596 



SCOTLAND. 



History, sooner was the royal standard displayed, than the mal- 

 s- ^ v '^^ / contents fled to Hamilton. The queen arrived only to 

 join in the flight ; while Murray, to purchase his par- 

 A.D. 1526. don, went over with his followers to the king. 



The queen was now become an object of general 

 abhoi*rence. Angus having consented to a divorce, the 

 queen married Henry Stewart, afterwards Lord Meth- 

 ven. Arran, who had hitherto clung to her fortunes, 

 abandoned her, and joined the chancellor and Angus. 

 Angus diligently cultivated the favour -of the young 

 monarch by presents, attentions, and every indulgence 

 which could secure his inexperienced affections. He 

 had the influence to procure a parliamentary ordinance, 

 which transferred the supreme power into his own 

 hands, by declaring that the king, having attained the 

 age of fourteen, should assume the government. The 

 king was now become the prisoner of his former flat- 

 terers. The power of the house of Douglas, after be- 

 ing dormant nearly a century, was revived, and threat- 

 ened to overwhelm the royal power. Symptoms of 

 discontent and jealousy began to appear. Angus had 

 neglected to enforce the usages and the laws of the 

 borders. The English made reprisals, which occasioned 

 disorders that called for the interference of the royal 

 authority. 



Irritated by the diminution of his authority and im- 

 portance, the chancellor prevailed upon the king to 

 write letters to his mother, Lennox, and other lords of 

 their party, complaining of the restraints which Angus 

 imposed upon him. 



To the vassals of Lennox, were added the queen and 

 the chancellor's friends from the northern counties. 

 Their united forces amounted to 10,000. With this 

 body, Lennox marched to Linlithgow, where an equal 

 number of Angus's adherents under Arran, awaited 

 their approach. Inspired with ardour by the presence 

 of their chief, they attacked and routed the troops of 

 Lennox, who was slain. Angus availed himself of his 

 advantage, and advanced to Stirling, to seize the queen 

 , and the chancellor, but they had fled. 



A parliament met soon after, and passed an act of 

 indemnity in favour of all who had been engaged in 

 the late conflict against Lennox. His estates and those 

 of his confederates were forfeited, and divided between 

 Angus and Arran. The chancellor, by affected sub- 

 missions and presents, made his peace with Angus. 

 Meantime, the authority of Douglas being paramount 

 to the laws, the country became a prey to injustice and 

 rapine. The most lucrative and honourable offices 

 were monopolized by the house of Angus. His uncle 

 was appointed lord treasurer, his brother master of the 

 royal household, and he himself assumed the chancel- 

 lorship. 



The borderers having resumed their predatory ha- 

 bits, which were loudly complained of by the English, 

 the vassals of Angus and Arran were marched to Edin- 

 burgh, to attend the king in a progress of justice a- 

 gainst the marauders. 



A.D. 1527. The king proceeded to Jedburgh, and redressed the 

 border grievances. The Armstrongs in particular had 

 enriched themselves by plundering the English, but 

 they were compelled to give pledges for their future 

 peaceable conduct. James evinced great impatience 

 under the power of the Douglases. He disdained to 

 be kept a prisoner in his own palace, to be treated 

 with disrespect, and stripped of all his power. Angus, 

 aware of his danger, resolved to secure the king's per- 

 son, as he could not gain his confidence, and therefore 

 surrounded him with spies. 



The queen resided in Stirling castle, the only for- Historv. 

 tress in the kingdom which had escaped the power of ^^-y^"^ 

 Douglas. James secretly acquired possession of this 

 place, and seizing the opportunity of Angus's absence, 

 disguised as a groom, escaped in the night from his 

 guards, and, accompanied only by two servants, arrived 

 at Stirling. 



His court was soon filled with persons of the great- 

 est distinction, while Angus, indignant at the escape, 

 hastened to Stirling. A herald met him by the way, 

 and commanded him not to come within six miles of 

 the king's residence, and he judged it prudent to sub- 

 mit. In a parliament which assembled soon after, 

 Douglas and his adherents were attainted, and fled to 

 England, where he resided during the remainder of A.D.1528. 

 this reign. 



James was now in his seventeenth year, and enjoyed 

 not only the name but the full authority of king. The 

 faults of his government may be traced to the peculiar 

 circumstances in which he was placed. The frugality 

 in which he had been trained, degenerated into avarice; 

 yet he expended his revenue in architectural works, in 

 the construction of a navy, and similar plans of national 

 utility. His political designs were subservient to the 

 humiliation of the aristocracy. But he had learned 

 that the spirit of the feudal nobles was not to be re- 

 strained by laws alone ; that the aggrandisement 

 of a few noble families would not produce a per- 

 manent accession of strength to the crown ; and that 

 the elevation of persons of mean birth was both dan- 

 gerous and dishonourable to a prince. 



James, therefore, applied himself to the dignified 

 clergy, who depended entirely on the crown, and pos- 

 sessed great authority over the minds of the people. 

 Between the clergy and the nobles various causes of 

 disgust existed. The latter despised the ecclesiastical 

 character; and they envied the wealth and influence of 

 the church. The clergy, on the other hand, were men 

 of cultivated minds, and experienced in the art of com- 

 manding popular reverence. They readily entered in- 

 to his views, and carried on his measures with vigour, 

 reputation, and success. 



James appointed Gawin Dumbar, archbishop of 

 Glasgow, to be chancellor. The fortifications of Edin- 

 burgh and Stirling castles were repaired. A jury of 

 six ecclesiastics and five peers pronounced sentence of 

 forfeiture against the Douglases, and shared the plun- 

 der of his estates. As the peace with England was 

 nearly expired, negotiations were opened for its re- 

 newal. A truce for five years was concluded and rati- 

 fied by Henry and James. 



The police of the kingdom was at this time in a mi- 

 serable state, and the temerity of the border marauders 

 called for chastisement. Forty-eight of the most cri- 

 minal were seized and hanged. John Armstrong, the ^ D 152& 

 chief of that name, who had attained wealth and power 

 by robbery, was betrayed by his brother, and suffered 

 the punishment of a felon. 



Angus and Sir George Douglas continued to annoy 

 the frontier counties by their incursions and outrages. 

 Henry encouraged these disorders, by settling an an- 

 nuity of L.1000 on the earl for his services against his 

 country. To prevent an open declaration of war be- 

 tween the kingdoms, the French monarch interposed 

 his good offices. A truce for one year was first con- Ail> ' I- 53 ** 

 eluded, which led to a treaty of peace during the lives 

 of the monarchs. Henry of England was about to 

 emancipate his kingdom from the authority of Rome. 

 A conference was held between the pope and the em* 







