S4 TiiE I^RANCISCAN J^RIAUY of JEDbURGtt 



the Kegent Albany. Father Home asked permission from Sir 

 William Buhner to preach at Norham. This retjuest having 

 been granted in May, he went there and preached " a good 

 sermon." In reality this was a political visit. The friar 

 gave Buhner much information regarding Scottish affairs, and 

 declared that young King James, then virtually a prisoner at 

 Stirling, had great regard for his uncle the English king. 

 Father Home, who detested the Duke of Albany, asserted that 

 if King Henry were to advise James to take the reins of 

 government into his own hands, and assure him of his favour 

 and goodwill in the event of his doing so, he (the friar) believed 

 the young king would shake off Albany's yoke and act on 

 Henry's advice. In reply to Buhner, Home promised that he 

 himself would deliver Henry's missive, provided it were written 

 in the tenor he indicated. This interview took place in May, 

 1524:, and on 17th June Buhner received a letter from Wolsey 

 for the friar, and one from the English monarch for King 

 James — both of which he delivered to Home six days after. 

 He "promysed to mayk answere agayne wyth delygence," 

 Bulmer replied to Wolsey on 25th June, "but as he sajrth 

 yt will be a Sth or ten days or he can come to mayk 

 delyveraunce." When Dacre wrote to Wolsey from Morpeth 

 on 17th July, he stated that the Grey Friar was afraid to 

 deliver Henry's letter of 12th June to the Scottish king, but 

 that Home had gixen it to Patrick Sinclair, who had conveyed 

 it to the royal ward.'- The diplomacy of the Jedburgh friar 

 was soon successful. In ^Vugust of the same year James 

 (juitted Stirling. He proceeded to Edinburgh, made a triumphal 

 entry, and was invested with the control of the realm. 



During its brief period of existence the Franciscan convent 

 had a checjuered history. In conmion with its protecting town 

 it suffered umch damage and molestation from the English 

 invasions which were so fre([uent in the first half of the 

 sixteenth centuiy. The Accounts of the Lord High Treasurer 

 of Scotland beai- testimony that on 26th October, 1526, £10 



2 State Papers of Henry VIII. (edit. 1836), iv., pt. iv., pp. 76-78, 84; 

 Letters aud State Papers— Foreign and Domestic— of Henry VIII. 

 (edit. 1870), iv., pt. i., pp. 148, 189, 212; Hill Burton's History of 

 Scotland (edit. 2), iii., pp. 120-1. 



