The Douglases Worldwide

WissamDouglas 1,254 views 376 slides Jun 24, 2016
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About This Presentation

Douglas Family Origin

Size: 18.65 MB
Language: en
Added: Jun 24, 2016
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AHISTORY
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AHISTORY
OFTHE
lOoueeof2)ougla6
FROMTHEEARLIESTTIMESDOWNTOTHE
LEGISLATIVEUNIONOFENGLANDANDSCOTLAND
BYTHE
RightHon.SirHERBERTMAXWELL
Bart.,M.P.,F.R.S.,LL.D.
PRESIDENTOFTHESOCIETYOFANTIQUARIESOFSCOTLAND
WITHANINTRODUCTIONBY
W.A.LINDSAY,WindsorHerald
INrjVOVOLUMES
Volume I
LONDON
FREEMANTLE &CO.
217PICCADILLYW
MCMII

^
!>7

CharlesAtexaiidci- iJoii^liis-Hoiiu-, 12thEar!ofHome,2ndBaronDouglasof
Douglas, etc.

DEDICATEDTO
CHARLESALEXANDERDOUGLAS
XIIEARLOFHOME
XotbBouQlasofBouolas
INGRATEFULACKNOWLEDGMENT OF
THEASSISTANCERENDEREDBYHIMIN
COMPILINGTHISWORK

CONTENTS
PAGE
ListofIllustrationsintheText...... xiii
ListoffullpageIllustrations...... xiv
ListofColouredShields....... xiv
PrincipalAuthoritiesquoted...... xvii
ThePrincipalIndividualsoftheHouseofDouglasreferredtointhis
Work......... xix
IntroductoryNoticebytheEditor...... xxiii
Author'sPreface........ xxvn
CHAPTER I
ThemakingofScotland,a.d.1054-1263—Foreignsettlers, 1100-1200
—
FirstappearanceofthenameDouglas,1174-1199—Doubtfulorigin
ofthefamily—SuggestedconnectionwiththatofMoray—Meaningof
thenameofDouglas—i.WilliamdeDouglas, c.iiy^-c.1214—The
familyofScotiofPiacenza-—ii.BricedeDouglas,BishopofMoray,
1203-1222—iii.SirArchibalddeDouglas, c.1214-c.1240—St.
Bride'sChurchofDouglas—iv.SirWilliamdeDouglas,"Long-leg,"
c.1240-1274—V.HughdeDouglas, c.1274—vi.SirWilliamde
Douglas,"leHardi,'V.1274-1302—AbductionofEleanordeFerrers,
1288—SwearsfealtytoEdward,1291—ThesackofBerwick,1296
—
Douglasimprisoned,1296—Wallace'srising,1296—Thesubmission
ofIrvine,1297—Secondimprisonment ofDouglas,1297—Hisdeath
intheTower, c.i';o2....... 1-28
CHAPTER II
"TheGood" SirJamesofDoulgas,died1330—Declaresfor
Bruce,1306—BattleofMethven,1306—RaidofBrodick,1307—The
Douglaslarder,1307—SecondassaultonDouglasCastle,1307[?]
—
AffairofRaplochMoss,1307—BattleofLoudonHill,lothMay
1307—ThirdassaultonDouglas Castle,1307[?]—Captureof
ThomasRandolph,1308—BattleofPassofBrander,August1308
—

viii CONTENTS
CaptureofRoxburghCastle,6thMarch1314—BattleofBannockburn,
24thJune1314—PursuitofKingEdwardbyDouglas,24thJune1314
—RepeatedraidsintoEngland,1314-1316—AffairofLintalee,1316
—SinglecombatwithNevill,1316—SiegeandcaptureofBerwick,
1317—The"ChapterofMyton,"1319—SecrettreatywithLancaster,
i320^Edward 11.invadesScotland,1320—BattleofBiland,14th
October1322—TheEmeraldCharter,1324—CampaignofWeardale,
1327—Douglas'sCamisade,August1327—Treatyofpeace,1328
—
DeathofRobert i.,7thJune1329—ExpeditionwiththeHeartof
Bruce,1330—DeathofSirJamesDouglas,25thAugiist1330
.29-65
CHAPTER III
viii.William,LordofDouglas,died1333—ix.Hugh,"theDull,"Lord
ofDouglas, c.1294-1342—X.SirArchibaldDouglas,"theTine-
man,"RegentofScotland, c.1296-1333—ThedisinheritedLords,
1332—Reappearance ofEdwardBaliol,1332—CamisadeofAnnan,
December1332—SirArchibaldappointedRegent,1333—Battleof
HalidonHill,19thJuly1333—xi.SirWilliam, istEarlofDouglas
andEarlofMar,c.1327-1384—SlaughteroftheKnightofLiddes-
dale,August1353—WarrenewedwithEngland,1355—TheBurnt
Candlemas,1356—BattleofPoitiers,19thSeptember1356—Libera-
tionofKingDavid,3rdOctober1357—DouglascreatedEarl,26th
January1358—MarriesMargaretofMar, c.1357—Douglastakes
armsagainsttheKing,1363—NegotiationswithEdwardiii.,1363
—
ReneweddisaffectionofDouglas,1363-1369—Douglasresignslands
ofDalkeith,6thApril1370—DisputestheSuccession,1371—Becomes
EarlofMar, c.1374—DisturbanceontheBorder,1378-13S0
—
CaptureofSirThomasMusgrave,1377—DouglasinvadesEngland,
1380—CaptureofLochmaben, 4thFebruary13S4—Deathofthe
EarlofDouglasandMar,1384..... 66-98
CHAPTERIV
James,2ndEarlofDouglasandMar, c.1358-1388—Arrivalof
FrenchknightsinEdinburgh,April[?]13S4—Frenchexpeditionto
Scotland,May1385—Richard 11.invadesScotland,1385—Douglas
leadstheFrenchintoCumberland,1385—RaidsCockermouth, 1386
—FreshinvasionofEngland,August1388—DouglascapturesPercy's
pennon,August1388—BattleofOtterburn, 12th[?]August138S
—
DeathoftheEarlofDouglas,August
138S . . . 99-1
'3
CHAPTERV
xiii.SirArchibald"theGrim,"3rdEarlofDouglas,EarlofWigtown
andLordofGalloway, c.1325-1400—TakenprisoneratPoitiers,
1356—AppointedConstableofEdinburghCastle, c.1361—Sentas

CONTENTS ix
PAGE
envoytoFrance,1369—ReceivesthelordshipofGalloway,1369
—
PurchasestheearldomofWigtown,1372—MarriesJoannaMoray,
heiressofBothwell,1371—BuildstheCastleoftheThrieve, c.
\yT2.-
1379—AmendsthecodesofGallowayandtheMarches,1385
—
Succeedsas3rdEarlofDouglas,138S—InvadesEnglandwiththe
EarlofFife,1389—Standsumpireinaduel, c.1395—Refusesa
dukedom,139S—AnarchyinScotland,1398—TheDukeofRothesay's
marriage,1400—DeathofArchibald"theGrim,"1400—xiv.Sir
WilhamDouglas,LordofNithsdale, ob.c.1392—MarriesEgidia,
daughterofRobert li.,1387—Expedition toIreland,1388—Killed
atDanzig,c.1392—xv.SirWilliamDouglas,2ndLordofNithsdale,
c.1388-^.1408...... 114-128
CHAPTERVI
ArchibaldDouglas, 1stDukeofTouraine,4thEarlofDouglas,etc.,
c.1372-1424—MarriesMargaret,daughterofRobertIII.,c.1390
—
DefeatsMarchandHotspurPercy,1400—Henryiv.invadesScot-
land,August1400—SiegeofEdinburgh Castle,August1400
—
ArchibaldDouglassucceedsas4thEarlofDouglas,24thDecember
1400—DeathoftheDukeofRothesay,27thMarch1402—Battleof
Homildon Hill,14thSeptember1402—CaptureofDouglas,14th
September1402—BattleofShrewsbury,25thJuly1403—Recapture
ofDouglas,25thJuly1403—HiscapitivityinEngland,1402-1413—
BecomesLordofAnnandale,2ndOctober1409—TravelstoFrance,
1412—TheFoulRaid,1416—DouglastakesserviceundertheKing
ofEngland,30thMay1421—AndundertheKingofFrance,1423—
CreatedDukeofTouraineandLieutenant-General ofFrance,19th
April1424—BattleofVemeuil,17thAugust1424—DeathoftheEarl
ofDouglas,17thAugust1424..... 129-148
CHAPTERVII
.Archibald,5thEarlofDouglas,EarlofWigtownandLongueville,
LordofGallowayandAnnandale, c.1390-1439—BattleofBauge,
2istMarch1421—-RoutofFresnay-le-rComte, 1421—Battleof
Crevant,July1422—ReturnofJames i.toScotland,1424—Exe-
cutionofMurdoch,DukeofAlbany,1425—Douglasappointed
Lieutenant-General ofScotland,March1437—Hisdeath,26thJune
1439—xviii.William,6thEarlofDouglas,EarlofWigtown,Lord
ofGalloway, etc.,1439-1440—MurderofDouglasandhisbrother,
24thNovember1440—DivisionoftheDouglasestates,1440—xix.
Tames"theGross,"7thEarlofDouglas, istEarlofAvondale,and
LordBalvany—SlaughterofSirDavidFleming,14thFebruary1406
—^JamestheGrosscreatedEarlofAvondaleandJustice-General,
1437—Succeedsas7thEarlofDouglas,November1440—Hisdeath,
24thMarch1443...... 149-161

X CONTENTS
CHAPTERVIII
PAGE
William,SthEarlofDouglas,2ndEarlofAvondale,LordofGallo-
way,etc.,1424-1452—IsappointedLieutenant-General, April1443
—RaiseswaragainstChancellor Crichton,20thAugust1443
—
iNIarriestheFairMaidofGalloway,1444—FeudbetweentheBlack
DouglasandtheRed,1443—DouglasclaimstheDuchyofTouraine,
1448—RenewalofBorderwarfare,1449—FalloftheLivingstones,
1449—DouglastravelstoRome,November1450—Hisreconciliation
withtheKing,1451—FormsaleaguewiththeEarlofCrawford,
1451—MurderoftheEarlofDouglas,February1452—xxi.Archibald
Douglas,EarlofMoray, c.1427-1455—RaidsStrathbogie,May1452
—DefeatsHuntlyatDunkinty,1452—Isforfeited,1452—Andrein-
stated,August1452—HisdeathatArkinholm, 1455—xxii.Hugh
Douglas,EarlofOrmond, c.1429-1455—BattleoftheSark,23rd
October1449—ExecutionofOrmond,I455^vxiii.JohnDouglas,
LordofBalvany, c.1430-1463—EscapesfromthebattleofArkin-
holm,1455—ActsintheserviceofEdwardiv.,1461—Hiscapture
andexecution,1463—xxiv.James,9thEarlofDouglas,3rdEarlof
Avondale, etc.,c.1425-1488—DefiesKingJames,17thMarch1452
—Makessubmission toKingJames,28thAugust1452—Marrieshis
brother'swidow,1453—ReleaseofMalise,EarlofStrathern,1453
—
TheKingmakeswaronDouglas,1455—Douglasseeksrefugein
England,1453—BattleofArkinholm, 1455—Forfeitureofthe
Douglases, loth,12thJune1455—TakingoftheThrieve,1455
—
Douglas'sembassytotheLordoftheIsles,June1461—Theaffairof
Kirtlebank,24thJuly1484—CaptureoftheEarlofDouglas,24th
July14S4—Hisdeath,1488—TheFairMaidofGalloway . 162-207
CHAPTERIX
.SirAndrewDouglasofHerdmanston, etc.—xxvi.WilliamDouglas
ofHerdmanston, c.1277—xxvii.SirJamesDouglasofLothian,
c.1307—xxviii. SirWilliamDouglas,"KnightofLiddesdale,"
c.1300-1353—MadeWardenoftheMarches,1330—CapturedbySir
AntonydeLucy,1333—BattleofBoroughMoor,istAugust1335
—
BattleofKilblain,30thNovember1335—DouglasreconquersTeviot-
dale,1339-1342—CaptureofEdinburghCastle,i6thApril1341—
DouglasencounterstheEarlofDerby,December1341—Ramsay
capturesRoxburgh Castle,31stMarch1342—SlaughterofSir
AlexanderRamsay,1342—FallofWilliamBullock, c.1343—
Douglas isrestoredtofavour,1342—David 11.invadesEngland,
October1346—BattleofNeville'sCross,17thOctober1346—
Douglas iscaptured,17thOctober1346—SlaughterofSirDavid
Barclay,1350—DouglasbecomesKingEdward'sman,17thJuly
1352—Plisdeath,August1353—xxix.SirHenryDouglasofLugton,
died1393....... 208-228

CONTENTS xi
CHAPTERX
PAGE
.SirJamesDouglasofDalkeithandMorton, c.1355-1420—Marries
AgnesofDunbar,1372—FoundstheCollegiateChurchofDalkeith,
June1406—Hisdeath,1420—Hiswill,1390-1392—xxxi.Sir
JamesDouglas, istLordDalkeith, c.\y]2.-c.1441—Createda
LordofParliament—Hisdeath, c.1441—xxxii. SirJames
Douglas, 2ndLordDalkeith—Marries Elizabeth Gifford—
xxxiii.SirJamesDouglas,istEarlofMorton,3rdLordDalkeith,
ob.c.1504—CreatedEarlofMorton,1458—MarriesLadyJoan,
daughterofJames i.,1458—Hisdeath, c.1504—xxxiv.SirJohn
Douglas,2ndEarlofMorton,4thLordDalkeith, ob. c.1528—
MarriesJanetCrichton—Hisdeath, c.1528—xxxv.James
Douglas, 3rdEarlofMorton, 5thLordDalkeith—IMarries
KatharineStuart—Deprivedofhisearldomandlands,17thOctober
1540—DeprivationofDouglasofLochleven,January1541—Morton
isrestored,24thApril1543—Hisdeath,1552
. . 229-245
CHAPTERXI
xxxvi.JamesDouglas,4thEarlofMorton,RegentofScotland, c.
1516-1581—MarriesElizabeth,daughterofthe3rdEarlofMorton
[xxxv.],1543—
JoinstheLordsoftheCongregation,December
1557—SignstheReformers'Covenant,27thApril1560—Appointed
ChancellorofScotland,1562—TheCountessofLennoxrenounces
herclaimtotheearldomofAngus,1565—MurderofDavidRiccio,
9thMarch1566—MortonfliestoEngland,1566—Isrecalled,January
1567—ConspiracyagainstDarnley,1567—xxxvii.ArchibaldDouglas,
parsonofGlasgow,diedc.1600—CivilWar,June1567—Surrender
ofQueenINIary,14thJune1567—TheCasketLetters,20thJune
1567—
QueenMaryescapesfromLochleven,2ndMay1568—Battle
ofLangside,13thMay156S—EarlofLennoxappointedRegent,
12thJuly1570
. . . . . . 246-267
CHAPTERXII
SlaughterofRegentLennox,4thSeptember 1571—Morton elected
Regent,24thNovember1572—PacificationofPerth,23rdFebruary
1573—DeprivedoftheRegency,8thMarch1578—Resumesauthority,
5thMay1578—Arrestedonachargeofmurder,29thDecember
1580—Histrialandexecution, istand2ndJune1581-—Treacheryof
ArchibaldDouglas,1572—HefliestoEngland,December1580
—
IstriedforDarnley'smurder,26thMay15S6—Goesasambassador
toEngland,1586...... 268-293

LISTOFILLUSTRATIONS IN
THETEXT
FIGS.
I.
2.
3-
4-
5-
6.
SealofBriceofDouglas,BishopofMoray(1208)
Reversesideofseal......
OpeningwordsofcharterbyBriceDouglas,BishopofMoray(1208)
SealofSirWilliamofDouglas(leHardi)(1296)
SealofWilliam,LordofDouglas(f.1332)
.
Matrixofsameseal......
7.SealofHughofDouglas,acanon ((•.1294-.:.1342)
.
8.SealofWilliam,LordofDouglas(1342-1384)
9.SealoftheEarlofDouglas.....
10.SealoftheEarlofDouglasandMar....
11.SealofIsabellaDouglas,CountessofMar{c.1400) .
SignetoftheEarlofDouglasandMar
SealofSirArchibaldofDouglas(theGrim)(1373)
.
SealoftheEarlofDouglasandLordofGalloway(i389-1400)
SealoftheEarlofDouglasandLordofGalloway(1389-1400)
SealofArchibald,4thEarlofDouglas(1400)
SignetofArchibald,4thEarlofDouglas
SealofArchibald,4thEarlofDouglas,LordofGalloway(1400)
SealofPrincessMargaret,DuchessofTouraine
20,21.SealsofArchibald,2ndDukeofTouraine,5thEarlofDouglas
etc.(1424-1439)......
22.SealofWilliam,3rdDukeofTouraine,6thEarlofDouglas,etc
(1439).......
JusticiarySealofJames,7thEarlofDouglas(1440-1443')
SealofWilliam,8thEarlofDouglas(1443-1452)
SealofWilliam,8thEarlofDouglas(1443-1452)
26.SealofJames,9thEarlofDouglas(1452-1488)
27.SealofArchibaldDouglas,EarlofMoray
SealofJames,MasterofDouglas{an(e1452).
SignatureofJames,9thEarlofDouglas
(1454)
RuinsoftheCollegiateChurchofDalkeith
32.ArmorialstonesinDalkeithChurch
34)35'SealsofJamesDouglas,EarlofMorton,Regent
36.SignatureofJamesDouglas,EarlofMorton(1565)
.
37.SealofElizabethDouglas,CountessofMorton
37A.SignatureofMatthew,EarlofLennox(1565)
12.
13-
14.
15-
16.
17-
18.
19.
23-
24.
2<.
28.
29.
31,
33.
PAGE
IS
15
26
68
68
70
76
81
88
94
94
IIS
117
119
130
131
146
147
153
155
160
164
166
173
177
182
202
239
240
286
287
293
293

XIV LISTOFILLUSTRATIONS
FULLPAGEILLUSTRATIONS
JamesDouglas,4thEarlofMorton,RegentofScotland,1572
ArmsofMorayandDouglas,BothwellCastle
Tombof"theGoodSirJames"inSt.Bride'sChurchof
Douglas......
TheThrieve,Galloway....
TombofMargaret,CountessofDouglas,inLincludenChurch
ArmorialbearingsonCountessMargaret'stomb
TombofJames"theGross,"7thEarlofDouglas,inSt
Bride'sChurchofDouglas
ArmsandInscriptiononthetombofJames"theGross"
BothwellCastle,Lanarkshire....
HermitageCastle,Liddesdale...
MortonCastle,Dumfriesshire...
Tombof1stEarlandCountessofMortoninDalkeith
Church......
MonumenttoLadyMargaretDouglas
JamesDouglas,4thEarlofMorton(Regent),fromapainting
atDalmahoy......
15S1Fr
I'acins;
ontispiece
page 1
1
64
„119
„14S
,,148
,,160
,,160
„163
„219
,,230
,,240
„251
.,253
LISTOFCOLOUREDSHIELDS
CharlesAlexanderDouglas-Home, 12thEarlofHome,2nd
BaronDouglasofDouglas,etc. . . . OppositeDedication
SirJamesdeDouglas ((?/'.1330).... Facingpage14
Morayofold . . . . . . .
,, ,, 14
DouglasofDalkeith (if.1300) . . . .
,, ,, 14
SirHenryDouglasofLochleven (o(5.1350)
. . .
,, ,, 14
EnricoScotti-Douglas,Conted'Agazano(1900) . •
j, >> 68
SirGeorgeDouglasofPittendreich,MasterofAngus(1550) ,, ,, 68
DouglasofMains(1590)
. . . . .
,, ,, 68
SirWilliamDouglasofGlenbervie,afterwards9thEarlof
Angus(1587) ,, ,, 68
JohnDouglasofBonjedward (r.1450)
. . .
,, ,,112
WilliamDouglasofDrumlanrig(14
12)
. . .
,, ,,112
ArchibaldDouglasofCavers(1412)
. . . .
,, ,,112
WilliamDouglasofWhittingham(1567)
. . .
,, ,,112

LISTOFILLUSTRATIONS XV
WilliamDouglas,EarlofWigtown(1421) .
WilliamDouglas,9thEarlofAngus(pb.1591)
William,1stMarquessofDouglas{ob.1660)
.
TheRegentMorton[pb.1660)
SirWilliamDouglas,LordofNithsdale(1387)
James,lastEarlofDouglas{ob.1488)
ArchibaldDouglas,EarlofMoray[ob.1455)
HughDouglas,EarlofOrmond{ob.1455)
.

PRINCIPALAUTHORITIESQUOTED
ABBREVIATEDREFERENCE.
ActsofPari.Scot.
Aiichinleck .
Bain , . . .
Barbour .
Bool:ofCarlavcrock .
Bo}-derPapers
Bower
Bowes
Calderwood .
DmrnalofOccurrents.
ExchequerRolls .
Fcedera
FORDUN .
VOL.I
TITLE.
77^1?ActsoftheParllaineittsofScotland,1S44-1S75.
12vols.
AneaddiciowtofscottisCornikUsandDeidis(usually
knownasthe"Auchinleck Chronicle"), editedby
ThomasThomson. 1819-1877.
CalendarofDociivientsrelatingtoScotland, 1108-
1509,
4vols.,editedbyJosephBain,H.M.GeneralRegis-
terHouse,Edinburgh. 1881-88.
TheBrus,writbeMasterJohneBarbour. Spalding
Club,1856.
TheBookofCarlaverock,byWilliamFraser. 2vols.
Privatelyprinted,1872.
CalendarofLettersandPapersrelatingtotheAffairsof
theBordersofEnglandandScotland,preservedin
H.M.PublicRecordOfiice,London. Editedby
JosephBain. 3vols. 1894-1900.
JohannisdeFordunScotichroniconcumsupplcinentiset
continuatione IValteriBoweri:curaWaltcriGoodall.
Edinburgh,1759.
TheCorrespondence ofRobertBowesofAske,Esq.
,
theAmbassadorofQueenElizabethintheCourtof
Scotland. SurteesSociety,1842.
TheHistoryoftheKirkofScotland,byMr.David
Calderwood. 8vols.Edinburgh,1843.
ADiurnalofRema}-kableOccurrentsthathavepassed
withintheCountryofScotlandsincetheDeathof
JatnesIV.tilltheyearMDLXXV. Bannatyne
Club,1833.
TheExchequerRollsofScotland,1264-1507. 12vols.
H.M.GeneralRegisterHouse,Edinburgh. 1S78-
1888.
Fcedera,Conventiones, Lilerce,etc.,accuranteThoma
Rymer,2ndedit.20vols.London,1727.
JohannisdeFordunChronicaGentisScotortan,2vols.,
editedbyW.F.Skene. Edinburgh,1871.
b

xviiiPRINCIPALAUTHORITIESQUOTED
ABBREVIATEDREFERENCE.
Fraser
HaTuilionPapers
HenryVIILLetters
HistoricalMSS.
Lanercost .
LettersandPapers
Melville .
Memoriales
Morton
PiTCAIRN .
riTSCOTTIE
Pluscarden
Scalacronica
Stevenson
Wyntoun .
TheDouglasBooh,byWilliamFraser,C.B.,4vols.
Privatelyprinted,1885.
LettersandPapersillustratingthePoliticalRelationsof
EnglandandScotlandintheXVLthCeiittiry,formerly
inthepossessionoftheDukesofHamilton,nowin
theBritishMusemn. EditedbyJosephBain.2vols.
H.M.GeneralRegisterPlouse,Edinburgh. 1890.
LettersandPapers,ForeignandDomestic,oftheReign
ofHenryVLIL,RollsSeries. 1867.
ReportsoftheHistoricalMamiscripts Commission.
PresentedtobothHousesofParliamentbycommand
ofHerMajesty.
ChronicondeL^anercost,MCCL.-MCCCXL VL.Mait-
landClub,1839.
Litersa7idPapersillitstraliveoftheWarsoftheEng-
lishinFranceduringthereignofHenryVI.,Rolls
Series. 1861.
MemoirsofhisozvnLife,bySirJamesMelvilleofHal-
hill,MDXLix-MDXCiii. BannatyneClub,1827.
MemorialesofTransactionsinScotland,
1569-1573)by
RichardBannatyne,SecretarytoJohnKnox.Ban-
natyneClub,1836.
RegistrumHonorisdeMorton. 2vols.Bannatyne
Club,1853.
CriminalTrialsinScotlandfrom1488-1624,by
RobertPitcairn. 3vols.Edinburgh,1833.
TheHistoricandCroniclesofScotland,fro?nthe
slauchterofKingJamestheFirsttotheanethousande
fyvehundreith thriescoirfyfteinyeir,byRobert
LindesayofPitscottie. 2vols.TheScottishText
Society,1899.
LiberPluscardensis, editedbyFelixSkene. 2vols.
Edinburgh,1877.
Scalacronica,bySirThomasGrayofHeton,Knight.
MaitlandClub,1836.
Documents illustrative oftheHistoryofScotland,
MCCLXXXVI.-MCCCVL, editedbytheRev.
J.
Stevenson,H.M.GeneralRegisterHouse,Edin-
burgh. 1870.
TheOrygynaleCronykilofScotland,byAndrewof
Wyntoun,editedbyDavidLaing. Edinburgh,1S72.

THEPRINCIPALINDIVIDUALSOFTHE
HOUSEOFDOUGLASREFERREDTO
INTHISWORK
VI.
vii.
viii.
ix.
X.
Xll.
xiii.
xiv.
XV,
xvi.
xvii.
xviii.
xix.
XX.
xxi.
xxii.
xxiii.
xxiv.
,WilliamdeDouglas, c.1174-f.12
14
BricedeDouglas,BishopofMoray,ob.1222
SirArchibalddeDouglas,oh.c.1240
SirWilliamdeDouglas,"Long-leg,"ob.1276 .
HughdeDouglas,married1259 .
SirWilliamdeDouglas,"leHardi,"ob.1302
SirJamesDouglas,"theGood,"c.1290-1330
William,LordofDouglas,ob.1333
HughDouglas,"theDull,"1294-1342 .
SirArchibaldDouglas,"Tineman," (?(5.
1333
SirWilliamDouglas,1stEarlofDouglasandEarlofMar
c.1327-1384.....
JamesDouglas,2ndEarlofDouglas,1358-1388 .
SirArchibaldDouglas,"
theGrim,"3rdEarlofDouglas,
EarlofWigtoun,andLordofGallowa}', c.1325-1400
SirWilliamDouglas,1stLordofNithsdale, r.1367-r.1392
SirWilliamDouglas,2ndLordofNithsdale, ob.c.1408 .
Archibald Douglas, 4thEarlofDouglas,Dukeof
Touraine, etc., c.1372-1424.
ArchibaldDouglas,5thEarlofDouglas,etc.,c.1390-1439
WilliamDouglas,6thEarlofDouglas,etc.,c.1425-1440
JamesDouglas,"theGross,"7thEarlofDouglas,etc.,
oh.1443......
WilliamDouglas,8thEarlofDouglas,etc.
ArchibaldDouglas,EarlofMoray, ^1^.1455
HughDouglas,EarlofOrmond, ^i^.
1455
JohnDouglas,LordofBalvany,ob.1463 .
JamesDouglas,9thandlastEarlofDouglas, etc.,
.:.1425-1452......
SirAndrewdeDouglas,ancestoroftheEarlsofMorton,
alivein1259
. .....
WilliamdeDouglasofHerdmanston, oh.c.1350
.
PAGE
9
14
16
iS
19
20
29
66
69
71
76
99
114
126
128
129
149
154
157
163
174
177
iSo
181
209
209

XX PRINCIPALINDIVIDUALSOF
XXVll.
xxviii.
xxix.
XXX.
xxxi.
xxxii.
xxxiii.
xxxvii.
xxxviii.
xxxix.
xl.
xli.
xlii.
xliii.
xliv.
xlv.
xlvi.
xlvii.
xlviii.
xlix.
1.
li.
Hi.
Hii.
liv.
Iv.
Ivi.
Ivii.
Iviii.
lix.
Ix.
Ixi.
Ixii.
Ixiii.
Ixiv.
SirJamesdeDouglasofLothian,ob.c.1320
SirWilliamdeDouglas,"Knight ofLiddesdale,"
c.1300-1353.....
SirHenryDouglasofLochlevenandLugton
SirJamesDouglasofLothian,0^.1420
SirJamesDouglas,istLordDalkeith,ob.c.1450
SirJamesDouglas,2ndLordDalkeith,ob.c.1456
SirJamesDouglas,3rdLordDalkeithandistEarlof
Morton,ob.c.1504....
JohnDouglas,2ndEarlofMorton,4thLordDalkeith
ob.c.1515.....
JamesDouglas,3rdEarlofMorton,5thLordDalkeith
ob.1553
JamesDouglas,4thEarlofMorton,6thLordDalkeith
RegentofScotland, c.1516-1581
ArchibaldDouglas,ParsonofGlasgow
GeorgeDouglas,-1stEarlofAngus, c.1376-1402.
WilliamDouglas,2ndEarlofAngus, c.1398-1437
WilliamDouglasofCluny,ob.c.1475
JamesDouglas,3rdEarlofAngus,ob.1446
GeorgeDouglas,4thEarlofAngus,ob.1462
ArchibaldDouglas,"
Bell-the-Cat," 5thEarlofAngus,
1449-1514.....
SirRobertDouglasofLochleven
GeorgeDouglas,MasterofAngus,1469-1513
SirWilliamDouglasofGlenbervie,(7(5.1513
GavinDouglas,BishopofDunkeld,Poet,1474-1522
SirArchibald Douglas ofKilspindie, "Greysteil,
'
c.1480-^.1540....
WilliamDouglas,AbbotofHolyrood, c.1495-1528
ArchibaldDouglas,6thEarlofAngus, c.1489-1556
SirGeorgeDouglasofPittendreich,MasterofAngus
c.1490-1552....
SirJamesDouglas,7thLordofDrumlanrig
JanetDouglas,LadyGlamis,ob.1537
GeorgeDouglas,BishopofMoray,ob.c.1590
DavidDouglas,7thEarlofAngus, c.1515-1557
ArchibaldDouglas,8thEarlofAngus, c.1555-1588
WilliamDouglas,9thEarlofAngus, c.1532-1591
SirWilliamDouglasofLochleven, 7thEarlofMorton
ob.1606.....
GeorgeDouglas,youngerbrotherofIviii.
.
WilliamDouglas,lothEarlofAngus,c.1554-1611
WilliamDouglas,8thEarlofMorton,1582-1648
WilHamDouglas,nthEarlofAngusandistMarquessof
Douglas,
1589-1660 .
JamesDouglas,LordMordington, ob.1656
ArchibaldDouglas,EarlofAngus,sonofIxii.,c.1609-1655
PAGE
209
209
227
229
235
237
240
242
258
5
8
II
12
14
22
243
48
55
96
61
64
68
251
lOI
128
129
130
150
156
158
165
1S5
ISo
197

THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS XXI
Ixv.LordJamesDouglas,3rdsonofIxii.,c.1617-1645
Ixvi.LordWilliamDouglas,istEarlofSelkirkand3rdDuke
ofHamilton,1634-1694
Ixvii.LordGeorgeDouglas,EarlofDunbarton, c.1636-1692
Ixviii.ArchibaldDouglas,istEarlofForfar,2ndsonofIxiv.
1653-1712.....
Ixix.JohnDouglas,1stEarlofRuglen
Ixx.GeorgeDouglas, istEarlofOrkney,5thsonofIxvi.
ob.1737.....
Ixxi.JamesDouglas-Hamilton, 4thDukeofHamilton,1658-
1743......
Ixxii.JamesDouglas,2ndMarquessofDouglas, c.1646-1700
Ixxiii.JamesDouglas,EarlofAngus,sonofIxxii.,c.1671-1692
Ixxiv.ArchibaldDouglas,3rdMarquessofDouglasand1stand
onlyDukeofDouglas,1694-1761
Ixxv.LadyJaneDouglas,daughterofIxxii. ,1698-1753
Ixxvi.ArchibaldSteuart-Douglas, istLordDouglasofDouglas
1748-1827.....
Ixxvii.SirWilliamDouglas,istLordofDrumlanrig, ob.1421
Ixxviii.SirWilliamDouglas,6thLordofDrumlanrig, ob.1513
Ixxix.SirJamesDouglas,8thLordofDrumlanrig,grandson
oflii.,ob.1615.....
Ixxx.SirWilliamDouglas,9thLordofDrumlanrig, istEarl
ofQueensberry, ob.1640
Ixxxi.JamesDouglas,2ndEarlofQueensberry, ob.167
1
Ixxxii.WilliamDouglas,3rdEarlandistMarquessandist
DukeofQueensberry, ob.1695
Ixxxiii.JamesDouglas,2ndDukeofQueensberryandistDuke
ofDover,1662-1711....
Ixxxiv.RobertDouglas,ProvostofLincluden, ob.c.161
5
PAGE
193
200
194
200
204
205
206
217
227
230
232
244
247
250
259
262
263
265
275
255

INTRODUCTORYNOTICEBYTHE
EDITOR
Itisproposedtoissueaseriesofhistoriesofthosefamilies
whichhavemoreespeciallycontributedtothedevelopment
ofGreatBritainandIreland. Itmatters littleforthe
purposeinviewwhethertheparticularfamilyassistedor
opposedthatwhich isnowconsidered thegoodofthe
people—whetherafamilywasbornetovictoryonthe
crestofapopularwave,orwasanobstaclewhichhadto
beremovedanddestroyed, itshistoryisequallyimportant.
Thosewhowritethehistoriesofnationscandealonly
withtheactsofKingsorPeoplesaslandmarksoftime,or
astheoutwardandvisibleproductsofchangesinthought
orbelief.Thosewholimittheirhorizoncanseeillustrated
insomegreatnoblehousestheeddiesofthebroadstream
ofhumanhistory ;andtheseminorhistoriansareaptto
bemoreaccurateindetailsandlessinfluencedbyprecon-
ceivedtheoriesthanthehistoriansofkingdoms. The
historiesofwhichthefirstisnowofferedtothepublic,are
notintendedtobemeregenealogical chronicles,norto
glorifytheancestorsofthegreat.Theobjectrather isto
recordwhatpartwasplayedbycertainprominentfamilies
inthereceived historicaldrama ;tocollectthefamily
versionsofanationalstory,—andthustoassistinunveil-
ingthehiddenmotivesofpastactors.
Theimportance ofthisminorevidence isinvaluable,

xxiv INTRODUCTORYNOTICE
forstatepaperswereusuallyintendedtoconcealorpervert
thetruth;whereasfamilypaperswereprimarilyintended
asdirectconfessionsofmotive,andwererarelywrittenwith
theideathattheywouldbepublished totheworld. Itis
claimed,therefore,onbehalfoftheseriesofvolumesnow
commenced,thatinadditiontothecharmofrealromance,
theywillbeofvaluetothescientifichistorianofthefuture.
Thatthesestorieswillthrowfreshlightonmanyvexed
questions,andsometimesshowfromadifferentaspectthose
nowregarded asshining lightsofreligiousandcon-
stitutional strife,isprobable.Asthecriticalperiodsofthe
religious schism,theRebellion,andtheRevolution are
reached,theeventsofhistorycannotfullybeunderstood
withoutacomparisonoftherivalviewsofCatholicand
ProtestantHouses.Thematerialforsuchfamilyhistories,
collectedmostlybytheHistoricalManuscriptsCommission,
hasonlybeenavailable for,atthem.ost,twodecades.
Formerlythehistoryofafamilywastheworkofaservant
writingforapatron,andnothingderogatorytoanancestor
wasallowedtoappear. Fabulous originswereinvented,
seldomlessthanregal,sometimes quasi-divine ;butthe
tasteforsuchfancieshashappily leftus. Itremainsto
narratewithduerespect,butwithhonestcriticism,thework
ofdeadheroes,andtoshowhowthehereditaryinstinctin
afamilyhascontributedtothedevelopmentofthenation.
Thefamilieswhichfirstsuggestedthemselvesastypical
ofEnglandandScotland,AncientandModern,werePercy
andDouglas,andforconvenience thelatterappears first.
CertainlyinnooneofHisMajesty'skingdomshasanyone
familybeensoidentifiedwiththenationalhistorythanwas
DouglasinScotland. Emergingfromanorigincradledin
mythsteppedwarriorafterwarrior,theprincipalfiguresin
eachScottishhost,theheartandsoulofeverywarlike
enterprise.Nowthatthepredominantpowerofanyone

INTRODUCTORYNOTICE xxv
familyisimpossible,exceptperhapsinplaceswherechivalry
hasnohome,ifwelookbackfromourimperialedificeto
thebuildersoftheunitednations,weshallperceiveno
namemoreworthyofthehaloofromancethanDouglas.
Andstrangetosay,aHistoryofDouglashasneveryet
appeared,forneitherPedroPinedanorHumeofGodscroft
(asprinted)penetratedbeyondthethreshold—nortillthe
PublicRecordshadbeenprintedandfamilypapersunearthed,
was itpossibletoproduceanaccuratehistoryofmany
generations. InthecaseofDouglas,themostvaluable
assistancehasbeenrenderedbythelateSirWilliamFraser,
K.C.B.,whotranscribedandprintedfortheEarlofHome
manyofthechartersandpapersoftheEarlsofAngus.
Toweldallthepublicandprivateevidencethuscollected
intoaconnectedstory,attractivetothepublic,requiresthe
handofamasteroftheartofnarrative.
ThisthePublishersandEditorbelievetheyhavefound
inthatofSirHerbertMaxwell,whosedevelopmentofa
splendidthemeisnowsubmittedtothepublic.
W.A.LINDSAY.

AUTHOR'SPREFACE
ICONFESSthat,whenIundertook tocompileamemoirof
thehouseofDouglas, Iunderrated themagnitudeofthe
task.Todosothoroughlywouldbetowritethehistory
ofScotlandfromthethirteenthtotheeighteenthcentury^
withbiographical detailsoutsidetheselimits. Ihavebeen
compelled tobecontentwithanendeavourtotracethe
descentoftheprincipalfamiliessprungfromtheoriginal
stock,torelatethepartbornebythemostprominent
membersofthesefamilies intheaffairsoftheircountry,
andtoindicatetheoriginofminorbranchesbearingthe
commonname. Ithasnotbeenthoughtexpedientto
followthefortunesofthisessentiallyScottishhousebeyond
thedateofthelegislativeunionofScotlandwithEngland,
exceptbyabriefenumeration ofthesuccession inthe
variousprincipallinesafterthatperiod.Todomorewould
haveswelledtheworkbeyondmoderatebounds,sogreat
hasbeenthenumber,theenergy,andtheversatiletalents
ofthedescendantsofWilliamdeDouglas.
Itisonlytoocertainthatblundersmusthavecreptinto
suchalongandcomplicated narrative.Fromsomeof
theseIhavebeensavedbythevigilanceoftheEditorof
thisseriesoffamilyhistories
;fromothersbythekind-
nessofMr.AndrewLang,who,despite hisvariedand
incessant literarylabours,hasbeenatthepainstoread
theproofs.

xxviii PREFACE
TheDouglasBook,compiledbySirWilliamEraser,
andprivatelyprintedfortheEarlofHome,hasbeenan
invaluablecluetothelinesofDouglasandAngus,especi-
allyonaccountofthesplendid seriesofchartersand
correspondence printedtherein ;butithasnotalwaysbeen
possibletoviewtheactionofindividuals inpreciselythe
samefavourable lightasthateruditewritercastupon
them.
IamindebtedtotheEarlofHomeforpermissionto
reproduceengravings ofseals,signatures, etc.,fromthat
work,andtotheDukeofBuccleuch,theDukeofHamilton,
andtheEarlofMortonforleavetophotograph certain
familyportraits.ToSirThomasGibson-Carmichael Iowe
theprivilegeofreproducing forthefirsttimeanoriginal
drawing oftheRegentMorton (^Frontispiece, vol. i.).
Hitherto thishasbeenregardedasasketchfromthe
pictureatDalmahoy(vol. i.p.253);butinternalevidence
hasconvincedmethat itwasastudyfortheoriginal
picture. Intheupperright-handcornerthere isafaint
sketchofMorton'sheadinasoftcap,inprofile,and,
lowerdown,asketchofhislefthandontheswordhilt,
whichcouldnotberepresented initsproperplaceonso
smallasheet.Thecolouring—redbeard,andcuriouslypale
hazeleyes—hasherebeenfaithfullyreproducedfromthe
original.TheengravingoftheDalmahoyportrait(vol. i.
p.253)unfortunatelyhasbeenreversed. Thefigurehas
beenmadetofacetheleftinsteadoftheright,andthe
swordtohangbytherightside.
Sincethesepageswereprinted Ihavenoticedsome
factsinconnectionwiththeheraldryoftheMoraysor
Murrayswhichseemtobearontheirallegedcommon
originwiththeDouglases[seevol. i.pp.9—12]. Ithas
beenpointedoutinthetextthatitwouldbequitein
accordancewiththepracticeandspiritofScottishheraldry

PREFACE xxix
iftheoriginalarmsofDouglas
—
argent,onachiefazure,
threestarsofthefield—wereamerevariantoftheoriginal
armsofMoray
—
azure,threestarsargent—significantof
commondescent. But Iwasnotthenaware,orhad
forgotten,thatseveralbranchesofthefamilyofMoray,
residentwithinwhatwasDouglasterritoryofyore,actually
displaytheirstarsuponachief,afterthemannerofthe
Douglases.
ThusMurrayofBlackbarony, Peebles,gives
—
argent,a
fetterlockazure,onachiefofthelastthreestarsofthefirst.
MurrayofPhiliphaugh,Selkirkshire
—
argent,ahunting
hornsable,stringedandgarnishedgules :onachiefazure
threestarsofthefield,
MurrayofStanhope,Peeblesshire—
Quarterly, istand
4ththearmsofPhiliphaugh :2nd,azure,threefraises
argent :3rd,argentonacSixoigulesthreecrescentsor.
MurrayofClermont,Fifeshire
—
argent,afetterlock
sable,onachiefazurethreestarsofthefield :thewhole
withinabordurecrenellegules}Asanaditionalexample
ofthesignificanceofarmsasindicatingaffinityorpatronage,
thoseofInglisofManormaybecited—viz.azure,alion
rampant, inchiefthreestarsargent;uponwhichNisbet
observes
:
"JohnInglisofManorobtainsacharterofconfirmation ofhislandsof
Manorfromhissuperior,ArchibaldDukeofTouraine,EarlofDouglas
;and
thethreestarsinchief,carriedbythenameofInglis,Itaketobearmsof
patronage,andcarriedbythatname,upontheaccountthattheywerevassalsto
theDouglases."
^
Inregardtothegeneralconductofthisgreathouse
—
"Whosecoronetsooftencounterpoised theCrown"
—
Ihaveendeavoured toviewtheirrelationswiththeStuart
dynastyasdispassionately aspossible. IndoingsoIhave
^SeeNisbet'sHeraldryandDouglas'sBaronage.
-Nisbet'sHeraldry,vol.i.83.

XXX PREFACE
arrivedatajudgmentuponsuchmenastheist,4th,8th,
and9thEadsofDouglas,the5th,6th,and8thEarisof
Angus,andthe4thEarlofMorton,lessunfavourablethan
thatpronouncedbymorethanonehistorian,morelenient
thanmanyofmyreadersmayfeelabletoendorse. Ihave
donesowithafullsenseoftheunscrupulousmeanswhereby
theysometimespursued theirpolicy,butalsowithsome
regardtotheonlymethodsofpoliticalcontroversyrecog-
nisedaseffectiveatthecloseoftheMiddleAges.While
privateambitionandgreedofgainmustberecognisedas
notinfrequentmotivesinmorethanoneoftheseindividuals,
Ihavefeltunabletocondemnthetenacitywithwhich,gene-
rationaftergeneration,thechiefsofDouglasclungtothe
projectoftheunionofCrowns,whichexperiencehasproved
tohavebeenthetruesolutionofthedisputebetweenEng-
landandScotland
;norcan I,asaScotsman,withholda
tributeofgratitudefortheoppositionwhichtheymaintained
totheancientalliancewithFrance.Tothatalliance, itis
true,wasduethesuccessoftheScottishstruggleforinde-
pendence,byreasonofthedegreeinwhichtheEnglish
Kingswerecontinuallyembroiled inFrenchwars
;but
aftertheScottishpeoplehadembracedtheReformation,
furtherentanglement withthehouseofValoismusthave
proveddisastrous.
Lastly,Ihaveendeavouredtoavoidthesnarewhichhas
entrappedsomanywritersofScottishhistory,causingthem
torangethecharacters ineverycontroversyunderthe
headings ofgoodandbad,rightandwrong,afterthe
schemeofatranspontine melodrama. That isnotmy
readingoftoavOpcoiretov—humannature—atanyperiodor
inanycountry.Typesofgoodandevil—AbelsandCains,
HezekiahsandAhabs,LucretiasandMessalinas,Alfreds
andBorgias—manifestthemselvesfromtimetotime,
andbecomeseverely specialised
;butinpublic lifeas

PREFACE xxxi
private,thematerialofcharacter isseldomuniformthrough-
out,andcannotbeanalysedwithoutconstantreferenceto
circumstance, norjudgedindependently oftheethical
standardoftheage
—
"Virtuousandviciouseverymanmustbe,
Fewintheextreme,butallinthedegree
;
Therogueandfoolbyfitsisfairandwise,
Andeventhebest,byfitswhattheydespise."
Moralprinciple isunchanging, oritisnaught ;treachery,
violence,anddisloyaltyareeverlastingly evil ;butitisonly
intellectsofPharisaiccastthatareinsensiblehowgreatly
externalimpulseandrestraintvaryfromcenturytocentury.
Afterall,thereremainsthemelancholyreflectionwhat
tediousreadinghistorywouldaffordwereallrulersjustand
wise,allsubjectsloyalandcontented. Scarcelywouldthe
houseofDouglashavefurnishedanattractivethemehadall
itsmemberscompliedwithlawandorder,livingontheir
estates,accumulatingwealthandsecuringrespect. Ihave
triedtoexplaintheparttheyplayed inmoulding the
destinyoftheircountryandestablishingtheirownfortunes.
Ifthemeansthattheyemployedwerenotalwaysabove
reproach,theirmotivesnotinvariablysingleorlofty,we
mayatleastconsoleourselveswiththecynicalFrenchman's
observation :
"Lavertuestunetristechose :ellenelaisse
pointdesouvenirs."
HERBERTMAXWELL.
MONREITH,November1901.

THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
CHAPTER I
PAGE.
IThemakingofScotland,A.D.
1054-1263.
5Foreignsettlers, 1100-1200.
6Firstappearance ofthename
Douglas, 1
1
74-1199.
7Doubtfuloriginofthefamily.
9Suggestedconnectionwiththatof
Moray.
8MeaningofthenameofDouglas.
9
i.WilliamdeDouglas, c.1174-
c.1214.
12ThefamilyofScotiofPiacenza.
14 ii.BricedeDouglas,Bishopof
Moray,1203-1222.
16 iii.SirArchibalddeDouglas,
c.1214-r.1240.
17St.Bride'sChurchofDouglas.
iSiv.SirWilliam deDouglas,
"Long-leg," c.1240-1274.
19V.HughdeDouglas, c.1274.
20vi.SirWilliamdeDouglas,"le
Hardi," c.1274-1302.
21AbductionofEleanordeFerrers,
1288.
23SwearsfealtytoEdward i.,1291.
25ThesackofBerwick,1296.
,,Douglasimprisoned, 1296.
27Wallace'sRising,1296.
,,ThesubmissionofIrvine,1297.
28SecondimprisonmentofDouglas,
1297.
,,HisdeathintheTower, c.1302.
Perhaps itissafetoaffirmthatnocountryofsimilar
extenthasaffordedmorestirringmaterial forhistory
Themaking
thanScotland. Itistruethatthere isno
ofScotland,
counterpart inScottishliteraturetotheabundant
earlyIrishchronicles,whence chieflyourknowledge of
eventsprevious tothetwelfthcenturyinwhatwasto
becomeScotland isderived,and itwasnotuntilnear
thecloseofthefourteenthcenturythatJohnofFordun,
apriestofthedioceseofSt.Andrews,undertook the
firstcomprehensive historyofhiscountry.Hedied
beforehistaskwascomplete ;butin1441WalterBower,
AbbotofInchcolm,tookupthematerials collectedby
VOL. I. A

2 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
Fordun,andbrought hischronicledowntotheyear
1437.
IntruththerewasnokingdomofScotlandbefore
theyear1263,whenAlexander ill.overthrewtheNorse
dominion atthebattleofLargs.KennethMacalpine,
indeed,KingoftheScotsofDalriada,helpedbythe
Danes,hadovercomethePicts,andbecamemonarchof
Alban,subsequently tobeknownasScotia,in844.But
hisrealmconsistedonlyofwhatisnowcentralScotland,
namely,Perthshire,Argyll,AngusandMearnsandFife.
TheHighlands,wherehehadbrokentheswayofthe
Pictishkings,wereinnosensepartofKenneth'sdominion,
beingpartlyheldbyNorsemenandpartlybyindependent
Celticchiefs.GallowayandhalfAyrshire,thoughPictish,
remaineddependent alternatelyuponNorseandSaxon
overlords. LothianwasstillnominallypartoftheSaxon
realmofNorthumbria orBernicia,whileCaithnessand
theSudrey—thatis,thewesternislandsasfarsouthas
andincludingManandAnglesea—werepracticallyunder
theswayoftheNorsejarlsofOrkney.
MalcolmCanmore,byaidofhisuncleSiward,Earl
ofNorthumberland, wrestedLothianandCumbriafrom
theusurperMacbethin1054;threeyearslaterhedrove
himacrosstheMounthandslewhimatLumphannan. Thor-
finn.EarlofOrkney,whohadactivelysupportedMacbeth,
diedaboutthistime,leavingMalcolmpracticallyparamount
innorthernBritain.Hehadneedofallthediplomacyat
hiscommandtoweldintoahomogeneous nationalityhis
Celtic,Norse,andSaxonsubjects.ACelthimself,he
couldreckonupontheattachmentofthemenofCeltic
race,andhemostprudentlyconciliatedtheNorseelement
bymarrying thewidowofhismostformidable and
implacable foe,Thorfinn. Shediedbefore1067 ;the
Normanconquest ofEnglandhadtakenplace inthe
meantime, driving thequeenandfamilyofEadgar
AethelingtoseekrefugeattheScottishCourt. There-
uponMalcolm,havingputhisNorsesubjects ingood
humourbyhisfirstmarriage,wonthefavourofhis

THEMAKINGOFSCOTLAND
3
Saxon liegesbyhissecond, inmarrying theSaxon
LadyMargaret, sister ofEadgar Aetheling. The
alliancecostbothMalcolmandhiscountrydear,forit
broughthimintoconflictwithWilliamtheConqueror,
whoinvadedScotland,forcedMalcolm tobecome"his
man,"tookhissonDuncanashostageandbestowedlands
inEnglanduponMalcolm, forwhichhomagewasdue
accordingtofeudalcustom. Thencearosethelongand
stillobscurecontroversyofthenatureandextentofthe
submissionduebytheKingsofScotlandtotheKings
ofEngland, Malcolm,fallingtowaragainwithWilliam
Rufus,wasslainnearAlnwick in1093. Hisdominion
ofCumbriawasrentintwain,thenorthernmoiety,from
SolwaytoDumbarton, remaining partoftheScottish
realm
;thesouthernportionbeingforfeitedforevertoEng-
land. Still,thekingdomofScotlandhadbeenrendered
forthefirsttimearealityunderthepuissantpersonality
ofMalcolm,andwouldhaveretainedmorethana
semblance ofunitybutforthefiercecontest forthe
successionbetweenMalcolm'sbrother,DonaldBan,repre-
sentingthepureCelticlineandthecustomoftanistry,
andDuncan,sonofMalcolm's firstmarriage,embodying
theNorseelement inthefamilyandkingdom. Donald
prevailing,sharedthethroneforthreeyears[1094—1097]
withEadmund,ayoungersonofMalcolm'ssecondmar-
riage,untilEadgarAethelingdeposedbothandplaced
Eadgar,Malcolm's elderson,upontheScottishthrone.
Eadgar,dyingin1107,dividedthesuccessionbetween
histwobrothersAlexanderandDavid,bequeathing to
thefirstthekingdomofancientAlban,orScotiaproper,
andtothesecondLothianandtheScottishmoietyof
ancientCumbria,towit,thecountiesofDumfries,Lanark,
northAyrshire,Renfrew,andDumbarton.
Alexander,called
"theFierce,"diedin ii24,whenhis
youngerbrotherDavidunitedthekingdomoncemore
underasinglesceptre. ButDavid,whosesisterMatilda
hadmarriedHenry I.ofEngland,spenthisyouthat
theEnglishCourt,andtherebecamesaturatedwithfeudal

4 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
ideals.WithhiswifeMatilda,widowofSimon,Earlof
Northampton,DavidreceivedtheearldomsofNorthamp-
tonandHuntingdon,andbecameKingHenry'sliegeman
forthesedignities,theirrevenues,andthealmostabsolute
powerattached thereto. Hisaccessiontothethroneof
allScotland in1124markedaturning-point inthe
historyofthatcountry,inasmuchashebroughtwithhim
manyyoungNormanknights,inadditiontothosewhom
hehadalreadysettledinhisrealmofsouthernScotland.
Hesettoworkvigorouslytofeudalisehiswholedominions,
superseding theancientconstitution oftheSevenEarls,
andaddressing hisinstruments to
"bishops,abbots,earls,
sheriffs,barons,governorsandofficers,andallthegoodmen
ofthewholeland,Norman,EnglishandScots."
Sucharevolutioncouldnotbeeffectedwithoutmuch
offenceandheart-burning ;ethnological differences still
smouldered; therewereCelticupheavals in1130under
MalcolmandAngus,grandsonsofLulach,Mormaerof
Moray,andin1141and1150underWimund. Even
thedominantNormanbarons,whohadbenefitedsomuch
byDavid'sreforming zeal,provedanelementofdanger,
byreasonthatthemostpowerfulofthemowedallegiance
totheKingofEngland fortheirestates inEngland,
aswellastotheKingofScotsforthoseinScotland.
Thusin1138,whenDavidinvadedEngland insupport
ofhisnieceMatildaagainstStephen,hisoldfriendRobert
deBrusrenounced hisallegiance totheKingofScots,
and,resigning hislordshipofAnnandale infavourof
hissecondson,aladoffourteen, lefthimincommand
ofhislevies,andfoughtinStephen'sarmyagainstthe
ScotsatthebattleoftheStandard. Evenafterthat
disastrousdayDavidremainedthevassalofStephenfor
theearldomofHuntingdon.
David I.diedin1153,andwassucceededbyhis
grandsonMalcolm IV.,commonlycalled
"theMaiden,"who
appliedhimselftosettlingthedisturbeddistrictsofMoray
andGalloway. InMorayaverynotableelementwas
introduced intothepopulation,whichleadsusdirectly

THEFLEMISHSETTLERS
5
intothematterofthepresentwork. Pursuinghisgrand-
father'spolicyofreplacingturbulentanddisaffectedCeltic
chiefswithNorman landlords,Malcolmseemstohave
gonefurther,andtohavedeported,expelled,orotherwise
disposedofatleastpartofthenativepopulation,and
colonised itwithwhatFordundescribesasa
"peculiarand
peaceablepeople."
Nowthereseemsnoreasonabledoubtthatthispeculiar
peoplewereFlemings,thenamesofthenewcolonistsbear-
ingtestimonytotheirnationality ;indeed,inagrantmade
byKingMalcolmin 1160ofthelandsofInnesinStrath-
spey,thegranteeisnamedBeroaldusFlandrensis—Beroald
theFleming.Aconsiderablenumberofthisindustrious
andenterprising peoplehadalreadysettledinScotland
duringthereignofDavid I.,andcarriedontradeinthe
portsonitseasterncoast. Theirnumbersweregreatly
augmentedinconsequenceofadecreeofHenryII.,inii56,
expelling allFlemingsfromEngland.^ Theenergyand
warlikequalitiesoftheseforeigners,andespeciallytheirskill
asartificers,engineers,andbuilders,commendedthemto
theenlightenedviewsbothofDavid I.andhissuccessor,
Malcolm IV.,astheverykindofpeopletopromotethat
which,ifitseemsatthisdistanceoftimetohavebeen
sheerfeudalisation,wasinfactthesurestmeansofcivil-
isation.Hadcastlestobebuilttooverawerebellious
districts?—theFlemingswerethebestbuildersintheland.
Wasitdesirabletoprovideothermeansthanrapineand
precariousagricultureforsubsistence?—theFlemingswere
thebestartificersinEurope. Didyoungindustriesrequire
armedprotectionagainstrovingmarauders ?—theFlemings
wereashandywithpikeandbowastheywerewithloom
andplumbline. Accordingly,whenKingDavidbestowed
DuffusandotherlandsinMorayupontheFleming,Freskin
ofStrabrock inLinlithgowshire (nowUphall),hewas
takingthesurestmeansofestablishingpeaceinthatdis-
tractedterritory. Freskinprosperedandaddedlargetracts
^
Afterthis"greattrek"theburgessesofSt.Andrewsarereferredtoin
somedocumentsasScots,French,Flemings,andEnglish.

6 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
tohisoriginalpossession
;became,indeed,thechiefland-
ownerinMoray,invirtueofwhichhissonsadopted or
receivedtheterritorialappellationofdeMoravia^topassin
processoftimeintotheordinarysurnameofMorayor
Murray,
Freskin,dyingbefore1171, leftthreesons,Hugh,
William,andAndrew,whereofHughwasancestorofthe
EarlsofSutherland. OfAndrew,thedescendants, ifany,
havenotbeentraced ;butWilliam,thesecondson,is
believedtohaveleftthreesons,alsonamedHugh,William,
andAndrew. HughsucceededtothelandsofDuffusand
Strabrock ;WilliamownedPetty,Brachlie,Boharm,and
Arndilly,andfoundedthelineoftheMoraysofBothwell
;
Andrewbecameapriest. Duringthelifetimeofthesons
Firstap-
ofFrcskin,between 1174and1199,acertain
pearanceof
WilliamdeDouglas(Will,deDufglas)
^appears
thename
,
^
.111
Douglas, uponthescene,witnesstoachartergrantedby
1174-1199-
Jocelyn,BishopofGlasgow, infavourofthe
monksofKelso.
Now,inendeavouring totracethelineageofthis
WilliamdeDouglas itisnecessarynottooverratethe
significanceoffamilynamesinthetwelfthcentury. Sur-
names,asweknowthem,werenotinuse;thebaptismal
namewasallimportant,buttodistinguishoneWilliamfrom
another,theancientmodewasfollowedofaddingeithera
temporarypatronymicorsomequalitativeindicating office,
calling,orpersonal attribute.Anotableinstanceofthe
fluctuatingpatronymicoccursintheroyalhouseofStuart,
whosefounderwasAlanusdapifer,AlantheSteward. His
sonwasstyledWalterFitzAlan,andWalter'ssonbecame
inturnAlanFitzWalter. IntheHamilton line,also,
WalterFitzGilbertalternateswithGilbertFitzWalter.
WithNormanfeudalism,however,territorialdesignations
cameintovogue,andjustasithasbeenshownthatFreskin
andhissonsboretheappellationofdeMoraviaorMoray
becauseoftheirpossessionsinthatprovince,sothisWilliam
deDouglasacquiredhisterritorialdesignation,bywhich
^LiberdeCakhoti,p.346.

MYTHICALORIGIN 7
hisdescendantsweredistinguished, untilitbecamecrystal-
lisedintoaregularsurname,invirtueoftheirowningthe
landsofDouglasintheupperwardofLanarkshire.
TheexplanationofthenameofDouglasofferedinhis
HistoryoftheDouglasses (A.D. 1643-1644)bytheenter-
„ ,,
. tainingbutuntrustworthyMasterDavidHume
Doubtful ^ '
originof ofGodscroftmaybementionedonlytobedis-
thefamily.
j^jggg^^QftheDouglasheaffirmsthat
"
according
totheconstantandgeneralltraditionofmen,thuswas
theiroriginall,"andproceedswithafabulousaccountofa
battleinJ^J
betweenSolvathius,rightfulKingofScotland,
andapretender,DonaldBane.Thevictorywasverynearly
Donald's,when"acertainnobleman,disdainingtoseesobad
acausehavesogoodsuccesse,"struckinfortheKingand
turnedthefortunesoftheday.WhentheKinginquired
abouttheknightwhohaddonesuchvaluableservice,some-
bodyexclaimed,"Sholtoduglasse !
"
whichHumeinterprets,
"Beholdtheblack,greyman !
"Oneisonlytoofamiliar
withthiskindofexpostfactoetymology,whichseemsto
haveasmuchattraction formindsofacertainkindasit
causesirritation inthoseofanother. Godscrofthaddone
morewiselynottogobeyondhisguardedobservationabout
theraceofDouglas :
"Wedonotknowtheminthefountain,
butinthestream ;notintheroot,butinthestem ;forwe
knownotwhowasthefirstmeanmanthatdidraisehim-
selfabovethevulgar." However,injusticetoGodscroft,
itmustbeadmittedthathewasnottheinventorofthe
mythicalKingSolvathius,whosenamesuggestssomecon-
nectionwiththeSolwaydistrict.Hewasmerelyfollowing
uncriticallyHectorBoeceandGeorgeBuchanan,bothof
whomhaddescribedtheinsurrectionofDonaldBanagainst
thisimaginarymonarchinT^J.Nowtherehadbeentwo
distinctinsurgentchiefsnamedDonaldBan,butneither
belongedtosuchanearlydate. First,in1094,Donald
Ban,brotherofthedeceasedMalcolmCanmore,hadcon-
testedthesuccessionofhisnephewDuncan
;second,about
1160DonaldBan,sonofWilliamFitzDuncan,andgreat-
grandsonofMalcolmCanmore,hadriseninarmsagainst

8 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
WilliamtheLion.Thisrisingwasnotputdowntilli187,
whenon31stJulytheroyaltroopsdefeatedagreatly
superiorforceunderDonaldBanatMamgarvey.
Godscroftprobablywasactinginperfectlygoodfaith,
accordingtohislights,inrepeatingthetraditioncurrent
aboutthefirstDouglas,andinconsultingtwoprofessional
historiansaboutthedate.Theearlierthedateassigned
thebetterwoulditpleasehispatron,William, iithEarlof
Angus [Ixii.],whoconcernedhimselfmightilyaboutpre-
cedencefoundeduponantiquity.^ Traditionmayhave
beencorrecttothisextent,thatnotableservicewasdonein
WilliamtheLion'scausebyachevalierwhoreceivedthe
landsofDouglasasareward. Itistobenotedthatthe
firstwrittenrecordofthenameWilliamdeDouglas,occur-
ringbetween 1174and 1199,closelysynchroniseswiththe
risingofthesecondDonaldBan.
Theearliestknownmentionofthewaterandlandsof
Douglasoccursinchartersgrantedpriorto1160,ofaqua
Meaningof
^^Duglasandtej'7'itormvideDuglasadjacent
thename.
thereto,inthecountyofLanarkfandagainthey
arementionedbyWaltertheSteward,before1177,asone
oftheboundariesoftheForestofMauchline. Thename
representstheGaelicdubhglas,darkwater
,^andisborneto
thisdaybymanystreamsinotherpartsofScotland,being
theexactequivalentofthefrequentBlackburnsandBlack-
watersinSaxon-speaking districts. Theoriginalsoundof
^"AboutthetimethatGodscroft'shistorywaswritten,andbefore itwas
published,arivalryaroseamongseveralhistoricalfamiliesinScotlandtoobtain
precedencebytracingthemselvesbacktoremoteancestors. Partoftheprocess
bywhichtheyhopedtoaccomplishthispurposewasbyservingthemselvesheirs
totheseancestors. , . .William,EarlofAngus,afterwards istMarquisof
Douglas,whotooksomuchinterestinGodscroft'shistory,obtainednineservices
inthesameyear,1630,toWilliam,EarlofAngus,hisgrandfather, toGeorge,
1stEarlofAngus,hisgreat-grandfather's grandfather'sgrandfather{pToaviabavi),
toArchibald,8thEarlofAngus,hisgrandfather's grandfather'sbrother'sgreat-
grandson{atavipatrisnepotis)"andsoon.—Eraser, i.p.Ixxiv.
-LiberdeCalchmt,pp.78,82,84.
"^
Gaelicisknowntohavesurvivedasthevernacularinthehilldistrictsof
GallowayandSouthAyrshire(notfarfromDouglas)aslateasthereignofQueen
Mary.

MORAYANDDOUGLAS 9
thenameiswellpreservedinthelocalpronunciation,which
invariablygivestothediphthonginDouglasthevalueofthe
uinrule,ortheoindo,notasEnglishspeakerspronounce
it,withthesoundofuinImt.
Turnwenowtotheevidence,slenderandhypothetical
asitis,connecting thisWilliamdeDouglas [i.]with
.„,.„. FreskindeMoravia. IfWilliamwasconnected
I.\A/iluam
deDouglas, withFrcskin,hehadacompatriot asneighbour
c.1214.
jj^Douglasdale, seeingthatbetweentheyears
1147and 1164TheobaldusFlamaticus—theFleming
—
receivedagrantoflandonthebankofDouglasWater
oppositetothelandsofDouglas. Betweentheyears 1179
and1
1
98—that is,eitherjustbeforeorshortlyafterthe
risingofDonaldBan,William'seldestson,Archibald,re-
signedthelandsofHailes,inMidlothian,whichheheld
fromthemonasteryofDunfermline, infavourofThomas,
sonofEdwardofRestalrig,whopaidhimapriceforthe
same.^ SirWilliamEraserremarks,forwhat itisworth,
thatHailes isnotmanymilesfromStrabrock(Uphall),
ownedatthattimebyHugh,eldestsonofFreskin.^
Shortlyafterwards,Archibaldandhisbrotherstookuptheir
quarters inMoray,oneoftheyounger brothers, Brice,
havingbeenappointedbishopofthatsee. Rossandthe
bordersofMorayhadbeenthesceneofDonaldBan's
operations,which,ifWilliamdeDouglasearnedthelandsof
Douglasbyserviceagainsttherebels,pointstohisconnec-
tionwiththemorenortherndistrict, Brice'sappointment
totheseeofMorayalsosuggestsaconnectionbetweenthe
familyofDouglasandtheprovinceofMoray,justasBrice's
previousappointmentasPriorofLesmahagownodoubtwas
owingtotheproximityofthatreligioushousetoDouglas-
dale.DuringthebishopricofBricedeDouglas,which
lastedfrom1203to1222,manyofhisrelativesappearas
witnessestochartersgrantedbyhim,namely,Archibald,
^RegistriimdeDunfermelyn, p.190.
^Fraser, i.9. Itistobenotedthatin1444Strabrockwasownedbythe
EarlofDouglas,beingoneofhiscastleswhichwasburntbytheCrichtonsin
thatyear.

lo THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
Alexander,Hugh,Henry,andFreskindeDouglas.Wasthis
FreskindeDouglasthesameasonenamedbythebishop
"FreskyndeKerdalavunculusnoster
"—-ouruncle—aland-
ownerinMorayandlaypatronofthechurchofDaviot?
Freskin,asMr.CosmoInneshasremarked,^wasapeculiar
andunusualname,commontothefamiliesofMorayand
Douglas,theformerofwhichisknowntohavebeenfounded
byFreskin. Itprobablydenotednationality,Freskinus
orFresicusbeingthelowLatinterm foraFrisian.
SirWilliamErasersuggeststhattheoccurrence inthe
RegisterofMorayofthenamesArchibald,Alexander,
Hugh,andFreskindeMoravia,sidebysidewiththoseof
Archibald,Alexander,Hugh,andFreskindeDouglas,indi-
catesrelationshipratherthanmerecoincidence. SirWilliam
furtherpointsoutthat ifBishop Brice,intheabove-
mentionedgrantofthetithesofDaviotchurch,hadreferred
tothelaypatron,FreskindeKerdal,ashispatrims,father's
brother,wecouldthenhavebeencertainthatthesaid
FreskinwasbrotherofWilliamdeDouglas,BishopBrice's
father,
"andsoadescendantincommonwiththefounders
ofthefamilyofMorayfromthefirstknownFreskin. But
asthetermofrelationshipbetweenFreskinofKerdaland
BishopBriceisnotpatnms,buttheindefinitewordavun-
culus^thisdoesnotfollow ;theymayhavebeenonly
brothers-in-law, FreskinhavingmarriedasisterofWilliam
ofDouglas,orWilliam'swifebeingasisterofFreskin,in
whichcasethequestionoforiginiswhereitwasatfirst."
Again,hadtheearlyDouglasmuniments escaped
destructiontheexactnatureoftheconnectionwiththe
houseofMoraymighthavebeenplainlysetforth.Such
munimentscertainlyexistedaslateastheyear1288,when
SirWilliamdeDouglas,
"
leHardi,"gaveareceipttothe
AbbotofKelsouponreceivingthembackfromcustody
inthecellofLesmahagow. If,asisprobable,theywere
storedthereafter inDouglasCastle, itisonlytooeasyto
imaginetheirfateduringthewarofindependence,during
whichthatstrongholdwasrepeatedlyburnttotheground.
^RegistrumMoraviense, p.xlv.

3cmwe]l(Sxik
.

