Truce for an Hundred Years and obtain'd it He also caus'd a Breed of brave Mares to be brought from as far as Hungary into Scotland whose Race continu'd there for many Years after These Rich Earls Dying without Issue Buchan and Marr their Patrimonial â—nheritances descended Rightfully to the King And moreover he alone injoy'd all the Possessions of the Three Brothers Sons to King Robert the 2d by his last Wife but not without the Grudges of the Nobility who had been accustomed to Largesses that he alone should enjoy all the Prey without sharing any Part of it amongst them Further they conceiv'd another and fresher Cause of Offence That the King had revok'd some Grants made by Robert and Murdo the last Regents as unjust Amongst those Grants There were Two noted ones George Dunbar who was Declared a Publick Enemy was afterwards recall'd by Robert and part of his Estate restor'd to him His Son George succeeded him therein to the Joy of many who were well pleas'd that so Ancient and Noble a Family which had so often deserv'd well of their Country were restor'd to their Ancient Dignity But the King who look'd narrowly and perhaps too pryingly into his Revenue was of Opinion that the Power to restore Incapacities to recal Exiles and to give back their Goods forfeited for Treason and so brought into the King's Exchequer was too great for One that was but a Guardian of another Man's Kingdom and chosen but as a Tutor only to Claim and Use especially since Largesses made in the Minority of Princes by the Old Laws of Scotland might be recalled if not confirm'd by their respective Kings when they came to be of Age. And therefore Iames that he might reduce the Merch-men into his Power without noise in regard they were a Martial People and Borderers upon England detains George with him and sends Letters to the Governour of the Castle of Dunbar Commanding him on receipt thereof he should immediately Surrender it up to William Douglas Earl of Angus and Alexander Hepborn of Hales whom he had sent to receive it Hereupon George complain'd that he was wrongfully dispossest of his Ancient Patrimony for anothers Fault and such a Fault too as was forgiven by him who then had the Supreme Power The King to pacifie him and to proclaim his Clemency amongst the Vulgar bestowed Buchan upon him This Fact of the King 's was variously spoken of as every ones Humour and Disposition led him And moreover there was also another Action which much hastned his End the Beginning whereof is to be fetcht a little higher I said before that King Robert the 2d had Three Sons by his Concubine he had also Two by his Wife Eufemia Walter Earl of Athole and David Earl of Stratherne yet when their Mother the Queen was Dead he Married the Concubine afore-spoken of that so he might by that Marriage Legitimate the Children he had by her and leave them Heirs to the Crown and accordingly at his Death he left the Kingdom to the Eldest of them To the 2d he gave great Wealth and the Regency also The 3d. was made Earl of several Counties In this Matter tho' his other Wif's Children thought themselves wrong'd yet being younger and not so powerful as they they smothered their Anger for the present And besides their Power was somewhat abated by the Death of the Earl of Strathern who left but only one Daughter behind him afterwards Marry'd to Patrick Graham a Noble young Man and one of a potent Family in that Age on whom he begat Meliss Graham His Parents liv'd not long after and the Child after a few Years being yet a Stripling was sent as an Hostage into England till the Money for the King's Ransom was paid But the Earl of Athole tho' every way too weak for the adverse Faction yet never gave over his Project to cut off his Kindred nor cast away his Hopes to recover the Kingdom and because he was inferior in open Force he craftily fomented their Divisions and Discords and invidiously made use of their Dangers to promote his own Ends so that by his Advice that large Family was reduc'd to a few For many were of Opinion that he gave the Counsel to take off David King Robert's Son and Iames had not escap'd him neither unless he had past a good part of his Life in England far from home for he gave Advice to the Earl of Fife that seeing his Brother was a Drone he Himself should seize on the Kingdom When the King lost all his Children and was obnoxious to his Brothers Will and not long after dyed of Grief himself There was only the Regent of the Kingdom with his Children that hindred his hopes in regard he was an active Man of great Wealth Power and Authority and moreover very Popular and full of Children These Considerations did somewhat retard his Counsels but when Robert Dyed of a Natural Death and his Son Iohn was slain in the Battel of Vernevil then he resum'd his former Project with greater earnestness and bent all his Mind and Endeavour how to free Iames and set him at variance with Murdo and his Children And seeing they could not all of them stand safe together which soever of them fell he foresaw that his Hope would be advanced one step higher to the Kingdom And when Iames was returned into his Country he turn'd every Stone to hasten Murdo's Destruction he suborn'd Men fit for the turn to forge Crimes against him and he himself sate Judge upon Him and his Sons And when they were cut off there was only Iames left and one little Son a Child not yet 6 Years old And if he were slain by the Conspiracy of the Nobles he did not doubt but himself who was then the only remaining Branch of the Royal Stock should be advanc'd to the Throne Athole was in these Thoughts Night and Day yet he conceal'd his Secret Purposes and made a great shew of Loyalty to the King in helping to rid his Allies out of the way for that was his only Contrivance that by the Offences of Others he might increase his own Power and diminish his Enemies In the mean time Meliss Graham who as I said before was given in Hostage to the English was depriv'd of Strathern because the King making a diligent Enquiry into his Revenue found that 't was given to his Grandfather by the Mothers-side upon condition That if
fought with and slew him and some of his Followers Douglas took the Fact so hainously that he made a Solemn Oath never to rest till he had expiated the Murder by Colvil's Death Neither were his Threatnings in vain for he Storm'd his Castle took and plunder'd it and killed all therein that were able to bear Arms. This Fact though 't was performed against Law and Custom yet some did excuse and in effect commend as proceeding from Indignation a Passion not unbeseeming a Generous Mind Thus as it commonly happens in degenerate Times Flattery the perpetual Companion of Greatness did clothe the highest Offences with Honest and Plausible Names Moreover Douglas was so lifted up with the Flatteries of Fortune which did now incline to his Destruction that he had a great Ambition to make an Ostentation of his Power even to Foreign Nations as if the splendor of so great a Family oâ—â—ht not to be straitned within the narrow Theatre of one Island onâ—â— so that he had a Mind to go to Rome he pretended Religion but the principal design of his Journy was Ambition the Church of Rome had adopted the old Rites of the Iewish for as the Iewish Church every Fiftieth year was to forgive all the Debts of what kind soever to their Country Men and to restore all Pledges Gratis and also to set their Hebrew Servants at Liberty So the Pope taking an Example therefrom as Gods Vicar on Earth did arrogate the Power of forgiving all Offences For whereas at other times he trucked out his Pardons by Peice-Meal every Fiftieth Year he open'd his full Garners thereof and pour'd out whole Bushels full of them publickly to all yet I will not say Gratis Douglas with a great Train of Nobles who were desirous partly to see Novelties and partly allur'd by hopes of Reward sail'd over into Flanders From thence he Travelled by Land to Paris and took with him his Brother appointed Bishop of Caledonia who afterwards seeing Douglas had no Children was by the Kings Permission put in hopes to be his Heir In France he was highly caressed partly upon the account of their Publick League with the Scots and partly in Memory of his Ancestors Demerits from that Crown hereupon all Rome was filled with the Expectation of his coming About Two Months after his departure from Scotland his Enemies and Rivals began to lift up their Heads they durst not for Fear complain of him when he was present but now they laid open all the Injuries they had received from him And when it was once noised abroad that the Access to the King was easie and that his Ear was open to all just Complaints The Troop of Complainants lamenting their Sufferings did daily increase so that all the ways to the Palace were almost stopt by them The King could not well either reject the Petitions of the Sufferers nor yet condemn the Earl in his absence without hearing of him so that he gave a middle Answer which satisfi'd their Importunity for the present viz. That he would Command the Earls Proctor or Attorney to appear that so in his own Presence a fair Tryal might be had Whereupon the Proctor was summon'd but did not appear so that the Kings Officers were sent out to bring him in by force when he was brought to Court some alledged that he ought to be immediately punisht for disobeying the Kings Command in regard that by too much Patience the Kings Authority would be despis'd and run low even amongst the meaner sort for under the pretence of Lenity the Audaciousness of the Bad would increase and the Impunity of Offendors would open the way for more Crimes The King was not mov'd by those Instigations but remain'd constant to his Resolution which was rather to satisfie his greatest Accusers by the Compensation of their Losses than to satiate their Vindicative Minds with the spilling of his Blood Hereupon he caus'd the Earls Proctor to be brought out of Prison and to plead in his Masters behalf telling him That if he had any thing to allege in Purgation of the Crimes objected he should freely declare it without any fear at all When he was cast in many Suits and the King Commanded him immediately to pay the Damages The Proctor answer'd He would defer the whole matter till the return of the Earl who was expected in a few Months This he spake as 't was thought by the advice of Ormond and Murray the Earl's Brothers When the King was inform'd of his Resolution he sent William Sinclare Earl of the Orcades who was then Chancellor first into Galway and then into Douglasdale he appointed Sequestrators to gather up the Rents of Douglas's Estate and so to pay the Damages adjudg'd by Law But in regard Sinclare had not Power enough to inforce his Order some eluded others Contumeliously abus'd him so that he return'd without effecting his Business The King being provokt by this Contempt of his Authority Commands all the Favourers of Douglas his Faction to be Summon'd to appear which they refusing to do were declared Publick Enemies an Army was Levy'd against them which marcht into Galway At their first coming the Commanders were driven into their Castles but a small Party of the Kings Forces pursuing after the rest through Craggy Places were repuls'd and not without Ignominy driven back to the King The King taking it in great Indignation that a few Vagabond Thieves should dare to make such Attempts resolv'd to redeem their slighting of him by attempting their Strongs Holds he took the Castle of Maban with no great difficulty but his Soldiers were so much toil'd and weary'd in the taking of Douglas Castle that therefore he wholly demolisht it As for the Vassals and Tenants who had submitted themselves and their Fortunes to him he Commanded them to pay their Rents to his Treasurers till Douglas's Estate had fully satisfi'd what was awarded against him by Law And when this was almost done he dismist his Army having obtain'd a good Report for his Lenity and Moderation even amongst his very Enemies When these Matters were related to the Earl at Rome his great Spirit was mightily mov'd yea his Esteem did then abate amongst his own Attendants so that a great Part of them deserted him and he enter'd upon his Journy homewards with but a few Followers He came through England and drawing near to the Borders of Scotland he sent his Brother Iames to feel the Kings Pulse how he stood affected towards him And when the King was appeasable he return'd home and was kindly receiv'd only he was admonisht to abandon and subdue all Robbers especially those of Annandale who had plaid many Cruel and Avaritious Pranks in his absence Douglas undertook to do so and confirm'd his Promise by an Oath Whereupon he was not only restor'd into his former Grace and Favour but also made Regent over all Scotland so that every one was injoin'd to obey his Commands But
Wisdom and Power to be his Guardian and to Govern the Kingdom whilst he was yet unable to weild the Scepter with his Own hands Tho' this Law be referred to Kenneth as the Author of it yet it seems to me That he did not so much Enact it first as thereby revive and confirm the Ancient Custom of the Scots by a New Sanction For Our Ancestors were so far from Committing the Supreme Power into the Hands of a Woman That if you look over all our Chronicles you shall not find so much as the Name of a Woman Regent recorded therein for why pray should they mention such a Name of which they thought they had no need at present hoped they should never have any for the Future For those Females which other Countrys call Queens we only call Wives or Consorts of our Kings neither do we entitle Them to any Higher Name for I judge our Wise Ancestors had This in their Eye That as often as they heard their Names mentioned with the Adjunct of Husband they might remember That they were obnoxious and Subject to men And therefore to this very day a Woman was never admitted to the Regency or the Administration of Publick Affairs The same Course hath been also constantly observed in lesser Magistracys both as to their Appointments and Executions For tho' many Honours and some Seigniorys amongst them have come by Inheritance to some Women by reason of their Great deserts from their Country and have also been allotted to them as Dowrys yet it was never known since the memory of man That any Woman did ever preside in any Publick Council or in any Court of Judicature or to have taken upon her any of those Offices which are appropriated to men Which Custom seeing our Ancestors tho' not bound by Law thereunto did constantly observe only by the Impulse of Nature if we their Posterity should cast the Common-wealth into an apparent Danger by opposing a Law received by the Votes of all and approved by so long an Usage Who will free us from the Brand I will not say of Tomerity but even of Madness it self Especially since we have been warned by Examples near at hand For the Saxons by reason of the Wickedness of one Woman viz. Ethelburga made a Law That after that time no Woman should be called Queen nor should fit in Publick next the King in any Seat of Honour I beseech you therefore consider seriously how much they degenerate from Their Prudence who against a Law so Ancient and as advantageous to Women as honourable to Men would put the Reins of Government into Their hands to whom our Ancestors never gave so much as a Royal Name and from whom our Neighbours after they had given it took it away Other Nations I grant have been of another Opinion with what Success I shall declare after I have first answered Those who dare not calumniate this Law openly but in the Carpet-Conventicles of Women do implead it as unjust But whosoever he be that finds Fault with it he seems to reprehend not some Sanction only approved by the suffrages of Men but even Nature it self i. e. That Primary Law imprinted in our hearts by God himself I say Nature it self whom our Law-maker had as a Guide and Directress of all his Counsels when he proposed and enacted this Law For Nature from the beginning hath not only distinguished Men from Women by the strength of Mind and Body but hath also appropriated distinct Offices and Virtues to each Sex the same indeed for Kind but far different in Degree For how is it less uncomely for a Woman to pronounce Judgment to levy Forces to Conduct an Army to give a Signal to the Battel than for a Man to teiz Wool to handle the Distaff to Spin or Card and to perform the other Services of the weaker Sex That which is Liberality Fortitude and Severity in Men is Profusion Madness and Cruelty in a Woman And again That which is Elegant Comely and Ornamental in a Woman is Mean Sordid and Effeminate in a Man They that endeavour to confound and mix these things which Nature of her own accord hath distinguished do they not seem to you not only to disturb but also to overthrow the State of the Kingdom which is founded upon so good Laws and Customs This they do when they would obtrude on us the Government of a Woman which our Ancestors did not so much as once Name For the Maker of that Law as I told you before doth not seem so much to induce a new Sanction in the Enacting thereof as only to commit to Writing the perpetual Usage of our Ancestors that it might be transmitted to Posterity and That which hath been always observed by the Guidance of Nature in the making a King to have consecrated the same Thing to be observed by Publick Authority in choosing a Guardian for a King under age They which go about to undermine and infringe this one Law what do they thereby but endeavour to overthrow all the other Laws Rites and Customs of our Ancestors I speak this that I may prevent all Calumâ—y not that I think all Laws are immutable as if they were enacted to last for ever No Laws are of different Sorts and Kinds Those which are accommodated to the Vicissitude of Times are subject to the Inconstancy of Fortune and are wont to last so long as the Necessity doth which imposed them and Those which are obtruded on men by the Wills of Tyrants are commonly disannulled and abrogated with their Authors But as for that Instinct or Impress of Nature which is as it were a Living Law ordained by God and deeply imprinted and engraven in Mens hearts That the Consent of no Multitudes nor no mens Decrees can abolish For as an excellent Poet is reported to have said it was not born yesterday or to day but it grew up together with Dame Nature it self and lives and dies together with it And seeing the Law of which we now speak is of â—hat sort and a Principal one too he doth not oppose the Dignity of the Queen who desires That she of her own accord would prescribe to her self those Bounds which Nature it self hath appointed her Sex requires Custom allows and the Laws made by the consent of almost all Nations do approve But they who would have her forget her Sex and Station do persuade her to break thro' all Bonds of Law and to disturb the Order of things appointed by God received by use and allowed in all Cities and Countrys well-governed And certainly whosoever slights that Order will be grievously punished not by Men only but by God himself who will revenge his own Law For if good Laws threaten a Man with Death who shall cloath himself with a Womans Apparel and a Woman if she wear the Habit of a Man what Punishment can be inflicted on them too great for their Offence who by a preposterous Flattery would overthrow
