Anniversary Address. 35 



earl, who was chancellor of the kingdom and high in the royal 

 favour, amicably to resign his possessions, including Liddis- 

 dale and Hermitage, to the crown in 1488. But though he 

 immediately afterwards conferred them on George, master of 

 Angus, the earl's eldest son, he ultimately brought about 

 a permanent exchange between him and Patrick Hepburn, 

 earl Bothwell and lord High Admiral, who exchanged the 

 lands and castle of Bothwell for those of Liddisdale and 

 Hermitage, an arrangement confirmed by Parliament in 

 1492.* The connection of the Bothwell family with Hermi- 

 tage continued without interruption till 1538, and did not 

 finally cease till 1567. 



For some years after the fatal disaster of Flodden, during 

 the long minority of James V.» the Borders were the scene of 

 the most lawless disorder. The Scottish nobles were split 

 into parties, struggling to obtain the lead in the national 

 councils, and seeking for external support, some from France, 

 some from England. The duke of Albany, cousin to the late 

 king, was at the head of the French party ; the earl of Angus, 

 who married the queen mother, was the leader of the English 

 faction. Lord Dacre, the English warden, fomented these 

 feuds to the utmost, and under colour of supporting the 

 English party, made repeated inroads into Scotland, burning, 

 plundering, and destroying without mercy. Boasting of his 

 success in stirring up strife, Dacre writes to Wolsey on the 

 23rd August, 1516 : " I have secret messages from the earl 

 of Angus and others * * * and also 400 outlaws (and 

 giveth them rewards) that burneth and destroyeth daily 

 Scotland ; all being Scotsmen that should be under the 

 obedience of Scotland."f And shortly before he had boasted 

 to Henry VIII., " there never was so mekyll myschefe, robbry, 

 spoiling, and vengeance in Scotland than there is now, 



" Tell my gossip the king," said Angus to his attendant, " that here was nothing 

 but fair play. I know my gossip will be offended ; but I will get me into Liddis- 

 dale and bide in the Hermitage till his anger be abated." 



• Reg., Great Seal XII., 344, dated 6th March, 1492. Orig. Par. I., 358. 



t Ellis' Orig. Letters, 1st series, I. 132. Tytler's Hist. V. 187. 