HERALDICEVIDENCE ii
Orsupposingthemtohaveescapeddestruction then,the
frequentforfeituresincurredbythedescendantsofleHardi
mayhavebeenfataltothem.ThefewearlyDouglas
charterswhichremainpassedintopossessionofthe4th
EarlofAnguswiththeDouglasestatesforfeitedbyJames,
9thEarlofDouglas,in1455.
The linksconnecting thefamiliesofMorayand
Douglas inacommondescentfromaFlemishcolonist
aresoshadowythatitmightbethoughtawasteoftimeto
endeavourtotracethem.Butbeforedismissingthepro-
blem itmaybenoticedthatthebeliefinsuchadescent
seemstohavebeencurrentintheearlypartofthefifteenth
century,elseWyntounwouldnothaverepeated it
—
"Of^tttvratueanbthe^oxtglas,
gtjotuthattharcbcggnntntginas,
(Sunsgnbrummspckissgnbrglg
icanputthatinnastorg.
^utintharcarmcuishaththaihere
lEhcstcvniJS
^
isetinIgkmanerc
;
l^ilmoni)menitisghitsenc
3lppetanb Xuli-thatthaihabbene
®fkunhebescensIgncale
©rhebranchgscollatcrcle."
'
Wyntounwroteinanagewhenheraldrywasalivingscience.
Heunderstood thesignificanceofthesuggestionthatthe
originalbearingsofDouglas—argent,onachiefazure,three
starsofthefield—wasjustsuchavariantofthoseof
Murray—azure,threestarsargent,twoandone—asmight
havebeendevisedtodistinguishbetweenthetwohouses,
and,atthesametime,indicateacommondescent.* But
thisalsoisfarfromconclusive,seeingthatthearmsof
greatlords,alteredinarrangement ortincture,wereoften
^Stars.
"
Seemingasif.
*Wyntoun'sCroiiykil,B.viii.c.7.
^Thewell-known heart,whichnowfiguresinthearmsofDouglas,wasfirst
bornebyWilliam,LordofDouglas[1348-1384], incommemoration ofhisfather's
expeditioninchargeoftheheartofBruce.Theimperialcrownfirstappears
upontheheartinthearmsofWilliamDouglas,LordofNithsdale\pb.c.1392],
asgiveninLindsay'sHa-aldry,1542. Itwasfirstaddedtothearmsofthe
headofthehousebythenthEarlofAnguswhenhewascreatedMarquessof
Douglasin1633.

12 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
conferredupontheirvassalswithoutanyconsanguinity.
ThefamiUesofBrodieandInnes,bothinMoray,eachbore
threestars ;so,attheotherendofScotland,thesaltireand
chiefoftheBruces,LordsofAnnandale,arereflectedinthe
bearingsoftheancientfamiliesofJohnstone,Jardine,Kirk-
patrick,etc.Theheraldicevidence,therefore,likethedocu-
mentary,cannotbepronouncedmorethansuggestive,and,
when allissaidanddone,thereremains this,thatthe
suddenappearancebetween ii74and 1
199ofWilliamde
Douglas,bearingtheterritorialname,wouldbequitecon-
sistentwithhisbeingoneofthenativechiefsofClydesdale,
whohadrecentlyreceivedacharterofhishereditarylands.
Theutmostthatcanbeurgedisastrongprobability,sup-
portedbytheChristiannames,thatthehousesofMorayand
DouglaswerederivedfromacommonFlemishorFrisianstock.
ThefortressofVigoleno,onaspuroftheAppenines
aboutfifteenmilesfromSalsoMaggiore,Parma,belongsto
Thefamii
theCountScotiDouglas,descendedfromMarco
ofscotiof AntonioScoto,Conted'Agazano,whoclaimed
descentfromtheDouglasstem.Whentheiith
EarlofAngus[Ixii.]wascollectingmaterialforthehistory
ofhisfamilyin1620,hecausedtwoScottishgentlemen
ofthenameofStrachantowaitupontheCountd'Agazano
inParis,requestingacopyofhisfamilytree.Angusafter-
wardsmetthecounthimselfinOrleans,whosenthimthe
treeinMay1622,accompaniedbyaletter,inwhichoccurs
thefollowinginterestingheraldicinformation
:
—
"TheancientarmsoftheScotiinPiacenzawereinconformitywiththe
ancientarmsofDouglas,asmaybeseenintheChurchofSantoLorenzointhat
city;butatthetimewhentheGuelphsandGhibeHinescontendedinItaly,the
Scoti,aspartizansofFrance,wereelectedchiefsoftheGuelphsinPiacenza
;
and,asallthingswithoddnumberswereconsideredGhibelline,theScotiwere
obligedtomakethenumberofthethreestarseitherfourortwo;but,notjudging
itpropertoincreasethenumber,theyresolvedtoleaveoutone,andinitsplace,
bywayofmemorialthereof,theyputawhitebar,which,beginningontheright,
endsontheleft,because,hadthebarbegunontheleftandendedontheright,
thatwouldhavebeenGhibelline.^ Thefield,whichusedtobered,wasgranted,
^Thecountmeans,notabar,whichisahorizontalfigure,butabend,which
isadiagonalone;inthisinstance,abendsinister.

SCOTIOFPIACENZA
13
togetherwiththepelicancrest,bytheEmperorHenryiv.—thecresttosuchof
theScotiwhoweretheninthehabitofbearing it,thefieldtothewholefamily
ingeneral."^
ThereisstillpreservedatBothwellCastleanelaborate
genealogical table,prepared in1636forGeorgeDouglas,
D.D.,secondsonofSirRobertDouglasofGlenbervieand
grandson ofthe9thEarlofAngus [Ivii.],wherein is
shown,inadditiontothelinesofDouglas,Morton,and
Angus,andthebranchesofQueensberry, Cavers,Mains,
andothers,thecollateraldescentoftheScotiofPiacenza
fromonewhomSirWilliamFraserterms
"aprehistoric
memberoftheDouglas family." Fromthis,however,
nothingcanbegatheredastotheconnectionbetween
theMorayandtheDouglas.
Anarrativeofthesetwofamilies,howeversuccinct,
coversthewholehistoryofScotlandfromthecloseofthe
thirteenthcentury tilltheunionoftheCrowns,embracing
themostromanticandeventfulperiodintheexistenceof
theindependentkingdom ;indeed, itisnotpossibleto
followthefortunesofthehouseofDouglasaloneinits
threeprincipalbranches,Douglas,Angus,andMorton,
withoutwideexcursions intothecourseofhomeand
foreignpolitics.Oneremarkable featuredistinguishesthe
DouglasfrommostotherScottishfamiliesofequalantiquity.
Despiterepeatedforfeituresandthepersonalvicissitudes
befallingtheadherentsofoneorotherofthepartieswhich
soconstantlyandsofiercelydividedthenorthernrealm,
thelandswhichgavethisfamilytheirnamestillremainin
possessionoftheirdescendants. Two-and-twenty genera-
tionsofDouglashavebornethelordshipofthatdalefor
sevencenturies,betweenWilliamofDouglas,thefirst
recordedofthename,downtothepresentEarlofHome,
LordDouglasofDouglas,whorepresentsthehouseinthe
femaleline.
Althoughtheextentandlimitsofthepossessionsof
WilliamdeDouglas [c. 1174—c. i214]cannotbedeter-
mined,obviouslytheymusthavebeenconsiderable,asproof
^Fraser,iv.292-294.

14 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
remainsofhisgreatinfluenceatatimewhenalayman's
influencewasinproportion tohislandedproperty.He
attendedthecourtofWilliamtheLion,andhisname
oftenoccursinverygoodcompanywitnessingthecharters
ofthatmonarch. Stillmoreconvincingoftheposition
alreadyattainedbythefamilyinthoseearlydaysisthe
elevationofWilliam'ssecondsonBrice [ii.]totheseeof
ii.Bricede
Moray. Bishopsofthethirteenthcenturywere
Douglas, morethanmerelyecclesiasticaldignitaries
;they
Bishopof
^ t) ' /
Moray, wcrepccrsoftherealm,!takingrankbeforeearls,
diedin1232.
^j^gj^ ^j^ghighestdegreeoflaynobility,and
exercisinggreatpoliticalandoftenmilitarypower.
ThemostpermanenteffectofBishopBrice'sepiscopate
washisselectionofElginasthesiteofthecathedralof
thediocese.HehadfirstchosenSpynie,which,withthe
sanctionofPopeInnocent III.,becamethecathedralchurch
;
butBrice,whenattendingtheLateranCouncilinRomein
1224,stronglyurgedHonorius III.toconsenttotheepis-
copalseatbeingremovedtoElgin,becauseSpyniewasso
solitaryaspotthatitwasunsafeintimeofwar,andhis
clergyspenthalftheirtimeintravellingtodistantmarkets
forthenecessariesoflife.BishopBricedidnotlivetosee
thechange,whichwasnotcarriedoutuntiltwoyearsafter
hisdeath.Heoccupiedhisseefornineteenyears[1203—
1222],andwasappointedarbiterbythepopeinadispute
betweenPatrick,EarlofDunbar,andthemonksofMelrose.
ThetrialtookplaceatSelkirk,BishopBricepresiding.
KingWilliamtheLion,hissonAlexander,andotherhigh
dignitariesbeingpresentasassessors. AfterAlexander
cametothethrone,BricefellintodisgraceatthePapal
Court,thelegateGualoplacinghimunderinterdict in
commonwiththerealmsofEnglandandScotland. This
interdictheseemstohavedisregardedbyperformingservice
withinhisdiocese,forwhichoffencehewasexcommunicated.
^Theprivilegesofbishopsaspeersoftherealmwerenotcalledinquestion
untilTudortimes,whenArchbishopCranmerandBishopFisherweretriedby
ordinaryjuriesinsteadofbytheirpeers. Bishopsarenowaccountedlordsof
Parliament,butnotpeersoftherealm.

^^
SirJamesdeDouglas,ob.i33ck" Morayofold.
DouglasofDalkeith, c.1300. SirHenryDouglasofLochleven,
ob.1350.

BISHOPBRICEDOUGLAS 15
On5thNovember i2i8,Bricehavingexpressedduecon-
trition,thebanwasremoved ;butinthefollowingJanuary
PopeHonorius III.issuedacommission totheAbbotsof
Cupar,Scone,andDunfermlinetoexaminecertainheinous
chargesagainstthebishopofneglectofduty,dissolving
Fig.I.—SealofBriceofDouglas,
BishopofMoray(1208).
Fig.2.—Reversesideofseal.
u
^ ^^
e.
P'ig.3.—OpeningwordsofcharterbyBriceDouglas,BishopofMoray(1208).
marriagesandcondoningoffences formoney,corrupting
justice,exactingexorbitant rents,andspendingthemin
grossimmorality, etc.Theproceedingsuponthischarge
arenotextant,butatalleventstheyprovednohindrance
tothisprelatereceivingthesupremehonoursofcanonisation

i6 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
afterhisdeathin1222. Hisdayis13thNovember.^ One
oftheveryfewauthenticportraitsoftheperiodrepresents
BishopBriceinprofilefigure,wearingcanonicalvestments.
Thisoccursuponasealappendedtohisattestationofthe
pope'smandateappointinghimarbiterintheDunbar v.
Melrosecase.Tothesameattestationareappendedthe
namesoftheKingofScotlandandhisthreesons.^
OfthesixsonsofWilliamdeDouglas [i.],fourothers
besidesBricebecameclerics,namely,Alexander, acanon
ofSpynieandVicarofElgin
;
^HenryandHugh,also
canonsofSpynie
;andFreskin,parsonofDouglas.Hugh
becameArchdeacon,andFreskin,Dean,ofMoray.
ThefirstappearanceofArchibald,eldestsonofWilliam
[i.],isaswitness
—
ErkembaldusdeDnnglas—toaconfir-
mationbyJocelyn,BishopofGlasgow,ofatoft
Archibald
'^^GlasgowinfavourofthemonksinMelrose
deDouglas,
[
1
179-1
199],^wherehisnameappearsbetween
thenamesofAlantheStewardandRobertde
Montgomery. HeacquiredthelandsofLivingstonand
Herdmanston inLothian,andmusthavereceivedknight-
hoodbefore1226,asheisentitleddoniinusArchibaldde
Dufglasinacharternotlaterindatethanthatyear.^He
isbelievedtohavemarriedMargaret,daughterofSirJohn
deCraufordofCrauford. Archibalddiedabout i240,and,
intheabsenceofdocumentaryproof,mustbeassumedto
havebeenthefatherofSirWilliamdeDouglas,thethird
recordedownerofthelandswho,HumeofGodscroftsays,
wascalled
"Long-leg,"becauseofhisgreatstature.Heis
thefirstofhishousetobecomeclearlydefinedinthehis-
toricaleventsofhisday,butbeforeattemptingtofollowhis
1ErroneouslygivenI2thAugustinDempster's Menologiitni,wherethe
furthererrorismadeofrecordingthathelivedasPriorofLesmahagowafter
renouncingthebishopricofMoray.
2TheoriginalisamongtheDukeofBuccleuch'sMelroseCharters.
^IntheCartular}'ofMora)',Alexander isdesignatedbothvicecomes,sheriff,
andvicarms,vicar.Sometimesthetitleisambiguouslyabbreviatedvie.Pro-
bablyvicecomes,whichwasnotanecclesiastical office,isaclericalerror.
*
LiberCollegiiNostreDoininedeGlascii(MaitlandClub,1846),p.235.
^LiberdeMelros, i.214.

ST.BRIDE'SCHURCH 17
career,asketchmaybegivenofafoundationwhichhas
beencloselyassociatedwiththehouseofDouglasfromthe
earliesttothelatesttimes.
TheparishofDouglas,which isco-extensivewiththe
barony,obtainsearliestmention,andthatincidentally, in
StBride's
^^^attestationofFretheskinpersonadeDufgles
Churchof (Freskin,parsonofDouglas)toachartergranted
ougas.
i^y.j^j^brotherBishopBricetothemonksof
Kelso,undated,butofcourseexecutedduringBrice'sepis-
copate[1203-1222]. Subsequent noticesoccurindeeds
ofthethirteenthcentury,includingthepresentationin1292,
byEdward I.,ofMasterEustaceofBikertontothechurchof
Douglasthenvacant. In1297anagentofKingEdward,
writingfromBerwick-on-Tweed, reportedthelivingvacant,
statedthatitwasworthtwohundredmerks,andrecom-
mendedthatitshouldbegiventoHughdeCressingham,
Edward'sTreasurerforScotland.Thechurchwasbuilton
risinggroundwithinthevillageofDouglas,anddedicated
toSt.Bride,whobecamethereafterthepatronsaintofthe
Douglasandhisfollowing.
Thebuilding issupposedtohaveescapeddestruction
untilabouttheyear1781,
"whenitwasalltakendown
exceptaturretandanaislewhichcoveredthevault,whereso
manyoftheLordsofDouglashadchosentheirsepulture."
1
Itwasenrichedwithmanycanopiedtombsandrecumbent
effigies,whichhavesuffered sadmutilation, popularly
attributed toCromwell's soldiers.Whatcouldbedone
torestorethemandpreservethemfromfurtherinjury
hasbeenreverentlyaccomplishedbythepresentEarlof
Home,whostandsintheroomoftheancientLordsof
Douglas,invirtueofhisdescentinthefemaleline.Let
intothealtarsteps,andcoveredwithglass,aretwoheart-
shapedleadencaskets,oneofwhich isreputedtocontain
theheartoftheBlackDouglas ;butthere isreasonto
believeratherthattheycontaintheheartsofthe5thand
8thEarlsofAngus,theformerofwhom—ArchibaldBell-
the-Cat—liesinSt.Ninian'sPrioryChurchatWhithorn.
^OfiginalesParochiales, i.154.
VOL. I. B

i8 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
WithSirWilliamdeDouglas,namedLong-leg (c.i240—
1276),thefamilyemergesfromthemistofanalmost
iv.Sir
unwrittenantiquity,andhenceforward thediffi-
wiiiiamde
cultyoftheannalist isnotsomuchtorecover
"Long-leg," tracesastosifttheauthenticfromthemythical,
diedin1274.
^Qreconcilediscrepancies,andtointerpretthe
partsplayedbyactors inthecrowdedstageofScotland.
Alexander II.diedin1249,andhissonbyMariedeCouci
wascrownedatScone,beingthenbuteightyearsold.On
ChristmasDay1251hereceivedknighthoodatYorkfrom
thehandofhisstep-uncle,HenryIII.ofEngland,refusing,
nodoubtasinstructedbyhisnobles,thehomageclaimed
forhiskingdom,butacceptingashiswife,Margaret,Henry's
eldestdaughter. Atthistimetwopartiesorfactionswere
strivingforsupremacyinScotland,whereofthatheadedby
WalterComyn,EarlofMenteith,wasthemorenational,and
provedthestrongeratfirst.AlanDurward,Justiciarof
Scotland,wasleaderoftheopposition,andwassuspected
ofsinisterdesignsuponthesuccession,andofhavingto
thatendmovedthepopetolegitimate hiswife,anatural
daughterofAlexander II.Atallevents,Durward'sobject
wasthesameasMenteith's,namely,togetpossessionof
theKingofScotsduringhisminority. Foiledinhisfirst
attempt,DurwardtookserviceunderKingHenryinhis
foreignwar,andpresentlyreturnedasthatking'senvoyto
lookafterthecomfortsoftheyoungQueenofScots. In
effect,heseizedthepersonsofboththeKingandQueen
ofScotland,andheldthem tillKingHenrycame ;who,
aftertakingcounselwiththemagnatesofScotland,among
whomwasWilliamdeDouglas,appointedaregencytoact
untilAlexander ill.shouldcomeofage.TheMenteith
partywerenowinopposition,andbestirredthemselvesto
suchgoodpurposethat,attheinstanceoftheBishopof
St.Andrews,theRegentswereexcommunicated. Behold
nowtheestablishment ofanationalasagainstanEnglish
partyinScotland—toremainanormalstateofpoliticsfor
threecenturiestocome.
DouglasfromthefirstadheredtotheEnglishparty,

HUGHDEDOUGLAS 19
andhisisatypicalexampleoftheinfluenceaffecting
manyoftheScottishnobilityinthecomingstruggle. His
principalpossessionsmaybeassumed tohavebeenin
Douglasdale,buthecertainlyalsoheldlandsinthecounty
ofNorthumberland, whereofthepossessionwassolong
indisputebetweentheKingsofEnglandandScotland.^
Thereissomereasontosupposethathiswife(possiblya
secondwife)ConstanceorCustancewasoneofthefamily
ofBattailofFawdon inNorthumberland, fromwhomin
1264DouglaspurchasedthelandsofFawdon.^ Clearly,
therefore, itwashisinteresttokeepinfavourwiththe
EnglishKing.
In1257theMenteithpartystrengthened theirhand
bycapturingKingAlexander atKinross,andwonthe
trick
;afterwhichtherewasacoalitionoffactionsanda
suspensionatleastofviolentintrigues,enablingLong-leg's
eldestsonHughtochooseawifefromanultra-nationalist
house,towit,thatofAbernethy. Theindenturebetween
SirHughdeAbernethyandSirWilliamdeDouglasfor
thismarriage istheearliestcharteroftheDouglaseswhich
hasescapeddestruction. Itisdated1259.^
SirWilliamdiedbeforei6thOctober1274. Itis
doubtfulwhetherhiseldestsonHughsurvivedhim. Little
V.Hughde
^^knownabouthimbeyondthefactofhismar-
Dougias.
riagewithMarjorydeAbernethy,andtradition
pointstoarecumbent figure inSt.Bride'sChurchas
^WilliamdeDouglasismentionedinthePipeRollsin1241assuretyfora
paymentbyMichaelFitzMichaelofRyhulle. In1256hegrantedthelandsof
Warentham orWarndon, inNorthumberland, tohissecondsonWilliam.
—
Bain,i.394.
"SirWilliamFraserdiscreditsGodscroft'sallegationthatWilliamDouglas
theelderjoinedaCrusadeabout1270,becausehewasthenabovesixtyyears
ofage,andthereforereckoneddisqualified forwarorduelling.—Fraser, i.63,
note.
*Thesealappendedtothisinstrumenthasunfortunatelydisappeared,but
SirRichardMaitlandofLethingtonandHumeofGodscroftbothtestifyto
havingseenit;Godscroftobservingthat
'
'thelettersthereonarewornaway
andnotdiscerniblesaveonlyW"-,andthearmsseemtobethreestarsor
mulletsattheupperendthereof. ButIcannotbeboldtosayabsolutelythey
wereso."Thisistheearliestrecordedinstanceoftheoriginalbearingsof
Douglas.

20 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
markinghertomb. Tradition alsoistheonlywarrantfor
anexploitattributed toherhusbandHughbyMaitland
andGodscroft, Hugh issaidtohavegotintofeudwith
oneofhisneighbours inDouglasdale, PattonPurdieof
Umdrawod,wholaidanambush forHughasherode
alone, Hugh,perceiving thetrapintime,turnedand
galloped off,pursuedbyPurdie'smen,tillhemetaparty
ofhisownpeople,whenheinturnbecamethepursuer
andinflictedseverepunishmentuponhisassailants. Purdie
andtwoofhissonswereslain,andMaitlandquotessome
doggerelinwhichtheaffairwascommemorated
—
"^attane|8iirbiebrack vtchaise
gaportthegJorb^ottglas;
^ttghglorb^ouglastitrncbagaiite,
JVnbtheretoas|3atton;$3xxrtii£slainr."
^
UponHugh'syounger brother,William "leHardi,"
thelightofhistoryfallsclearly.Heisfirstmentioned in
theproceedings ofanassizeatNewcastle-on-
wiiiiamdeTynein1256,whenhisfather.SirWilliam,
Douglas,
reportedthathehadgrantedhimacarucateof
"
leHardi.
^
^
,
.
landatWarndon inNorthumberland forhis
homageandservice.-Abouttheyear1264SirWilliam,
thefather,purchasedthehouseandlandsofFawdon in
thesamecounty. Theseheheldasthevassalofa
Scottishnoble,theEarlofAngus. Butthisearlwasnone
otherthantheEnglishknight,GilbertdeUmfraville,Lord
ofRedesdale,whohadcomebythatgreatearldomthrough
hismother,andnowlaidbeforePrinceEdward(afterwards
Edward I.)chargesofdisaffectionagainstDouglas,begging
agiftofhismanorofFawdon,Thecasewastriedbefore
ajury,DouglasbeingacquittedandFawdonrestoredto
him.ThereuponUmfraville,takingthelawintohisown
hands,attackedthehouseofFawdonwithahundredmen
on19thJuly1267,captured it,appropriated31^marks
incash,besidessilverspoons,cups,clothes,arms,jewels,
goldrings,etc.,tothevalueofiJ^ioo,carriedDouglasoff
1
Maitland'sMS.,HamiltonPalace,quotedbyFraser.
-Bain, i.394.

SIRWILLIAM"LEHARDI" 21
andimprisonedhiminHarbottleTower. Inthemellay
youngWilhamDouglaswaswounded inthenecknearly
todeath.iAsecondtrialfollowedin1269,whereatDouglas
wasadjudgedownerofFawdon,andUmfravillewasfined.^
WilliamleHardiwasknightedbefore1288. Inthat
yearDuncan,EarlofFife,oneoftheSixGuardians,was
foullydonetodeathatPittelochinFifebySirHughde
Abernethyandothergentlemenoftheopposition.Now
SirHughwasthebrotherofDouglas'ssisterMarjory,and
inthosedayskinshipcommonly overrode other civil
obligations ;butonthisoccasiontheDouglaswasallfor
lawandorder ;itwastohimthatSirAndrewdeMoray
handedoverAbernethy, tobeimprisoned inthevaults
ofDouglas Castle,wherehediedbefore1293. Not
oftendidcaptivessurviveforlongtheintolerablerigours
andunwholesomeness ofmediaevaldungeons. In1291
Edward I.,asoverlordofScotland,orderedthetransfer
ofAbernethyfromDouglastooneoftheroyalprisons,
buthiscommandswerenotobeyed.^
In1289DouglassentamessengerfromGlasgov/to
theAbbotofKelsotoreceivehisfamilycharters,which
hadbeenstoredinthecellofLesmahagow forsafety.* In
thereceiptfortheseDouglasstyleshimselfLordofDouglas
—thefirstinstanceoftheuseofthattitle.Hehadmarried
Elizabeth,daughterofAlexandertheSteward,butshewas
deadbefore1288,norwasthewidowersodisconsolate as
toomitbusinessconsiderations inthechoiceofasecond
spouse. Moreover,ingivingeffecttothatchoiceheproved
thefitnessofhissobriquet—
"leHardi."
A certainwealthywidow, Eleanor,daughter of
Matthew,LordofLovaine,andrelictofWilliam de
.,, . ,Ferrers,LordofGroby,hadobtainedfromKing
Abductionof
' •'
r i i i. j'
EleanordeEdWardahandsomedowryfromherhusbands
Ferrers,1288.
gj^gijgj^lands,andalsofromhispossessions in
fiveScottish counties. Comingnorthtocollecther
1Itaquodjereamputaveriintcaputejus—Soasnearlytocutoffhishead.-
—
Placitorumabbreviatio, p.166.
2
Bain, i.485.
'
Fraser,iv.i.
^LiberdeCalcliou, i.16S.

22 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
rentsin1288,shetookupherabodeinthecastleof
TranentwithEleanordeZouch,widowofAlandeZouch,
andjoint-portioner inthebaronyofTranent. These
fairdamesweregreatlyagitated, itmaybebelieved,
whenonemorningtheybeheldtheirhousebesetbya
forceunderSirWilliamDouglasandJohnWishart,a
borderbaron.Robberyandtheworstkindofviolence
werenouncommon incidents incountry lifeinthethir-
teenthcentury,butinthiscasethemarauderscontented
themselveswithcarrying offDameEleanordeFerrers,
Theladywasnotimplacable,apparentlyregardingab-
ductionasthehighestcompliment thatcouldbepaidto
hercharms,andmarriedherroughwooer.KingEdward
wasnotsoeasilyappeased,butorderedthesheriffof
Northumberland toseize allDouglas's possessions in
Northumberland [28thJanuary1289],anddirectedhim
toimprisontheculpritifhecouldlayhandsuponhim.^
ThesheriffreportedinAprilthathehadseized all
thelandsandtenements ofDouglasandWishartlying
withinhisjurisdiction,andappliedforaspecialmandate
toseizethoseofJohnWishartlyingwithinthejurisdiction
ofThomasdeNormanville.^ KingEdwardalsoaddressed
theGuardiansofScotland[27thMarch],demandingthe
immediatearrestanddeliveryofSirWilliamDouglasand
Eleanor ;
^buttheydonotseemtohavemadeanyreply.
Matterstouchingtheindependence ofthenorthernking-
dommayhavemadethemsensitivetotheimperiousnote
inthemandamusoftheEnglishKing ;moreover,Douglas
hadpowerfulfriendsatCourt,oneoftheGuardiansbeing
JamestheSteward,brotherofhisfirstwife,andanother
Comyn,EarlofBuchan,brother-in-law ofhissecond.
Thisnotwithstanding, Douglas fellintoKingEdward's
hands,andwasconfinedinLeedsCastle. Edward'swrath
seemstohaveevaporated quickly,forinMay 1290the
captivewassetfree,hislandsandthoseofJohnWishart
restoredtothem,onsecuritygivenfortheircompearance
beforetheKingwithinfifteendaysfrom27thJanuary
^Bain,ii.92.
"Ibid.,p.93.
^Stevenson, i.83.

THETREATYOFBIRGHAM 23
1291.^DameEleanorwasfined^100forheroffence
inmarryingwithouttheKing's leave,"'^butcircumstances
arisingtointerferewiththeproductionofthefine,King
Edwardhadtohelphimselfin1296byconfiscatingher
manorsinEssexandHereford.
Thecircumstances referredtoaroseoutofthedisputed
successiontotheScottishthrone. Alexander III.,lastof
the
"KingsofPeace,"hadperishedonthecliffsatKing-
horn
;theprojectedmarriageofhisgranddaughter,young
QueenMargaretofScotland,withEdward,PrinceofWales,
miscarriedthroughheruntimelydeath,andtherealmwas
rentbydiversclaimants
—
"^ultcit3\.Ii3s;mbtjronxt^iuugteasbeic
l^ltut(SccrthtttiiWhiitlobevtitbIc,
3VtoiiPin£ssonsoffaleanbbrebe,
(Dftouitc;mbtua.v,offQ.ununanbglc;
&xncgolbluesdxangubintoIcbc
;
Christ,bornintoclurgiinjitc,
(Sitcrour^cotlaub,anbremcbc!
^Iiatstabisinpcrplexste."
^
Thetimehadcometotakesides. Douglas'sname
appearsamongthoseofScottishbaronsconfirming the
treatyofSalisbury[November i289]
;itwasappendedalso
totheletterfromthefourGuardians,forty-fourecclesiastics,
twelveearls,andforty-sevenbaronswhosentalettertothe
KingofEnglandapprovingoftherumouredprojectofa
marriagebetweenhisheirandtheQueenofScots
;and,while-
asKingEdward'swritswereoutforhisarrest,hesatamong
hispeersatBirghamwhenthetreatydefiningthefuture
relationsofthetwokingdomswasstruck[i8thJuly1290].
AtNorham,on2ndJune1291,theGuardians of
ScotlanddeliveredtherealmintothehandsofEdward I.
asLordParamount.Onthe5thJulyfollowing
swearsfealtyKingEdwardwasstaying atSirWalterde
^^w^^r"^^"
Lindsay'smanorofThurston inEastLothian,
5thJuly1291. J
1,1.
andinthechapeltherereceivedDouglassoath
offealty ;
^buttowardstheendofthesameyear,andfor
1Stevenson, i.154.
-Idid.,p.214
3Wyntoun, vii.x.3619.
*Bain,ii.123.

24 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
certaintransgressions whereofthenaturehasnotbeen
explained,hislandsinDouglasdalewereforfeitedtoKing
Edward,who,inJanuary1292,exercised therightof
patronagethusacquiredbypresentingMasterEustacede
BikertontothechurchofDouglas.^
JohndeBalliol,havingbeencrownedKingofScot-
landon17thNovember1292,inaccordancewithKing
Edward'saward,heldhisfirstParliamentatSconeonloth
Februaryfollowing. Douglas, failingtoattendthereat,
wasproclaimedadefaulter,togetherwithRobertdeBrus,
EarlofCarrick[theCompetitor],Angus,sonofDonaldof
theIsles,andJohn,EarlofCaithness. Douglas,however,
attended thesecondParliament ofJohn[Stirling, 3rd
August1293],whenhewasimprisonedonachargeof
deforcingtheroyalofficerswhentheyhadcometoDouglas-
daletogiveeffecttoajudgment infavourofhismother,
Constance,inanactionbroughtagainstherson.Here-
uponbecamemanifesttheinconvenience ofattempting to
servetwomasters,forwhileDouglaslayinprisonunder
KingJohn'swarrantheoughttohavebeenonhislands
inEssexontheserviceofKingEdward,whofinedhim
;£"20forhisabsence.Edwardhadtheclemencytoremit
thisfine,thoughontermssomewhatderogatory toKing
John'sauthority—
"whereasourbelovedandfaithfulWil-
liamofDouglaswasinourprisonbyourinstructions,"
etc.2
Whenatlastaccumulated affronts,ofwhichthisisa
verymildspecimen,brokedownthepatienceoftheScottish
King,anddrovehimtorenouncehisallegiancetoEdward,
SirWilliam leHardirangedhimselfwiththepatriots.
StrengthenedbyanalliancewithFranceandNorway,^the
ScotsthrewdownthegauntlettoEngland,andDouglas
wasappointedgovernoroftheirmostimportantcommercial
Th kfP°^^'
Berwick-on-Tweed. Edwardappearedbe-
Berwick, forcthewallson29thMarch1296,with5000
"'^'
cav'alryand30,000infantry,hisshipslyingoff
therivermouth.TheplacewastakenbystormonGood
^RotuHScotics, i.7.
-Stevenson, i.403.
^Ibid., ii.8.

THESACKOFBERWICK 25
Friday,the30th,andwasgivenovertothemassacre
thatleftsuchadarkstainonthememoryofKingEdward.
Itwentonfortwowholedays,Bower,aScottishauthority,
estimatingtheslainofbothsexesat7500 ;Hemingburgh,
fromanEnglishstandpoint,making itover8000.Wyn-
toun.PriorofSt.Serf's,hasleftagraphicdescriptionof
thehorriblescene ;andthecommandofEdwardtostay
theslaughterbeingrenderedinFrenchseemsatouchof
trueportraiture
—
"^husthnislapttb tuiircsafust
^Uthei-Av,qluhill 'atihtlast
'(Eltis^jingCgbtoarbsatuinthattube
^toomanstajine,anboffhiirsj)be
glJbaruc"hesatofallout,sprctolanb^
^csgbthattuomanslatmchjanb.
'
passes,lasses I'
*
thanerj)ibhe
;
'
'gi\3toff,—Sebcoff
!
'thattoovbsnlbhe."
^
Thenwithaflashofhonestireheexclaims
—
"^hzsatolgs^thathegart^slat>botonthare,
^escnb,quharc^hissatoleneiiermare
gMcsliketoronie,thatistheblvs,
^ttharenlk-gnjotiaglestanb
^is."^'^
Thegarrisonofthecastle,sometwohundredinnum-
ber,surrenderedafterthesackofthetown,withDouglas
attheirhead.Theywereallreleasedonparoleexcept
theircommander,whowasputinward. Hislandsin
Essexwereseized,andthesheriffofthatcountyreported
thathehadarrestedatStebbing Douglas'ssonHugh,
nearlytwoyearsold,tillfurtherinstructions.^^
AfterthedefeatoftheScotsatDunbar[28thApril],
andKingEdward'striumphalprogressthroughScotland
asfarasElgin,Douglasregained hisliberty,butatthe
^Until.
-Achild.
^Sprawling.
^Laissez !
'
Wyntoun, viii.9.
®Souls.
'Caused.
*Where.
^Whereeveryjoyiseverlasting.
^^Wyntoun, viii.9.Buchan'sraiduponTynedaletookplaceonSthApril,
whensimilarhorrorstookplace,probablyinreprisal.
"Bain,ii.173.

26 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
Douglas
signsthe
Ragman
Roll,28th
Aug.1296.
priceofenactingthedishonourable farcesoontobecome
customaryamongtheScottishnobihty,namely,renewing
theoathoffealtytotheKingofEngland. Hissealwas
appendedtothefamousRagmanRoll,andofhiskinsmen
whoalsodidhomageonthisoccasionmaybenotedFreskin
deDouglas
^andWilliam,sonofAndrewdeDouglas,^both
ofLinlithgowshire. Twodayslater,onthe30th
August,Douglas'slandsinsixScottishcounties
—Fife,Dumfries(probablyincludingtheupper
wardofLanarkshire),Wigtown,Berwick,Ayr,
andEdinburgh—wererestoredtohimbyorderofthe
King ;butbyagraveerrorofpolicyhisEnglishposses-
sionswereforfeited,therebydestroying
themostpowerfulinducementtoDouglas
toremainfaithfultohisallegiance
—
self-interest,towit.^Fawdon inNorth-
umberlandwasmadeovertoDouglas's
oldenemy,Gilbert,EarlofAngus.^
OfthebaronsofScotland,many
weresafeinEnglishprisons,wherethe
fortuneofwarasdeclared atDunbar
hadcastthem
;upontherest,somesenseofdecencyand
regardfortheiraccumulatedoathstoEdwardkeptadegree
ofrestraintforatime.Butthenational spiritwasnot
utterlyquenched
;itsmouldered ominouslyamongthe
lessergentryandpeasantry,soontobreakoutinformid-
ablerevoltunderthecapableguidanceofWilliamWallace.
Warnedofthegeneralunrest,EdwardsummonedDouglas
andfiftyotherScottishbaronstomeethiminLondonon
7thJuly1297,toaccompanyhimonhisexpedition to
Flanders.
ButitwasnearlyayearsinceDouglasandhispeers
hadlastswornallegiancetoEdward ;vows,evenwhen
madeupontheGospels,theconsecrated host,theblack
Fig.4.—SealofSir
WilliamofDouglas
(leHaidi),1296.'*
1Bain, ii.205.
2
jhi^^^208.
^TheseEnglishlandswererestoredtoSirJamesDouglas[vii.]byEdward
III.in1329,
"byspecialfavour."
—
Ibid., iii.178.
^Ibid., ii.265.
^Eraser, i.17.

WALLACE'SRISING 27
crossofSt.Neots,andalltherestofit,werenotproof
againstthetestsoftimeandcircumstance. Mostofthe
baronsheldalooffromtheleadofWallacethe
Joinsthe
risingof landless ;butBishopWishartofGlasgow,Sir
Wallace,1297.
AlexanderdeLindsay,andAndrewdeMoray
ofthehouseofBothwellhadjoinedhim—
goodenoughcom-
panyforDouglas,whooncemorethrewhisallegiancetothe
windsandmarchedacontingent tothenationalmusterat
Irvine. BrucetheCompetitorwasdead ;hisson,Robert
deBrus
'
leviel'wasEdward'sgovernorofCarlisle ;his
grandson,theyoungEarlofCarrick,afterwardstobecome
KingofScots,renewedhisoathstotheEnglishKing,and,
strangeprefaceofwhatwassoontocome,swoopeddown
uponDouglasdale toavengethetreasonofitsabsentlord.
Hesackedthecastle,andcarriedoffDameEleanorandher
childrentoLochmaben. Butlo 1howlightlythosegreat
baronsstoopedtoperjury ;itwasbuttheboldplayer's
finesseinthegameofpolitics.TheEarlofCarrick'snext
publicappearancewasinJuly1297,attheheadofhismen
ofAnnandaleintheinsurgentcampatIrvine.TheScottish
armywasstronginnumbers,butsorelyenfeebledbyjealousy
anddissensionamongitsleaders. Overagainstthemlaya
forcedespatchedunderPercyandCliffordbytheEarlof
Surrey. SirRicharddeLundin,disgustedwiththewrangles
intheScottishcamp,rodeovertotheEnglish,vowingthat
^, ^
.hewouldhavenomorepartwithmenwhocould
Thesubmis-
'•
sionofIrvine,notagreeamongthemselves. Therestsubmitted
y
'=97-
^QKingEdward'sgrace,allbutWallace,who
rodeoffwithahandfulofstalwartsintoSelkirkForest,soon
tobeheardofagain.
Douglassurrendered tohisparoleatBerwickonthe
dayappointed,but,failingtoproducethestipulatedhostages,
wasstraitlyimprisoned.On24thJulytheConstableof
BerwickwrotetoKingEdward :
"
SirWilliamdeDouglas
isinyourcastleofBerwickinirons,andinsafe-keeping,
Godbethanked,andforagoodcause,asonewhohaswell-
deserved it.And Iprayyou,ifitbeyourgoodpleasure,
lethimnotbeliberatedforanyprofitorinfluence,until

28 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
youknowwhatthemattersamounttoinregardtohim
personally."
^WritingagainalittlelatertheConstable
says :
"SirWilliamdeDouglashasnotkeptthecovenants
hemadewithSirHenrydePercy ;heisinyourcastleof
Berwick inmykeeping,andheisstillverysavageand
veryabusive[tmcorevioiitsaurngeemoutaraillez\butI
shallkeephiminsuchwisethat,ifitpleaseGod,heshall
notescape."
AfterWallace'svictoryoverSurreyandCressingham
atStirling[iithSeptember1297]theEnglishevacuated
Berwick,takingwiththemtheirprisonerDouglas,who,
beingcommittedtotheTowerofLondon,diedtheresome
timebeforeJanuary1299,inwhichmonthKingEdward
directedtherestorationofherdowerlandstoDameEleanor.-
ButthelandsofDouglasdalewerebestoweduponSirRobert
deClifford. Therewerestillarrearsof£Ziduebythe
deceased,inrespectofthefineforabductingDameEleanor
;
thissumtheSheriffofNorthumberlandwasorderedtolevy
offDouglas'sformerestateofFawdon.^
SirWilliamdeDouglasleftthreesons—
(i)James[vii.],
byhisfirstwifeElizabethStuart;(2)Hugh[viii.],and
(3)
Archibald [ix.],byhissecondwife,EleanordeFerrers.
^Stevenson, ii.205.
-Bain, ii.269.
^Ibid.,437.

CHAPTER II
PAGE
29
31
31
33
34
35
36
37
39
40
41
42
46
vii."TheGood"SirJamesof
Douglas, c.1290-
1330.
DeclaresforBruce,1306.
BattleofMethven,
1306.
RaidofBrodick,1307.
The"DouglasLarder,"1307.
SecondassaultonDouglasCastle,
1307[?]•
AffairofRaplochMoss,1307.
BattleofLoudonHill,lothMay
1307-
ThirdassaultonDouglasCastle,
1307[?]•
CaptureofThomasRandolph,
1308.
BattleofPassofBrander,August
1308.
CaptureofRoxburghCastle,6th
March1314.
BattleofBannockburn, 24thJune
1314-
Pursuit ofKingEdwardby
Douglas,24thJune1314.
47Repeated raids intoEngland,
1314-1316.
48AffairofLintalee,1316.
49SinglecombatwithNevill,1316.
50SiegeandcaptureofBerwick,
1317.
51The"ChapterofMyton,"1319.
52Secret treatywith Lancaster,
1320.
54Edward 11.invades Scotland,
1320.
55
BattleofBiland,14thOctober
1322.
56TheEmeraldCharter,1324.
57CampaignofWeardale,1327.
59Douglas'sCamisade,August1327.
60TreatyofPeace,1328.
61DeathofRobert i.,7LhJune
1329.
62Expedition withtheHeartof
Bruce,1330.
63DeathofSirJamesDouglas,25th
August1330.
OfallthehouseofDouglasinitsthreemainbranchesand
endlessramifications thereisnone, ifitbenotthatlater
Jameswhodied atOtterburn,roundwhose
memory isgathered somuchromanceand
knightly lore,nonewhohasearnedthesame
degreeofproudaffectionfromhiscountrymen,as
"
theGood"SirJamesofDouglas [vii.],whosucceeded
hisfatherWilliaminhishonours,andultimatelywonback
hisestateswhilewinningthekingdom forhisliegelord.
vii."The
Good"Sir
Jamesof
Douglas.

30 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
Hewasstillveryyoungwhenhisfatherbreathedhislast
intheTower
—
. . ."3lnclitillImaf
TEhuttnashotaitfHtillpag£."
^
Barbour isauthority forthestatement that,while
Edward I.wasbesiegingStirlinginthespringof
1304,
youngJamesofDouglaswasbroughtintohispresence
byLamberton,BishopofSt.Andrews.^ Theprelateasked
thattheyoungmanmightbepermittedtodohomageand
receivebackhislands.
"Whatlandsdothheclaim?
"
quoththeKing.
"ThelordshipofDouglas,underyourpleasure,sire
;
whereofhisfatherwaslord."
"
Sirbishop
!
"exclaimed theKingangrily,
"you
cannotbyyourfealtyspeakofthistome.Hisfatherwas
atraitor ;lethimseeklandwherehemay;heshallnot
havethese,forClifford,whoholdsthem,haseverservedme
loyally."
WehearnomoreofyoungDouglas fornearlytwo
years,duringwhichheprobablylivedwithBishopLamber-
ton,whohadmeanwhilematuredhisprivycompactwith
RobertBruce.ThenbefelthetragedyintheGreyFriars'
ChurchofDumfries,whenBruceslewJohnComynunder
trust[February1306]. BrucestraightwayrodetoGlas-
gow,whereBishopWishart,notwithstanding thesixseveral
occasionsonwhichhehadswornfealtytoEdward,^
receivedtheassassinwitheffusion,gavehimsolemnabsol-
ution,andcutuphisownepiscopalvestmentstoserveas
coronationrobes.
Whennewsoftheseeventsreached St.Andrews,says
Barbour,JamesDouglaswentbeforeBishopLamberton
andvowedhewouldservewithBruce,andsorecoverhis
ownrightfulheritagefromClifford. Lamberton entirely
approvedofthishighresolve,gavehimmoneyandhisbless-
^TheBriis,v.14.
^JamesDouglas'smotherdiedbefore1288,thereforehecouldnothavebeen
lessthanseventeenatthistime.
^Bain, ii.490.

BRUCE'SREVOLT 31
ing,andtoldhimtotakehis[Lamberton's]ownpalfrey,
Ferand,forthejourney,authorisinghimtouseforceshould
thegroomobjecttolettheanimalgo.Object
D^o"giasde-
^^^groomdid,andwaspromptlycutdownby
Claresfor Douglas,whojoinedBruceintimeforthe
Bruce,1306.
.
coronationatScone[27thMarch1306].One
oftheancientceremoniesatthecrowningofScottishKings
wasthepilingofamound,calledOmnisterra,towhich
everybaroncontributedahandfulofsoilfromhislands.
GodscroftdeclaresthatDouglasaddedtheretosomeearth
fromDouglasdale,which,ifnotliterallytrue,isdoubtless
whattheyoungsquirewouldhavedoneundermore
convenientcircumstances.
FromthattimeforwardDouglaswasmoreclosely
associatedwiththefortunesoftheKingofScotsandthe
independenceofhisrealmthananyotherindividual. One
followshiscareerwiththekeenersympathy,inthat,alone
ofallthechevaliersofBruce'sfollowing,hewasfreefrom
thetaintofbrokenfaith,Edwardhadrejectedhisfealty
offeredatStirling ;Douglashadbornenopartinthe
murderofComyn ;heart-whole andwithunblemished
honourhethrewinhislotfromthefirstwiththenational
cause.
Thatcausereceivedanominouscheckattheoutset.
OnSunday,26thJune1306,AymerdeValenceattacked
theScottishforces,inferiortohisownbysome
ofMethven,
I
5oo,inthewoodsnearMethvenandscattered
i6thJune them. Bruce,unhorsedbySirPhilipdeMow-
bray,wasrescuedbyhisbrother-in-law, Sir
ChristopherdeSeton,andescapedwithdifficultyfromthe
field,accompaniedbyhisbrotherEdward,Athol,Gilbertde
laHaye,NigelCampbell,andJamesDouglas.
TheKing'snephew,youngThomasRandolph, after-
wardstodohisunclesplendidserviceasEarlofMoray,
wastakenprisonerwithanumberofknights.
AfterwanderingforsomeweeksintheHighland hills,
Bruceventuredtotheneighbourhood ofAberdeen,where
hewasjoinedbyhisQueen,hisdaughterMarjorie,andhis

32 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
twosisters.Thentheyhiedbacktothewildsofthewest,
relyingchiefly,itseems,uponDouglasastheircaterer
—
"^ttttocrtki)JlamesofDouglas
^gtrabiil.mb
^anbbcsotons
Jfartoparchvisthetabsismet,"
JVniitonmangtois^toalbget.
Jforquhile'*hebcucsounthambrocht,
^ni)iDithhishanbisijuhitehetorocht
Clonnis
^
totakgcbbis®anbsalmounis,
^roiitis, clisanbalsmenounis.""
CominguponthebordersofLorn,theyfoundthemselves
ingreatperil,fornotonlyweretheMacdouallsofLornof
thesamebloodasthoseofthatnameinGalloway—sworn
foesofBruce,butAlexanderofArgyllhadmarriedan
auntofthemurderedComyn.Thewandererswereattacked
byastrongforceunderJohnofLorn,ataplacestillcalled
Dairy—theKing'sfield—andseverelyhandled,Douglasre-
ceivingaseriouswound.^Ontheapproachofwinterthe
KingofScotsappointed hisbrotherNigelandtheEarl
ofAtholtoescorttheroyalladiestoKildrummieCastle,
andsetoffwith200followers totakeshippingforthe
Western Isles. Arrivingontheshoreoffar-stretching
LochLomond,thefugitivesfoundthemselves inadilemma,
oneendofthelakelyingintheterritoryofLorn,theother
beingguardedbyKingEdward'sconstableofDunbarton
—
SirJohnMenteith,thecaptorofWallace. Douglas,ever
alertandresourceful, foundasunken boat,whichhe
managedtopatchuptoserveasaferry. Itwouldonly
carrythreepassengers atonce,andthewholenightwas
spentincrossingthewater.KingRobertbeguilingthe
timebyreadingaloudtheromanceoiFerambi'asandOliver.
TotheKing'sraggedtroopthewestshoreofLoch
Lomondwasfriendlysoil,forhereMalcolm,EarlofLennox,
^Travailing,industrious.
^Meat. ^Wise,manner.
*
Sometimes.
^Snares.
^Pike.
''
Eelsandalsominnows.—Barbour'sTheBrus,xvii.
^Barbour'snarrativeishereconfirmedbyaletterfromKingEdwardtothe
PrinceofWales,14thSeptember,heartilyacknowledgingJohnofLorn'sservices
atthistime.—Bain, ii.490.

RAIDUPONBRODICK
33
heldsway.But itwasnosecureresting-place. Ships
wereobtained intheClyde,andforthreedaysKing
RobertwastheguestofAngusoftheIslesinthecastle
ofDunaverty, inCantyre. Withafollowingincreasedto
300hesailedagain,onlyjustintime,forDunaverty
wascloselyinvestedbyJohnofLornimmediately afterhe
leftit.^Thelittlebandspentthedarkwintermonthsin
thebleakIsleofRathlin,offtheIrishcoast,andbyextra-
ordinarygoodfortuneescapeddetectionbythefleetwhich
KingEdwardsenttohuntthemout.-
TowardsspringtideDouglas, illbrookingtheenforced
idlenessoflifeinRathlin,persuaded SirRobertBoydto
joinhiminanattemptuponthecastleofBrodick, in
Arran,whichwasinthecustodyofSirJohndeHastings.
Boyd,whoknewArranwell,wasnothingloth,
ra^i^upon
^^^^^^^^^'ochcvaliers,landingbynightnearthe
Brodick,
castlcwithasufficient force,drewtheirgalley
ashore,concealedtheoarsandtackle,andcreptinto
ambushatdaybreak.^ Fortunefavouredthem. Hastings,
probablyfindinglifeasmonotonousonArranasDouglas
hadfounditonRathlin,hadanumberofguestsstaying
withhim. Threevesselshadarrivedovernightwithwine,
victual,andarms,andthegarrisonturnedouttobeara
handinlandingthecargo.Waiting tillthemenwere
returninguptheshoreheavilyladen,theScotsrushedfrom
theirambushandeasilyoverpowered them.Those still
withinthecastleattemptednorescue,butshutthegates,
leavingBoydandDouglasfreetomakeoffwithamost
acceptablebootyofarms,food,andclothing.
^Bain,ii.491.
^Hid.,502. ItwasduringthiswinterthatthefamousepisodeofBruceand
thespiderwasallegedtohavetakenplace. Ihaveelsewhere[_Robe7-iBrucea7id
theStruggle
fo}'
ScottishIndependence,pp.14-16]givenreasonsforrelegatingthis
tothecategoryofmyth,whicharecertainlynotweakenedbythefactthatthe
laboriousGodscroft,inthedraftofhismanuscriptpreservedatHamilton,makes
JamesDouglastheherothereof,andnottheKing.
^Boydwasaknight,Douglaswasnot,thereforeBoydwouldnaturally
beincommandoftheparty
;butBarbourattributes allthecredittoDouglas,
doubtlessbecauseofDouglas'ssuperiorsubsequentfame.
VOL.I. C

34 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
WordofthissuccesswassenttoKingRobert in
Rathlin. Intendays'timehearrivedwiththirty-threesmall
galleys,and,beingtakenbyawomantothemouthof
"anewoddyglen
"whereBoyd'spartyhadbivouacked,he
windedablastuponhishorn.
"ThatistheKing !
"
criedDouglas,—
"Iknowhisblast
ofold."
"NofearbutthatistheKing,"saidBoyd,andhearty
wasthemeetingthatfollowed.
Brucewasnowwithinsightofhisownearldomof
Carrick.HowhesurprisedPercyinTurnberryCastle,and
ledhisbandintothefastnessesoftheGalloway hills,need
notberecountedhere,northedisasterwhichovertookhis
brothersThomasandAlexanderwhen,probablyactingin
concertwiththeKingofScots,theylandedinLochRyan
withsomehundredsofIrishkernes.AssoonashisKing
wassafeintheshelterofGlenTrool,Douglassetoffwith
twocompanionstoreconnoitrehispaternallandsinDouglas-
dale.HewenttoHazelside,wherelivedThomasDickson,
anoldservantofhisfather,whowelcomedhimwarmly
andassuredhimthattheharshnessoftheEnglishgarrison
hadpavedthewayforrevolt.AtHazelsideDouglaslay,
andinafewdayshadgatheredtohimselfastaunch
companyofhisownpeople.HelaidhisplansforPalm
Sunday[19thMarch i307],whenthegarrisonofthecastle
wouldparadefordivineserviceinSt.Bride'sChurch.On
thatmorninghisfollowersassembled,witharmsundertheir
frocks,Douglashimselfdisguisedasathresher,flailinhand.
The
"
Douglas
Thesoldiersmarchedoverfromthecastleand
Larder,"1307.wereSeated inthechancel,palms inhand,
Douglasandhismenfollowingquietlyandtakingtheir
placeswiththeordinarycongregation inthebodyofthe
church.Theconcertedsignalforactionwastobegiven
bytheirleader,butoneofhisfellowslosthisheadand
prematurely cried,
"ADouglas
!—ADouglas !
"
Dickson,
nearestthechancel,startedupanddrewhiswhinger,but
wasinstantlycutdown. Inthefierceconflictwhich
followedtheEnglishwereoverpowered,andallslainor

THE''DOUGLASLARDER"
35
taken.^Thenbacktothecastle,wheretheporterand
cookleftinchargeofferednoresistance. Douglasandhis
mensatdowntothedinnerpreparedforthegarrison
;after
which,horribletosay,theybeheaded theirprisoners,killed
thehorses,stavedthewinecasks,andpilingallinaheap,
setfiretothecastle,whichwasburnttotheground.Then
DouglasmarchedoffwithhisrecruitstorejointheKingin
GlenTrool.Suchwasthe
"DouglasLarder,"whereofthe
horrorwastoogreatforthestomachevenofDouglas's
panegyristBarbour
—
"^oxmclcanbmaltwnhbhxhanbtogn^
^analltogibbrrinamelliitt,
^hattoasitnscmlyfortosc
:
l^harforthemmofthatcnntrf, ..aa
f-O/fl-4Q
Jforsicthingisthatmcllit^ ttitr, -*—S-0/</^Xo
€atlitittheDouglaslarbtncr."'*
SirRobertdeCliffordbroughtanumberofworkmen
fromthesouthandsetthemtorebuildingthecastle. This
musthavetakenmanymonths,andwehaveno
asTa°uiton
knowledge ofhowDouglasspenttheinterval.
Douglas
IfhewasnotactuallywiththeKinginGlen
Troolhewasprobablywanderingaboutthe
outskirtsofthesouthernuplands. Butnosoonerwasthe
workonDouglasCastlecomplete,andreoccupiedbyan
EnglishgarrisonunderacaptainnamedThirlwall,thanits
indomitableyounglordattacked itagain.Hecausedafew
ofhismentodriveoffsomecattlegrazinginthemeadows
roundthecastle,keepingthemainbodyinambushat
Sandilands, notfaroff.Warden Thirlwall, leadinga
detachment todriveoffthemarauders, fellintothesnare
andwasslainwithseveralofhismen.Therestescaped
intothecastle,whichDouglasfailedtocapturethistime.
Barbour,thechiefauthorityforthisexploit,issomewhat
morethanshakyinchronology,andseveralothereventsin
thespringandsummerof1307musthavepreceded it.
Forinstance, itwasimmediatelyaftertheaffairatTurnberry
^Thirtyinnumber,saysBarbour.
"
Wine.
^Mingled.
«
Barbour'sT/ieBnts,xlii.

36 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
Castle,inFebruaryorearlyMarch,thatKingEdwardhad
commissionedAymerdeValence,EarlofPembroke,to
marchfromEnglandwithastrongforceandco-operate
withPercy,sheriffofAyr,St.John,sheriffofDumfries,
MacdouallofGalloway,andJohnofLorn,whobrought
800light-footedHighlandersfromthenorth,^insurround-
ingBruceinhishiding-place. NeverwasBruce'scauseat
solowanebb. Barbour'sestimateofhisfollowingatthis
time,150to300,isprobably accurate,certainlymore
nearly sothanHemingburgh's preposterous guessof
10,000.ThegoodmonkhadneverseentheGalloway
hills,norknewhowimpossible itwouldbetofeedsuch
aforcethere. Douglas, freshfromtheDouglas larder,
rejoinedtheKingofScotswhenhewasfallingbackbefore
Pembroke'sadvancebywayofDalmellingtonandLoch
Doon.TheyverynearlyfellintothehandsoftheHigh-
landers,whomLornhadledtooutflanktheKing'sparty
onthewest.TheKingdividedhispeopleintothree
bands,givingthemrendezvous atCraigencallie,thelonely
residenceofawidow.- Lornhadabloodhoundwhichonce
belongedtoBruce ;heslipped it,andthedogsettledon
hisoldmaster'strack.TheKingcausedhisimmediate
followerstoscatter,andintheendmanaged tothrow
thehoundoffhisscentbytravellingdownthebedofa
stream. Nextday,aloneandfaintwithhungerand
fatigue,heventuredtothetrystatCraigen-
Affairof ^
'
1
Rapioch callie,whereDouglasandEdwardBrucemet
Moss,1307.
Yilm,DouglasreportingthatapartyofEnglish
werebivouackednotfaroffonRapiochMoss,andwere
keepingindifferent watch.TherestoftheKing'smen
1Pembroke'swarranthasbeenpreserved,providingpaytoJohnofLornfor
22men-at-armsand800foot.—Bain, ii.250.ThisexactlytallieswithBarbour's
statementofnumbers
—
"johneofLomeandallhismicht,
Thathadofworthymenandwicht
Withhimauchthundrethmenandma."
T/ieBnis,Hi.
^Whosememory ispreserved inthenameCraigencallie, i.e.creagna
cailkaich,theoldwoman'scrag.

BATTLEOFLOUDONHILL 37
havingassembled,anattackwasmadeonthesleeping
Englishbeforedaybreak,manyofwhomwereslainand
therestscattered,Ahugeboulder,stillcalledtheKing's
Stone,markstheplacewhereRobertissaidtohaverested
afterthissuccessfulaffair.
HavinginflictedacrushingdefeatupondeCliffordor
deWaus,orbothofthem,whomPembrokecausedtoenter
GlenTroolfromthesouthwith1500dismountedhorse-
men,Bruceescapedthroughthecordondrawnroundhim,
andappearedsuddenlyatthebeginningofMayinnorth
Ayrshire. PembrokesentSirJohndeMowbray
^torecon-
noitreKingRobert'sdispositions ;KingRobertdetached
DouglastowatchMowbray. NearKilmarnock
—
'"lEhatisin^^laxhtirnolvis tiuij,
'SThcffibvefuvb ithightpcrfaj)"—
-
Mowbray fellintoanambushpreparedbyDouglas,andhis
partywasroutedwithslaughter.Afewdayslater[loth
May1307]deValence,with3000splendidlyequipped
_,„,^ cavalry,attackedBruceinastronglyentrenched
BattleofLou-
-^
'
'=''
donHill,lothpositiononLoudon Hill,andwasbadlybeaten,
ay
1307-
BarboursaysthatDouglaswaspresentatthis
action
;perhaps itwasonlygarrisongossipthatfindsplace
inaletterwrittenfivedayslaterbyoneofKingEdward's
officersinCarlisle,totheeffectthatJamesdeDouglashad
sentmessengerstocraveadmissiontotheKingofEngland's
peace,butthathehadchangedhismindwhenPembroke
begantoretreat.^ Well is itforthefameofDouglas
thathewassavedfromdeserting hisKing,forLoudon
Hillwastheturning-point inthewar.Thegreatestand
bestofthePlantagenets diedon7thJune—^amost
puissantknight,afaultlesscommander,ashrewdlawgiver
—leavingtheconductofaffairsinthehandsoffavourite-
riddenEdwardofCarnarvon. Puttinghimselfatthe
headoftheforcesmustered atCarlislebyhisfather,
^NotSirPhilip,asBarbourhasit,confusinghimwiththegovernorof
StirlingCastlesevenyearslater.
^T/ieBnis,Ix.33.
'Bain, ii.526.

38 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
EdwardinvadedScotlandinthefirstweekofAugust,and
penetratedasfarasCumnock
;butonthe25thhebegan
hismarchbackagainanddisbandedhisarmy.
KingRobertwentnorthintheautumn,leavinghis
brotherEdwardandJamesDouglastomaintainhiscause
intheLowlands. Douglas's firstenterprisewasagainsthis
owncastle
—
"Theabciitttvous r.tstcllof^i.nt0ht35,
Thattohepsapcraloxisteas."
Havinglaidanambuscadenearthecastleaboutthetime
ofLanark fair,hesentfourteenofhismen,withpeasants'
Thirdssuit
^^^^^sovcrtheirarmour,toleadhorsesbearing
onDouglas sacksstuffedwithgrassinfullviewofthewalls.
e,
1307.
^j^^English,beingshortofprovender,beholding,
astheyimagined,astringofpackhorsescarryingcornto
thefair,sawthechanceofacceptableplunder. SirJohn
deWanton,Clifford'sconstableofDouglas,salliedoutin
personattheheadofapartytocapturetheconvoy ;but
justasheovertook ittheseemingpeasantspushedoffthe
sacks,sprangtosaddle,andfellto,whileDouglasbroke
fromhisambushandtooktheEnglishinrear.DeWanton
andhispartywereslaughtered
;thegarrison,leftwithouta
leader,surrendered atdiscretion
;theirliveswerespared,
butoncemorethecastle,newlyrebuilt,wasrazedtothe
ground. Cliffordhadappointed deWanton,agallant
youngknight,athisownrequest ;fordeWanton'slady-
lovehadrefusedtohaveanythingtosaytohimuntilhe
hadprovedhimself
"anegudbacheler,"byholdingthis
mostdangerous postforawholeyearfortheKingof
England.^
KingRobertwasbutthree-and-thirty inthisyear
[1307])buthardshipandexposurehadtoldseverelyupon
him,andhelayatdeath'sdoorforseveralweeksinInver-
urie,whileBuchananddeMowbraywerepreparingforces
toattackhim.BarbourputsthetroopswiththeKingof
Scotsatthistimeatnomorethan700 ;nevertheless,
^ThisthirdassaultuponDouglasCastle isthechiefincidentinScott's
iouiance,CasileDanccious.

CAPTUREOFTHOMASRANDOLPH 39
havingrecoveredfromhissickness,hegatheredenough
meninthefollowingspringtosurpriseanddefeatBuchan
atOldMeldrum[22ndMay1308],andtolaywaste
hisenemy'slandsinwhatwaslongremembered asthe
"HershipofBuchan."
^TheEarlofBuchanleftthedistrict
toitsfate,repairingtoGalloway,whereheownedgreat
estates,andofwhichKingEdwardappointedhimwarden.
MowbraywentwithhimtobecomewardenofAnnandale,
andSirIngelramdeUmfravillewardenofCarrick.^King
Edward alsoappointedRobertdeUmfraville, Earlof
Angus,andSirWilliamdeRosofHamelake hisjoint
LieutenantsandGuardiansofScotlandinplaceoftheEarl
ofRichmond.2 NorthoftheForththecommandwas
placedinthehandsofDouglas'skinsman,SirAlexanderde
Abernethy, SirEdmunddeHastings,andSirJohnPltz
Marmaduke. Onpaper,therefore,theEnglishorganisation
forthesubduingofScotland leftnothingtobedesired,but
theHershipofBuchaninthenorthandDouglas's activity
andpopularityinthesouthhadwroughtanotablechange
inthespiritofthecountry. Inproportionastheclouds
weregathering roundtheunluckyEdwardtheywere
breakingawayfromthehorizonofRoberttheBruce.
DouglashadbeenbusyamongthemenofTweeddale,
wherethetenantsofAymerdeValence,uponwhommuch
„ , rofthatfairvalehadbeenbestowed,declared
Captureof
ThomasRan-fortheKingofScots. Arrivinglateonenight
doiph,1308.
^^^houseontheWaterofLynewherehe
meanttolodge,hefounditoccupied. Creepingclosetoa
window,helearntfromwhatheheardthattheinmates
wereoftheEnglishparty.Heimmediatelydrewhismen
roundthehouse,brokeopenthedoor,andsurprisedthe
partywithinbeforetheycouldgetintotheirharness. There
wasashortscuffleinthedark ;AdamdeGordonandmost
ofhismenescaped,otherswereslain,buttwoprisonersof
thefirstimportanceremainedwithDouglas,noneotherthan
^Thehan7ingorwasting,theactofadestroyingarmy
;fromtheAnglo-
Saxonhere,anarmy.
"Bain,iii.9.

40 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
KingRobert'snephew,youngThomasRandolph [after-
wardsEarlofMoray],andSirAlexanderofBonkill,brother
ofJamestheStewardandfirstcousinofDouglas.
WhenDouglasbrought hisprisoners beforeKing
Robert,Randolph defied hisuncle,tauntinghimwith
makingwarafterthemannerofabrigandratherthanofa
knight,sotheKingquietlycommittedhimtoprison,where
meditationwroughtsowelluponhispoliticaljudgmentthat
beforeMarch1309hehadincurredforfeitureofhismanor
ofStitchel,whichKingEdwardbestoweduponRandolph's
formerchief,AdamdeGordon. Thenceforward heand
JamesDouglaswererivalsinloyalandeffectiveserviceto
theKingofScots,
KingRoberthadsomeoldscorestopayoffinArgyle-
shire,andmarchedthitherbythefootofBenCruachan,
probablyinAugust1308.JohnofLornheld
ofBrander, thePassofBrandcrinforce
;theKingdetached
'^°
Douglas tooutflanktheclansmen,andthen
deliveredafrontalattack.Themellaywasfierceand
thick
;when itwasatthehottestDouglas felluponthe
flankandrearoftheHighlanders,whobrokeandfled
ineverydirection. Thiswasfollowedbythesiegeand
capture ofDunstaffnage, whichwassurrendered by
AlexanderofArgyleintimetoallowDouglastotakehis
seatinthefirstParliamentofRobert,whichmetatSt.
Andrewsoni6thMarch i308-1309,andtopleadpressing
engagements athomeindeclining PhilipofFrance's
invitationtojoininanewcrusade.
Negotiations foratrucewerenowsetafoot[February
1309],butthesesoonbrokedown,andKingEdwardwas
overtheborderagaininSeptember,passingtoRenfrew
andLanark[15thOctober]andLinlithgow[23rd—28th].
KingRobert'ssoundstrategywastoavoidapitchedbattle,
wastingthecountrysoeffectuallythatEdwardhadtoretire
toBerwick forwinterquarters.Theinterruptedpeace
negotiations wererenewed, asfutileasbefore,andin
August I3
11theScotswereraidingthenorthofEngland
intheirbestmanner,andagaininSeptember,when

ROXBURGHCASTLESURPRISED 41
DouglaslootedHartlepool. Inthecourseofthenext
twelveoreighteenmonthsoneafteranotheroftheEnglish
garrisonssurrendered totheScots ;overthecastlesof
Buittle,Dalswinton, Caerlaverock, Perth,Dumfries,and
Linlithgow thetressuredlionflewinplaceofEdward's
leopards. Thisbringsustothememorableyear
13
14,
whichopenedwithadaringexploitbyJamesDouglas.
RoxburghCastle,ofwhichscarceavestigenowremains,
wasthenastrongplaceofgreatimportancecommanding
„ ^ ,themiddleMarches. ItstillheldforEdward
Captureof
Roxburgh UnderSirWilliam deFiennes,aknightof
e,1314.
Qascony, OnShroveTuesday[6thMarch],
whilethegarrisonweremakingmerryontheeveofLent,
Douglascausedsixtypickedmentoshroudtheirarmourin
blackfrocksandapproachthecastleonallfoursinthe
gloaming,trustingthatthesentrieswouldmistakethemfor
cattlegrazing. Thisnaivestratagemsucceededbetterthan
mighthavebeenexpected.OneSymoftheLedhousehad
fashionedropeladderswithhookstoflingoverthebattle-
ments,andwasthefirsttoscalethewall,slayingthesentry
ontherampart. Douglasandhismenfollowed,and
surprisedthegarrisonattheirdanceinthegreathall.De
Fiennes,theconstable,heldoutinthekeeptillnextday,
butbeingwounded intheface,mortallyasitturnedout,
surrendered,andwasallowedtomarchoutwiththehonours
ofwar.
InthesameseasonofLent,ThomasRandolphcaptured
EdinburghCastlebyaprettyescalade.Ofallthestrengths
ofScotland,onlyBerwick,Stirling,Bothwell,andperhaps
Lochmaben stillremained totheEnglish. Justayear
before,theKing'schivalrousbrother,EdwarddeBrus,had
laidclosesiegetoStirlingCastle ;thegovernorthereof,Sir
PhilipdeMowbray,proposedasuspension ofarmson
conditionthathewouldsurrendertownandcastleifhe
werenotrelievedbyMidsummerDay,1314.Whatwould
nowbetermed
"sportingoffers
"
ofthisnaturewereoften
madeandtakenintheheydayofchivalry,andthisone
wasrashlyacceptedbyEdwardBruce. Robertwasvery

42 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
angrywhenheheardofit,because itinvolvedthatwhich
hehadconsistentlyavoided,namely,matching hisindiffer-
entlyarmedleviesagainstthefullyequippedsoldiersof
KingEdwardintheopenfield.However,PrinceEdward's
wordhadbeenpassed
;thatofBruce,pledgedinamatter
ofchivalry,wasnottobesolightlybrokenasofficialoaths
offealty ;itmustbefulfilledeventothehazardofthe
realm
;therewasnothingforitbuttoputthefortunesof
Scotlandtothetouch.
Immensepreparations weremadeinEngland,and
beforetheappointeddayasplendidarmyof50,000horse
andfoot
^crossedtheborderandadvancednorthward,the
Englishfleetco-operatingandcarryingsupplies. Against
thismightyarray,ledbythemostpowerfulbaronsof
England,-withallthelatestimprovements inarmourand
weapons,andblazingwithheraldicpageantry.KingRobert's
utmosteffortscouldcollectbutamodestandmotleyforce.
Barboursayshehad30,000menmusteredintheTorwood,
butasheandallotherwritersagreethattheinvadersout-
numberedthedefendersasthreetoone,itisnotprobable
thattheScottisharmynumberedmorethan20,000at
most.
KingRobertchosehispositionwithgreatsagacity,on
therisinggroundtothenorthoftheBannock,abouttwo
„,,, , milessouthofStirlingCastle. Hisarmywasin
Battleof
^ •'
Bannockburn,fourdivisious :PriuceEdwardBrucecommanded
a4thJune1314.
^j^^^^^^^j^^j.jg|^^^^^^^l^gTorwood
;Randolph,
EarlofMoray,thatnextontheleft,formingthecentreof
1Thisisbuthalfofthefigureusuallynamed,butitisallthatthedetails
giveninKingEdward'sPatentRollswillwarrant,andmorethanitwouldbe
easytosupportinacountrywastedbyeightyearsofincessantwar.—SeeBain,
iii.,Introduction, xxi.Inproofoftheutterlyuntrustworthynatureofthefigure
citedbychroniclerstheanonymousauthoroftheBodofPhtscarden [r.1461
A.D.]maybequoted. lieestimatestheEnglisharmyat300,000,"besidesall
theunarmedfollowersandtradersandhusbandmenandsutlersonfoot."
—
—Phiscarden, i.237,
ii.183.
"
PiersGavestonhadsufferedexecution,andhisremovalsecuredtoKing
Edwardthesupportofmanywhohadheldaloofduringthelifetimeofthat
detested favourite. ButtheEarlsofLancaster,Warwick,Warenne,and
Arundelwerestillmalcontent,andstayedathome.
—
Lanercosf,224.