to Liberty Hereupon a new Face of things presently appeared throughout the whole Kingdom and all Matters both Sacred and Profane were brought to Court to be huckster'd and sold as in a Publick Fair. But Patrick Graham was the only Man who endeavour'd to stop the precipitous Ruin of the Church when his Enemies sway'd all at home he staid at Rome some years but being there inform'd by his Friends in what State things were he trusting in his Alliance to the King being the Son of his Great Aunt resolv'd to return home but that he might make some Essay of the Minds of Men before he sent the Bull which he had obtain'd from the Pope for his Legantine Power and caus'd it to be Proclaim'd and Publish'd in the Month of September and the Year of our Lord 1472. which rais'd up much Envy against him For they that had bought Ecclesiastical Honours at Court were afraid to lose both their Prey and Money too and they who thought to make advantage by this Court Nundination were griev'd to be thus disappointed yea that Faction did no less Storm that had obtain'd Ecclesiastical Preferments from the King for Mercenary Gain that so they might sell them to others Their Fear was that this gainful Practice would be taken out of their Hands All these made a Conspiracy against Patrick and in his absence loaded him with Reproaches they came to Court and complain'd that their Ancient Laws as well as the Kings late Decrees were Violated and that the Romanists were carrying on many Matters very prejudicial to the Kingdom and unless the King did speedily oppose their Exorbitance they would quickly bring all things under their Power yea and make the King himself truckle under them To prevent this Danger there were some sent by Order of Council to Patrick before he had scarce set his Foot on Shoar to forbid him to execute any part of his Office until the King had heard the Complaints made against him and a Day was appointed him to appear the First of November at Edinburgh in order to an Hearing In the mean time when his Friends and Kinsfolk did assure him that the King would do what was Equitable in so just a Cause The adverse Faction hearing of it did so ingage the King and his Courtiers by the Promises of great Sums of Money that Patrick could never have a Fair Hearing afterwards When he was come to the Assembly he produc'd the Popes Bull and Grant wherein he was Constituted Archbishop of St. Andrews Primate of Scotland and the Popes Legate for Three Years to order Ecclesiastical Affairs The Inferiour sort of Priests were glad of the thing that an Office so necessary was put into the Hands of so Pious and Learn'd a Man but they did not dare to speak it out for Fear of some powerful Persons who had got the Ear of the King and his Counsellors His Adversaries made their Appeal to the Pope who alone could be judge in the Case which they did on purpose to create delay that so the Favour of the People towards Patrick might in time abate He himself was sent back by the King to his Church but forbid to wear the Ensigns and Habiliments of an Archbishop till the Cause was determin'd neither was he to perform any Office but what the former Bishops had done before him Whilst these things were acting William Sivez rose up a new Enemy against Patrick but the bitterest of all the rest and that upon a light Occasion He was a young Man of a prompt Wit and had lived some Years at Lovain under the Institution of Iohn Sperinc a Man well-skill'd in the Study of Physick and Astrology in both which Faculties he was very Famous and returning home he quickly insinuated himself into the Favour of the Courtiers partly upon the account of his other Accomplishments and partly because of his noted Skill in Astrology This Endowment won him great Respect from the Court which was then addicted to all sorts of Divinations even to a Madness so that this Sivez being of a Fluid Wit and in great favour at Court was soon made Arch-Deacon of St. Andrews But the Bishop would not admit him to that Office whereupon he communicated Counsel with Iohn Locc Rector of the Publick Schools there and a back Friend of Patricks and they Two plotted together to overthrow him The Rector having a Grant from the Pope whereby he was Privileg'd and Exempted from Patricks Jurisdiction pronounced the Sentence of Excommunication against him But he so slighted this Commination of one of an Inferiour Order to himself that though it were Twice or Thrice serv'd upon him yet he remitted nothing of the ordinary Course of his former Life whereupon his Enemies as is usual in such Cases wherein Ecclesiastical Censures are contemn'd implore the Assistance of the King and cause Patrick to be shut out of all Churches Officers of the Exchequer were sent to Inventory his Goods his Retinue was Commanded under an heavy Penalty to depart and a Guard was set upon him to observe that he did nothing contrary to the Edict The rest of the Bishops that they might not seem ungrateful towards so Benevolent a King levied a great Sum of Mony which they had violently extorted out of small Benefices and presented him with it The King being Master of such a Sum seem'd to deal more mildly with Patrick as if he took pity on him and accordingly he sent the Abbat of Holy-Rood and Sivez to him Whereupon the Bishop was reconcil'd to the King and also Sivez and the Bishop were made Friends but his Mony was gather'd up before and carried to the King Now Patrick seem'd to be freed out of all his Troubles and so he retir'd to his Mannor House of Monimul and prepar'd himself for the Execution of his Office both Publickly and Privately when behold the Roman Mony-Mongers were sent in upon him by his Adversaries and because he had not paid his Fees for the Popes Grant or Bull as they call it they also Excommunicated him The Man was reduced to extream Poverty for his Revenues both before and after his return were for the most part gather'd up by the Kings Collectors and brought into his Exchequer and what ever his Friends could make up was given to the King and his Courtiers And when the Kings Officers were again sent to take Possession of his Estate Guards were set upon him by the King his Houshold Servants were discharg'd and he was kept pris'ner in his Castle and thereby was depriv'd of the Advice of his Friends also William Sivez his Capital Enemy was First impos'd upon him by the King as his Coadjutor as they call him as if he had been besides himself The Pope also afterwards approving of the Man for that Service and also the aforesaid Sivez was made Inquisitor by the Power of the Adverse Faction to inquire into his Life and Conversation many trifling many
managed Designs to alter things The Pope was not wanting by his Exhortations and Promises to stir up their Minds already inraged but the Kings were not sufficiently agreed amongst themselves and their Forces were so exhausted that they rather desired a War than were able to make it Besides there was an Emulation betwixt them one could not well bear that the other should have so great an Accession as England if it were conquered to his Dominions Moreover some Disputes arose betwixt Them and their Subjects which diverted their Thoughts from foreign Affairs though the Novelty of a Woman's Reign and she a young Woman too without an Husband gave Encouragement thereto especially since those who were ill affected to her said she was born to Henry the 8 th in an unlawful Marriage and also the former Differences about the Kingdom and about Religion were rather stifled than extinguished yea the Sparks of Discontent did glow in Mens Minds which in a short time were likely to break forth into a great Flame In the mean time the English Papists had made many Attempts but in vain for they were soon quell'd and though their Designs never succeeded yet Foreigners still feeding them only with blooming Hopes not with real Supplies they still persisted in the same resolute Design wanting rather a Commander for their Numbers than Power or Courage to come together The Common People of that Sect had taken a View of all the Nobility and they found none fit enough to whom they might commit their Lives and Fortunes many of the most stirring had been consumed in the Civil Wars many had past over to the other Party some were so old that they were unfit for publick Business or else the Vigor of their Minds as well as the Strength of their Bodies was so debilitated that they desired Peace if it were but a tolerable one There was only one Man who for Courage and Power seemed fit to undertake so great a Business and that was Thomas Howard who though he was of himself inclinable to Quietness yet there were some Causes which moved him to study Innovations For his Father and Grand-father though they had been highly eminent both in War and Peace yet in the Storms of an unstable Court they had been so toss'd that their highest Glory was ballanc'd with as great Disgrace His Father was condemn'd for Treason and publickly beheaded and Two Queens his Kinswomen had been also put to Death He in those Difficulties was liberally brought up and so preserved his Family from being quite extinguish'd and blown up In his very Youth he gave a Specimen of great Prudence and in a few Years by the Death of his Wives and by new Marriages he grew so rich that next to the Queen he was the most potent of the English for Wealth and Prudence the rest of the Nobility yielded to him but as for his Skill in Military Matters he had yet given no Proof of his Valor but in the Controversies of Religion he carried himself so swimmingly and ambiguously that tho he favoured Popery in his Heart yet he was such a Fosterer of the contrary Party that Many of them made sure of him in their Thoughts as their Own Amids these things the Queen of Scots was overcome in Battel and fled to England whence she wrote Letters to that Queen concerning the cause of her coming she was bid by her to retire to the House of the Lord Scroop Warden of the Marches till she did consider of her Demands in Council Scroop's Wife was Howard's Sister and by her Means the Treaty of Marriage was secretly begun betwixt the Queen and Howard and the Opportunity seemed to be offered by God himself seeing Howard's third Wife was lately dead and he was then a Widower The Design was concealed as being intrusted but to a few yet 't was whisper'd abroad among the Common People For narrow Spirits cannot conceal great Hopes but Ioy gives them Vent and so they fly abroad The Matter was so far advanc'd That the Fire of a Civil War seemed ready to break out yea some were so confident of Success after they had considered the Strength of the Parties that they thought Howard might easily do what he pleased without using any Force Things were in this Posture when the Scots Nobles had a great Meeting at Perth to hear the Demands of both Queen's both of them having wrote to them The Queen of England's Letters proposed one of these Three Conditions The first was absolute That the Queen might be restored to her Throne and Dignity as formerly But if that could not be granted Then that she might reign jointly with her Son that so she might injoy Princely Honour in Letters and publick Acts in the mean time the Regency should be in the Hands of the present Regent till the King came to the Age of seventeen If neither of those could be obtained then the third Condition was if the Queen could be persuaded to accept of it That she should live privately at home being content with those Honours which saving the Authority and Majesty of the King might be granted to her This last Request was easily assented to if the Queen would accept it But the other Two were peremptorily refused For the better and more incorrupt Part of the Nobility were resolute in this That they neither could nor ought to determine any thing which did diminish the King's Authority especially being lawfully inthron'd but the two former Heads did take off from the King's Honour yea it exposed his Life too being a Pupil unless it could be thought that his Mother who was known to be cruel towards her Husband and was not well affected toward her Son neither being exasperated by her Banishment besides should be no more kind to him than she had been ever before Also the Letters from the exil'd Queen were read wherein she desired That some Judges might be appointed to consider of her Marriage with Bothwel and if 't was found contrary to Law that she might be divorced from him Those Letters did highly incense the King's Party because she wrote her self as Queen and commanded them as Subjects Yea some would not have had them answered at all because they indeavoured to abridg the King of his Power and to instate the Rule in the sole Power of an exil'd Queen but that Part of the Council which was for the Queen alleged that they wondered much why those who had formerly the last Year much desired that she would separate her Cause from Bothwel's now when it was freely offer'd to them should hinder it as eagerly or rather more as they had before earnestly desired it if a Word or two in the Letters did displease them that Fault might easily be amended yea some there were who undertook provided the Matter of the Divorce might be handled in the mean time to procure a Commission from her in what Expressions they themselves would have it On the contrary
