CASSANATE AKCHBISHOP HAMILTON. 87 



queen. James Hamilton was declared regent by the 

 choice of Scotland. Mary was not many months old 

 when Henry VIII. demanded her as the future wife of 

 his son Edward, with a view to the extension of his own 

 rule over the Scots. The new regent agreed, on behalf 

 of Scotland, that the queen, when she became ten years 

 old, should be sent to London, and that six persons of the 

 first rank should at once go to the English court, and there 

 reside as hostages. This happened in 1543. Cardinal 

 Beatoun then seeing his opportunity, made the best of it, 

 dilated en the regent's weakness, and stirred up a host of 

 passions. The Scottish barons declared against the alliance 

 with England, and the cardinal then seized the persons of 

 the Queen Mary and her mother. 



John Hamilton, at that time Abbot of Paisley, was 

 natural brother to the regent, and had a great influence 

 over his mind, which he began then very actively to 

 exert. The abbot was a warm partisan of the interests of 

 France, and a zealous defender of the established faith. 

 He was a man of strong will and great energy, one whom 

 it was not easy to overreach or intimidate; and, though 

 taxed by his contemporaries with various irregularities in 

 his private life, he displayed for a long time, in the fulfil- 

 ment of his duties as a churchman, admirable temper and 

 great prudence. It was not until about six years after 

 Cardan's connexion with him ceased, that he acquired the 

 temper of the religious persecutor. John Hamilton, 