BANNOCKBURN 43
thefirstline ;whileJamesDouglasandhiscousinWalter
theStewardhadjointcommandofthethirddivision,
whereoftheleftflankresteduponthevillageofSt.Ninians.
Thesethreedivisionswereprobablyformedinechelonfrom
theright,thefourthdivisionactingasreserveunder
commandofKingRobert.Thefront,notasmuchas
amilefromflanktoflank,wasprotectedbytwobogs,
betweenwhichrantheoldRomancauseway,andtheattack
waspracticallyconfinedtothispoint,becausethecourseof
theBannock,atriflingbrook,hererunsnearlylevelwith
itsbanks,flowingelsewherethroughravinesimpassable
forcavalry.TheScottishflankswerefurtherprotectedon
therightbytheTorwood,whereof alltheroadshadbeen
blockedbyabattis
;
^andontheleftbythemarshyland
nexttheForth. Inaddition.KingRoberthadpittedall
thesoundgroundonhisfront,toembarrasssuchcavalry
asshouldpassuptheRomanRoad.
Bruce'swholeforceofcavalryconsistedofbut500
lighthorseunderSirRobertdeKeith. DouglasandKeith
weresentoutwithatroopofthesetoreconnoitre the
approachingenemy.
OnSundaymorning,23rdJune1314,theEnglish
bannersweredescriedontherisinggroundaboutPlean.Sir
PhilipdeMowbraynotonlymanagedtocommunicatewith
KingEdward,butrodeoutinpersonasfarashisbivouack,
warninghimofthedefencesconstructedbytheScots,and
begginghimtodesistfromattack,fortheconditionsof
reliefhadbeeneffected.^Ahaltwasordered,butthe
vanguardundertheEarlofGloucesterpressedforward,
unwillingtobebaulkedofanencounter.^ SirHenryde
Bohun
^rodeoutoftheEnglishranks,andinthemost
approvedstyleofchivalrychallengedaScottishchampion
tosinglecombat.Tothedismayofhisofficers,King
Robertacceptedthechallengeinperson,and,mountedupon
"anegaypalfray litillandjoly,"rodeouttomeetBohun,
whoboredownuponhisopponent,lanceinrest,withall
*Scalao'onica, 142.
"
Ibid.,141,142.
^SirPiersdeMonlford,accordingloScalacroiiica.

44 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
themomentumofhisgreatwar-horseandfullarmour.The
KingofScotsmadehispalfreyleapasideandescapedthe
shock
;risinginhisstirrups,hedealtabackhanderwithhis
battleaxeupondeBohun,whofellinhistracks—torise
nevermore.
MeanwhileGloucesterhaddetached300horseunder
SirRobertdeCliffordtoestablishcommunications with
StirlingbymovingroundtheleftflankoftheScots.
RandolphMorayhadbeenchargedbytheKingwiththe
dutyofpreventinganysuchmovement.WhentheKing
sawhehadpermitted ithereproached hisnephew for
having
"
letfallarosefromhischaplet." Randolph,
smartingunderthereproof,setoffwithaforceinpursuitof
Clifford'sparty ;avainessay,seeingthatRandolphhadno
cavalry. Butitwastheageofchivalry. Insteadofpur-
suinghiscourseandcarryingoutthedutyhehadbeen
detailed for,CliffordallowedSirHenrydeBeaumont to
persuadehimtoawaittheattackoftheScots.Randolph
cameonandformedontheplain,aformidable
"schiltrom,"
orphalanxofpikes.
Douglas,betweenwhomandRandolphhadsprungup
themostardentandlastingaffection,perceiving hisfriend
inwhatseemedgreatperil,besoughttheKingtolethim
takeapartytohissupport.TheKingverywiselyrefused
toderangehislineofbattle ;Douglasreturnedtohisown
division,and,contrarytoorders,movedoffwithadetach-
menttoreinforceRandolph.^ Buttheaffairwasover
beforehecouldreachtheground,DeClifford'shorsemen
hadrecoiledfromtheScottishpikes ;SirWilliamd'Eyn-
courtandmanytroopershadbeenslain
;SirThomasGray
hadbeencaptured,andtheEnglishsquadronwasinfullflight."-^
Suchwas,inoutline,theOuatre-Bras ofBannockburn.
Ofthegreatbattleonthemorrowthereisnoexcusefor
^BarboursaysthattheKinghadatlastgivenagrudgingconsent.
"
Scalac7-07tica, 142. IhavefollowedSirThoma=Gray'saccountofthisaffair,
whichdiffersinmanyrespectsfrommorecommonlyacceptedversions
;but,as
asoldier'sreport, itstandsuniqueamongthedescriptionsbymonkishwriters,
andheheardthestory,nodoubt,fromhisfather,SirThomas,whowastaken
prisoner.

BANNOCKBURN
45
offeringadescription here,seeingthat,whereasDouglas
commandedontheleft,thestressofconflicttookplace
upontherightandcentre.Twoeventsonlyofthatday
havetoberecordedasspeciallyconcerningJamesDouglas.
Thefirstisthatinthemorning,incompanywithWalter
theStewardandsomeothers,hereceivedtheaccolade
fromthehandsoftheKinginpresenceofthewholearmy.
Itseemsstrangethatthishonourshouldhavebeensolong
delayed,seeinghowmanydeedsofprowesshehadaccom-
plishedduringeightyearsofwarfare.Theprobableex-
planation isthatnoearlieropportunityhadoffereditself
ofcreatingtheLordofDouglasaknightbanneret,which
canonlybedoneonfieldofbattle.
TheotherepisodeinwhichDouglastookthefirstpart
wasafterthefortuneofthedayhaddeclared itself.
Gloucesterhadriddentohisruinamongthepitfalls
;
EdwardBruce,supported firstonhisleftbyRandolphand
thenbythereserveundertheKing,hadrepulsedthe
onslaughtofEnglishcavalryandinfantry ;Keith'slight
squadronshadsweptthecloudofarchersofftheslopesof
Greystale ;theEnglishhadbeguntofallback. Their
columnsinrearwerestilladvancing
;thepressureofhorses
andmenuponthatcontracted frontbecameintolerable
;
swelteringintheheat,wallowing inthemorass,theywere
fallingfastundertheScottisharchery fire.Ahorrible
panicensued
;theglorioushostwhichhadsparkled inthe
morningbeamswiththeproudestheraldryofEngland
becameahopelessrout,pennedintheshambleswhitherthe
rashcourageoftheirleadershadbroughtthem.Edward
Plantagenetpliedhismacelikeatruesonofhissire.His
horsewaskilledunderhim,buttheybroughthimafresh
one.Pembroke,ridingatonerein,toldhimallwaslost,
andledhimoutofthemelee. SirGilesdeArgentine,
reputedthethirdknightinChristentie,ridingattheother
rein,badehisliegeGod-speed.
"Formyself,"hecried,
"
Iamnotaccustomedtofly,norshallIdosothisday
!
"
andchargedintothethickofEdwardBruce'sranks,where
hefoundasoldier'sdeath.

46 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
KingEdward,withPembrokeandabodyguard of
500horse,rodetoStirling Castle,butSirPhilipde
. ,Mowbray,meetingthematthegate,badethem
Pursuitof ^
' c o
'
KingEdwardholdontheirway,elsewouldtheyallbetaken
byDouglas,
^^j^gj^^|^gcastlewassurrenderedaccordingtothe
compact. SoKingEdward,havingpartedwithPembroke,
turnedawaywithhisescortintotheTorwoodandheaded
forLinlithgow.
SirJamesDouglasobtainedleavefromhisKingtogive
chasewithatroopofKeith'shorse. Shortlyaftersetting
outhemethiskinsman,SirLawrencedeAbernethy,who
wasbringingeightyhorsementojointheEnglisharmy.
Knightsownedfewscruplesinchangingsidesinthiswar
:
Abernethy,seeingthatEdward'sgamewasup,threwinhis
lotwithDouglasandjoinedinthepursuit. Hotlythey
pressedtheflyingKing ;socloselythatBarbour,who
describesthehuntwithmightygusto,describesDouglasas
"^lioaisbgthamncr
^tktthamnochthafsiclaser
^
glsantstoatirfortoma."-
TheEnglishhaltedtobaitatWinchburgh ;Douglas's
partywasnotofsufficientstrengthtoattackthem,buthung
closelyontheirflankallthewaytoDunbar. Itwasalways
unsafetoreckonthefickleMarchasbelongingtooneside
ortheother
;onthisoccasiontheearlwasEnglishinsym-
pathy,and,havingadmittedEdwardtoshelter,passedhim
oninasmallboattoBamborough Castle.
AfterthebattleofBannockburn thewarenteredupon
anewphase
;theEnglishborderwasleftalmostunde-
^J fended,andtheBlackDouglas,asSirTameswas
Repeated
'
_ . ,
raidsinEng-commoulyCalled,incompanywithEdwardBruce
an
,
1314-131
^j^^^jgSoulis,wastedNorthumberland inAugust,
penetratedYorkshireasfarasTeesdale,sparedDurhamin
considerationofaheavyindemnity,andreturnedbywayof
Westmoreland.ApeaceconferenceheldatDumfriesbroke
down
;theScotswereovertheborderinforceagainin
'Leisure.
-T/ieBrus,cix.
55.

REPEATEDRAIDS
47
November,butDouglaswasattendingtheParliament as-
sembledatCambuskenneth inthatmonth.^Hewaspro-
bablypresentattheParliamentofAyr[25thApril131
5],
whenthesuccession tothethronewassettledandthe
betrothalofKingRobert'sonlychild,Marjorie,toWalter
theStewardwasapproved.
DouglasledafreshraidinJuneacrosstheborder,
takingmuchbootyfromthebishopricofDurhamandthe
seaportofHartlepool, butburningnotownsthistime.-
Thisdone,hejoinedhisKingbeforeCarlisletowardsthe
endofJuly.TheKing'sforceslyingchieflyontheeastern
sideofthecity,Douglasstationedhimselfonitswestern
approaches. Thesiegelastedelevendays,butthesiege
engineshavingbrokendown,andanescaladebyDouglas
havingfailedwithconsiderable loss, itwasraisedon1st
August. Similarill-successattendedanassaultledby
KingRobertandDouglasuponBerwick[lothJanuary
I3
16],Douglasnarrowlyescapingcaptureinasmallboat.^
ButKingEdwardhadnotimetoattendtothewantsof
hisgarrisonsinthenorth. Itisduesolelytotheprowess
andpatriotism firstofRicharddeKellow,BishopofDurham,
andlaterofWilliamdeMelton,thewarlikeArchbishopof
York,thatthenortherncountiesofEnglandwerenotper-
manentlyannexedbytheKingofScots.On14thMarch
someGasconmercenariesingarrisonatBerwick,maddened
byhunger,mutinied,androdeuponaforayinTweeddale.
SirAdamdeGordon,thesamewhomDouglashadcaptured
ontheW^aterofLyne,wasnowaloyalsubjectofKing
Robert,andsentDouglaswordthattherewereraiders
abroad. DouglastookthefieldatoncewithSirWilliam
deSoulisand[sogreatlyhadthetimesaltered]SirHenryde
Balliol,andfellupontheraidersatScaithMoorinCold-
streamparish. TheywereapartyofGascons, itseems,
horseandfoot,who,sendingforwardsomeoftheirnumber
withthecattletheyweredriving,receivedtheonslaught
oftheScotshorsewithgreatsteadiness,* Barbourdescribes
^ActsofParliamentofScotland, \.14.
"
Lanercost,2Tp.
2Ibid.,232.
*Bain,iii.89,90,91.

48 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
thisasthehardestbitoffightingthateverfelltotheshare
ofDouglas,andcreditmaybegiventohim,forinother
particularshisnarrative issingularlyconfirmedbylettersin
theTowercollection.
SirJamesDouglaswasalreadyjusticiarofLothianand
wardenofJedburgh ;hewasnowtohavemoreweighty
officelaiduponhim.FormorethanayearEdwardBruce
hadbeenwarringinIreland,whithertheKingofScotshad
senthimtodiverttheattentionoftheEnglishfromaffairs
inScotland. EdwardBrucehadbeencrownedKingof
Irelandon2ndMay1316;butthemilitarysituationwas
sofarfromsatisfactorythathesenttheEarlofMorayto
begtheKingofScotstocometohisassistance. King
Roberttherefore sailedfromLochRyanearlyinthe
autumnofthatyear,leavinghiskingdomunderthejoint
guardianshipofSirJamesDouglasandWaltertheSteward.
TheKingofEnglandwasencouragedbytheabsenceof
theKingofScotstoresumetheoffensive. Pembroke,hav-
ingreapednolaurelsintheScottishwars,hadbeensuper-
sededinthewardenryoftheMarchesbyThomas,Earlof
Lancaster,^whosummonedanarmytomeetKingEdward
atNewcastleinJune.Themusterwaspostponed, firsttill
September,andthentillOctober,whenitdidtakeplace
;but
theKingdidnotappear,andthetroopsweredismissed to
theirhomes. ButtheEarlofArundel,eagerforadven-
ture,ledhiscontingentuponaraidacrosstheborderat
Affairof
Jcdburgh. Douglaswasamusinghimselfatthis
Lintaiee,1316.timeinbuilding anewcastle atLintalee.
WarnedofArundel'sapproach,helaidanambushforhim
onJedwater,andcuthiscolumntopieces,aYorkshire
knight.SirThomasdeRichmond,beingamongtheslain.-
ReturningtoLintalee,Douglasfoundthatanotherpartyof
English,headedbyapriest,hadoccupiedtheunfinished
^GrandsonofHenryin.;beheadedin1321.
-HailesfollowsBarbour,andFraserHailes,inidentifyingtheknightasof
thehouseofBrittany.Hewasnotso,buttheownerofBurton-Constable in
Yorkshire.HewasatthesiegeofCaerlaverock in1300,constableofNorhamin
1310,andWardenofCockermouth in
1314.

THEPEACOCKOFTHENORTH 49
houseandweremakingmerrywithin. Thesealsohe
surprised,puttingmostofthemtothesword.
ThenextexploitoftheBlackDouglaswasinsingle
combat. SirRobertdeNevill,thePeacockoftheNorth,
declaredthathewassickofhearingaboutthe
withthe valourofDouglas,andvowedthathewould
Peacockof
attackhimwhereverheshouldseehisbanner
theNorth.
displayed. Hearingofthis,Douglasmarchedall
nighttoBerwick,whereNevillwasingarrison,gavehim
thequivivebyfiringsundryvillages,andatsunriseflaunted
hiswell-known gonfalonunderthewalls.ThePeacock
tookupthechallengebriskly,androdeforthwithapicked
partyofmen-at-arms. Douglassuggestedsinglecombat
asmostchivalrous ;Nevillagreed,lancesweresoonin
rest ;theknightsmetbutonce,andDouglasrodeback
tohismen,leavingthePeacock lifelessonthesward.
Thereafter abloodyencountertookplacebetweenthe
retainersofeachparty,whereintheEnglishwereutterly
routed,andNevill'sthreebrothersweretakenprisoners
andheldtoransombytheircaptorfor2000markseach.^
KingRobertreturnedfromhisIrishexpedition in
May
13
17,and,afterreceivinganddisposingofthe
memorableembassyfromPopeJohnXXII.,setaboutpre-
parations forthesiegeofBerwick. Themayorand
burgessesofthattownhadreceived6000marksfrom
theEnglishExchequeroncondition ofdefending the
town till15thJune1317;butSirRofjerde
Siegeand
-^ -' ^ /
> &
^
captureof Horslcy,govcmorofthecastle,tooknopains
erwic,1317-
|.QconcealhiscontemptforallScots,nomatter
whatKingtheyserved,andthissoonbroughtabout ill-
feelingbetweenthegarrisonandthetownspeople.- One
oftheburgesses,SimonofSpalding,wroteprivilytothe
EarlofMarch,-^nowastaunchpatriot,offeringtoadmit
^Eain, iii.loi.
"HowfaithfulBarliourwasinthisstatement isprovedbytheappointment
byKingEdwardofacommission[4thFeb.1314]toinquireintothesedisputes.
—
Ibid.,iii.112.
"^
Ibid.,103,113.BarboursaystotheMarischal,SirRobertdeKeith.
VOL.I. D

50 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
anescaladeonacertainnightwhenhe[Spalding]should
beonguard.MorayhadreturnedfromIrelandwith
theKing,andBarbourdescribesalittleincidentshow-
inghowkeenwastherivalrybetweenhimandDouglas.
WhenMarch laidSpalding's letterbeforetheKing
—
"Youhavedonewell,"saidRobert,
"forhadyoufirsttold
mynephew,EarlThomas,youwouldhavedispleasedLord
Douglas,andhadyoufirsttoldDouglas,Randolphhad
neverforgiventheslight.Now Ishallarrangesothat
yourplanmaybecarriedoutwithout excitingany
jealousy."
TheKingdirectedMarchtoconceal hismenat
Duns,whitherDouglasandMorayweresenttojoin
him.Thencethey allmarched toBerwick, settheir
scalingladders inconcertwithSpalding,andeasily
tookpossession ofthetown.Aplunderingpartywas
toldoff,therestoftheforcebeingkeptunderarms,
preparedtomeetasortiefromthecastle ;butthetempta-
tionofthebootywastoogreat;inthedarknessmost
ofthemenslippedawaytojointheircomrades inthe
merryworkoflooting,anddaybreakfoundDouglasand
Moraywithscarcelyanyguards. SirRogerfromhis
keepspiedhisopportunityandorderedanimmediate
sortie.Acertainyoungknight.SirWilliamdeKeith
ofGalston,gallopedthroughthestreets,drivingtheScots
backtotheirpost,andthetwoleadersperhapsowed
their lives,certainly their safety,tohisactivityand
presenceofmind.TheEnglishwererepulsed,butbrave
olddeHorsleydefendedthecastlefornolessthansixteen
weeks,whenhesurrendered.^
TheKingofIreland,EdwardBruce,havingdiedin
battleatDundalkon5thOctober1318,andPrincess
Marjoriehavingdiedinchildbirthon2ndMarch1316,
^Barboursaysthesiegeofthecastlelastedonlysixdays,andLordHailes
lidiculesSirThomasGray'sstatementinScalacronicaofelevenweeksas"alto-
getherincredible." ButGraywasasoldier,andunderstoodwhathewastalking
about.Thetownwastakenon2SthMarch :DeHorsleydidnotsurrenderthe
castletillabout20thJuly.—Bain, iii.115.

THE"CHAPTEROFMYTON" 51
thehazardousquestionoftheroyalsuccessionhadtobe
resettled. ParHamentwassummoned toSconeon3rd
December,whentheinheritancewassettledonRobert,
onlysonofWaltertheStewardandPrincessMarjorie,
alwayssavinganyfuturemaleissuetotheKing. In
theeventofaminority,Moray,astheKing'snephew,
wasappointedguardianoftherealm,andfailinghim.
SirJamesDouglas.
Edward II.andhisnoblesbitterlyresentedthecapture
ofBerwick,whichtheyhaddonesolittletoavert,and
on24thJuly 1319anarmyof12,000assembled to
theKing'smusteratNewcastle-on-Tyne.^ ThePope,
whohadlaidallScotlandunderinterdict,andexcom-
municatedKingRobertand allhisofficers,authorised
theArchbishopofYorktoadvance;^2505,14s.id.for
thepurposesofthiscampaignoutofthefundscollected
foracrusade.^ WaltertheStewardheldBerwick for
theKingofScots ;thetownwascloselyinvestedby
seaandland,anditsdefenderswerehardpressedduring
thesiege,fortheEnglishweretoostronglyentrenched
forarelievingforcetoattackthem ;soKingRobert
hadrecoursetothedevicemostusualinthiswar ;he
sentDouglasandMoraytocreateadiversionbyinvad-
ingEnglandand,ifpossible, tocapturetheQueenof
England,thenresiding atYork.TheQueentheydid
nottake,buttheyoverran allthenortherncounties,as
farevenasthesuburbsofYorkitself.
ArchbishopMeltonputallhisleviesinthefield,and
mettheinvadersatMyton-on-Swale on20thSeptember
T-u«oi. i.
1319-ThehardyScotsmadeshortworkof
The"Chapter
.
^
ofMyton," theirenemy,puttingthemtoflightatthe
'^''"
firstonsetandcapturinggreatbooty,including
theArchbishop's plateandvaluables,whichhisservants
hadfoolishlybroughtwiththearmy.Mencalledthis
affairthe
"ChapterofMyton,"becauseofthenumerous
^Thenumbersmaybecheckedbycomparisonwiththepayrolls.—Bain,
iii.125.
-Raine'sHisloricalLettersandPapers[MasteroftheRollsSeries],p.310.

52 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
clericswhoborearms intheEnglishranksthatday.
KingRobert'sstrategywasjustifiedbysuccess,forthe
siegeofBerwickwasraisedon24thSeptember,and
KingEdwardwithdrewoncemorefromScottish soil.
DouglasandMorayburnedupwardsofeightytownsand
villages inthecourse ofthis raid,whence itmight
besupposed thattherew^asnotmuch leftinthose
countiesworthyoftheirattention. YettheScotswere
busyagainduringthefirstfortnight ofNovember in
Westmorland, drivingofflargenumbers ofcattleand
horses.^
OnChristmas Day,
13
19,atrucebetween the
twonationswasstruckfortwoyears.Extantcharters
showthatduringthistimeofreposeDouglasreceived
considerable additions tohisalreadyextensive posses-
sions,consisting ofthelands,castle,andforestofJed-
burgh,andthebaronyofStabilgorton inEskdale[6th
May1320].-^ Inthefollowing year,thelandsofSir
WilliamdeSoulishavingbeenforfeitedforhiscompli-
cityinaplotagainsttheKing,Douglasreceivedout
ofthemthebaronyofWatstirker [nowWesterkirk]
inEskdale.^ Otherforfeituresaboutthistimeorearlier
broughthimEttrickForest,thebaronyofBedrule in
Berwickshire, andthelandsofCockburn inthesame
county.
Beforetheconclusionofthetruce,duringwhichin-
effectivenegotiationswereundertaken foradurablepeace,
,, ,Lancaster'srebellionbrokeoutandwithdrewthe
Secrettreaty
withLan- attentionoftheEnglishgovernmentfromScot-
caser,1320.
^.^j^affairs. Douglas,aswardenoftheMarches,
hadenteredintoasecrettreatywithLancaster,whois
styledintheinstrumentKingArthur,bindingtheKing
ofScots,Moray,andDouglastoassistLancaster atall
timesinEngland,Wales,orIreland,withoutclaiming
anyshareinhisconquests. Lancaster,onhispart,was
todoallinhispower,sosoonashisownbusinessshould
beaccomplished, tosecurealastingpeaceonthebasis
^Lanercost,240.
"
Fraser, iii.10.
''Morion, ii.20.

WARRENEWED
53
oftheindependence ofScotland.^ Thisbondwasnever
completed. LancasterwrotetoDouglas,invitinghimto
ameetingatwhich
"wemayadjustallthepointsofour
alliance,andagreetoliveordietogether
"
;buttheletter
miscarried, notreaching Douglas till
17thFebruary
insteadof7th.HowmuchofthefateoftheEnglish
monarchywasinvolved inthosetendayswillneverbe
known
;butofthiswemaybesure,thathadthetreaty
beenratified,andhadLancaster inconsequence received
thesupportofScottishtroops,andtheassistanceofwar-
wiseMorayandDouglasatBoroughbridge, SirAndrew
deHarclawouldnothavescoredsuchanoverwhelming
victoryforKingEdward,andthelineoftheEnglish
successionmighthavebeenchanged.
Asmatters fellout,Lancaster forfeited hiswayward
lifeonthescaffoldatPontefract[22ndMarch],hisad-
herentsdispersed,andtheEnglishgovernmentwereleft
freetodealwiththeworkofslaughterandrapine,which
theScots,withdirefuldiligence,hadresumedontheborders
immediately afterChristmas.
"Giveyourselfnofurther
solicitude,"wroteKingEdwardtothePope,
"aboutatruce
withtheScots.Theexigencies ofmyaffairsformerly
inclinedmetolistentosuchproposals,butnow Iam
resolvedtoestablishpeacebyforceofarms."
-Moray,
Douglas,andWaltertheSteward—triedcomradesinarms
—hadalreadysweptDurhamandYorkshire inJanuary,
exactingheavycontributions fortheScottishexchequer.
Toavengethisinjury,KingEdwardsummonedanarmy
tomeethimatNewcastleon25thJuly,butKingRobert
wasnotofatempertostudytheconvenienceofhiscousin
ofEngland. Therewerestillgeartobegatheredand
roofstobefiredinthenortherncounties ;crossingthe
borderon17thJune,hemarchedasfarasLancaster,
whereanotherforceunderDouglasandMorayjoinedhim,
^Fcedera, ii.479.Thedraftofthistreatywasafterwardsfoundonthe
personoftheEarlofHereford,whenhewasslainatthebattleofBoroughbridge,
15thMarch1322.
-
Ibid., ii.481
J

54 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
andthecombinedarmypushedonasfarasPreston.The
injurydoneinthisraid,especiallybythedestructionof
religioushouses,seemstohaveexceeded allthathadpre-
ceded it.'^OntheirreturntheScotsinvestedCarlislefor
fivedays,butthegovernorHarcla,whohadbeencreated
EarlofCarlisleforhisvictoryoverLancaster,prudentlyre-
mainedwithinhisdefences,andon24thJulytheyrecrossed
theborder.
ItwasKingEdward'sturnnow.By5thAugusthe
hadpenetratedasfarasGosfordinEastLothian,butthe
KingofScotshadresumedhisancientstrategy.
Edward II.
*="
_
^•'
invadesScot-HeretiredbeyondtheForth,drivingoffevery
an
,
1320-
headofcattle,carryingawayeverysackofcorn,
sothat,whenanadversewindkepttheEnglishfleetout
oftheFirth,Edward'stroopswereliketoperishofstarva-
tionanddisease.Theinvaderswerecompelled toretreat,
whereuponDouglasimmediately resumedtheoffensive,
cutting topieces apartyof300 lighthorse at
Meli'ose,thoughhewasnotinstrengthtointerruptthe
marchoftheenemy.Theill-starredEdward leftScot-
landforthelasttimebefore8thSeptember,aftercausing
histroopstowreakabarrenvengeanceforthedestruction
ofEnglishchurchesbysackingHolyroodandMelrose,and
burningthebeautifulmonasteryofDryburghtotheground.
Lookingbackuponthosedarkpagesofourcountry's
history, itisnotthewastedlivesnorsquanderedwealth
whichmovesourpitymost.Thebloodandtearswhich
flowedsoplentifulhavedrainedawayneitherthelifenor
themirthoftheborderers
;patienttoilhasrestoredaffluence
andcomforttohomesoncelaidsodesolate ;buttime
ispowerlesstorestore,skillofmantoreplace,thepriceless
monumentswhichthetorchofwareffaced.Ourpeople
arestillintheiroldfieldsandstreets,kindlyandready
asofyore ;ourstorehasincreasedmorethanthesages
sayisforourprofit ;butwehavelostforevertheshrines
andcloisteredhouseswhichpioushandshadrearedinthe
timeoftheKingsofPeace.
•^
Lanercost,246.

BATTLEOFBILAND
55
Itiswearisometofollowthemarchandcountermarch
oftheopposing armies.KingEdwardremained that
Battleof
autumnatBilandAbbeyinYorkshire,where
Biiand,1322.KingRobertproceededtobeatuphisquarters.
Crossing thewestern marches on30thSeptember,
hefoundtheEarlofRichmond on14thOctober
holding inforcearidgebetweenBilandandRielvaux.
Thisridgecommanded animportant pass,whichwas
defendedbySirRalphdeCobham,reputedthe first
knightinEngland forprowess.WithCobhamwasSir
ThomasUchtred,andDouglascravedfromhisKing
thehonourofdislodgingthem. Thiswasgranted,and
whileadvancing totheattackDouglaswasjoinedby
Morayasavolunteer, forhegrudgedhisfriendmono-
polyofsuchafairdeedofarms.Thegroundwas
verysteep ;theEnglishrolledbouldersdownthesidesof
thedefileandpliedtheirassailantswitharchery,inflicting
suchlossesthatKingRoberttrembled forhistwomost
puissantcommanders. HeordereduptheHighlanders
andIslesmentotakethedefendersuponeitherflank
;these
scaledthecliffsnimbly,butfoundatthetopRichmond's
mainbodydrawnup.Forming likequicksilver, the
Highlandersdashedforwarduponthemailedrankswith
suchresistless spiritthattheEnglishbrokeandfled,as
oneoftheirownknightsdescribed it,likeharesbefore
greyhounds.^
DouglasandMorayforcedthepassintimetojoinin
thepursuit,inwhichthedoughtydeCobhamalsoborea
part,butitwasthatofthehareratherthanofthegrey-
hound,leavinghiscomradeSirThomasstarkinthefield.
TheEarlofRichmondwastaken ;sowereHenride
Sully,GrandButlerofFrance,andseveralFrenchchevaliers.
WaltertheStewardpursuedKingEdwardasfarasthe
gatesofYork,andwaitedtheretillnightfalltoseeifany
wouldacceptthechallengewhichheoffered.Butnonewould
ventureout,sogrievouslyhadthespiritoftheEnglish
chivalrybeenbrokeninthecourseofthisdeplorablereign.
^Comduletterdeiiantleuereres.—Scalacronica, 150.

56 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
OfthebattleofBilandaromanticmemorialremains
amongtheDouglas charters.ThepresenceofFrench
TheEmerald
knightsintheKingofEngland'sarmy,atatime
Charter,1324.
vvlicnScotlandandFrancewereundertreatyof
alliance,mighthavegivenjustoffencetoalesschivalrous
princethanRoberttheBruce. Buttheforeignerswere
graciously dealtwith. Robertassuredthemthathe
perfectlyunderstoodthepositionofgentlemenwho,being
inEnglandatatimeofwar,hadfeltobligedbytherulesof
chivalrytobeararmsfortheirentertainers,evenagainst
afriendlynation
;andhesetthemfree,intending,ashe
said,tosendtheminapresenttohisroyalbrotherof
France.Now,threeoftheseknightshadsurrenderedwith
theirsquirestoSirJamesDouglas,whowasthereforeen-
titledtotheirransom,estimatedat4400marks. Inlieu
ofthistheKingafterwards[8thNovember1324]granted
toDouglasacharterconveying tohimthecriminaljuris-
dictionofalltheDouglaspossessions,andfreeinghimfrom
alltheusualfeudalservicesexcepttheuniversalobligation
forthedefenceoftherealm. Aftersettingforththatthe
grantwasmadeinpartialredemptionoftheKing'sdebt
totheknightfortheliberationoftheFrenchprisoners,
itruns—
"Andinorderthatthischartermayhaveper-
petualeffect,weinourownpersonandwithourown
handhaveplacedonthehandofthesaidJamesof
Douglasaring,withacertainstonecalledanemeraude,
intokenofsasineandperpetualendurance tothesaid
Jamesandhisheirsforever."
^Howwillinglynowwould
oneexchange theparchment,whichremains intact,for
theringfromtheBruce'sfinger,whichhasdisappeared
forever.
Inadditiontothepowersconveyed intheEmerald
Charter,DouglasreceivedatthistimeagrantofBalliol's
'^
Etlitpresenscartanostrarobitrfirinitatisoptineatinperpctiniiu,viamim
einsdemJacobiannitlommijiiodamlapidequidicituremeraudeeidemJacoboet
heredibus sin's,nominesasine,inmemorialepermansuroinfuiiiriimexmanii
nostrapersonaliterimiestimns.—Fraser, iii.ii,wherethecharter isprinted
infull.

CAMPAIGNOFWEARDALE
57
landsofBuittleinGalloway,subjecttotheyearlytribute
ofapairofgiltspurs.^
TheKingofScotswasnowinsuchascendency as
enabledhimtoprescribethetermsinwhichheshouldbe
addressedbyKingEdward,whowasforcedtonegotiate
forpeace.On30thMay1323atruceforthirteenyears
wasstruckbetweenthetwonations,Edwardforthefirst
timeacknowledgingRobertasKingofScots. Lessthan
fouryearslaterEdward II.methisatrociousdoom,and
youngEdward III.beganhisreignbynegotiation for
convertingthetruceintoadurablepeace.Buttherehad
beentoomuchfrictionbetweenScotsandEnglishbysea
andland.Therefollowednoformaldeclarationofwar
;
thehistoriansofeachnationaccusethepeopleoftheother
ofhavingbrokenthetruce. Ineffect,KingRobert
certainlymassed troopsupontheborder insucha
menacingwaythattheEnglishbaronswereordered to
mustertheirleviesatNewcastle inthespring. Moray,
,withDouglasinsecondcommand,crossedthe
Campaign of °
weardaie, VVcstMarcheson15thMarch1323,atthe
'^^'''
headofalargeforce.Duringfiveyearsoftruce
thedalesmenhadreplenished theirstoreandrestocked
theirfarms ;theScotsfoundsomethingworth lifting,
and,undertheirveteranleaders,resumedoperationsinthe
time-honouredfashion,burning,spoiling,andslayingthrough
Northumberland andWestmorland. Ithasbeencom-
monlyreportedthattheKingofScotsremained inthe
northduringthisinvasion,sufferingfromadvancingyears
andbrokenhealth,butinfacthewasbynomeansinactive
inthiscampaign. Evidencehaslatelycometolight
provingthatinthesummerof1327heledanexpedition
againsttheEnglishinthenorthofIreland,therebycreating
adiversioninfavourofMoray'soperations.^
KingEdwardmarchedtointercepttheinvaderswitha
verypowerfulforce,buttheScotsweretoonimbleforhim.
1Fraser, iii.12.ModernwritersoftenconfuseBuittlewithBootleinLanca-
shire.
-Bain,iii.34,167

58 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
TheEnglishlayatHaydonBridgeonTynetill26thJuly,
whiletheirenemy,afterraidingCoquetdale,entrenched
themselvesinWeardale, Itwasatimeofdreadfulrains,
andtheriverswereallinflood.KingEdwardofferedknight-
hoodandalandedestatetoanymanwhoshouldbring
himwithinsightoftheenemy01licitdiiretsecke.Thomas
deRokebywonthereward.Hewastakenprisoner
whenscouting ;broughtbeforetheScottish leaders,he
franklytoldhiserrand,andwassentbacktohismaster
withamessagethatMorayandDouglashadbeenwaiting
eightdaysforhim,anxiousforbattle.MoraysentDouglas
outtoreconnoitretheEnglishastheyapproachedfromthe
north.Hebroughtintelligencethattheywereingreat
strength,movinginsevencolumns.TheScotslayonthe
southbankoftheWear,^andtheEnglishsentoutheralds
offeringtoletthemcrossthewaterunmolestedsoastofight
itoutonafairfield ;or,ifMoraypreferred it,thatthe
Englishshouldbeallowedtocrossforthesamepurpose.
ItissaidthatMoraywaseagertoacceptoneorotherof
thesealternatives,butthathewasoverruledbyDouglas,
whoarguedthattherewasnothingdishonourable inusing
stratagemagainstsuperiorforce.Ontheotherhand,the
English,eagertodeliveranattack,couldnotsettlesome
pointsinknightlyprecedence ;sofortwoorthreedays
thetwoarmieslayfacingeachother,affordingafineoppor-
tunityforindividualdeedsofdaring.
OnemorningathousandEnglisharchers,supportedby
cavalry,movedouttomolesttheScottishflank.Douglas
placedasquadronoflighthorseinambushunderhisbrother
ArchibaldandtheyoungEarlofMar,androdetoandfro
himself,withacloakconcealing hisarmour,infullviewof
thearchers,hopingtolurethemtodestruction.AnEng-
lishsquire,RobertdeOgle,recognisingDouglas,galloped
downtowarnhiscountrymenoftheirdanger.
"ForGod'ssake,haveacare !
"
criedhe. "Yonrider
^Barboursaysthenorthbank
;butEdward'scorrespondence[Bain, iii.16S]
showsthathewasatStanhopeonthenorthbank,hisobjectbeingtopreventthe
returnoftheinvaderstoScotland.

DOUGLAS'SCAMISADE
59
istheBlackDouglas,andhewillhaveyouinsometrap
presently,"
Itwastoolate
;Douglaswindedhishorn,theconcealed
squadrongallopedforth,theEnglishwerescattered,many
ofthembeingslainortakenprisoner. SirWilliamErskine,
whohadbeenknightedonlythatmorning,usedhisnew
giltspurstoofreely,followedtoofarinthepursuit,and
wastakenprisoner.
Butthemostfamousexploitofthatcampaigntook
placeaftertheScotshadmovedsecretlybynight[3rd
August]toafreshandbettercampinggroundabouttwo
^ ,
, milesdistant. Douglasrodeoutafterdarkwith
Douglass °
_
Camisade, 200pickedhorsemcn and,crossingtheriver,
3r ugus
.approachedtheEnglishlines.Comingtooneof
theoutposts,hewasmistakenforanofficergoinghisrounds
;
crying
"Ha !St.George!—nowatchhere !
"
heandhis
mendashedintothecampitself,cuttingthetent-ropesand
creatingamightyconfusion.Hepressedrightontothe
royalpavilion,andcameneartakingtheKinghimself,who
wassavedbythedevotionofhischaplainandservantslay-
ingdowntheirlivesinhisdefence.Bythistimetrumpets
weresoundingthealarminallquarters
;Douglascollected
hispartyandcleared off,returningtotheScottishcamp
withthelossoffewmen.^
MorayaskedDouglaswherehehadbeenandhowhe
hadfared,whoansweredlaconically—
"Sir,wehavedrawn
blood."
"
Iwishwehadallbeenwithyou,"exclaimedMoray
;
"thenweshouldhavediscomfitedthemutterly."
"Maybeso,"repliedthecoolerDouglas,
"butIfancy
mysmallpartywasquiteenoughtoriskinsuchan
adventure."
ThenMoraybeganagaintopressDouglastoconsentto
ageneralengagement. Douglas,saysBarbour,repliedina
fable—•"Acertainfisherman," saidhe,
"returning tohis
cottageonenight,foundafoxeatingafinesalmonwhich
hehadleftthere.Thefishermanputhimselfintheonly
^
Froissart[c.xviii.]says300Englishwereslain.

6o THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
exit—thedoorway,andstood,swordinhand,waitingfor
thefox.Butthefoxwasnosimpleton :hewasquite
equaltothedilemma.Thefisherman'scloaklayonthe
bed ;thisthefoxseizedanddrewitacrossthefire.The
owner,seeinghiscloakburning,startedforwardtosaveit,
andthefoximmediately boltedthroughtheunguarded
door.NowweScotsarethefox,andtheKingofEngland
thefisherman.Hestandsinthedoorandbarsourreturn
toourownland.Heshallfarenobetterthanthefisher-
man,whosesalmonwaseaten,whosecloakwasburnt,and
fromwhomthefoxescaped. Ihaveplannedawayof
escape,somewhatwet,tobesure,butweshallnotlosea
singlepageintakingit."
Thisprudentcounselprevailed. InrearoftheScottish
positionlayagreatmorass,overwhichDouglashadcaused
aroadwayofbranchestobelaid. Allday(probably4th
August)theScotsmadeagreatshowofpreparationintheir
camp.Asoldierwascausedtoallowhimselftobetaken
prisoner,andtoldtheEnglishthatMorayhadissuedorders
foralltroopstobeunderarmsanhouraftersunset. This
puttheEnglishonthealertforanightattack
;butas
soonasitwasdarktheScottisharmydecamped,leaving
butacoupleoftrumpetersbehindtoblowdeceptivecalls
duringthenight,andmarchedwithoutmolestationbackto
theirowncountry.
ButtheywereinEnglandagainwithinlessthana
month.TheKingofScotsinpersonlaidsiegetoNorham
CastleinSeptember,whileMorayandDouglasinvested
Alnwick.ThecountyofNorthumberland wasattheir
mercy,butthesetwofamousfortressesmadegoodtheir
defence,untilEdward'sParliament atLincolnappointed
commissioners totreatforpeace,andthewarwasbrought
Treatyof
^°^"^^^—finally,asmenfondlyhoped
;fora
Peace,1328.marriagewasarrangedbetweenPrinceDavidof
ScotlandandthesisteroftheEnglishKing.
DuringthenexttwoyearsDouglaswasalmostcon-
stantlyinattendanceuponKingRobertatCardrosson
theClyde.TheKing'shealthhadbroken,andalthough

KINGROBERT'SDEATH 6i
DouglasrodewithhimasfarasGlenluce inGalloway in
March1329,itwasapparent,ontheirreturntoCardross,
that,inFroissart'swords,
"therewasnowayforhimbut
death."Hewasfullyconsciousofhiscondition forsome
weeks,anddisposed allhisaffairsdeliberately inviewof
theendathand.
Thereisadiscrepancy intheaccountsofthewaythe
dyingKing'slastcommandswerelaiduponDouglas. Bar-
boursaysthathesentforhischiefbarons,and
KiiTgR°obert,
t)adethemchooseoneoftheirnumbertofulfil
7thJune
^jgmission,andthatwithoneconsenttheynamed
'^^^"
"thedouchtyLordDouglas."Ontheotherhand,
FroissartdescribestheKinghimselfasnaming
"thegentle
knightSirJamesofDouglas
"
astheonetocarryouthis
will,whichwasthat,inasmuchashehadnotbeenableto
fulfilhissolemnvowtomakeanexpeditionagainstthe
SaracensinPalestineassoonashisownrealmshouldbe
established inpeace,hedesiredthatafterdeathhisheart
shouldbecarriedintobattlewiththeenemiesofChrist.^
KingRobertdiedon7thJune1329;hisheartwastaken
fromhisbody,embalmed,andplacedinasilvercasket,
whichwasentrustedtoDouglas. Thisactwasindefiance
oftheBullofPopeBoniface VIII.,Detestando feritatis
abusum[1299],forbiddingsuchmutilationofthedead,and
decreeingexcommunication asthepenalty. ButDouglas
andhismasterhadbravedsolongwithimpunitytheutmost
rigoursoftheCourtofRomethathewentforwardonhis
missionwithabolddisregardofconsequences.^ Insending
^Thusmeninallages,confusingphysicaleffectwithcause,haveregarded
nowone,nowanother,oftheinternalorgansasthespecialwardenoftheemotions
andaffections. Love,courage,hope,fear,mercy,andtherestofthem,sharewith
theintelligenceandwillthebrainastheirsourceandseat,anddisturbthenerves,
and,throughthem,thecirculationandotherfunctions. Medievalpsychologists
resolvedthattheheart,thecentreofcirculation,wastheseatofthefinerfeelings,
justasthelaterGreeksfixeduponthea-rrXdyKva,renderedinourAuthorisedVersion
byatermsohomelythattheRevisershavesubstitutedtheinsipidgloss"tender
mercies."
-Twoyearslater,movedbytheEarlofMoray,PopeJohnxxii.granted
absolutiontoallwhohadpart
"
intheinlumianandcrueltreatment
"ofKing
Robert'sbody.

62 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
Douglasuponsuchaperilousandlaboriouserrand itmay
seemthattheKingwasundulyexactinguponawillingand
valuableservant ;butitisjustpossiblethathehadinview
theadvantagetotherealmofseparatingforawhiletwo
suchgenerousbutfieryrivalsasMorayandDouglas,after
hisowntactfulguidancehadbeenremoved.Wegeta
glimpseofpossiblewantofharmony inthescenethat
precededthecaptureofBerwick[p.50ante].KingRobert
hadalwaysmanagedtokeepboththesepowerfulchiefsin
excellenthumour,butthenhehadalwayshadplentyof
landstobestowuponeach. Itisnoteveryfirmamentthat
sufficesfortheorbitsoftwostarsofsuchmagnitude.Moray
wastosucceedunderActofParliamenttotheRegency ;it
mightbepolitictoemploythemostpowerfulsubjectabroad
forawhile.
AtalleventsDouglassetoutonhisjourneywithgreat
magnificence, aftercommendinghimselftotheprayersofthe
ChurchandtheprotectionofSt.Bride,inwhosehonourhe
bestowedcertainlandsupontheAbbeyofNewbattle. Itis
notrecordedthathethought itworthwhiletosecurethe
intercessionofhisgreatuncle,St.Bricius [ii.].Hesetsail
inthespringof1330fromBerwick^orMontrose,"having
received lettersofprotectionfromEdward III.
withthe forsevcHycars,^andaccompaniedbyaknight
heartof
banneret, sevenordinary knights, twenty-six
esquires,andaretinueinproportion. Theships
laytwelvedaysatSluys,inordertogiveotherknights-
errantthechanceofjoiningsuchajourney,whichpromised
somuchadventure
;butDouglasneverwentashore,remain-
ingonboardtoentertainagreatnumberofdistinguished
visitors.
ThereissomedoubtastotheexacttenourofBruce's
chargetoDouglas,whether itwastocarryhishearttothe
HolySepulchre,orgenerallyinwaragainstinfidels.^True,
itwasatJerusalemwherethesecouldmostconstantlybe
^Barbour.
-Froissart.
"Bain,iii.179.
*"TotravaleuponGoddisfais(foes)"
—
TheBnis,cxlvi.33."Deposityour
chargeattheHolySepulchre."'—P'roissart.

THEHEARTOFBRUCE 63
found,but,asithappened,AlfonsoXL,KingofCastile,
wasatthatverytimeatwarwithOsmyn,theMoorish
PrinceofGranada,andEdward III.furnishedDouglaswith
aspecialletterofcommendation tothatKingJ Therefore
toSevillewastheflotillasteered,whencetheScottish
knightsrodetoAlfonso'scamponthefrontier.Thefame
ofDouglashadspreadthroughoutChristendom,andhewas
wellreceivedamongtheknightsofallnations,whomthe
chanceofgloryhaddrawntotheseatofwar.Among
themwasoneofgreatrenown,whosefeatureshadbeen
disfiguredbymanywounds.^ SeeingnoscarsonDouglas's
face,thisknightexpressed greatsurprise.
"Praisedbe
God
!
"laughedDouglas,
"
Ialwayshadhandstoprotect
myhead."
On25thAugust1330theSpanisharmylayinview
Deathof
^^^hcMoors,whoweredrawnupwithintheir
SirJames
frontierofGranada, Alfonso'strumpetssounded
2SthAug. toadvance. Douglas,ridingononeoftheflanks,
'3^°-
understood thatageneralattackwasintended,
andwentoffatscoreattheheadofhisScottishsquadron,
carryingthesilvercasketslungtohisneck.-^Whetherby
misadventurehewasnotrightlysupported,* or,asisnot
unlikely,chivalrousemulationoverbore hishabitualpru-
dence,^certain itisthattheScotschargedalone,andwere
speedilysurroundedbytheMoors. SeeingSirWilliamde
St.Clairhardpressed,Douglasattempted torescuehim,
butwasstruckdownanddiedonthespot.**
^Bain, iii.179.
""Safasttillhewinwashisfas
Thatitallournerwemmitwas."
—
TlieBrus,cxlviii.69.
^BarbourallegesthatAlphonsohadgivenDouglascommandoftheforemost
ofthethreecolumnsordivisionsinwhichhisarmywasdisposed.
^ThusFroissart.
^ThusBarbour.
®CharlesStuart,Comted'Albanie,whenservingwiththeCarlists,wasshown
arockwheretraditionsaysDouglasperished.ThetalethatDouglas,before
charging,flungthesilvercasketintotheranksoftheMoors,exclaiming :"Now,
passthouforthbefore,asthouwerteverwonttobeinthefield,andIshall
followtheeordie,"—isnotmoreextravagantthanthehistoricaltruth ;butthere
isnomentionofitbyanyearlierauthoritythanHolland,anallegoricalwriterof
thefifteenthcenturv. ThissufficedforGodscroft.

64 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
TheKing'sheartwasrecoveredandbroughthomeby-
SirWilHamdeKeithandSirSimonLockhart,whoburied
itinMelroseAbbey.^Home,too,wasbroughtthebody
oftheBlackDouglas,andwaslaidinSt.Bride'sChurch
atDouglas,underacanopiedtombintheflamboyantstyle.
Barbour,whowrotesomethinglessthanfiftyyearsafterSir
James'sdeath,hassketchedforushisportraitfromhear-
say
—
"^otheiuasiiochts;tfar-thattoe
tSulbspckQxdly}ofhisbcatitf.
intiisagctoashrsumbclcgrag,
^nbhailblakhav,asEherbsay;
^otofHmmishetoastocleinab,^
Sglithhanisgrrtanbschulbrisbrab;^
^)isbobijluastorlcmabanblenjjht,^
^sthathatsatohimsaibtome.
CQtthenhetoasblithhetoaslustg,
^nbiu£kanbsuetinrumpang.
^ot,tjnhainbattalcniichthimse,
3^11othircontcnanshabhe,
JlnbinspeltiiUspithesttmbtk,"
^otthatsathimrichttoonbirtorle."^
AtDouglasCastleliesaswordblade,saidtohavebeen
giventotheGoodSirJamesbyhisKing. Possibly itis
genuine,buttheversesasgivenbelow,bitteninto itby
acid,arecertainlyoflaterdate,asshownbytheRoman
characters,bythementionofmanygoodmenofone
surname^andbythereferencetothecommissionabout
theheart. InKingRobert'sdayssurnameswerejust
^PopulartraditionconnectsSirSimonLockhartofLeewiththisduty,but
thereisnofoundation forthefancifuletymologyofthenameLockhart,quasi
lock-heart. TherewereLocardsinScotlandlongbefore1330,—witnessthe
charterbyHumphreydeBohun,EarlofHereford,grantedatLochmaben in
1307,duringhisbrieflordshipofAnnandale,toSirBartholomewDenefaud,con-
veyingthelandsofHotoneandLokardebi[HuttonandLockerby]. Analogy
tothemisleadingsuggestioncontainedinthespellingLockhartmaybedetected
inthatof"sweet-heart,"whichshouldbewritten"sweetard,"aderivativeof
"sweet
"
justas"sluggard,""coward,""drunkard
"
arederivativesof"slug,"
oldFrenclicoe,atail,and"drunk."
^Fair.
•*
Wellmade.
^Sliouldersbroad.
'•'
Lean.
^Lispedalittle.
"'
TheBrus,v.107.

''yltZJ,

THESWORDOFDOUGLAS 65
becoming fixed,andbutfewhadbornetheterritorial
nameofDouglas
—
soMONYGVIDASOFTHEDOVGLASBEINE,
OFANESURNAMEWASNEVERINSCOTLANDSEINE.
IWILYECHARGE,EFTERTHAT IDEPART,
TOHOLYGRAVFE,ANDTHAIRBVRYMYHART
;
LETITREMAINEVER,BOTHTYMEANDHOVR,
TOTHELASTDAY ISIEMYSAVIOVR.
SOIPROTESTINTYMEOFALMYRINGE,^
YELYKSUBJECTISHADNEVERONYKEING.
^Reign.
VOL.I.

CHAPTER III
PAG

WILLIAM,LORDOFDOUGLAS 6^
becausehesucceededhisfatherasLordofDouglas[1330—
1333].^ Hisargument isnotconclusiveastoWilliam's
legitimacy,butthefactthatWilliamsucceededhisfather.
SirJames,restsonsufficientevidence—First,themention
intheExchequeraccountofChamberlainReginaldMore,
between 14thMarchand 14thDecember i
33i,ofcertain
transactionswithWillehtiusdominusdeDuglas? Second,a
complaint,addressedbythemonksofColdinghamtoDavidII.,
againstWilliam,LordofDouglas,andArchibald,hisuncle,
forwrongfulretentionofthemanorofSwintoninBerwick-
shire,"whichwasgrantedtothehonourableman,SirJames,
latelyLordofDouglas,forhiscounselandtohavehisaid
intimeofwar,byasimplemonkwhohadnopowertogrant
thesaidtowninthatmanneragainsttheinterestsofthehouse
ofColdingham."
^Lastly,SirThomasGraymentionsinhis
Scalacronica that
"theLordofDouglas,sonofJamesof
Douglas,whowasslainbytheSaracensonthefrontierof
Granada,"'*wasamongtheslainatHalidonHill[19thJuly
1333]. Knyghton inhischroniclementions Willelvius
Douglasfiliuslacobiejus\deni\—WilliamDouglas,sonof
Jamesofthatilk—astakenprisonerinthisbattle,towhich
thecautiousHailesnotes :
"ratherArchibaldthenatural
sonoftherenownedSirJamesDouglas." AnotherArchi-
bald,indeed,didfallonthatdayofScotland'sdule,but
thatwastheyoungestbrotheroftheGoodSirJames,who
hadearnedthetitleof
"Tineman
"
[theLoser]becau.seofhis
persistentill-fortune inwar.''Moreabouthimpresently.
Meanwhile astoWilliam,LordofDouglas [viii.],thefact
thatheperishedatHalidonHillisenoughtodistinguish
1Fraser, i.185.
^Exchequer Rolls, i.396,wheretheeditor,Mr.Burnett,notesthatthe
nameWilHam isprobablyamistakeforHugh,ahhough infactthereisno
mistake.
•^ThereferencesgivenbySirW.Fraserforthisletter,theoriginalofwhichis
inNorman-French, areB.M.Faustina,A.vi.fol.51,andSurteesSociety,
PrioryofColdingham, p.21.
*
Scalacronica, p.163.
^ThisnicknamehasalsobeenappliedtoArchibald,4thEarlofDouglas,
buttheearlierSirArchibald istheright"Tineman." "ArchibaldusdeDouglas,
quiTynemandictus est."—Bower,xiii.27.

68 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
himfromhisnamesakeandkinsman,whobecamefamous
asthe
"KnightofLiddesdale,"andwhowasprisoner in
CarlisleatthetimeofthebattleofHalidonHillandfor
twoyearsafter. Besides, itisknownthatthisKnightof
LiddesdalewasthelawfulsonofSirJamesDouglasof
Lothian,descendedfromAndrew,brotherofSirWilliam
Douglas [iv.],theancestoroftheEarlsofMorton.
William,LordofDouglas,died,then,in1333,unmarried
andaminor,and,seeinghowverylittleisknownofhim
—solittlethathisveryexistencehadbeenoverlooked till
SirWilliamEraseridentifiedhim—itiscuriousthatonere-
markablerelicofhimshouldhavebeenpreserved. Impres-
sionsofsealsofthefourteenthcenturyarecommonenough,
Fig.5.—SealofWilliam,
LordofDouglas, c.1332,
Fig.6.—Matrixofsame
Seal.
butmatrices—thesealsthemselves—exceedinglyrare.The
DouglasesofoldhadaburialvaultinthechurchofNorth
Berwick,intheruinswhereofwasdiscoveredin1788abrass
sealstampofelegantfourteenthcenturydesign,bearingthe
legend
—
SIGILLVM
•AVILLELMI
'DNI
•DE
'DOVGLAS
surrounding ashieldbearingafessbetweenthestarsin
chiefandtheheartinbase.^
^ThisistheearliestinstanceofthedisplayoftheheartintheDouglasshield,
showingthatitwasassumedimmediatelyafterthedeathofSirJames.Thefess
isnotsoeasytoexplain.ThebearingsofDouglasofMainsstandintheLyon
Registerargent,afesschequygules,betweenthreestarsazureinchiefanda
man's_heartproperinbase.

EnricoScotti-Douglas, ContecVAgci~ano,
igoo.
SirGeorgeDouglasofPittendreich, 1550.
\i^titi\
MalcolmDouglas0/Mains,1584. SirWilliamDouglasofGlenbervie,
afterwardsgthEarlofAngus,1587,

THE"DULLDOUGLAS" 69
Williamwassucceeded inthelandsandlordshipof
ix.Hugh,
Douglasbyhisuncle,Hugh[ix.],dubbedthe
"Dull
"theDull,"
Douglas," not,perhaps,somuchonaccountof
Douglas, mentalorbodilyinfirmity,asGodscroftunkindly
c.1294-1342-
suggests,butmerelybecausehisclericaleducation
andprofessioninclinedhimtoaretiredlife.
WhenSirWilliam leHardi's[vi.]Englishpossessions
wereforfeitedin1296,Hugh,achildnottwoyearsofage,
wastakenintocustodywiththemanorofStebbing.^
Nothingfurther isheardorknownofhimtill 16thMay
1325,whenheappearedbyproxyasaCanonofGlasgowat
ameetingofthechapterofthatdiocese.^Atthattimehe
seemstohavebeenparishpriestofOldRoxburgh,and,
foraughtweknow,soheremained untilthedeathofhis
nephewopenedforhimthesuccessiontothebroadlands
ofthelordship. Yetwasheatfirstbutatitularowner,
forbythistimenearlythewholeofsouthernScotland
wasundertheswayofEdward III.,orofhisnominee,
KingEdward[Baliol]ofScotland.On12thJune1334,
theScottishKingsurrendered toEdward III.theforests
ofJedburgh,Selkirk,andEttrick,withthecountiesofRox-
burgh,Peebles,Dumfries,Linlithgow,Edinburgh,andHad-
dington,toremainforeveraspossessions oftheEnglish
Crown.^ DouglasdalewasrestoredtoLorddeClifford,
grandsonofthatSirRobertwhohadreceived itfromthe
firstEdward,butitwasstoutlyheldbythemenofDouglas
andwatchedoverbytheKnightofLiddesdale, sothat
Cliffordneverenjoyedhisfief.
In1336Edward III.heldhiscourtatBothwell,to
receivethewestofScotlandtohispeace.Noappearance
wasmadeonbehalfofDouglasdale,whichaccordinglywas
laidwastebyLorddeStafford, virmultummilitaris}
EvenHughDouglas'sprebendofOldRoxburghdidnot
escape, forEdward III.appointed theretoAndrewde
Ormistonin1337.^
DuringtheseyearsDavidII.wasanexileinFrance,
—
^Stevenson, ii.43.
2
j^ggistruinGlasguense, i.234.
^Fa'dera,iv.614.
*
Lanticost,288.
^RotuliScotuc, i.516.

70 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
"nonebutchildren intheirgamesdaredtocallDavid
BrucetheirKing,"—
yetweretherefaithfulheartsinScot-
landwhosufferednotthecauseoftheKingoverthewater
tobequenched.Mostpuissantamongroyalistchampionsre-
mainedWilliamDouglasofLothianandLiddesdale[xxviii.].
Matterstookaturnin1341whenDavid II.,atthe
foolishageofeighteen,returnedtohisproperrealm.At
thistimeHughtheDull,havingnostomachforthemilitary
servicedueforhislands,madeovermanyofhispossessions
tohiskinsman,WilliamofLothian,^andreturnedhumbly
tohisparochialdutiesinOldRoxburgh,whence, ifstill
alive,hewastobedislodgedoncemoreafterthebattleof
Durhamin1346,whenEdward III.bestowedtheprebend
uponWilliamdeEmeldon.-
ThesealofHughtheDull,which
isattached tothecharterconveying
WesterkirktotheKnightofLiddesdale,
iserroneouslydescribed inLaing'scata-
logueasbearingaknightonhorseback
withashield. Therealdevice isan
^c-,\~~f^
° "^'^
unicornsupportingashield,ofwhichthe
01iJouglas,acanon
lr o
{c:1294-r.1342).
upperpartisobliterated,butthelower
stillshowstheheart.Thecompartment
issemeofstars,andsurroundedbythelegend[also
erroneouslydecipheredbyLaing]
—
[SIGILL :IIVGONl]S :DE :DOWGLAS :CANONIC.
This
"DullDouglas
"
dedicatedachapeltoSt.Johnthe
BaptistatCrookboatofDouglas,wheretheDouglasWater
joinstheClyde,andendowed it,amongotheremoluments,
withtherighttothebestcheeseineveryhouseonDouglas
Moor.
TurnwenowtoHugh'suncle,Archibald [x.],youngest
brotheroftheGoodSirJames[vii.],who,althoughhenever
becameLordofDouglas,borefartooimportantapartin
publicaffairstobeomittedfromtheroll.He isfirst
heardofafter1320,whenhereceivedfromRobert I.a
^Morion, ii,S9-92.
-RotuliScoiicr, i.749.

THEDISINHERITEDLORDS 71
charterofMorebattle ^inRoxburghshire,andKirkandrevvs
inDumfriesshire. In1324hereceivedafurthergrantof
. . ,
.thelandsofCrimond
^andothersinBuchan,
X.SirArchi- , .
, ,
baldDouglas,beingalready inpossessionofCaversinRox-
mln!"^egent
burghshirc,DrumlanrigandTerregles inDum-
ofScotland, fi'iesshire,andWestCalderinMidlothian. He
1333-
madelittlefigureduringthelifeofRobert I.,
thoughglimpsesarehadofhimservingunderSirJames
[vii.]inthecampaign ofWeardale[1327],when his
foragers"auointcurryapoitotleveschedeDoresme
"^
—
overrannearlyallthebishopricofDurham—andgathered
muchbooty.ButwiththedeathoftheBruceandthe
reappearance ofaBaliolonthestage,Archibaldtakesa
foremostplaceintheensuingstruggle.
KingRobert I.,dyingin1329,lefthisrealmtohisson
David,who,thoughbarelysixyearsold,wasalreadymarried
Thedisin-
^°Joanna,sisterofEdward III.,afewmonths
heritedLords,olderthanhimself Randolph,EarlofMoray,
'^^^'
actedasRegentuntilhissuddendeathatMussel-
burghin1332,whentheyoungKing'sfirstcousin,Donald,
EarlofMar,waselectedRegentbytheEstates. King
Roberthadleftaheritageofill-bloodtohissuccessorby
neglectingtofulfilthestipulation inthetreatyofNorthamp-
ton[4thMay1328]bindinghimtorestorethelands
forfeitedfromcertainlordsinthewarofindependence
—Wake,LordofLiddesdale,Beaumont,EarlofBuchan,
andothersoflessnote. Thesedisinherited lords,les
querelleursastheywerecalled,attachedthemselvestothe
EnglishCourt,whithercamealsoin1330EdwardBaliol,
seeking,ifnothisfather'scrown,atleasthisfather'sforfeited
Scottishlands.
On30thDecember1330Edward III.demandedthe
restorationoftheirlandstoWakeandBeaumont. Regent
^Thereisnoreferenceintliisnametoaconflict. ItisanAnglo-Saxon
compound
—
mSrbotl,thedwelHngonthemoororbythemarsh,exactlyequiva-
lenttothemorefamiliarMorton.
^WronglyprintedOrmondinDouglas'sPeerage,whichestatecametothe
DouglasfamilylongafterthroughJoannaMoray,heiressofBothwell.
^Scalacronica, 154.Barbour,cxli.124.

72 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
Moraytemporised :todislodgetheexistingproprietors
wouldhavebeentoraiseupafreshbodyofmalcontents
nearerhome,andnegotiationsdraggedonfor
an«fof
^"^
eighteenmonths.KingEdward,despairingofthe
Edward
fulfilmentofthetreatysojustlydemandedbyhim,
Baliol,1332. . . \. . ^
nowadoptedtheclaimofEdwardBalioltothe
crownofScotland,anddidnotinterferewhenthedisin-
heritedlords,havingfittedoutanindependentexpeditionin
thesummerof1332,landedwithEdwardBaliolinFife.
Mar,thenewRegent,mettheinvadersontheEarn,near
Dupplin,on12thAugust,butalthough hisforcegreatly
outnumberedtheinvaders,theScotswereutterlydefeated,
Marhimself,withMenteithandtheyoungEarlofMoray,
beingamongtheslain. SirArchibaldDouglasheldcom-
mandundertheEarlofMarch,wholaynearPerthwith
anotherlargeforce. BaliolandtheEnglishhadthrown
themselvesintothattownaftertheirvictoryatDupplin,and
werepromptlyblockadedtherebyMarch.
Promptly,butnoteffectively. Tidingscameofarising
inGalloway,alwaystendertotheBaliolcause,underSir
EustaceMaxwellofCarlaverock,everashiftypatriot ;and
Marchmadespeedthithertochastisetherebels. Scone
witnessedthecoronationofBaliolasEdward,KingofScots
[27thSeptember],andthenewmonarch setoutona
progressthroughthewestandsouth. Butforhisincorrig-
iblelucktheTinemanshouldhavecapturedtheusurper
nearJedburgh ;butanambushlaidforBaliolbyDouglas
wasdetectedandputtoflight,Balioltakinghiseasethat
nightinKelso.
Archibaldcamenearersuccessinhisnextexploit.
Baliol,afterperforming hisallegiance totheKingof
EnglandatRoxburgh[23rdNovember],rodeto
Annan,De-AnnanintendingtokeepChristmas there.But
cemeri33z.
^rmandalc, notwithstanding itsproximity to
Carlaverock, wasnosafeharbour foroneofhisrace.
Archibald Douglas,havingwithhimthe3rdEarlof
Moray,wasstilluponhistracks. RidingfromMoffat
duringthenightof15th—16thDecemberwithastrong

CAMISADEOFANNAN
^i
company,hegavetheusurperasharpcamisade before
daylight. SirWalterComynandSirJohnMowbraywere
slain,Baliolhimselfescapinginhisshirt-tails—
"onabarme
horse,withlegysbare"
;
^or,asBowerputsit,
"onasorry
jade,withneitherbridlenorsaddle ;oneshankbooted,the
otherbare."
'^
Takenhemusthavebeenwithoutfail,butfor
theprowessofhisbrother.SirHenrydeBaliol,who,with
othernakedmen,madeagallantresistancebeforehefell
deadinthedark.ThusitcametopassthattheTineman
wasbalkedofthefairestchancethateverbefelhim ;even
whatheaccomplished issmirchedbytheEnglishchroniclers
HemingburghandWalsingham,whoallegethatinthisex-
ploithebrokeatrucewhichMarchandDouglas,solicitous
forthesafetyoftheirownlands,hadmadewithBalioltill
2ndFebruaryfollowing
;butofthistreacherythereisno
sureevidenceforthcoming.
On9thMarchBaliolre-enteredScotlandbytheeastern
bordertoavengetheignominyofhisexitbythewestern.
Onthe21sttheTinemanraidedGilslandincounter-stroke,
andcollectedadealofbooty.Butthiswasthelastgleam
ofsuccessonhisarms. AfterMar'sdeathSirAndrew
Moray,perhapsthesonofWallace'scolleague,hadbeen
appointedRegent,butsoonafterwardswascapturedby
theEnglishatRoxburgh,^andtheTinemanwas
po^nfedR^e^'
chosentosuccccdhim.Hisadministrationwas
gentofScot-
sliortandinharmonywithhisearlierfortune.
BaliolhadcededBerwicktoEdwardin.under
thetreatyofRoxburgh,butitwasstillheldforKingDavid,
SirAlexanderdeSetoncommanding inthetown,theEarl
ofMarchinthecastle.ThetwoEdwardsappearedbefore
thewallsinMay1333. Setonundertook tosurrender
unlessrelievedbyagivenday,handingoverhisson,among
others,ashostages. TheTinemanmarchedtohisrelief,
andappearedinplentyoftimewithplentyofforce.He
^Wyntoun, viii.c.26.
-Bower,xiii.25.
^MosthistoriansassignMoray'scapturetoNovember1332,butWyntoun
andBowerbothstatethatthecamisadeofAnnanwasinaccordancewithMoray's
commands.—Wyntoun, i.viii.c.26,1.385.Bower, xiii.25.