against Donald * Or Râ—dshanks Mackbeth his Character Mâ—cduald is overthrown by Mackbeth and Bâ—nâ—ho Swain and his three Sons Swain King of Norwayâ—ands â—ands in Scotland * A Town standing on the Forth in Pertâ—shiâ—e * The Scâ—tâ— by an inebâ—â—ating Dâ—ink made of Night-shade stupifie the Danes * The Herb Night-shade its Description and Properties Danes overthrown * Druâ—iâ—aâ—-Sands 〈…〉 North-side of the 〈…〉 * A Burgh-Roâ—aâ— on the North 〈…〉 Another Fleet of the Danes overthrown by Bancho * Or Inch-Colm * The Danes swore neveâ— to invade Scotland any more * Mackbeth's Dream encouraging him to aspire to the Kingdom * He thereupon slâ—ys King Donald or Duncan as some call him and is declared King Donald's Children fly for their Lives Mackbeth severe against Thieves He makes Wholesom Laws But afterward degenerates causes Bancho to be treacherously slain * Lying Southwest 3 miles from Cowper in Angus Mackduff ill resents Mackbeth He flies into England And stirs up Duncan's Son against him * Malcolm by the assistance of Edward K. of England recovers the Kingdom from Mackbeth * See Note a p. 77. * Malcolm First brought in Foreign Titles of Honour into Scotland * Mackduff the first Earl in Scotland * Three Grand Privileges of the Mackduffâ— * Called Straâ— or Sâ—rath-Boâ—y Forty Miles North of Aberdeen * Mackbeth's Son slain by Malcolm * Or Icolumbâ—â—l an Isle 2 Miles from the South end of Mul. * Malcolm assaulted by private Conspiracies which he overcomes * The Story of Edmond K. of England and Canutus * William the Norman demands Edgar then in Scotland * Whom Malcolm refuses to Surrender * Whereupon a War 〈…〉 Roger Richard Odo and Robert Generals for William of England worâ—â—ed in Scotland Newcastle repaired A Peace concluded between the Scots and English * Or Re-Crosâ— on the North-side it had the Portâ—aicture of the Scots King and of the English King on the South * Home-bred Seditions against Maâ—colm queâ—l'd The Original of the Family of the Stuarts afterwards Kings of Scotland * Lying on the South-side of the River Danâ— in Marr * Malcolm's Vow to St. Andrew Alexander Carron preferred and Sirnamed Scrimger The Seditious quell'd The Piety of Malcolm's Queen c. * Or Mortlich * Malcolm erects new Bishopricks * Malcolm erects new Bishopricks * Sumptuary Laws made by Malcolm * Marâ—heta Mulierum What * Malcolm builds the Cathedrals of Durham and Dumferling * King William Rufus Wars against Malcolm * Malcolm and his Son Edward slain by the English * On the River Lian on the British Sea Weâ—t of Calice * Prodigies viz. The Inundation of the German-Sea and Men-killing Thunder-bolts * Donald promises the Islands to Magnus King of Norway * Donald flies * Duncan slain by the procurement of Donald * Edgar's Pious Reign He builds the Monastery of Coldingham * Lying within two Miles of Aymouth in Mersâ— near the Scotish Sea Alexanders Valour * He doth Justice to a Poor Woman * Lying on the East-side of the Carss or Plain of Gowry within two Miles of Dundee * Lying in the Braes or Risings of the Carss of Gowry five Miles above Dundee * Inch-Colm or St. Columb's Isle in the Firth of Forth in Fife near Aberdeen David's just Reign * He creates new Bishopricks He is censured for his Profuseness towards Monasteries * In Teviotdale Henry of England never Laughed after the Drowning of his Children * K. Henry setles the Succession on his Daughter Maud the Empress by causing the Nobility to Swear Fealty to her in his Life time * Stephen notwithstanding his Oath seizes on the Crown of England * His Pretensions for so doing The Bishops of England not True to Maud according to their Oaths David of Scotland maintains the Cause of Maud his Kinswoman He lays Perjury to Stephens's Charge North Allerton lying near the River Swale in the North-Riding of Yorkshire He Fights the English and Overthrows them An Agreement between David and Stephen not observed Which hath its Source near Black-Laws in Teesdale The Scots overthrown by Stephen Another Agreement between the Scots and Stephen King of England Henry Heir of England sent to David his Uncle to be made Knight by him * King David loses his hopeful Son and Heir * But â—ears his Affliction Piously and Patiently * May 24. Lying on the North-west of Aberdeneshire K. David's extraordinary Character for Piety and Virtue A great Pestilenâ—e 〈◊〉 Scotland Somerled rises in Arms but is overthrown Henry of England designs against Malcolm And makes him take a Feodatary Oath to him He carries Malcolm into France And at his return despoils him of his Ancient Patrimony in England * The Scots make War upon England Peace concluded between the English and Scots wherein Malcolm quits Northumberland A Rebellion in Galway quell'd The Murray-Men under Gildominick rise in Arms. But are suppressed * Sâ—merled stirs agaiâ—â— but is overthrown and slain The Estates persuade Malcolm to Marry His Negative Answer to their Request * December 9th * William solicits Henry of England for the restitution of Northumberland He accompanies Henry into France * Part of Nâ—rthumberland restored to the Scots * William enters England with an Army But is overthrown taken Prisoner by the English and sent to Henry then in France * August 1â—th February 1st * K. William Ransomed and takes an Oath to K. Henry * Not That Constance in Germany but That in Normandy now called Contances * Ianuary 〈…〉 Gilchrist King Williams General The Scots Bishops freed from the Jurisdiction of English Bishops Gilchrist Kills his Wife for Adultery and flys into England But is Forced to return into his own Country Donald Bane rises in Arms but is quelled Distressed Gilchrist Pardon'd and Restored * To the Holy War for Recovery of Ierusâ—lem from the Turks * The English quit their Claim to any part of 〈◊〉 * William sends David his Brother to accompany Richard to the Holy Land David returns from Sâ—â—ia * So doth Richard Lex Taâ—â—onâ—â— executed upon one Harald Earl of the Orcades * K. Iohn of England meditates a War against Scotland * But Matters are accommodated upon Terms between both Kingdoms * Berth destroyed and new Built Makul a Criminal abstains from all manner of Food * Several Leagues between Iohn of England and William of Scotland * A Maritime Town in Normandy 〈◊〉 France * Alexander enters England with an Army * Iohn enters Scotland Alexander takes Carlisle * King Iohn agrees with the Pope and becomes his Feudatary Cardinal Galo Avaâ—itiâ—â—â— * King Iohn Poysoned * Others say at 〈◊〉 Abby near Bostâ—n in Lincolnshire * The Scots Excommunicated * A Stone-Cross erected in Sâ—anmoâ—e in Cumberlâ—nd as a Boundary between the Two Kingdoms of England and Sâ—otland * Cardinal 〈◊〉 ill Character * Pandulphus the Popes Legat a Witness of the Peace between the Two Kings * Roman Fraud * Câ—min
same Voice was heard louder than before which struck all there present into a Great horror Afterwards when it sounded again more terribly and frightfully than before The Bishop gave a great groan put out his Tongue and was found Dead in his Bed This so evident an Example of God's Vengeance as I shall not rashly credit so I have no mind to refute yet it being deliver'd by others and constantly affirmed to be true I thought good not to omit it At the same time Iames Kennedy One of a far different Life and Manners as referring all his Counsels to the Good of the Publick when neither by his Authority nor Counsel he could resist the daily new-springing Evils of his Country and seeing likewise That the Kings Power was not able to oppose the Conspiracies of Wicked men he left all his Estate for a Prey and shifted for himself Neither in these Domestick Miseries were Matters much quieter abroad When the Truce made with the English was expir'd the Scots made an Inrode into England and the English into Scotland and where-ever they went they wasted all with Fire and Sword in England Alâ—wick was taken and burnt by Iames Brother to the Earl of Douglas In Scotland the Earl of Salisbury did the like to Dunfreiz and the Earl of Northumberland to Dunbar great Booties of Men and Cattel were driven away on Both sides But the Commanders agreed amongst themselves that the Prisoners should be exchang'd for they were in a manner equal both for Number and Degree By these Incursions the Country was depopulated and yet the main chance of the War not concerned so that a Truce was again accorded for 7 Years In this state of Affairs Iames Dunbar Earl of Murray departed this Life he left two Daughters his Heiresses the Eldest of them was Marry'd by her Father before his Death to Iames Creighton The Younger after her Fathers decease marry'd Archibald Brother to the Earl of Douglas He against the Laws and the Custom of his Ancestors was called Earl of Murray so superlative was Douglas's Power then at Court neither was he contented with this Accession of Honour but that he might further propagate the Dignity of his Family he caus'd his Brother George to be made Earl of Ormond his Brother Iohn had many fair and fruitful Farms and Lands bestowed upon him and was also made Baron of Balvany against the mind of many of his Friends who had in Suspicion the Power of that Family too great before that it would be at last formidable even to the King himself yea they imagined that these immoderate Accessions Frolicks of Fortune would not be long-lived But his Enemies did as invidiously as they could inveigh against This unsatiable Ambition for who say they could safely live under the Exorbitant rule of such a Tyrant for whose Avarice nothing was enough and against whose Power there was no Safeguard who right or wrong invaded the Patrimony of the Nobles and expos'd the Countrymen to be a Prey to his Tenants and those who oppos'd his Lust he caus'd them by Thieves and Cut-Throats either to lose all they had or else to be put to death that he advanced Upstarâ—s to high Honours whom he grafted on the ruin of Noble Families so that all the Power of the Kingdom was now brought into one House besides many Knights and Barons there were five Opulent Earls of the Family insomuch that the King himself did but Reign precariously and men were like to suffer all Extremities under the Cruel Bondage of the Douglas's and he that utter'd the least word tending to Liberty must pay his Life for his Boldness These and other discourses of this kind some true others to create greater Envy stretcht beyond the Lines of Truth were spread abroad amongst the Vulgar which made Those who were of neither Faction to fit loose from the Care of the Publick and every one to mind his own private Concerns The wiser sort of his Enemies were glad to hear that a man of such Power against which there was no making Head should thus voluntarily run headlong to his own Destruction Neither did they presage amiss for his Mind was grown so proud and insolent by reason of his Great Successes that 〈…〉 his Ears against the free Advices of his Friends yea many 〈◊〉 not with any safety dissemble and cover by their silence what they did dislike because he had Parasites which did not only lie at catch for Words but observ'd mens very Countenances As for his old Enemies many of them were hal'd to Judgment before him who was both their Adversary and Judge too so that some of them were outed of their Estates some depriv'd of their Lives and others to avoid his unrighteous and partial Judgment fled out of their Country The men also of Douglas's Faction lived in no Fear at all of the Law for no man durst implead them but letting the Reins loose to all Licentiousness they invaded and made havock of things Sacred as well as Profane Those which were obnoxious to them they slew and kill'd out of the way neither was there any End of their Wickedness sometimes when they had no sufficient Cause to do a man a Mischief they then did it unprovok'd and gratuitously as it were lest thro' disuse of offending any honest and tender Thoughts should arise in their Minds so as to allay their Brutish Cruelty Every one thought himself the noblest and bravest Fellow that could cast the greatest Contumely on the Commons When such great Miseries were diffus'd into so many Parts of the Kingdom Scotland had certainly sunk under the Burden unless England at the same time had been as much embarassed with civil Combustions which at last being somewhat allay'd the English violated their Truce and invaded Scotland When they had runover a great Circuit of Ground and pillaged many Villages They drove away a Vast Number of Cattle and return'd home neither was it long before the Scots cry'd quits with them for they also entred England with a good Force and did the Enemy more Damage than they receiv'd Thus the Minds of Both were irritated by these alternate Plunderings so that a mighty Desolation was made in the Territories of either Kingdom but the greatest share of the Calamity fell upon Câ—mberland which had been the Rise of the Injury and Wrong for that Province was so harassed by the War that it was almost quite destroy'd When this war related at London it occasion'd the English to levy a far greater Army against the Scots for thereby they thought easily to reduce the Country into their Power they being poor and also weakned by Civil Discords Hereupon an Army was rais'd of the Better sort of People and the Earl of Northumberland made their General in regard he knew the Country well and besides his Name and Power was great in those Parts To him they joyn'd one Main of a Knightly Family but who had
Triumphed over And so She herself and her Kingdom which was enlarged and increased by her Husband Odenatus was lost in a moment Neither may I pass over in silence what is principally to be regarded in the management of other Mens Affairs That the Chief Command is not to be intrusted to such sort of Persons who are not accountable for their Mal-Administration I do not at all distrust the Disposition Faithfulness nor Care of the Queen but if any thing be acted amiss as it often happens by the Fraud of others and Matters be carried otherwise than the Publick Good or the Dignity of Her Place doth Require What Mulct can we exact from the Kings Mother What Punishment can we require Who shall give an account for Miscarriages The Highest Matters will then be managed in the Meetings of Women in the Nursery or Dressing Room You must There either each Man in particular subscribe to Decrees or All in General Make them and She whom you scarce now restrain tho' She be without Arms and obnoxious to you by Laws and Customs when you have by your Authority put Power into Her hands you will certainly feel Her Womanish Wilfulness and Extravagance Neither do I speak this as if I did fear any such thing from our Queen who is the Choicest and Modestest of all Women but because I think it base and unseemly for us who have all things yet in our own Hands and Power to place the Hope of our Safety which we may owe to our Selves only in anothers Power especially since both Divine and Human Laws the Custom of our Ancestors yea and the Consent of all Nations throughout the whole World make for us 'T is true some Nations have endured Women to be their Chief Magistrates but they were not elected to that Dignity by their Judgment and Suffrage but were cast upon them by the Lot of their Birth and Nativity but never any People who had freedom of Vote when there was plenty of able Men to chuse did ever prefer Women before Them And therefore most Eminent Patriots I advise and earnestly intreat you That according to the Laws of our Country and the Customs of our Ancestors we chuse One or if you think fit More the Best out of the Noblest and Best who may undertake the Regency till the King arrive at that strength both of Body and Mind as to be able to manage the Government Himself And I pray God to Bless your Proceedings herein Kennedy spake thus with the Approbation of the undoubtedly major part of the Assembly and the rest perceiving that it was in vain to oppose passed over to their Opinion The Matter was thus composed That neither Party seemed to have the Better of the other Two of each Faction were chosen for the Guardianship for the King who were to manage all Publick Affairs with Fidelity to Collect and Expend the King's Revenue and to undertake the Charge of the Royal Family Of the Queens side William Graham and Robert Boyd then Chancellor Of the Other Robert Earl of the Orcades and Iohn Kennedy All on both sides the Chief of their Families To these were added the Two Bishops of Glasgo and Caledonia The Queen was allowed to be present at the King's Education but She was not to touch any part of the Publick Government As for the other Children which were Four viz. Alexander Duke of Albany and Iohn Earl of Mar and Two young Females She had the Charge of their Educations Herself Matters being thus composed at home Embassadors from England had their Audience who desired a Truce which was granted for Fifteen Years The next Year which was 1463. The King's Mother Died being not well spoken of in point of Chastity The same Year Alexander the King's Brother returning from his Grandfather by the Mothers-side out of France was taken Prisoner by the English but freed soon after in regard the Scots urged it as a Breach of the Truce and threatned a War thereupon Peace being obtained abroad it was not long before Intestine Commotions arose at home for when the Disputes and Controversies betwixt the Nobility concerning ordering the State of the Kingdom were bruited abroad and magnified by vulgar Rumors And Moreover the King's Minority together with the fresh Remembrance of the Licentiousness of the late Times were brought upon the Stage all these Temptations put together did easily let loose the Reins to Men who were turbulent enough in their own Nature Alan of Lorn a Seditious Person had a mind to enjoy the Estate of Iohn his Elder Brother and therefore kept him Prisoner intending there to detain him so long alive till the hatred of his cruel Practise did with time abate and so he yield to his Will and Pleasure when Calen Cambel Earl of Argyle heard of it he gather'd a Band of his Tenants together freed Iohn and cast Alan into Prison in his room resolving to carry him to Court that he might suffer Punishment for That as well as for his other noted Robberies but he prevented his Punishment by Death whether voluntary or fortuitous is not known In another part of the Country Donald the Islander as being a more powerful Person began to make a far greater Commotion for after the Kings Death as free from Fear and judging That turbulent state of things to be a fit Opportunity for him to injure his Inferiors and to increase his own power he came to Enverness with no great Train and was kindly invited into the Castle by the Governor thereof who had no Thoughts or so much as the least Fear of any Hostility from him when he was entred he turned out the Garison seized upon the Castle and gathering his Islanders about him proclaim'd himself King of the Islands He sent forth Edicts into the Neighbour Countries That the Inhabitants should pay Tribute to none but himself and that they should acknowledge no other Lord or Master denouncing a great Penalty to those that did otherwise The News hereof caus'd Debauch'd Persons to flock to him from all Parts so that having made up an Army great enough he entred Athole with such celerity that he took the Earl thereof who was the Kings Uncle and his Wife Prisoners before they suspected any such thing For the Earl hearing the sudden Tumult of a War distrusted the strength of his Castle of Blare and went into the Church of St. Brides near adjoining to defend himself there as in a Sanctuary by the Religion of the Place many also of his Vassals and Countrymen being surprized at the sudden danger carried and laid up their best Goods there That Church was venerated in those Parts with great Ceremony and it had remain'd inviolate to that very day by reason of the great Opinion of its Sanctity but the consideration of Gain was more prevalent with that Savage and Avaritious Person than any sense of Religion For he violently pull'd out the Earl and his
