should so daunt them by force, as they may be compelled to know their ungentle and lewd proceeding with his majesty in this behalf." 1 To come to particulars, as they are likely to meet Sir George Douglas, they "shall frankly enter with the said Sir George to know certainly of him how that first his brother, the Earl of Angus, with their friends, will now do for his majesty; expressing plainly unto him how that first his brother, the Earl of Angus, a little before his going into Scotland, said he durst undertake to set the crown of Scotland upon his majesty's head before midsummer then following; how that he, the said Sir George after, and also divers others, have continually sued to his majesty to bear and tolerate, alleging that with sufferance all things would succeed better and better to his majesty's purpose, whereas indeed nothing hath yet succeeded, but contrariwis ever more from worse to worse, whereby his majesty hath not only spent much money but also lost much advantage otherwise." Sir George is to be reminded of the bond by himself and others; and a proclamation, drawn up in England, is sent that it may be issued by him. The terms of the proclamation we have not, but it is easy to believe that few events were more improbable than that Douglas should make it public, or be remiss in his care for its concealment and suppression. If Sir Anthony, however, finds him "slack and full of casting perils," he is to be told "his majesty will no longer feed them with money as he hath done, unless he see more fruit thereof than he hath done hitherto." Steps are to be taken to ascertain the amount of reality at the foundation of the brilliant promises of assistance by the Douglases; and so, when Suffolk and the others meet Sir George, they "shall demand of him what friends they have that they think will surely adhere and stick unto them, and shall cause him to give the names of as many as they be perfectly sure of in writing. And if he shall seem to doubt of any of those that he shall call his friends, then be plainly told him that it shall not be expedient to put any one man in as his friend that he is not most sure of; and so they

1 State Papers (Henry VIII.), v. 337.

shall cause him to make his book of no more than may be accounted sure for their party, and if they use themselves otherwise, then to be taken as no friends." After a scrutiny on this principle, the force which Angus could bring into the field in aid of England might at once for all purposes be returned blank. The document next gives

instruction for the secret levy of eight thousand horsemen and two thousand light footmen, to be in readiness for service in Scotland.1

1 State Papers (Henry VIII.), v. 339.

219

66

CHAPTER XXXV.

REGENCY OF ARRAN.

(Continued.)

-

LENNOX, A PARTISAN OF THE ENGLISH INTEREST-GETS POSSESSION OF THE MONEY SENT BY FRANCE-ENGLISH ATTACKS ON THE BORDER-RE-DISCUSSION OF THE TREATY WITH ENGLAND AND FRENCH ALLIANCE- FORMIDABLE STATE OF POPULAR FEELING AGAINST ENGLAND SADLER PERPLEXED -HENRY TAKES MEASURES TOWARDS HIS ASSURED LORDS" FINDS THEM IMPRACTICABLE PREPARATIONS FOR PUNISHING THEM AND THE COUNTRY-UNABLE TO SEND A FORCE SUFFICIENT FOR CONQUEST, SENDS ONE FOR MISCHIEF THE INSTRUCTIONS TO HERTFORD-HOW HE FULFILLED THEM-BURNING OF EDINBURGH-DESTRUCTION IN FIFE-BATTLE OF ANCRUM-HENRY'S ATTEMPTS TO SECURE THE ALLEGIANCE OF THE BORDERERS-A CONFERENCE WITH A BORDER CHIEF, AND ITS RESULT—ANOTHER WASTING EXPEDITION ON THE SCOTS BORDERSIEGE OF KELSO-DEVASTATION-DESTRUCTION BY THE ENGLISH OF RELIGIOUS ESTABLISHMENTS WRONGLY ATTRIBUTED TO THE SCOTS REFORMERS.

WHILE the compact body of men with whom Henry seemed to have made so close and distinct a bargain thus dissolved into nothing, he obtained an unexpected adherent. Of all who were expected, from position and interest, to be thorough champions of the French party, Lennox, who belonged to the great French house of D'Aubigné, was first; but he turned suddenly round, and became Henry's only effectual supporter in Scotland. It is not difficult to account for this. What seemed to fix

him to the French alliance, in reality made him open to any personal influence. He could not be called a Scotsman, for the fortunes of his house were laid in France;

and he had been reared abroad, serving in the Continental wars. He was then seeking in marriage the daughter of Angus by Queen Margaret. This brought him to seek favour of Angus himself, but more of Henry VIII., the young lady's uncle. The suddenness and unexpected character of his change of allegiance enabled him to do a clever little bit of effective service to his new master. He was governor of Dumbarton Castle at the time when the Sieur de la Brosse appeared on the west coast, bringing a small fleet from France and a money aid of ten thousand crowns. The money was conveyed into Dumbarton Castle for safety, and there Lennox gravely received it and closed his gates to further communication with the French. Whether or not he ever accounted for the cash so received in any other quarter, it was lost to the friends of France, for whom it was intended, and consequently to the Scots Government and people.

On the 24th of September 1543, the ambassador had to report to his master something conclusive, but by no means propitiously so, in the matter of the treaties. There had just been held a solemn conference, in which he was to hear the views of the Scots Government. There were present the Queen-dowager, the Governor Arran, Cardinal Beaton, and several nobles and dignified churchmen. The repudiation of a national act formally announced, on the ground that, although it has the outward aspect of a completed affair, it did not validly pass through the proper sanctions, is a perilous and ungracious process, provocative of suspicions concerning the good faith of those who have recourse to it. But other objections

1 Diurnal of Occurrents, 28. Sadler State Papers, i. 298, 314. "The question of the parliamentary ratification of the treaties is not in a satisfactory condition. There is no parliamentary record of the ratification. The way in which such matters are casually mentioned by contemporary writers is generally loose, and their statements do not acquire precision or accuracy in the repetition of their tenor by ambitious historians. We have nothing on this matter but brief notices, as where Sadler says, "There was some question of the validity of the treaties, which they alleged to be passed privately, and not by public authority."-Sadler State Papers, i. 304.

were found. Beaton was selected as the spokesman to announce them to the English ambassador, who, according to his own showing, held his part with skill and courage under the double discouragement of singly facing a hostile assemblage, and inwardly regretting the policy he had to vindicate.

It was maintained that King Henry himself had not given the treaties his solemn ratification by his oath and signature, and the great seal. This was admitted, and it was said that the Scots on their part had not sent up the stipulated hostages-an illogical defence, for the sending of the hostages, being the fulfilment of the treaties, naturally followed their adoption by the proper ratification. There was more in this, however, than could be well told on so public and solemn an occasion; for it was believed in Scotland that, at the very time of the adjustment of the treaty by the commissioners of both nations, Henry had taken renewed obligations from the "English lords." It was believed, as a corollary from this, that he purposely deferred the ratification of the treaties until he should see whether these secret friends of his could strengthen his hands for the demand of better terms.

Another point was, that if the English Government counted the treaties a completed business, they had grossly broken faith by invasions of the Scots border. The troubles on the borders had for some time been resolving themselves into a new shape, in which the Government of Scotland was at the worst only passive. If it could not restrain its people from following the hereditary practices of their race, they got no backing or encouragement. On the other hand, the English borderers were hounded on by the Government, and were supplied with Government money and aided by Government levies. Hence the pressure from the English side was so overwhelming, that the virtual frontier of the territory under English rule was creeping northward and absorbing Scots territory.

These two were not, however, the strong points in the discussion. The great stand was made on the seizure of the Scots vessels, a fact more palpable and indisputable