74 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
threwsuppliesandreinforcements intothetown,thereby,as
heclaimed,havingtechnicallyrelievedtheplace
;afterwhich
hemustneedsgooffraidingandlootingacrosstheborder.
TheEdwardssatstilluntiltheScotswerewellacrossthe
Tweed,andthensummonedthegarrison. Setonprotested
thatthestipulatedreliefhadbeeneffected
;theEnglishKing
rejoinedbyhangingSeton'ssonbeforethefather'seyes,
intimatingthathewaspreparedwithotherargumentsofa
likenature.Afreshcompactwasstruck. Berwickwould
begivenupifnotrelievedwithinfourteen days,and
messengersweresentaftertheTineman. KingEdward
wishednobetterfortunethantowaithisreturnupon
groundofhisownchoosing, forthezoneoffirefrom
o^^, , Englisharcherswas illtocrossbyanattacking
Battleof °
. .
Haiidon force.HetookupapositiononHalidon Hill,
'
'^^^'
therisinglandtothenorth-westofthetown
;
theRegentcrossedtheTweedandencampednotfaroffin
Dunspark.Hesurelymusthaveheardfromhisbrother
thelessonsooftenreadtotheScottishknightsbyRobert
theBruce,nevertoriskapitchedbattleortofacethefire
ofEnglisharcherswhere itwaspossible toadoptthe
saferstrategyoffallingbackandmakingadesertofthe
countrybeforeaninvadingarmy. Neverwouldsucha
policyhavebeenmoreeffectivethanatthistime,forthere
wasmuchdiscontentamongtheEnglish,desertionswere
frequent,andtheleviesofthenorthernshireshadnotturned
outreadilytomuster. ButtheTinemanwas
"fey
"
;itwas
writtenthathewasnevertosucceed,assurelyashisbrother
hadneverfailed,andhedecidedtoattacktheenemy's
position.
Betweenthetwocampslayamarsh,aswasgenerally
thecaseinScottishbattlegrounds :avaluablefeatureasit
provedatBannockburn,wheretherightusewasmadeofit
;
afrightfuldangertoaheadstrongcommander, aswasto
beprovedthisday,andhereafteratFlodden.TheScots
crossedthemarshinfourcolumns,underadestructive
archeryfire
;soakedwithwaterandmire,thethinnedranks
formedatthefootofasteepbraewhereontheEnglishline

HALIDONHILL
75
ofbattlewasdrawn. Itwasnoevencontest.Theleading
divisionundertheEarlofRossclimbedthesteepand
attackedBaliol'slinewithsplendidcourage,buttheirdevo-
tionservedbuttomaketheirlossestheheavier.Oneafter
anothertheotherScottishschiltroms,underMoray,the
Steward,andtheRegenthimself,breastedthehilland
encounteredthesamefate. Allwereheavily,disastrously
repulsed,sacrificedtotheirleader'sblunder.Howbravely
bothleadersandfollowersborethemselves letthe
Archibald dcath-roll tell.SixScottish earls,atleast,died
Douglas,19th
jj^theirharness—Lennox,Ross,Sutherland,
July1333.
' '
Carrick,Menteith,andAthol ;threebrothers
Fraser;William,LordofDouglas [vii.],andofothergood
knightstoomanytorecount.TheTinemanhimselfmade
thelastofhislosses,hisownlife—irreparable tohimself,
andthemostcovetedtownandseaportinScotland
—
irreparable tohiscountry,forBerwickhasremainedan
Englishborougheversince,exceptfortwenty-one years
afterHenryVI.restored it[i461-1482],
TheTinemanmarriedBeatrice,daughterofSirAlex-
anderdeLindsayofCrawford. Theyhadtwosonsanda
daughter—
(i)John,whodiedinFrancebefore1342in
theretinueofDavid II.
;(2)William [xi.],whobecame
LordofDouglas;and
(3)Eleanor,whomarried (ist)
Alexander,EarlofCarrick,naturalsonofEdwardBruce,
KingofIreland.HewaskilledatHalidonHill,whenshe
married(2nd)SirJamesdeSandilands,ancestorofthe
presentLordTorphichen,whostillownsthelandsofWest
Calder,bestoweduponDameEleanorbyherbrotherWil-
liam[xi.].^ SirJamesdiedbefore1358,whenhiswidow
isbelievedtohavemarried(3rd)SirWilliamToursof
Dairy. Before1368shewasthewife(4th)ofSirDuncan
WallaceofSundrum
;andlastly,in i376,adispensation
wasobtainedforhermarriagewithSirPatrickHepburnof
Hailes, Chivalrouswarfarewasfataltothelongevityof
husbands,butwell-doweredwidowsneedednevertoremain
disconsolate forlong,
^Phraser, iii.15.

'/e THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
AtthetimeoftheTineman'sdeathhissecondson,a
minorandwardoftheKnightofLiddesdale/wasbeing
educated inFrance,HereturnedtoScotland
Ham^L^S^ofabout 1348,probablyaboutthetimehecame
Douglas,ist
ofage.Thestateofaffairsinthatrealmwas
lasandEarlofdeplorable.TheyokeofBaliol,indeed,hadbeen
Mar,c.1327-
thrownoff;byarms,orbycorruptionofthepar-
tisansofBaliol,nearlyallthestrongholds of
ScotlandhadcomeintothehandsofDavid'sofficers,and
RoberttheSteward[afterwardsKingRobertII.]wasRegent.
KingDavid,aladofeighteen,hadreturnedtohiskingdom
withhisEnglishQueen,Joanna[2ndJune1341];but
almosthisfirstpublicacthadbeentogivemortaloffence
totheKnightofLiddesdale,whowasthenceforward tobe
reckonedamongtheleastloyal
ofhissubjects
;albeitheshared
thefateofKingDavidhimself
inbeingtakenprisoner atthe
disastrousbattleofNeville'sCross
[17thOctober1346].
YoungWilliam returned to
restorethefairfameofhishouse.
HewentstraighttoDouglasdale,
summoned hisretainers tohis
Fiff.8.—SealofWilliam,Lord , •
i1.1 1
•
rr.
1 r,-. -.ToQ.N standard,andtookuphisquarters
ofDouglas(1342-13S4).
' ^
_^
intheforestsofEttrickand
Jedburgh,whencehecarriedonguerrillawaruponthe
English.Hewasoneofthoseappointed in1351to
treatwiththeEnglishCommissioners fortheliberation
ofKingDavid.2 Edward Baliolwas livingonhis
landsofBuittleatthistime,awaitinganotherturnofthe
wheelinhisfavour ;buttheselandswereoftherightful
heritage ofDouglas,^whotherefore inthesummer
^Morion, ii.46.
-
SirWilliamFraserhasclearedWilliam,LordofDouglas's,famefromthe
imputationofunderhanddealingwiththeEnglishatthistime.LordHailes,in
casting it,confusedhimwiththeotherWilliam,theKnightofLiddesdale,
—
Fraser, i.218-220.
^Seep.57,ante.

SLAUGHTEROFLIDDESDALE
jj
of1353madeadescentuponthemandexactedsub-
missiontoKingDavidfromtheBaliolitechiefsofGalloway.
InthishewasprobablyactingasWardenoftheMarchesin
concertwithStuart,EarlofCarrick[afterwardsRobert III.],
whowassubduingAnnandale,andwithSirRogerKirk-
patrick,whotookDalswintonandCarlaverock inNithsdale
aboutthistime.
Now,inJuly1352,theKnightofLiddesdale,god-
fatherandformerguardianofWilliam,LordofDouglas,
beingtheninprisonintheTowerofLondon,wherealso
layKingDavid,didagreetomosttreasonableconditions
withtheKingofEngland,wherebyheobtained
Slaughterof
,. ...
r i i i
/-t
•
ii
theKnightofhislibertyandagrantofthelandsofLiddes-
Liddesdaie,
^^jg^^^^^TowerofHermitage.^Shameupon
August1353.
^
t> r
the
"FlowerofChivalry"!thefirsttobring
dishonouruponthescutcheonofhisrace.Returningto
Scotland,hewasspeedilycalledtoaccountforotherand
privatecrimes.Toexplain theirprecisenaturewould
requirelongandtediousexaminationofaverycomplicated
business,alreadyundertakenbythepractisedhandofSir
WilliamEraser. Mentionhasalreadybeenmadeofthe
grantbyHughtheDull[ix.]toSirWilliamDouglasof
LothianofthelandsofLiddesdale,fromwhichheafter-
wardsderivedhisdistinctivetitleof
"KnightofLiddesdale."
Veryshortlyaftertheexecutionofthisgrant,inFebruary
1342,RoberttheSteward, inParliament atAberdeen,
demandedsasineofthesesamelands,invirtueofacrown
grantmadetohimonbeingknighted. Theclaimwas
opposedbytheKnightofLiddesdale,onthegroundthathe
heldthelandsinvirtueofhisguardianship ofWilliam
[xi.],sonandheirofSirArchibald [x.],insupportof
whichheshowedacharterofinfeftment infavourofSir
Archibald.^ True,theobjectionwasoverruledonthe
groundthatArchibald,beingatthetimeofthesaidgrant
guardianoftherealm,couldnotbestowlandsuponhim-
self,^andthegrantwasmadetotheSteward ;nevertheless,
twodayslaterafreshgrantofLiddesdalewasmadeout
1Fcedera,v.738.
-Morton, ii.46,47.
^
Ibid.

78 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
infavourofSirWilliamDouglas,whocompensated the
StewardbymakingovertohimthelandsofAthol.^
TheyounglordofDouglas therefore,returninghome,
wasdeeplydispleasedtofindpartofwhatheconsidered
hisrightfulheritageinthepossession ofhisgodfather
andoverrun byEnglish partisans. The allegation
thathewasjealousoftheKnightofLiddesdale's atten-
tionstohis
"countess
"
restsupontheslipperyfoundation
ofaballad,andcanscarcelybemaintained
;because,
whileitisdoubtfulwhetheryoungDouglaswasmarriedat
allasearlyas1353,
itiscertainthathiswifecouldnot
havebeenacountess tillhehimselfwasmadeanearlin
1358.Therewasplentyofothermatterfordisputebe-
tweengodfatherandgodson. BesidesLiddesdale, there
weretheotherbroadlandswhichHughtheDullhadbeen
cajoledorcoerced intomakingovertotheFlowerof
Chivalry,andtheyounglordmayhavespokenhismind
plainlyaboutthefoulmurdersbyhisgodfatherofSir
AlexanderdeRamsayandSirDaviddeBarclay.-The
immediatecauseofthelastfataldisputebetweenthesetwo
Douglasesseemssimpleenough,althoughofthecircum-
stances little isknown. InAugust1353theLordof
Douglas,probablyreturningfromthesubjugationofGallo-
way,foundtheKnightofLiddesdalehuntinginEttrick
Forest,wheretheyounglordclaimedexclusive rights.
Highwordswouldpass ;swordsleaplightlyfromtheir
scabbards. YoungDouglaspresumablyhadthestronger
following,andtheKnightofLiddesdalewasslain.The
placewasknowasGalsewood,butisnowcalledWilliam-
hope,incommemoration, itissupposed,oftheslaughter
ofoneWilliamDouglasbytheother.Godscroft[Hamilton
PalaceMS.]statesthatinhisdayitwascalledWilliam'sCross.
Shortlyafterthisdeed,namely,inFebruary1354,King
DavidbestowedafreshcharteruponWilliam,Lordof
Douglas,ofallthelandspossessedbyhisuncletheGood
^Morton, ii.48.
'Seep.224,post.Fordunallegesthisasoneofthereasonsforthequarrel.
—
Fordun, ii.360.

CAPTUREOFSIRTHOMASGRAY 79
SirJames[vii.],andhisfatherSirArchibald [x.],including
Liddesdale.^ It isremarkable thatnonotice ismade
thereineitherofthedecreeofnullityofSirArchibald's
titletoLiddesdale in1342,norofpossessionthereofby
theKnightofLiddesdale.^
Negotiations fortheliberationofKingDavidhadbeen
proceedingforsometimeundertheexistingtruce ;twenty
Warrenewed
Scotsgentlemenhadbeenenumerated ashos-
withEngland,
tages,andDouglas,withthreeotherbarons,had
beenaccepted assecurityforpaymentofthe
ransom,whichDavid'sbrother-in-law ofEnglandhadfixed
atthesubstantialfigureof90,000marks. Buttherewere
conditions inthistreatyunfavourable toFrance,andat
EasterKingJohnII.sentovertoScotlandSirEugenede
Garencieres withotherknights,conveying asubsidyof
40,000moutonsd'or. HostilitiesopenedwithanEnglish
raiduponthelandsoftheEarlofMarch,whoretaliated
byamovementuponNorhamCastle. HerestoutoldSir
ThomasGraywasconstable,andDouglassentoutsome
foragersunderSirWilliamdeRamsaytotempthimforth.
Thelurewassuccessful :Grayrodeoutwithasquadronof
fiftytoeightyspears
;Ramsayfellbackbeforehimtowards
Nisbet,whereDouglashadensconcedhimselfwithasuperior
force.TheretreatoftheEnglishwascutoff;inacharge
uponDouglas'spartytheywereworsted.YoungThomas
Gray,whomhisfatherhadjustknighted,wasamongthe
prisonerstaken,andemployed hissubsequentcaptivity in
EdinburghCastletogoodpurposeincomposinghisdelight-
fulScalacronica?
^Fraser, i.226. Thisimportantcharter isnotmentioned inRobertson's
Index,butisknownbytwotransumpts,oneintheDouglascharterchest,the
otheratCavers.
-Mr.CosmoInnesputonrecordthattheregnalyearsofDavid11.afterhis
returnfromFrancearestatedoneshortoftheactualdate.Hence,although
thischartertoWilliam,LordofDouglas,bearstohavebeengrantedon12th
Februaryinthetwenty-fourthyearofthereign,whichwas1353,Davidwasnot
inScotlandduringthatyear,andthetruedatemusthavebeen1354.
—
I/>id.,
i.227,note.
"*
SirThomasGrayofHetoninNorthumberland wasancestorofthepre-
sentEarlGreyandSirEdwardGrey,Bart.,M.P.

8o THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
On25thJanuary1356Edward III.obtainedfrom
EdwardBaliolthegoldcrownofScotlandandasodof
Scottishearth,intokenofhistotalrenunciation ofall
claimstothethroneofScotland,andproceededtoreduce
thatkingdomtohiswill.HeappearedatRoxburghat
theheadofaverymagnificentarmy,andthereDouglas
arrivedasanexponentinthecraftofdiplomacy. Ofall
theweapons inthediplomat'sarmourynone ismore
effectivethanprocrastination,andwelldidDouglaswield
itonthisoccasion. Havingnonebutfictitiousproposals
tomake,hewastedtendaysinmakingthem,whichthe
Stewardspenttosuchgoodprofitthatwhen,atlast,King
Edwardadvancedhefoundthecountryadesert.Astorm
destroyedhisfleet,andtoavoidstarvationhewasforcedto
TheBurnt
^^^^^retreat,ventinghisill-humour indestroy-
Candiemas, ingchurchcsandhousestoanextentremark-
''^
ableeveninthosedays,sothattheseasonwas
knowneverafterastheBurntCandlemas, Douglas,like
hisuncleSirJames,wasanexpertinambuscade,andcame
veryneartakingKingEdwardhimselfontheoutskirtsof
Melrose.^
TheKingofEnglandwasnosoonerbackinLondon
thanhemadeuphismindtoswallowabitterdraughtby
appointingtenCommissioners totreatforpeacewiththe
Scots[25thMarch1356];buthestillheldthemastercard
inthepersonofKingDavid.Douglas,oneofthewardens
oftheMarches,arrangedatRoxburghwiththeEnglish
warden,theEarlofNorthampton, atrucetoendure
tillMichaelmas,"andinJuneobtainedasafe-conduct
Battleof
\-5^'^June-i5th August]fromKingEdward
Poitiers, toenablehimtovisitKingDavidandto
'^^^"
furtherthepreliminaries ofhisrelease. But,
asaprecautionagainstthatrustwhichgoodchevaliers
didsogreatlydreadshould gatherupontheirarms
intimesoftruce,hesoughtserviceundertheKingof
FranceagainsttheBlackPrince,intimetosharewith
theFrenchchivalrytheawfuldisasterofPoitiers[19th
1Fordun, i.374,
-Fcedera,v,849,S57.

THEEARLDOM
September1356].^ Douglasseemstohavetempered his
valour thatdaywithsome discretion, forFroissart
sayshe
"foughtveryvaliantly forawhile ;butwhen
heperceivedthattheFrenchwerehopelesslydefeatedhe
madeoffasfastashecould ;forsomuchdidhedread
beingtakenbytheEnglishthathehadpreferredtobe
slain."
^Beforethebattlehehadreceivedknighthoodat
thehandofKingJohnofFrance.Hewasbackagain
inScotlandduringtheautumnandseizedthecastleof
Hermitage,atthattimeanEnglishpossession,becauseof
araiduponEskdaledonefromthatplacebySirRobert
Twyllyoll. ThisDouglasdid,notinviolationofthetruce,
butintheexerciseofhisjurisdictionasWardenoftheMarches.
KingDavid'selevenyearsofcaptivitycametoanend
on3rdOctober1357;thepriceexactedfromtheScots
Liberationof
^'^^^^^privilegeofreceivingbacktheirKingbeing
KingDavid,100,000marksin
3rdOct.1357.
,
ten yearly pay-
ments,acrushingburdenupon
apeople sogreatly im-
poverished already intheir
struggleforindependence that
theircoinagehadbeencon-
siderablydebased.
On26thJanuary1358
Douglaswascreatedanearl,
theprecisedatebeingdenoted
byhishavingwitnessedone
oftheKing'schartersonthe25thas"William,
LordofDouglas,knight,"
^andanotheronthe
27thasEarlofDouglas.^ Bythistimehe
wasmarried
;probably intheprecedingyear,
whenhiswife,Margaret,isfirstmentionedinacharterfrom
^Douglashadprobablystartedonapilgrimage inexpiationofhisslaughter
oftheKnightofLiddesdale,whichheabandonedonmeetingthechanceofan
exploitagainsttheEnglish.—SeeSca/arromVa, 175.
-Froissart, clxi.
^T/ieStirlingsofKeir,byWilliamFraser,p.199.
*ActsofPari.Scot., i.522.
VOL.I. F
9.—SealoftheEarlofDouglas,
Douglas
createdan
earl,26th
Jan.1358.

82 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
theKing.ThisMargaretwassisterandheiressofThomas,
Marries
^3.r\ofMar,andwithherDouglasreceivedthe
MargaretofbaronyofDrumlandg. Duringthenextfew
ar,I3S7
•
yg^j-gDouglasfrequently travelledtoEngland,
probably inconnectionwithhisdutiesassuretyforthe
instalments ofransom. Mattershadnotbeenrunning
smoothlyinScotlandsincethereturnoftheKing.Queen
Joannadiedchildless inAugust1362;David,whose
enforcedresidenceattheEnglishCourthadnotbeenwith-
outcompensating amenities,wasalreadysuspected, ifnot
known,toentertainunhallowedviewsaboutalteringthe
Scottishsuccession infavourofthelineofPlantagenet,to
theprejudiceoftherightfulheiroftheBruce—hisnephew,
RoberttheSteward,whomhehated. Already,in1358,
DavidhadbestowedtheearldomofMorayuponHenry,
DukeofLancaster,withremaindertohisheirsmale,whom
failing,tohistwodaughters fortheirlives.^Buttheim-
mediatecauseofoffencearoseoutofthewayKingDavid
hadoffingeringthemoneysexactedfromhissubjectsfor
hisransom,andapplyingthemtohisprivateexpenditure.
HereinDouglas'shonourand(whichtouchedhim
takesuparmsperhapsasclosely)hisinterestweredirectlyin-
againstthe
volved,forwashenotoneofthesuretiesfor
punctualpaymentoftheyearlyinstalmentsof
ransomtotheEnglishExchequer ?Accordinglyheentered
intoabondwiththeStewardandtheEarlofMarchto
rightaffairsbyforceofarms,andledoffbyseizingthe
King'scastleofDirleton.Thenthesethreelordspresented
apetitiontotheKing,settingforththeircomplaints in
regardtothemisappliedfunds.Fordundeniesthatthere
wereanygrounds forthiscomplaint ;
^butDavid'sEx-
cJiequevRollstelladifferentstory. Hismistress,Margaret
DrummondofLogie,whobecamehisQueenaboutthis
^
Bain,iv.3.TheEarlofDouglaswaswitnesstothisgrant,aswasRobert
theStewardalso.Thesignificanceofsuchagranttoanaliencannotbeunder-
stoodwithoutrememberingthatinthosedays,andforlongafter,thetitleofearl
wasinseparablefrompossessionofthecomitatus, i.e.thelandscomprisedinthe
earldom.
-Fordun, i.381,ii.370.

TREASONABLENEGOTIATIONS 83
time,hadnumerousneedyrelations,towhomtheKingwas
liberalingiftsandremissionofcustoms,etc.^
Douglas's risingwasnotaveryformidable affair :at
least,itcollapsedassuddenlyasithadbrokenout.From
DirletonhelootedInverkeithingbynight ;
-bynightalso
theKinginturnsurprisedhimatLanark,theearlescaping
withmuchdifficulty. Afterwards[14thMay1363]the
malcontentbaronsmadetheirsubmission totheKingin
termssetforthatlengthbyBower.^
Douglas'smovementsduringthenextfewmonthsare
ofmomentasthrowinglightupontheparthetookina
veryremarkable transaction.On6thOctober
trL'^tywTth1363KingDavidwenttoWestminsterandthere
England,
draftedwithKingEdwardandhisCouncilan
1363.
°
international treatytobesubmittedbyKing
DavidtohisParliament.^ Thisdrafttreatyprovidedthat
intheeventofDavid'sdemisewithout[male]issuethe
KingofEnglandshouldsucceedtothethroneofScotland
;
Berwick,Roxburgh,Jedburgh,Lochmaben,andalllands
andcastlesinScotlandheldbytheKingofEnglandwere
tobedeliveredupatoncetotheScots,andtheransomdue
fortheKingofScotswastoberemittedandallhostages
foritspaymentreleased. Therewereanumberofarticles
safeguarding theintegrityofthekingdomofScotland,the
rightsofitssubjects,thefreedomofitstrade,andproviding
againstanyunionorincorporation withEngland ;butof
theeight-and-twenty articlescontainedinthisdrafttreaty,
theseventeenth istheonewhichmostprofoundlyaffectsthe
reputationoftheEarlofDouglas. Itprovidedthat
"the
EarlofDouglasshouldberestoredtotheestatesinEngland
towhichhisfatherandunclehadright,ortoreceivean
equivalent inasuitableplace."Wasthisthepricefor
whichDouglasgavehisconsentandactivesupporttoa
policysostartling,which,ifcarriedintoeffect,wouldhave
disinheritedhisformerally,RoberttheSteward,andplunged
"^
ExchequerRolls, \.pp.Ivii.,136,167,174.
"
Ibid.,pp.1,,154.
'Bovver,xiv.27.
*PrintedinLordIlailes'Annals, ii.307.

84 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
hiscountryintoanewwarofsuccession ?—apolicywhich,
whenKingDavidsubmittedthetreatytohisParliament
atSconeon4thMarch1364,thatParliamentemphatically
rejected—
"WewillneverhaveanEnglishman toreign
overus."
SirWilliamErasersays :
"No ;thereisnoproofthat
Douglaswasprivytothistreaty,becausethereisnoevi-
dencethathewasinWestminster atthetime itwas
drafted."
^SirWilliammustbeacquittedofanunsuc-
cessfulattemptatspecialpleading,nothavingbeforehim
theveryconvincingevidencefurnished inKingEdward's
IssueRollforthatyear.Thedrafttreatywascompleted
27thNovember1363.On6thDecemberKingEdward
madegifts
"
todiverslordsandotherswhocametoEng-
landintheretinueoftheKingofScotlandaboutatreaty
ofpeacebetweentheKings."Thefirstonthelistofthese
lordsistheEarlofDouglas,whoreceivedagiltcup,money
weight 100s.9d.,value£10, 18s.Twodayslaterthe
goldsmithwaspaid£6,17s.3d.extraforthetwocups
giventotheEarlofDouglasandSirRobertErskine."
"
UndoubtedlyDouglaswasnotonlypresentinWestminster
whenthetreatywasarrangedandcognisantofitsterms,
buthehadtravelledtoLondonfortheexpresspurposeof
negotiating it.
WhenKingDavidsubmitted thistreatytohisParlia-
mentatSconeon4thMarch1364,hewasnotleftlong
indoubtastothehopelessnessofinducing his
Thesecond
'-
i
•
-t-, i
•
secrettreaty,subjcctstoagreetoit.FromthisParliament
'^*'*"
Douglashadthegoodtastetoabsenthimself.
Thetreatywasrejected,butnegotiations withEngland
werenotbroken off. SirRobertErskineandotherdele-
gatesweresenttoconferwithEnglishrepresentatives,and
reportedtotheParliament heldinJanuary1365.A
seconddrafttreatyhaslatelycometolight.-^ Itis
undated,andpurportstoconsistofproposals ataconfer-
encebetweenthePrivyCouncilsoftheKingsofEngland
andScotland. Itprovides fortherestorationbyKing
1
Fraser, i.243.
"
Bain,iv.22.
^Ibid.,21.

THESECONDDRAFTTREATY 85
EdwardofallcastlesheldbyhiminScotland
;peaceisto
beestablishedforathousandyearsbetweenEnglandand
Scotland
;theKingofScotsandhislordsaretosupport
theKingofEnglandinhiswarinFlandersforfifteenyears,
ifneedbe
;thedisinherited lords,andallEnglishmenwho
havelosttheirlandsinScotlandsincethedeathofRobert
theBruce,aretobereinstated,andshouldKingDavid
diewithoutlegitimateissuethesuccessiontothethroneof
ScotlandshalldevolveuponasonoftheKingofEngland,
otherthantheheir-apparent. There isnomentionofthe
proposedrestitutiontotheEarlofDouglasofhisEnglish
possessions.
Now,intheabsenceofanydatetothisdocument itis
notpossibletoidentify itastheoutcomeofSirRobert
Erskine'sembassy aftertherejectionofthefirstdraft
treaty. Itmayhavebeenonlyanalternative draftcon-
sideredbetweentheKingsattheirconferenceinNovember
I363.Buttheprobability isthatitwastheproductofthe
secondconference,andassuchwassubmittedtotheScot-
tishParliament atPerthinJanuary1365.Fromthis
ParliamentDouglaswasagainabsent,butinEdinburgh,
notlongafter,heaffixedhissealintokenofconsentto
theActwhichwastheoutcomeofthedeliberationsupon
theproposed treaty,andsworetousehiswholepower
againstanypersonswhoshouldresistorcontravene it.
UnderthisActthesuccession tothethroneofScotland
wasnotinterferedwith,buttheIsleofManandcertain
oftheoldBaliollandsinGallowayweresettledupona
youngersonoftheKingofEngland. Thedisinherited
lordsweretoberestoredandKingDavid'sransom
remitted.^
ThiswasveryfarshortofthelengthtowhichKing
DavidandtheEarlofDouglashadbeenreadytogo.
TooustRoberttheSteward fromthesuccession in
favourofanEnglishprincewasindeedastrangeend
forthejointlaboursofasonoftheBruceanda
nephewoftheBlackDouglas :lamentableoutcome, it
^ActsofPari.Scot., i.137,138.

86 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
mightbedeemed,ofthefieryyearsspentinsecuring
Scottishindependence. Nevertheless, inthecircumstances
ofthekingdommaybefoundsomeextenuation. The
successionwascloudedbythedoubtfullegitimacyofthe
Steward'snumerousfamily. Threatened civilstrifemight
beavertedbyunionofthecrowns,thenadreamoffar-
sightedstatesmen,andtoremainsoforcenturiestocome.
Scotlandhadplungedlowinthetroughofpoverty
;the
splendidtenacityofhersonshaddrainedherveinstothe
faintingpoint ;waysandmeanswerenearanimpasse,the
Kinghavingprovedincapableofthatfrugalitywhichalone
couldenabletheburdenofransomtobedischarged. The
onlyremedylayinadurablepeace,whichsomanyheads
hadachedindevising,somanyheartssickenedinhoping
for. Allthesewereconsiderations whichmightbeenter-
tainedwithoutdishonour ;thesoleblotuponDouglas's
integrityremains inthedamningprovision inthefirst
treatywhereby,throwingovertheSteward,hiscolleague
inthelaterebellion,hewastobeaprivategainerbya
publiccovenant.
Afterthemiscarriage ofthesenegotiations Douglas
becamelukewarm inloyaltytoDavid. Doubtless the
,
,.King'sconductwasindiscreetandverytrying
Reneweddis- ^
^, , m r-r^, i
affectionoftohislicges.ThehungrytribeofDrummonds,
Douglas.
relationsoftheQueen,hadtobesatisfied,which
couldnotbemanagedwithoutdisturbingvestedinterests.
DeepumbragewastakenatDavid'sgrant,in1367,ofthe
landsofAnnandale tohisstepson,JohnofLogie.These
landswereclaimedbyGeorge,EarlofMarch,inright
ofhismother,^daughterofRandolph,EarlofMoray,who
hadreceivedthemfromRobert I.
True,theselandswereatthetimeinpossessionof
theKingofEngland,andMarch,aswellasDouglasand
theSteward,gavewrittenconsent tothecharter to
Logie,butfromthattimeforward thesethreenobles,
oftenabsenting themselves "contumaciously "fromPar-
^Not"
BlackAgnes,"butheryoungersister,GeleisRandolph.—Bain,iv.
p.xxii.

OPPOSITIONTOROBERT II. 2,7
liament,represented afactioninopposition totheKing,
andespeciallytohisQueen. HappilyforScotland,when
disorderwasatitsdarkest reliefcamefromtheold
quarter—France,whereEdward III.hadhishandsmore
thanfull,andon20thJuly1369atreatyofpeacefor
fourteenyearswithEnglandwassignedinEdinburgh.
In1370theEarlofDouglasexecutedarenunciation
ofthebaronyofDalkeith.^ Itisnotclearwhatrights
hepossessedintheselands,seeingthattheyhad
oflandsof"belongedtotheKnightofLiddesdale,andhad
Dalkeith,6th
passedonhisdeathin1353tohisonlychild
Mary,whodiedin1367;whenSirJames
Douglas,eldestsonoftheKnight'selderbrotherJohn,was
servedheirtocertainlandsinDumfriesshire, intermsofthe
entailexecutedbytheKnight." SirJamesmusthavebeen
inpossession ofDalkeith in1369,forinthatyearhere-
signedthelandsintotheKing'shandsinordertoreceive
afreshgrantofthem,^andlicencetorebuildthecastle.'*
Nevertheless, theEarlofDouglasseemstohaveresided
atDalkeithsometimebetweentheyears1361and1366,
becausethehistorianFroissart,travellingthroughScotland
aboutthattime,withaportmanteaustrappedtohissaddle
andfollowedbyagreyhound,washisguestatDalkeith
{chateaudAlquetli)for
"
fullfifteendays."
^
David II.died22ndFebruary i371,andwassucceeded
byRoberttheSteward,intermsofthesettlementofi3i8.
NowDouglashadoncebeenawarmfriendof
pu*testTe
'^"
theSteward,andhadsupportedhim,evento
succession,
takinguparmsagainsttheKing,incontrolling
David'sextravagance. Wyntoun isthechief
authority forthestatement thatDouglasopposedthe
accessionofRobertbyforce. Theearl,hesays,had
assembled hisfollowers atLinlithgow,buttheEarlof
Marchadvancedtoattackhimwithasuperiorforce,and
persuadedhimtogiveuphisopposition, or,asBowerinter-
pretsit,hispretensionstothethrone,onconditionthathis
^Morton, ii.72.
^Ibid.,
53,64.
^
Ibid.,75.
*Ibid.,69.
*Froissart, iii.c.126.

88 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
sonJamesshouldreceiveoneofthenewKing'sdaughters
inmarriage
—
"^ttbthe^ingtothismaviagc
(Satocsilbrr:tnbtanbinhn-itagc.
^hitsiUttxt iiroubhurshticgunnung
^jappungt ;tsofftanbgxtb^nbijng."
^
Douglaswaspromptly restored tofavour,being
appointed JusticiarofScotlandsouthoftheForth,-and
Fig.10,—SealoftheEarlofDouglasandMar.
waspresentinParliament atSconeinApril1373,when
theroyalsuccessionwassettleduponthefivesurvivingsons
ofRobert II.andtheirheirsrespectively. Ofthesesons
^Wyntoun, ix.i.Godscroft'sstoryaboutDouglasclaimingthethroneby
successionthroughhismotherDornagilla,daughterofJohnComyn, iswholly
apocryphal. HismotherwasBeatricedeLindsay.
-ExcheqiierRolls, ii.
394,462.

THEEARLDOMOFMAR 89
thethreeelderowedtheirdubiouslegitimacytothePapal
dispensationof1349forthemarriageoftheirfatherwith
ElizabethMure.
The firstfiveyearsofthereignofRobert II.were
markedbygreatscarcityinScotland,andDouglasseems
tohavebeenbusyasWardenoftheMarchesinkeeping
awaytheborderers.About i373-1374hispos-
Succeedsto .... .
, ,
theearldom sessions, alreadyimmense,weremcreasedby
ofMar,c.
^^leadditionofthelandsofhisbrother-in-
1373-1374.
law,Thomas, 13thEarlofMar,who,though
twicemarried,diedwithoutissue.^Douglascameintopos-
sessionoftheearldomandestatesatonceinrightofhis
wife,andwashenceforward byfarthemostpowerful
subjectunderthatmonarchywhichhisunclehadbeen
thechiefagentinrestoring.- Powerfulashewas,how-
ever,thetaskofmaintainingpeaceontheBorderproved
beyondhispower,evenifwecouldbesurethathehad
thewill.Thetrucewastimedtoexpirein1383,but
theEarlofMarchcouldnotenduretoseehisrightful
heritageofAnnandale stillinEnglishhands.Hemade
waronhisownaccountin1377,wastingAnnandaleand
burningRoxburghtown.
TheEarlofNorthumberland appealedtoDouglasas
warden,^butDouglaswasunwillingtointerfere.Hecould
„ onlyhavedispersedMarch'stroopsbyforce,and
theBorder,maybepardoncd ifhepreferredinternationalto
1377-1380.
^—Jwarfare,albeitattheexpenseofthetruce.
Northumberland, crossingtheBorderinstrength,ravaged
Tweeddaleforthreedaysinreprisalforthemischiefdone
atRoxburgh. Douglas,accordingtoFroissart,layata
placecalledHondebray,"^wherehereceivedwordthatSir
^Thelastmentionofhimoccursinasafe-conductpassinghimtoEngland,
22ndOctober1373
\_RohiliScotice, i.960].Douglas isstyledEarlofDouglas
andMarinseveralcharters,etc.,ofRobertII.[LiberdeMelros, ii.446,451,455,
456,462,478].
"
SeeAppendixA,p.95,TheEarldomofMar.
•^
Bain,iv.53.
*Froissart, ii.c.9.LordBernersidentifiesHondebraywithHaddington,
buttheplacemoreprobablywasHumbie,formerlyv/rittenHundeby, Had-

90 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
ThomasMusgravewasholdingMelrosewithadetachment.
HedeterminedtogiveNorthumberland theslipandmake
Captureof
^dashforMusgrave.Hetimedhismarchsoas
SirThomas
toreachMelroseatmidnight. Itwasthemonth
37thAugustofAugust,buttheywereovertakenbysucha
'377-
tempestofwindandrainthatthepagesdropped
theirmasters'spearsforverycold,andthepartyhadto
takeshelterinthewoods.
"Theywerefullsevenhundred
lances,andtwothousandothers,whom Icalllustyvarlets,
armedwithhuntingspears,dirksandpointedstaves."
^In
themorningtheysentoutforagers,whoencounteredan
Englishforagingparty,wherebyMusgravereceivedwarning
ofthepresenceoftheenemy.Heturnedouthisforceat
once,androdeforthtogivebattle.Whenthetwoforces
wereinviewofeachothertheEarlofDouglas,says
Froissart,bestowedknighthooduponhisson,-andSir
ThomasMusgraveuponhis.Thusceremoniously were
combatsundertakenbeforechivalryhadbeguntowane.
Thentheysettowithawill.
"SirArchibaldDouglas
[xiii.]," saysthesympathetic Froissart,
"wasagood
knight,andmuchfearedbyhisenemies ;whennear
totheEnglishhedismounted,andwieldedbeforehiman
immenseswordwhosebladewastwoellslong,which
anothercouldnothaveliftedfromtheground ;buthe
foundnodifficultyinhandling it,andgavesuchterrible
strokesthatallonwhomthey fellwerestrucktothe
ground."
^TheEnglishwererouted,Musgraveandmany
ofhisfollowingbeingtakenprisoners.
dingtoncannotbedescribed asamongthemountains. Froissartsaysthat
Douglasheardhereofthere-captureofBerwickbyNorthumberland, andthe
slaughteroftheScotsthere;butthatdidnottakeplacetill1378,whereaswe
knowfromNorthumberland's accountintheExchequerthatMusgrave'scapture
precededthetakingofBerwickbymorethanayear[Bain, iv.56].This
accordswiththedatesgivenbyWyntounandBower,who,however,giveMarch
thecreditoftakingMusgrave.
^Froissart, ii.c.9.
'*
James,afterwards2ndearl. IfFroissartbeaccurate itmusthavebeenthe
dignityofknight-banneret whichwasconferred, asuponhisgreat-uncle at
Bannockburn, forJameswasaknightasearlyas\y]2.—RotHli Scotia, i.952.
^Froissart, ii.c.10.

DOUGLASRAIDSENGLAND 91
Nextyear[25thNovember 1378]abandoffifty
ScotsadventurerscapturedBerwick,andheld itforeight
orninedaysindefianceofalargeforceunderthe
EarlofNorthumberland. DouglasandhiscousinSir
Archibaldmarchedtorelievetheplace,butfindingthe
Englishtoostrong,drewoffintotheLothians. The
English earlstormedBerwickandputalltheScots
thereintothesword,excepttheircommander,Alexander
deRamsay.
Suchlocalconflictsasthesewereaccountedasnomore
thanchivalrousbickeringsbetweenfree-lancesofthetwo
nations,scarcelyinconsistentwiththeofficialtruce.March
meetingswerefrequentbetweentheEarlsofNorthumber-
landandDouglas,theEnglishandScottishWardens,
wherematterswerediscussed,protestsexamined,andfutile
agreementsmadeforthebetterobservanceofthetruce.
Thesemeetingsweregenerallyheldduringthisreignat
aplacecalled
"LyliatCross,"whichMr.Bainidentifies
withthemodern Lilliard'sEdge,betweenMelroseand
Jedburgh.^
Inthespringof1380theEarlofDouglasbegan
operationsonafarlargerscalethanheretofore. Mustering
hisvassalsandtheirmentothenumberstated,
Douglasin-
, ,,
.
,
.
,
vadesEng- probably withexaggeration, as20,000,he
land,1380.
carriedadestructive raidintoCumberlandand
Westmorland, anddroveoffaverylargenumberof
cattle.Theplaguewasragingatthistimeinthenorth
ofEngland,andWalsingham attributes itsimportation
intoScotlandtoacounter-raidwhichcrossedtheSolway
aftertheretreatoftheScots. Thisforce,putbyWal-
singham at15,000,andthereforeprobablynotexceed-
ing3000or4000,wasattackedanddispersed,but
notbeforetheyhadcommunicated thedeadlyinfection,
whichprovedverydestructive inScotland inthisyear.
Immediately aftertheseeventsJohnofGaunt,Duke
ofLancaster,wassentbyKingRichard II.withsufficient
troopstowreakvengeanceupontheScots ;buttheghost
^Bain,iv.pp.xx.
54,57.

92 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
oftheviolatedtrucewasraised ;truceupontrucewas
arranged, first tillNovember1381.then tillCandlemas
1384.Thebalanceofsuccessintheseaffairsremained
withtheScots.TheEarlsofDouglasandMarchandSir
ArchibaldDouglashadredeemedmostofthecountiesof
RoxburghandBerwickfromtheEnglishsway,asappears
fromamemorandumdrawnupfortheinformation of
"MonseigneurDespaigne"[JohnofGaunt],andother
Commissioners, abouttoholdaMarchmeetingonist
October1380. Thereinaredefinedthelandstakenfrom
Richard II.since
"
lagranttriewe."Thetermofthislong
trucecannothaveexpiredwhentheEarlsofDouglasand
MarchandSirArchibald investedtheBruce'sancient
Captureof
castlcofLochmaben,aplaceofgreatnatural
Lochmaben
andartificial strength,butweaklygarrisoned
Castle,4th
,.,, . . , t , ,
February andillprovisioued. Itskeeper,Fetherstonhaugh,
'384.
agreedtosurrender ifnotrelievedwithineight
days,duringwhichthebesiegerslay
—
"Intuijkkijbturbbur,asluinbixntranc,
l^hatthamcbtibgrctixnnovanbpane."
'
Noreliefcame,sothecastlewasgivenupontheninth
day,8thFebruary,justtwodaysaftertheexpiryofthe
truce,andutterlydismantled ;lucklessFetherstonhaugh
beingputunderarrestwhenhearrivedatCarlisle,and
sentprisonertoWindsor.^
ThisaffrontbroughttheDukeofLancasterintoScot-
landagainasaninvader.HeadvancedasfarasEdin-
burgh,butby23rdAprilhehadwithdrawn toDurham"^
withouthavinginflictedmuchinjury ;andDouglas,having
recoveredAnnandalefromtheEnglishwiththehelpofthe
EarlofMarch,nowresolvedtoexpeltheEnglishfromthe
possessiontheystillkeptofTeviotdale. Hereceiveda
specialcommissionfromtheKingtothatend,inwhichhe
wascompletelysuccessful,andoncemoretheScotlandof
Bruce,withtheexceptionofBerwick,wasentirelyunder
thedominionofherownmonarch.
^Wyntoun, ix.
5.
-
Bain,iv.
y^,77.
^JiotidiScotice, ii.62.

DEATHOFTHEFIRSTEARL
93
ThiswasthelastservicedonebytheistEarlof
Douglas. Inreturning fromTeviotdale to
Earlof*
^^
DouglasCastle,attheendofAprilorbegin-
Dougias,
ningofMay1384,hewassuddenly seized
byfeveranddiedatDouglas.Hewasburied,
notinSt.Bride'sbesidehisillustrious uncle,butat
Melrose.
Hiscareermustbepronounced abrilliantandhonour-
ableone.Noticehasbeenmadeaboveofcertaintrans-
actionsinwhichhedoesnotseemtohavebeenperfectly
disinterested,andcertainlyatonetimeheinclinedto
—
nay,promoted—aschemewhichwouldhavebroughthis
countryunderEnglishdominion. Butheacceptedthe
decisionofhiscountrymenuponthatmatter,andthence-
forwardwasagoodchevalierandloyalScottohislife's
end.Heraisedhisbannerinrebellionwhenheperceived
theKing'sactionsandpolicytobedangeroustothecom-
monwealth,neverthelessfromfirsttolasthewasapillarof
strengthtothemonarchy,
Godscroftgoesutterlyastray,andhasledsubsequent
writersastrayalso,inassigningthreewivestotheistEarl
FamilyoftheofDouglas.Hestatcsthatthefirstwifewas
istEarl.
MargaretofDunbar,which isaconfusionwith
AgnesofDunbar,whomarried SirJamesDouglasof
Dalkeithin1372.Asthethirdwife,Godscroftmentions
Margaret,daughterofThomasStuart,EarlofAngus ;
^
butthisisimpossible,astheearl'sonlywife,Margaretof
Mar,survivedhim,andin1388married SirJohnde
Swinton,-whomherson,2ndEarlofDouglasandMar,
referstoinacharterofthatyearashis
"verydearfather."
^
SheboretwochildrentoDouglas,James [xii.],whosuc-
ceededhim,andIsabel,who,uponherbrother'sdeathin
1388,inheritedtheestatesofMarandhisunentailedlands
^Shewashismistress,however,andbyhimthemotherofGeorgeDouglas,
EarlofAngus.
2Swinton,afterhisstepson'sdeath,wasknownbytheordinarybaronial
titleofLordofMar.
*LiberdeMetros, ii.465.

94 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
Fig.II.—SealofIsabella
Douglas,CountessofMai,
c.1400.
ofCav-ers,JedburghForest,Liddesdale,thetownofSel-
kirk,thesuperiorityofBuittleand
Drumlanrig, etc. The original
Douglasterritorywentunderentail
toSirArchibald
"theGrim
"
[xiii.J.i
DameIsabelmarriedSirMalcolm
Drummond,brother-in-lawofRobert
III.,styledLordofMarandGarioch,
invirtueofthelandswhichhepos-
sessedinrightofhiswife.^ His
widowmarriedAlexanderStuart,and
grantedtheearldomtohimandtheir
heirs[12thAugustand9thDecem-
ber1404],^whom failing toher
heirs.
Shediedin1408,butherhusbandremainedEarlof
Martillhisdeathin1435,whenhediedwithoutissue,and
thewell-knownMardisputebegan.*^
EarlWilliamalsoleftatleasttwoillegitimatechildren,
namely,first,GeorgeDouglas,afterwardsEarl
ofAngus[xxxviii.],whosemotherwasEarl
William's sister-in-law,thewidowofThomas,
13thEarlofMar,andCountessofAngus
inherownright
;andsecond,Margaret, Fig.12.—Signet
who,marryingThomasJohnson in1404,
of^heEarl
receivedfrom"herdear sister" Isabella,
°fDouglas
' andMar.
Countess ofMar,agrantoftheMainsof
Bonjedward.^ Shewasthereforeprobablytheancestress
ofthefamilyofDouglasofBonjedward.
^Fraser, i.288.
"
OriginesParochialcs, i.
527,quotingTraquaircharters.
•*Reg.MagniSigilli, ii.251.
*
Charterdated9thDecember1404,confirmedbytheKing.Aprevious
charter,dated12thAugust1403,conveyedtheearldomabsolutely,butwasset
asideandnotconfirmed,
^Antiq-iiitiesofAberdeenandBanff,iv.731.

APPENDIXA
95
AppendixA
TheEarldomofMar
Thenatureofthesuccession toandtenureoftheancient
earldomofMarbyWilHam,istEarlofDouglas [xi.],has
beenthesubjectofmuchlitigation,resultingintheexistence
atthepresentdayoftwoEarlsofMarunderdifferent
creations,namely
—
(i)JohnFrancisErskineGoodeve-Erskine, EarlofMar,
holdingasheir-generaltheprecedence oftheoriginal
earldomwhich,uponthedeathofThomas,EarlofMar,
in1377,passedtohissister,Margaret,CountessofDouglas,
asheir-general,andsotoherdaughterCountessIsabel.
(2)WalterJohnFrancisErskine,EarlofMarand
Kellie,LordErskine, etc.,heir-maleofJohn,6thLord
Erskine[afterwards Regent],whoreceivedfromQueen
Maryacharterdated23rdJune1565,restoringtohim
theearldomasheirofIsabel,sisterofthe2ndEarlof
Douglas [xii.]. ThisEarlofDouglashavingdiedat
Otterburn in1388withoutlawfulissue,hissisterIsabel
succeeded totheearldomonthedeathofhermother,
CountessMargaret,in1390.
Itisnoconcernofthepresentworktofollowthe
intricateargumentswhichresulted inthejudgment pro-
nouncedbytheHouseofLordsupontheMarPeerage
Casein1885;butseeingthatSirWilliamEraserhas
committedhimselfintheDouglasBooktoanexplanation
ofthetransmission oftheearldomwhich iswhollyat
variancewiththatjudgment,^ itseemsdesirable tore-
capitulate brieflythecircumstances whichhavebrought
abouttheanomalyoftwoEarlsofMar.
SirWilliamheldthattheancientearldomofMar,
beinglimited toheirs-male,cametoanendwiththe
'ItisnotsuggestedthatSirWilliamEraserignoredthejudgmentofthe
HouseofLordsin1885.Hisbookwasprintedbeforejudgmentwaspronounced.

96 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
deathofThomas,13thEarlofMar,in1373-74. Mar,
heargued,wasthepremierearldomofScotland
;Douglas
in1374wastheyoungest[creation1358],yetafter1374
DouglaswasalwaysstyledEarlofDouglasandMar,
andafterhisdeathhiswidowcontinued tobeCountess
ofDouglasandMar,theinferencebeingthatDouglas
neverbecame14thEarlofMar,butwasthefirstunder
anewcreation. SirWilliamalsoheldthatthe2ndEarl
ofDouglas [xii.]wasrecognised asEarlofMarduring
hismother's life,butofthisthereisnoconclusiveevidence,
andnoinstanceofhishavingusedthearmsofMar
quarteredwiththoseofDouglas,ashisfatherdid.
IsabelDouglas,CountessofMarinherownright,
married—first.SirMalcolmDrummond,brotherofQueen
Annabella,spouseofRobertIII.;second,AlexanderStuart,
naturalsonofAlexander, EarlofBuchan,brotherof
RobertIII.,towhomsheconveyedtheearldomofMarin
liferentbycharterdated9thDecember1404,dulycon-
firmedbyRobert III.,although itwasincontravention of
anengagementmadein1395withSirThomasErskine,
heirofElyne,daughterandheir-presumptive ofGraitney,
7thEarlofMar[died c.1305].WhenCountessIsabel
diedwithoutissuein1409,herhusband,Alexander,con-
tinuedlife-renter oftheearldom,andin1426obtained
fromJames I.acharterthereofinfavourofhimselfand
hisnaturalson.SirThomasStuart,withremaindertothe
crown. SirThomasdied,withoutissue,beforehisfather,
onwhosedeathin1435James i.tookpossessionofthe
landsoftheearldom. ButRobertErskine,sonofthe
above-named Elyne,havingbeenmadeaLordofParlia-
mentwiththetitleofLordErskinebefore1429,was
retoured heirofCountess Isabel,andusedthetitleof
EarlofMar.James ll.succeeded ingettingthisservice
reducedbyanassizeoferrorin1457,onthegroundof
Thomas'sbastardy,andtheearldomwaspronounced to
haverevertedtotheCrownonthedeathofAlexander,
husbandofCountess Isabel. Itwasafterwardsbestowed
byJames II.andJames ill.uponfouroftheirseveral

THEEARLDOMOFMAR
97
sons,legitimateandnatural,insuccession ;butJohn,6th
LordErskine,obtainedarevisionofhisrights,withthe
resultthatQueenMarygrantedhimtheearldomofMar
byacharterdated23rdJune1565,declaringthathe
hadbeenunjustlydispossessed ofhisrightsasheirof
IsabelofMar.HewasthereafterrecognisedasEarlof
Mar,andbecameRegentofScotlandini
571
.
Thegreat-great-great-grandson ofthis earlhaving
beenattaintedandforfeited forhispartintheJacobite
risingof1715,hislandsofAlloawerepurchasedbyhis
brother,LordGrange[aLordofSession],whoentailed
themuponThomas,LordErskine,onlysonoftheattainted
earl,whomfailing,uponthesaidThomas's half-sister.
LadyFrancesErskine,andhermaleissue.^LadyFrances
marriedin1740hercousin,JamesErskine,secondson
ofheruncle.LordGrange,who,afterthedeathofGrange's
elderson,Charles, in1774,andthedeathofThomas,
LordErskine,in1776,becameheir-maleoftheErskines.
In1824JohnFrancisErskine,sonofJamesandLady
Frances,wasrestoredtotheearldombyGeorgeIV.,and
maybedesignated7thEarlofMarunderthe[assumed]
newcreationbyQueenMaryin1565. Hisgrandson,
9thEarlofMarunderthesamecreation,claimedthe
earldomofKellieascollateral heir-male ofMethven
Erskine,lothEarlofKellie,andjudgmentwaspronounced
inhisfavourin1834.Hewassucceededas12thEarl
ofKellieand15thLordErskinebyhiscousin,Walter
ConingsbyErskine,
13thEarlofKellie,whoclaimedthe
earldomofMarunderthecreationof1565,butdiedin
1872beforejudgmentonhisclaimcouldbepronounced
bytheHouseofLords. Thisclaimwasrenewedbyhis
sonwho,invirtueofjudgmentpronounced in1875,
became 11thEarlofMar.Hewasfatherofthepresent
EarlofMarandKellie.
SomuchforoneoftheexistingEarlsofMar.How
comes itthatthereisanother?WhentheCommittee
^Theterritorialearldomwaslost,andisnowprincipallycontainedinthe
estatesoftheDukeofFife.
VOL.I. G

98 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
ofPrivilegesdecidedthatQueenMary'scharterof1565
conveyedtoLordErskinethelandsoftheancientearldom
\comitatus\ itheldatthesametimethat itdidnot
restoretohimthedignityofanearl,andthatthismust
havebeendonebyaseparateactofQueenMary,which,
notbeingextantnow,maybepresumedtohavecontained
alimitationtoheirs-male,theoriginalearldomhavingbeen
toheirs-general. Thegrandsonofthe8thEarlofMar
underthecreationof1565hadassumedtheancient
earldom.HewasthesonofFrancesJemima,daughter
ofthe8thearl,byherhusbandWilliamJamesGoodeve,
andassertedthatwhenhisfirstcousin,9thEarlofMar
andiithEarlofKellie,wassucceeded in1866byhis
firstcousin,WalterConingsbyErskine,as12thEarlof
Kellie,theearldomofMarrevertedtohimasheir-general.
ACommitteeoftheHouseofLordswasappointed to
considerabillrestoringtheancientearldomofMarto
JohnFrancisErskineGoodeve-Erskine. Afterahearing
whichlastedfivedays,thecommitteepassedthepreamble
ofthebill,LordRedesdalealonedissenting. Thebill
passedthroughParliamentandrestoredtheEarlofMar
assuccessortoIsabel,CountessofMar ;wherebyQueen
Victoriadid,asitwassupposed until1875QueenMary
haddone,namely,restoredtheheirofthehouseofMar
tooneoftheoldestdignitiesinEurope.

CHAPTERIV
99
xii.James,2ndEarlofDouglas
andMar,c.1358-13S8.
100ArrivalofFrenchknightsinEdin-
burgh,April[?]13S4.
100FrenchexpeditiontoScotland,May
1385-
102Richard11.invadesScotland,13S5.
104Douglas leadstheFrench into
Cumberland, 1385.
PAGE
105RaidsCockermouth, 1386.
105FreshinvasionofEngland,August
1388.
107DouglascapturesPercy'spennon,
August138S.
108Battle ofOtterburn, 12th
[?]
August1388.
noDeathoftheEarlofDouglas,
August1388.
IthasbeentoldinthelastchapterhowJames,sonofthe
1stEarlofDouglas,marriedPrincessIsabel,daughterof
xii.James,
Robert11.^Bornabout i358,hewouldbeabout
andEarlof
six-and-twentvwhenhesucceeded hisfatherin
Douglasand
,. _ ,
Mar,c.1358-1384. Abouttheyear1380hisfathermade
1388.
Qygj.^Qj^jj^^j^glordshipofLiddesdale,andhe
becameknownasSirJamesDouglasofLiddesdale. One
mustruntheriskofbeingtiresomeinthesedetailsin
ordertomaintaindistinctionbetweentheseveralindividuals
inthisfamily.
Anyattempttodeterminetheexactsequenceofthe
eventsof1384iswell-nighhopeless;butforthepurpose
ofthepresentnarrative itisenoughtostatethataboutthe
timeoftheDukeofLancaster's retreatfromEdinburgh
inAprilandEarlWilliam's deathinMay,dulyac-
creditedFrenchenvoysarrivedinEdinburghfromLondon
toinvitetheScottishKingandCounciltojoininatruce
^ThePapaldispensation forthismarriageappliestoPrincessMargaret,
evidentlyacuriousclericalerror,forPrincessMargarethadbeenmarriedtothe
LordoftheIslessinceabout1350.Thissuggestsanicequestionastothe
legitimacyofoffspringofamarriagecontractedunderadispensation specifying
thewrongperson. Inthisinstancetherewasonlyonechildofthemarriage,
whodiedaninfant.

lOO THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
foreightmonthsbetweenFranceandEngland,whichhad
beenarrangedsolongbeforeas26thJanuary. Nearly
Arrivalof
Simultaneously anotherpartyofthirtyFrench
French knights,UnderSirGeoffreydeCharny,landedat
Edinburgh, Montrosconafardifferentmission.Theycame
April
[?]1384.
franklyinsearchofchivalrousadventure,and,
havingriddentoPerth,senttwooftheirnumbertosound
thechevaliersofKingRobert'sCourt,towhomtheyoffered
theirservicesagainsttheEnglish.TheEarlofDouglas
andLordLindsayreceivedtheminacorresponding spirit,
andforthwithmusteredtheirforces. Followedaraidinto
England,withburningandspoilingonthelandsofthe
EarlsofNorthumberland andNottinghamandLordMou-
bray,ofakindwhichgreatlyedifiedthegentlemen of
France. Whilethissportwasgoingforwardtheofficial
FrenchenvoysweresolemnlysittinginEdinburgh negoti-
atingthetermsoftruce.KingRobert,bothfrompolicy
andpersonalinclination,heartilydesiringpeace,disapproved
oftheactionofhisyoungbloods,thoughhewasnotstrong
enoughtointerferewiththeirproceedings;buthesent
LyonHeraldtoLondontoexplainthecircumstances. His
representationswereaccepted,andon7thJulytheScottish
commissioners inEdinburghagreedtothetripletruce,
whichwastoendure tillistOctoberfollowing,andwas
afterwardsextendeduntilMay1385.
TheFrenchknights-errant returnedtoFrance,charged
byDouglasandMoraytoletitbeknowntherewhata
finefieldofadventurelayopeninScotlandtochevaliersof
enterprise.DeCharnyassuredhishoststhattheywould
returnassoonaspossiblewithathousandlances,
"forit
wasnotathingtobeforgotten."
^Accordingly,nosooner
hadthetruceexpirednextyearthanSirJohn
Txpeditionto
tieVienne,AdmiralofFrance,landedinLeith
Scotland,
with2000men,1000completesuitsofarmour,^
and50,000goldfrancs,allinaccordwiththe
treatyof1383.Ofthehardcash,one-fifthwaspaidto
^Froissart, ii.c.50.
-Thenumberactuallydeliveredisstatedvariouslybetween1400and200.

THEFRENCHKNIGHTS loi
KingRobertandtherestwasdividedamongtheScottish
earlsandbarons.^ DouglasandMorayexertedthemselves
fortheentertainmentoftheforeigners,findinglodgingin
Dunbar,Dalkeith,andKelsoforthosewhocouldnotbe
accommodated inEdinburgh,wheretherewerenotinthe
wholetown4000houses.^ But,alas !thesameeast
windwhichhadmadetheirvoyagesoprosperousgave
averyunfavourable aspecttoEdinburghanditsenvirons,
asitiswonttodoinspring,eveninthisourday.The
FrenchknightscurseddeCharnyfordeludingtheminto
suchagod-forsakencountry.
"InScotlandyoushallnever
findamanofworth :theyarelikesavages,whowishnot
tobeacquaintedwithanybody,andaretooenviousofthe
goodfortuneofothers,andsuspiciousoflosinganything
themselves,forthecountryismiserablypoor. However,"
addstheFrenchchronicler,"theEarlsofDouglasand
MoraypaidthegentlemenofFrancemoreattentionthan
alltherestofScotland."
^Thefact is,that,exceptthese
twoearlsandafewhotyoungspirits,nobodyinScotland
wantedanEnglishwaratthistime.KingRobertwas
absentintheHighlands,purposelykeepingoutofthe
way ;thebaronsandgentrywantedtoattendtotheir
private affairs,andheldcoldlyalooffromtheexcitable
foreigners,—
"Whatdevilhasbroughtthemhere?—theywill
verysooneatupallwehaveinthecountry."Thefarmers
andpeasantsweremorevigorouslyunfriendly,notonly
resistingbyforcethedepredationsoftheFrenchforagers,
butsellingthembadhorsesatfancyprices.
AtlastKingRobert,"withblearedeyesasredas
sendal,"returnedtohiscapital,and,perceivingthatDouglas,
Moray,andFifehadmadeuptheirmindsforbusiness,and
weretoodeeplycommitted totheirFrenchfriendstocon-
senttodisappoint them,gaveareluctantassenttothe
assemblyofanarmyofinvasion,whichmarchedforthe
southshortlyafterMidsummer. Parliamentdecreed[ist
July1385]thateverymaninthatarmy,whetherFrench
'Fcedera,vii.484.
*
Froissart, ii.160.Sometextsgiveonly400.
^Ibid,

I02 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
orScottish,shouldwearthecrossofSt.Andrewinwhite
bothonbackandbreast.TheKing'spresencedidnot
muchmendmattersintheviewoftheFrenchadventurers.
Scotlandhadbeensteadilyfeudalisedsincethereignof
David I.,butScottishfeudalismhadeverbeenofamilder
typethanitscounterpartonthecontinentandevenin
England. Therightsofthecommonaltymayhavebeen
—
oftenwere—rudelytrampleduponbyindividualbarons,but
theconstitutionrecognisedandrespectedthemastheywere
recognisedandrespected innoothercountry.^ Conse-
quentlySirJohndeVienneandhisknightswaxedvery
indignantwhentheywerecalledupontosubmittoregula-
tionsimposedbytheEstatesfortheconductofthearmy
anditsforeigncontingent.^ Payforallthey—theflowerof
Frenchchivalry—chosetorequisitionfrommereburghers
andboors !Wasthereeversuchpreposterousredtape?
Mattersnearedaclimaxwhentheexpeditionap-
proachedRoxburgh Castle. Herewasafairnutforthe
Frenchknightstocrack,anddeViennebeganboastinghow
heintended itasagiftfortheKingofFrance.^Upon
hearingthis,Douglasputdownhisfoot,explaining tohis
alliesthattheywereservinginthearmyoftheKingof
Scots,andnotasfreebooters.'^ SoRoxburghwasleftalone,
andsuccessful assaultsweremadeinsteaduponFord,
Cornhill,andWark,thebruntofthefightingbeingaccorded
totheFrench. MeanwhileRichard II.wasapproaching
withanarmysuitableforanopponentofthedignityofthe
RichardII
AdmiralofFrance,farsuperior instrengthto
invadesScot-theScottisli levies,andinequipment also,not-
^"
''^^'
withstanding thethousand suitsofmailsent
fromFrance,withwhich
"thosewhohadthemweremuch
delighted." KingRichardwasbutayouthofnineteen,
buthehadaslieutenant hisredoubtable uncle,Johnof
^Compare,previoustothesixteenthcentury,themildnessoftheScottish
criminalcode,especiallytheforestlaws,withtheferocityofcertainEnglishand
Frenchstatutes.
^ActsofPari.Scot., i.190.
'Fordun, ii.401.
''
SirR.Maitland'sMS.,quotedbyFraser, i.300,

THEFRENCHKNIGHTS 103
Gaunt. InaccordancewiththetraditionalScottishstrategy,
orderswereissuedforretreat,thelandtobewastedbefore
theEnglish. Unhappily,theScotsbaronswerenotall
truetotheircolours.Tofollowthepoliticalvagariesof
theEarlsofMarchduringthesewarsistoenterabewil-
deringlabyrinthwithabroken clue.Onthisoccasion
GeorgeofMarchhadgoneovertotheEnglishinterest—
a
mostimportantdefection,seeingthatheheldthepassesof
CockburnspathonthedirectroadtotheScottishcapital.
HehadreceivedsuppliesfromtheKingofEngland,who,on
IithJune I385,gaveasafe-conducttooneJohnCrystalle,
aScotsmariner,totakehisshiptoEnglishports,thereto
buyprovisions
"
fortheKing'sdearandbelovedGeorge,
sonofhisdearcousintheEarlofDunbarandhisgarrison
ofColbranspathe."
^
TheFabianstrategyoftheScottish leaderswas
neitherunderstoodnorrelishedbytheFrenchchevaliers.
Theyprotested thattheyhadcometofight,nottorun
away.
"ByGod !
"
sworeSirJohndeVienne,
"
Iwillhavea
battle
!
"
"Soyoushall,"saidDouglas,
"
ifyouareofthesame
mindafteryouhavereconnoitredtheenemy."
DouglasthentookdeVienneandhisstafftothetop
ofahilloverlooking adefilethroughwhichtheEnglish
weremarching.^ Theadmiralwasatlastconvincedthat
itwouldbeinsanetoattacksuchapowerfulforcewiththe
^Bain,iv.76.
-
Itisvaintoarriveatthetruescaleofarmaments atthistimethrough
thestatementsofmonkishchroniclers, towhomaciphermoreorlesswasa
matterofsmallaccount.WalsinghamputsKingRichard'sarmyat7000men-
at-arms,60,000archers,and100,000horse !Perhapsthesefiguresmaybe
dividedbyfive,oreventen. Itisonrecord[Bain,iv.77]thatthecontingent
furnishedtoKingRichard'sarmyonthisoccasionbythePercys,SirJohn
Nevill,SirThomasSwinburne,andSirRichardTempestconsistedof520men-
at-armsand1260archers.Theconditionprescribedwasthattwo-thirdsofthis
forceweretobestrangers totheMarches,showingthattheBorderers,being
sensiblefellows,hadbecomeconvincedbythistimeoftheuselessness of
destroyingeachother'sproperty,andwereanxioustoattendtotheirproper
industry.

I04 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
troopsattheirdisposal
;buthedemanded tobeledinto
Englanduponacounter-invasion.
ThiswasmightilytoDouglas's taste.KingRobert,
ratherawetblanketontheoperations, retiredoncemore
Douglas
totheHighlands,leavingtheEarlofDouglas,
leadsthe
ArchibaldtheGrim,andtheFrenchmentomake
Frenchinto
. .
,
Cumberland, adcstructive raidovertheWestMarchesupon
^^^^'
Cumberland. Hereatlasttheforeignersenjoyed
greatsport,finishingupbeforeCarlisle,underthewallsof
which"manyhandsome featsofarmswereperformed."
^
Foratimetheywereinhighgood-humour,vowingthat
theyhadburntmoreinthebishopricsofCarlisleandDur-
hamthanthewholeofScotlandwasworth.^ Butwhen
theygotbacktoEdinburghtheyhadgreatreasontobe
dissatisfied. TheKingofEnglandhadbeenthere,and
hisoperationshadgreatlytightened themarkets
;the
obligationtopayforeverythingtheywantedseemedmore
thaneverunreasonable tothechevaliers. TheScotswere
unmannerlyenoughtodeclarethattheirFrench allies
wroughtmoremischief inthelandthantheEnglish,
becausetheFrenchrodethroughtheirstandingcropsin
preferencetothehighroads. Itiseasytoimaginethat
thegoingwasbetter,butthedamagehadtobepaid
for. Unseemlywranglesensued
;DouglasandMoray
foundthemselves unpleasantly situatedbetweenfarmers
clamouring forcompensationanddeVienne'sknightsin-
dignantlyrefusing itasathingunheard of.Finallythe
admiralhadtogiveway,forhedependedonScottish
marinersfortransporttohisowncountry;theclaimants
werepaid,orwerepromisedpayment infull,andthe
FrenchknightssailedawaycursingthebeggarlyScotsand
thehourthatevertheysetfootintheirmiserablecountry.^
'Froissart, ii.c.172.
-Bain,iv.7S.
^ProbablyFroissart isalittlebiassedinhisaccountofthesetransactions.
ThechiefobjectiontoallowingtheFrenchknightstodepartwasthatthepay-
mentundertreatyhadnotbeenmade.Thiswasdoneoni6thNovember1385,
asshownbythereceipt. Douglasreceivedthelion'sshareofthe50,000gold
francs,namely,7500
;Moraygettingonly1000{Fa-dera, vii.484),butperhaps
Douglasputmoremeninthefieldthananybodyelse.ArchibaldtheGrim[xiii.
]
received5000.

FIFEINVADESENGLAND 105
In1386thehappythoughtoccurredtotheEarlof
Douglas thatthe finelandsroundCockermouth had
„ , ._,neverbeenraidedsincethedaysofhisgrand-
Douglasraids
"^
Cocker- uncle,thegoodSirJames. Theopportunity
mouth,1386.
^^^gtempting, forNevillhadjustbeende-
privedofthewardenshipoftheEastMarchinfavourof
Percy,andthewardenoftheWestMarchwasengaged
intryingtokeepthepeacebetweentheserivallords.
ThereforeDouglas,accompanied bytheKing'ssecond
son,theEarlofFife,andasufficient force,rodeacross
theEskandsotoCockermouth,where
"therewasnot
oneamongtheScotssofeeblebutthat,unlesshewere
unwilling,hewasabletofillhishandswithgoodbooty."
Fornearlytwoyearsafterthisexploittherewas
comparative peaceontheBorders,andtheEarlof
Douglasoccupied himself inthemanagement ofhis
estates,asappearsfromsundrychartersgivenunderhis
hand.^ ButKingRichard,thoughstarvedoutofScot-
landinhisexpedition of1385,hadleftsomegrievous
soresbehindhim,havingburntoncemoretheabbeysof
Melrose,Dryburgh,andNewbattle. Ill-blood stillboiled
betweentheNevillsandthePercys
;KingRichard'shands
werefullofhisdomesticquarrels :clearlyitwasagrand
opportunity forastroke. Blear-eyedKingRobertwas
hopelesslypacific
;thechiefearlsandbaronsmet
Son^f^Eng-" atAberdeenand,withoutconsultinghim,arranged
land,Augrust
^greatmusteratJedburghinthebeginningof
August1388. HithercametheEarlofFife,
foralthoughhisfather.KingRobert,
"wouldratherremain
athomethanmarchtothefield,hehadninesonswho
lovedarms."
-TheEarlsofMarchandMorayalso
broughttheirvassalsandlevies,ArchibaldtheGrimtoo.
SirJohndeMontgomery,
"withhissonSirJohnandhis
twosons,"SirJohnMaxwellofCarlaverock,withLindsays,
Drummonds, Swintons,andagreatpartofthechivalry
ofScotland. Thearmy,according toFroissart,whose
arithmetic,however,isnotalwaysunimpeachable,numbered
^
Frascr, i.305,306, iii.71-73.
"
Froissart, ii.c.169.

io6 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
1200spearsand40,000ofotherarms. Spies,asusual,
carriedinformationofthegatheringtoWardenPercy,but
ayoungEnglishgentlemanwhoundertookthatbusiness
cameneartoaviolentend.Tyinghishorsetoatree,he
enteredthechurchofYetholmwhereacouncilofwarwas
beingheld,and,havingheardenough forhispurpose,
slippedquietlybacktogethishorse.Ofcoursethehorse
wasnotthere,
"
foraScotsman(theyareallthieves)had
stolenhim,"
^Hesetoffonfootbootedandspurred,but
hisappearancewasagainsthim
;hewasstoppedatthe
outpostsandbroughtbeforetheEarlofDouglas. Under
examinationheacknowledged thatPercyknewallabout
theimpending invasion,andwasprepared tomakea
counter-raid insuchdirectionasthemovementoftheScots
shouldleaveopentohim. Hearing this,theScottish
leadersdecidedtodividetheirforces.Aflyingcolumn
wasdetachedundertheEarlofDouglastoharryNorth-
umberland,whilethemainbodyshouldmarchtoCarlisle
undertheEarlofFife.
"
Itfellaboutthe^mumastibc,
5Slhenthemuirmeniuintheivhnv,
'nLhciottghtg^onglasboun'himribe
itttxrCSnglanbtabribeaprcg.
3|echoseth^©orbonsanbthe(Srvrmes,
Wiiththemtheglinbeaijs lightanbg.ni,
^utihtJarbincstooiilbnottoithhimribc,
^nbthegmeittothisbau.""
Itwaslikeoldtimes,forattheheadoftheflying
column,whichconsistedof300or400spearsand2000
bowmenandothers,rodetogetherasofyoretheDouglas
andtheMoray. TheypassedthroughtheReedswire,
underOttercopandRothleyCrags,andpushedasfaras
Brancepeth,closetotheYorkshire border. Thencethey
^F'roissart, iii.124.
~Theallusioninthelastcoupletisobscure,andisprobablyalateinterpola-
tionmadeaftertheJardineshadrisenintogreaternotethanwastheirsinthe
fourteenthcentury,whentheywerebutrespectablevassalsofAnnandale.