so lamented by all good Men as if in him they had lost a publick Father For in that Man besides the Virtues above mention'd there was an high degree of Frugality and Continence at home yet great Splendor and Magnificence abroad He exceeded all former Bishops yea and all those which have sat after him in that See to this very day in Liberality towards the Publick and yet notwithstanding his own Ecclesiastical Revenues were not very great for as yet the Scots had not arrived at that ill Custom of heaping up Steeples upon Steeples nor had learned to spend that worse upon Luxury which was before ill gotten by Avarice He left one Eminent Monument of his Munificence behind him and That was the Publick Schools at St. Andrews which he built with great Expence and endow'd with large Revenues but issuing out of Church Incoms he took order that a Magnificent Monument should be erected for himself therein which yet the Malignity of Men envy'd him for though he had deserv'd so well privately of most Men and publickly of all Men They alleg'd 't was a thing of too much vanity to bestow so much Cost upon a Structure of no Use. His Death made his Virtues more illustrious and increas'd Mens desire after him for when he who was a perpetual Censor and Corrector of Manners was once remov'd out of the way the publick Discipline began by degrees to grow weak and remiss and at last to be so corrupt as to bring almost all things with it self to ruin The Boyds made use of pretences in Law to increase the Domestick Power of their Family and to abate the Potency of their Enemies and first Patrick Graham seem'd most pat for their purpose he was the Brother of Iames Kennedy by the same Mother and was also Cousin by the Mothers-side to Robert Boyd He as the Manner was in those days was Elected Bishop by the Canons in the Room of his Brother Iames but was hinder'd by the Court-Faction from having the Kings leave to go to Rome so that he went privately to the Pope without any Train and so was easily admitted into his Brothers Place for besides the Nobleness of his Stock and the great Recommendation of his high Virtues he was also well Learned as for those times And therefore whilst he staid at Rome fearing the Power of the Adverse Faction The old Controversy concerning the Liberty of the Church of Scotland began to be revived For the Archbishop of York pretended That the Bishops of Scotland were under his Jurisdiction so that he endeavour'd to retain That Power in time of Peace which had been usurped in the Licentious Times of War But a Decree was made at Rome in Favour of the Scots and Graham was not only made Primate of Scotland but also was Constituted the Popes Legat there for Three years to inquire into the dangerous Manners and Conversations of Priests and to restore decayed Ecclesiastical Discipline to its pristine Integrity and State and yet this great Man though so illustrious for Indowments of Mind and Fortune and having also the superadded Authority of the Pope to back him durst not return home till the Power of the Boyds did somewhat decline at Court The Boyds perceiving That the Concourse of the Nobility to them was not so great as they hop'd to avert the Accusations of their Enemies and provide for their own Security for the future cause a publick Assembly or Parliament to be Indicted against the 13th Day of October There Robert Boyd the Elder fell down on his Knees before the King and his Counsellors of State complaining That his Service to the King in bringing him to Edinburgh was ill interpreted and traduc'd by the Malign Speeches of his Adversaries who gave out threatning Words That the Advisers to that Journy should one Day suffer Punishment for the same and therefore he humbly besought the King That if he had conceiv'd any ill will or disgust in his Mind against him for that Journy That he would openly declare it that so the Calumnies of his Detractors might be either prevented or allay'd The King having advis'd a littâ—e with the Lords of the Articles made answer That Robert was not the Adviser of him to that Journy but rather his Companion in it and therefore that he was more worthy of a Reward for his Courtesie than of Punishment for his Obsequiousness and Compliance therein and this he was willing to declare in a publick Decree of the Estates that so all invidious Discourse might be stopt and in the same Decree Provision should be made That that Matter should never be prejudicial to Robert nor his Companions Boyd desired that This Decree might be Registred amongst the Acts of the Assembly and that the same should be confirm'd also by Letters Patents under the Great Seal and accordingly the Decree was presently Registred amongst the Acts and the Letters Patents were deliver'd to him soon after viz. the 25th Day of the same Month. The same Day also the King by advice of his Council gave him other Letters Patents wherein he was Constituted Regent and had the Safety of the King his Brothers Sisters Towns Castles and all the Jurisdiction over his Subjects committed to him till he himself came to 21 Years of Age and he dealt so with the Nobles then present that they solemnly promis'd to be assistant to the Boyds in all their publick Actions and that they would be obnoxious to Punishment if they did not carefully and with Faithfulness perform what they now promis'd To this Stipulation or Promise the King also subscrib'd By this means when the King was their Friend Part of the Nobility in League with them and also the Administration of the whole Government put into their Hands they thought themselves sufficiently secur'd for a long time yea and to lay a Foundation also for the future Greatness of their Posterity they brought it about that Thomas Boyd the Son of Robert should Marry the King 's Eldest Sister That Marriage as it was opulent and seem'd a Prop and Establishment of their Power so it increas'd the Hatred of their Enemies and gave Occasion to variety of Discourse amongst the Vulgar For though by this means all passage to the King's Ear seem'd to be precluded and they alone made the sole Arbiters of his Words and Actions yet they did not flourish so much in Favour at Court as they were prosecuted with publick Hatred abroad which after Four Years Concealment did at last break out to the Destruction of their whole Family and the wiser sort of the adverse Party did not much dislike this their sudden Increase of Honour for they hoped as 't is usual That Arrogance would be the Companion thereof which would not indure a Superior and despise an Equal yea and trample upon an Inferior and when the Bounds of a Subjects Condition are exceeded it also awakens Kings who are impatient of Corrivals to
Peace they should have it if War he would make it upon them When the Queen by reason of her Marriage fell from her Regency the Nobility was manifestly divided into two Factions the Douglassian Party endeavoured that the chief Power might reside in the Queen and that This was the way to have Peace with England which was not only advantagious but even necessary for them The other Party headed by Humes pretended an Umbrage of the Publick Good and that it was against the old Laws of the Land to choose a Woman to be Regent as for the Queen they would be studious of her Honour as far as they might so do by the Law and as far as the Publick Safety would permit and that a sufficient Proof had been given thereof in regard that they hitherto submitted to her Government tho it were against the Law of their fore-Fathers not by any legal Compulsion but of mere good Will and that they were ready to endure it longer if any honest and equitable Pretence could be alleged for it But seeing she by her Marriage had voluntarily deposed her self from that Dignity she ought not to take it amiss if they substituted another to enjoy that Office which she had left and which indeed by the Law she could not hold for the Laws of Scotland do not permit Women to have the Supream Power no not in times of Peace much more in such troublesome days as Ours wherein the powerfullest and the prudentest Man alive could hardly find Remedies for the many growing Evils of the Times Thus whilst each Faction strove pertinaciously about the Choice of a Regent either out of wicked Ambition or occult Envy they passed over All there present and inclined to choose Iohn Duke of Albany then living with good Repute in France whereupon William Elphinston Bishop of Aberdeen is reported to have burst forth into Tears in bewailing the publick Misfortune and his Speech affected many especially when he came to that Point of reckoning up what Men were slain in the last Fight and how few like Them were left behind of whom none was thought fit to sit at the Helm of Government He also told them how empty the Exchequer was and how it had been exhausted by the late King and how great a Portion thereof was the Queen's Joynture and how much necessarily must be expended on the Education of the King and then how little part would remain to maintain publick Charges and that tho none were more fit for the place of Regency than the Queen yet seeing Concord could not be had on other terms she was forced to yeild to that Party who were for calling Iohn Duke of Albany out of France to take the Regency upon him tho he thought that the publick Misery would be rather deferred than fully healed thereby Alexander Hume was so violent for Albany that he professed openly in the Assembly that if they all refused yet he himself would go alone and bring him over into Scotland to undertake the Government It is thought he did this not for the Love of his Country or for any private Advantage to himself but merely out of This respect that being an ambitious Man and knowing that his Interest in the People was more upon the account of his Power than out of any real Love therefore himself despairing of the place he was afraid if the Queen should have it the Douglasses his Neighbours would grow too great and his Power would abate for the Men of Liddisdale and Annandale had already withdrawn themselves and had by little and little betook themselves to the Clanship of the Douglasses And besides he considered that the Queen by Assistancâ— from England was easily able to obviate all his Designs so that most Voices carried it for Iohn and an Embassy was appointed the chief whereof was Andrew Wood of the Largs a famous Cavaleer in those days to call him into Scotland for the Government both upon the account of his own Virtue and also by reason of his near Consanguinity with the King for he was the Son of Alexander Brother to Iames the Third He being thus called to the supream Government by the Scots Francis King of France did not think that Office unsutable to his Interest and therefore he furnished him with Mony and a Retinue at his Departure Before his Arrival in regard there was no one Person to administer the Publick Government there were many Murders and Rapines committed and whilst the richer sort made up their private Clans and Factions the poor desolate Vulgar were afflicted with all kind of Miseries The chief Robber of those times was MacRobert Stran who committed Outrages all over Athol and the Neighbouring Parts at his Pleasure having 800 Men and sometimes more under his Command At length when he was at his Uncles Creighton's he was way-laid apprehended and put to Death But there was more Mischief like to arise from the Fewd between Andrew Forman and Iohn Hepburn yet the Nature of them both and the Discord rather of their Manners than Minds deferred the Mischief for a season which then was just a breaking out Iohn was profoundly covetous and Andrew was as great a Despiser of Mony and profuse in his Largesses The Designs and Purposes of Andrew were open and manifest to the view of all neither was there any need that he should conceal them because his Vices were accounted Virtues by the Vulgar and the simplicity of his Nature did Him as much Kindness among them as the occult Craft of Hepburn together with his malicious Dissimulation his implacable remembrance of Injuries and his desire of Revenge did Him And therefore Forman hearing as yet no certainty of the coming of the Duke of Albany neither could he be put into Possession by Hume seeing Hepburn resided at his Castle and Monastery which he had strongly garison'd which were at a great distance from those places in which the Power of the Hume's might be formidable he determined by his Friends to try whether he could with Mony either satisfy or at least in some degree abate the Avarice of the Man so that at last they came to an Agreement upon these Terms That Forman should remit and forgive the Revenues of the last Year which Iohn had gathered in as a Sequestrator that he should surrender up to him the Bishoprick of Murray and that he should pay him yearly 3000 French Crowns out of his Ecclesiastical Revenues to be divided amongst his Friends And thus the Man's implacable Hate was a little abated and Matters settled on that side The Fourteenth BOOK THIS was the State of Affairs in Scotland when Iohn Duke of Albany arrived at Dunbarton on the 20 th day of May in the Year of our Salvation 1515 with the exceeding gratulation of all good Men. For under his Government they hoped for more quiet Times and an equal distribution of Justice In a full Assembly of the Nobility called in his Name
the Cardinals For by this means the Cardinal did not doubt but if they Two fell out many of the Neighbouring parts would join themselves to each of them in regard of the Illustriousness of their Families and so the more of them fell on either side the fewer Enemies he should have left alive Thus the Mayoralty of Perth which for many Years had continued as Hereditary in the Family of the Ruvens was translated to Charters Laird of Kinfans with the great Indignation of the Citizens who took it much amiss that their ancient Freedom of voting in their Assemblies was taken away but the new Mayor was sent to compel them to Obedience by force if they resisted His Design was to assault the City in two places Grey who had taken the whole matter on himself attack'd it from the Bridg over the River Tay The other Party were to carry their Guns up the Stream and so to storm the open side of the Town but because the Tide hindred them they came not up in time Grey makes his Attempt from the Bridg from which Ruven had purposely withdrawn his Guards into the next Houses that so it might seem to the Enemy as if it were undefended and when he saw none in Arms to oppose him he boldly march'd up into the Body of the Town whereupon Ruven issued out of the adjoining Houses on a sudden and gave him a brisk charge which routed him and his whole party but in their Flight through narrow Passages the one hindred another for the last striving to gain the Mouth of the Passage gave a stop to the first and in this confusion many were trod under-foot and sixty fell by the Sword The Cardinal when he knew that Ruven had got the Victory was somewhat sorry for it yet glad withal that so many of his Enemies were destroyed for seeing he despaired ever to make them his Friends he counted it a Gain to him to see them mutually to destroy one another The Cardinal having thus past over as much of Angus as he thought convenient at that time brought the Regent after the Winter-Solstice to St. Andrews to indear his Mind more unto him if 't were possible for though he had his Son the Earl of Arran as a Pledg yet as often as he bent his Thoughts to the Consideration of the Fierceness of the Scotish Nobility to the Strength of the opposite Faction and to the Inconstancy of the Regent he was afraid that he might be persuaded by his Enemies and so wrought over to them with the same Levity as he had first joined himself with him There he entertained him with a small Retinue with Sports and Pastimes twenty days at Christmas he gave him many Gifts at present and promised him more for the future and after much Discourse together concerning the State of the Kingdom he came a little more secure to Edinburgh There a Convocation of Ecclesiasticks was held Ianuary the 12 th In that Assembly many things were canvass'd up and down concerning the retaining of the old Liberty of the Church and the Punishment of the enormous Crimes of some Priests but in the midst of their Debates before they could conclude of any thing News was brought to them that George Wiseheart a Preacher of the Gospel one very acceptable to the People was entertained at the House of a noble Person called Iohn Cockburn about seven Miles from the City Thither presently they sent a party of Horse to demand the Offendor but Cockburn alleged several things in excuse on purpose to create some Delayes that so he might have an opportunity to convey him away secretly of which the Cardinal being inform'd made haste thither with the Regent even in the