Transac lial 
science, was a monarch out of the ordinary Stewart groove. Out 
of harmony with feudal surroundings, his disposition made it easy 
for his turbulent brother, the Duke of Albany aided by the 
rebellious Earl of Douglas, to raise a strong faction in support of 
his ambitious claims. Albany pretended to the throne. Retiring 
into England, he found there Edward IV. willing to render him 
somewhat the same service as Edward III. had done to Edward 
Baliol. War broke out between the two countries. It was 
suspended for a short while by a papal bull, but renewed 
hostilities were daily expected when the Scottish Parliament met 
in March, 1482. The proceedings for defence were energetic, and 
the language was the same. “The Revare Edward calland him 
King of Ingland,” they said, was threatening the land, and 
provision had to be made for “the resisting and aganestanding 
of the saide Revare Edwarde quhilk schapis to invaid this realme 
with grete armey and powere, baith be sey and land.” The 
whole body of the realm was therefore summoned to rally round 
the King “to leyf and dee with his hienes in his defence.” 
Active measures were resolved upon.* Strict watch was to be 
kept. The King himself was to maintain a force of 500 men ; 
the clergy were to furnish 240 men ; other 240 were to be upheld 
at the cost of the barons; whilst the burghs’ share was 120. This 
little standing army was distributed over the borders—500 in 
Berwick, 300 in various places on the east march, 100 in 
Hermitage, 100 in Lochmaben, 40 in Castlemilk, 20 in Bell’s 
Tower (at Kirkconnel), and 40in Annan. “In Annand xl men.” 
Kirkpatrick of Closeburn was to be Captain of Lochmaben, and 
Charteris of Amisfield Captain of Castlemilk, Annan, and 
Bell’s Tower, ‘he to remaine in ane of the thre placis and his twa 
deputis in the tothir twa placis.” The invasion expected did not 
take place. EdwardIV. died. But on the Magdalen day at Loch- 
maben, 22nd July, 1484, Albany and Douglas, with their English 
supportst resting on the slopes of Birrenswark, made a raid on 
Annandale. After a hard battle, fought manfully from noon till 
twilight, closing near Kirkconnel, the old Harl Douglas was a 
prisoner, and Albany, a pretender like Edward Baliol, was 
driven away again into England, an exile for the remainder of 
his days. Douglas was captured by Alexander Kirkpatrick, 
* Acts of Parliament, Scotland, t., 140 ; Lesley’s Historie, 1436-1561, p. 47. 
_  #+The battle is described in Godscroft (ed. 1743), 379, and Patrick 
Anderson's MS. Llistorie (Advocate’s Library), 1., 40-41. 