ACHALLENGETOHOTSPUR 107
sweptround todisplay theircoloursonthe rising
groundclosetothewallsofNewcastle. Herewasa
strongforceunder
"Hotspur"PercyandhisbrotherSir
Ralph,theoldEarlofNorthumberland lyinginwaitin
AlnwicktoflanktheScotsontheirhomewardmarch. In
accordwiththequixoticspiritofchivalrouswar,anattempt
wasmadeatescalade,whichwaseasilyrepulsed
;andthe
garrisonmighthavedefiedtheutmosteffortsofsuchaweak
columnbysimplyremainingwithintheirdefences. But
wherehadbeenthegloryofknighthood that
turesPercy'sshrankfromadventureinarms?Duringtwoor
pennon,
threedaystherewereincessantskirmishesbetween
August1388.
-^
detachments andsinglecombatsaoiitrance
between chevaliers. DouglaschallengedHotspurand
foughthimhandtohand ;loudlycheeredtheScotswhen
thefamousEnglishknightwentdown.Douglassnatched
hispennon,whichheboreoutofthelists.
"
IwillcarryittoScotland,"hecried,
"andhoist iton
mytower,^whereitmaybeseenafar."
"ByGod
!
"retortedHotspur,
"youshallneverleave
Northumberland alivewiththat."
"Thenyoumustcomeandtakeitthisnight,"answered
Douglas.
"Yourpennonshallstandbeforemytent,for
himtotakewhodares."
Thischallengewasnotaccepted :thenightpassed
quietly ;theScotsbrokeuponthemorrowandmarchedto
thetowerofPortland,aboutfivemilesfromNewcastle,
whichtheytookandburned.Onthethirddaytheyin-
vestedthetowerofOtterburninRedesdale,aboutthirtymiles
fromNewcastle,Douglasbeinginnohurrytogohomeso
longastherewasachanceofamellaywithHotspurPercy.
Heknewhismantoowelltobelievethathecouldresist
thetemptationtorecoverthelostpennon,
Douglaschosehiscamp,withaneyetoattackfrom
archery,inawood,preferring ittoafarstrongerposition
'Froissartsays"thetowerofmycastleatDalkeith,''thinkingthatitstill
belongedtotheEarlofDouglas ;but,asweknow,Dalkeithwastheheritageof
theLothianbranchofDouglas(seep.87,ante).

io8 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
nearathand,theoldRomanstationofBremenium,where
thegroundwasbare. Hotspurwastoogoodasoldier
toriskhismenunnecessarily. Awareofthe
otterburn, presence inEnglandoftheotherandstronger
12th[?]
ScottishcolumnundertheEarlofFife,hedid
Augrust1388.
,
'
notstartinpursuitofDouglasuntilhereceived
reportsfromreconnoitring parties. Havingascertained
thatthecountrytowardsCarlislewasclearoftheenemy,
hemarchedfromNewcastlewith600spearsand8000foot,
anddroveinDouglas'spicquetslateintheevening.^
TheScotsweresurprisedsupping,beingfatiguedafter
alongday'sworkagainstthetowerofOtterburn. Luckily
thecampwasentrenched,andtheEnglish firstattacked
theservants'quarters,whichlayoutsidethemainenclosure
andonlowerground,thusgivingtheScotstimetostand
toarms.WhilePercywasbusyoverpowering resistance
inwhatseemedtohiminthedusktobeDouglas'scamp,
abodyofScotsmovedunperceivedthroughthewoodand
fellupontheenemy'sflank.Afierceconflictfollowed
;the
bannersofDouglasandPercymet,notforthefirsttime,
noryetthelast;themenundereachwereofthebreed
thatfoughtaslongasshaftandbladeheldgood ;andwere
accustomed,asvictors,"toransomtheirprisonersinstantly,
^Thereismuchuncertainlyaboutdates.Douglas issaidtohavelainfour
daysatOtterburnwaitingfortheenemy. Froissartgives15thAugustasthedate
ofthebattle;mostEnglishandScottishvi'ritersgiveSt.Oswald'sDay,the5th.
White,inhisHistoryoftheBattleofOtterbztrn,laysstressonthestatementof
Froissartandothersthatitwasamoonlitnight ;newmoonfellonthe6thin
thatmonth. TraditionhasitthatthebattlewasfoughtonaW^ednesday,soMr.
WhiteconsidersWednesday,19th,asthetruedate.Butthis,SirWilliaiTiFraser
pointsout,doesnotaccordwithacertaintransaction intheScottishCouncil
atLinlithgowonTuesday, i8th,wherebythepeopleofNorthBerwickwere
directedtoobeytheEarlofFife,andtheConstableofTantallonCastlewas
orderedtorenderupthatfortresstohiminlieuofthelateJames,EarlofDouglas,*
whohadhelditintenandryoftheEarlofP'ife. IfthedateoftheCouncilis
correctlygiven,FraserconsideredWednesday,12thAugust,asthetruedateof
thebattle,whichagreeswiththestateofmoonindicatedbyFroissart,brightin
theearlier,darkinthelaterpartoftheshortnight, Froissartseemsthebest
authorityonthedetailsofthisbattle,forhegotallparticularsfromtwoFrench
knightswhofoughtontheEnglishside.
*ActsofPari.Scot., i.191.

OTTERBURN 109
andinsuchcourteousmannertothevanquishedthatthese
returnthemthanksbeforetakingtheirdeparture."
^The
Englishwereasthreetoone,andPercycamenearwiping
outtheaffrontputonhisarmsbytakingthebannerof
Douglas,whichwasonlysavedbythedevotedgallantryof
SirPatrickHepburnandhisson.
TheScotsweregivingwayunderpressureofnumbers
whenDouglasthrustforwardwheretheconflictwasfiercest,
andhewedhiswayintothemidstoftheEnglishranks.
Buthisarmourhadbeenhastilyputon,itwasnotrightly
braced
;inthedimlighthecoulddeliver,butnotparry
blows
;suddenlyhewentdownwiththreespearsinshoulder,
belly,andthigh,andashefellabattle-axegashedhis
skull.
Stillthecombatwentoninthelightofthesummer
moon
;
"Percy !Percy !
"
echoedacrosstheduskymoor,
and
"Douglas !Douglas !
"
rangthroughthewoods,with
clashofsteelandhardbreathingofmen. SirRalphPercy,
emulatingtheprowessofDouglas,pressedtoofarforward,
wassurrounded,andfellgrievouslywoundedbeforeSir
JohnMaxwellofPollok,whofought inMoray'swing.
MaxwellgavehimovertoMoray,whoexclaimed :
"Well
hastthouwonthyspursthisnight,Maxwell !
"Tofollow
thefortunesofthevariouschevaliersthrough thisfight
onemustturntotheglowingpageofFroissart,whereare
fulldetailsofwhatthechroniclerdeclaredtobethebest
foughtandmostsevereofallthemanybattles ithadbeen
hisdelighttodescribe. Itendedinacompletevictoryforthe
Scots
;thestrengthoftheEnglishfailedthem,beingover-
taxedwithaforcedmarch,andtheyweredrivenfarbeyond
theplacewhereDouglashadfallen.BoththePercyswere
prisoners
;
-SirMatthewRedman,GovernorofBerwick,was
^Froissart, iii.c.126.
-HotspurwastakenbyJohn,LordMontgomery,accordingtosomeauthor-
ities;bySirHewMontgomery, accordingtoothers,andwasheldtoransomfor
;^3000,towardswhichtheKingandCouncilofEnglandcontributed ;!^iooo
{IssueRolls,Easter1389,andMichaelmas 1390).Walsinghaniassignsthecap-
tureofHotspurtotheEarlofMarch,who,hesays,cameupduringthecombat,
butheprobablyconfoundedhimwiththeEarlofMoray.

no THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
rundowninalongchaseandtakenbySirJamesLindsay.
TheBishopofDurham,hurryingupwithreinforcements
fromNewcastle,metthestreamoffugitives,andamongthem
wasluckyenoughtosecurethepersonofLindsayhimself.
FroissartputstheEnglish lossatnearly3000killed,
wounded,andprisoners,whiletheScotscountedonlysome
300casualtiesofallkinds.
Thebusinessofthisnarrative liesonlywithwhat
concernsDouglas :copiousandtouchingaretheversions
ofhislasthour.Outuponthesceptichandthatshould
wipethemfromtherecord
!—Woetotheinquisitiveeye
thatshallprytooclosely !YetdoesWyntoun declare
thatthefateofDouglaswasunknownintheScottisharmy
tillhisbodywasfoundamongtheslainnextmorning.
Deathofthe
P^obablyhediedatonce,soterriblewerethe
Earlof woundshehadreceived ;buttheveilofnight
°"^^^'
concealedfrombothsidesthelossthathadbe-
fallentheScots,which,haditbeenbruited,mightwell
haveturnedthefortuneofthefray. Itistruethat
Froissartreportslongspeechesmadebytheexpiringhero
;
itistruethatamongallourScottishballadsthereisnone
moretenderthanthatinwhichthesedyingwordsare
embalmed ;butpoets(andFroissartwaspoetaswellas
chronicler)willneversufferheroestodiemutelikefoxes.
Norcanweeveraffordtopartwiththesebeautiful lines,
albeittheymayenshrinenothingmoresolidthanamyth.
Wherewouldthehumanstoryrankwithoutitsmyths?
—
" 'Mynephewgood,'theDouglassaid,
'Whatrecksthedeathofane?
—
LastnightIdreamedadrearydream,
AndIkentheday'sthineain.
LastnightIdreamedadrearydream,
BeyondtheIsleofSky
Isawadeadmanwinafield,
AndIwotthatmanwasL
Mywoundisdeep,Ifainwouldsleep
;
Takethouthevanguardofthethree.
Andburymebythebrackenbush
Thatgrowsonyonderlilylea.

DEATHOFDOUGLAS in
Oh,burymebythebrackenbush
Besidethebloomingbrier,
Andneverletlivingmortalken
Thate'erakindlyScotlieshere.'
Heliftedupthatnoblelord
Wi'thesauttearinhisee
;
Hehidhiminthebrackenbush,
Thathismerriemenmightnotsee.
Themoonwasclear,thedaydrewnear,
Thespearsinflindersflew,
ButmonyagallantEnglishman
EredaytheScotsmenslew."
Somemaytraceintheselinesthetouchofavanished
hand—ofahandlaterintimethantheoriginalbard,
andintruththeyareassociatedwiththelastscenesina
lifeasdeeplyendearedtohiscountrymen asanyDouglas
ofthem all.When,brokeninfortuneandshattered in
health,SirWalterScotttravelledwithLockharttovisit
Douglas Castle,thesceneofhislastromance, Castle
Da7igerous,wearetoldthathestoodsilent,viewingthe
greenvaleandrollingmoors,gleamlessunderathunderous
summersky,peopledforhimwiththick-comingmemories.
Silentforaspace,whilethetearsgatheredunderhisaged
lids ;then,strikinghisstickinthesod,herepeated in
brokenaccentstheversesquotedabove. Coldlycritical
musthebewhoblushestobelievewhatScottheldsodear.
ItwillbeadismaldayforBritainwhenherboysshallbe
rearedwithoutimplicitfaithintheballadofOtterburn^
anditsEnglishcounterpart,ChevyChase.
EarlJames'swidow.PrincessIsabel,richlydoweredwith
oneterceofherlord'swidelandsinthesheriffdomof
Selkirk,^besidesrevenuefromhisotherpossessions,soon
foundanothermateinthepersonofSirJohndeEdmon-
stone.2Shediedabout1410.^Theonlysonshehadby
Douglasdiedininfancy ;butDouglaslefttwoillegitimate
sons,William,progenitor ofthefamilyofDouglasof
1Libei-deCakhoit, ii.408.
-AncestoroftheEdmonstonesofDuntreath.
^ExchequerRolls,iv.120.

112 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
Drumlanrig,DukeofQueensberry ;andArchibald,ances-
torofDouglasofCavers. EarlJamesalsoleftanille-
gitimatedaughter,Eleanor,whomarriedSirWilliamEraser
ofPhilorth,ancestorofthepresentLordSaltoun. Isabel,
CountessofMar,behavedhandsomely toherhusband's
bastards, foruponArchibald shebestowed thelands
ofCavers. Robert III.gavethemin1405toSirDavid
FlemingofBiggar,byreasonthatCountessIsabelhad
ahenatedthemwithouthisconsent;^butin1412James I.,
aprisoner inEngland, confirmed Isabel's charter to
Archibald,whosedescendantsownthelandstothisday.^
UponEleanor,Countess IsabelbestowedTibbertieand
UtlawinBanffshire.
EarlJamescannothavebeenmorethanthirtywhenhe
fell.HewasburiedinMelrose,buthistombandthe
bannerindefenceofwhichhedied,whichthemourners
hungoverthetomb,havebothdisappeared.^
Itisnotpossibletodismisstherecordofthismost
gallantearlwithoutasighforthelifesofullofpromise,
cutshortintheflowerofageandinsobootlessaquarrel
;
butintruthitwasnotbyearlsandknightsthatthefull
miseryofthispicturesquewarfarewasendured.Thefray
ofOtterburnwasbloodyandfierceenough,Godwot
!
butnotmorebloodyandfiercethanahundredothers
wagedbetweenmenofcommonspeechandkin,whereof
thememorieshavecleanpassedaway.Whatwasthereto
^
OriginalcharteratCavers,reportedbySirWilliamFraser, i.320.
^CopycharteratCavers,reportedbySirWilliamFraser, i.320.
^ThefollowingmemorandumbytheBishopofDromoreispreservedamongthe
DukeofNorthumberland'sMSS.atSyonHouse :"ThefamilyofDouglasof
Cavers,hereditarysheriffsofTeviotdale,havelonghadintheirpossessionanold
standard,whichtheybelievetobetheverypennonwonfromHotspurbythe
EarlofDouglas,towhomtheirancestorwasstandard-bearer intheexpedition.
OnSeptember 7,1774,IwasatCaversandwasshowntheoldstandard." But
BishopPercyconsideredthisrelictobenomorethanaDouglasstandard,asit
borethearmsofDouglasandtheirmotto,Jamaisarriere.Awhitelion,which
itwassuggestedwasthearmsofPercy,wasmoreprobablythatofthelordship
ofGalloway,pointingtoalaterdatethan138S,ortoadifferentDouglas.The
lionofthePercyshasalwaysbeenazure.AnotherreputedrelicofOtterburn
preservedatCavers isanembroideredglovewiththeinitials^.^.,saidtobe
spoilfromthePercy.

uuu
JohnDouglasofBonjedward, 1450. WilliamDouglasofDrumlanrig, 1412.
im?
ArchibaldDouglasofCavers,1412. Willia7nDouglasofWkittinghame,
1567-

CRUELTYOFCHIVALROUSWAR 113
raiseOtterburntoimmortality ?whatbutthefateofthe
twoleaders—thedeathofDouglasandcaptureofPercy?
Ofwhichfact,unlessonegraspthesignificance,heshall
neverdiscernthroughtheglamourofromance—splendour
ofheraldry,dauntlessfeatsofarms,chivalrousdaring,and
alltherestofit—therealcrueltyofthebusiness. Before
gunpowderhadaffectedthewholesystemoftactics,the
farmersandpeasantswhofollowedtheirlordstothefield
countedasnomorethanmaterialofwar.Theobjectwas
tokillasmanyofthemaspossible,prisonersbeingboth
costlyandtroublesometokeep.
Fardifferentthebarons,knights,andesquires :they
rodeintoactionwithcharmed lives ;itwasonlyinex-
ceptionaldisasters, likeBannockburnontheonesideand
Floddenontheother,thatanylargenumberwereslain.
Everyprecautionwasobservedtotakethesegentlemenof
coat-armour aliveforthesakeoftheirransom.Abaron's
farmsmightbeburnedandthelivestockdrivenoff;his
ruinedtenantsmightaffordhimnorent ;lethimbuthave
thelucktocapturesomewell-to-doopponentandthe
balancewouldbehandsomely inhisfavour. Sothe
warfareoffeudallordswasthefinestofgambling,with
alltheexcitement ofhighplayplusmilitary glory.
Gunpowder, whichthatexperienced chevalier, Gautier
deCariel,consideredsuchadevilishinventionthathe
counselledhiscomrades,
"
asoftenasitshouldbethrown,
toprostratethemselvesontheirelbowsandknees,and
beseechtheLordJesustodeliverthemfromthatevil,from
whichHealonecouldprotectthem,"—
gunpowder, Isay,
whichatfirstpromisedtointensifythehorrorsofwar,was
reallyamercifulinvention
;itnotonlyrenderedbattles
lessbloody,butitcuredbaronsoftheirpassionforthem,
inasmuchasabullet isaslikelytofinditsbilletinthe
carcaseofanobleasinthatofachurl.
VOL.I. H

CHAPTERV
114xiii.SirArchibald"theGrim,"
3rdEarlofDouglas,Earlof
WigtownandLordofGallo-
way,c.
1325-1400.
115TakenprisoneratPoitiers,1356.
116AppointedConstableofEdinburgh
Castle, c.
1361.
116SentasenvoytoFrance,1369.
117ReceivesthelordshipofGalloway,
1369.
iiSPurchases theearldomofWig-
town,1372.
118MarriesJoannaMoray,heiressof
Bothwell,
1371.
119BuildstheCastleoftheThrieve,
c.1372-1379.
120AmendsthecodesofGallowayand
theMarches,1385.
121Succeedsas3rdEarlofDouglas,
1388.
121InvadesEnglandwiththeEarlof
Fife,1389.
122Standsumpire inaduel, c.
1395-
122Refusesadukedom,1398.
122AnarchyinScotland,1398.
123TheDukeofRothesay'smarriage,
1400.
124DeathofArchibald"theGrim,"
1400.
126xiv.SirWilliamDouglas,Lord
ofNithsdale, ob.c.1392.
127MarriesEgidia,daughterofRo-
bertII.,1387.
127ExpeditiontoIreland,13S8.
125KilledatDantzig, c.1392,
128XV.SirWilliamDouglas,2nd
LordofNithsdale, c.1388-
c.1408.
Onthedeathofthe2ndEarlofDouglas theestates
revertedunderentailtoSirArchibald
"theGrim,"
^Lordof
xiii.Sir
Galloway,ofwhommentionhasbeenmadeal-
Archibaid
^^readyinthesepages.Hewasthenaturalson
3rdEarlofoftheGoodSirJames [viii.]byanunknown
^^^S^l'
^^^^
mother, Godscroft,reversingtheprocesswhere-
ofWigtown,
' •=> '^
LordofGaiio-byBarbour, forgreatersymmetryofnarrative,
Bothwell,"
rolledthreeseparateRobertBruces,Lordsof
13ZS-1400. Annandale,intooneRobertdeBrus,hasdivided
thisArchibald intothreeseparateindividuals. Butthat
^"HewascallitArchibaldGrymbetheEnglismen,becausofhisterrible
countenance inweirfair."—SirRichardMaitland'sMS.,quotedbyFraser, i.
321.
Ill

THEGRIMDOUGLAS 115
hewasthesonofSirJames isprovedbyacharterwhich
heexecutedconveyinglandstothemonasteryofHoly-
woodforthegoodofhisfather'ssoul.^
Itiscontrarytomodernpracticethatabastard—a
"
love-bairn,"astheScotscharit-
ablyterm it—notonlyshould
succeedtothepossessionsofhis
kinsman,totheprejudiceofheirs
ofthelegitimate line,butalso
totheearldom. Yetthisispre-
ciselywhatArchibalddid,hisname
havingbeeninsertedintheentail
upontheresignationofthe
"Dull
Douglas" [ix.] in1342. His
Fig.i3._Scalo7SirArchibald
successionwasdisputedbySir ofDouglas(TheGrim)1373.
MalcolmDrummond,husbandof
SirJames'ssisterIsabel,butDrummond's claimwasset
asidebyParliament inHolyrood[April1389]. Archibald
wasdulyinfeftintheentailedlands,andshortlyafterwards
appearsasEarlofDouglas.
Archibaldmusthavebeenamerechildwhenhisfather
diedin1330."Hewasdarkandugly,"saysBower;
"morelikeacoco[cook-boy]thananoble," Hisfirst
appearance inhistoryseemedtobodeanother"Tineman,"
Taken
^°^^^^^^takenprisoneronthefatalfieldof
prisonerat Poitiers [
I
356].Knowuthenas
"
BlacArchi-
oitiers,1356.
j3^i(jg^" ^j^^^littleregardedbyhiscomradesbe-
causeofhisbastardy,^heneverthelessworeaveryfine
suitofarmour,andhiscaptorsimaginedtheyhadgota
valuable prize. SirWilliamRamsayofColluthie,also
aprisoner,ingeniously devisedArchibald's escape.He
pretendedtobefuriouswithhim,andinpresenceofthe
guardcried
—
"Youtreacheroushound,howdaredyoutostealmy
cousin'sarmour. Cursedbethehourofyourbirth !forhe
soughtyouallday,andforwantofhisarmourwasslain
1Eraser, i.321;RegistyiunMagniSigilli, i.106.
^Pluscarden, i.300.

ii6 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
byanarrowincamp,asImyselfsaw.Come
!—
pulloff
myboots."
Archibaldplayedhispart ;heknelttremblingand
pulledoffoneboot,withwhichSirWilliambeathim
cruellyaboutthemouth.Theguardinterferedbetweenthe
prisoners,andtoldRamsaythattheladwasthesonofa
greatnoble,andonetoberespected.
"Nothe
!
"exclaimedRamsay,—
"Itellyouheisa
scullionandarogue."ThenturningtoArchibald, said :
"Go,yourascal,andseekyourmaster'sbodyamongthe
slain,sothatwemayatleastgiveithonourableburial."
Thenhepaidfortyshillings inransomfortheworth-
lesscook-boy,and,cuffinghimagain,badehimbegone.
Archibald gotsafebacktoScotland,cheatingthe
BlackPrince'smenofwhatwouldhavebeen,hadthey
knownhim,averyheavyransom,^forhehadjustbeen
knighted.-Hewaspossiblysomefive-and-thirtyyearsof
Appointed
agewhen,about1361,hewasappointedCon-
Constabieof
stableofEdinburgh Castle,atasalaryof200
CasUe, marks,^anofficewhichheheld,withthatofSheriff
c.1361.
QfEdinburgh, tillabout1364.^ Intheautumn
ofthatyearheappearsasWardenoftheWestMarches,
AnnandaleatthattimebeinginthehandsoftheEnglish.
Duringthedisaffection ofhischief,William,Earlof
Douglas [xi.],SirArchibaldwasexemplary inregular
attendanceinParliament,andtookpartinvariousimportant
publictransactionsprevioustotheyear1369,whenhewas
employedonanembassytoFrance,connected, itwould
appear,withtheappealwhichQueenMargaret[neeDrum-
mondofLogie],whomDavidII.hadjustdivorced,had
lodgedwithPopeUrbanV.atAvignon.^ InMarch1371,
twodaysafterthecoronationofRobert II.,SirArchibald
^Fordun, ii.358;Pluscarden, i.300.
^Atleast,heisdescribed
[16thNov.I357]as"ArchibaldDouglas,chivaler."
—RotuliScotii?, i.817.
"Ibid., i.957.
'^ChartersofSLGiles,pp.Ii,15,19;CartularyofInchaffray, p.xlvi.
;
ExchequerRolls, ii.92,166,176.
^ExchequerRolls, ii.356.

GALLOWAY 117
Receivesthe
lordshipof
Galloway,
i8thSept.
1369.
wasdespatchedonaspecialembassytoParis,empowered
"toswearontheKing'ssoultherenewaloftheancient
alliancebetweenScotlandandFrance."
^ Previous to
that,onI8thSeptember1369,KingDavidhadappointed
himtoruletheturbulentandstilldisaffectedregionof
Galloway
,2andgavehimacharterofallthe
landsbetweentheNithandtheCree,^
"
becaus,"
observes SirRichardMaitland,
"hetukegrit
trawelltopurgethecuntreyofEnglisblude."
^
NowGalloway,thoughnominallypartofthekingdomof
ScotlandsincethereignofAlexander III.,hadneversub-
mittedkindlytotheruleof
theBruce,butstillcherished
thememoryofJohnBaliol
withalltheromanticdevotion
duetoa
"kingoverthe
water
"
; forwasnot his
mother,Devorguille,daughter
ofAlan, lastofthenative
lordsofGalloway ? Still,and
forlongafterwards,thepeople
ofGallowayspoketheirPictish
orGaelicvernacular, stillen-
joyed theirancientcodeof
lawsandobeyed theirpeculiar customs, stilllooked
uponthepeopleofStrathclyde astheirnaturalene-
mies.** Theirchiefs,too,hadgiven willingserviceto
Fig.14.—SealoftheEarlofDouglas
andLordofGalloway(1389-1400).
'ActsofthePari,ofScot., i.195.ExcheqiierRolls, ii.363.
2GallowaycomprisestheShireofWigtownandtheStewartryofKirkcud-
bright,thelattertermoriginatinginthestewardappointedbySirArchibaldto
collecthisrevenuesandadministerjustice,whileWigtownshireremainedunder
theKing'ssheriff.Localusagecontinuesunalteredtothisdayintheapplication
oftheseterms.
•*
Reg.MagniSigilli, i.69.
^MaitlandMS.,quotedbyFraser, i.328.
^Atrialwhichtookplaceabout1259inDumfriesCastleillustratestherela-
tionsbetweenthepeopleofGallowayandtheirneighbours. OneSunday
morningRichard,thesonofElsa[Elizabeth],hadslainAdamMolendinarius
[themiller]atthedoorofSt.Michael'schurch. Richarddidnotdenythe
deed,butpledthatAdamhadofferedintolerableprovocationbycallinghim

ii8 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
Edward Baliol,but,asshownabove,theistEarlof
Douglas [xi.]hadrestoredtheauthorityofKingDavid
in1353. Archibald theGrimnowcame toconfirm
hiskinsman'sworkineasternGalloway. Threeyears
later,in1372towit,byaremarkable transaction, Gallo-
Purchases
^^^7becameunitedunderonelord,asithadnot
theearldombeensinccthedeathofAlanin1234.Thomas
8thFebruaryFleming,EarlofWigtown,hadgotintohope-
'37=-
lesstroublewiththeCelticlandowners within
hisjurisdiction,andsoldtoSirArchibaldnotonlyhis
landsandsuperiority ofWigtownshire, buttheearldom
also
—
prounacertdetnotabilisumindpecunice—thesale
beingconfirmedbyRobert II.,7thOctober1372,ina
charter referring toFleming as
"formerly Earlof
Wigtown."
1
Inacknowledgment ofthesetemporalblessingsArchi-
baldbuiltahospitalatDevorguille'sAbbeyofHolywood,
nearDumfries,andendowed itwiththelandsofCross-
michaelandTroqueerintheStewartry,^forthewealofthe
soulsofKingRoberttheBruce,EdwardBrucehisbrother,
David II.,andtheGoodSirJamesofDouglas.
BeforefollowingthepublicactsoftheLordofGalloway,
mentionmustbemadeofacircumstancewhichhadvastly
increasedthepowerofthisscionoftheDouglas.The
deathofSirThomasMoray,LordofBothwell, isvariously
Marries
placedinI361and1366.Atalleventshedied
Joanna
jnEngland,whenahostageforDavid II.,leaving
heiressof ashissolc lieircssJoanna,whomArchibald
Bothwell.
married, itissaid,afterofferingtomeetfive
Englishknightsinsinglecombatforherhand.Healso
obtained[31stMarch1371]arenunciationbytheKingof
"Galuvet"[amanofGalloway],whicheverybodyunderstoodasasynonymfor
thief.Verdictforthedefendant,thebaronsandburgessjurorsbeingunanimous
that"Richardisfaithful,butAdamwasathiefandadefamer."—Bain, i.427.
^Reg.MagniSigilU, i.114.
-ThelastruinsoftheAbbeyofHolywood \_abbac2aSanctiNemoris\dis-
appearedin1779,whenthechoir,whichhadservedasparishchurchsincethe
Reformation,waspulleddownandsuppliedmaterialforanewandhideous
edifice.Twooftheoldbellsarestillinuse.

V
"^

BUILDINGOFTHETHRIEVE 119
Fig.15.—SealoftheEarlofDouglasand
LordofGalloway(1389-1400).
allclaimtoJoanna'sheritableestatesintheeventofher
dyingwithoutissue. If,therefore,therebeanyfoundation
forthesurmisethatthe
DouglasandtheMoray
descendedfromacom-
monancestor,herewere
thetwolinesunited
again,andthe
"Moray's
silverstar
"
shiningon
thesameshieldwith
thestarsofDouglas.
ThelordsofBothwell
werehereditarypani-
tariiorcup-bearers to
the Scottish Kings.
ThatDouglasacquired
thisofficewithhiswife
issuggested bythe
arrangement ofcups,stars,andaheartcarvedonhis
daughter-in-law's tombatLincluden.
Interritorialpossessions,^andinconsequent military
andpoliticalinfluence,the
"darkanduglylittlecoco"of
Poitiershadbecomescarcely, ifatall,inferiortotheEarl
ofDouglashimself.Amassivememorialofhisruleover
th
GallowayremainsintheCastleoftheThrieve,
Castleofthewhereofthehugesquarekeep,builtonanisland
intheDee,loomsdarkandgrim,likeitsfounder,
farseenacrossthatpleasantvale.WhileThrievewasbeing
builtheseemstohaveheldhischiefresidence,notat
Buittle,theseatoftheBaliols,lordsofGalloway,butatthe
seatofFergusandthelordsoftheoldCelticline,namely,
atLochFergus,closetoKirkcudbright.^
^BesidesthewholeofGallowayandthelordshipofBothwell,Archibaldhad
alsoobtainedextensivepropertiesandsuperioritiesinAberdeenshire,Kincardine,
Forfar,andEastLothian.
-"BrentIsle"[i.e.BurntIsle],whenceDouglas,asWardenoftheMarches,
wrotetoEdwardiii.in1372[Eraser,iv.56],maybeidentifiedwithanisland
strongholdontheLochFergus,saidtohavebeentheresidenceofFergus,Lord
ofGalloway. ItissometimescalledInsulaarsainearlycharters.

120 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
ArchibaldtheGrimtookHttlepartinthefrequentraids
uponEnglandbyhisbrother,theistEarlofDouglas[xi.],
andtheotherlords,thoughmentionhasbeen
co'deofGai-
madealreadyofthestoutparthebore in
lowayandofMusgrave's affairatMelrosein1378,^andin
theexpulsionoftheEnglishfromAnnandale in
1384.^Readyenoughto
"
travvelltopurgethecuntrey
ofEnglisblude,"hesawtoomuchneedforreformwithin
hisownjurisdiction tocareforwastingtimeandlivesin
harryingthepropertyofothers. HisdutiesasLordof
Galloway,Warden oftheWestMarches,andKing's
JusticiarinDumfrieskepthimmoreusefullyemployed at
home.Thepeculiarlawswhichhadbeenobserved in
GallowaysincePictishtimeshadreceivedsomemodifica-
tionunderWilliamtheLion ;
^yetbothheandhis
successorshadremainedundertheobligationofappointing
specialjudgestoholdassisainnostramdeGalweia. Gallo-
waylitigants stillenjoyedtheoptionoftrialbycombat
ortrialbyjury,asystemwhich,itmaybeimagined,put
commercial folkatsomedisadvantage indealingwith
sinewycustomers. Consequently, in1385Archibald
obtainedfromParliamentthesuspensionofsomeofthese
ancientstatutes,claimingatthesametimethemainten-
anceofothers.'^
AsWardenheappliedhimselftoreducingtoin-
telligibleorderthetangledwebofBorderlawasitaffected
thecustomofwar,musters,warningbybeacons, etc.
Fiftyyearslaterhisgrandson,8thEarlofDouglas,took
swornevidencefromtheoldestfreeholdersontheBorderas
totherulesestablishedby
"BlakArchibaldofDouglas,"
andcodifiedthemforfutureobservance.^
In1385,whenRobert II.reluctantlysummoned the
nationalforcestohisstandard.SirArchibald
^tookpartin
^Seep.90,ante. ^Seep.92,ante.
^ActsofPari.Scot., i.56,122.
*ThegenerallawofScotlandwasnotappliedtoGalloway till1426.
^ActsofPari.Scot.,ii.63,64.
®AlthoughEarlofWigtown, SirArchibaldwasgenerallyknownbyhis
knightlytitle.

FIFE'SFRIENDSHIPFORDOUGLAS 121
theinvasionofEngland;andin1388,whileEarlJames
[xii.]marchedtomeetasoldier'sdeathatOtterburn,he
heldacommand intheEarlofFife'scolumn,whichtook
thewesternroute.Whileintheneighbourhood ofCarlisle,
hisillegitimateson,SirWilliamofNithsdale[xiv.],joined
himwithasmallcontingentwhichhadmadeanunsuccess-
fulattemptuponIreland.^ Therewasgreatmerry-making
incampoverthemeeting,alltobehushedonthemorrow
bythenewsfromOtterburn.
ArchibaldtheGrimnowbecame3rdEarlofDouglas,
andthemostpowerfulsubjectintherealm. Robert II.
wasoverseventyyearsofage,andsoinfirmthat
fh"e"aridVm
heSurrendered hisruleintothehandsofthe
ofDouglas,
Estates.Theheir-apparent,John,EarlofCarrick
'^
[afterwardsRobert III.],beingdisabledbythe
kickofahorse,hisyoungerbrother,Robert,EarlofFife,
wasappointedGuardianofScotland. Fifewasadevoted
friendofArchibaldtheGrim—
"heluifitthisEriesaweill
thatthaineversyuerit[severed]cumpanyefraotherduring
thetymeofhisgovernment."
^Theymarched
ia"ndtTth^hT
togetherintoEngland in1389attheheadofa
EarlofFife,
largeforcc,tobeatupthequartersofKing
Richard'snewWarden,theEarlMarshal,who
wasreportedtohavespokencontemptuously oftheper-
formanceofthePercysatOtterburn. FifeandDouglas
challengedtheMarshaltomeeteitheroftheminsingle
combat,butthishedeclined,^ashedidalsotheirchallenge
toageneralengagement, onthescorethathewastoo
weakinnumbers ;
*whereupontheScotsturnedmerrilyto
pillageandreturnedhomewithwhatbootytheycould
gather.
Afterthisaffairatrucewasagreedonforthreeyears,
subsequently confirmed intoapeacewhichendured till
^Wyntoun, ix.c.8;Fordun, ii.404.
**
MaitlandMS.,quotedbyFraser, i.342. FifewasalsoDouglas'sstepfather-
in-law,havingmarriedtheCountessofMenteith,who,aswifeofJohnMorayof
Bothwell,hadborneJoanna,whomArchibaldmarried.
'^
Ibid.
*Walsingham.

122 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
1399;and,intheabsenceofotherinformation, itmaybe
assumedthatEarlArchibaldappliedhimselfagaintothe
dutiesofhisofficeandthegovernanceofhisvastestates.
Oneofficialappearanceofhisisworthyofpass-
standsum- ingnote,asillustratingthefashionofthetimes,
pireaaue
.'pj^Qj^^^gStruthers,anEnglishman,havingchal-
lengedWilliam Inglis,aScot,tocombataoutrance,they
metatRulehaugh, inthebaronyofBedrule, inthe
presenceofthetwoWardens,theEarlsofDouglasand
Northumberland, andfought tilltheEnglishman was
killed.i
In1398thefirstScottishdukeswerecreated. Hitherto
thetitleofearlhadbeenthehighestseculardignityunder
„, themonarch ;butnowRobert III.thoughtwell
Refusesa
_ ^
"^
dukedom, tomakehissonDavidDukeofRothesay,and
'^'
hisbrotherRobertDukeofAlbany.Thestory
istold,forwhatitmaybeworth,thattheKingproposed
toconferadukedomupontheEarlofDouglasalso,but
thathedeclinedthehonour,andwhentheheraldaddressed
himas
"
SirDuke,"heretortedderisively,
"
SirDrake
!—Sir
Drake
!"
"
Kinglyruleinthosedayswasalmostasmuchamatter
ofmuscleandsinewasofbrainandcommonsense ;Robert
theBruceowedhisthroneasmuchtothepersonalprowess
andactivehabitsofhimselfandhislieutenantsastohis
legislative sagacity. LikeWellington atWaterloo,the
monarchhadtobepresentwhereverthestresswassternest
andthedangermostimminent
;eventhejourneyson
horsebackfrompointtopointoftherealmintheordinary
businessofgovernment calledfortheenduranceofan
athlete ;andforsuchworkRobert III.wasalwaysunfit,
thoughnotmuchoverfiftywhenhesucceeded. Ifnot
permanently crippledbyhisaccident,hewasat all
eventsaconfirmedinvalid.TheKing'sbrother,
Lawlessness °
'
inScotland, Robert,EarlofFife[nowDukeofAlbany],had
'^^
actedasGovernororGuardian oftherealm
duringpartofhisfather'sandmostofhisbrother'sreigns,
^Phiscarden, ii.254
;Fordun, ii.420.
-Pluscarden, ii.254.

ROTHESAY'SBROKENTROTH 123
andcertainlyhadshownnowantofenergy. Butitfares
illwithallbusinesssaveunderthemaster'seye.
"
Inthosedays[1398]therewasnolawinScotland,butthestrongoppressed
theweak,andthewholekingdomwasonedenofthieves. Murders,rob-
beries,fire-raisings,andothercrimeswentunpunished,andjusticeseemedto
havepassedintoexilefromtheland."
^
Thereforein1399theheir-apparent, ill-starredDukeof
Rothesay,beingthenjustofage,wasappointedLieutenant
orRegentoftherealm,withhisuncle,theDukeofAlbany,
betterknownhithertoasEarlofFife,ashisadviser.
Shortlyafterwards ArchibaldtheGrimplayed
Rothes'ayV
hispartinatransaction reflecting sinister
marriage,
lightupontheinnernatureofchivalry. Early
inI399theDukeofRothesaybecamebetrothed
toElizabeth,daughterofDunbar,EarlofMarch,forwhich
honourMarchpaiddownahandsomesumincashtothe
King.- Hearingofthis,Douglaslodgedaprotestthatthe
betrothalhadnotreceivedtheconsentoftheEstates,and,
supportedbythecouncil,offeredhisowndaughterMarjorie
asabrideforRothesay,togetherwithalargersumthan
Marchhadalreadypaid.ThewearyoldKing,piningfor
peaceatanyprice,consented ;theDukeofRothesay
lightlythrewoffhisplightedtrothtoElizabethofDunbar,
andinFebruary1400marriedMarjorieofDouglasinthe
collegiatechurcherectedbyherpioussireatBothwell.A
discreditable businessonthefaceofit—fitpreludetothe
darkesthoursofScottishhistory. March,justlyindignant,
appearedbeforetheKingandclaimedthefulfilmentofhis
pledgeorthereturnofthemoney.UnhappyKingRobert 1
todothefirsthestoodtoomuchinaweofDouglas,his
mostpowerfulsubject ;todothesecondwasbeyondhis
power,forhadnotthemoney allbeenspent?Hedid
whatanyinvalidmighthavedoneinsuchadilemma,he
returnedanevasiveanswer. Theirallegiance everlay
lightlyontheEarlsofMarch
;thisone,George,promptly
wenttotheEnglishKing'sCourt,preparedforvengeance
^Reg.Episc.Moraviensis,3S2.
-Pluscarden, ii.255.

124 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
uponhisfalsecountrymen. HiscastleofDunbarwas
handedovertothekeepingofArchibald [xvi.],sonofthe
GrimDouglas,
Theauthorofallthismischieflivednottowitnessthe
evilswhichitbroughtuponhiscountry. Douglaswasstill
alive,indeed,whenHenryIV.invadedScotland
Archibald
J"August 1400,forhewitnesscdacharterat
"theGrim,"
Renfrewon5thOctoberofthatyear ;
^
buthe
musthavediedbefore9thFebruaryfollowing,
whenhiswidowJoannamadeagranttohersonArchibald,
4thEarlofDouglas[xvi.].^ Thisconsistswiththestate-
mentinGray'smanuscript
^totheeffectthathediedon
ChristmasEve,1400,atThrieveCastle,andwasburiedat
Bothwell.
Byhiswife,JoannaMorayofBothwell,hehad
—
(i)Archibald [xvi.],whosucceededas4thEarl.
(2)James
"theGross
"
[xix.],whosucceededas7th
Earl.
(3)Marjorie,whomarried, first,David,Dukeof
Rothesay ;second,SirWalterHaliburton,of
thehouseofDirleton,afterwardsTreasurerof
Scotland.
Archibald theGrim leftanhonourable record ;one
that
—
"Deserveswithcharactersofbrass
Afortedresidenceagainstthetoothoftime
Andrazureofoblivion."
ItwascloudedonlybyhisconductincompellingtheKing
tobreakhispledgetoMarch. Eveninthatacttheremay
havebeencircumstances,notapparentatthisday,topalliate
oreventojustifyhisconduct. March'sintegritymaynot
havebeenproofagainsttheattemptswhich,asearlyasi
393,
KingRichardhadmadeuponit;
'*
andDouglasmayhave
^AntiquitiesofAberdeenandBanff, i.290,iii.363.
-TheSwintoiisofthatIlk,AppendixX.andXI.
^QuotedbySirW.Fraser, i.347.
*AnduponDouglas'salso.Richardsentinthatyeartotreatwithbothearls
astoservicetobedonebythem,buttheresultofthenegotiations isnotknown.
—
Fcedera,vii.
754.

BENEFACTIONSTOTHECHURCH 125
beenguidedbytruepatrioticpolicyinstoppingthealliance
oftheroyalhousewithafamilyofdubiousloyalty.The
wholetenourofArchibaldtheGrim'sconductwassolofty
andstatesmanlike thatonewouldfainacquithiminthis
affairfromthespiritoffactionandself-interestwhich
tarnishedtheshieldsofsomanyofhissuccessors.
Fortherest,
"BlakArchibald
"hadnoblyliveddown
thedisabilityofhisillicitbirth.Hehadprovedhimselfa
knightpuissantincombatbeforehebecameasuccessful
commander inthefieldandasteadfastadviserincouncil.
Hisenormouswealthenabledhimtobecomeagreatbene-
factortotheChurch,butadiscreetone,inasmuchthat
whilehebestowedwithafreehanduponthecollegiate
churchofBothwelVfoundedbyhimself,anduponthe
existingfoundations ofSweetheartandLincluden in
Galloway,heinsistedupondrasticreforms inboththe
convents lastnamed.OfSweetheartheismentionedas
fundatoretrefonnator inaconfirmationbyPopeBenedict
XIII.[14
13—1424]ofArchibald's charterofpatronagein
favouroftheabbey.-Nowhewasnottheoriginal
fundator ;therealfoundresswasDevorguille,motherof
JohnBaliol.Theinference isthatwhenDouglastookover
thelordshipofGallowayin1369,SweetheartAbbeywas
inalowstate,thebuildingdilapidatedandtheconvent
bankrupt,andthatitoweditsrestoration tohismunificent
piety.
Thisearl'sbenefactions tothemonasteryofHolywood
havebeenmentionedabove
;butclosetothathouse,onthe
GallowaybankoftheNith,hesethishandtoataskof
somedelicacy. TherewasanunneryattheprioryofLin-
cluden,whereofscandalhadbeenbusywiththefame. Itis
disputedwhetherthesistershavebeenjustlyaccusedof
irregularity ;atallevents,Douglassuppressedthenunnery,
builtabeautifulcollegiatechurch,richtothisdaywith
heraldicornament,andendowed itforaprovostandtwelve
canons.
^Thechoircontinuedinuseastheparishchurch till1828.—Fraser, i.350.
-BookofCarlaverock, ii.426.

126 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
ArchibaldtheGrimwasdeservedlyesteemedbythe
clergy,anditisspeciallymentionedtohiscreditbyoneof
themthat,althoughhealwaystravelledwithagreatsuite,
wheneverhelayatamonasteryhepaidliberallyforall
thathereceived. ThepriorofSt.Serfs,atallevents,
neitherentertainedmisgivingsaboutthecharacterofBlack
Archibaldinthisworld,norhesitatedaboutthemeedwhich
awaitedhimintheworldtocome
—
"^)ttuc0alox'i)flffQvdfaotontf,
®fstfbfastntssianbclcrclatotc ;
^
^ctoesflffQxxbirtiotiotinr
;
Of!justicehebareijretreuotoiv.
gut
2tiouthernbitgraciouslg,
3^nt)IjJbisinjogjievpetualg."
^
Besideshislegitimateoffspring,ArchibaldtheGrimhad
anaturalson,William,uponwhomtheslurofbastardy
. layaslightlyasitdiduponhisfather,andhe
William rosctomuchdistinction. Ofhismother,and
LonfofNiths-
whensheborehim,nothing isknown,butin
dale,died
I38/hehadalreadywonhisspursbygallantry
inthefield.Hehadgreatlydistinguishedhim-
selfin1385whentheScoto-French expeditionary force
laybefore Carlisle,performing prodigies ofvalourand
slayingmanyEnglishwithhisownhands
—
"^jhotongjerlgbaehelerc
^x^svbsretlrtoesofftoerc,
(iforhetoeseujivtrabclanb
(Qtohillcbeseanbi^tohiUcbelanb
^0sliathchisfapsrgchtbesg
cStoathatthaibrebhimfirettumh)."
^
NowRobert ll.,despitehisblearedeyes,hadbegotten
alargefamilyofsingularbeauty,whereoftheflowerwasa
maidenknownonstateoccasions asEgidia,butmore
familiarlyandaffectionately asGelisorGylis.TheKing
ofFrance,Charles leBien-aime,hearingreportofherex-
ceedingbeauty,
"sentacertainmostsubtlepaintertodo
herportraitandportrayhercharms,intendingtotakeher
^Loyalty. "Without.
^Wyntoun, ix.c.21.
^/did.,c.7.

DOUGLASOFNITHSDALE 127
towife,"
^alwaysprovided, itmaybesurmised,thatthe
portraitconfirmedthecommonreport. ButleBien-aime
wastoolateinthefield ;thelovelyGelishadalreadylost
herhearttothedauntlessDouglas,andwithitwenther
Marries handandthebroadlandsofNithsdale. They
Egidia,
weremarriedin1387,andinthefollowingyear
RobertII., [8thNovember1388]hisfatherbestowedupon
'2^^'
SirWilliamthelandsofHerbertshire, inthe
countyofStirling.- InadditiontothelordshipofNiths-
dale,SirWilliamreceivedfromtheRoyalExchequeran
annuityof^300.
SirWilliamhadnotbeenayearmarriedbeforehe
undertooktochastisesomeIrishmarauderswhohadbeen
ExpeditiontofilibusteringonthecoastofGalloway. Landing
Ireland,1388.
^^Carlingford withapartyof500menhe
summonedthetown.Themayorofferedasuminpay-
mentforanarmistice,andsenttoDundalkforhelp.Eight
hundredspearspromptlyrespondedandsurprisedtheScots
bynight,whileasortiewasmadesimultaneouslyfromthe
town. NeverthelesstheScotsbeatthemoff,capturedand
burntthetown,andseizedthecastleandfifteenshipsin
theharbour. DouglaswasbackinLochRyanintimeto
takepartinthecampaignofOtterburn..
HavingmarriedthemostbeautifulbrideinScotland,
SirWilliam, itmightbesupposed,wouldhavebeenfainto
settlequietlyathomeandfindoutletforhisenergywith
hawkandhound. But,likeothersofhisrace,hedeemed
thattheproperquarryofmankindwasman ;wherefore,
whentheprospectsofthatsportwereovercastontheBorder
byaninconvenient trucewithEnglandabout1389,he
mustneedsgofartherafield,andofferedhisservicestothe
TeutonicknightsthenatwarwiththeTurks.Heseems
tohavehadaquarrelwiththeEnglishLordClifford,
descendantofhimuponwhomEdward I.bestowedDouglas-
dale. ItisallegedthatCliffordchallengedDouglasto
singlecombat,andthatDouglaswenttoFrancetogeta
suitofarmourproperforthepurpose. Cliffordthought,or
^Pliiscarden, ii.248.
-CharteratCrookston,quotedbyFraser, i.355.

128 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
pretended tothink,thattheScottishknightwasafraidto
meethim ;butwhenDouglaskepttheappointed tryst,
CHfford,thinking illofhischancesagainstthenewarmour,
keptoutoftheway,andtoconcealhisowndishonourhired
Killedat
assassinstodispatchhisadversary. Thisisone
Dantzigr, oftheScottishversionsoftheaffair,andthere-
fore,perhaps,ofscantimpartiality ;butanother
ScotschroniclermakesnomentionofClifford,butmerely
statesthatDouglas,whenwalkingonthebridgeatDantzig,
wassetuponandkilledbytheEnglish.^ Thiscan
scarcelyhavehappenedbefore1392,forinthatyearheis
referredtoashavingdrawnmostofhisrentsintheburgh
ofDumfries.-
SirWilliam Douglas,LordofNithsdale, lefttwo
childrenbyhiswifeEgidiaorGelis
:—
(i)William,who
succeededhim,obtainedknighthood
^anddisappearedabout
1408insomemannerunknown;* (2)Egidia,
XV.Sir
^
' Vy t> '
William whoabout1407marriedHenrySt.Clair,Earlof
Lo"tfofNiths-
Orkney,carryingwithherasdowrythebarony
dale,died ofHerbcrtshire. Shebecamethemotherof
William,EarlofOrkney,ChancellorofScotland
andfounderofthecollegiatechurchofRosslyn.
^Pliiscayaen, ii.248.
"
ExchequerRolls,iii.332.
^Apparentlywhenveryyoung,forheisdescribedaschevalierinasafe-
conductdated30thJanuary1406,whenhecouldnothavebeenmorethan
nineteen.—Fraser, i.358.
*
Hisnameappearsinsundrychartersdownto1407.
—
Morton, ii.204,

CHAPTERVI
129xvi.ArchibaldDouglas,1stDuke
ofTouraine, 4thEarlof
Douglas,etc.,c.1372-1424.
130Marries Margaret, daughter of
Robertin,,c.1390.
130DefeatsMarchandHotspurPercy,
1400.
132Henryiv.invadesScotland,August
1400.
132SiegeofEdinburghCastle,August
1400.
132Archibald Douglas succeeds as
4thEarlofDouglas,24th
December1400.
135DeathoftheDukeofRothesay,
27thMarch1402.
136BattleofHomildon Hill,14th
September1402.
137CaptureofDouglas,14thSeptem-
ber1402.
138BattleofShrewsbury, 25thJuly
1403.
139RecaptureofDouglas,25thJuly
1403.
139HiscaptivityinEngland,1402-
1413-
140BecomesLordofAnnandale,2nd
October1409.
141TravelstoFrance,1412.
142TheFoulRaid,1416.
143DouglastakesserviceundertheKing
ofEngland,30thMay1421.
144AndundertheKingofFrance,1423.
144CreatedDukeofTouraineand
Lieutenant-General ofFrance,
19thApril1424.
145BattleofVerneuil, 17thAugust
1424.
146DeathoftheEarlofDouglas,17th
August1424.
Archibald theGrimwassucceeded intheearidomof
xvi.Archi- Douglasbyhiseldestlegitimateson,alsonamed
baldDouglas,
Archibald,knownduringhisfather's lifebythe
istDukeof ° '
Touraine,4thtitleofMasterofDouglas.^Hewasbornabout
1372,andabout1390marriedMargaret,eldest
Earlof
Douglas,
LordofGaiio-daughteroftheEarlofCarrick,whosucceeded
way,Annan-
, , -r-. i
dale,etc., tothethroncthatyearasRobertHL His
c.1372-1424.
and
fatherbestoweduponhimthelordshipofDouglas
theregalitiesofEttrick Forest,Lauderdale,and
'AstyleusuallygivenatthisdaytotheeldestsonsofbaronsintheScottish
peerage.
VOL.L I

I30 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
Marries
Margaret,
daughterof
RobertIII.,
c.1390.
Defeats
Marchand
Hotspur
Percy,
Candlemas,
1400,
relation.'
Scottish
Romanno.On4thJune1400theKingappointedhim
keeperofEdinburghCastleforlife,onasalary
of200merksayear,tobepaidoutofthe
customsofthecapital city,^andinthesame
summerhestoodasiegethereundercommand
oftheDukeofRothesay.
ButbeforethateventtheMasterofDouglas,whom
Bowerdescribes ashomoadcoraltum—ahigh-spirited
man—hadamerrybrushwiththeEnglish.
TheEarlofMarch,deeply aggrieved by
Rothesay'sconductinjiltingElizabethDunbar
forMarjorieDouglas,hadappealedtoHenryIV.,
notonlyonthegroundsofequitybutasapoor
ThegrandmothersoftheEnglishKingandthe
earlhadbeensisters,so,wroteMarch,"
Iamof
thirdkintoyou,the
whichinoldtimewas
callednear."
^Henry
didnotdisownobliga-
tionstohisScottish
cousin ;heaccepted
March's proffered
fealty,bestowedlands
andacastleuponhim,
but,inasmuch asthe
affairsofhisownking-
domwereinavery
unsettled state,he
couldnotatthemo-
mentrespondto
March's invitation to
invadeScotland. Indeed, itisprettycertainthatKing
Henrywasanxiousforpeace ;hemadefriendlyovertures
1ExchequerRolls, iii.515.
2
<<j^saneofyhourpoerkyn,gifitlikisyhow."
3"And,excellentprince,synthatIclaymetobeofkyntyllyhow,andit
peraventournochtknawenonyhourparte,Ischewittoyhourlordschipbethis
mylettre,thatgifDameAlicetheBewmontwasyhourgraundedame,Dame
MarioryComyn,hyrrefullsyster,wesmygraundedameonthetothersyde,sa
Fig.16.--SealofArchibald,4lhEarlof
Douglas(1400).

MARCHANDPERCYDEFEATED 131
totheScottishGovernment,whichmetwithbutacold
response. Accordingly,whentheDouglasesmaderaids
uponDunbarandAnnandale,holdingtheirlordtobea
recreantandtraitor,Marchwrotetoprotestthathewas
stilloneofKingRobert'slieges,thathewasonlyinEng-
landuponprivatebusiness,andclaimedthathisofficers
shouldbeprotected inpossessionofDunbarCastle. This
requesthavingbeenrefused,Marchopenlyjoinedthe
English,andhavingalliedhimselfwithHotspurPercy,
marched atCandlemas, 1400,asfarasPoppleinEast
Lothian,wasting allthecountryashewent.Thevillages
ofHailes,Traprain,andMarkleswereburntandtwoun-
successfulassaultsdeliveredonthecastleofHailesbefore
theMasterofDouglasarrivedonthescenewithanarmed
forcefromEdinburgh. Atsunsethesurprisedtheenemy
intheircampbetweenLintonandPreston.
Theybrokeupinconfusion ;theircampand
allthebootytheyhadgathered fellinto
Douglas'shands,andtheScotspursuedthem
asfarasBerwick,killingandcapturingmany
inthewoodsofCockburnspath,andbringing
awayastrophiesthelanceandbannerofSirFig.17.—Signet
ThomasTalbot.^
ofArchibald,
Assummerdrewon,circumstances arose 1,
aro
Douglas.
toembitterHenryIV.againsthisScottishneigh-
bours.NodoubtRichard II.wasasdeadasWilliamthe
Conqueror,butthenervesofusurpersaresensitive,andthose
ofKingHenrywerevexedbyatroublesomerevenantof
Richardinthepersonof
"theMammet,"whohadturned
upinLslay,andclaimed,orwasalleged,tobeRichardhim-
self.Albanycraftilycountenancedthemyth
;beliefinthe
thatIambotofthefeirdedegreofkyntyllyhow,thequhilkinaidetymewas
callitneire."TheusualofficiallanguageatthistimestillbeingFrench,March,
asaScotsman,engagesoursympathythus—
"Nobleprince,mervaileyhenocht
thatIwritemylettresinEnglis,forethatysmarecleretomynevnderstandyng
thanLatyneoreFraunch." Perhapsthereisatouchofdiplomacyhere,in-
tendedtodissociatethisScottishearlfromtheFrenchalliance,soobjectionable
intheeyesofEnglishstatesmen.
^Pluscarden, ii.256.

132 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
Mammetbecameverygeneral,andcausedmuchdisquiet
attheEnglishCourt.Tolaythisghost,andatthe
sametimetodetachMarch finallyfromhisScottish
allegiance.KingHenryassembledanarmyatNew-
castle,andmarchedtoLeith,whencehesent
"ad°e7sc^t-"'
asummonstotheKingofScotstomakehis
land,August
allegiance. Itisrecordedthat,outofgratitude
"^°°'
fortheancientfriendshipbetweenthehouseof
LancasterandtheScottishCourt,KingHenrywouldnot
permittheusualravagingtobedonebyhistroops.
KingRoberthavingpaidnoattentiontothesummons,
HenrylaidsiegetoEdinburgh Castle,wheretheDukeof
Rothesayheldcommandaslieutenantofthekingdom,with
Douglas assecond incommand. Rothesay, "forthe
sparingofChristianblood,"chivalrouslyproposedtosettle
thecampaignbyacombatbetweenone,two,orthree
hundredknightsofeachnation.Henryrefusedtoseeany
differencebetweennoblebloodandChristianblood
;blood
wastoflow,andthatwasenough ;
^sothesiegewenton.
AlbanylayinforceatCalderMoor,butprudently
cfSelt
heldhishand,waiting tilltheusualscarcity
sieged,
should forcetheEnglish toraisethesiege.
ugusti4oo.
•jy^Qj.gQ^gj.^OwenGlendowerandtheWelshwere
upinarms,whichdecidedHenrytobreakupandmarch
homeempty-handed, thelastEnglishKingtoappearin
personasaninvaderofScotland.
WhenArchibald theGrimdiedonChristmas Eve,
1400,theMasterofDouglasentereduponanheritagefar
Succeedshis
exceedinganythingthathadeverbeenheldby
fatheras4th
avassaloftheCrowu. Inadditiontothe
la"Christ-"^"paternalestates inDouglasdaleandGalloway,
mas,1400.
Stirlingshire andMoray,SelkirkForestand
Clydesdale,hepossessedtheforfeitedlandsofMarchin
AnnandaleandLothian,residedchieflyatDunbarCastle,
anddisposedoftheEarlofMarch'spossessionsasabsolute
owner,2stylinghimselfLordofGallowayandofDun-
^Fcedera,viii.158.
-
InOctober1401hebestowedthelandsofCranshawsinBerwickshire, part

THEROTHESAYTRAGEDY 133
bar.^HehadbeenforsometimepreviouslyWardenofthe
EastMarches,andinthatcapacitywroteinFebruary
140
1
anexceedinglylonglettertoHenryiv.,complainingthatthe
EarlofNorthumberlandhadviolatedayear'strucefixedat
Yetholmon14thOctoberpreceding. UnliketheEarlof
March,Douglasexpressed himself inexcellentFrench.
Henryrepliedon27thto"HonouredSir"[NonureSzr^;]
inastilllongerletter,verycourteous,butthrowingallthe
blameofbrokentruceuponDouglas,whomheaccusedof
havingriddeninwarlikearray,withbannerdisplayed,to
Bamborough,burningthattownandotherplacesnearit.
However,KingHenry,beingdesirousofpeace,offeredto
sendcommissioners toKelsotoarrangethetermsthereof;
butthisembassyendedinfailure,andwarwasrenewedin
1402.
SofarDouglashadsufferednothingtoearnthetitleof
"Tineman," orLoser,whichSirWilliamEraserfollows
Godscroft inassigning tothisearlratherthantoSir
ArchibaldDouglas [x.],whofellatHalidon Hill.Out
ofthenexttransaction inwhichheboreapartheemerged
withmoredubiouscredit.
Theheir-apparent, David,DukeofRothesay,hadbeen
appointedlieutenantofthekingdom foratermofthree
years,whichshouldendin1402.ThepriorofSt.Serf's
givestheyoungprinceanangeliccharacter
—
"
(Dnxtlovbllulunijistlbrstsonc,
cStieieanbtocrtxtous,ijonganbfairc,
^nbhisncrastlavtchfulagrc,
gionrst,habiUAxiiiabcnanb
"
(Duvelorbc,onre^Joncr,inallpltsanb,
QExtnnanb^intolittcraturc,
^sf^ml'spcrsoncinstatxvrc,
cSckir^abDgukccf^othesag."^
oftheearldomofMarch,uponSirJohnSwintonofthatIlk.—T^eSwinlons
ofthaiilk,pp.32,XV.
^
LetteroftheEarlofDouglastoHenryIV.—Fraser,iv.62.
-Avenant—courteous,elegant.
^Knowing,skilful.
^Wyntoun, ix.c.23.

134 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
ButthetestimonyofthehouseofScriblerus iscompounded
forthepatron'spalate,andWyntouncouldnotaffordto
speakevilofdignities.
TheabbotofInchcolm[Bower]wrotewithabolder
pen,stillmoresotheanonymousauthorofthePluscarden
chronicle ;bothofthesewritersdescribetheyoungprince
asintolerablydissolute,andadangertothecommonwealth.
IthasappearedtosomehistoriansthatRothesay'suncle
[themotives ofunclesareeversuspect]sawinthe
heir-apparent abartohisownambition. Rothesayhad
provedhimselfaknightgallantindeedsofarms ;itwas
notacensoriousage,andnoordinaryyouthfulirregularities
seemtofurnishsufficientreasonforputtinghimunder
restraint. Itislesseasytooverlookcertainotherconduct
evenlesscreditabletotheheir-apparent. Straitened for
pocket-money todefrayhismenusplaisirs^Rothesayhelped
himselffromthepublicpurse,interceptingthecustomsdue
totheExchequer,andimprisoning collectorswhooffered
anyresistancetohispeculations.^
True,there isastorycurrentthatRothesay's evil
counsellors,SirWilliamLindsayofRossieandSirJohnde
Ramorny,hadpersuadedhimtomakeanattemptupon
Albany's life,andBowergivesdetailsoftheirallegedcon-
spiracyforseizingthecastleofSt.Andrewsafterthedeath
ofBishopTraill,andholding itagainstAlbanyandthe
King. Another story isthatLindsayandRamorny
broughtfalseaccusationsagainsttheyoungprince,betray-
inghimtotheDukeofAlbanyoutofprivaterevenge.^
Thewholebusiness isexceedinglyobscure ;theonlyclear
partofitisthatwhengoodBishop Traill,Rothesay's
mother,andArchibaldtheGrim alldiedwithinafew
monthsofeachother,Rothesaylosttheadviserswhohad
kepthimstraightinhisdutiesasGovernor,andwiththeir
deaths,sighsBower,departedthegloryandhonourand
virtueoiScotland."
^ExchequerRolls, iii.
549,552,599.
-Pluscarden, ii.258.
^Abiitdecus,recessithonor,ethonestasobiitScotice.

THEROTHESAYTRAGEDY 135
Certain also it isthatRothesaywasarrestedby
hisuncle,Albany,andhisbrother-in-law, Douglas,acting
underawarrantfromthedecrepidKing,and
Rothesay,
imprisoned, firstintheBishop'sCastleatSt.
27thMarch
Andrews,andtheninFalkland Castle,where
1403. _
hedied—ofnatural causes,saysome—of
starvation, affirmothers.^
Iftherewasfoulplay,AlbanyandDouglasmust
havebeenauthors thereof. Thattheywerepopularly
suspectedmaybeinferred"fromtheproceedings inParlia-
menton 16thMayfollowing,whenanActwaspassed
declaringthatthePrincehad
"departedthislifethrough
DivineProvidence,andnototherwise,"acquittingAlbany
andDouglasofhightreasonoranyothercrime,andstrictly
forbiddinganyoftheKing'ssubjectstomaketheslightest
imputationupontheirfame.
If,ontheotherhand,thesetwonobleswereguiltless,
thenkindlySirWalterScotthaswroughtthemcrueland
lastinginjurybyearningforthemexecrationfromthe
myriadreadersoftheFairMaidofPerth.
Assuming,assomanypersonsdidatthetimeand
havedonesince,thattherewasfoulplay,andthatAlbany
andDouglasweretheonlymeninapositiontoperpetrate
it,onenaturallyseeksforaprobablemotive.Thedeathof
RothesayrestoredtoAlbanytheofficeofGovernorand
placedhimonedegreenearersuccession tothethrone
;
stillthereremainedhisothernephewJamestobedisposed
ofButDouglas'sinterestlaycleartheotherway.Rothe-
saywashisbrother-in-law ;hissuccessionwouldhavemade
^ThePluscardenchroniclergivesmostdetails,allegingthatafterRothesay
waslodgedinSt.Andrew'sCastle,AlbanyandDouglasheldacouncilatCul-
ross,wheretheydecreedhisdeath,andthatthePrincewasthereaftertakento
Falkland,"uponasmallpackhorseandcladinagreyjerkin,afterthemanner
ofavalet,thathemightnotbenoticedontheway."Thedateofhisdeathis
givenas7thApril.
—
Pluscarden, ii.258.
^Butnotmore.LordHailesobservesthattheremissionofAlbanyand
Douglaswas"intermsasampleasiftheyhadactuallymurderedtheheir-
apparent." ButParliamentcouldnotignoreacircumstance sograveasthe
Prince'sdeathinthehandsoftwosubjects.Havinginquiredintothecase,they
merelypronouncedRothesay'scustodianstobefreefromblame.

136 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
MarjorieDouglasQueenofScots. Itisallamatterof
surmise,andnothingmorecaneverbemadeofitthanthis,
thatRothesaydiedinthecustodyofAlbanyandDouglas
;
andthataParliamentary inquiry,probablypackedbut
assuredlyindispensable,pronouncedthemblameless.
Innocentorguilty,itmaybeobservedthattheScottish
ParliamentcouldnothaveaffordedbuttoacquitAlbany
andDouglas,seeingthathostilitieswithEnglandwerein
fullswingagain,andtheseweretheonlycommanders fit
tomeetoneventermswiththeEarlofMarch. Young
PatrickHepburnandtheflowerofLothianchivalrywerecut
topiecesonNesbitMoorbyMarch'sson,GeorgeDunbar,
andDouglastookthefieldtoavengethem,havingwithhim
Albany'ssonMurdochandtheEarlsofAngus[xxxviii.]
andMoray.Hemarchedwith10,000men,wasting all
beforehimasfarasNewcastle.
KingHenrywasoccupiedinputtingdownrebellionin
Wales,buthehadhisspiesinScotland,asEnglishKings
Battleof
wereusedtodo,andhadwarnedhisofficerson
Homiidon
theBorderbetimes.^ Hotspur'sfirewastempered
September byMarch'swile.Therenegadeearlpersuaded
"**"•
theelderPercy,EarlofNorthumberland, tolie
atWooler tilltheScotswereontheirhomewardmarch.
Theywaited tillDouglas'scolumnhadbivouackedonlow
groundcalledMillfield,andthenmovedswiftlytoattack
them. ButDouglaswasnotoffhisguard.Onthe
approachoftheEnglishhewithdrewhisforcetothebare
uplandofHomiidon,andawaitedattackinthecustomary
"schiltroms" orsquares. Itwasthesameblunderas
BluchercommittedatLigny :thepositionwasdangerously
exposedtotheenemy's fire.Hotspurwasforchargingthe
Scotswithoutmoreado,butcannyMarchseizedhisrein
andbadehimbeholdwhatafinetargetthecrowded
columnsofferedforarchery. Thenbegantheslaughter,
thecloth-yard shaftspouringaceaseless rainuponthe
motionlessranks.
SirJohnSwinton,seeinghismenfallingfastwithouta
^23idMay1402.
—
Focdcra, viii.257.