dead time of the Night and beset all the Avenues of the House and yet their Promises Flatteries and Threats prevailed not at all till they sent for the Earl of Bothwel out of the next District he being the chief of all the Lothianers did easily obtain that George should be deliver'd up to Him but first he past his Word that no Harm or Damage should come to him The Priests having now gotten this Prey into their Hands carried him from Edinburgh to St. Andrews and there about a Month after they assembled a great Company of Ecclesiasticks of all sorts to determine concerning his Doctrine this was done to blind Men's Eyes with the pretence of a Judicatory and a legal Proceeding for all Men knew what they would determine concerning him before-hand By the consent of them all the Cardinal by his Letters desired the Regent to give out his Mandate for a civil Judg to sit upon the Offendor for he himself by the Pope's Canon Law could not sit upon the Life or Death of any Man that so he that was already judg'd an Heretick by the Priests might be also sentenc'd to Death by the Secular Power The Regent was not likely to have made any Scruple in granting his Request unless David Hamilton of Preston his Kinsman had interposed and kept him back who did both advise entreat threaten and sometimes chid him in order to stop the Process against George The Sum of his Discourse is reported to be this That he did very much wonder upon what account the Regent should give such a large Power to any Man against the Servants of God and who had no other Crime objected against them besides the preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ and especially to such whose flagitious Lives and brutish Cruelty cared not what Torments they put an innocent Man to whose Integrity of Life his very Enemies were forc'd to confess even against their Will and for his Learning he himself knew it to be great that further he himself had been formerly a great Favourer of him and it 'T was by his Commendation that he was advanc'd to the Supream Magistracy and also that he had given forth Edicts to declare his assent to his Doctrine publickly and had undertook to defend it yea he had exhorted all in general and each Man in particular to read understand practice and exemplify it in their Hearts and Lives Consider therefore with your self said he what will Men think what will Men say of you consider the Mercies God Almighty hath bestowed upon you The King an active Man and your Enemy was taken away who walk'd in the very same steps you now tread They who brought him to ruin by their advice do now also indeavour to destroy you they have opposed you from the beginning with the Weight of all their Power and now they seek by Fraudulent Counsel to ensnare and undo you Call to mind Sir the Victory given you over your Subjects without Blood and over your Enemies too though having much greater Force than your self to your great renown and their deserv'd Ignominy Remember for whose sake you thus desert God and oppose your and his Friends Awake I beseech you and dispel that Mist which nefarious Persons have
on the Trial hereupon the Names of the Judges or Jury were according to Custom which I have elsewhere mentioned impannell'd and none of them were excepted against by the adverse Party yet by all their Votes he was acquitted From thence they marched to the Castle of Langham from thence they drove out the English and as they resolved to attempt other Forts they were call'd back by a sudden Message For News were brought them that a French Fleet was seen not far from the Promontory of St. Ebb wherein were one and twenty Ships The Regent imagining what the matter was that they were come to besiege the Castle of St. Andrews as had been agreed between them march'd joyfully home there he discoursed Leon Strozy Admiral of the French Fleet and they both agreed to lay close Siege to the Castle which they did with so much Celerity that many of the Garison-Souldiers which were abroad could not come in and many Country-men which had no hand in the Conspiracy but occasionally came into the Castle about their private Affairs could not get out They planted their Brass Guns upon the Towers of two Churches which stood near on both sides the Castle which did so annoy the whole Court within the Castle-Walls that the Defenders could hardly stir in or out And afterwards they brought bigger pieces of Ordnance and play'd upon part of the Wall which stood between two Towers which was soon batter'd down because the later Buildings were not at all compacted with the former and so it fell down with a mighty Noise Hereupon they within who before trusted to their Fortifications and were ready to expose themselves to stop any Breach now began to be afraid and calling together a Council of War because they fear'd the Cruelty of the Regent in revenging the Death of his Kinsman such Sentiments making deep Impressions on infirm Minds they surrendred the Castle and themselves to Leon Strozy only upon Quarter for Life Leon hereupon sent in his Men to pillage the Castle wherein was found besides a great Quantity of Provisions of all sorts all the Cardinal's Mony and Houshold-stuff and all the Wealth of the Garison-Souldiers and of many others also who had laid up their Goods there as in a place of Refuge there also they found the Regent's Son who was before given in Hostage by his Father to the Cardinal and when he was slain was detain'd there The Castle was demolish'd by Advice and Order of the Council and a few days after Leon set Sail with his Prisoners for France These things fell out in August 1547. About the same time News was brought that the English had prepared great Forces both by Land and Sea to invade Scotland and to demand the Performance of the Treaty which was made four Years before with the Regent concerning the Marriage of the Queen of Scotland to the King of England's Son This sudden Report mightily affected the Regent who was faint-hearted enough of himself for he had then no foreign Aid neither did he much confide in his own forces For the Papal Faction were offended at his Levity and the Friends of exil'd Lennox having been cruelly intreated by him retained the Seeds of their old Hatred against him yet upon his Proclamation there came in great numbers to Edinburgh from thence they march'd to the Mouth of the River Esk which runs through Lothian and there waited for the coming of the English In the mean time the Scotish Horse rode up towards the Enemy in their March and challenged them to fight by this means creating some trouble to them in their Passage But the English General who knew that the Scots were better than his own Men at such tumultuary Skirmishes had given Command that none of his Troops should march out to encounter them At last upon the Importunity of Grey Commander of the Horse he was persuaded to send out some Troops of Horse well-armed and of Curiasiers which should suddenly rush in upon them unprepared for Resistance The Scots being grown fearless of the Enemy but now astonish'd at the sudden Onset brake their Ranks and fled for their Lives and about 800 of them were either slain or taken of the English also who prest too eagerly on the pursuit several were taken Prisoners amongst which were some eminent Horse-Commanders From that day forward there was no memorable Action performed by the Scotish Horse The English had their Camp at the Town of Preston a little more than a Mile from Them From thence they might behold the number of the Scotish Army from the high Ground and perceiving them to be more than they thought they advised what course to take and resolved to send Letters to the Scots that so if just and equal Conditions might be agreed on the matter might be compos'd rather by Treaty than by Force The Contents of the Letters were They earnestly desired the Scots to remember that both Armies profess'd the Christian Religion to whom unless they did renounce their Profession nothing ought to be more dear than Peace and Tranquillity and nothing more to be abhorr'd than unjust Arms and War that the cause of the present War was not Covetousness Hatred or Envy but a Desire of perpetual Peace which could no ways so firmly coalesce as by a Marriage which had been already promised by the publick Decree and Consent of all the Estates and ratified by a League and that on such Conditions as were more advantageous to the Scots than the English not to reduce them into an Estate of Servitude but to a joint Society of Life and Participation and Communion of all their Fortunes which Marriage would be so much the more beneficial to the Scots than English because the Weaker might expect Advantage from the Stronger as being possess'd with a greater Fear lest he might be wrong'd by him And at the present in casting up accounts of things you are first to consider the Case that it is very necessary your Queen should marry that necessity was inevitable and that it was a difficult thing to moderate it and that the sole Power of chusing her an Husband was left to the Estates If they would chuse a Family upon the account of Dignity and publick Advantage whom could they pitch upon better than a Neighbour King born in the same Island ally'd in Blood instituted in the same Laws educated in the same Manners and Language and superior not in Power alone but in all external Ornaments and Accessions of Dignity And besides this Marriage would bring with it a perpetual Concord and an Oblivion of all old Grudges But if they had Thoughts to bring in a Stranger amonst them to undertake the Kingdom that differ'd from them in Language Laws and Customs they should consider how many Inconveniences lodg'd in the Belly of that Design which they might easily foresee by the Examples of other Nations and 't were better so to do than to learn it
Promises were not to be kept with Hereticks but her excuse would have been as honest if she told them that she had no Obligation lay on her Conscience but that she might lawfully take away both Life and Goods from such a sort of People as they were and moreover That Princes were not to be so eagerly pressed for the Performance of their Promises These things sufficiently declar'd that the Concord was noâ— like to be lasting and besides the things which followed gave further occasion to conceive a sinister Opinion of her For she prosecuted Iames Stuart and Gilespy Cambel with threatning Letters and Commands denouncing the extremity of the Law against them unless they came in to Her As for the Army of the adverse Faction she disregarded That because she knew it was made up of Volunteers and such as fought without Pay and when they were dismiss'd they would not easily be brought together again After she had restor'd the Mass and setled other things as well as she could she left a Garison in the Town as I said before and went towards Sterlin she was very desirous to have the Possession of that Place in regard 't was scituate almost in the Middle of the whole Kingdom and was the only walled Town therein and besides the neighbouring Nobility was averse from the Papists and therefore she desir'd to put this Curb upon them Moreover it had many conveniencies and especially for conveyance of Land or Sea-Forces for the Tide comes up thither by the River Tay which washeth the Walls thereof and so it affords passage for Commerce with foreign Nations and 't is almost the only Town to which access may be had by Land even from the utmost bound of the Kingdom As for other Towns the passages to them are impeded and intercepted by long Bayes running in from the Sea and the passage is slower through them by reason they have not that Number of Ships as to carry a great multitude at once so that oft-times Passengers are stopt many days by contrary Winds or by the violence of Tempests For these Reasons Perth is accounted the most convenient Place for holding Assemblies and also for gathering Forces from all Parts of the Kingdom But at that time the Regent got not so much advantage by the commodious Scituation of the Place as she reap'd Envy by violating her Faith in breaking her Capitulations for that was the Last day of her Felicity and the First wherein she was publickly contemn'd For when the matter came to be divulg'd it gave occasion of many Insurrections in all parts of the Kingdom For the Earl of Argyle and Iames Stuart perceiving that their Credit was crack'd by the Violation of that Truce which they were the Authors of convocated the Neighbour-Nobility at St. Andrews and join'd themselves to the Reform'd and wrote to their Confederates of the same Sect that the Regent was at Falcoland with French Forces and that she was intent on the taking of Cowper and St. Andrews and unless help were presently sent all the Churches in Fife would be in great danger Whereupon a great multitude came presently in to them from the neighbouring Parts mightily inrag'd against the Queen and her Forces They thought themselves to wage a War against a faithless and barbarous People that had no respect to Equity Right Faith Promises or the Religion of an Oath but esteem'd so lightly of them that they would say and unsay do and undo at every waving blast of hope and uncertain gale of smiling Fortune and therefore for the future no Conditions or Articles of Peace were to be hearkned to unless one Party were extinguish'd or at least Strangers were driven out of the Kingdom so that they prepared themselves to overcome or die By these and such like Speeches the Minds of all present were so inflam'd that first of all they made an assault on Carail a Town scituate in the furthest Angle of Fife where they overthrew the Altars broke down the Images and spoil'd all the Apparatus of the Mass-Trade and that which was almost incredible in the Case Anger prevail'd more in the Minds of the Vulgar than Avarice From thence they went to St. Andrews where they spoil'd the Temples of the other Saints and levell'd the Monast'ries of the Franciscan and Dominican Friars to the Ground And though all this was done almost under the Nose of the Arch-bishop who had a sufficient Number of Horse which were able as his hopes were to defend the Town yet seeing the eagerness of the People and such a numerous concourse of Volunteers he withdrew himself and his Followers from the Fury of the Multitude and went to Falk-land to his Kindred and Clans The Regent was so inrag'd at the hearing hereof that without any further Deliberation she commanded a March the next day and sent Quarter-Masters before to assign Quarters for the French at Cowper she also sent abroad her Commands to all Places that all who were able to bear Arms should follow her to Cowper besides she gave a Watch-word to the present Force of the French and the Hamiltons that they should be all ready to be in Arms on sound of Trumpet This Design of hers was made known to the Reformers by their Spies and Scouts whereupon their Friends and Acquaintance were summon'd to repair to those who were already Assembled and to prevent the Design of the Regent they march'd presently towards Cowper and at the same Instant the Inhabitants of Dundee and the Nobles of the adjacent Country to the Number of about 1000 Men upon the same Alarum join'd themselves with them That night they abode there but the next Morning early they drew their Forces out of the Town and stood in Array in the adjoining Fields expecting the Army of the Papists and gathering up their own Forces as they came gradually and stragglingly in In the Camp of the Regent there were 2000 French under the Command of D'Osel and a 1000 Scots led by Iames Hamilton Duke of Chastel-herault as he was then call'd These sent their Guns before them in the 2 d Watch and marching early in the Morning came all so near as to see the Enemy and to be seen by them There was a small River between them where at convenient Posts their great Guns were Planted 500 Horse were sent before to make light Skirmishes with the Enemy and also to hinder their passage over the River if they should attempt it The alacrity of these Men gave some stop to the French which was further increas'd by the coming in of Patrick Lermont Mayor of St. Andrews with 500 Citizens in Arms who for the conveniency of their March being stretch'd out in length made a Show of a far greater Number than they were This kept them from discovering the Number and Order of their Enemies which they much desir'd to know neither could they discover the Commanders were at hand that so they might give Notice
this Action there fell so great and sudden a Terror upon the Cause of the Reformed which did mightily disturb them for the present and also cut off all hopes of Success for the future For the Regent partly by Threats and partly by Promises had wrought off many who had given in their Names to the Reformers from the Faction of the Nobles and besides their Camp was full of Spies who discovered both their Words and Actions yea those which they thought were concern'd to be kept most secret to the Regent and when Balfure's Servant was taken carrying Letters to Leith the Suspicion lighted on a great many and the Fear diffus'd it self over the whole Body And moreover the Mercenary Souldiers mutinied because they had not their Pay down upon the Nail and if any one indeavoured to appease them he was grievously threatned by them But Men did less admire the Sedition of such Men who had neither Religion nor Honesty than they did the Imbecillity and Faintheartedness of the Duke of Castle-herault who was so amazed at the Fear of his Neighbours that his Terror discouraged the Minds of many Those who were most couragious endeavoured to apply Remedies to these Miseries and their first Consultation was to appease the Mercenaries And seeing the Nobles which remained could not make up a Sum sufficient to quiet and pay them some declining through Covetousness others pleading Inability at last they agreed to melt down all their Silver-Plate and when the Say-masters were ready to assist therein the Mints or Stamps I know not by whose Fraud were taken away The only ground of Hope was from England which was adjudg'd too slow At last they resolved to try the Fidelity of their private Friends and thereupon they sent Iohn Cockburn of Ormiston to Sir Ralph Sadler and Sir Iames Croft two Knights of known Valour who at that time were Officers at Berwick to obtain of them a small Sum of Mony to serve their present Occasion This their Design though they kept it as private as they could was yet discovered to the Regent who commanded the Earl of Bothwel to waylay him in his Return He though in a few days before he had taken a solemn Oath that he would not prejudice the Cause of the Nobles in the least yea though he had given them hopes that he would join himself to their Party yet nevertheless lay in Ambush for Ormiston assaulted him unawares wounded and took him Prisoner and so became Master of all the Mony that he brought When the noise of this Exploit was brought to Edinburgh it alarm'd the Earl of Arran and Iames Stuart and almost all the Horse to draw out not so much for desire of Revenge as to free Ormiston if he were alive or at least to put a stop to their March that he might not be convey'd to the Regent But Bothwel having notice thereof by a Spy prevented their coming by his Flight The same Day the Governour of Dundee with the Towns-men thereof and a few Volunteers marched towards Leith and placed their Ordnance on an adjoining Hill The French who were informed by their Scouts that almost all the Enemies Horse were absent drew forth some Troops to cut off those few Foot whose Paucity they saw The Dundeans stood a while in hope of Relief but in regard those few Mercenaries which followed them turned their backs almost at the first Charge they also retired leaving their Guns behind them until at length a Noise was raised in the Rear that the French were gone another way towards the Gates of the City to seize them and so to keep them out upon this bruit there was such an universal Perturbation that every one shifted for himself the best he could and whilst each Man endeavour'd to save one the Weak were trodden under foot by the Strong so every body look'd to his own Particular and there was no Provision made in common for them all The Papists on this Emergency crept out of their lurking Holes and did openly reproach them Insomuch that they who ever pretended great Zeal for the Reformatition began partly to withdraw themselves secretly and partly they consulted how to desert the whole business On the 5 th Day of November when News were brought that the French were march'd out to intercept some Provisions coming towards Edinburgh besides the Disagreement of the Reformed amongst themselves the Mercenaries could scarce be got out of the Town to oppose them The Earl of Arran and Iames Stuart and their Friends went out first against them with whom there joined many worthy and valiant Persons They charged the French more fiercely than prudently so that they were near upon the point to have been shut out from Edinburgh and so to have paid for their Rashness For the Marishes on the one side and the adjacent Wall of an Orchard left them but a narrow space for their March and That also open to the French Musketeers so that they were trodden under foot partly by their own Men and partly by the Enemies Horse In this Trepidation they had been all certainly cut off unless the Commanders leaping from their Horses had put themselves into equal Danger with the rest some of the common Souldiers seeing this stopp'd for Shame amongst whom was Alexander Haliburton a Captain a stout young Man and very forward in the Cause of Religion he was grievously wounded taken Prisoner and soon after died of his Wounds After this Conflict in which there fell about twenty five many withdrew themselves and others were upon the point of Desperation but the Earl of Arran and Iames Stuart promised to continue their Endeavours if but a small Company of them would keep together when all in a manner refused so to do the next Consultation was to leave the City and as the Nobles had decreed in the second Watch they began their March and the Day after came to Sterlin There Iohn Knox made an excellent Sermon to them wherein he erected the Minds of many into an assur'd hope of a speedy Deliverance out of these Distresses Here it was agreed upon in a Convention that because the French were continualally strengthen'd and increas'd with new Supplies they also would strengthen their Party by foreign Aid and in order thereunto William Maitland was sent into England a young Man of great Prudence and Learning he was to inform the Queen what eminent Danger would accrue to England if the French were suffer'd to fortify Places and plant Garisons in Scotland in regard they sought the Destruction not of Religion only but of Laws and Liberties too and if the Scots were overcome by Force or Fraud yea if they were reduced to Servitude by unjust Conditions they would have an easier step to infringe the Power of the English The English after a long Debate of the Matter at length gave some hopes of Assistance Whereupon the Noblemen who were the Assertors of Liberty divided themselves into two
above 300 Men maintaining themselves in their Posts When Murray came thither he stood with his Party in Order and Rank on a small Hill where he overlook'd all the Marish the rest as they were advancing towards the Enemy gave evident Tokens of Treachery putting Boughs of Heath on their Helmets for that Plant grows in abundance in those Parts that they might be known by the Enemy When they came near the Huntleans secure of the Success hasten to them and seeing the adverse Army disordered by the Traitors and put to Flight that they might more nimbly pursue them they cast away their Lances and with their drawn Swords to terrify those Ranks that stood they cried out Treason Treason and made with great Violence at the Enemy The Traitors thinking that they should also put to Flight the standing Party made haste towards it But Murray perceiving no hope in Flight and that nothing remain'd but to dye nobly cried out to his Party to hold out their Lances and not to let those that were running away come in amongst them They being thus unexpectedly excluded from both Wings passed by in great Disorder But the Huntleans who now thought the matter ended and the Victory sure when they saw a Party though but small standing in a terrible manner with their Pikes forward they who were making towards them dispersedly and out of order and could not come to handy-strokes by reason of the length of their Spears being struck with a sudden Terror fled as swiftly as they had pursu'd before The Revolters perceiving this change of Fortune press'd upon them in their Flight and as if willing to expiate their former Fault what Slaughter was made that Day 't was They that did it There were 120 of the Huntleans slain and 100 taken Prisoners of the other Army not a Man was lost Amongst the Prisoners was Huntly himself and his two Sons Iohn and Adam the Father being an old Man corpulent and pussy dyed under the Hands of those that took him The rest late at Night were brought to Aberdeen Murray had appointed a Minister of the Gospel to wait for his Return where in the first place he gave Thanks to God Almighty who out of his Mercy alone beyond all Men's Expectation without any Strength or Wisdom of his own had delivered him and his Men out of so imminent a Danger afterwards he went to the Court where though many did highly congratulate him yet the Queen gave no Sign of Joy at all either in Speech or Countenance A few days after Iohn Gordon was put to Death not without the Trouble of many for he was a manly Youth very beautiful and entring on the prime of his Age not so much designed for the Royal Bed as deceived by the Pretence thereof and that which moved no less Indignation than Pity was that he was beheaded by an unskilful Headsman The Queen beheld his Death with many Tears but as she was prone to conceal and counterfeit Affections so various Descants were made upon her Grief and Passion and the rather because many knew that her Brother was as much hated by her as Huntly She pardoned Adam because he was but young George the eldest Son in this desperate case fled from his House to his Father-in-Law Iames Hamilton there to shelter himself or else by his Mediation to obtain his Pardon As for Gordon's Followers according to the Degrees of their Offences some were fined others banish'd the Land many sent packing into remote parts of the Kingdom that they might make no more Commotions at home Those who lighted upon powerful Intercessors were remitted their Offence and taken into former Grace and Favour Matters being thus settled or at least appeased for the present the rest of the Winter was spent in Peace The 26 th day of November Bothwel who had escap'd out of Prison was by a Proclamation commanded to render himself again and in Default thereof he not obeying was declared a publick Enemy When the Queen was returned from Aberdene to St. Iohnston's Iames Hamilton came to her to beg Pardon for George Gordon his son-in-Son-in-Law he received an Answer not wholly severe yet was forced to deliver up his Son-in-Law who was sent Prisoner to Dunbar and the next Year after which was 1563 on the 7 th of the Calends of February was brought to Edinburgh there condemned for Treason and sent back to Dunbar 'T was about this time that there came forth a Proclamation under a pecuniary Mulct That no Flesh should be eaten in Lent The pretence was not any thing of Religion but civil Advantage only The Arch-bishop of St. Andrews because he did not forbear to hear and say Mass after the Edict made at the coming in of the Queen was committed Prisoner to the Castle of Edinburgh Others guilty of the same Fault were punish'd but slightly yet were threatned to be more severely treated if they offended in the like sort again Now the time of the Parliament drew near which was summon'd to be held the 20 th day of May where the Queen with the Crown on her Head and her Royal Robes went in great Pomp to the Parliament-house a new Spectacle to many but that Men had been accustom'd to bear the Government of Women in her Mother's and Grandmother's Days In that Assembly some Statutes were made in Favour of the Reformed and some Coyners were punish'd the rest of the Summer the Queen spent in Athol in the Sport of Hunting At the end of Autumn Matthew Stuart Earl of Lennox by the Queen's Leave returned to Scotland having been unworthily deserted by the King of France the 22 d Year after his Departure as I said before And the next Year which was 1564 in the Month of Ianuary at a Convention of the Estates held almost on purpose for that very thing his Banishment was remitted and his Goods restored the Queen seconding that Remission with many favourable Words and repeating the many great Services the Earl had done her in her very Infancy she having been delivered out of her Enemies Hand and advanced to her Throne by his Means Afterwards Henry his Son came out of England into Scotland on the 12 th of February having there obtained a Convoy for three Months This Young Man being of an high Linage and very beautiful the Son of her Aunt the Queen of Scots received very courteously and delighting daily in his Society the common Speech was That she would marry him neither was the Nobility against it because they saw many advantages might redound to Britain by that Marriage if it might be made by the Queen of England's Consent Both of them were in an equal Degree of Consanguinity from her and she was so far from being against it that she was willing rather to seem the Author of it and so to lay some Obligation upon her in making the Match besides she thought it for her Advantage to humble
no Danger of Life yet there could be no freedom of Debate Bothwel appears at the Day appointed and comes into the Town-Hall being both Plaintiff and Defendant too The Judges of the Nobility were call'd over most of them his Friends none daring to appear on the other side to except against any one of them only Robert Cuningham one of Lennox's Family gave a small stop to the Proceedings He having Liberty to speak openly declar'd That the Process was not according to Law nor Custom where the accus'd Person was so powerful that he could not be brought to Punishment and the Accuser was absent for fear of his Life And therefore Whatsoever should be determin'd there as being against Lavv and Right vvas Null and Void yet they persisted in their Design notwithstanding Moreover Gilbert Earl of Cassils being chosen one of the Judges rather for Forms sake than that he thought he should do any Good desir'd to be excused and offered also to pay the Forfeiture usually taken of those vvho decline Sitting vvhen presently a Messenger brought him a Ring from the Queen vvith a Command that he should sit as one of the Judges or else she threatned to commit him to Prison When that did not prevail she sent another Messenger vvho told him he should be punish'd as a Traitor if he refus'd so that by such kind of Terrors they were inforc'd to sit and the Issue vvas They declar'd they saw no Reason to find Bothwel Guilty yet if any Man hereafter could lawfully accuse him they gave a Caution That this Judgment should be no hindrance to him Some thought the Issue vvas vvisely given in by them For the Indictment vvas conceiv'd in such Words That the severest Judges could never have found Bothwel Guilty for it vvas laid against a Murder committed the 9 th of February vvhereas the King vvas slain the Tenth Thus Bothwel was acquitted of the Fact but not of the Infamy of it Suspicions did increase upon him and his Punishment seemed only to be deferred but any Pretence whatsoever though a shameless one seem'd good enough to the Queen who made haste to marry him As a Surplusage to his Absolution there was a Chartel or Challenge posted on the eminentest part of the Court declaring That though Bothwel was lawfully acquitted of the King's Murder yet to make his Innocency more appear he was ready to decide the matter in a Duel against any Gentleman or Person of Honour that should dare lay it to his charge The Morrow after there was one which did as manfully post up an Answer to his Challenge provided the place of Combate were appointed wherein without Danger he might declare his Name Though these things succeeded reasonably well yet the Queen in that Parliament was more rugged than formerly for whereas before she pretended Civility in her Carriage now she plainly discovered a Desire of Tyranny for what she promised at Sterlin in Matters of Religion she now flatly deny'd and That was That the Laws establish'd under Popish Tyranny should be abrogated in the first Parliament and the Reformed Religion should be strengthned by new Laws And when besides her Promise Two Edicts signed with her own hand were produced being catch'd here she boggled and commanded the Commissioners of the Kirk to attend her another Time and after that she never gave them opportunity to appear before her again and those Acts of the Estates which were Published before her coming into Scotland by the consent of Francis her Husband those she alleg'd did fall under the Act of Oblivion That Speech seemed to all a manifest Profession of Tyranny For whereas the Scots had no Laws besides Acts of Parliament they entertained such private Thoughts in their Breasts What kind of Life they were like to live under a Prince whose Will was a Law and whose Word and Promise were not to be believed This was done about the end of the Convention At the same time the Queen was very earnest to hasten her Marriage and yet withal she desired by any means to procure the publick Consent that she might seem to act nothing but by the Suffrage of the Nobles And Bothwel too to credit the Marriage with the Pretence of publick Authority devised this Stratagem He invited all the Nobility of the highest Rank which were then in Town as there were many to Supper and when they were jocund and merry he desired them to shew that Respect to him for the future which they had always done heretofore At present he only desired that whereas he was a Suiter to the Queen they would subscribe to a Schedule which he had made about that matter and that would be a Means to procure him Favour with the Queen and Honour with all the People They were all amazed at so sudden and unexpected a Proposal and could not dissemble their Sorrow neither yet durst they refuse or deny him Whereupon a few that knew the Queen's Mind began first and the rest not foreseeing that there were so great a number of Flatterers present suspected one another and at last all subscribed The Day after when they recollected what they had done some of them as ingenuously profess'd they would never have given their consent unless they had thought the thing had been acceptable to the Queen for besides that it carried no great shew of Honesty and was prejudicial to the Publick too so there was danger if any Discord should arise as it happen'd between her and her former Husband between her and Bothwel also and he were rejected it might be laid in their Dishes That they had betrayed the Queen to a dishonorable Marriage and therefore before they had gone too far they resolved to try her Mind and to procure a Writing under her hand to this Sense That she did approve of what they had done in reference to her Marriage This Scrole was easily obtained and by the consent of them all given to the Earl of Argyle to keep The next day all the Bishops in Town were called to Court that they also might subscribe This care being over there succeeded another which was How the Queen should get her Son into her Power for Bothwel did not think it safe for him to have a young Child brought up which in time might revenge his Father's Murder neither was he willing That any other should come between his Children and the Crown Whereupon the Queen who could now deny him nothing undertook the Task her self to bring the Child to Edinburgh she had also another Pretence to visit Sterlin of which I shall speak anon when she came thither the Earl of Marr suspected what was a brewing and therefore shewed her the Prince but would not let him be in her Power The Queen seeing her Fraud detected and not able to cope with him by Force pretended another cause for her Journy and prepared to return In her Journy either by reason of her overmuch Toil or for Anger