HOMILDONHILL 137
blowstruck,criedoutforvolunteers—
"Betterdieinopen
mellaythanbeshotdownlikedeer."
^Nearhimstoodone
withwhomhehadeverbeenatmortalfeud,AdamGordon,
whofellonhiskneesbeforehim,cravedpardon,claimed
andreceivedknighthoodonthespot,androdeathisside
downthehill.Onlyahundredorsofollowedthem
;
it
wasmagnificent, but itwasnotwar;thewholeparty
perishedundertheeyesoftheircomrades.
Douglasoughtsurelytohavesupported Swinton.
Unlessthechronicleshavedonehimwrong,hewaited
tillitwastoolate
;whenheorderedageneraladvance
itfailedmiserably—Lindsays, Livingstones, Ramsays,
St.Clairswelteredontheground
;Douglas himself,
Murdoch,Moray,Angus,andnearly allthesurviving
knightswerecaptured. Quidplura?exclaimsBower
inclosingthisdrearychapter,captusestetredeviptusquasi
flosmiliticB totiusregniScotics,—
"Whysaymore?the
flowerofallScotland's chivalry,asitwere,wastaken
andheldtoransom."
-
ThuswastheshieldofPercypurgedofthereproachof
Otterburn. TheEnglishslaincouldbenumberedonthe
fingersofonehand.^ Douglas'sarmour,reportedtohave
takenthreeyearsinmaking,availednottoprotecthim
fromfiveseveralwounds,includingthelossofaneye.The
PercysandMarchhadsecuredavaluablehaul,for,pooras
Scotlandhadbecome,somanynobleandknightlyprisoners
represented animmenseaggregateofransom totheir
captors. What,therefore,musthavebeenthechagrinof
theEnglishknightswhenlettersarrivedfromtheirKing,
congratulatingthemontheirvictoryindeed,butstrictly
chargingthemuponnoaccounttoreleasetheirprisoners
untilheshouldmakeknownhiswill.^KingHenryonly
addedinsulttoinjuryafewmonthslaterwhenhebestowed
uponPercytheearldomofDouglasandallthelandsowned
byDouglasinScotland.
HotspurandMarchsetaboutindemnifying themselves
^Bower,xiv.c.14.
-Ibid.
^Bain,iv.129.
*Focdera, viii.278.

138 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
eachaccordingtohisnature.TothehouseofPercy,more
thantoanyother,didKingHenryowehiscrown. Hot-
spurnowjoinedhandswithGlendowerinrebellion
;setfree
hisScottishprisoners,whogladlyplacedtheirswordsat
hisservice. March,evercarefultosidewithProvidence
andthebigbattalions, feignedtodothesame,but
revealed thewholeplanofcampaign toKingHenry.
Hotspur,attheheadoftheScottishknightsandPercy
vassals,madeafeintupontheBordernearCarlisle,then,
swiftlyveeringsouth,marchedtoencounterKingHenryat
Shrewsbury.
"ThricehaththisHotspurMarsinswathing-clothes,
Thisinfantwarriorinhisenterprises,
DiscomfitedgreatDouglas :ta'enhimonce,
Enlargedhim,andmadeafriendofhim,
Tofillthemouthofdeepdefianceup,
Andshakethepeaceandsafetyofourthrone."
^
TheencounterbetweentheKingofEnglandandhis
rebellordsgaveShakespeareoneofhisgrandestthemes.
Battleof
"^^Qissue, itissaid,remainedlongdoubtful,
Shrewsbury, UntilHotspur,raising hisvizorforabreath
asJuyi403.
Q^ g^jj.^receivedanarrowthroughthebrain.
ThenDouglastastedofdefeatascrushingasthatwhich
hadbefallen hisarmsatHomildon. Theinsurgent
forceswerescatteredwithterriblecarnage. Englishand
ScotshistoriansuniteintestimonytoDouglas'svalouron
thisfatalfield ;itwasreported that,besidesslayingthe
EarlofStaffordwithhisownhand,hesoughtoutandslew
threeothers—mockkings—soldierswearingdiademsto
makebeliefthateachwasHenryhimself
Douglas—
"Anotherking !theygrowlikehydra'sheads.
IamtheDouglas,fataltoallthose
Thatwearthosecoloursonthem.Whatartthou
Thatcounterfeit'stthepersonofaking?
KingHcmy—Thekinghimselfwho,Douglas,grievesatheart
Somanyofhisshadowsthouhastmet.
Andnottheveryking."
^
'KingHenryIV.,PartI.Actiii.sc.2.
-
Ibid.,sc.4.

CAPTIVITYOFDOUGLAS 139
Atlast,afterreceivingapeculiarly painfulwound,^
Douglas yielded himselfoncemoreaprisoner. He
remained incaptivity till1409,butwasallowedtopass
toScotlandfromtimetotimeonfindinghostagesofhigh
rankforhisparole.HeandtheotherHomildonprisoners
wereheldtoransom,butonconditionstooonerousforthe
exhaustedconditionoftheScottishlandandexchequer,
andmattersgrew stillmorehopelesswhen,threeyears
later.PrinceJamesofScotland[afterwardsJames I.]was
takenatseabyEnglishships.ThereleaseofDouglaswas
discussedinKingHenry'sParliament,whereitwasproposed
thatcertainScottishcastlesshouldbehandedoverasthe
priceofhisfreedom.- Thisconditionwaspracticallypro-
hibitive
;Albanycertainlywouldnothaveconsentedthere-
to,andanyattempttoenforce itwouldhavere-openedthe
warwhichKingHenryfromthefirsthadbeen
caTtfyfty^in
anxious toavoid. Otheronerousconditions
England,
vvereattachedtotheabsenceonparolewhich
wasgrantedtoDouglasuponseveraloccasions,
namely,thatheshoulddoallinhispowertoinducehis
countrymentouniteinobservingthetruceagreedtobetween
himselfandtheEnglishCouncil,andshouldundertakethat
he,Douglas,shouldopposewithallhisforce,anypower,
whetherinScotlandorFrance,whoshouldinfringethesaid
truceorwagewaruponEngland.^
DouglasalsoboundhimselfastheKingofEngland's
"man"against allmenexceptKingJamesofScotland,
whichobligationwasnottolapsewithhisimprisonment
buttoenduretohislife'send.Uponsealingthisbond
andswearingonthegospelstoreturnintocaptivityonthe
dayappointed,^theearlobtainedtheprivilege,renewed
fromtimetotime,ofvisitingScotlanduponhisprivate
affairs. ButatEaster1409Douglasfailedtosurrenderto
hisparole.KingHenryIV.wrotetoAlbanycomplaining
ofthisbreachofknightlyobligation,^and,later,warned
'Detinotesticuloras/ra/us.—Bov/er,xv.c.17.
^/io/hofEnglishParliament, iii.580.
"Fraser, iii.46.
*Fcedera, viii.478.
^RedBookofMenteiih, i.212.

140 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
himthatunlesstheearlreturned hishostageswouldbe
dealtwithatpleasure. Douglas neverreturned to
captivity,buttheransom fortheunluckyhostageswas
stillbeingpaidin1413,whenKingHenryV.granteda
discharge for700merks,partpaymentof1000merks
dueasransomforWilliamDouglas,grandsonofJames
DouglasofDalkeith,oneofthehostages forArchibald,
EarlofDouglas,
"latelytheprisonerandcaptiveofour
illustriousfather."
FromDouglas'scaptivityresultedoneofthosefrequent
transfersofallegianceandpoliticalsupportwhichrender
Douglasbe-
Scottishhistoryingeneral,andtheannalsofthe
comesLord
houseofMarchinparticular,suchapuzzling
ofAnnandale,,,.,
.
,
... .t-i-i
2ndOctober kalcidoscope. Apparently, whilemEnglish
1409.
durance,Douglashadbecome reconciled to
March,andMarchtoAlbany,throughthemediationof
SirWalterHaliburton, sothatin1409theGovernorof
ScotlandrestoredtoMarchhisforfeitedearldomandthe
landsthereof, allofwhichhadbeeninpossession of
Douglassince1400. Butattachedtothepardongranted
toMarchwasthisimportantcondition,namely,thathe
shouldresignthelordshipandlandsofAnnandale,partof
theMarchpossessions, infavouroftheEarlofDouglas,
whotherebybecameLordofAnnandale aswellasof
Galloway.^
Thepersonalbondoffriendshipwhichhadenduredso
longbetweentheDukeofAlbanyandArchibaldtheGrim
hadbeensharedbythesonoftheGrim,and,ontheescape
ofDouglasfromcaptivity,wasconfirmedbyabondof
mutualassistanceandsupport[20thJune1409],coupled
withprovisionforthelapseofthesaidbondintheevent
ofAlbanysucceedingtothethroneofScotland. This
wasfollowedbyacontractofmarriagebetweenDouglas's
daughterElizabethandJohn,EarlofBuchan,Albany's
eldestson[July1410].
'
J^e^.Mag7ii Sigilli, i.241. Douglasappointed ashissteward in
AnnandaleSirHerbertMaxwellofCarlaverock, atanannualfeeof;^20,and
allfinesleviedinhiscourtsofi8s.andunder.
—
Reg.MagniSigilli, ii.242.

DOUGLASRESUMESWARDENSHIP 141
In1412DouglaswenttoFrance,bywayof
Flanders,withalargecompanyofknightsandsquires.
TravelstoBowerdcscribcshowtheflotillawasthricedriven
France,1412.
b^^kbyaneastwind ;which,indeed,asithap-
penedtobethemonthofMarch,wasnothingextraordinary,
butthemoraloftheincidentbecameapparentafterthe
thirdfailure,when,indeferencetotheEarlofOrkney's
advice,Douglasorderedsailstobetrimmed forInchcolm,
whereofferingsweremadeattheshrineofSt.Columba.
Straightway thewindveeredroundtothewestand
theyallhadaspeedyandprosperousvoyage.Oniith
AprilDouglasenteredatParisintoabondofalliance
withJean-sans-peur,DukeofBurgundy,wherebyeachwas
boundtoassisttheotherintherespectivecountrieswith
armedforce.
Douglashadresumed hisofficeasWardenofthe
Marches,and,likehisfatherbeforehim,presided officially
andinperson ataduelfoughtatBattlehaugh, near
Annan,whereinThomasSmith,theaggressor,wasslain
byJohnHardy.^ Albanygavehimafreehand in
defendingtheBorderandkeepingthepeacethereon,but
littleornomoneytodosowithal.TheRegentdisliked
theideaofimposingnewtaxes,eitherbecausehewas
anxiousforpopularity orbecausehereallythoughtthe
liegescouldbearnomore.Douglasthereforeindemnified
himselfforhisgreatexpensesbyhelpinghimselftothe
customs,withwhichhecertainlyintromitted inanirregular
manner,althoughhegaveregularreceiptsforthesumshe
intercepted.^
MeanwhiletheKingofScotswas stillincaptivity
;
sowasAlbany'ssonMurdoch. Albany,thoughactively
anxiousforMurdoch's release,hasbeengenerallyaccused
ofindifference, orworse,astotheduranceofJames I.
Buthereagain,asinthedeathofRothesay,theevidence
againstAlbanyisdefective. Therearefewcharacters in
historyaboutwhomsomuch isknowninaction,andso
littleisclearinmotive.NodoubtAlbanypressedforhis
^Bower, ii.447.
-ExcheqtierRolls,iv,175,i77jetpassitn.

142 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
son'sreleasemorediligentlyandsuccessfullythanhedid
forthatofhisnephewtheKing,seeingthatMurdochwas
liberatedearlyin1416inexchange forHenryPercy,son
ofHotspur;butthatmayhavebeenbecausetheransom
demandedforMurdoch,greatasitwas—50,000marks
—
wasfeasible,whereastheKing'sransomwasbeyondthe
meansoftheimpoverished Scottishnation.Jamescer-
tainlysuspectedhisuncle,andreproachedhimfornotso
muchasansweringhisletters—
"thereforeusferylisnouch
little."
^HealsowrotetoDouglasurginghimtospur
Albanytomorediligenceinworkingforhisrelease,forthe
delay
"standsonlyinthemthatshouldpursueforus."
-
Douglascertainlywasbusyostensibly inworkingforthe
King'srelease.Twicein1416hetravelledtoWestminster
onthismatter,butbetweenthesevisitsoccurredsome-
thingwhichcannothavetendedtofacilitatenegotiations.
HenryV.beinginFranceconducting thecampaignof
Agincourt, theEnglishLollardsexplainedtotheScots
Government whatasplendidopportunity thiswasto
assumetheoffensive. Albany,nothinglothtocreatea
diversion infavourofScotland'sancientally,marchedto
TheFoul
besiegeBerwick,anddespatchedDouglas to
Raid,1416. captureRoxburgh Castle,whichremainedan
EnglishthornintheScottishflank.Butrumourspread
thattheDukeofBedfordwasapproaching ingreatforce,
andthecampaignearnedthenameoftheFoulRaid,from
thediscreditable hastewithwhichbothwingsofthe
Scottisharmybeatasuddenretreat.TheEnglish in
revengewastedTeviotdaleandLiddesdale,burningHawick,
Selkirk,andJedburgh,andprobablytakingamongother
prisonersJames,youngersonoftheEarlofDouglas.^
TheRegentAlbany,dyingin1420,wassucceeded in
hisofficebyhissonMurdoch,2ndDukeofAlbany,with
whomDouglaswasnotonnearlysuchcordialtermsas
^Whereatwemarvelnotalittle,
-RedBookofMenteith, i.283.
^Hewasatalleventsaprisonerin1418-1419,whenprovisionwasmade
forhisransom.
—
RotuliScotia:, ii.223.

'^'F-.rt^hk-J^HE-^^^.^l Lirfi^JK.i^lkJK.^^^J

BECOMESKINGHENRY'S"MAN" 143
withhisfather,andthereforeexertedhimselfinearnest
toprocurethereleaseoftheKing.ButJameswas
nowinFrancewithKingHenry,whowasplayinghimoff
Douglas
againsttheScottishcontingent inthearmyof
entersHenry
Charlcs VI.,whichContingentwasundercom-
V.'sservice
30thMay
'
mandoftheEarlofBuchanandofDouglas's
^'^"-
eldestsonArchibald,EarlofWigtown [xvii.].
SirWilliamDouglasofDrumlanrig [Ixxvii.]wassentin
theautumnof1420,underEnglishsafe-conduct, toconfer
withKingHenry'scommissioners,^andinApril1421the
EarlofDouglas travelledtoLondonandobtainedan
agreementwherebyJamesshouldbepermittedtospend
threemonthsonparoleinScotland,twenty-onehostages
beingrequiredinsecurity,ofwhomonewasJamesDouglas,
secondsonoftheearl.
ButtheEarlofDouglashadtopayforthisboona
pricesoheavythathewouldsurelyhavedeclined itbut
forKingJames'surgentcommandsandhisownstrong
desiretogettheKingbacktoScotland,whereconfusion
wasdeepeningunderMurdoch's rule.Thepricewas
nothing lessthanthatDouglas, pillaroftheScottish
realm,shouldbecomeKingHenry'smansolongaseither
ofthemshould live,andattendhimonactiveservice
whereverandwhenevercommanded,with200knightsand
squiresand200archers. Theseexcruciating provisions
wereembodied inanindenturesealedinLondonon30th
May 1421;
2andhadtheycomeintoforcetheEarlof
DouglasmighthavefoundhimselfopposedinFranceto
hisowncountrymenunderhissonWigtownandhisson-in-
lawBuchan,whohadjustdefeatedtheEnglishatBauge.
Luckilyhewassparedthisordeal,theobligationbeing
dissolvedbythedeathofHenry V.inthefollowing
year.
CharlesVI.ofFrancediedafewweeksafterHenryv.,
andin1423hisson,CharlesVII.,senttheEarlsofBuchan
andWigtown[xvii.]tourgeDouglastocometohisassist-
ance. Douglas,nothingloth,seeingthathisancientally
1Fcedera,x.18.
"-^
Ibid.,x.123.

144 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
JohnofBurgundywasdead,consented willingly, and,
Douglas
aftermakingsundrygifts,incaseofaccidents,
takesservice
tothechurch,andcommitting themonksof
VII.of MelrosetothespecialcareoftheEarlofWig-
France,1423-
town,whomheleftbehind topromotethe
King'srelease,hesailedearlyin1424andlandedatLa
Rochelle,thewholeexpensesofthevoyagebeingdefrayed
bytheKingofFrance.
Amongtheknightsinhissuitewasaverydearfriend.
SirAlexanderHomeofDunglas. Homehadintended
thathisbrotherDavidofWedderburn shouldgowiththe
expedition,andhadgonedowntowitnesstheembarkation
andwishthemallgoodspeed.When itcametoleave-
taking,Douglas turnedtoDunglas
^andsaid,
"Well,
Alexander, Ilittlethoughtthatanythingwouldeverbefal
topartustwain."
"Norshallanythingpartusnow
!
"
exclaimedHome,andhavingmadehisbrotherDavidgive
uptohimhisarmourandoutfit,hewentonboardwiththe
earl,nevermoretoreturntofairTweedside.
On19thApril1424Douglastooktheoathoffealty
toCharles VII.atBourges,whomadehimlieutenant-
iscreated
generalofhisforces,andbestoweduponhimthe
Dukeof rankwhichArchibaldtheGrimhadsoproudly
lieutenant- declined,CreatinghimDukeofTouraine—the
generalof
fairestproviucc inallFrance.Tothewide
theForces,
^
19thApril territoryconveyedwithhisdukedomKingCharles
'*'''*
addedthetownandcastleofChinon,incom-
pensation forcertain ecclesiastic rightsreservedtothe
CrownintheDuchyofTours.^ TheFrenchLordsof
ExchequerdemurredtothisalienationofCrownlands,but
KingCharleswouldlistentonoobjections,andthegrant
wasdulyratifiedandrecordedon25thApril.
On7thMaytheDukeofTouraine, or,asitismore
convenient tocontinuetostylehim,theEarlofDouglas,
rodefromLochesandmadeceremonialentrytoTours,the
capitalofhisduchy,amidtheacclamationofthepeople.
^ThestressliesonthefirstsyllableinDouglas,onthesecondinDunglas.
-Fraser, i.390.

THEBATTLEOFVERNEUIL 145
Thearchbishopandchapterreceivedhimatthewest
entranceofthecathedral ;Douglas,havingbeenpresented
withasurplice,amice,andbreviary,wasinstalled asa
canon,^andthetownspeoplemadehimanofferingoftwo
pipesofwineandahogsheadofoats. Allwasmirthand
sunshineintheancientcity;butKingCharleshadsent
forDouglasonmoreseriousbusinessthanmeremerry-
making.TheDukeofBedfordwasbesiegingthecastleof
Ivry,whereofthegovernorhadagreedtosurrenderunless
reliefcamebeforeagivenday.Douglastherefore,having
appointed hiscousin,AdamDouglas,governorofTours
townandcastle,marchedwithallspeedtosuccourthe
garrisonofIvry.Hewastoolate :Ivryhadfallen
;
"John
withtheleadensword,"asDouglasnicknamedBedford,
wastoostronglypostedtoinviteattack
;sotheScotsfell
backtowardsVerneuil.NowVerneuilbeinggarrisonedby
theEnglish,Douglashadrecoursetoaruseforitscapture.
Hecausedanumberofhismentofalloutoftheranks
andtobeboundascounterfeit prisoners,smearedwith
bloodandledatthetailsofhorses.Theseweretaken
underthewallsofVerneuil,thegarrisonofwhichwere
informedthattheyhadbeencapturedfromtheDukeof
Bedford,whosearmyhadbeencompletely routed. The
ofarrisonsurrenderedatonceandsubmittedtoCharlesVll.
DouglasandBuchanhadbeenreinforcedbyFrench
troopsundertheDued'Alengon,theMarechaldeLafayette,
andtheViscomtedeNarbonne,towhosejealousyandin-
subordinationhasbeenattributedthefateofthisexpedition.
Bedfordadvancedpromptlyagainstthealliesinposition
Batueof
^^Vcmeuil,sendingaspecialmessagebya
Verneuil,17thheraldtoDouglastosaythathewishedtodrink
August14^4.
^yj^j^ j^jj^_ Douglas replied toJohn-of-the
Leaden-Sword thathehadcomeallthewayfromScot-
landfornootherpurpose. Linesofbattlewereformed
forthwith;knighthoodwasconferredasusualupontheeve
ofagreatengagement,amongothers,uponDouglas's
'Clovis,underwhomToursbecamepartoftheFrankishdominion,received
forhimselfandhissuccessorsthetitleofCanonofSaintMartin.
VOL.I. K

146 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
youngersonJames ;andimmediately afterthetroublesof
thecommander-in-chief began. Douglas,beinginastrong
position,prudentlyprepared toawaitBedford's attack,
Narbonnemutinously declaredhewouldnotobeysuch
cowardly orders,and
vowedhewouldlead
theattackhimself,even
ifhegotnosupport.
Ratherthanallowthis
hot-headed young
knightandhistroops
tobecuttopieces,
Douglasordered a
generaladvance. Nar-
bonne'smensoonhad
enough,and leftthe
Scotshandtohandwith
theEnglishcolumns.
"Noquarter !
"
wasthe
orderoftheday,as
previouslyagreedbetweentheEnglishandScottishcom-
manders,andthedaywentagainsttheScots.Hardlya
handfulofthemescapedfromthefield. Douglas,Dukeof
Deathofthe
Touraine,wasslain,sowashissonJamesand
hisson-in-lawBuchan,withmanyothernobles
andknightsofScotland,meetvengeancebyBed-
fordfortheslaughterofClarence atBauge. Douglas
wasburiedinthechurchofSaintGratianatTours.
Byhisduchess,Margaret,daughterofRobert III.,the
DukeofTourainehadthreechildren
:
—
(i)Archibald [xvii.].EarlofWigtownandComtede
Longueville,whosucceeded hisfather inthe
Scottishestatesandhonours.
(2)James,whofellbesidehisfatheratVerneuil.
(3)
Elizabeth,whomarried, first,JohnStuart,Earlof
Buchan,Albany'seldestson,slainatVerneuil
;
second.SirThomasStuartofMar ;andthird,
WilliamSaintClairorSinclair,3rd .Earlof
Fig.18.—SealofArchibald,4thEarlof
Douglas,LordofGalloway(1400).
Earlof
Douglas.

DUCHESSMARGARETOFTOURAINE 147
Orkney. Sheiscreditedwithhavingbuiltthe
lowerchapel,underthebeautifulchurch of
Rosslyn,erectedbyherthirdhusband.
Thewidowedduchessreceivedfromherbrother,JamesI.,
permissiontoholdthelordshipofGallowayduringherlife,
probablyinaccordancewiththewillofherhusband. She
Fig.19.—SealofPrincessMargaret,DuchessofTouraine.
madeherhomeattheThrieve,whencesheadministeredthe
affairsofherprovincewithmuchdiscretionandfirmness.
Afterthedeathofherson,the5thearl,in1439,andthe
judicialmurderofhistwosonsin1440,DuchessMargaret
claimedfromtheKingofFranceherterceofthelands
andrevenuesofTouraine. ButKingCharleshadalready

148 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
bestowedtheduchy,towhichthe5thEarlofDouglas[xvii.]
waslegitimate heir,uponLouis,KingofSicily,andno
incomeeveraccruedfromTourainetotheDouglasesafter
thedeathofArchibald atVerneuil,althoughthe5thand
6thEarlsofDouglascontinued tousethetitle.King
Charlesexcusedhimselfbyexplaining that ithadbeen
reportedtohimthatthe5thearlhaddiedinScotlandin
1425,neverhavingdonehomage fortheduchy,which
accordingly revertedtotheCrown.
ThedateofDuchessMargaret'sdeathwasafter1450,
whensheresignedthelordshipofGalloway,andbefore
1456,whensheisreferredtoasdeceased.^ Hertomb
inthechancelofLincluden,abeautifulexampleofflam-
boyantgothic,richinheraldicornament,bearsthelegend,
"AI'aidedeDieu,"andthefollowinginscription
:
—
"g)icjacfitinamargitrita :
rtgis :scocie :fIht :quob^i
totmtissabeiioitglas :
iifra :galitiibic :tt :ballis
artivanbic."
"
^ExchequerRolls,vi.196.
"
HereliestheLadyMargaret,daughteroftheKingofScotland,sometime
CountessofDouglasandLadyofGallowayandAnnandale.

;i
'
Vf^.i^.^j
'"
^^

CHAPTERVII
PAGE
149xvii.Archibald, 5thEarlof
Douglas,EarlofWigtownand
Longueville,LordofGalloway
andAnnandale, c.1390-
1439-
150BattleofBauge,21stMarch1421.
150RoutofFresnay-le-Comte, 1421.
150BattleofCrevant,July1422.
151ReturnofJamesI.toScotland,1424.
152Execution ofMurdoch,Dukeof
Albany,1425.
152Douglas appointed Lieutenant
-
GeneralofScotland,March
1437-
153Hisdeath,26thJune1439.
154xviii. William, 6thEarl of
Douglas,EarlofWigtown,
LordofGalloway, etc.,1439-
1440.
155MurderofDouglasandhisbrother,
24thNovember1440.
156DivisionoftheDouglas estates,
1440.
157xix.James "theGross," 7th
EarlofDouglas, 1stEarlof
Avondale,andLordBalvany.
159SlaughterofSirDavidFleming,
14thFebruary1406.
160JamestheGrosscreatedEarlof
AvondaleandJustice-General,
1437-
160Succeedsas7thEarlofDouglas,
November1440.
i6oHisdeath,24thMarch1443.
WhenArchibald,EarlofWigtown,succeededhisfatheras
5thEarlofDouglasthesunofchivalrywasalreadyfaron
xvii.Archi- itsdecline.Henceforwardgoose-quillsandparch-
baid,5thEarl
j^ig^tweretoprovcmorepotentinthemanufac-
ofDouglas,
_
^ ^
Earlof tureofhistorythanswordandlance
;suchrenown
Lo'ifgurvm^e"
^sthisDouglaswonasawarriorwasachieved
Lordof
beforehebecamechiefofhisline.Bornabout
Gallowayand
, , r ^
• 11
Annandale,
I390>hepassedscveralyearsofhisyouth,be-
J390-I439.
tween1405and1413,33principalhostagefor
hisfather,anditwasstipulatedthatshouldtheEarlof
Douglasdieduringabsenceonparole,theMasterofDouglas,
ashewasthenstyled,shouldbecomeKingHenry'sprisoner
inhisplace.^
In 1413thatobligationceasedonthedischargeofhis
^Eraser, iii.47.
149

ISO THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
father'sransom.ThencametheFrenchDauphin'sappeal
toScotland foraidinhisstruggleagainstHenryv.of
England,whichParliamentansweredbythedespatchof
7000menunderthecommandoftheEarlofBuchanand
theMasterofDouglas,thereafterstyledEarlofWigtown,^
LandingatLaRochelle,theforcewentintoquartersat
Chatillon inTouraine,whereatfirst,itmustbeconfessed,
theyearnedaslittlefavourfromthepeopletheyhadcome
toassistastheFrenchknightshaddoneinScotlandin
1385.Theywereonlyremarkablefortheamountofwine
Battleof
^"^muttontheycouldstowbeneaththeirbelts.
Baugr^,2istHowbeit,theyredeemed theircharacterbythe
"*^''
conflictattheBridgeofBauge[21stMarch
1421],whereKingHenry'sbrother,theDukeofClarence,
fell,andhisarmywasroutedwithterribleslaughter. For
hispartinthisgreatvictoryWigtownreceivedfromthe
DauphinthetitleofComtedeLongueville inNormandy,
withthelandsofDun-le-roy inBerri,^barrenhonours
probably,forLongueville,atleast,wastheninthehandsof
GastondeFoix,whowasoftheEnglishparty.
ThefortuneofwarturnedagainsttheScotslaterinthe
seasonwhen,withtheirFrenchallies,theScotswerebadly
RoutofFres-
t)eatenbytheEnglishatFresnay-le-Comte
;Sir
nay-ie- WilliamDouglasofDrumlanrig losthisbanner
ome,1421,
j^^^j^^flight,^and,cruellestofall,i2,000crowns
receivedforthehard-earnedpayoftheScotsfellintoposses-
sionofthevictors.Nextyear[July1422]astillheavier
_,^,, , disasterbefeltheScottisharmsatCrevant,where
Battleof
'
Crevant, theywcrcdefeatedwiththelossof3000men.
juyi422.
ThentheDauphin[bythistimeCharles Vll.]
bethoughthimofsendingforthegreatheadofthehouse
ofDouglas,and ithasbeenshownhowtheEarlsof
BuchanandWigtownwentonthatmission,andhow
^AmongotherknightsservinginthisforcewereSirJohnStuartofDarnley,
ConstableofScotland,SirRobertStuartofRalston,SirWilliamSwinton,Sir
HughKennedy,AlexanderLindsay,brotheroftheEarlofCrawford, etc.
-NowDun-sur-Auron, principaltownofthecantonofCher.
^Probablyhislifealso,forinhisson'sretourtothebaronyofHawickin1427
heisreferredtoashavingbeendeadforsixyears.—Fraser, i.406,note.

RETURNOFJAMES I. 151
Wigtown,luckilyforhimself,remainedinScotlandtolook
aftertheinterestsofhisfamily.
James I.ofScotlandwasreleasedfromhislongcaptivity
inMarch1424.TheEarlsofWigtown,March,andCraw-
ford,SirHerbertMaxwell,EraserofLovat,
ftmesL
Campbell ofArgyll,andmanyothersofhis
toScotland,
subjcctshighinrank,methimatDurhamand
escortedhimbacktohiskingdom.
"Willyeno
comebackagain
?
"hadbeenforlongyearstherefrain
ofloyalScottishprayers,butJamescamebackinsuch
moodasmademanypeoplewishhehadstayedaway.
Thekingdomwasinastateofanarchy,anditbodedmuch
disturbanceofvestedinterestsandacquiredhabitswhenthe
Kingexclaimed :
"
IfGodgivemebutadog'slifeI'llmake
thekeykeepthecastleandthebrackenbushthecow
throughoutmyrealmofScotland."HecrossedtheBorder
on9thApril1424;on13thMay,Walter,eldestsonof
Murdoch,DukeofAlbany,wasarrestedinhisname,with
FlemingofCumbernauldandBoydofKilmarnock. On
21stMayJameswascrownedatScone,andconferredknight-
hoodonAlexander,Albany'ssecondson,ontheEarlof
Wigtown,andfive-and-twenty others. Nextyear, 13th
March1425,KingJamessummonedhissecondParliament
toPerth.Ontheninthdayofthesessionthestormbroke.
Murdoch,DukeofAlbany,wasseizedbytheKing'scom-
mand,togetherwithhissonAlexander,whomhehad
knightednottenmonthsbefore,LordMontgomery,and
AlexanderofOtterburn,Albany'ssecretary
.^These,with
^InhisDouglasBook,sopraiseworthy forfulnessandclearnessofrecord,
SirW.FraserhasfollowedTytlerandBurtonintoatraplaidforthemby
Goodall,editoroftheScotichronicon. SirJamesRamsayofBamffexplained
theblunderbyalettertotheScotsman, 12thJuly1883.Thepassage
\_Scotichronico7t, xvi.c.lo]runsasfollows[translated]
:—
"Ontheninthdayofthe
ParliamenttheKingarrestedMurdoch,DukeofAlbany,andhisyoungerson
Alexander,whomhehadknightedonthedayofhiscoronationwithtwenty-six
others." Goodallinterpolatedacommaafter"coronation,"whichgavethe
sensethattwenty-sixotherswerearrested
;whereaswhatBowermeantisthat
Alexander,whowasarrested,hadbeenknightedwithtwenty-sixothers.The
EarlofWigtown,bythistime5thEarlofDouglas,andseveralothersofthesix-
and-twenty,weremembersofthejuryoftwenty-onelordswhichcondemnedto

152 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
Walter,Albany'seldestson,weretriedbeforeanassizeof
twenty-one peers,amongwhomwastheEarlofDouglas,
condemned todeath,andsuffered forthwithuponthe
HeadingHillofStirling.
OnlyonesonofAlbanyescaped,JamesStuarttowit,
fiveofwhosemenweresavagelydestroyed,beingtorn
asunderbyhorses.ThusdidKingJamesthinktostrike
terrorintotheheartsofhisnobles,whohadcarriedthings
withsolawlessahand
—
roboria—duringhisabsence. It
mighthaveimprovedtheeffect if,insteadofappropriating
thetaxesraisedforhisransom,hehadappliedthemto
redeeming hishostagesofthebestbloodinScotland,who
werelefttolanguishinEngland,wheresomeofthemdied.
ThemunicipalityofToursvoted;^iooototheEarlof
Douglasforhishappyaccessionas2ndDukeofTouraine,
butDouglaswasnotpresent,nordidheeverputinany
claimtothesuccessionnorderiveanyrevenuesfromthe
duchy. Clerksgavehimthe title,indeed, indrafting
charters, etc.,andhecontinued tobearthearms,buthe
wasknownofficiallyinScotlandasEarlofDouglas,
DuringtherestofKingJames'sreignlittleisrecorded
ofDouglas.HeattendedKingJamesinhisexpedition
againsttherebelLordoftheIslesin1429;butin143i,
forsomeunknowncause,heandSirJohnKennedywere
arrested,Douglasbeingcommittedtowardforashorttime
inLochlevenCastle.
On20thFebruary1437KingJames I.paidthepenalty
ofanover-zealous reformer,beingassassinated inPerthby
SirRobertGraham,theallegedagentofJames's
appointed uuclc,theagedEarlofAthol.James II.,only
Lieutenant-
gjj^yearsold,wascrowuedatHolyroodinMarch,
Scotland, wheutheEarlofDouglaswasappointedLieu-
arc
1437.
^Q^2Ln\.
-Generalofthekingdom,—practically
Regent,andtheScottishtragedyentereduponitsdarkest
deathMurdoch,histwosons,andhisfather-in-lawtheEarlofLennox ;whence
ithasbeenarguedthattheyhadbeensubornedduringtheirsupposedimprison-
ment.ThatKingJamesdidputsomeconstraintuponDouglasandhiscol-
leaguesisonlytooprobable,butnotbymeansofimprisonment.

DEATHOFTHE5™EARL 153
phase.TheboyKingwaslefttothecustodyoftheQueen-
mother,andtwoknightsoffamiliesnotinthefirstrankcom-
petedforthechiefauthorityintheroyalhousehold,namely,
SirWilliamCrichton,governorofEdinburghCastle,andSir
AlexanderLivingstone,governorofStirlingCastle,andthe
QueenconveyedtheKingtoStirling.Sofarastheperplexing
andcontradictorychroniclesofthetimecanbeunderstood
andreconciled,Douglasseemstohaveruledontheprinciple
Figs.20,21.—SealsofArchibald,2ndDukeofTouraine,5lhEarlof
Douglas,etc.(1424-1439).
oilaissesfaire. Nevertheless, itwassohighlyundesirable
thattheKing'spersonshouldbethesubjectofcontention
Deathofthe
betweenLivingstoneandCrichtonthathewent
Earlof
toButetoprepareRothesayCastlefortherecep-
26thJune tionoftheyoungmonarch. Butthisprojectwas
"*^^"
thwartedbythesuddendeathofDouglas at
Restalrigon26thJune,andtheguidanceofaffairspassed
intolesstrustykeeping.
Thebodyofthe5thEarlofDouglaswastakentoSt.
Bride'sChurchofDouglas,andthereinterredunderahand-
somestonecanopy.^
Hemarriedabout1424-1425,underPapaldispensation,
^TheLatininscriptiononthetombgivestheyearofhisdeathas1438instead
of
1439.

154 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
Euphemia,daughterofSirPatrickGrahamofKincardine,
andtheCountessPalatineofStrathern,andhadthree
children[besidestwowhoaresupposed tohavedied
young]
—
(i)William[xviii.],whosucceededhim.
(2)David.
(3)Margaret,theFairMaidofGalloway,successively
countessofthe8thand9thEarlsofDouglas.
Euphemia,CountessofDouglas,survivedherhusband,
andintheyearfollowinghisdeathmarried,underPapal
dispensation,JamesHamiltonofCadzow,afterwardsLord
Hamilton,althoughshecontinuedtostyleherselfCountess
ofDouglas.
Williamsucceededas6thEarlofDouglasin1439,
beingthenonlyfourteenyearsofage,butalreadyaknight
xviii.wii- oftenyearsstanding,havingbeensodubbedby
ofooug^a^r"^'
^^^^grand-uncle,James I.,atthechristeningof
EarlofWig-thetwinprincesAlexanderandJames. Boece's
town,Lordof - ,
,, ,
Galloway accouut oitheyoungearlsextravagance and
andAnnan-
ambition IStobereadwithmorereservethan
dale,1425-
1440. eventhegeneralnarrativeofthatmostuntrust-
worthyscribe, forwasnotBoeceboundtogratifyhis
patron,James v.,byblackening thememoryofthe
discreditedhouseofDouglas?Extravagant theyoung
lordmayhaveshownhimself,forhehadenteredupona
heritagesomagnificent thatitmightwellhaveturnedan
olderhead,butofambitionhecouldonlyhavecherished
boyishdreams.
TheQueen-motherhadprivatelymarriedSirJames
Stuart,theBlackKnightofLorn,asaprotectionagainst
therivalschemesofCrichtonandLivingstone. Vainhope,
asitproved,forLivingstonethrewherhusbandintoprison
andtookpossessionofherson,theboyKing. Thisactwas
ratifiedbytheCouncilwhichsatatStirlinginSeptember
1439,theyoungEarlofDouglasbeingpresent. The
magnificenceofhisretinueandhishaughtybearingupon
thisoccasionprobablyrousedtheapprehensionsofCrichton,
nowChancellorofScotland,andofLivingstone,whomthe

MURDEROFTHE6™EARL 155
Murderof
theEarlof
Douglasand
hisbrother,
24thNovem-
ber1440.
Councilhadrecognised astheKing'sguardian. Crichton
andLivingstonehadbeenatopenwarwitheachother,but
werenowreconciled. PerhapsyoungDouglashadspoken
slightinglyoftheseupstartsandofhisintention,asnear
kinsmanoftheKingandchiefofthehousethathadalways
beenfirstintheroyalcouncil,toclaimtheguardianship.
Theprefacetothecomingtragedy ishopelesslyobscure.
GodscroftfollowsthefabulousnarrativeofBoece,andis
utterlyunworthy ofbelief.What isprobable isthat
ChancellorCrichtonhadimbibed,approved,and
adoptedthe
firstJames's
policyof
breaking
thepowerofthegreat
nobles,andperceived
adangertotheState,
andespecially tohis
ownposition therein,
inthevastpowerto
which the heirof
Douglas succeeded.
What iscertain is
thattheearlandhis
brotherDavidreceived
"pleasant writings
"
fromCrichtonbiddingthemtotheKing'scourt,andthatthey
acceptedtheinvitation. TheyrodetogethertoEdinburgh
withSirMalcolmFlemingofCumbernauld,andwerepre-
sentedtotheKing,thenaboyoftenyears. Dinnerwas
servedinthecastle ;itissaidthatwhilethecompanysat
attableonthatgreyNovemberafternoonablackbull's
head
^wassuddenlyplacedupontheboard. Thisominous
dishwasthesignalforoneofthemosthorribledeedsin
Scottishhistory.Thegayyoungearl,hisbrother,and
MalcolmFlemingwereseized
;theDouglaseswerearraigned
onthespotbeforeamocktribunalinpresenceoftheKing,
^SirWalterScottisresponsibleforthecolour.
Fig.22.—SealofWilliam,3rdDukeof
Touraine,6thEarlofDouglas,etc.(i439)-

156 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
condemnedonsomeunknowncharge,takenoutintothe
castleyard,andthenandtherebeheaded. Flemingsuffered
alikefateafewdayslater.Probablyhewastoointelligent
awitnessofthecrimetobesufferedtolive.
"dbinburfih(Basih,totonanbtxitocr,
(Sxibgrantthousinkforsin
!
Jlnbthate'mforth^hlackbtnna:
(Earl^ongtasgatthw^in."
Whatevermayhavebeenthewholeschemeandaimin
thismostghastlydeed,Crichton'simmediatepurposewas
therebyattained,namely,thedivisionoftheDouglas
estates,andtheweakening ofthechiefofthattoo
powerfulhouse.
TheestatesofDouglasdaleandotherlandspassed
undertheentailof1342toJames,EarlofAvondale[xix.],
^. . . ,whilethelordshipsofGallowayandBothwell,
Divisionof
1. J
'
theDouglaswithallthelandsinheritedfromJoannaMoray
estates,144°.
^fBothwell,devolvedupontheLadyMargaret,
onlysisterofthemurderedbrothers. Norwasthatall.
ThelordshipofAnnandalehadbeengrantedtoArchibald,
4thEarlofDouglas,andtheheirsofhisbody,whom
failing,totheEarlofMarch. ButGeorge, 11thEarlof
March,hadbeenimprisonedbyJames I.inpursuanceofhis
policyofcripplingthefeudallords,andhislandsforfeited
totheCrown.Now,therefore,onthefailureoftheDouglas
line,AnnandalefollowedtherestofthepossessionsofMarch,
andbecamepartol\hQ.privatumpatrimo7iminofJamesII.
ThuswasthegreatdominionoftheEarlsofDouglas
shorntoshreds.TosuggestthatChancellor Crichton
wasactingconscientiously accordingtohislightsinthe
supposedinterestsofthekingdommayseemtostrainthe
sentimentofcharitybeyondwhat isreasonable. Never-
theless,assumingthatCrichtonperceivedastandingmenace
tothemonarchyintheextraordinaryascendencyofasingle
subject,indestroyingthatsubjecthewasbuttakingaleaf
fromthebookofhismaster,James I.,andfollowingthe
exampleofthatmasterinresortingtotherecognisedinstru-

JAMES"THEGROSS" 157
mentsofstatecraft—theaxeandtheblock. Theiryouth
andinexperienceimpartadeepergloomtothefateofthese
gallantvictimsthanthatwhichbroodsoverthedoomof
MurdochandAlbanyandhissons,orofthoseHighlanders
whosefaithinkinglyhonourhadcostthemtheirlives.
Crichtonwasaclumsierdiscipleoftheschoolthanthe
royalreformerunderwhomhehadbeentaught,andhis
stupidcrueltyhasbroughtuponhimbitterexecration for
alltimetocome.
Themurderedearlwasbutfifteenyearsofage ;never-
thelessheleftawidow,havingmarriedJanetLindsay,
adaughterofthe2ndEarlofCrawford. Aslateas1482
shereceivedfromJamesin.landsinthelordshipofBrechin,
inlieuofterceduetoherfromthelandsofDouglas,^
whichbythattimehadbeenforfeitedtotheCrown.
TheearldomofDouglasnowrevertedtoJamesDouglas
ofBalvany[orBalvenie]inBanffshire,secondsonofArchi-
baldtheGrim [xiii.l. James I.hadalready
"theGross,"CreatedhimEarlofAvondaleandLordBalvany
7thEarlof
jj^1437,and ithasbeensuggested thathe
Douglas,ist Tj/j t>t3
Earlof receivedtheearldom ofDouglasbyafresh
andLord
grantfromtheCrown,theinferencebeingthathe
Balvany, hadcondoned, ifnotconnived in,thefateofhis
c.1380-1443.
youngkinsmenandchief;butthereisnotthe
slightestevidence forthissuspicion.Hesucceeded as
heiroflineundertheentailwhichsecuredtheinheritance
toArchibaldtheGrimandtheheirsofhisbody.Hewas
alreadyanoldman,upwardsofsixty,whenheenteredupon
thediminishedinheritance ;hiscorpulencehadearnedfor
himthesobriquetof
"theGross,"anditmaywellbethatit
waswantofphysicalandmentalenergy,andnotgoodwill
towardsCrichton,whichpreventedhim,duringhisshort
termofpossession,fromundertaking thosemeasures of
vengeancewhichcosthisson,the8thearl,hislife.
LikeotherScottishbarons,includingthoseofhisown
^Exchequer Rolls,vii.,Ixiii.-lxviii., 325,411,466,554,632.Muchcon-
fusionhasbeencausedbysomeofthesegrantshavingbeenmadetothe
countessunderthenameofMargaret.

158 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
kin,hehadacquiredthehabitinyouthofhelpinghimself
outofthepublicfunds
;frequentoccasionsareonrecordon
whichhescruplednottoextortfromtheKing'scollectors
moneytowhichhewasnotentitled,orcompelledthemto
passhiswoolfreeofduty.^Duringhisbrother'scaptivity
inEngland,JamesdischargedtheofficeofWardenofthe
Marches.WhenPercy,EarlofNorthumberland,soughtre-
fugeinBerwickafterthebattleofShrewsbury,JamesDou-
glasenteredintomostamicablerelationswithhim
;butno
soonerhadPercyquittedthatcitythanJames'ssoldiers
burntmostofittotheground. ThereuponKingHenry
notunreasonably accusedDouglasofbreachoftruceand
violationofhisoathasWarden. Douglasrepliedwith
spirit,bringingcounter-charges againsttheEnglish,and
justifyinghimselfatgreatlengthinthefollowingcharacter-
isticstrain
:
—
"AndquharyhesaythatBerwikethatstandisinScotlande,theqwhilktoun
yhecallyhourisinyhoiirsaydelettres,andcertaynelandisofyhouriswythin
Inglandewasbrendebemymen,mywillandmynassent,brekandthetrewis,
andnochtinyhouris,andinthecontrarofmynathe,thartoIanswerinthis
maner,thatqwhattymeitliketoourlegeLordetheKynge,andtoyhourhee
Excellent,toordaneredresstobemadebehiscommissarisandyhourisofall
attemptatisdoneofaythirsyde,Isail,withthehelpofGode,makeitwell
kennytthatIhafftrewlykepitmynatheandthetrewis,asafferystomeof
resoun.AndqwhaeverenfourmityhourExcellencethatIhadebrokynmynathe,
ithadbenefayrarforhimtohaffesendemethatquerelleintowrytvndirhisselle
[seal],andtilhafftaneansweregreableasafferittohimvndermyseelleagayne,
thansuavntrewlyinmynabsencetillenfourmeyhourExcellence,forItraysthe
hassaidemarinmynabsencethanhedarawowinmypresens,for—nochtdis-
pleceyhourhonour—learys[liars]suldebelytillalowitwythonysicworschipfull
kyngeasyheare. . . .Hee,almychtyprynce,theHalyGastyowhaffinhis
yhemsall[inhimself]euermar.—WrytynatEddynburghe,vndermyselle,thexxvi.
dayofJulii.
JamesorDouglas,WardaneoftheMarche.-
'
'Toaneexcellentmidamyihty
prynce,KyngeofInglande.'''
OneofthebestknownScottishknightsatthistime
wasSirDavidFlemingofBiggarandCumbernauld,sonof
^ExchequerRolls, 'in.567,
iv.113,115,193,216,244,270,296,301,365.
^Eraser,iv.67.

SLAUGHTEROFSIRDAVIDFLEMING 159
thatMalcolmFlemingwho,in1372,hadsoldtheearldom
ofWigtown toArchibald theGrim.Hehadactedas
Slaughterof
bailieorstewardonpartoftheDouglaslands,
SirDavid
andtherelationsbetweenthetwofamiliesseem
Fleming-,14th
. ., ._
February tohavebeenquitecordial,untiloffencearoseout
1406-
ofthefollowingcircumstance. Isabella,Countess
ofDouglasandMar,bestoweduponArchibaldDouglas,
theillegitimatesonofherbrother [xii.],thebaronyand
landsofCavers. Butbecausethishadbeendonewithout
theKing'sconsent,Robert III.,shortlybeforehisdeath,
cancelledthegiftandconferredthebaronyanditscon-
comitant officeofHereditary SheriffofRoxburghupon
SirDavidFleming[August1405].^TheEarlofDouglas
[xvi.]wasincaptivity inEngland atthattime,sohis
kinsman,JamestheGross,undertook towipeoutthe
affrontinblood.Hechosehisopportunity inFebruary
1406,whenFlemingwasreturningfromNorthBerwick,
wherehehadbeenseeingtheScottishCrownPrinceoffon
thevoyagewhichendedinhiscapturebytheEnglish.
Douglaslayinwaitfortheknightandattackedhimashe
rodewithhisfollowingacrossLangHerdmanston Moor.
SirDavidFlemingwasslain,andhiscompanydispersed
andcaptured
;yetthisfeudmusthavebeenmorequickly
healedthanmostofitskind,seeingthatSirDavid'sson,
Malcolm,wastheonlyfriendwiththe6thEarlofDouglas
andhisbrotherwhentheywereentrappedbyCrichton.
Thepossessions ofJamestheGrosswereveryexten-
sive,includingBalvany,Bocharm, etc.,inBanff;Avoch,
Edderdar,Stratherne,andBrachlyinInverness-shire
;Aber-
dourandRattray inAberdeenshire ;Kilmalaman and
one-thirdofDuffusinElgin,andAbercorninLinlithgow-
shire,allwhichheprobablyreceivedfromhisbrother.
Besidesthese,in1425KingJamesconfirmedhimin
possession ofStrathavon orAvondale,andPettinain in
Lanarkshire,andStewartoninAyrshire."
In1437JamesDouglaswascreatedEarlofAvondale,
andappointedJustice-General ofScotland. Inthisfavour
'Fiaser, i.
434,quotingcharteratCavers.
'^
Ibid., i.437-438.

i6o THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
CreatedEarl
ofAvondale
andJustice-
Generalof
Scotland,
1437-
maybetracedthehandofhisnephew,the5thEarlof
Douglas[xvii.],who,itwillberemembered,becameRegent
ofScotland inthatyear.Asajudgehispro-
gressoncircuitwasnotwithoutinconvenience,
eventosomeofhisownkin,seeing that
EgidiaDouglas,CountessofOrkney,complained
bitterly totheCouncil[May1438]ofthe
spoliation ofherlandsofNithsdalebypersons inthe
justiciar'sfollowing.TheCoun-
cilpromisedherredressinthe
nextParliament,andassured
herthatherrightsshouldbe
respected inthemeanwhile.
Tothissherepliedbluntlythat
ifanyattemptweremadeto
holdanothercourtuponher
landsshewouldstopthepro-
ceedings.^
There isonlyonepublic
appearance recordedofJames
theGrossafterhebecamechief
Fig.23.-TusticiarySealofJames,
^fthehouseofDouglas,namely,
7thEarlofDouglas(1440-1443). ataGeneralCouncilinEdin-
burghinApril1441.^Hehad
grownsounwieldythatheprobably livedverymuch
retired."HediedatAbercorn,24thMarch
1443,andwasburiedinSt.Bride'sofDouglas,
wherehistombremains,withhisrecumbent
effigythereon,andthoseofhissixsonsand
fourdaughters.
James,7thEarlofDouglas,married, first,adaughter
ofRobert,istDukeofAlbany,whosename,bycapriceof
thechroniclers,hasnotbeenrecorded. Shediedabout
Deathof
Jamesthe
Gross,24th
March1443.
1
Fraser, i.440,quotingoriginalprotestatCrookston.
2ActsofPari.Scof.,ii.56.
"'
Ofthisearl'shugebulksomeideamaybehadfromthestatementinthe
AuchinleckChronicle :"Tothetakin[token]thaisaidhehadinhimfourstane
oftalch[tallow]andmair."

DUfeimiti8j)rimoQe\w,'^bete5Iilctia)eriatl
liluatobifotceS'Sft^ tttRlehettbtwteBaictfltmacob
tomec>iTnwrra'bef7\J5ft)q2tT)Ccieit9 comedooamome

CHILDRENOFJAMESTHEGROSS i6i
1424withoutissue,andbeforeMarch1426
^theearl
marriedBeatrix St.Clair,daughterofHenry,Earlof
Orkney,bywhomhehadtenchildren
—
(i)William [xx.],whosucceeded as8thEarlof
Douglas.
sj(2)James[xxiv.],whosucceededas9thEarlofDouglas.
H((3)
Archibald[xxi.],whobecameEarlofMoray.
(4)Hugh[xxii.],createdEarlofOrmondin1445.
(5)John[xxiii.],lordofBalvany.
(6)Henry,BishopofDunkeld.-
(7)Margaret,marriedHenryDouglasofBorgue, in
Galloway,^andhadthreesons,Hugh,James,and
John.
(8)Beatrix,married SirWilliamHay,Constableof
ScotlandandistEarlofErrol.
(9)
Janet,marriedRobert,istLordFlemingofCum-
bernauld,sonofSirDavidFleming,whomher
fatherslewonLangHerdmanstonMoor.
(10)Elizabeth,saidtohavemarriedSirJohnWallaceof
Craigie.*
TheCountessofDouglasnevermarriedagain,but
livedtobeforfeitedforhershareintherisingofhersons
againstJames II.
^On7thMarch1426James i.grantedlandstoJamesDouglasofBalvany
andBeatrix,hisspouse,inconjunct-fee.
—
Registru7nMagniSigilli, ii.No.39.
-Godscroftsaysthatwhenthe8thEarlwenttoRomein1450hepickedup
inParishisyoungestbrotherGeorge,whowasatschoolthere,intendingtotake
himtoRome,butthathediedonthejourney. ThisGeorge,however, isnot
mentionedontheinscriptionuponhisfather'stomb.
^GodscroftsaysshemarriedDouglas,LordofDalkeith,andthiscorresponds
withtheinscriptiononthetombinSt.Bride's—^Urgrfta h.xorbutbe
^ankajlit ;butSirW.FraserobservesthatHenryDouglasmayhaveacquired
somerightoverDalkeithduringhisbrother'sinsanity[DouglasBook,i.
445],
andin1474Henry'seldestsonHughrenounced allrightoverthebaronyof
Dalkeith,infavouroftheEarlofMorton,byadeedattestedbyhisbrothers
JamesandJohn\_Moiion, ii.222].Margaretdrewhertercefromthelandsof
BorgueandothersinAnnandale afterherhusband'sdeath,albeitBorguewas
forfeitedin1455.
*SirWilliamFrasersaysthatnoconfirmationhasbeenobtainedofthe
marriagesofJanetandElizabeth.OnthesepulchralinscriptioninSt.Bride's,
Janet ismentioned asJonetabxoriuibtbtggitrttCOmnaulb,whereas
Elizabeth isonlystyledxjuattafilia.
VOL.I. L

CHAPTERVIII
PAGE
163XX.William,8thEarlofDouglas,
2ndEarlofAvondale,Lord
ofGalloway,etc.,1424-1452.
163IsappointedLieutenanl-General,
April1443.
164Raiseswaragainst Chancellor
Crichton,20thAugust1443.
164MarriestheFairMaidofGallo-
way,1444.
165FeudbetweentheBlackDouglas
andtheRed,1443.
166DouglasclaimstheDuchyofTour-
aine,1448.
167RenewalofBorderwarfare,1449.
168FalloftheLivingstones, 1449.
169DouglastravelstoRome,Novem-
ber1450.
170Hisreconciliation withtheKing,
1451.
171FormsaleaguewiththeEarlof
Crawford,145!•
172MurderoftheEarlofDouglas,
February1452.
174xxi.ArchibaldDouglas,Earlof
Moray, c.1427-1455.
176RaidsStrathbogie,May1452.
176DefeatsHuntlyatDunkinty,1452.
176Isforfeited,1452.
177Andreinstated,August1452.
177HisdeathatArkinholm,1455.
177
xxii.Hugh Douglas, Earlof
Orniond, c.1429-1455.
178BattleoftheSark,23rdOct.1449.
PAGE
iSoExecutionofOrmond,1455.
ISoxxiii.JohnDouglas,LordofBal-
vany,c.1430-1463.
ISoEscapesfromthebattleofArkin-
holm,1455.
181ActsintheserviceofEdwardiv.,
1461.
181Hiscaptureandexecution,1463.
iSlxxiv.James,9thEarlofDouglas,
3rdEarlofAvondale, etc.,
c.1425-14S8.
183DefiesKingJames,i7thMarchi452.
184MakessubmissiontoKingJames,
28thAugust1452.
185Marrieshisbrother'swidow,1453.
186ReleaseofMalise,EarlofStrath-
ern,1453.
188TheKingmakeswaronDouglas,
1455-
191DouglasseeksrefugeinEngland,
1453-
191BattleofArkinholm, 1455.
192ForfeitureoftheDouglases,loth,
I2thJune1455.
193TakingoftheThiieve,1455.
196Douglas'sembassytotheLordof
theIsles,June1461.
200TheaffairofKirtlebank, 24th
July1484.
200CaptureoftheEarlofDouglas,
24thJuly1484.
201Hisdeath,1488.
201TheFairMaidofGalloway.
William,eldestsonofJamestheGross,hadbeenknighted
atthetenderageoffiveyears,ontheoccasionofthe

^:

THE
8THEARL 163
baptismofthetwinsonsofJames I.Inhispersonthe
houseofDouglaswasdestinedtorecoverallandmore
thanitspristinepowerandsplendour,theresult
8thEarlof™'
^^muchofWilliam's personalinfluenceover
Douglas,2ndKin^James II.asofhisprudentmarriagewith
EarlofAvon-
,
.^
•'
,
.
, -J^.,^ .
, r^ ,
dale,LordofhissecondcousintherairMaidofGalloway,
Galloway,
namely,Margaret,daughterofthe5thEarlof
etc.,1424-1452. y
' o
J o J
Douglas[xvii.].Bythismarriagetheearldom
ofWigtownandthelordshipsofGallowayandBothwell
becamereunitedwiththeentailedpossessionsofthechief
ofDouglas,wherebytheeffectofCrichton'smurderof
thetwosonsoftheseniorlinewasannulled.
Immediately afterhissuccession totheearldomWil-
liamDouglas,beingtheneighteenyearsofage,presented
himselfatStirlingtodofealtytohisKing,agedthirteen
[April1443]. IfBoece,byarareaccident,hasdescribed
thetruth,thegallantyoungearlmadesuchafavourable
impressionuponhisliegelordthathewasappointedat
onceLieutenant-General oftherealm. History,
Isappointed .
.
•'
Lieutenant- Silentorexaspcratiugly contradictory upona
General,
thousandpointsonewouldliketohavecleared
April1443.
*
upatthisperiod,presentsnoreflectionofChan-
cellorCrichton'sgrimace asheviewedtheriseofthis
newstar,andforesawinitsprojectedunionwiththeFair
MaidofGallowayanewdawnofallthateffulgencewhich
byhisownviolentacthehadquenched. ButLivingstone,
stilltheKing'sguardian,wasfairlyamatchforhissome-
timeconfederateCrichton.Heperceivedendlessadvantage
tohisownfactioninthepowerfulcombinationtobebrought
aboutbythecomingalliance,fortheMaidofGalloway's
motherhadmarriedhisgrandson. SirJamesHamilton.
Meanwhile,beingstricken inyears,hehandedoverthe
KingandStirlingCastletothekeepingofhisson.Sir
JamesLivingstone.
Douglaswastednotimeinpreliminaries. Itsounds
athingincredible inmodernearsthatthewholeofthe
royalforcesshouldhavebeenentrustedtothecommand
ofaladofeighteen
;yetsoitwas,andon20thAugust

164 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
1443Douglas laidsiegetoCrichton's castleofBarn-
Dougias
^<^">whereAndrew Crichton heldcommand,
wageswarDouglasbeleaguered theplacefourdaysand
Crichton,20thfoufnights ;onthefifthdayheunfurledthe
August1443.
j-oyalstandard,whenthegarrison capitulated
andthecastlewasrazed.^
AttheParliamentof4thNovemberfollowing,Crichton,
havingbeensummonedtoanswerachargeoftreason,was
conspicuousbyabsence. He,ifanyone,knewwhatjustice
meantinthecaseofmembersoftheOpposition,andhe
occupiedhimselfinsteadbyraidingthepropertyofDouglas
inAbercornandStrabrock. InNovember theGeneral
CouncilatStirlingdecreedthatallthefamilyandadherents
ofCrichtonshouldbeputtothehorn.-
DouglasandtheMaidofGallowayweremarried in
1444amidgreatrejoicings.^ Thebridegroom's brothers,
ArchibaldandHugh,werecreatedrespectively
Marriesthe
FairMaidofEarlofMorayandofOrmond,andJohnre-
Gaiioway,
ccivcdthelordshipofBalvany. Norwerethe
Livingstones overlooked—SirJamesHamilton
madealordofParliament,wherebyDouglas's
politicalpowerwasconsiderably
increased.
Meanwhileanotherbranchof
theDouglas treehad tobe
reckonedwith.JamesDouglas,
3rdEarlofAngus [xli.],grand-
sonofGeorge,istEarlofAngus,
whowasasonofWilliam, ist
EarlofDouglas [xi.],wielded
feudalauthorityonlyinferiorto
thatofthechiefofthesenior
line.Heheldhisheadquarters
inTantallon Castle,thatmightypilewhichMurdoch,
being
Fig.24.—SealofWilliam,Sth
EarlofDouglas(1443-1452;.
1AuchinkckChronicle,p.36.
-I.e.proclaimedoutlaws.
2
Boece,ofcourse,doesnotmissthisopportunityformisstatement,butstates
thatthemarriagetookplaceinthelifetimeofJamestheGross.ThePapal
dispensation foritisdated24thJuly1444.

THEBLACKDOUGLASANDTHERED 165
DukeofAlbany,hadbuiltonthebrinkoftheNorth
Sea,andthitherhewithdrewfromKingJames'sCourt
in1443andjoinedCrichton inresisting theroyal
forces.Theoriginofthefeudthussetafootbetweenthe
BlackDouglasofDouglasdaleandtheRedDouglasof
Angus isveryobscure,butperhaps itisnot
Feudbetween
. . , . , •
i i
theBlack wrongtotraccittojealousy01therapidad-
Dougiasand
yancementofyoungEarlWilliam.Atallevents
theRed,1443.
.7 t>
thequarrelbeganwithspirit;Angus issaidto
havesupportedCrichton inhisraiduponStrabrockand
Abercorn,whichFlemingofBiggaravengedonbehalfof
hisbrother-in-law. EarlWilliam,byadestructiveincursion
uponthelandsofAngusaboutNorthBerwick. Fleming,
however,wascapturedbytheangryproprietorandputin
duranceatTantallon.
Next,BishopKennedyofSt.Andrews,awarmCrich-
tonian,cameonthesceneand
"cursitsolempnitlie with
myterandstafandbukeandcandillcontynuallyayer,"
^
thesubjectsofthisexcommunication beingthe3rdEarlof
Crawford,LivingstonetheKing'sguardian,thewholerace
ofOgilvys,HamiltonofCadzow,andothersofthepartyof
Douglas,becausetheyhadplunderedthechurchlandsof
St.Andrews. Prelatesweregenerallyadeptatcursing,
butitwasseldomthattheirexecrationsweresodramatic-
allyeffectiveasinthisinstance. Crawford's son,after-
wardsthe
"TigerEarl,"wasjusticiaryofthemonastery
ofArbroath.Himthemonksdeposed,exasperatedout
ofmeasurebyhisoppression,andappointedOgilvyof
Innerquharity,whichbroughttheLindsayclanabouttheir
wallswithfireandsword. Crawfordinterposed,anxious
tokeepthepeace,butreceivedamortalwoundinthe
attempt.TheLindsayscarriedthedayandexpelledthe
newjusticiar,whosoughtrefugewithhiscousin,the
widowedCountessofCrawford,inthecastleofFinhaven.
Thebereaveddamesought—andnodoubtfound—some
solacebycausingthefugitivetobesmotheredtodeath.
ThistookplaceinJanuary1446,butAngushadalready
'AuchinlcckChronicle, p.39.

166 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
beensummonedbeforeParliament[June1445],whichhad
adjournedfromPerthtoEdinburgh,whereDouglaswas
besiegingCrichton inthecastle. Angus,fartoowary
torunhisheadintothatnoose,sulkedatTantallon,
whiledecreeofforfeiturewaspronounced againsthimfor
rebellion.! WhenCrichton heard that hisprincipal
championhadbeenthusdisarmed hecapitulated to
Douglas,madesubmission totheKing,andwasrestored
totheChancellorship. Angusprobablycameinupon
easytermsatthesametime,andallpartiesmadeshowof
reconciliation.
ForthenextthreeyearstheEarlofDouglasdoesnot
appear inanypublic
event,butseemstohave
divided bistimebe-
tween hiscastles of
Newark, Thrieve,and
Douglas, settling dis-
putesbetweenhisvassals
andattending tothe
ordinary duties ofa
feudal lord.- Itwas
probablyinmid-winter
1448thatheassembled
theoldest freeholders
anddwellersonthe
Border atLincluden
andcollectedfromthem
theirversionoftheBorderlawsinstitutedbyArchibald
theGrim [xiii.],whichlawshesetinproperform
forfutureobservance.^ Itisbutanotherinstanceofthe
perplexing relations between partiesatthis
timethatCrichton,beingsentonanembassy
toFrancetorenewtheancientallianceandto
arrangethemarriageofKingJameswithMarie
ofGueldres,wasemployedbyDouglastopresshisclaim,
Fig.25.—SealofWilliam,SthEarlof
Douglas(1443-1452).
Doug-las
claimsthe
Duchyof
Touraine,
1448.
^AdsofPari.Scot.,ii.
59.
2piaser, i.4C0,461.
^ActsofPari.Scot., ii.64.

RAIDANDCOUNTER-RAID 167
andthatofhisaunt,thewidowofArchibald,4thEarlof
Douglas [xvi.],upontherevenuesoftheDuchyofTour-
aine. Charlesvii.repudiated allliability,reminding the
claimantsthatthegrantoftheduchyhadbeenmadetothe
heirsmaleofArchibaldDouglas,DukeofTouraine [xvi.],
andthattheEarlofWigtown [xvii.],sonofthesaid
Archibald,hadneverdonehomagefortheduchy,whichhad
beenbestoweduponanother.Heexpressedgreataffection
forthehouseofDouglas,deploredthecalamitywhichhad
befallen itatthebattleofVerneuil,butthefortuneofwar
mustbeborneasGodshouldchoosetosend it.Hedid
notundervaluetheservicesoftheScotsnobles,hesaid,but
thedepredationsoftheirfollowersuponhissubjectsought
nottobeleftoutofaccount
!
AboutthistimeDundasofthatilkappearsasarebel,
holdinghiscastleagainsttheKing.Whenitsurrendered
thecontentsweredividedbetweentheKing,Douglas,
Crichton,andtheirfriends.Thebuildingwasdemolished,
andDouglaswasrewardedbyacantleoftheforfeited
lands,towit,halfofEchlin,Dalmeny,andDundas.
Itwasprobablyinthespringof1449[atwelvemonth's
marginonewayortheotherhastobeallowedtomany
Renewalof
^atesofthisperiod]thataffairsontheBorder
Borderwar-passedintoanacutephase. Itwasatimeof
'
^'*'*^'
truce,tobesure,^buttheperennialfeudbetween
thehousesofDouglasandPercywasoftoooldstanding
tobegreatlyaffectedbymereinternationalcircumstances.
WerenotDouglasandPercynearneighbours ?—whatshould
beexpectedofthembutthattheyshouldeachraidthelands
oftheotherwhenoccasionserved?forsoneighbourswho
knewtheirbusinessdidalwaysuse.SoyoungPercyand
SirRobertOgleburnedDunbarinMay ;theEarlofSalis-
burydidtheliketoDumfries inJune. Next,Douglas,
withhisbrotherOrmond,madeadashforAlnwick,leftit
inashes,returnedafewweekslaterandreducedWark-
worthtothesamecondition. Oh,itwasglorious
!—life
stretchedoutingrandvistasbeforethesetwoearls,who
^Tenyearsoftrucehadbeenproclaimedonl8lhMay1444.

i68 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
betweenthemcouldreckonsomefive-and-fortysummersat
most.Fortheirpoorervassalsandtenants,perhaps,the
prospectwasnotquitesoenchanting.
DouglaswasbackinStirlingintimefortheKing's
marriage,whichwascelebratedon3rdJuly1449. Great
rejoicingstookplacearoundthewar-wornfortaliceonthe
Forth. Atagreattournamentwhichwasheldinthe
King'sPark,theFrenchchroniclerDeCoussyassertsthat
theEarlofDouglaswaspresentwith4000to6000men
;
butashewasLieutenant-General ofScotland,thesemay
havebeenroyaltroops.
Andnowthemysterydeepens ;therebefelwhat
theAuchinleck chroniclercanonlydescribeas
"agret
Fallofthe
f^rhe[marvcl]." DouglasandLivingstonehad
Livingstones,beenclosclyalliedagainstCrichton,whohad
''*'*^'
regained officeandroyalfavour,chiefly, itmay
beassumed,throughtheinfluenceofBishopKennedy.
SuddenlyKing
"Jameswiththefiryeface,"agednineteen,
andscarcelytwomonthsmarried,turnedsavagelyupon
theLivingstone faction,clapped inprisonhisguardian
SirJames,withhisfatherandhistwosons—threegenera-
tionsofthem. Parliament,meeting inJanuary1450,
forfeitedalltheLivingstonelandsandsentthetwosonsof
SirJamestothescaffold. SirJameshimselfmanagedto
escapefromBlackness Castle,andfoundrefugewithhis
son-in-lawtheEarlofRoss,LordoftheIsles.
Douglasdeemed itnoshametoprofitbythefallofhis
sometimecolleagueandconfederate,receivingthelandsof
CulterandOgilface inLanarkforfeitedbyLivingstone,
besidesafurthersliceofDundasterritoryintheshapeof
Blairmakkas inthesamecounty.^
Inallthisdarkworkhistorianshavetracedthehandof
BishopKennedyofSt.Andrews,whohadacquiredgreat
ascendencyovertheKing,andtowhoseinfluencethe
restoration ofCrichtonmusthavebeenmainlydue.
HavingdestroyedtheLivingstones,heturnedhishandto
curbingthepowerofDouglas[Crichton,onemayassume,
'
/'c--.MagjiiSigiUi, ii.316,317.357-

DOUGLASGOESTOROME 169
beingnothingloth],andprobablywasatthebottomofthe
earl'sjourneytoRome,onasafe-conductextendingover
threeyears,inordertoattendthePapalJubilee.Upto
thistime,November 1450,Douglascontinued infull
favourwiththeKing,andwasbyfarthemost
uZelsto
powerfulsubjectoftheCrown.Heremained
Rome,No-
constantly atcourt,andappearsaswitnessto
1450.
^g^j.jyeveryroyalcharteroftheperiod.^ But
nosoonerwashisbackturnedthansinisteragenciesbegan
toworkagainsthim.Hesailedinashipcommandedby
oneHughBrok,-havinginhissuitehisbrotherJames,
MasterofDouglas,theLordsHamilton,Graham,Saltoun,
Seton,Oliphant,besidessixknights,fourteenesquires,and
eightymen-at-arms.^
Douglasleftoneofhisbrotherstoadministerhisestates
duringhisabsence ;buthehadnotbeenlonginRomeere
disquietinghome-newshastened hisreturntoScotland.
William Turnbull,BishopofGlasgow,hadjoinedthe
Kennedy-Crichton leagueagainsthim,*and,eitherthrough
thisagencyorbecauseofmaladministration byDouglas's
representative, greatdisorderhadarisenamongtheearl's
vassals. TheKingcollected troopsandproceeded to
restorepeacebymakingwarupontheDouglaslands,
levellingCragDouglas,astrongholdonYarrow,tothe
ground. PitscottieandBoece,holdingbriefsagainstthe
Douglas,accountforallthisbychargingtheearlwith
crueltyandoppression. Theearlwasnomorethanfive-
and-twenty,and itwasonlyinaccordwiththemanyex-
amplesoffeudalswaythathisruleoverthosevastestates
shouldhavebeenmarkedbysometyrannyandinjustice.
Buttherearetwosidestoeveryquestion
;theAuchinleck
chroniclerrepresentstheothersideofthisonewhen,after
tellingofDouglas'sreturnfromRomeandhisrestoration
totheKing'sfavour,headdsthat
"
allgudScottismen
warrychtblythofthataccordance." Uponhisreconcilia-
tionwiththeKing,Douglassurrendered allhispossessions
^Fraser, i.465.
-ExchequerRolls,v.439.
^Reg.MagliiSigilli,301,340.
*Law'sMS.,quotedbyFraser, i.467.