subject to the Empire of any Men but all Men subject to the Dominion and Power of Them This Law prescribes to us in all our Actions 't is always before our Eyes and Minds whether we will or no it dwells in us Our Ancestors followed it in repressing the Violence of Tyrants by armed Force 'T is a Law not proper to the Scots only but common to all Nations and People in well-instituted Governments To pass by the famous Cities of Athens Sparta Rome Venice who never suffer'd this Right to be taken from them but with their Liberty it self Even in those Times wherein Oppression and Tyranny were most triumphant in the Roman Government if any good Man were chosen Emperour he counted it his Glory to confess himself inferiour to the whole Body of the People and to be subject to the Law For Trajan when he delivered a Sword to the Governour of a certain City according to Custom is reported to say Vse it either for me or against me as I deserve Yea Theodosius a good Emperour in bad Times would have it left recorded amongst his Sanctions and Laws as a Speech worthy of an Emperour yea greater than his Empire it self to confess That he was inferiour to the Laws Yea the most barbarous Nations such as were most remote from all Civility had a Sense and Knowledg hereof as the History of all Nations and common Observation shews But not to insist on obsolete Examples I will produce Two in our own Memory Of late Christiern of Denmark for his Cruelty was driven out of the Kingdom with all his Lineage a greater Punishment than ever our People exacted from any of their Kings for they never punish'd the Sins of the Fathers upon their Children As for him he was deservedly punish'd after a singular manner as the Monster of his Age for all kind of Wickedness But what did the Mother of the Emperour Charles the Fifth do as to deserve perpetual Imprisonment She was a Woman in her flourishing Age and her Husband died young even in the Prime of his Age it was reported She had a mind to marry again she was not accus'd for any Wickedness but for a certain allowable Intemperance as the severe Cato's of the Age speak and as the publick Manners now are of an honest Copulation approved by God's and Man's Law both If the Calamity of our Queen be compared with Christiern's of Denmark she is not less an Offender to say no more but she hath been more moderately proceeded against and punish'd But if she be compared with Ioan of Austria Charles his Mother what did that poor Lady do but desire as far as lawfully she might a Pleasure allowed by the Law and a Remedy necessary for her Age Yet being an innocent Woman she suffer'd that Punishment of which our Queen convict of the highest Wickedness doth now complain The Murder of her lawful Husband and her unlawful Marriage with a publick Parricide have now those same Deprecators who in killing the King did inflict the Punishment due to wicked Men on the Innocent But here they remember not what the Examples of their Ancestors do prompt them to do neither are they mindful of that eternal Law which our noble Progenitors even from the first beginnings of Kingdoms having followed have thereby restrain'd the Violence of Tyrants And in our present Case what have we done more than trod in the Steps of so many Kingdoms and free Nations and so bridled that Arbitrariness which claim'd a Power above Law And yet we have not done it with that Severity neither as our Ancestors have us'd in the like kind for they would never have suffer'd any one who had been found guilty of such a notorious Crime to escape the Punishment of the Law If we had imitated Them we had been free from fear of Danger and also from the Trouble of Calumniators and that may be easily known by the Postulations of our Adversaries How often have they criminated and arraigned us before our Neighbour-Princes What Nations do they not solicite and stir up against us What do they desire by this Importunity Is it only That the Controversy may be decided by Law and Equity We never refused That Condition and they would never accept of It though 't were often offer'd them What then do they desire Even This That we should arm Tyrants by Publick Authority who are manifestly guilty of the most notorious Wickedness who are stuff'd with the Spoils of their Subjects besmear'd with the Blood of Kings and aim at the Destruction of all good Men Shall we set them up over our Lives who are found Actors in the Parricide and shrewdly suspected to be the Designers of it without acquitting themselves in a Judiciary way And yet we have gratified their Request more than the Custom of our Country the Severity of the Law or the Distribution of equal Justice would allow There is nothing more frequently celebrated nor more diligently handled by the Writers of our History than our Punishment of evil Kings And amongst so many peccant Governours who ever felt the like Lenity of angry Subjects in inflicting Punishment as we have used in punishing our King's Mother though evidently guilty of a most atrocious Crime What Ruler standing convict of Murder had ever power given to substitute a Son or Kinsman in his or her place To whom in such Circumstances also was the Liberty ever granted to appoint what Guardians they pleas'd to the succeeding King And in the very Abjuration of the Kingdom Who can complain of any hard Usage A young Woman unable to undergo the Burden and toss'd by the Storms of unsettled Affairs sent Letters to the Nobility to free her from That Government which was as burdensom to her as it was honourable It was granted her She desir'd the Government might be transferr'd from her to her Son her Request was assented to She also desir'd to have the Naming of the Guardians who might manage the Government till her Son came to be of Age it was done as she desir'd And that the thing might have more Authority the whole Matter was referr'd to the Estates in Parliament who Voted That all was rightly done and in good order and they confirm'd it by an Act than which there cannot be a more sacred and a firmer Obligation But 't is alleged What was done in Prison is to be taken not as done willingly but forc'd by Durance for fear of Death and so many other things which Men are inforc'd to do for fear are wont as they ought to go for Nothing Indeed this Excuse of Fear as sometimes it is not without reason admitted by the Judges so it doth not always infer a just Cause for abolishing a publick Act once made in a Suit of Law if a Man strike a Fear into his Adversary for ones own Advantage and so the Plaintiff extorts more from the Defendant than he could ever obtain by the Equity of the Law
to go to the Second thing at first proposed by us which was To find out some Way whereby this Dispute might be ended upon some moderate or handsom Conditions Whereunto we replied That we were not sent from home with an unbounded Commission but One circumscribed within certain Limits so that we had no Freedom to enter into any Debate at all of what might in the least diminish the Authority of our King and if such a Liberty had been offered us yet we should have been unwilling to accept it or to make use of it if accepted Matters standing thus the Queen being at Greenwich and we at London we sent some of our Number to her to know Whether she had any thing more to say to us if not that we might have Liberty to depart home there to consult what we could the Good of our Country and our own private Concerns And if there were any thing we might gratify her Majesty in We were willing to shew our Obsequiousness and Respect therein yea we should take more Opportunity to shew it at home than we could have now in anothers Dominions This Demand procur'd us a Summons to appear at Court the 5 th of March When we were come into her Presence she mightily blam'd our stifness in maintaining our conceiv'd Opinion and that we did so pertinaciously shun a Dispute or rather a Consultation about a Matter so much concerning our Security She also added a large Declaration of her Mind and Will anent the King and Those who maintain'd his Cause We urg'd that the Justness of our Cause had been clearly enough declar'd before She answer'd that she was not satisfi'd in her Mind with the Examples and Arguments produc'd by us neither said she am I wholly ignorant of such Disputes as having spent some of my former time in the Study of the Law But says she if you be fully determin'd to make no other Proposal for your King's Safety and your Own yet I would have you at least enter upon another Conference with the Chief of my Council who treated with you about these things before We answer'd That we were not at all so stiffly wedded to our own Opinions as not to be willing to hear any good Expedient that might be offer'd by her or her Counsellors always with this Proviso That no Alteration be made in the present State of the Kingdom nor any Diminution at all of the King's Authority For upon those Two Heads we neither could or would admit the least Consultation or Debate The Day after we went down again to the Queen's Palace as we agreed and entred into a Conference with her Counsellors where many Proposals were made by them to decide the Controversy between Mother and Son concerning the Title to the Government We because the Reasons were many and concerning Matters of such great Moment on both sides desir'd That we might have them given to us in writing and Time allowed us to consider of Things of such great Consequence They were very ready to do it having first consulted the Queen When we had ran Them all over in order the Matters propos'd seem'd so difficult to us and also so derogatory to the Power of the King and withal so exceeding the Bounds of our Embassy and Commission that we neither would could nor durst touch upon them The Day after Robert Petcarn was sent to Court with this Answer That such Matters did belong to the Decision of all the Estates and were not to be disputed by so small a Number of Persons as we were He also carried our Answer to Them who the Day before viz. the 4 th of March had desir'd to have all in writing Further he earnestly desir'd the Queen that seeing they had executed all the points within the Bounds of their Commission They might have leave to return home Ten Days after we had liberty to attend the Queen The Delegates of the Council who from our first coming were appointed to treat with us were very urgent That we would yet treat with them about finding out some Remedies to compose Things They us'd many Arguments to that purpose telling us That if War from abroad should be added to our Troubles at home our Labours Dangers and Difficulties would be doubled especially being not able to extricate our selves by our own Forces But we persisted in our Resolution and would hearken to no Model of Accommodation which lessened the King's Authority and so that Day ended The next Day which was the 20 th of March we were sent for again to Court and being commanded to come to the Queen she spake to us to this purpose That she and her Council had weigh'd our Answers by which she understood That none but a Supream Council or Parliament of Scotland consisting of all the Estates could give a certain Answer to her Demands and thereupon she had found out a Way how to leave the matter intire as she found it and with an honest Pretence too She was inform'd that there was shortly to be a Convention of all the Estates in Scotland thither we should go and God speed us well and therein we should endeavour that an equal Number of both Factions should be chosen to examine the Grounds of the Difference betwixt them and that she also would send her Embassadors thither which should join Endeavours with Those to promote a Peace In the mean time she desir'd That the Pacification might be renew'd till the Matter was brought to some Issue She said also That she would confer with the Queen of Scots Embassadors and persuade them if she could to the same But when 't was mov'd to Them they excus'd themselves saying That they could determine nothing on that head without consulting the Queen but that they would write to her to know her Pleasure in the Case Yet we prest hard to have our Convoy to return as was promised us but were desir'd to have a little Patience till an Answer was return'd from the Scots Queen to the Bishop of Ross and the rest of her Embassadors and then we should have our Dismission We urg'd our Return still but without effect though we told her we had nothing to do with the Bishop of Ross neither was our Embassy to him we had ended what we came for and did much wonder why the Bishop of Ross should retard our Journy especially since so many Tumults were rais'd in our Absence to the great Inconvenience of the King's Party But though our Importunity was almost Shameless yet we could not prevail for the Matter was deferr'd from Day to Day till the last of March and then the Queen return'd to London The Things which were acted in Parliament for 3 Days after did so take up the Queen that she had no leisure to debate foreign Matters But the 4 th of April she sent for us and excus'd the Delay She told us That our King's Mother had by her Letters grievously chid her Embassadors for their