I70 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
andreceivedafreshgrantofthem,confirmingthemto
...,.himself,hisfourbrothersandtheirheirsmale.
Reconciliation
'
withtheKing,Thedetailsoflandsthusdealtwith,asset
''*^''
forthinthecharters,conveysomeideaofthe
greatextentofthisyoungnoble'spossessions.^ Itisto
benotedthatthesearequiteindependentoftheestatesof
hisbrothers,theEarlsofMorayandOrmondandthelord
ofBalvany.Thereisacuriousabsolvingclausetotheeffect
thatDouglas istoenjoyhislandsasfullyandfreelyasdid
hispredecessors, notivitJistandiug allcrimescommittedby
himorhisunclethedeceasedEarlArchibald. Itisnot
tobesupposedthattheKingreadeverything thathe
signed,albeithecertainlypossessedmoreschoolcraftthan
manyexaltedpersonagesofhistime.Mayonediscern
thefingerofBishopKennedy, orBishopTurnbull,or
ChancellorCrichton inthesuggestionconveyedbythis
uncomplimentary paragraph ?
Deeperanddarkergrowsthegloomafterthisgleamof
radiance. BoeceandPitscottieviewitheachotherinpiling
upevidenceagainstDouglastoaccountforandjustifyhis
approachingdoom. Boecelabouredatwhathewishedto
betakenashistoryseventyyearsafterthedaysofthis
EarlofDouglas ;Pitscottieaboutfive-and-twenty years
laterthanBoece :yetPitscottiemanagedtocollectsome
storiestoDouglas's discreditwhichfindnoplacewith
Boece.Uponsuchevidencewhowouldhangamouse?
^Reg.MagniSigiia, ii.Nos.463,464,466-477,474-4S2,503,504.
CountyofLanark.—TheearldomandcastleofDouglas,withthefermof
Ruglen
;thelordshipandcastleofBothwell,withCormannock ;the
sheriffdomofLanark
;CulterandCraufordjohn.
CountyofAyr.—Trabreath,Stewarton,Dunlop.
CountiesofSelkirkandPeebles.—TheForestsofEttrickandSelkirk,Glcn-
whim
;Lauderdale,withRomannoandKingsmeadow.
Galloway.—ThewholelordshipofGalloway,eastandwest ;theearldomof
Wigtown
;thecastlesofThrieve,Preston,andBuittle.
Roxburghshire.—Brondon,Sprouston,Bedrule,Smailholm ;Eskdale,with
Stablegorton.
CountyofLinlithgow.—ThebaronyandcastleofAbercorn. "T
CountyofHaddington.—Bolton.
CountyofAberdeen.—Aberdour,andthecastleandrockofDundarg.

DOUGLAS'SLEAGUEWITHCRAWFORD 171
yetrestsonnobetterfoundation thewidelycredited
legendofthefateofMaclellanofBombie. Itrunsthat
Maclellan,havingincurredthedispleasure oftheBlack
Douglas,wasconfined inDouglas Castle.^ SirPatrick
Gray,Maclellan'suncle,arrivingwiththeKing'sorderfor
Maclellan'srelease,washospitablyentertained atdinnerby
theearl. Whiletheysatovertheirwine,Maclellan, in
accordancewithDouglas'scommands,wasbeheadedinthe
castleyard. Uponsimilarevidence—thatis,nonewhatever
—reststhestoryofthehangingofSirHerbertHerriesof
TerreglesforraidinginAnnandale. Heavenknows,there
isenoughofwell-authenticated horrorinthestoryofthese
times,andnothingimprobableinthenatureofthesealleged
outrages ;butwhowouldcaretofounduponchargeswhich
havenomorerealweightthantaverngossip? If,as
alleged,theEarlofDouglaswaspresentwiththeKing
atEdinburghon26thDecember145iand13thJanuary
1452,thatwouldseeminconsistentwithhisbeingunder
theKing's displeasure because ofthebutchery of
Maclellan.
Itistolerablyclear,however,albeitthere isnowritten
proofthereof,thatDouglashadenteredintoacloseleague
offriendshipwiththe
"Tiger
"
EarlofCrawford,
theEarlof forpurposcsdefensiveand,shouldneedarise,
Crawford,
offensive,andthatCrichtonandthebishopsper-
suadedtheKingthatsuchaformidablealliance
wasamenacetothedynasty. Inwhatfollowed itissafest
toaccepttheaccountofthenearestcontemporary chronicle,
writtenapparentlywithnobiaseitherway.^ Earlyin
February SirWilliamLauderofHatton,afriendof
Douglas,though himselfundersentence offorfeiture,
broughtasummons totheearltoattendtheKingat
Stirling. Therewasabundantprecedent forsuspicionin
amandateofthisnature,but,asiftoallay it,Lauder
broughtasafe-conduct forDouglasgivenundertheKing's
handincouncil. Accordingly, theearlrodetoStirling,
^SoPitscottie ;otherandlaterwriterslaythesceneintheThrieve.
^AuchinleckChronicle.

172 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
wasgraciouslyreceivedbytheKing,andbiddentodine
andsuponthemorrow.Heheardmentalkingofhis
leaguewiththeEarlsofCrawfordandRoss,andprobably
divinedwhatwasintheair ;nevertheless,heboldlypre-
sentedhimselfatKingJames'stable.
Dinnerpassedquietly,andwasfollowedbysupper,
allpresent, itmaybesupposed,havingtakenquiteas
muchwineaswasgoodforanybody. Aftersupper,at
seveno'clock,JamesoftheFieryFacebeckonedDouglas
intoaninnerchamberdesiringtoconferwithhim.The
interviewwasashortone ;thesubject, itissupposed,
beingtheleaguewithCrawford—theKingdemanding
-. , , thatDouglas should dissolve it. Douglas
Murderof ° !=>
Douglas,Feb-declaredeitherthathecouldnotorwouldnot
ruaryi4S2.
^^^^^uponwliichtheKingrushedonhim,
exclaiming :
"Thenifyouwillnot,thisshall !
"andstruck
himwithhisdaggerinthecollaranddownthebody.Sir
PatrickGrayfinishingthebloodyworkwithastrokefrom
apole-axe. Darnley,Boyd,Glendinning, Cranstoun,and
Stewartwereathandalso,eachmakingofficiousdisplay
ofloyaltybystabbingthecorpse.
Aboutthemotivesforthiscrimehavebeenmanyspecu-
lations.Themostprobableexplanationseemstobethat
Crawford, ifnotalreadyinrebellion,wasonthebrink
thereof.Theveryexistenceofthemonarchyappearedto
Jamestodependonbreakinguptheformidablecombination
betweenthetwoearls
;
perhaps,infact,itdidsodepend.
ShouldDouglasrefusetothrowoverhisallyhewas
doomed
;innocentorguilty,hehadenoughenemiesabout
theKingtoensuretheCrownaverdictifheweretriedfor
high-treason. TheKing,heatedbywine,wascarriedaway
byagustofpassion,anticipatingtheslowerprocessof
justice. Allthisisnothardtodecipher. Remains—the
safe-conduct. WhetherDouglasshouldbestruckdownin
hotbloodorarrestedforformaltrialequallyinvolveda
breachofthekinglyhonour ;butwasthereineffectasafe-
conduct?Undoubtedlyonehadbeengranted. Crawford's
rebellionwasnotputdowntill i8thMay,whichafforded

MURDEROFDOUGLAS i/i
excuseforParliamentnottoexaminethecaseagainstthe
King till 12thJune.Thentheywentinto it,and,with
unevenlogic,pronouncedJamesguiltless,becauseontheday
beforehisdeathDouglashadpubliclyandcontemptuously
renouncedtheprotection
;becausehehadbeenguiltyof
oppressions,andhadenteredintoconspiracies
;andbecause
hehadbroughtabouthisowndeathbyresistingtheKing's
requestforaidagainstrebels. Douglashadscornedto
availhimselfofthesafe-conduct,leaving itathome,where
Fig.26.—SealofJames,9thEarlofDouglas(1452-14S8).
hisbrothersfounditafterwards,andboastedthattheKing
darednotdohiminjury.
TheonlyshadowofexcuseforKingJames isoneto
whichrecoursemustoftenbehadtoscreenthecrimesof
Scottishstatesmen,namely,thattheconditionoftherealm
wassodesperatethatitrequiredsomedeusautdiabolus
exmachinatoredeem it.Theanarchywassocomplete
thatJamessawnowaytomaintainrulesavebyputting
downsuchofhissubjectsasapproachedhiminpower,
striking,inshort,accordingtotheoldCaesareanmaxim,
atthetallestheads. Atthesametime,hethought it

174 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
expedienttosendaspecialmessengertoKingCharlesvil.
ofFrancewithhisownaccountofwhathadtaken
place
—
"ToexplainclearlytoyourmostChristianMajestyrecenteventsinour
realm,andnotablyconcerningthedeathofthelateWilliam,EarlofDouglas,
andothermattersconcerningarmsandmunitions,wehavesentourdistinguished
andconfidentialesquire,JohnAddal."
'
TheremainsoftheEarlofDouglaswereinterredat
Stirling.Heleftnochildrenbyhiswife,theFairMaidof
Galloway,whoafterwardsmarriedunderdispensation her
brother-in-law,James,the9thandlastEarl.
Wemustnowretraceourstepsto1445,whenArchi-
baldandHugh,brothersofthe8thEarlofDouglas,were
ennobled,andJohnbecameLordBalvany.
JamesandArchibald,thesecondandthirdsonsof
JamestheGross[xix.],weretwins,ofwhichtheirmother
xxiArchi-
declaredthatJameswastheelder.^Duringthe
baldDouglas,
lifetimeofhisbrother,the8thEarl,Jameswas
Moray,1445-kuownbytheancientstyleofMasterofDouglas,
1455-
Archibald,havingmarried Elizabeth,daughter
andco-heiresswithhereldersisterofJamesDunbar,Earl
ofMoray,received,on26thApril1452,sasineofthelands
ofKintore.ThesistersDunbarresignedtheselands,and
byapeculiarentail,inwhichSirWilliamEraserdiscerns
thedeliberateintentionoftheDouglasfamilytoannexthe
earldomofMoray
,^theeldersister,JanetDunbar,wasset
aside,andthesuccessionresettledontheheirsofArchibald,
whomfailingonArchibald'sbrothersandtheirheirs,whom
failingupontheheirsofArchibald'swifeElizabeth.
Duringhiseldestbrother's lifetimeMoraytookno
activepartinpublicaffairs,beingofapeaceabledisposition,
withoutambitionortasteforwar. Nevertheless,heattended
prettyregularlyinsuccessiveParliamentsfrom1445to
1450.Thenexttwoyearshespentchiefly,ifnotentirely,
inthenorth,addingtoandbeautifyinghiscastleofDarna-
^LettersandPapers, i.315.
-Reg.MagniSi^lli, ii.No.301.
^Fraser, i.447.

"THEBUKEOFTHEHOWLAT" 175
way,wherehebuiltthegreathall,whichwaslongbelieved
tobetheworkofamorefamousEarlofMoray,Thomas
Randolph,nephewofRoberttheBruce. ItwasatDarna-
waythatthepriestRichardHollandcomposedhisuncouth
poem.TheBukeoftheHowlat^inwhichPinkertonfancied
hecoulddetectanelaborateallegory,uncomplimentary to
KingJames il.,butwhichSirWalterScottpronouncedto
benomorethan
"apoeticalapologue,uponaplanused
notonlybyChaucerbutbymanyoftheFrenchminstrels,
withoutanyviewwhatevertolocalornationalpolitics."
Thepoemwaswritten,thebardtellsus,topleasethe
CountessofMoray
—
"llhusforancbolu"nfpunbarbrcliiEthisitjtc,^
gohiit^ tuititancJlotrglas,anbtaithtnarthatbotuis."'^
Butindeedherladyship'scriticalfacultycannothavebeen
fastidious ifshederivedmuchpleasurefromthepiece. It
describes,inexcruciatingly alliterative lines,thesuccessful
attemptoftheowl,bythehelpofotherbirds,tomovethe
peacock,aspopeamongfeatheredfowl,torelievehimof
hisignominious form.Theverses,perhaps,arenoworse
thanthoseofotherScottish
"makaris
"
oftheperiod,but
theirchiefinterestconsistsintheintroductionofanelaborate
panegyriconthehouseofDouglas.Fewpeoplemightbe
ableofthandtogivetheoriginalreference forthewell-
knownphrase,"Douglas,Douglas,tenderandtrue !
"
It
comesfromthefollowingstanza
:
—
"©fftheboitchtn^otoglastobstc**S\ brcs;
l^hararmcsofanccstrshonorable ai),
^ukilkoftblijthitthe^rascinhisbistres,
'lEharforheblissitthatblubbalbinassau.''
^dbtheturitofthartucrhtojjourtoitnfs,
c^urthonmijmatir\omuse,Emuseasimag.
Ws\.tsaibyersetoantis »g,ybetuasgvathit''igcs,
^rusittoithanegrenctrc,gublganbgau,
^PrintedfortheBannatyneClub,1823.Thepoemwascomposed,orat
leastfinished,in1453,afterthemurderoftheEarlofDouglas.
"Dove. »Ditty.
•«
Mated,
'^
Doves.
^Indite. ^Boldinaction. ^
Pursuivant's. ^Harnessed,"irthed.

176 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
'3rh;atboreiranckiaonbxtibbistktstoflutue;
(JDnilkbtvcQhtiltmhx&ct
S®;ritt£tt ittabilltoas,
©^otDglas, (JD^otoglas;, tenlbiranbtrttor."
^
ThetranquillifeatDarnavvaywasrudelydisturbedby
thetragedyatStirling,andMoraybehovedtounfurlhis
banner,musterhisvassals,andexactvengeance,
Morayraids
^ . .
strathbogie,evcnfromtheKinghimself,forthemortalinjury
ayi4S2.
donetohishouse. Huntly,astheKing's
"
luf-
tennend,"
-wasoutagainsttherebelCrawford
;Moray
tookwhatlaynearesthishand,andharriedHuntly'slands
ofStrathbogie. HuntlyencounteredCrawford atBrechin
on 18thMay,anddefeatedhiminthe
"battleofthe
Billmen,"thenhurriednorthtochastiseMoray,Coming
tothetownofElgin,hefoundtheburgessesandtowns-
peopleaboutevenlydivided,one-halfbeingfortheKing
andhimself,theotherhalfforMoray,partiesbeingsepar-
atedonlybythebreadthofastreet.HeburntMoray's
partofthetown,
"andhereupon,"saysGodscroft,
"arose
theproverb—
'Halfdone,asElginwasburnt.'
"Moray
watchedthefirefromastrongpositionontheDrumof
Pluscarden,twoorthreemilesdistant,whenceatfirsthe
wiselyrefusedtomove,althoughHuntlywaswastinghis
farmlandsbeforehiseyes. But,watching his
HunUy^at
Opportunity, hefelluponabodyoffouror
Dunkinty,
fivehundredhorsewhichhaddispersed inthe
businessofplunder,anddrovethemintothe
BogofDunkinty, nearPittendreigh, whenceveryfew
escapedalive
—
"S^licvckftthouthgmax,ikon©ovbonsogac?
intinbogof^unkintg,motoingtluhag."
ForthisescapadeMoraywasforfeited,andhisearldom
wasconferreduponhisbrother-in-law, theChancellor's
Forfeitureof
e^^estSOU,SirJamesCrichtonofFrendraught,
Moray,1452-whowasthehusbandofJanetDunbar,thedis-
inherited co-heiress ofMarch. ButCrichtondrewno
^J>ukeoftheHowlat,stanzaxxxi.
-Auchinhck, p.48.

THEEARLOFORMOND 177
substantial profitfromtheearldom,forinAugustofthe
sameyearcamethetemporary reconciliation ofthe
DouglaseswiththeKing,afterwhichthere isevidenceto
„. . showthatMoraywasinfullenjoymentofhis
Hisrein-
•'
r 1 i-
1
statement, posscssions.^ Thesubscquent actsoftheEarl
August1453.
q£Moray,untilhisdeathonistMay1455,
will
bemoreconveniently toldunderthememoirofthe9th
EarlofDouglas. Elizabeth,CountessofMoray,musthave
hadakeeneyeforbusiness
;nineteendaysonlyafter
herhusbandhadfallenatthebattleofArkinholm she
madeacontractofmarriagewiththeEarlofHuntly's
eldestson,whomshemarried,
thinkingtoconveyherfirst
husband's earldom tohis
ancientfoe.Buttheproject
miscarried ;theearldomwas
forfeitedtotheCrown ;the
heartless Gordon divorced
Elizabethonapleaofcon-
sanguinity, and in1459
marriedAnnabella, sisterof
JamesII.-Elizabethsought
consolation inathirdmar-
riagewithSirJohnColquhoun
ofthat ilkandofLuss,
whichtookplaceabout1462. Byhermarriagewith
Douglas,EarlofMoray,shehadtwochildren,Jamesand
Janet,ofwhomnothingisknown.^
WhenHughDouglas,fourthsonofJamestheGross,
andtwinbrotherofArchibald,EarlofMoray
ETougiasfEari
[^^i-]>^^^^CreatedEarlofOrmondin1445,he
ofOrmond,
cannothavebeenmorethansixteenyearsold.
HederivedhistitlefrompartofthebaronyofArd-
mannoch,bestoweduponhimbyhiseldestbrother,William,
'TheChiefsofGrant,byWilliamFraser, iii.22.
-Fromwhomalsohewasdivorcedin1471.Hemarriedathirdtime,in
1476,Elizabeth,widowofAndrew,istLordGray.
^Fraser, i.450.
VOL.I. M
Fig.27.—SealofArchibaldDouglas,
EarlofMoray.

1/8 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
EarlofDouglas,togetherwiththelandsofAvoch,Brachly,
andPettyinMoray ;Rattray,Aberdour,andCrimond in
Aberdeenshire,andDunsyre inLanarkshire.^ Hisname
appearsassittinginParliament in1445and1449,be-
tweenwhichdates,orprobablyinthelatteryear,hesought
distinctioninthemannertraditionalwithyoungchevaliers
[andoldonestoo,forthatmatter]ofhisrace,byperform-
inganexploitupontheEnglish,
Withalight heart, therefore,Ormond joined his
brother'sexpeditionagainstthePercysinthesummerof
1449,^andintheautumnofthatyearwona
Battleof,,.,,, ,. _
theSark,orwell-fought battleonhisownaccount. Percy,
Lochmaben-
gldcstsonoftheEarlofNorthumberland,
stane,23rd
October marchcdafterharvestwith6000mentoavenge
1449[]•
^j^ginjurydoneuponhislands,andencamped
onthebanksoftheSark,nearGretna. Ormond'sscouts
broughtwordastotheirwhereabouts,andtheyoungearl
immediatelypreparedtoattackthem. Percy,whohada
contingentofWelshmenwithhim,recalled allhisforagers
ingoodtimeandstoodupon hisdefence. Ormond
advancedinthreecolumns.Thecentrehekeptinhisown
command
;hisrightwasunderWallaceofCraigie,
'*
ane
nobillknychtofsoweranemanheid
"
;whileincommandof
theleftwereHerbert,LordMaxwell,andtheLairdof
Johnston,twochiefswhoseclansweresoontobeatmortal
andmemorablefeud.
BoeceandPitscottiewouldhaveblushedtorecorda
generalactionwithoutaverbatim reportofthecom-
mander-in-chief's speech. Accordingly, theyputoneof
morethancommonbombasttoOrmond's credit,andthen
proceedtodescribethecombat.TheEnglisharcheryfire
staggeredtheScotsattack
;fortunately,Wallacewasready
withalongandeloquentspeech[reportedasusualbyour
faithfulchroniclers],whereby
"hismenwassainrageitand
ruschitsafurieousliewpountheInglischwangairdwith
exis[axes]speirisandhalbertis"thatMagnusRedbeard's
"^
ExchequerRolls,vi.162,212,265.
^TheAuchinlcckChronicleputsitinOctober1448.

BATTLEOFTHESARK 179
menbrokeandfled.Magnus
^himself,aredoubtable
leader,wasslain ;thepanicspreadandgreatslaughter
followed,manyoftheEnglishperishing intheestuaryof
theSark,inwhichthetidewasatflood.TheEnglishlost,
itissaid,abouttwothousandmen ;Percywastaken
prisonerwithmanyothers,whichbroughttothecaptors
"
sicaboundanceofriches,silluer,andgoldgottininthe
feildthatneverwasthelykeseneinnamanstymebefoir.
Thespoillziewaspartit[divided]amangistheScottismen
eftertheraitofairmes."
^TheScotscountedtheirlossin
slainat600 ;WallaceofCraigiedyingafterwardsofhis
wounds,for
"thebattelwasfouchinwithtgreatcruelltie."
YoungOrmondwongreatrenownbythisexploit,
being
"
tretitandbankitit[banqueted] withtthekingis
maiestiewithtgreatmagnifiecence,"andPitscottiereports
alongafter-dinner
"barring"[harangue] inwhich
theKingbesought thebrothersDouglas toobserve
"quhathonourcomesthrowwyseandseagecounsallbe
thehiefeliecitieandrenounethatchancestoallsubiectis
quhenetheyarrewlHtgladlieandwndertheobedienceof
aneking,"andexhortedthemtogoodbehaviourinfuture.^
SirWilliamEraserthinksthatGodscroft isrightin
statingthat,whenWilliam,EarlofDouglas [xx.],and
hisbrotherJames,wenttoRomein1450,Ormondwasleft
inchargeoftheestates,andnotJohnofBalvany,asBoece
andPitscottiemakeout.Johnwasveryyoungatthe
time,probablynottwenty ;hiselderbrother,Moray,was
busybuildingandencouraging literature inthenorth
;
Ormond,thenextinage,haddistinguished himselfatthe
battleoftheSark,anditwashe,mostlikely,whoruledin
theearl'sabsence,andmustbearwhatever istrueinthe
censurebestowedbythelast-named historiansuponthe
administrator ofDouglas.
^NotRedman,asPinkertonopined.Magnusrubentejiibaeijuesauraius
isBoece'sdescription,whichmaybeinterpreted,"Magnusofthered
'
mane,'or
beard." SheriffMackayquotesaFrenchMS.[Brit.Mus.,Vesp.c.xvi,p.41]
asstyHngthisunidentifiedknightBarhcrouse legrand[Pitscottie, ii.347].
^
Pitscottie, i.76.
'SeeAppendixB,p.203,TheBattleoftheSark,orLochmaben^tam.

i8o THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
In1454,duringthebrieffavourthatgleamedupon
theDouglasesbeforethefinalcatastrophe,Ormondwas
SheriffofLanark
;
^inthefollowingyearhe
Execution
'
, .
ofOrmond, Sufferedonthescaffold,andhispossessions
''*^^'
wereforfeitedtotheCrown.'^Hewasmarried,
thoughhiswife'snameisnotknown,andleftason,Hugh,
whobecameDeanofBrechin,andexecuted indentures
withthe5thEarlofAngus,in1493and1496,whereby
heboundhimselftoresigntoAngusanylandsnotactually
intheKing'shandstowhichhemightbeheir,reserving
tohimselfaliferent.^
John,fifthsonofJamestheGross,thoughnotmorethan
fifteenatmostin1445,"^wasmadealordofParliament
xxiii.John
'^^thatyear,underthetitleofLordofBalvany.
Dougrias,
Hispossessions werethelandsofBalvany,
Lordof
^
. . .
^
Balvany, Boharm,andBotriphny, allinBanffshire. Boece
c.I430-I463-
mentionshimastakingpartwithhisbrothers
JamesandHughintheirdemonstration atStirlingagainst
theKingin1452,andthefollowingyearheisnamedwith
hisbrothers inasafe-conduct toEngland.^ Afterthat
nothing isknownabouthimtillthebattleofArkinholm,
18thMay1455,wherewehaveitontheauthorityofKing
James II.,inhislettertoCharlesVll.ofFrance,thatJohn
ofBalvanywaspresentandescapedintoEngland. Inthe
wholesaleforfeitureoftheDouglaslandswhichfollowed
thisdefeat,Johnisspecificallychargedwithhavinghelped
hismotherBeatrix,Countess ofDouglas, infortifying
AbercornCastleagainsttheKing.Hewasincludedinthe
proclamation issuedinJuly1455againsthisbrother,the
EarlofDouglas,prohibitinganyassistancetobegivento
themortotheirmotherbecauseoftheirtreasonabledealings
withtheEnglish.*^ NothingmoreisheardofJohnduring
therestofJamesii.'slife ;butafterthedeathofthatKing
^ExchequerRolls,vi.i6o,i6i.
2
Ibid.,pp.212,265,377,465,4S0,524.
^Fraser, iii.159,160.
^IntheBtikeoftheHowlatHollandspeaksofhimasquiteayouthin1453.
^RotidiScotuc, ii.362.
•»ActsofPari.Scot., ii.
43,77.

THELASTEARLOFDOUGLAS i8i
in1460,EdwardIV.beingKingofEngland,hejoinedhis
brothertheearlonamissionfromtheEnglish
JohnofBal- ^
vanyandtheCounciltostiruptheLordoftheIslesto
Sstel?""^'
i-ebellion.i For this serviceKingEdward
withEdwardgrantedhimanannuity of;^ioofromthe
''"*''
customs ofSouthampton," and fortwoor
threeyearsthereafterheco-operatedwithhisbrotherthe
earlinhisschemesagainsttheyoungKingofScotland.
TheScottishCouncilsetapriceof1200merksuponhis
head,whichbroughtabouthiscaptureinthesummerof
1463.JohnScottandeightothersapprehended
executionofhiminEskdale,andconveyedhimtoEdinburgh,
avany,1463.
^^|^gj.g j-^gj^yf^^twelvcdaysinprisonandwas
thenbeheaded. Sofarasisknown,JohnofBalvanydied
unmarried.
In1447JamesDouglasofHeriotmure[xxiv.],secondson
ofJamestheGross[xix.],enteredintoanagreementwith
. , histwinbrother,Archibald rxiv.ltoabideby
XXIV.James,
l j' ./
9thEarlof theirmother'sdecisionastowhich.shouldbe
EarfofAvon-
accouutedtheelderborn.Shedeclaredunder
dale,Lordof
oath infavourofJames,whereupon formal
Galloway,
Bothweii,etc.,declarationwasmadeofthesame,andJames
c.1425-1488.
^y^gknownthenceforward asMasterofDouglas.^
Jamesatthistimecannothavebeenmorethanjustofage,
andtwoyearslaterheaccompanied hisbrotherintheraid
uponAlnwick. Atthefestivitiestocelebratethemarriage
ofJames li.,inJuly1449,threeScottishchampions,towit,
theMasterofDouglas,JohnRossofHalkhead,andJames
Douglas,brotheroftheLairdofLochleven,encountered in
theliststhreecavaliersofBurgundy,namely,Jacquesde
Lalain,SirSimondeLalain,hisuncle,andHerveMeriadec,
LordofLonguevilleandsquiretotheDukeofBurgundy.
Meriadecwasantagonist totheMasterofDouglas,and
felledhimwithtwoblowsofhisaxe.Herecovered,how-
ever,andattackedMeriadecagain,whichdispleasedthe
King,whothrewhisbatonintotheliststostopthecombat.
^Fadera,xi.474.
-Bain,iv.269.
^'
Reg.MagniSigilli, ii.Nos.301,355,401.

182 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
Douglas'smen,enragedatthefalloftheirmaster,broke
intotheenclosure ;theKingorderedthemtobeseized,
uponwhichtheytooktotheirheels.^
AfterreturningfromRomewithhisbrother,theearl,
in145I,theMasterofDouglaspassedintoEnglandunder
KingHenryVI.'ssafe-conduct,andspentsomemonthsin
Londonuponbusinessofwhichthenature isnotknown.
Certain itisthathewasinhighfavourattheEnglish
court.GarterKingreceivingorderstobringhimtothe
King's presence,wherever
thatmightbe;andthishas
beenheldtoimplytreason-
abledealingsonthepartof
Douglas.Thereiscertainly
nothing,eitherinthecharac-
terofDouglassofarasit
isknown,orinthecourse
ofeventsthenimmediately
impending, torendersuch
dealingsimprobable
;but,as
SirWilliam Eraser has
pointedout,^thefactthat
Garterwascommissioned
notonlytoconveytheMasterofDouglastotheBorder,
butalsotoconveylettersfromHenryVI.toJames II.,
suggests thatDouglas heldacommission fromKing
Jamesinthesetransactions,whichwould,ofcourse,make
anytreasonable actiononhispartdoublydisgraceful.
Thereisnoproofwhateverofanysuchtreason,onlysinister
suspicion ;andthissuspicion,combined withtheelder
brother'sleaguewithCrawford,doubtlesscontributed to
thefearwhichdroveKingJamestothefataldeedof20th
February1452.
TheMasterofDouglaswasbackinScotlandbefore
30thJanuary1452,asattestedbyhispresence ata
JusticiaryCourtheldatDunbaronthatday
;butneitherhe
noranyofhisotherbrothers,asallegedbyBoece,attended
^ChroniquesdeMatthieudeCoussy,citedbyFraser, i.479.
-Fraser, i,480.
Fig.28.—SealofJames,INIaslerof
Douglas,ante1452.

DOUGLASDEFIESKINGJAMES 183
theearluponhisvisittotheKinginthefollowingmonth,
noristhereanyauthenticrecordoftheirmovements until
17thMarch. ShortlybeforethattheKingwasinthe
TheEarlof
south,atLochmabcnandJedburgh/andhe
Doug-lasde-
certainlywasnotinStirlingonthe17th,when
fiestheKing,
i t- i rtn i i
•
17thMarch James,now9thKarl 01Douglas,rodeinto
"*^^'
thattownaccompaniedbyhisbrotherOrmond
andLordHamiltonofCadzowwith600men. With
blastoftrumpet
"theygaiftheKingwncomliewordis,"
renouncing theirallegiance, displaying theKing'ssafe-
conductgrantedtotheirmurderedchief,whichtheytiedto
thetailofahorseanddraggedthroughthestreets.^The
castlewastoostrongforthem,buttheyventedtheirwrath
byburningasmuchaspossibleofthetown. If,asBoece
states,DouglaswassummonedbeforetheParliamentwhich
inJuneabsolvedtheKingfromblood-guilt,hetreatedthe
summonswithdisdain,havingalreadyofferedhisallegiance
totheKingofEngland,who,on3rdJuneand17thJuly,
directedtheBishopofCarlisletoreceive itintermsof
certainarticlessignedbyDouglasandcarriedtoKing
HenrybyGarterKing.^Asiftoemphasisetheblood
feud,DouglassentemissariestoRometoobtainthePope's
dispensation forhismarriagewithhisbrother'swidow,the
FairMaidofGalloway. InsteadofattendingParliament
themselves,DouglasandOrmondattachedtheirsealstoan
insultingdocument,inwhichtheyrenouncedtheirallegiance
toKingJamesas
"aneblodiemurtherarofhisawinbloode
. . .anefallis[false]wngodliethristerofinnocentbloode
. . .withtmoneywthercontumulus sayingiswnworthieto
rehearse." ^Thiscartelwasaffixedbynightuponthedoor
ofSt.Gilescathedral,oruponthatoftheParliamentHouse.
TheBishopofCarlislehadnoopportunityoffulfillingKing
Henry'scommands.WhileKingJamesforfeitedtheEarlof
'Reg.MagniSigilH, ii.Nos.529-531.
-ThusdestroyingthemostdamningproofoftheKing'streachery. The
actremindsoneofthatoftheIrishrebelsin1798,who, itissaid,thinking
todoirreparableinjurytotheBankofIreland,burntallitsnotesthatthey
couldlayhandson !
^RotuHScoticE, ii.358.
*
Pitscottie, i.100.

i84 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
Crawford,hedisplayedsurprisingclemencytowardsDouglas,
probablyrecognising thegreatprovocationhehadgiven
theyoungearlintheslaughterofhisbrother,andfully
conscious oftheobligationupontheearl,under all
chivalrouscustom,toavengethesame.Hemarchedto
SelkirkandDumfries, indeed,tooverawetheDouglas
vassals,and,accordingtotheAuchinleckchronicler,didas
muchdamagetohisloyalsubjectsastoothers
;
makessub- butheacccptcdasubmission,executedatDouglas
missionto
Castlcon28thAugust1452,wherebytheEarl
King-James,
"^ -tj j j
28thAugustofDouglas, hisbrothers,andLordHamilton
''*^^"
werereceivedtotheKing'speace ;theearlhim-
selfandLordHamiltonswearingonthegospelsto
foregoforevermore allmaliceandfeudagainstanyof
theliegesforanycause,andspeciallyagainstthosewho
hadtakenpartintheslaughterofhisbrother,William,
EarlofDouglas.^ Oni6thJanuaryfollowing,theearl,
beingthenatLanark,renewedhissubmission,and,incon-
siderationoftheKing'sgoodofficeswiththePopeinthe
matterofthedispensation forhismarriage,gaveabondof
manrenttotheKing,withrenunciation ofallleaguesor
covenantsinconsistentwithhiswholeservicetotheKing.
AboutthesametimetheEarlofCrawfordmadehissub-
mission,andKingJames,who,howeverliabletogustsof
passion,wasofakindlyandforgivingdisposition,being
"movitbethesadeanddreriecontinance
"
ofthesaidearl,
receivedhimtograce.
InthematterofthePapaldispensation forDouglas's
marriagewithhisbrother'swidow.KingJamesfaithfully
fulfilledhisundertaking,^showingthatonhispart,atall
^CopybyGodscroft,HamiltonPalaceMS.,quotedbyFraser, i.483.
"
BoeceandGodscroftdenythatthisdispensationwasevergranted,and
denounceDouglasforhavingcontractedanincestuousalliance. Theyalso
declarethattheKingopposedtheapplication,buthere,aselsewhere,theyare
completelyatfault.Thedispensation isprintedinAndrewStuart'sGene-
alogyoftheStewarts (p.444),andoneofthereasonsassignedforitisthat
Margaret'smarriagewiththe8thEarlhadneverbeenconsummated. Further,
inasafe-conductgrantedbyJames li.toDouglas,on22ndMay1453,heis
styledEarlofDouglas,Wigtown,andAvondale. EarlofWigtownhecould
nothavebeen,unlesshehadalreadymarriedhissister-in-law, heiressofthe

RECONCILIATIONWITHTHEKING 185
events,thereconciliationwasgenuine.Notthelessstrange
isitthatCrichton,andespeciallyBishopKennedy,
Do^ugiaswRh
shouldhavcfailedtodissuadetheKingfrom
hisbrother's
assisting inrestoring toJamesDouglasthat
wiow,
1453.
(dangerousdegreeofpowerwhichhadbeenthe
causeoftheelderDouglas'sdestruction,byfurtheringa
marriagewhichreunitedGallowayandBothwell tothe
otherDouglasestates.ThePapalwritofdispensation is
dated26thFebruary1453,onlyafewdaysafterthefirst
anniversaryofEarlWilliam'sslaughter. Itassignsasthe
chiefreasonforpermittingthemarriage,thatthefeudsand
rivalriesbetweenthebaronsofScotlandshouldbesettled.
InApril1453theEarlofDouglas,withother
noblemen,proceeded toWestminster tonegotiateanew
trucewithEngland,whichwasdoneon23rdMay,Douglas
undertaking toproclaimthesameintheDebatableLands.^
ThusallmattersbetweenDouglasandhisKingappeared
tobeamicablysettled ;bygonesweretobebygones,for
whichtherewasmuchneedonbothsides :andtheearl,
stillyoung,mightlookforwardtomanyyearsofuseful
co-operation intheworkofsettlingthekingdomand
establishing thosereforms forwhichKingJameshad
shownsomuchdispositionandaptitude.
Itwasnottobe.Thebookofthepastheldmany
chapters,andoneofthelastpublicactsrecordedofthis
EarlofDouglaswasthere-openingofonewhichcould
neverbeagreeablereading toaStuartKing. Malise
Graham,EarlofStrathern,uncleoftheCountessofDouglas,
hadbeendeprivedofhisearldomin1427byhiscousin
James i.,onthepretencethat itwasamalefee.By
wayofcompensation.KingJameshadbestoweduponMalise
earldom. Doubtisthrownuponthevalidityofthemarriagebyreferenceto
Margaretin1456[aftertheforfeiture]astheallegedwife[asserfespojise\of
SirJames,formerlyEarlofDouglas\_ExcheguerRolls,vi.205]
;buton24th
March1454theearlgrantedacharteroflandstohiskinsmanandsecretary,
MarkHaliburton,coupledwithanobligation toindemnifyhimshouldhis
CountessMargaretdisturbhiminpossession oftheselands. [Charterat
Culzean,quotedbyFraser, i.486.]
'^
RotitViScotiic,ii.362-36S.

i86 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
partoftheancientearldomofMenteith,butcoupled it
withtheonerousconditionofgoingtoEngland
MaHsrEari
^^Oneofthehostagcsforthepaymentofhis
ofstrathern,
[Jamcs's]ransom. Thispayment,asweknow,
wasneverredeemed,andthelucklessMalise
hadspent five-and-twentyofthebestyearsofhis
lifeinduranceatPontefract. Now,justasDouglashad
marriedthenieceofMalise,soLordHamiltonofCadzow
hadmarriedthemotherofthatniece,namely,Malise'ssister,
Euphemia,widowofthe5thEarlofDouglas, Douglas
andHamilton,then,thinkingshamethattheirkinsman
shouldlanguishlongerinanEnglishprison,jointlypeti-
tionedHenryVI.forhisrelease. Thiswaseffectedin
1453,onconditionthatMalise'seldestson,Alexander,
shouldtakehisfather'splaceincaptivity. Surelynothing
wasmorenaturalordesirablethanthatthesetwoScottish
baronsshouldexertthemselvesinregainingfortheirfellow-
countryman hisfreedom—apiousactonthepartofnear
kinsmen. Justso;buttheaffairhadanother aspect.
James II.entertainednoconsumingdesirefortherestora-
tionofMaliseGraham toliberty. Therehadalways
beenpersistentdoubtsandrumoursabouttherealityor
validityofRobert ll.'smarriagewithhisfirstwife,Elizabeth
Mure,fromwhomtheStuartKingsdescended
;therewere
nonewhateveraboutthelegitimacyoftheissueofhis
secondmarriage,fromwhomMaliseGrahamdescended.
Intheopinionofmany,Graham'swasthelegitimateroyal
line.^Even ifDouglasshouldbedeemedofundoubted
loyalty,thereturnofMaliseGrahamtoScotlandbodedno
goodtothehouseofStuart.
ThiswasnottheonlyactofDouglasuponwhichitmay
besurmisedtheKingandChancellorCrichtonlookedwith
displeasure. Aboutthistime,whetherin1452or1453is
notatallclear,-Douglasseemstohaverenewedhisinter-
^AlaterdescendantandrepresentativeofMaliseGrahamwasthecauseof
sometroubletoCharles i.,disputingthatKing'ssuccessiononthegroundof
thesuperiorlegitimacyofRobertil.'schildrenbyhissecondwife.
'•*
SirWilliamFraserisofopinionthatitwasin1452,becausetheAuch-

ANOTHERCOUPD'Ii:TAT 187
coursewiththeEarlofRoss,LordoftheIsles,v'isitinghim
atKnapdale. ThisyounglordwasthesonofthatAlex-
anderwhohadtwicebeeninrebellionagainstJames I.,and
hehadbeenincludedinthepactbetween
"theTiger
"
Earlof
Crawfordandthe8thEarlofDouglas,whichhadcostthat
earlhislife.Accordingly,whenRoss'skinsman,Donald
Balloch,likewiseformerlyarebel,appeared intheClyde
withaflotillaofgalleys,burntInverkipinRenfrewshire,
andrazedBrodickCastleinArran,itisprobablethatthe
GovernmentdiscernedhereintheagencyofDouglas.
However,theearlcontinuedtoactasSheriffofLanark
aslateasJune1453,whenhewas^£^420inarrearofpay-
mentsduebyhim.^HewasalsoSheriffofWigtown.The
lastbusinessdocumentwhichheisknowntohavesigned
isacharterofcertainlandsinCarricktohiskinsmanand
secretary,MarkHaliburton,datedfromDouglas Castle,
28thMarch1454.2
InthetotalabsenceofallevidenceastoDouglas's
movementsandactionsduringtherestofthatyear,oneis
leftentirelytoconjectureunderthelightofwhathappened
earlyinthefollowing year. Thatconjecture pointsto
CrichtonhavingbeenabletoconvincetheKingthat
Douglas'srecentsubmissionwasnomorethanafeintto
screenhistreasonable negotiationswithEnglandandwith
thewesternHighlanders,andthathispowerandpossessions
weregreaterthancouldbeleftinthehandsofasubject
withoutdangertothedynasty.Thepresence inScotland
ofMaliseGrahammayhavequickenedJames'sapprehensions
;
atallevents,hedecidedthat,forthethirdtimewithinhis
reign,theDouglasmustbestruckdown.
Havingmadeuphismindforanothercoupdetat,James
oftheFieryFaceactedwithhiscustomarypromptness. It
wasearlyinMarch1455when,withoutsummonsissuedor
inleckChroniclegivesMayasthemonthofDouglas'smeetingwiththeEarl
ofRossandDonaldBalloch'sraid,which isinconsistentwithDouglas'sun-
doubtedpresenceinWestminster inthatmonthin1453.—Fraser, 1.486.
'^
ExchequerRolls,vi.loi,103,159,160.Hewassucceededinthisoffice
byhisbrother,theEarlofOrmond.
—
Ibid.,160,161.
"
OriginalatCulzeanCastle,quotedbyFraser, i.486.

i88 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
warninggiven,theroyalstandardwasdisplayed before
Douglas'sCastleofInveravon,nearLinlithgow,
makes'war ^hegardsonprobablymadeaweakdefence,if
onDouglas,any ;theplacewasdismantled,^andtheKing
marchedontoGlasgow,wherehecollectedmore
troops. Douglas,onhispart,summoned hisvassals,and,
itissaid,sentLordHamiltontoaskassistancefromHenry
ofEngland inwhatpromisedtobeagreatcivilconflict.
Hefailedtoreceive it,forwhichGodscroftallegesasthe
reasonthatKingHenrydemandedDouglas'sallegianceas
thepriceofsuchaidashemightgivehim,andnaivelyputs
intothemouthoftheearlsomeloftyexpressions of
patriotism,declaring inthechoicesttermshowimpossible
itwasforhim
"
toleavesuchablotuponhishouse."Afar
moreintelligiblecausemaybedivinedfromthefactthatin
thespringof1455Englishpartieswereontheverybrink
oftheWarsoftheRoses,andKingHenryhadquiteenough
onhishandswithoutbreakingthetrucewithScotland.
TheKing'stroopshadanencounterwiththoseofDouglas
nearLanarktowardstheendofMarch,andatthesame
time,orimmediately after,otherdetachmentswastedthe
earl'slandsinDouglasdale,Annandale,andEttrickForest.
SiegehavingbeenlaidtoAbercorninthebeginningofApril,
Douglashastenedtorelievehisgarrisontherein. Here
maybecomparedthenarrativeoftheroyalistPitscottie
withthatofGodscroft,thepanegyristoftheDouglas.
Pitscottie. Godscroft.
"Threttiethowsandmenheireftir "Soleftthustohimself,bytheIn-
awfulliewithdispleyitbanercame stigationofhisPartners,andmainly
fordvardaganistheErieofDouglas ofJamesHaniilion ofCadzow,he
quhaweslyandincampofbattellone[Douglas]gatheredtogetherhisFriends
thesouthsyddofthewaterofcaronaandP'ollowers, toraisetheSiegeof
litillbeeistthebrigwiththenumber Abercom,whichtheKinghadbeset,
offourtiethowsandmen,makandforandwholaybeforeitinPerson.And
toreskewthecastellofAbircorne,andwhenhewascomewithinfiveMiles,
thinkandnalesintohismyndnorhe or,asotherssay,withinSightofthe
souldbepairtietotheKingandgif Besiegers,theylookedassuredlythat
himbattell,orellistocaushimtoleave hewould,andthathehadresolvedto
^ExchetpierRolls,vi.12,161.

THESIEGEOFABERCORN 189
therealme. Botonthevthirsyde
BisschopeJamesKennedie vsitane
craftiemeintobrektheErieofDouglas
armyeandsendanesecreitservandof
hisawintoJamesHamiltonofKeid-
zow,quhawasprincipallcaptainetothe
ErieofDouglas." [Thenfollowsan
accountofhowBishopKennedy la-
boured todetachHamilton from
Douglas'sarmy.]"Inthemeintyme
thaircomeaneherauldfratheKingis
armye,chairgandtheErieofDouglas
andhiscomplicestoskaill[disperse]
thairarmyevnderthepaineoftres-
soun.Atthirnowellis[atthesetid-
ings]andchairgetheErieofDouglas
mockitandstormittheherauld,and
incontinent gartblawhistrumpantis
andputhismeninordourandmerchit
fordwart tohauemettheKingand
fochinwithhim.Botfratymehesaw
theKingisarmyeinsichtandabyding
himstoutliewithsogreatanenumber,
hiscuragewassumthingabaced,and
sowasallthelordisandbarronisthat
waswithhim. . . .Thairfoirhere-
teirdhisarmyehameagainetothair
campis,trastandtoinstructthameand
togifthamebettircurageandhardi-
mentnorthayhadbefoir,thatthay
michtpasfordwartwithhimonethe
morrowashepleissit. Botofthis
purpoisallthelordisandcaptainesof
theErieofDouglas ostwasnocht
contentit ;andspeciallieJamesHamil-
toun,quhapassittotheErieofDouglas
incontinent,andrequyreitofhimquhat
washismynde,gifhewaldgifthe
Kingbattellornocht?andschewto
himthelangarhedelayithewaldbe
thefewarnomberathispurpois,and
theKingwasevirthemairabillaganis
him.ThesaideErieansuerittoJames
Hamiltoun,sayand,gifhewastyred,
hemichtdepairtwhenhepleissit ;off
thequhilkanswerthesaidJameswas
Weillcontentit,andthatsamynnicht
passittotheKing,quhairhewasweill
resauit,andthankfuUie,andallthingis
remittitbypast."
fight,becauseheputhisArmyinOrder
ofBattle ;who,beingveryreadyand
forwardfortheirPart,Cadzoiualso
exhortinghimthathewouldendthese
WarswithanotableVictorytohisper-
petualPraise,orwithanhonorable
Death,asbecamehisHouse,thathe
mightvindicatehimselffromthose
MiseriesandContumelies. Buthe
utterlyrefusedtofight,thoughhewere
moreinNumber,sayingplainlyhis
Heartwouldnotsufferhimnorserve
himtofightagainsthisSovereign,
wherebyitmaybeconjectured(assaith
the^Manuscript)thathisMeaningwas
onlytohaveterrifiedtheKingand
broughthimsomereasonableCondi-
tionsofPeace. . . .Hesufferedhim-
selftobecarrieduntothatwhichhe
mostinclined to,hisLovetohis
Prince,andtherebyhesliptandlet
slidethroughhisPlngers,asitwere,
thisfairOccasionwhichwasthen
offereduntohim,ofnoless(inthe
JudgmentofhisFriends)thanthecasting
theDicefortheCrown :andsoJames
Hamiltontoldhim,thattheOccasion
wassuch,thatifhedidnotlayholdof
it,heshouldneverfindthelikeagain.
Hetoldhimwithallthathiswantof
ResolutionwouldbehisOverthrow,as
itwasindeed.ForJamesHamilton
himselflefthimthatsameNight,and
wenttotheKing,ofwhomhewasso
honorablyandwellreceived, that
otherstherebywereencouraged to
comeinalso."

ipo THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
Fromthesetwonarrativescanbegatheredthesolid
factthatDouglaswasdesertedontheeveofbattlebyhis
ablestlieutenant,Hamilton ofCadzow,whosedefection
broughtaboutthe
"skailling"ofthecontingentsunder
othercaptains
;sothatDouglaswasleftwithbuttwoor
threethousandofhisowntenantsinpresenceofavastly
superiorroyalistforce. Godscroft, over-solicitous forthe
honourofhispatron'sancestor,makesoutthatHamilton
hotlyurgedDouglastogivetheKingbattle,andassigns
loftymotivesofreverencefortheroyalpersonasthereason
whytheearlrefusedtostrike. Pitscottie,ontheotherhand,
representsthatHamilton,undertheinfluenceofBishop
Kennedy's arguments,wasanxious torestrainDouglas
fromhostilities
;but,beingpledgedtohim,wouldnotbreak
faith,providedtheearlwouldnotputoffactiontoolong.
InanearlierchapterPitscottie relatesapicturesque
scenebetweentheKingandBishopKennedy,whichseems
togiveakeytothewholesituation.WhenDouglasfirst
tookthefield.KingJames
"wasstupefact inhismynd,
thynkandhisarmyewasovir litillatthattymetodebeit
aganistheErieofDowglas."Hetookshipandsailedto
St.AndrewstotakecounselwithBishopKennedy,upon
whomhehadlearnedgreatlytorely.Thebishopsethis
liegelorddownto
"disjohne
"
\dejeimer\andpassedtothe
oratorytopray. Returning aftertheKinghadeatenand
drunk,hejoinedinprayerwithhim
;then
"causithimto
pasintohisstwddieorsecreithousquhairhisbowisand
arrowislaywithvthirsindriejowallis[jewels]ofthesaid
bischoppis." Pullingoutasheafofarrows,hebadethe
Kingbreak itacrosshisknee.NotunnaturallyJames
answered that itwas
"
onpossibill"—nomortalwas
strongenoughtobreaksuchasheaf
"
Precisely," an-
sweredthebishop,
"butIwillshowyourGracehowany
childmaybreakthem,"andbeganpullingthemout,
"ane
beaneortwabetwa,quhill[until]hehadbrokinthame
all."Thesimilewastransparent. Theleagueofbarons
withDouglaswastoopowerfultobecrushedaslongas
theywereboundtogether ;detachthemfromeachother.

BATTLEOFARKINHOLM 191
andtheymightbeovercome easily.Thebishop,whowas
anactiveandadroitdiplomatist,undertookthetaskofdis-
integration,andcarried itthroughsuccessfully,concentrat-
inghisartsuponHamiltonasthestrongestmanamong
theinsurgents.
ItmaywellbethatHamiltonwasthemorereadyto
hearkentoKennedy'soverturesinconsequenceofDouglas's
hesitationtoattacktheKing. Moreover,hehadapowerful
friendatCourtinthepersonofhisuncle,SirJames
Livingstone,whowasoncemoreinfavour,andChamber-
lainofScotland. Anyhow, allaccountsagreeinthis
—
thatHamiltonchanged sides,andthatDouglas's
"
ost
"
meltedaway.^ Douglashimselfrodeoffthefieldwitha
_j veryslenderfollowing,andmadehiswayacross
takesrefugetheBorderintoEnglandwithbutfourorfive
ngan
.
companions,leavinghisgarrison inAbercornto
makewhattermstheycouldforthemselves. Thegallant
fellowsscornedtohauldownthebloodyheartbeforeallthe
powerofScotland.
"ThustheKing,"saystheAuchin-
leckchronicler,
"remanit stillatthesege,andgartstrek
monyofthetowrisdounwiththegretgun,thequhilkea
Franchemanschotrichtwele,andfalyeitnashotwithin
afaldome[fathom]quharitwaschargithimtohit."They
heldoutforamonth,whentheplacewaslevelledtothe
ground,manyofitsdefendersbeinghanged.^
BeforethatwasachievedScottishbloodhadflowed
freelyinanotherpartofthecountry.TheDouglaschief
T-u r>^i.. rhadfoundshelterinEngland,buthisbrothers
TheBattleof
_ . .
Arkinhoim, remainedtoleadhisvassalsagainsttheroyal
"*^^"
troops. InArchibaldDouglas,EarlofMoray
[xxi.],thefieryspiritofhisracehadslumberedbutlightlyin
^Mr.HumeBrown[HisLScotland, i.237]discreditsBoece'sstatementthat
thearmiesofDouglasandtheKingmetonthebanksoftheCarron,because
nocontemporary authoritymentions it. Butcontemporary authorityforthis
periodisalmostabsent,anditisdifficulttoaccountforDouglas's flightupon
anyotherhypothesisthanthatquotedinthetext.
-AbercornCastlewasneverrebuilt. Thesitethereofisnowwithinthe
parkofHopetounHouse,aboutamiletothewestofthepresentmansion,
commandingamagnificentviewupanddowntheFirthofForth.

192 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
thegentleandcultivatedseclusionofDarnavvay.Heroused
himselfatthefirstsummons,andmadeallspeedtojoinhis
brotherOrmond [xxii.]inAnnandale,whitheralsocame
JohnDouglasofBalvany[xxiv.],aladstillinhisteens,
butagallantone.Thesethreeyoungknightsassembleda
bravelevyoftheDouglasvassals,andthreatened toraise
thewholesouth-west againsttheKing.Themenof
Gallowayhadalwaysbeenreadierinallegiancetoavisible
chiefthantoadistantmonarch. ButheoftheFiery
Facewasnolaggardinwar.TocrushtheDouglasrebels
hechoseoneoftheirownbrood,GeorgeDouglas,4thEarl
ofAngus[xlii.],anddetachedhimwithsufficientforceto
putdownthisfreshrising,whilehehimselfremainedbefore
Abercorn. There isnodetailedaccountofwhatfollowed.
ItisonlyknownthatthebrothersDouglasgavetheirkins-
manbattleatArkinholmontheEsk,^thatAnguswas
completely victorious,andthatthegentleEarlofMoray
wasamongtheslain.
"PompeybyQi;saronlywasundone,
NonebutaRomansoldierconqueredRome
;
ADouglascouldnothavebeenbroughtsolow,
HadnotaDouglaswroughthisoverthrow."
Ormondwaswoundedandtaken. Pitscottierecordswith
virtuoussatisfactionthathewas
"
keipitwerriestraitliein
pressoune tillhewashailHtofhiswondisandthenbroght
totheKinginEdinburghandheidit[beheaded] forhis
rebellioun." JohnDouglasofBalvanyjoinedhisbrother,
theEarlofDouglas,inEngland.
ParliamentmetinJuneandformallyforfeitedtheestates
oftheEarlofDouglas,histhreebrothers,andhismother.
Forfeitureof
CountessBeatrix.TheofficeofWardenofthe
theDoug- Marches,whichhadbecomehereditarywiththe
12thJune
' chiefsofDouglas,wasdeclaredtobesono
1455-
longer. Anotheractwaspassedprohibiting all
men,onpainofdeath,toreceiveoraidinanywaythe
survivingmembersofthisgreatfamily,andbyathirdact
'ThevillageofLangholmnowcoverspartofthebattlefield.

TAKINGOFTHETHRIEVE 193
thelandsofGalloway,EttrickForest,Ballincrief,Gosford,
andtheestatesinMoraywerevestedintheCrown.^
TheKingbestowedAnnandaleuponhissecondson,
Alexander,DukeofAlbany,andtheotherDouglaslands
weredividedamongtheMaxwells,Johnstones,andScotts,
familiesdestinedtorisetopowerontheruinsofthemightier
house. HerriesofTerregles,whosefather,itisalleged,the
8thEarlofDouglashad"cassin inironsandhangit
schamefullie,"wasappointedKeeperofLochmaben, and
SirAndrewAgnewofLochnaw, hereditary Sheriffof
Wigtownshire, receivedcompensation forthedeathofhis
fatherintheKing'sservice.Anguswasnotlikelytogo
withoutsubstantialrewardfortheruinofhiskinsman,and
tohimwasgiventhelordshipofDouglaswiththeoriginal
possessionsofhisancestorsinDouglasdale.^
Douglasofcoursedefiedthesummonsissuedforhimto
appearbeforetheKing,andremainedinEngland.Bythe
monthofJuly,ofallhisstrongholds,theThrievealoneheld
outforitslord.Galloway isenrichedwithmuchlegendary
lore,butroundnoeventinitshistorydoesthisgatherso
closelyandsosadlyasroundthedownfalloftheDouglas.
AstoeventsduringthesiegeoftheThrieve,nodoubt
popularbeliefhaswanderedfarastray
;yetitisuponpopular
beliefthatoneisthrownforanysurmiseofhowtheThrieve
wastaken. Pitscottie ismute,eventhegarrulousGodscroft
Takingof
^^y^nothingaboutit
;perhaps itweresafestto
theThrieve, followtheirexample,butlocaltradition isso
"*^^'
persistentandsojealously cherishedbythe
peopleonDeesidethatitmaybeputonrecord,underall
reserve,forwhat itmaybeworth.Onlyonething is
matterofhistoryinthisaffair,namely,thatoneofthefirst
actsoftheEarlofDouglasonescapingtoEnglandhad
beentogiveformalpossessionoftheThrievetoHenryVI.
inreturnforacashpaymentof400marksforitssuccour,
relief,andvictualling,andanannuityof;^5oototheearl,
untilsuchtimeasheshouldberestoredtotheestates
^AdsofPari.Scot.,ii.42,43.
2CharterandsasineprintedinFraser, iii.S6.
VOL. I. N

194 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
takenfromhim"byhymthatcallethhymselfKyngof
Scottes."
1
ItissaidthattowardsautumnKingJamesmarched
intoGallowaytoreceivetheformalsubmissionofhislieges
inthatlordship,andthatthegarrisonoftheThrieveunder
Margaret,CountessofDouglas,theFairMaidofGalloway,
refused tosurrender. ThereuponKingJamesdirected
siegetobelaidtothecastle,andthecountrypeople
gatheredfromfarandneartowitnessthebombardment.
Itwassoonfoundthattheroyalgunswerefartooweak
tohaveanyeffectuponthewalls.Amongthespectators
stoodoneM'Kim,ablacksmith,commonlyknownasBrawny
Kim,whoundertooktomakeagunforthepurpose,pro-
videdhewassuppliedwithplentyofiron.Thishaving
beendone,Kimsettoworkwithhissevensonsandforged
'
acannonfashionedasacoopermakesacaskwithstavesand
hoops. HisforgewasontheBuchanCroft,neartheThree
ThornsofCarlingwark,-andwhilehewroughtpartiesof
workmenquarried ballsofgraniteontheBennan Hill.
JosephTrain,theindustrious collectoroflocalloreforSir
WalterScott,givesthesubsequent storyasitransome
eightyyearsago
—
"ThefirstchargeofICim'scannon issaidtohaveconsistedofapeckof
powderandastoneballtheweightofaCarsphairncow.Theeminencefrom
whichthisgreatgunwasfirstdischargedwasfromthatcircumstance called
Knockcannon,^andintheendoftheCastleofThrieve,facingKnockcannon,
thereisanapertureinthewallstillcalledtheCannonHole. . . .Thefirst
balldischargedfromKim'sguncarriedawaythehandoftheFairMaidof
Galloway,asshesatattableinthebanquetingroom,andwasabouttoraise
1Bain,iv.259.
-Carlingwark, theoldnameofCastleDouglas,nowathrivingmarket-
townandrailwaystation. Themodernnamehasnorelationtotheold
Douglases,thoughthetowniswithinsightoftheThrieve,butwasgivento
itbyamodernspeculatorwhobuiltmillsthere.
^
Obviouslymythicaletymologyofthemostunblushingkind. Itfitsthe
narrativenicely,andundoubtedlythehillstillbearsthatname,buttheanal-
ogiesinotherCelticdistrictsarenumerous—Carrigcannon,Drumcannon, Letter-
cannon,etc.,wherethesuffixrepresentstheGaelicceannfhionn[pronounced
"cannon"], literally"whitehead,"butgenerallysignifying"freckled"or
"
streaked."

MONSMEG 195
thewine-cuptoherlips.Thedestructivepowersofthisextraordinaryweapon
ofwarpleasedtheKingsowellthat,beforeleavingGalloway,heerectedthe
townofKirkcudbright intoaroyalburgh,andgrantedtheforfeitedlandsof
MollancetoBrawnyKim."
^
Nowhereweareplunged intomythofthemost
nebulous order,nor isourconfidence heightenedwhen
TraingoesontoidentifythegreatcannonwithMonsMeg,
nowontherampartsofEdinburgh Castle,whichhealleges
isacontraction ofMollanceMeg,BrawnyKim'sloud-
voicedwife,inwhosehonourthepiecewasnamed. Still
lessisone'sfaithequaltothestrainexpectedofitwhen
Train,toogoodanantiquarytofathersuchfibs,solemnly
affirmsthatwhentheThrievewasbeingclearedofrub-
bishbySirAlexanderGordonforthereceptionofsome
Frenchprisonersearlyinthenineteenthcentury,amassive
goldringwasfoundbearingthelegend
"Margaretde
Douglas,"theinferencebeingthatithadbeenblownoff
withtheFairMaid'shand.Thefindingofsuchapriceless
relicwouldonlybelessmarvellousthanthatitshouldhave
beenallowedtodisappear
;yetTrainadmitted,withintwenty
yearsofitsdiscovery,thatalltraceofithadvanished.
KingJamescertainlyerectedKirkcudbright intoaroyal
burghin1455,whichhadbeenhithertoaburghofregality
underDouglas
;
-butthereisnodocumentary evidenceof
thelandsofMollance,whichbelonged totheabbeyof
Tungland,havingbeengrantedtoM'KimorM'Myn.^
OftheremainingactsofthelastEarlofDouglasthe
recitalisasbriefasitismelancholy. KingHenrycontinued,
untilhisdefeatbytheYorkistsatNorthampton[lothJuly
1Mackenzie'sHistoryofGalloway,vol.i.AppendixM.
"
ItsfirstprovostwasMaclellanofBombie,sonofthelairdsaidtohave
beensocruellyslainbythe8thEarlofDouglas. Inaburghofregalitythe
jurisdictionwasvestedinsomebaronorecclesiastic,whoheldhisowncourts
;
butroyalburghs,besidesotherprivileges,weresubjecttothejurisdictionofthe
Kingandhisjudges.
^"MonsMeg"maybeidentifiedwiththeKing's"greatbombard,"forthe
conveyancewhereof,withotherartiller)',fromLinlithgowtotheThrieve,pay-
mentsappearintheExchequerRolls.Asitappearsfromthesamerecordthat
James ii.importedhisbombardsfromFlanders,MonsMegwasprobablyof
foreignmake.[ExchequerRol/s,vi.4,6,115,122,200,209,etc.]

196 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
1460],topaytheearlhisannuitybymoreorlessregular
instalments.^ James 11.,consideringhimselfreleasedfrom
thetruceconcludedwithHenry,triedtosnatchRoxburgh
CastlefromtheEnglish,buton3rdAugusthewaskilled
therebytheburstingofasiegepiece["beaneofhisawin
gunisthatbrakrackleslie inhirschutting," asPitscottie
putsit],Douglas,EarlofAngus,standingbesidehim,being
woundedatthesametime.^Theturnofthewheelwhich
broughtthecrownofEngland tothehouseofYork
markedtheopeningofamorevigorous policyagainst
Scotland.ThiswasingreatmeasureforceduponEdwardIV.
bytheactionofBishopKennedyandtheEarlofAngus,
strongLancastrian partisans,whohadreceivedHenryVI.
Douglassent
^"^^^^QuccutoshelterinSt.Andrews after
totreatwith
thefinalovcrtlirowoftheircauseatTowton
theIsles, [sothMarch1461]. InJuneofthesameyear
junei46i.
EdwardIV.dispatchedDouglasandhisbrother
John[xxiii.]tostiruptorebelliontheEarlofRoss,Lord
ofOwteryles[OuterIsles],andDonaldBalloch.^
"®^otuglas,®^otoglas,tenbiranbtrctoe
!
"
itwasashamefulmissionforoneofthyname,and it
succeeded sofarthattheLordoftheIsles,beingat
Ardtornish Castle,appointed RanaldoftheIsles,and
Duncan,Archdeacon oftheIsles,hisambassadors,who
proceeded toLondonand,aidedbyDouglas,concocted
atreatywiththeKingofEngland.* Underthisprecious
documenttheLordoftheIslesandallhisvassalswereto
becomevassalsofKingEdward,toactashisalliesinall
warswithinScotlandandIreland,inconsiderationofwages
fixedbothforpeaceandwar.Theyweretoholdin
homagetoKingEdwardalllandsconqueredbythemnorth
oftheForth
;butDouglas,onthesamecondition,wasto
receivebackallhislandsbetweentheForthandtheBorder.
KingEdwardheldothercardsinhishand,andwhen
occasionarosehedidnothesitateaboutthrowingover
^
Bain,iv.263etpassim.
^KingJamesdiedinhisthirtiethyear.
^Bain,iv.26S,271.
'*
Kcdera,xi.484-487.

DOUGLASTURNSRENEGADE 197
Douglas.AmarriagebetweentheQueen-mother ofScot-
land,MariedeGueldres,andtheKingofEnglandwas
seriouslydiscussed. MariemettheEarlofWarwick at
Dumfries inApril1462,andagainatCarlisle inJune.
Should thismarriagegoforward itwerehardtosay
whetherScotlandorEnglandwouldbecomethemosthope-
lessrefugeforDouglas. Meanwhilehewasorderedby
KingEdwardtoleaveCarlisle,andnextwehearofhimin
July
"
asasorrowfulandasorerebukedmanlyethinthe
abbeyofSt.Albans,andshallnotbereputednortakenbut
asanEnglishman,andifhecomesindangeroftheScots,
theytoslayhim."
^ButtheLancastrian sympathies of
BishopKennedyinterferedtoputanendtoKingEdward's
matrimonial projects. Intheautumnof1462hewasagain
usingDouglasashismostvaluableinstrumentagainstthe
Scots,sendinghimtoreconnoitretheBorderforimmediate
invasion.' RossandDonaldBallochhadsentroundthe
fierycross ;theirgalleysweresweepingthewestcoastand
interceptingtheKing'scustoms. Howbeit,theprojected
combination fellthrough. JohnDouglasofBalvany[xxiii.]
wastakeninEwesdalebyKingJames'smenandsuffered
atraitor'sdoom
;
"
erleJames,hisbrother,waschasytin
Ingland,"thatis,hadtoretireprecipitatelytothesafeside
oftheBorder.KingEdward,foreseeinghowusefulthis
renegade earlwouldbeinfuturedealingswithScotland,
treatedhimveryhandsomely ;inaddition totheparlia-
mentaryannuity,hepaidhiswholeexpenseswhileonhis
traitorousembassies,madehimsundryspecialgiftsofsub-
stantialsums,^andappointedhimKeeperofCarrickfergus
Castle inUlster,wheredoubtlesswereperquisitesand
pickingsforasagaciousadministrator.
ProvisionwasmadebytheEnglishParliament in1475
forpaymentof£600toDouglas'sexecutorsintheeventof
hisdeath,hebeingthenabouttoproceedwithKingEdward
tothewarinFrance.^ Hispayasanearlwasfixedat
6s.8d.aday,andprovisionwasmadeforhisretinueoffour
'PastonLetters, ii.in.
-Bain,iv.271.
5Ibid.
*Ibid,,290.

198 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
men-at-armsandfortyarchers. Ofhisfortunes inthat
abortivecampaignthere isnorecord
;buthewasbackin
Englandin1476,whenKingEdwarddemandedfromthe
KingofScotsthat
"therlDuglasuntohislyvelood[be]
restored"
;butinasmuchasthiswascoupled,ijiteralia,with
thefurtherdemand
"thattheKingofScottesandhisheires
shalldoothairhomagesuntotheKingofEnglandandhis
heires,"
^
itreceivednomoreconsiderationfromtheScottish
governmentthanitdeserved.
KingJamesgottheupperhandofhisrebelliousbrothers
AlbanyandMarin1479,andshutthembothupinprison.
MardiedinadungeonofCraigmillar Castle,notwithout
suspicionoffoulplay ;AlbanyescapedfromEdinburgh
CastleandmadehiswayintoFrance. Failingtoobtain
morethanshelterfromwilyLouisXI.,henextcametoEng-
landbyinvitationoftheEarlofDouglas. Welldiditsuit
KingEdwardtoencouragehim,andDouglaswastoodeeply
committednowtohopeforrestorationsavebyaidingAlbany
inhisattemptupontheScottishthrone. PrevioustoAlbany's
comingtoEngland,DouglaswasontheBorderagaininthe
autumnof1479,busyuponcertainmatterstobedonefor
KingEdwardandtherealmofEngland.^ Onememberof
hissuite,RichardHoland,clerk,maybeprettyconfidently
identifiedastheauthoroftheBukeoftheHowlat,sometime
protegeofthedeceasedEarlofMoray[xxi.].
In1482DouglasreceivedfromKingEdwardajoint
commission withtheEarlofGloucester[soontobecome
Richard III.]toreceivetheallegianceofallScotsmenwho
wouldforsweartheircountryandsettleinEngland,withpower
topromiselands,lordships,andotherbenefitsasabribe.^
Wearenearingtheendofthismurkychapternow,but
thethreadsofthestorygetmoreconfusedthanever. In
December1482Albany,afterinvadingScotlandwiththe
EarlofGloucester,andtakingthetownofBerwickforthe
English[August24],appearedinEdinburghasthedeliverer
ofhisbrother.KingJames,fromcaptivity,wasreceivedinto
fullfavourandmadeLieutenant-General ofthekingdom.
'Bain,iv.413,
"
Ibid.,299.
^Ibid.,300.