to obtain the King's Pass and safe Conduct for his Security he fell into an Ambush who brought him to the King as if he had been taken Prisoner by them so that he and most of his Followers were trussed up They who were the Causers of his Death gave forth That he had promised to bring that part of Scotland for some Miles under the Obedience of the English if he himself might be well considered for that Service But on the other side the English were glad of his Death for they were thereby freed of a dangerous Enemy Six of his surviving Companions the King kept as Hostages but in regard their Fellows were no way deterred thereby from committing the like Insolencies in a few Months they were hanged also And the King took new Hostages of those who staid at home for the Liddisdale Men left their homes and passed over in Troops to England making daily Incursions and great Spoil in the neighbouring Parts Not long after the King restor'd the noble Men to their Liberty having first taken Hostages from them Of these Walter Scot to gratify the King killed Robert Iohnston a noted Tory amongst the Thieves which bred a deadly Feud between the two Families to the great loss and prejudice of them both The next Year which was 1531 there happened a matter very memorable neither did the Obscurity of the Author nor the Curiosity of the Time which made a strict Enquiry thereinto abate any thing of Mens Admiration of the Novelty thereof One Iohn Scot a Man of no Learning nor of any great Experience in Business neither had he a subtil Wit of his own to impose Tricks upon Men being overthrown in a Law-suit and not having Ability to pay Damages hid himself some days in the Sanctuary of the Monastery of Holy-Rood-House without eating or drinking any thing at all When the thing was known and related to the King he commanded that his Apparel should be chang'd and diligently search'd and so caus'd him to be kept apart from all Company in the Castle of Edinburgh where every Day Bread and Water was set before him but he voluntarily abstained from all human Food for thirty two days After that time as if he had been sufficiently tried he was brought forth naked into publick view where the People flocking about him he made them a long but sorry Speech in which there was nothing memorable but that he affirm'd he was assisted by the Virgin Mary to fast as long as he himself pleased This Answer savouring of Simplicity rather than Craft he was released from his Imprisonment and went to Rome where he was also imprison'd by Pope Clement until he had fasted long enough to convince him of the Truth of the Miracle Then they clothed him with the Habit that Priests say Mass in and bestowed many Presents on him and gave him a Testimonial under the Leaden-Seal which is of great Authority amongst the Papists Whereupon he went to Venice where he also confirm'd their Belief by his miraculous Fasting and alleging That he was obliged by a Vow he had made to visit Ierusalem he receiv'd of them fifty Ducats of Gold for his Charges on the way At his Return he brought back some Leaves of Palm-trees and a Bag full of Stones which he said were taken out of the Pillar which Christ was tied to when he was scourg'd In his Return he past through London and mounted the Pulpit in Paul's Church-yard and in a great Audience of People preached much about the Divorce of King Henry from his Queen and of his Defection from the See of Rome his Words were bitter and if he had been looked upon of any Repute for Wisdom he must have eaten them again but being imprisoned for some time and having wholly abstained from Food for almost fifty days together he was dismiss'd When he came back to Scotland he would have joined himself to one Thomas Doughty who about that time came from Italy and had built a Church dedicated to the Virgin Mary out of the Alms the People had given him and had got great Gain by his feigned Miracles But the Life of this Thomas was sufficiently known to be very wicked and the Cheats of his pretended Miracles were discovered yet no Man durst openly gainsay him for fear of the Bishops who by this their new Atlas sought to prop up the Pile of their Purgatory then a tottering and he to requite them for their Courtesy when any of the richer sort of Priests came to the Place where he was to say Mass had still one Beggar or other ready at hand to counterfeit himself mad or diseased in Body that so forsooth by his Massing he might be recovered and healed But Thomas rejected Iohn Scot because he was not willing to admit any other into the Society of his Gain and thereupon he hired an obscure Cell in the Suburbs of Edinburgh and there having erected an Altar and furnished it according to his Ability he set up his own Daughter who was young but very beautiful with Wax-Tapers lighted about her to be adored instead of the Virgin Mary But that way of Gain not answering his Expectation he returned to his old course of Life having gain'd nothing by all his preposterous Dissimulation of Sanctity but to let all Men know that he wanted not a Will but Ability rather to become an errand Cheat. At the beginning of the following Year which was 1532 the Earl of Bothwel was committed Prisoner to Edinburgh-Castle Ianuary 16 because he had taken a private Journy into England and there had secret Conference with the Earl of Northumberland Iohn Sunderland a Knight by reason of the great Prudence Integrity and Authority which he had amongst all good Men even beyond his State and Degree was sent to Hermitage a Castle of Liddisdale to restrain the Incursions of Thieves and Robbers Of ancient time there had been no fix'd Days nor any set Place appointed for Matters of Nisi Prius to be handled by the Judges until Iohn Duke of Albany had obtained of the Pope that a yearly Sum of Mony as much as was sufficient to pay a Salary to a few Judges should be charged on the Ecclesiastical Order and 't was to be levied on every one according to the value of his Benefice Gawin Dunbar Bishop of Aberdene hereupon made his Appeal to the Pope in the behalf of himself and other Priests The Controversy held from the 11 th of March to the 24 th of April and then there was a College of Judges settled at Edinburgh At their first Sitting they devised many advantageous Projects for the equal distribution of Justice yet the hoped Event did not follow For seeing in Scotland there are almost no Laws but Decrees of the Estates and many of them too made not for perpetuity but temporary and the Judges hinder the enacting of Laws what they can The Estates of all the Subjects were committed to the Pleasure
of fifteen Men who were to have a perpetual Power and even a Tyrannical Government for their Wills were their Laws In favour of the Pope they were very severe against the Lutherans and the Pope on the contrary to gratify a King so well deserving at his Hands gave him the Tithes of all Parsonages for the next Year following This Year the English perceived that the State of Affairs in Scotland grew every day more quiet than other but yet that they were destitute of foreign Aid because they themselves had joined with the French against Charles the Emperor Hereupon they sought out an occasion for a War In April they made an Expedition out of Berwick and spoiled Coldingham Douglas and many other neighbouring Towns and drove away great Booty They had no apparent Provocation neither did they denounce War before-hand How eager they were upon War appears by that King's Proclamation soon after publish'd wherein 't was said that the Garison of Berwick was provoked by some licentious and contumelious Words which the Scots had let fall But the Words mentioned in the Proclamation carry no Contumely in them at all But this Cause not seeming just enough for a War they demanded Canabie a small Village in the Borders with a poor Monastery in it as if it belonged to them which they never pretended to before and likewise that the Douglasses might be restor'd For the King of England perceiving that his Aid was absolutely necessary to the French King so that he could by no means want it and also knowing that he had him fast in a League wherein the Interest of Scotland was not considered hereupon he thought it no hard Matter to bring the Scots to what Conditions he pleased Moreover because the Emperor was alienated from him by the Peace with France and the Divorce with his Aunt and the Pope of Rome did raise up Wars amongst all Christian Princes he thought he should omit a great opportunity at home for innovating of things if he neglected That The King of Scots that he might not be unprovided against this Storm by a publick Proclamation made all over the Kingdom appointed his Brother the Earl of Murray to be his Vicegerent and because the Borderers of themselves were not able to cope with the English who had also a great number of Auxiliaries with them he divided the Kingdom into four Parts and commanded each of them to send out the ablest Men amongst them with their Clans and Provision for fourty Days These Forces thus succeeding one another by turns made great Havock in the Towns and Castles in those Parts so that the King of England was frustrated in his Expectation seeing the War was likely to be drawn out in length and other Concerns were also to be cared for by him and therefore he was willing to hearken to a Peace but would have it fought for at his Hands for he thought it was not for his Honour either to offer it or to seek it of himself And therefore it seem'd most convenient to transact the Matter by the King of France the common Friend to both Nations Whereupon the French King sent his Embassador Stephen D'Aix into Scotland to enquire by whose Default such a War was commenced between the two Neighbour-Kings The King of Scots clearly acquitted himself from being any Cause of the War he also made a Complaint to him how long his Ambassadors had been detained in France without Hearing And at the Ambassador's Departure he sent Letters by him to his Master desiring him to observe the ancient League which was renewed by Iohn the Regent at Roan he also sent David Beton into France to answer the Calumnies of the English and besides to treat concerning the keeping of the old League and to contract a new Affinity between France and Scotland He also sent Letters by him to the Parliament of Paris very bitter and full of Complaints concerning those matters which had been transacted and agreed between Francis their King and Iohn Regent of Scotland how that ancient Friendships Pacts and Agreements were slighted in behalf of Those who were once their common Enemies His Ambassador Beton was commanded if he saw that the things he had in Command did not succeed well in France to deliver those Letters to the Council of the Judges and presently to withdraw himself into Flanders with an Intent as it might be conjectured to make a League Agreement and Affinity with the Emperor In the mean time War was waged in Britain and Disputes were manag'd at New-castle concerning the Lawfulness thereof when the Embassadors sent from both Nations could not agree on terms of Peace Monsieur Guy Flower was sent over by the King of France to compose matters The Scotish King told him that he would gratify his Master as far as ever he was able and also he had some Communication with him as much as was seasonable at that time concerning the conjugal Affinity about which he had sent Embassadors before which were then in France Flory or Flower being thus the Umpire for Peace the Garisons were withdrawn on both sides from the Borders and a Truce was made which was afterwards followed with a Peace When the Peace was settled the King having for some Years last past transacted Business with the King of France and with the Emperor by his Embassadors about a matrimonial Contract now being freed from other cares his Thoughts were more intent that way than ever For besides the common causes which might incline him to some potent Alliance he was thoughtful how to perpetuate his Family by Issue of his Body he himself being the last Male that was left alive insomuch that his next Heirs had already conceived a firm hope in their Minds of the Kingdom which did not a little trouble Him who was otherwise suspicious enough of himself And indeed things did very much concur to raise them up to that hope as for instance their own domestick Power the Kings being a Batchelor his Venturousness in slighting all Danger so that he would not only stoutly undergo all Hazards but often court and invite Them for with a small party he would march against the fiercest Thieves and tho they were superior in number yet he would either prevent them by his Speed or else fright them by the Reverence of his Name and so force them to a Surrender he would sit Night and Day on Horse-back in this Employment and if he did take any Refreshment or Food 't was that which he lighted on by chance and but little of that neither These Circumstances made the Hamiltons almost confident of the Succession yet it seem'd to them a long way about to stay for either fortuitous or natural Dangers and therefore they studied to hasten his Death by Treachery A fair Opportunity was offer'd them to effect it by his Night-Walkings to his Misses having but one or two in his Company But all these things not answering
by the Legal Way of the Country for that would occasion some though not much Delay But these Interposals were over-ruled it being alleged That there was no need of any new Process in the Arch-Bishops case for it had been already judg'd in the Parliament Wherefore he being plainly convicted as guilty of the King's Murder and of the last Regents also was hang'd at Sterlin There was then new Evidence brought in against him for the greatest Part thereof had been discovered but lately The Arch-Bishop of St. Andrews who lodg'd in the next House when the Proposition of killing the King was made to him willingly undertook it both by Reason of old Feuds between their Families and also an Hope thereby to bring the Kingdom nearer to his Family whereupon he chuses out six or eight of the most flagitious of his Vassals and commended the Matter to them giving them the Keyes of the King's Lodgings they then enter very silently into his Chamber and strangle him when he was asleep and when they had so done they carried out his Body through a little Gate of which I spake before into an Orchard adjoining to the Walls and then a Sign was given to blow up the House The Discovery of this Wickedness was made by Iohn Hamilton who was a chief Actor therein upon this Occasion He was much troubled in his Mind Day and Night his Conscience tormenting him for the Guilt of the Fact and not only so but as if the Contagion reach'd to his Body too That also was miserably pained and consumed by degrees endeavouring all ways to ease himself at last he remembred That there was a School-Master at Pasley no bad Man who was yet a Papist to him he confesses the whole Plot and the Names of those who joined with him in perpetrating the Murder The Priest comforted him what he could and put him in mind of the Mercy of God yet because the Disease had taken deeper root than to be expiable by such slight Remedies within a few days he was overwhelmed with Grief and died The Priest was not so silent in the thing but that some inkling of it came to the King's Friends They many Months after the Murder was committed when Matthew Earl of Lennox was Regent and when Dunbarton was taken and the Bishop brought to Sterlin caused the Priest to be sent for thither He then justified what he had spoken before about the King's Murder whereupon being ask'd by Hamilton How he came to know it Whether 't were revealed to him in Auricular Confession He told him Yes then said Hamilton You are not ignorant of the Punishment due to those who reveal the Secrets of Confessions and made no other Answer to the Crime After fifteen Months or more the same Priest was taken saying Mass the third time and as the Law appointed was led out to suffer then also he publickly declared all that he had before affirm'd in the thing in plainer and fuller words which were so openly divulged that now Hamilton's Vassals fell out amongst themselves and one of them charged another with the King's Death In the mean while the Rebels had procured some small matter of Mony from France by means of the Brother of him who commanded Edinburgh-Castle And moreover Morton was returned from his English Embassy and in a Convention of the Nobles held at Sterlin declar'd the Effect thereof in these Words When we came to London February 20. we were put over to a Council chosen out for that purpose who after much Dispute betwixt us at last insisted upon two Points First That we would produce the clearest and best Arguments we had to evidence the Justness of those Actions which had pass'd in Scotland both formerly and now that so the Queen might be satisfied in the Equity of them and thereby know how to answer those who demanded a Reason for them If we could not do That yet the Queen would omit nothing which might conduce to our Safety In Answer to which we gave in a Memorial to Them to this effect The Crimes wherewith at first our King's Mother alleged that she was falsly charged with have been so clearly prov'd by the Earl of Murray and his Associates in that Embassy That both the Queen her self and those who were delegated by her to hear the Cause could not be ignorant of the Author of the King's Murder which was the Source of all our other Miseries To repeat them again before the Queen who we doubt not is therein sufficiently satisfied already we think it not necessary and besides we our selves are unwillingly drawn into the Task of repeating the Memory of so great a Wickedness But they who cannot deny that this Fact was cruelly and flagitiously perpetrated yet do calumniate the Resignation of the Kingdom and the Translation of the Government from the Mother to the Son to be a new and grievous thing extorted from her by mere Force First as for the Matter of Fact in punishing our Princes the old Custom of our Ancestors will not suffer it to be called new neither can the Moderateness of the Punishment make it invidious 'T is not needful for us to reckon up the many Kings whom our Forefathers have chastis'd by Imprisonment Banishment yea Death it self much less need we confirm our Practice by foreign Examples of which there are abundance in old Histories The Nation of the Scots being at first free by the common Suffrage of the People set up Kings over them conditionally That if need were they might take away the Government by the same Suffrages that gave it The Footsteps of this Law remain to this very Day for in the circumjacent Islands and in many Places of the Continent too which have retained the ancient Speech and Customs of our Fore-fathers to this Day the same Course is yet observed in creating their Magistrates Moreover those Ceremonies which are used in the Inauguration of our Kings themselves have an express Representation of this Law by which it easily appears That Kingly Government is nothing else but a mutual Stipulation betwixt King and People and the same is most clearly evidenced by the inoffensive Tenor of the Old Law which hath been observed ever since there was a King in Scotland even unto this present time no Man having ever attempted to abrogate abate or diminish this Law in the least 'T is too long to enumerate How many Kings our Ancestors have put by their Kingdoms have banish'd have imprison'd have put to Death neither is there the least mention made of the Severity of this Law or the abrogating thereof and that on good Grounds For 't is not of the Nature of such Sanctions which are subject to the Mutations of Time but in the very Original of Mankind 't was ingraven in Mens Hearts approv'd by the mutual Consent of almost all Nations and together with Nature it self was to remain inviolate and sempiternal so that these Laws are not