ASHAMEFULTREATY 199
AcoupleofmonthslatertheEarlofDouglaswassentby-
KingEdwardtodefendtheBorderagainsttheScots.^He
wasnottheonlyrenegadeDouglasbythistime. Archibald,
5thEarlofAngus[xliii.],whothreeyearsbeforehadearned
histitleof"Bell-the-Cat"byhangingKingJames'sfavourites
overLauderBridge,andimprisoningKingJameshimselfin
EdinburghCastle,wasnowquitereadytobetrayhiscountry.
TheinkonAlbany'scommissionasLieutenant-General was
hardlydrybeforehesentAngus,LordGray,andSirJames
LiddeltotreatwiththeEarlofNorthumberland. Theresult
wasashamefulcompact—atreatybindingAlbany,whohad
alreadyassumedthetitleofAlexander IV.,KingofScots,to
renouncetheallegianceoftheScottishpeopleinfavourof
England,todissolvetheancientleaguewithFrance,andto
assistKingEdward intheconquestofthatcountry
.^Of
coursetheusualclausewasinsertedsecuringtherestoration
oftheEarlofDouglastohisestates—
perhapsallDouglas
reallycaredfor ;butthereisacuriousreferenceinthesaid
clausetoanexistingconventionbetweenDouglasandAngus
withthatspecialobjectinview,showingthatthefeud
betweenthetwoDouglaschiefshadbeencomposed,and
thatthe9thEarlofDouglashadcondonedtheslaughterof
hisbrothersbythe4thEarlofAngus. Inconsideration of
theobligationsupontheScottishpartiestothistreaty,the
KingofEnglandwastoassistAlbanyintheconquestof
Scotland,whichAlbanywastoholdasanEnglish fief,and
togivethesaidAlbanyoneofhisdaughtersinmarriage,but
withoutadowry.
ProbablythistreatycametoKingJames'sknowledge,
andtherewereenoughtruemenamongthemassoftraitors
athiscourttoenablehimtodefeattheconspiracy. Atall
events,Albanymadefullacknowledgment ofhistreason
beforetheKingon19thMarch,surrendered hislieutenancy
andretiredtoDunbar,beingforbiddentocomewithinsix
milesoftheKing,asalsowereAngusandBuchan. Had
Jamesbeenofthemettleofsomeofhisline,severalheads
wouldhavebeenstruckfromtheirshoulders,andnever
^Bain,iv.306.
-Ibid.,305.

200 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
withgreaterjustice,astheeventproved. ForAlbanywent
straightbacktoEngland,andreappeared inScotlandasan
invaderinthesummerof1484.
Theannual fairofLochmaben happenedon24th
July,andthitherweregatheredthecountry-folkfromfar
ThAffairof
^^^near,includingmanyvassalsandtenants
Kirtiebank, oftheoldDouglaslauds.Suddenly intheir
24
u
y144.
j^j^g|.appearedtheDukeofAlbanyandtheEarl
ofDouglas,ridingattheheadof500Englishhorse.
Douglaswasanoldmannow,buthehadtrustedtothe
magicofhisnametorallytheancientfollowingtohis
banner.Neverwasmanmoregrievouslyoutofhisreckon-
ing.Thecharmwasbroken. Forawhilethecrowdeyed
theEnglishridersinsilence,ormutteringbeneaththeir
breath. Thensomethinghappened
;
perhapsatrooper
pressedroughlyonabystander ;ablowwasstruck
;
whingersleaptfromeasyscabbards,andthemellaybegan.
Itwentonallafternoon, tillaforceunderCharterisof
AmisfieldandCrichtonofSanquharcomingup,drovethe
Englishoutofthetown.OntheirwaytotheBorderthey
wereinterceptedonthebanksoftheKirtlebytheSteward
ofAnnandale,John,MasterofMaxwell,^andlostanumber
ofmen.TheDukeofAlbanymadegoodhisescape,but
„ ,
rDouglaswasunhorsed. Therewasarewardset
Captureof
•=>
Douglas,24thuponhishead,1000merksinmoneyand100
uyi4
4.
merksinland,butnobodyrecognisedhim,it
seems
;atleastifweacceptthenarrativeofGodscroft,which,
ifnotgospel,isatleastpicturesque.HesaysthatDouglas
calledtoaformervassalofhisown,AlexanderKirkpatrick,
sonoftheLairdofCloseburn,andmadehimselfknown.
Kirkpatrickwasovercomewithgrieftoseehischiefin
suchaplight,andofferedtoescorthimintoEngland,
"but
hewould not,beingweariedofsuchendlesstroubles,"
andsurrenderedhimselfprisoner.- Hewastakenbefore
^EldestsonofRobert,2nclLordMaxwell.
"Itmustberemarkedthatallthisisextremelyunlikely. Douglashadcome
torousehisownvassals ;todothatitwasnecessaryheshouldmakehimself
known,andforthatpurposewoulddisplayhisarmsandbanner. Alexander

SirWilliamDouglas,Lordof
NithsdaU,1387
James,gthEarlofDouglas,ob.1488.
ArchibaldDouglaa.EarlofMoray,
ob.1455.
HughDouglas,EarlofOrmond,ob.1455.

DEATHOFTHELASTEARL 201
hismuch
-wronged master,KingJames,whowith
singularclemencysparedhislife,butsentencedhimto
seclusion intheabbeyofLindores.
"Hethatmayno
betterbe,mustbeamonk,"wasthecommentofDouglas
upontheinevitable. Itisnotknownwhetherheactually
tookthevowsofamonk,butheneverleftLindoresagain,
Godscroftrepeatsareportcurrentaboutanothermeeting
betweenhimandtheKing,whenJamesIII.,distractedby
thefactionsofhisbaronsandtherebellionofhisson,sought
outDouglasintheretirementofhiscloisterandimplored
himtotakecommandofhisarmyagainsttherebels.But
Deathofth
Douglashadnospiritleftforthetask. "Sir,"
lastEarlofheisSaidtohavereplied,
"youhavekeptme
ougas,
14 .
^^^yourblackcoffer
^
inStirlingtoolong.My
friendshaveforsakenme ;myfollowersarescatteredamong
othermasters
;yourblackcofferisfarfromyou,andyour
enemiesbetweenyouandit."KingJameswasdoneto
deathinBeaton'sMilloniithJune1488,andinthesame
yearthetroubledandcloudylifeofJames,9thandlast
EarlofDouglas,cametoaclose,andwithitthedirectline
ofthegreathouseofDouglas.^OfthesixsonsofJames
theGross[xix.],theeldestperishedunderthedaggerof
James II.,thethird fellinbattleagainsthisKing,the
fourthandfifthsufferedforrebelliononthescaffold ;only
thesecondandthesixthdiedfromnaturalcauses.
Ithasbeendescribedabovehowthe9thEarlof
Douglasmarried,underdispensation, hisbrother'swidow,
TheFair
Margaret,theFairMaidofGalloway. There
Maidof wasnoissueofthemarriage. Pitscottierelates
aoway.
^^^Margaret,whomhecallsBeatrix,confusing
herwiththeearl'smother,threwherselfonJames ll.'s
mercyafterherhusband's rebellion,repentingof
"that
Kirkpatrick,however,wascertainlyhiscaptor,anddidnotscrupletoreceive
thestipulatedreward.—AV^.MagniSigilH, ii.No.1603.
^TheblackcoffercontainedtreasureaccumulatedbyJames ill.
—
Actsof
Pari.Scot., ii.230.
^HisnephewHugh,DeanofBrechin,sonoftheEarlofOrmond,survived
him.Ofanothernephew,James,sonoftheEarlofMoray,nothingcanbe
traced.

202 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
wngodlieandwickitmarieage,"andbeseechinghimto
deliverherfrom it.Thismustrefertothe
eventsof1459,untilwhichyearMargaret
remainedwithEarlJamesinEngland.Then
shereturned toScotland,underlettersof
commendation toKingJamesfromHenryVl.^
Shewasgraciouslyreceived,andwasmarried
in1460,duringhersecondhusband's life-
time,totheKing'shalf-brother,JohnStewart,
EarlofAthol,whoreceivedtheforfeited
lordshipofBalvany,^butshemusthavebeen
eitherdivorced ordead in1471,when
Eleanor SinclairwasCountess ofAthol.
Howhermarriagewiththe9thEarlof
Douglaswasdissolveddoesnotappear,but
dissolved itmusthavebeen,becausebetween
1461and1484hemarriedAnne,daughter
ofJohnHolland,DukeofExeter,relictof
twoJohnNevilles,uncleandnephew,and
motherofRalphNeville,EarlofWestmor-
land.Thisladydied26thDecemberi486
[afterherthirdhusbandhadbeensentto
Lindores],beingdescribedattheinquestas
thewifeofJames,EarlofDouglas.^
Ofthecharacterandcareerofthelast
EarlofDouglas itisnotpossibletospeak
inpraise,unlessoneturnspecialpleaderlike
HumeofGodscroft. Firstarebelagainst
hisKing,andthenarenegade inthepay
ofEngland,hewroughtwithallhismight
todestroythatnationalindependencewhich
thecoolheadandstrongarmofhisancestor
hadchieflyprevailedtoestablish. Inpallia-
tionmaybepleadedthestrongprovocation
heandhisbrothers received,while still
veryyoungmen,inthetreacherousmurder
^ExchequerRolls,vi.49S.
"
Reg.MagniSigilli, ii.No.750.
*
Inquisitionespostmortem,2HenryVI.,quotedbyFraser, i.496,note.
fe

APPENDIXB 203
oftheirelderbrotherbythehandoftheKing.Although
reconciliation followedafterthisdeed,confidencebetween
monarchandsubjectmusthavebeenfatallyundermined
;
mutualsuspicionmusthavebeenkeptaglowbythebusy
counselsofinterestedpartisans,ready,astheeventproved,to
burstintoflameofwaratanynewcombinationofforces.
Doubtlessthehazardofsuchhollowrelationswasintensified
bytheearl'sirresolutecharacter,ofwhichmanytracesmay
bediscernedintheconflictingaccountsofhisconduct.He
endedbymakingScotlandtoohottoholdhim,andbrought
indelibledisgraceuponhisnamebyenlistinghimselfasone
ofthemostactiveofherfoes.
AppendixB
Lochmabenstane
Thedefeat oftheEnglishunderDouglas,Earlof
Ormond,23rdOctober1449 [?],
isusuallyknownasthe
battleoftheSark,fromhavingbeenfoughtonthebanksof
thatstream,butitreceivesmentionalsoasthebattleof
Lochmabenstane, fromitsproximitytoalargeboulderof
thatnamewhich,holdssuchanimportantplaceinborder
historythatitmaybeconvenienttoquoteherewhatIhave
alreadystatedaboutitintheHistoryofDumfriesshireand
Gallozvay[Blackwood,1896],p.132
:
—
ItisalargeboulderonthefarmofOldGretna,in
Dumfriesshire, neartheconfluenceoftheKirtlewiththe
Solway. IntheNewStatisticalAccount[1845]
itis
statedthatthisboulderwasoncesurroundedbyaringof
largestones,enclosingabouthalfanacre,whichhadnot
longbeforebeenremoved inthecourseofagriculture.
ThereisacarefuldrawingoftheLochmabenStoneinMr.
Armstrong'sexcellentHistoryofLiddesdale,etc.[Edinburgh,
1883].
Thisstone isconstantlymentioned inchartersand
otherearlywritingsasatrysting-placebothfortheassembly

204 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
oftroopstoundertakeorrepelinvasion,andformeetings
betweenEnglishandScottishWardensoftheMarchesto
discussmattersconcerning theirjurisdiction,ortoarrange
thepreliminaries oftruce. Seeingthat itismanymiles
distantfromLochmabentownandparish,andthatthereis
nolakenear it,thenameofLochmabenStonehaslong
beenapuzzletoantiquaries,anditisonlylatelythata
satisfactorysolutionhasbeenarrivedat.
ThenameisfrequentlywrittenClockmabanstane [e.g.
Fcedera,vol. iii.part
4,p.152],whereby light isshed
onthemeaningofthename. Itisobviousthatthe
prefix isthewell-knownoldGselicdock,astone[in
modernGaelic,clacJi\.Anglianspeechestablished itselfat
anearlydateinDumfriesshire. Themeaning ofclock
havingcometobeforgotten, thisnotablestonereceived
theAnglian suffixstdn,andbecameLochmaben Stane.
ClochMabon,then,thestoneorburial-placeofMabon,was
theoriginal title,justasClorriddrich,nearLochwinnoch, in
Renfrewshire,commemoratesRydderchHael,theChristian
conquerorofStrathclyde.
Thenextthingistoascertain iftherewasanynotable
individualcalledMabon inearlytimes,orifthename
merelyborethesignification ithasinmodernWelsh—
a
younghero :thesense,bytheway,inwhich itisapplied
affectionately atthisdaybyWelshminerstoMr.Abraham
Thomas,M.P.
IntheBlackBookofCarmarthen, acollection of
Welshpoems,mostlyattributable tothesixthcentury,the
followingoccursinNo.XXXI
:
—
Line11,"IfWythnaintweretogo,
Thethreewouldbeunlucky
:
Mabon,theSonofMydron,
TheservantofUthirPendragon,
Cysgaint,theSonofBanon
;
AndGwynGodibrion.
Line21. DidnotManawydbring
ShatteredshieldsfromTrywrind?
AndMabon,thesonofMellt,
Spottedthegrasswithhisblood."

THELOCHMABENSTONE 205
HerearetwoindividualsnamedMabon,oneofwhomseems
tohavebeenkilledinactionafterthebattleofTrywrind,
NowMr.SkenehasidentifiedTrywrindwithTrathenWerid,
thesceneofArthur'stenthbattle,foughtin516.The
poem,however,whichisveryobscure,givesnoindicationof
theplacewhereMabon,sonofMellt,perished
;butArthur's
eleventhbattlewasfoughtinMynydAgnedorEdinburgh,
commemorated inthenameofArthur'sSeat,andthismay
havebeentheplaceofMabon'sdeath.
The following passage occurs intheimportant
topographicalpoemofTaliessin,No.XI,,whichwaswritten
tocelebratethedeedsofGwallawgapLleenag,whohas
beenidentifiedwithGalgacus,whomTacitusdescribesas
fightingagainstAgricola,A.D.80,andwithGaldus,oflocal
Gallowaytradition,mentionedbytheuntrustworthyBoece:
—
Line26."AbattleinawoodofBeitatcloseofday,
Thoudidstnotthinkofthyfoes :
AbattleinthepresenceofMabon."
"ThewoodofBeit"maybe,asMr.Skenesuggests,Beith
inAyrshire ;butitmayjustasprobablybeoneofthe
manyotherplacesnamedfrombeth—thebirch,suchas
BeochinWigtownshire, orDalbeattie inKirkcudbright.
Inthesamepoemtwoplacesarenamedasscenesof
Gwallawg's battles :oneinWigtownshire—
"Themarsh
ofTerra,"wherearetheStanding-Stones ofGlenterra,
orGlentirrow ;andtheotherinKirkcudbright
—
pencoet
Cledyfein, orthewoodhead ofCluden,nearLincluden.
Moreover,GwallawgorGaldus issupposedtobeburiedat
Torhouse,nearWigtown,wherethere isanotablecircleof
stonescalledKingGaldus'stomb.
Butthemostcircumstantial referencetoMabonappears
intheBookofTaliessin,po^m.XVIII.,wheretheinvasionof
StrathclydeandthebattlesofOwen,thesonofUrien,are
described,asreportedtothebardofKelso(Calchvynyd)
—
Line17."Abattle,whenOwendefendsthecattleofhiscountr}',
WillmeetMabonfromanothercountry,
AbattleatthefordofAlclud.

2o6 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
Line23.AbattleonthissideofLlachar,
ThetrembhngcampsawMabon,
Ashieldinhand,onthefairportionofReidol.
AgainstthekineofRegedtheyengaged.
Iftheyhadwingstheywouldhaveflown,
AgainstMabonwithoutcorpsestheywouldnotgo.
Meeting,theydescendandcommenceabattle.
ThecountryofMabon ispiercedwithdestructiveslaughter.
Line43.Aboutthefordoftheboundary,aboutthealdershisbattle-places.
Whenwascausedthebattleoftheking,sovereign, prince.
VerywildwillthekinebebeforeMabon.
Line47.Theresting-place ofthecorpsesofsomewasinRun.
Therewasjoy,therewillbe,forravens.
Loudthetalkofmenafterthebattle."
Herewehaveanaccount,inlanguage fairlyexplicitfora
bard,ofaforayontheterritoryAlclud,which,ofcourse,is
theCymricnameforDumbarton {dihiBretan,thefortof
theBritonsorCymri).Aretaliatoryinvasionresultedin
adefeatofMabonatReidolonthissideofLlachar—that
is,atRuthwellontheeastbankofLochar. Reidolseems
tobetheCelticrenderingofRuthwell,whichinturnisthe
Anglo-Saxonrodwell,thewelloftheroodorcross.There
isstillnearthevillageachalybeate well,whichtookits
namefromthecelebratedRunicroodorcrossnowstanding
withinthewallsoftheparishchurch,andafterwardsgave
thenametotheparish. Inlines17,24,and45,"kine"
and
"
cattle
"
aremetaphoricallyusedfor"people."The
"kineofReged"arethepeopleofthedistrictbetween
DumbartonandLochLomond,whichwasknownbythat
name.
"Thefordoftheboundaryaboutthealders
"may
eitherhavebeenontheLocharwaters,orthepursuitmay
havebeencarriedasfarasthe
"fordoftheboundary
"
on
theSark,sooftenusedinthelaterdaysofBorderwarfare.
HerewemayimagineMabontohaveperished,andtohave
beenlaidundertheboulderwhichbearshisname.A
circleofstoneswasafterwards added,accordingtothat
customofintermentwhichtooktheformofwhatare
erroneouslytermedDruidcircles.

THELOCHMABENSTONE 207
Astothedateofthisevent,Taliessinseemstobe
tellingofsomethingwhichhasjusthappened. Hisown
eramaybeprettyaccuratelyfixedasearlyintheseventh
century, forhespeakselsewhere oftheWelshleader
Brochmail asbeingcontemporary withhimself;andwe
knowfromBede{Ecclesiastical History,chap, ii.)that
BrochmailwaspresentatthebattleofChesterin607.
Sowemayassumethattherewasatleastonewarriorof
thenameofMabon,whogavehisnamebothtothedistrict
ofLochmabenandalsototheLochmabenStone,towards
thecloseofthesixthorbeginningoftheseventhcentury.
Athousandyearslateritwastherecognisedplaceof
musterfortheroyalleviesofDumfriesandGalloway,and
remainedsountiltheunionofthetwokingdoms.
TheLochmabenStone isjustoneofthosehistorical
relics,ofmorethanlocalinterest,whichoughttobeplaced
withoutdelayundertheprotectionoftheAncientMonu-
mentsAct.

CHAPTERIX
209XXV.SirAndrewDouglasofHerd-
manston,etc.
209xxvi.WilliamDouglasoflierd-
manston, c.1277.
209xxvii. SirJames Douglas of
Lothian, c.1307.
209xxviii. SirWilliam Douglas,
"KnightofLiddesdale," c.
1300-1353-
211MadeWardenoftheMarches,
1330.
211CapturedbySirAntonydeLucy,
1333-
212BattleofBoroughMoor, ist
August1335.
215BattleofKilblain,30thNovember
1335-
216Douglas reconquers Teviotdale,
1339-1342.
217CaptureofEdinburghCastle,i6th
April1341.'
217Douglasencounters theEarlof
Derby,December1341.
218RamsaycapturesRoxburghCastle,
31stMarch1342.
219SlaughterofSirAlexanderRamsay,
1342.
220FallofWilliamBullock, c.1343.
220Douglasisrestoredtofavour,1342.
222DavidII.invadesEngland,October
1346.
223BattleofNeville's Cross,17th
October1346.
224Douglasiscaptured,17thOctober
1346.
224SlaughterofSirDavidBarclay
1350-
225DouglasbecomesKingEdward's
man,17thJuly1352.
226Hisdeath,August1353.
227xxix.SirHenryDouglasofLug-
ton,died1393.
TheoriginofthatbranchofthehouseofDouglasnow
representedbytheEarlofMorton,andtheprecisemanner
inwhich itdivergedfromtheseniorline,isamatterof
conjectureandestimateofprobability. Previouslyto1198
SirArchibalddeDouglas [iii.]soldthelandsofHailesin
Midlothian totheabbotandmonasteryofDunfermline.^
Somewherebetweentheyears1214and1226hereceived
acharter
—
ArchebaldodeDotiglasfilioWillelmideDouglas
—fromMalcolm,EarlofFife,ofthelandsofHerdmanston
andLivingston,alsoinLothian,formerlyheldbyWilliam
ofKilmaron,-towhichcharterFreskin[Friskyn],Deanof
Moray,wasoneofthewitnesses. Thistransactionreceived
^RegistrumdeDunfermelyn, 190.
"
Morton, i.p.xxxiii,
208

THELINEOFMORTON 209
confirmationfromKingAlexander ll.^ SirArchibald is
believedtohavemarriedMargaret,elderdaughterofSir
JohndeCrawford,whoissupposedtohavebornehimtwo
sons,namely,William
"Long-leg"[iv.],whosucceeded to
theDouglasestates,andAndrew[xxv.],whobecamethe
founderofaseparatebranchofthehouseofDouglas.
Theproofofthisstepinthepedigree isfarfrom
complete. ThefactthatWilliamLong-legsucceededto
XXV.Sir
^^^Douglas estates,andAndrewtothoseof
AndrewdeHerdmanstonandLivingston, allofwhichwere
Herdmanston,posscsscdbySirArchibald,renders itexceed-
^*'^-
inglyprobablethattheywererespectively his
elderandyoungerson ;thattheywerebrothers isrendered
almostcertainbythemannerinwhichtheirnamesare
coupledaswitnessestoacharterbyJohnGallardofKeith
infavourofthemonksofDunfermline,wheretheyare
describedasDominiWilielvmsetAndreadeDufglas?
ThatAndrewDouglashadasonnamedWilliam,who
succeededhiminpossessionofHerdmanston, isabundantly
.„,.,,. clearfromtheconfirmationbyAlexander III.in
XXVI.William
'
deDougriasof127/ofAndrew's giftofthatpropertytohis
ermanson.
^^j^^^^William ;
^
butobscuritydescendsagain
upontheparentageofSirJamesDouglasdeLaudonia—of
xxvii.Sir
Lothian—whohadchartersofKincavilland
Jamesde
Caldorcler inISO?."* Alluncertainty about
Douglasof
•'
.
Lothian,ob.thispedigreeendswiththeappearanceofSir
c.1320.
WilliamDouglas [xxviii.],knownlaterasthe
KnightofLiddesdale,whoismentionedinseveraldocuments
xxviii.Sir asthesonandheirofthedeceasedSirJames
William
[xxvii.!.^Hcnceforwardwehavetheadvantage
Doug-lasof
L J c>
Lothian, ofaconsccutive seriesofaboutthreehundred
Lkidesdaie,
charters,whichwereformedintoachartulary
c.1300-1353. duringthefourteenth century,beingprobably,
asthelateMr.C.Innesobserved,theoldestregisteroflay
possessions inScotland.
ThisSirWilliamDouglas itwaswhofirstbrought
^Morton, i.p.xxxiv.
-RegistrumdeDu7tfermelytt, 97.
^Morton, ii.8.
^Ibid,,li.
^
Ibid.,11,22,23,29.
VOL.I. O

2IO THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
distinctionuponhisbranchofthehouse. Godscroft,
pardonablyperplexedbythenumberofDouglasesnamed
JamesandWilliam,^pronouncedhimtobeanaturalsonof
theGoodSirJames[vii,],wherebyTytlerandotherwriters
havebeenledastray.Evenafterthisconfusionhasbeen
clearedupthereremainstheembarrassing factthatSir
JamesofLothian[xxvii.] lefttwosonscalledWilliam,the
elderanaturalson,theyoungerlegitimateandthesubject
ofthisnotice.EvensowellpractisedagenealogistasMr.
JohnRiddelloverlooked thispoint,considering thatthe
designationof
"theyounger,"appliedtoWilliam[xxviii.]
inacharterofDavid II.,wasmeanttodistinguishhim
fromhisfather,who,indeed,diedbeforeDavidcametothe
throne.2 But itwasnomorethanthepopularwayof
distinguishinghimfromhisbastardbrother ;whichBower
makesperfectlyclearinhisaccountofthetakingofEdin-
burghCastlein1341perdominosWillelmum etWillelnmni
deDouglasetBullok.Hestatesthataftertheplacewas
taken"thesaidWilliamplacedthereinasconstable his
elderbrother,abastard\7iothus\namedWilliam,"
^Allusion
alsoismadetothisbrotherasWillelmusdeDouglassenior
invariousdocumentsofthereignofEdward III,Hewas
takenprisoneratthebattleofDurham,lodgedsuccessively
intheTowerofLondon,Rockingham,andNottingham
Castles,andreleasedfromhischainsoni6thMay1350,
underthepledgesofSirWalterdeHaliburtonandSir
DaviddeAnnanthathewouldnotgooutsideNottingham
Castlewithouttheconstable's leave,* Finally,Willelmus
fratermensisoneofthewitnessestothewillexecutedby
theKnightofLiddesdale in1351.^
^EversincetheConquestJohnandWilliamhavebeenthecommonest
baptismalnamesinEngland. Itisrecordedthatin1173SirWilliamdeSt,
JohnandSirWilliamFitz-Hamongaveadinnerpartylimitedtoknightsbearing
thenameofWilliam,andthatthecompanynumberedonehundredandtwenty.
InScotland,Williamwasverypopular,butJohnbecamediscreditedbecauseof
JohnBaliol ;somuchsothatJohntheSteward,whenhecametothethronein
1390,assumedthenameofRobert.
*Stewartiana, p.137,
^Bower,xiii.47.
*Bain,iii.274,277.
^I\Iorton, ii.
55.

THEKNIGHTOFLIDDESDALE 211
Bornabouttheyear1300,WilliamdeDouglaswasthe
legitimatesonofSirJamesofLothian[xxvii.].Ofhis
mothernothingisknownsavethathernamewasJoan,and
thatwhenshebecameawidowshedrewhertercefrom
thelandsofBlacknessinLinlithgowshire.^ Hemakeshis
firstappearance inhistoryasWardenofthe
theMarches,Marches in1330,towhichoffice itmaybe
^^^°"
assumedthathehadbeenappointedonthe
departureofhiskinsmantheGoodSirJames [vii.]forthe
HolyLandwiththeheartofKingRobert. Complaints
werelaidbeforeEdward III.againsthimandtheEarlof
Morayinthatyearbythecomnmnaleofanortherncounty,
probablyCumberland, forarbitraryconductinregardto
redressofoffences,andforcarelessobservanceofthetruce.^
WhenwarbetweenEnglandandScotlandwasrenewedby
thelandingofEdwardBaliolandthedisinherited lordsin
Fifeintheautumnof1332,Douglasvigorously resisted
theusurper,albeitheisnotmentioned astakingpartin
theTineman's[x.]camisadeatAnnan,norinhisraidupon
GilslandinMarch1333.ButwhenSirAntonydeLucy,
onthe23rdofthatmonth,madeacounter-raidupon
Annandale,SirWilliamdeDouglas,withSirHumfreyde
Boys,SirHumfreydeJardine,WilliamBaird
—
malefactores
solemnes^—attackedhimwiththegarrisonofLochmaben.
AfterdeBoys,Jardine,andfour-and-twenty of
sfr^An'tC
^^^Scotshadbeenslain,DouglasandBaird
deLucy,23rd
yieldedthemsclvcs prisoners. Lucyreceived
threewounds,butonlytwoEnglishmen were
killed.*ByKingEdward'scommandDouglasandBaird
wereputinironsinCarlisle.^ Douglaswasnotransomed
untiltwoyearslater,whenhereturnedtoScotlandand
appliedhimselfvigorously tothetaskofclearingthe
EnglishandtheadherentsofBalioloutofScotland.
HewaspresentattheParliamentconvenedatDairsie
inApril1335bytheGuardians,RoberttheStewardand
theEarlofMoray,ofwhichParliamentForduncontemptu-
'Bain,iii.341,389.
-Ihid.^187.
^Lanercost,272.
*
Ibid.,273.
''
Bain,iii.194.

212 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
ouslyobservesthat
"nothingwasdonethereinbutwhat
wasridiculous." ThisheattributestotheEarlofAthol's
influenceovertheSteward,
"whowasatthattimenot
governedbymuchwisdom"
;buthepaysthecompliment
toMarch,Moray,SirAlexanderdeMowbray,andSir
WilliamdeDouglasthatthey
"behaveddiscreetlyand
quietly."
^ Atholcertainlywasworkingsomemischief
betweentheGuardiansatthisperiod,thoughnobodyseems
toknowexactlyhoworwhy.- Itwasnotasafetimefor
dissension,inasmuchasEdwardofEnglandandEdward
Baliolwereonthewarpath,andtheScottishGuardians
hadissuedordersforallmovablesandcattletobecarried
anddrivenintothehills,lesttheyshouldserveforthe
supportoftheinvaders. InJulyanEnglish fleetofone
hundredandeightysailappeared intheForth,andKing
EdwardoccupiedPerth.^
Guy,CountofNamur,landingontheeastcoastwith
abodyofFlemishtroopstoreinforceKingEdward,was
Battleof encounteredonistAugustontheBoroughMuir
n'u^^f^t
"^^^EdinburghbytheEarlsofMorayandMarch
August133s.andSirAlexanderdeRamsayofDalwolsey.'^
Abriskcombatensued,inwhichBowerassignsaforemost
placetoqucedaniviragoGellerena—acertainviragoof
^Fordun, ii.350.
-TheDeputyChamberlain,AdamofButhirgask,reportsthatowingtothe
dispute\discordid\betweentheStewartandMorayhehadbeenunableto
collectthecustomsofanyoftheburghsnorthoftheForth,exceptpartofthose
ofAberdeen,asthetwoGuardianshadappointedeachhisownpeopletocollect
them.
—
ExchequerRolls, i.435.
s
Ibid.
•*
Fordun,Bower,Wyntoun,andthePluscardenchroniclerallstatethatthis
expeditionwascommandedbytheCountofGueldres,whoalsowasanallyof
theEnglishatthistime.ButKingEdward'ssafe-conducts totheCountof
Namur,describinghimascoming[12thJuly1335]withanarmedforcetothe
EnglishKing'sassistance,and[nthAugust]asreturninghome,leavenodoubt
thattheScottishhistoriansaremistaken,andthattheauthorsofScalacronica
andtheLanercostChronicleareright.Moreover,KingEdward[3rdAugust]
gaveNamur'sbrotherPhilipasilvergiltenamelledcupandewer,andasimilar
cuptohisknight,forservicesagainsttheScots[Bain, iii.211]
;paidNamur's
expenseshomefromScotland,replacedtwohorseslostbytheCount'sesquires
[Ibid.,5thSeptember],andgrantedsafe-conducts [23rdJuly1337]forknights
takeninEdinburghinthecompanyoftheCountofNamur{Ibid.,226].

BATTLEOFBOROUGHMUIR 213
Gueldres—who,fullyarmedandwellmounted,didsingle
combatwithSirRichardShaw.Theseopponentscharged
eachotherwithsuchforcethatthelanceofeachtransfixed
theother'sbody. Then,whentheircorpseswerebeing
preparedforburial,itwasfoundthatthedoughtyFlemish
championwasawoman,^
Thebattlewasturning infavouroftheCountof
NamurwhenSirWilliamDouglasarrivedinthenickof
timewithhisownmenandaforcegatheredinthePent-
lands,andtooktheforeignersontheflank.Theybroke
andfledforEdinburgh,hotlypursuedbytheScots.The
castlewasinruinsatthetime,havingbeendismantled lest
itshouldfallintoEnglishhands,buttheFlemingsswarmed
amongtherocks,slayingtheirownhorsesandmakinga
rampartofthem,asBowerreports.Theymadegood
theirdefence tillthemorrow,whentheysurrendered.
TheEarlofMoray,ultramoduni curialis—imprudently
courteous—notonlyreleasedhisprisoners,butinsistedupon
escortingthemovertheBorder.^Hepaiddearlyforhis
clemency. Afterpartingwiththeforeignknightsonthe
marchhisescortwasattackedbyPercy.Morayhimself
wastakenprisonerandentereduponacaptivityofsix
years ;SirWilliamDouglas,whorodewiththeGuardian,
escapedwithdifficulty,andwounded intheear,and
William'sbrotherJameswasslain.
AllthenorthofScotlandwasnowinthepowerof
Edward II,andhispuppet,EdwardBaliol,whohadbeen
crownedatSconein1332. Athol,whohatedMorayand
Douglas,hadthrownupthecardsandmadetermswith
theEnglishKing,andpersuadedoneoftheGuardians,
RoberttheSteward[afterwards toinheritthecrownofthe
BruceandfoundtheStuartdynasty], todothesame.^
TheotherGuardian,Moray,wasinanEnglishprison.
'Bower,xiii.
35.
"
Accordingtothecustomofchivalrouswarfare,Moraycouldonlyrelease
thoseprisonerswhohadyieldedthemselvestohim.Knightswhotookother
prisonersthanMoray'swouldbeentitledtoholdthemtoransom
;hencein
1337therewerestillatleasttwoFlemishknightsinScottishdurance.
^Scalacronica, 165.

214 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
Atholwasrewardedbybeingappointed Baliol'slieutenant
oftherealm. TrulythenationalcauseofScotlandhad
neverbeenatsolowanebbsinceRoberttheBruceemerged
fromhishiding.
WellmighttheAbbotofInchcolmblessthesaintsfor
theambitionwhichatthiscrisisimpelledEdward III.to
enterupontheHundredYearsWarforthecrownof
France
—
"Ittorsio(Scotlanbnjjubchnncc
l^hatthaimabcthattntotoerraj)
^in(dffrancf
:
Sothaicthaihalglythaimtane
^oxtotocrragin(Scctlanballanc,
®fftgrth£Qxttmgschfffis ttoa,
^ttpljjncanb^alibrrtuivctoartha,
'iEhaisulbhati«skaithit ittrtfirctls."-
Buttherewerestillafewtrue-heartedScotsknightsat
libertywhomneitherblandishment norbribenormenace
couldbringtobowthekneetoBaliol—SirAndrew
MorayofBothwell,towit,who,havingbeenransomed
aboutAugust1334,hadbeenelectedRegentbythe
patriots ;PatrickDunbar,EarlofMarch ;SirAlexander
RamsayofDalwolsey,andSirWilliamDouglasofLothian.
Thesefaithfulchevaliers collectedaforceofsomeeight
hundredspearsoutofLothianandtheMersetomaintain
withalthecauseoftheirabsentKing.Therearesomany
sorrowfulandshamefulepisodesinScottishhistory,onehas
toblushsooftenforthetreacheryandselfishnessofmenof
honourablelineageandhighrank,thatitisgoodtodwell
onthesplendidstandmadebythislittleband,butfor
whomthehard-wonindependenceofScotlandmustassuredly
havegonebytheboard.
TheAlmighty,saysthepiousBower,havingdeter-
minedtoputanendtothemaliceofAthol,inspired
himwiththeprojectofcapturingKildrummie, thelast
strengthnorthoftheForthwhich stillheldforKing
David,exceptLochleven,whereSirAlandeViponthad
gallantlystoodandrepelledasiege.NowKildrummie
^Tomakewar. ^Haveinjured it[Scotland].—Wyntoun, viii.33.

THECAUSEOFBALIOLDECLINES 215
wasinchargeofSirAndrewMoray'swife,ofthehouse
ofBruce,wherefore itwasdetermined toproceedtoher
relief. Itseemedahopeless enterprise,seeing
biain,Novem-thatMoray,March,andDouglashadsucha
er30.
1335-
^veakfollowing. Nevertheless theymade all
speedtointerceptAthol ;and,havingbeenreinforced
bythreehundredmenfromKildrummie, surprised his
greatlysuperior forceintheforestofKilblain. The
resultwasagreatvictoryforthepatriots :Atholhim-
selfwasslain,andhisarmywasdispersedwithmuch
slaughter.UponhearingofthefateofAthol,Edward III.
suddenlyreturnedtoScotland,inordertorelieveLochindorb
Castle,whereMorayhadlaidsiegetotheCountessof
Athol.Havingeffectedtherelief,theKingofEngland
laidwasteMoray,burntAberdeen,andreturnedtohisown
countryasswiftlyashehadleftit.
Afterthisstrokeofgoodfortunethepatriotcause
gainedmuchstrengththroughout Scotland.Avaluable
accessiontheretowasthatofWilliamBullock,formerlya
priestorfriarofobscurebirth,whosetalentshadraisedhim
tothepostofchamberlain toEdward Baliol.HimSir
WilliamDouglasbribedorfrightenedintosurrenderingthe
castleofCupar,whereofBullockwasconstableforEdward.
Dunnottar, Kinclevin,Laurieston,Falkland, St.Andrews,
Leuchars,Bothwell,andotherplacesofstrengthfollowedin
rapidsuccession, forEdward lll.'smindandenergywere
nowdirectedupontheFrenchWar.TheCountessof
March—
"BlackAgnesofDunbar,"daughterofBruce's
nephewRandolph,EarlofMoray—bravelydefiedabesieg-
ingforceundertheEarlofSalisburyforseveralmonths,
untilshewasrelievedbytheapproachofSirAlexander
deRamsayinJune1338. SirAndrewMoraydied,and
wassucceeded intheRegencybyRoberttheSteward,
whosepurpose itnowsuitedtoturnpatriotoncemore.
HelaidsiegetoPerth,whichwaspractically Baliol's
capital,anddespatchedDouglas toCalaistopurchase
material. DouglasreturnedwithFrenchships,whichmade
capturesamongKingEdward's victualling fleetinthe

2i6 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
Ta.y}HewaswoundedintheoperationsbeforePerth,but
witnessedthefallofthatcityon17thAugust i339.
AfterthatDouglasdevotedhimselftothereconquest
ofTeviotdale,havinghisheadquarters intherecessesof
Jedburgh Forest,whencehemaderepeated
reconquers salliesupontheEugHshgarrisons.Bytheyear
Teviotdale,
1342hewasmasterofallTeviotdale,except
1339-1342-
'
Roxburgh Castle,andKingDavid'swritsran
oncemoreinlandswhichhadbeenlonginthegripof
KingEdward. Hisgallantexploits inthislongand
desultorycampaignearnedforhimthetitleoftheFlower
ofChivalry,alongwiththemoresubstantialrecognition
conveyedintheofficeofSheriffofTeviotdale,coupled,as
italwayswas,withthatofConstableofRoxburgh Castle,
asyetbutanhonoraryappointment.
Thesehonoursproveddisastrousintheendtothefair
fameofthisrenowned chevalier,markingtheturning-point
inhiscareer;butthere stillremainedsomenotable
"juperdyis"tobeundertakenbyDouglasbeforeheentered
uponthedownward course. Edinburgh,Roxburgh,Ber-
wick,Jedburgh,andLochmabenwerestillinthehandsof
theEnglishatthebeginningofi341—
"WioxWxvgmillitmc0ffpoluglas
IntillhishartjtUangrgluas
l^hat(Ebgnburchis (JTastfUestoa
^gbetothtUnbanoganbtoa,"
cStanbanbinmgbbis oft"thelanb
;
(Stoalangloasitinhisfais^hanb.
^cthotDchttocastajn^ctbg."*
EdinburghCastlehadbeenrebuiltandgarrisonedby
theEnglishafterthebattleofBoroughMuir,andDouglas
listenedwillinglytoaschemeforitsrecoverypropounded
tohimbyWilliamBullock,whohadplayedtraitorto
thetwoEdwardsinthesurrenderofCuparCastle. This
^Douglasreceivedpaymentin1342forhisexpensesatCalais.
—
Exchequer
Rolls,i.507.
^Injuryandwoe.
"Foe's.
*Tohazardanexploit.—Wyntoun, viii.38.

RECAPTUREOFEDINBURGH 217
schemeconsistedofoneofthosecomplicated ruses,almost
asdearasmiraclestothemediaevalchronicler.
AmarinernamedWatCurrywashiredtotakehis
vesseltoInchkeith,withapartyofpickedmenundercom-
mandofSirWilliamDouglasandEraserof
Edinburgh Durns,Hethenpresentedhimselfasamerchant
Castle,i6th
beforethecommandantofthecastle,^andoffered
April1341.
_
himsuppliesofexcellentwineandcorn,which
hepretended tohavefordisposal. SomeoftheEdin-
burghtownsfolk—William Fairley,WilliamBartholomew,
andothers—wereintheplot.-Abargainhavingbeen
struckbetweenCurryandtheEnglishofficer,wagonswere
soonontheirwayuptheCastleHill,freightedwithcasks
filled,somewithsandandotherswithsaltwater.Thedraw-
bridgewasloweredfortheiradmission
;acunningdriver
managedtojamhisteamundertheportcullissothatitcould
notbeletdown ;theblastofahornrangout ;Douglas
rushedfromconcealment withawell-armed party,over-
poweredthegate-guard,andcarriedthecastlebysurprise.
TheprowessoftheFlowerofChivalryattractedthe
admirationofSirHenrydeLancaster,EarlofDerby
,^who
^ , longedtomeasurelancesinthelistswithsuch
Doug-las
°
encounters arenowiicdchevalicr. Edward III.,havingcon-
Derby,"^
°
cludcd 3.trucewithFranceafterthesiegeof
December Toumay[1340],hadreturnedtoEngland. This
trucewasframedtoincludetheScots ;neverthe-
lesstheEarlsofSutherlandandMarchhadbeenraiding
destructively inNorthumberland,whichbroughtEdwardin
hastetotheBorder.HeenteredScotland inDecember
I341,passedthroughEttrickForestinverybadweather,
andreturnedtoMelrose."^ DerbyobtainedKingEdward's
^SirThomasdeRokebywasthegovernor,buthewasabsentatthetime,
defendingStirlingCastle,ofwhichalsohewasgovernor. Froissartmentions
RichardLimosinasthegovernorofEdinburgh,butthisnamedoesnotoccurin
officialdocuments.—Bain,iii.pp.xlix.,252.
^TheyafterwardsreceivedrewardsfortheirservicesfromKingDavid.—
ExchequerRolls, i.490,507,522.
^SonandheirofHenry,EarlofLancaster.
*
Leland's synopsisofScalacronica. Thecorresponding foliosinthe

2i8 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
permission tochallengeDouglastosinglecombat,which
waswillinglyacceptedbytheFlowerofChivalry.The
knightsmetintheKing'spresence,buttheScottish
championwaswounded inthehandatthefirstencounter
bythebreakingofhisownlance,andthestipulated
numberoftiltscouldnotbefulfilled. Douglasseemsnot
tohaverecovered intimetotakehispartinaninterna-
tionaltournamentwhichtookitsriseoutofthisaffair,when
twentyScottishknights,headedbySirAlexanderRamsay
ofDalwolsey,ranthreetiltsatBerwickagainstasmany
Englishchevaliers. Fortunedeclared fortheScots,of
whomonlyone,aHay,wasslain,whichsuccessperhaps
strengthenedDouglas'sgrowingjealousyofRamsay.The
lamentabledepthofinfamyintowhichthatpassionplunged
oneofthedoughtiestdefendersofScottishindependence
mustnowbetold.
Ramsay'sgrowingfameculminated inthespirited
captureofRoxburgh Castlebyanightescalade. This
SirAlexander
stronghold,whcrcofDouglaswasthetitularcon-
Ramsay
stable,hadhitherto defied alltheFlowerof
burghCastle,Chivalry'splansforitsseizure,andhetook it
Easter,1342.
^g^deadlyaffrontthatanyotherchevalier
shouldsucceedwherehehadfailed. SirThomasGray
wasscandalised attheimpietyofRamsay,whoseexploit
wascarriedout
"
attheveryhouroftheResurrection,"and
pointsoutthatalltheywhodevisedtheplotcametoan
evilend.^
KingDavid,returningfromhisexileinFranceonist
Junefollowing,wasdelightedwithRamsay'sexploit ;but
Davidwasonlyjusteighteen
;heunderstoodnothingofthe
internalaffairsofScotland,andheadoptedarashmethodof
rewardingthegallantknight. DeprivingDouglasofhis
officesofSheriffofTeviotdaleandConstableofRoxburgh,
originalhavebeenlost,butKingEdward'spresenceatMelroseinDecember
1341,whichLordHailesoverlooked, isattestedbytwowritsissuedatMelrose
on20thand27thofthatmonth.—Bain,iii.pp.xlix.,250.
^Leland's synopsis ;theoriginalpassage inScalacronica havingbeen
writtenonthemissingfolio.

^^^^"''i^lfeu.
1^
""j«
/'iV^^^;4.
c-
T-knn'ilate(^l!e i•
.

CRUELFATEOFRAMSAY 219
heconferredthemuponSirAlexander,tothegreatdismay
ofexperiencedmen,whoforesawthecomingtrouble
;
"
for
fewwerethethingsthatKingDaviddidwithmature
deliberationandtheadviceofwisemen ;buthisactswere
oftenheadstrong,onhisownjudgmentandwithoutcounsel,
asafterwardsbecameplain."
^
Douglaswasincensedbeyondmeasureonbeholdinghis
officesbestoweduponahatedrival,therebyimplyingthat
hehadprovedhimselfunworthy toholdthem. His
vengeancewasasswiftasitwashorrible.Ramsayhad
summonedaCourttomeetinthechurchofHawick,and
wasquietlyawaiting itsassemblywhensupej'venitfilius
invidicB^—therearrivedthatbratofjealousy—William
Douglas,withastrongfollowing. Ramsay,suspectingno
ill,inasmuchasheknewofnooffence,roseandsaluted
Douglas,invitinghimtoaseatonthebench.ButDouglas
andhismenflewlikewolvesuponRamsay'sunreadycom-
siauhterofP^'^y'
overpoweredthem,woundedtheSheriffand
SirAlexanderboundhimupouamulc.Theycarriedhimoff
amsay,1342.
^^Douglas's castleofHermitage,wherethis
braveknightwasliterallystarvedtodeath.Fordunsays
helingeredforseventeendayswithoutfood ;anotherstory,
quotedbyBower,runsthatheprolongedhisexistenceby
meansofsomecornwhichdroppedintohisdungeonfrom
agranaryabove.Oexterminabilis invidiaDiaboli!ex-
claimsthepiousBower,andlaunchesintofinemoralre-
flections,windingupwithanappropriatequotationfrom
Seneca ;butafter all,whatseemstohaveshockedthe
AbbotofInchcolmmostdeeplyinthisaffairwasthe
sacrilegecommittedinHawickchurch
;whileKingDavid
chieflyresentedthecrimebecause itwascommittedupon
oneofhisofficials.Atallevents,itwasnotlongbefore
theFlowerofChivalrywasreceivedbacktoroyalfavour,
socompletelythattheofficesofhisvictimwererestoredto
themurdererbytheKing.RoberttheStewardwasthe
chiefagentinthisreconciliation
;—
"thus,"observesLord
Hailes,
"wasthefirstDouglaswhosethimselfabovethe
^Phiscarden, ii.222.
^
Ibid.

220 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
lawpardonedthroughthegenerous intercession ofthe
Steward."
IthasbeenshownhowcloselyDouglashadbeen
associatedwithWilliamBullock,therenegade,insomeof
hismostbrilliant exploits. Bullockbythis
William timewasaknightandChamberlainofScotland,
Bullock,
^y^.^vhetherwithgoodreasonorwithout,certain
c.1343.
' !=•
^
'
personsmanagedtoarousetheKing'ssuspicions
againsthim.DavidorderedSirDavidBarclaytoarrest
andimprisonhiminthedrearycastleofLochindorb,where
thelucklessex-priestdiedshortlyafterwardsofstarvation,
aswascommonlyreported, Douglaswasonhisgood
behaviouratthetime,andwasprudentenoughtotakeno
immediateactioninrevengeforhisfriend's fate.Notthe
lessdidhemarkouttheKing'sagent,Barclay,forfuture
punishment,andfromthistimeforwardhisloyaltytoKing
Davidwasofverydubiousquality.
ImpulsiveyoungDaviddidnotdothingsbyhalves
:
havinggrantedpardontoDouglas,heproceeded toload
himwithfavours,bestowinguponhimbyseparate
regainsthe chartersthelandsofAberdour,thewholeearldom
King'sfavour,
q|-Athol,thelandsinEwesdaleandEskdalefor-
1342-
'
feltedbySirJamesLovel,thelandsforfeitedby
SirJohnMowbray,andtheoldGrahambaronyofDalkeith
resignedbySirJohndeGraham.^Ashasbeenmentioned
above,-theKinghadgrantedthelordshipofLiddesdaleto
RoberttheSteward
;butRobertnowresignedthisonre-
ceivingfromDouglastheearldomofAthol,whereuponthe
KingbestowedLiddesdaleuponDouglas,^whowasthence-
forwardknowngenerallyastheKnightofLiddesdale.No
doubthehadasplendidrecordofservicesindrivingout
theEnglish,andtheeasy-goingKingoverlooked his
crimeagainstapatriotnotlessdevotedandhardlyless
successful.
MuchoftheterritoryrecoveredbySirWilliamDouglas
fromtheEnglishwaspartoftheancientDouglaslands.
TheheadofthehouseatthistimewasHughthe
^Morton, ii.44-4S.
-P.
"T],
ante.
^Morton, ii,46,47.

DUBIOUSLOYALTYOFDOUGLAS 221
Dull[ix.],aparishpriest,wholly unfittedbytraining,
habit,andinclination toenactthepartofagreatfeudal
proprietor. TheFlowerofChivalry, therefore,hadno
scruples,andencounterednodifficulty inpersuading his
chieftomakeovertohimlargetractsofcountry,including
halfthebaronyofWesterkirk,thebaronyofStabilgorton,
thelandsofPolbothy[nowPolmoodie],andotherlands
lyinginthetownandterritoryofMerton.^
On26thMay1342HughtheDull,asmentioned in
aformerchapter,madeformalrenunciationofallhisgreat
possessions, forthepurpose ofentailingthemupon
William,afterwards istEarlofDouglas [xi.],andhis
heirs,whomfailing,upontheKnightofLiddesdaleand
hisheirs.^
ThereisthegravestcauseforsuspicionoftheKnight's
loyalty after allthesehonoursandfavourshadbeen
heapeduponhim.AtrucewithEnglandhadbeen
agreeduponin1343,tolast till1346,buttheScots
observed itveryloosely,andKingEdwardsentBaliol
totheBordertooverawethem. Itmaybeinferredthat
Douglashadtreasonable dealingswithhim. Mr.Lang
suggeststhathewascarryingontheintriguesforwhich
Bullockhadsuffered,andthataraidwhichtheKnight
ofLiddesdale ledintoEnglandin1343wasnomorethan
ablind.^
Whenthetrucecametoanendin1346Douglas,says
Bower,triedtopersuadeDavidtomarchtotheHighlands
forthepurposeofrestoringorder,whichhadbeenviolently
disturbedbythemurderofRanald,LordoftheIsles,and
sevenothers,bytheEarlofRoss. Ifthisallegation is
trueitmayindicateDouglas'sendeavour tofulfilasecret
compactwiththeEnglishKing. ButEdward ill.was
busyatthesiegeofCalais,whereinDavidperceivedafine
opportunity forravaginghisdominions.Hemusteredan
armyofsomethirtythousand,accordingtotheLanercost
chronicler,whowaxesalmostinarticulatewithrageatthe
*Morton, ii.89-92,93.
"
RotiiliScotice, i.637,640.
*Lang'sScotland, i.256.

222 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
Scots—
"accursedsonsofBelial,"andtheirKing—
"pos-
sessedofthedevil,anotherAhab."^ David firstbe-
_ .^ leagueredtheTowerofLiddel,whichhetook,
DavidU.
invadesEng-andCLit ofiftheheadofEdward's governor
land,October
thereof.SirWalterdeSelby,whowasaccused
offreebooting. Douglasrenewedhisadvicethat
theKingshouldmarchtotheHighlandsinsteadofven-
turingintoEngland,buthewasgiventounderstand that
thearmyhadbeenmustered forhigherpurposethan
merelywinningtheknight'stowerofLiddel.Soforward
wenttheScots,burningandspoiling,throughCumberland
intoTynedale, tilltheyreachedHexham,wherethey
abodethree days.Thegood friarofLanercost is
carriedsocompletelyawaybyhisfeelingsastorepeat
ascandalous storyoftheScottishKing'sproceedings
there,whereofthedetails are,tosaytheleast,highly
indelicate.-
BythistimePercy,ThomasdeRokeby,andtheArch-
bishopofYork
—
-pj'oviduspater—hadraisedthecountry,
andweremovinginthreecolumnstoresisttheinvaders.
St.Cuthbertstoodinapparition beforeKingDavid,as
isattestedbysundrychroniclers,andwarnedhimto
desistfromhiswickedenterprise ;buttheKingofScots
paidaslittleheedtothisspiritualvisitantashehad
donetotheadviceoftheFlowerofChivalry. He
continued hismarchandencamped intheparkof
Beaurepair, intheneighbourhood ofDurham.Onthe
morning of17thOctobertheKnightofLiddesdale,
withaforagingparty,cameintocontactwiththecolumns
ofRokebyandYork,andnarrowlyescapedcapture.
HardpressedbySirRobertOgle'smen,hegalloped
intotheScottishcamp
-—satiscalefacttis,warmenough
—andwarnedKingDavidthattheenemywasupon
him.Davidwasincredulous.
"Therearenomenleftin
England,"hesaid,
"butwretchedmonks,worthless priests,
andswineherds. Theydarenottouchus:wearesafe
enough."
^Lanercost,344.
^
Ibid.,346.

NEVILLE'SCROSS 223
Ifthatwasreallyhisopinion,asreportedbythefriar
ofLanercost, itwasabouttobeviolentlyaltered. Percy's
division,formingtherightoftheEnglisharmy,
Neville's drewnear,withUmfravilleEarlofAngus,Scrope,
Cross,17th
^^^Musgraveinsubordinatecommands. Next
October1346. _
-^
inechelonadvancedtheArchbishop ofYork,
andtheleftwasbroughtupbythedivisionunderSir
ThomasdeRokeby.
TheScottishlineofbattlewasquicklyformed. Inthe
centretheKingcommanded inperson,theEarlofMoray
andtheKnightofLiddesdalewereontheleft,theEarl
ofMarchandtheStewardofScotlandontheright.^
Percy'scolumnwasthefirsttoengage,fallinguponthe
Scottish left,coveredbyacloudofarchery. SirJohn
Grahambegged forahundredhorsewithwhich to
scattertheenemy'sarchers,but,failingtogetasingle
one,chargedalone. Hishorsewasshotunderhim,and
hereturnedonfoot." Percypressedonandthrew
Moray'stroopsintodisorder. Moraywasslain,lastof
thenoblelineofRandolph,andDouglasyieldedhimself
prisoner.
AllwentillwiththeScotsafterthis.JohnCoupland
capturedKingDavid ;theEarlsofFife,Sutherland,
Wigtown,andMenteithweretaken
;amongtheslainwere
theEarlofStratherne, theConstable,theMarshall,and
theChamberlain ofScotland,withLindsays,Camerons,
Erasers,andothersofmanynotablehouses. There is
somedoubtaboutthebehaviouroftheScottishrightwing
undertheStewardandMarch.Theymadegoodtheir
retreatintoScotland,andperhapstherewassomeground
forKingDavid'scomplaintthattheydidnotsupporthim
intheactionastheyought. ButDavidneverlovedhis
heir-presumptive.
TheyoungKingofScotspaiddearlyforhisrashness
byelevenyearsofcaptivity. Bower,throwing allthe
1Thisformation iswhatappearsmostprobableaftercomparingthediscrep-
anciesofvariouswriters.
^Bower,xiv.3.

224 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
blameuponhimforhavingrejectedDouglas'sadvice,draws
thefollowingmoral
—
"
PgngisstategiffwxttoillJrbr,
l^iUalblucunistonsalltakgubchzbc
:
Jloboatuhiskungbamksit,^
^ongcmcnnisconsallioxhechesit."
^
Butitwastheoldstory
—
delirant reges,plectuntur
Achivi. IfthefaultwastheKing's,thepenaltywas
paidbyhispeople,andweighedthemlowformanylong
yearstocome,byreasonoftheransomsthathadtobe
wrungfromthem,bothforKingDavidandforhiscom-
radesinmisfortune.
Ithasbeenshownthattheactionbeganonthe
Scottish left,whereMoray felldeadandtheKnightof
Liddesdalewastaken.DareweassumethattheFlower
-^
, ofChivalrywasaltogetherwhole-hearted on
Douglas
_
"' *
istaken thisoccasion?WheresomanyScottishknights
pnsoner.
^j^^
.^^theirhamcss,thisDouglasmighthave
foundafittingend. Ithadbeenbetterforhisfameand
namehadhedoneso,inviewofallthatwastocome.
Hisfirstthoughtincaptivityseemstohavebeento
avengethefateofhisoldconfederateWilliamBullock.
NowSirDavidBarclayhadonlybeencarryingoutthe
King'scommandwhenhearrestedBullockandlodgedhim
inthedungeonofLochindorb,nevertoleaveitalive
;but
itisalsoallegedthathehadslainJohnDouglas,brotherof
theKnightofLiddesdale,atForgieWood. Therewasin
siauhterof
^^''^amplefoundation forabloodfeud
;there-
SirDavid fore,whenBarclaywasdonetodeathatAber-
arcay,1350.
^^^^^|_jy^bandofassassinsunderSirJohnde
St.Michael [?Carmichael],nobodyseemstohavedoubted
thathisdeathhadbeenprocuredbyDouglas. Godscroft,
atallevents,acceptsthechargeagainsthishero,whichhe
wouldscarcelyhavedonehadtherebeenreasonabledoubt
aboutit,forGodscroft isafamousspecialpleader.Heisat
muchpainstojustifythedeed. Afteralongexplanation
howDouglaswasfartoodeeplyindebtedtoBullocktobe
^Lost.
-Chose.

ARENEGADEKNIGHT 225
indifferenttohisfate,andperfectlyinhisrightinavenging
theslaughterofhisownbrother,hedescribesBarclay's
murderas
—
"Ajustfact,butnotjustlydone
;thematterwasgood,theformill,being
besideandagainstallorder.Butwhocouldwaitfororderinsodisordereda
country?. . .Hisdutytohisfriendsdefendeththefact;theestateofthe
countryexcuseththeform.Godlookethnotuponsuchthings."
Worsewastofollow,thoughaboutthisGodscroft
remainsdiscreetlysilent.Astainofblood-guiltmoreor
lesscouldnotgreatlyaffectthecharacterofhimwhohad
causedthegallantRamsaytoperishofstarvation
;but
neverbeforehadoneoftheDouglasnamestoopedto
treason.
In
135
ItheKnightofLiddesdalewasemployedby
Edward III.uponasecretmissiontosomeoftheScottish
noblesconcerning thereleaseofKingDavid ;butthe
termsofferedcouldnotbeacceptedwithhonourorprofit.
Thenegotiations fellthrough,andDouglasreturnedinto
captivity.^
Foiledbytheloyaltyofhiscountrymen inthisattempt
toregainhisliberty,theFlowerofChivalrynowbetrayed
Douglasbe-
^^^causeinwhichhehadwonhisrenown.By
comesKing:anindenture,executed inLondonon i7thTulv
Edward's ,,,,- ,r i- ^
man,lyth 1352,hebouudhimsclfasliegemanoftheKing
July1353.
q£England,whomhewastoservehenceforward
withtenmen-at-armsandten
"hobelars
"
[lighthorsemen]
athisowncost,butnotagainsttheScots,exceptathis
ownpleasure.Hewasnottogivecounseloraidagainstthe
English,andhewastoallowthemfreepassagethrough
hislandsatalltimes. Inshort,hisestatesweretoforma
dooreveropenfortheinvasionofScotland. Finally,he
wastogivehisonlydaughterandhisnearestmaleheiras
hostagestoEnglandfortwoyears. Inreturnforallthis
hewastoreceiveatonceHermitage,Liddesdale,Corehead,
^LordHailesstatesthatitwasWilliam,LordofDouglas,whowasintrusted
withthisnegotiationbyKingEdward,buttheperson isdistinctlymentionedin
thedocumentasMonsieurIVilliamDouglas,theusualappellationoftheKnight
ofLiddesdale.
—
Fa-dera,v.73S.
VOL.I. P

226 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
Newton,andGranton-Polboothy, allinAnnandaleand
Moffatdale.i
Itwasashamefulcompact,buttherewasstilljustice
underheaven,andtheKnightofLiddesdalewasbaulked
ofthepriceofhisinfamy.Uponreturninsffrom
Slaug-hterof , . ^.
. .
, ^
. ., .
^
,
theKnig-ht hiscaptivitytoenjoythefruitsofhistreasonhe
ofLiddesdale,
{q^^^anotherWilliamDouglas fxi.],hiscousin
August1353.
° L J'
andgodson,hammeringtheEnglishoutofthe
southernScottishcounties,ataskwhereinhehadattained
greatmeasureofsuccess.HowthesetwoWilliamsmetin
EttrickForest,andhowtheelder fellbythehandof
theyounger,hasbeendescribedabove.- Hisbodywas
takenfirsttothechapelofLindeannearSelkirk,andthen
laidinMelroseAbbey. InthelordshipofLiddesdalehe
wassucceededbyhisslayer.
There isnorecordoftheKnightofLiddesdale's
marriage,butheleftadaughterMary,who,accordingto
agreement,wenttoEnglandashostageforherfather.On
24thJune1357KingEdwardgrantedlicence"tohis
belovedvalletPeterTempest,forhisgoodservice,"tomarry
Maria,daughterofSirWilliamdeDouglas,knight,
"who
waslatelydeliveredbyherfatherasahostageinEngland
;
"^
butthislicence,whichwasoverlookedbySirWilliam
Eraser,doesnotseemtohavebeenputintoeffect,forin
I361MaryofDouglasmarriedReginald,sonandheirof
SirWilliamMoreofAbercorn,^whodivorcedherbefore
1365,probablyonfindingthatherinheritancehadbeenset
asidebyherfather'swillinfavourofhercousins. In1365
aPapaldispensationwasobtainedforMary'smarriagewith
Thomas,sonandheirofSirRobertErskine.^ Shediedin
givingbirthtoachildbyhersecondhusband,whoclaimed
^Bain,iii.286.
2P.78,af:^e.
^Bain,iii.298.
^On30thJune1360SirWilliamMorepaid;i^25o,partof650merkstobe
paidforthemarriageofMarydeDouglas
;andon30thNovemberafurther
sumwaspaidfordeliveryofthelady'sperson.—OriginalreceiptsinPublic
RecordOffice,quotedbySirW.Fraser, i.253,note.
^Theiner,p.330.

KNIGHTOFLIDDESDALE'SHEIRS 227
aliferentinthelandsofDalkeith,"accordingtothecourtesy
ofScotland,onthepleathatthechildhadbeenbornalive."
^
JamesDouglasofLothian[xxix.],nephewandheirunder
thewillofthedeceasedKnightofLiddesdale,opposedthe
claim
;anditwasarrangedthatthequestionshouldbe
settledinchivalrousfashionbyaduelbetweentherival
claimants,totakeplaceinEdinburghinpresenceoftheKing.
Thelistswereprepared,ThomasErskinewasknightedby
hisfather,JamesDouglasbyArchibaldtheGrim[xiii.],
whentheKing,yieldingtoremonstrancebyfriendsofthe
parties,intervenedandstoppedtheduel.Erskineconsented
toreceiveasumofmoneyinlieuofhisclaim,leavingJames
inundisputedpossessionofthebaronyofDalkeith,etc.
TheKnightofLiddesdale's will,abovereferredto,was
singularlyexplicit,
"
asif,"observedMr.CosmoInnes,
"
for
theexpressbenefitofgenealogists."
^DatedatPeebles,3rd
November1351,itmusthavebeenexecutedwhilehewas
onthesecretembassyfromEdward III. Itcontainsno
referencetohisdaughterMary,butthewholelandsof
Dalkeith,Newlands,andKilbochokaredevisedtohisfive
nephewsinsuccession—
James,Thomas,William,John,and
Henry,sonsofhisbrotherJohn.Amongthewitnessesto
thisdocument arehisnaturalbrotherSirWilliam, Sir
AndrewDouglas,andArchibaldtheGrim[xiii.],designated
consanguineus metis—
"mykinsman."
^
OfthesesonsofSirJohnDouglas,nephewsoftheKnight
ofLiddesdale, SirHenry[xxix.],theyoungest,married
Marjory,daughterofSirJohnStewartofRalston,
xxiXjSi**
HenryDoug-uieceofRobert II.,*andwidowofSirAlexander
lasofLugton,
LjndsayofGlenesk,andbecameprogenitorof
thefamilyofDouglasofLochleven. Alan
Stewart,LordofOchiltree,bestoweduponhimthelands
ofLangnewton inRoxburghshire in1377.^ In1383
1Fraser, i.254.
^AIo7-ion, i.p.xv.
*Ibid., ii.53.
^WilliamofDouglas,Henry'sson,hasbeenerroneouslystatedinthepeer-
agestohavemarriedthisMarjoryLindsay,butseeSirHenry'swill\Morton,
ii.176]andKingDavid11.
'sprecept'[Ibid., i.p.xli.].
^Morton, i.pp.xxxv.-xxxvii.

228 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
KingRobertgrantedhim^20ayearfromthecustoms
ofHaddington/ andsixyearslaterhereceivedfrom
theKingcharters ofthebaronyofLugton inMid-
lothian,^andofthecastleandlandsofLochleveninKin-
ross,^whence hisdescendants received theirstyleand
title.
SirHenrydiedbeforetheendof1393,beingsurvived
byhiswidow.^
^Morton, i.p.xxxvii.
"
Ibid., ii.167.
"Ibid.,168.
*
Ibid., i.p.xl.

CHAPTERX
229XXX.SirJamesDouglasofDal-
keithandMorton, c.1355-
1420.
229MarriesAgnesofDunbar,1372.
231FoundstheCollegiateChurchof
Dalkeith,June1406.
232Hisdeath,1420.
232Hiswill,1390-1392.
235xxxi. SirJames Douglas, ist
LordDalkeith, r.1372-r.1441.
236CreatedaLordofParliament.
236Hisdeath,c.1441.
237xxxii. SirJamesDouglas,2nd
LordDalkeith.
237MarriesElizabethGififord.
238xxxiii. SirJamesDouglas, ist
EarlofMorton, 3rdLord
Dalkeith,ob.c.1504.
238CreatedEarlofMorton,1458.
238MarriesLadyJoan,daughterof
JamesI.,1458.
239Hisdeath,c.1504.
240xxxiv. SirJohnDouglas,2nd
EarlofMorton,4thLord
Dalkeith,ob.c.1528.
242MarriesJanetCrichton.
242Hisdeath, c.1528.
242XXXV.JamesDouglas,3rdEarl
ofMorton,5thLordDalkeith.
243MarriesKatherineStuart.
243Deprivedofhisearldomandlands,
17thOctober1540.
244DeprivationofDouglasofLoch-
leven,January1541.
245Mortonisrestored,24thApril1543.
245Hisdeath,1552.
InaccordancewiththeprovisionsofthewilloftheKnight
ofLiddesdale,hispossessionspassedtoJames,theeldest
XXX.Sir
sonofhisbrotherJohn,byhiswifeAgnes
JamesDougr-Monfode. Butinthesepossessionswerenot
lasofDalkeith
. , , ,tt
•
1x
•
ii 1-1
andMorton,includedHermitageandLiddesdale,whichwere
ob.1420.
\q\^toreverttotheCrowninconsequenceof
thedeceasedknight'streasonableacceptanceofthemfrom
theKingofEngland,andwereconferredbyKingDavid
uponWilliam,LordofDouglas [xi.].^ SirJamesDouglas
thereforebecameatonceaveryextensivelandowner,and
Marries
immensely increased hiswealthbymarrying,
AgnesofDun-in1372,Agnes,daughterof"BlackAgnes"
.
1372-
q{-Dunbar,thefamousCountess ofMarch,^
whobrought asherdowrynotonlythelandsof
^Eraser, iii.360.
"
Morion, ii.100,102.
229

230 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
MordingtonandWhittinghameandanestateintheIsleof
Man,butalsotheliberalsumofonethousandmerksa
year,securedbyroyalgrantuponthecustomsofHadding-
tonandAberdeen,proappavatuetamictuipsius—thatis,for
pin-money.^ Inadditiontoallthis.SirJames'sbrother-in-
law,George,EarlofMarch,bestoweduponhimthecastle
andlandsofMorton,andthelandsofWhittingham in
EastLothian,andofDabton,Drumcork,andThornhillin
thecountyofDumfries."
SirJamesaccompanied SirArchibaldtheGrim[xiii.]
andtheBishopofGlasgowontheirembassytoFrancein
1371;^andhewasoneoftheScottishCommissioners
withtheEarlofMorayandSirArchibald,whofixedthe
trucewiththeEnglishatAyton,7thJulyi384.Butinthe
courseofalonglifehedoesnotseemtohavetakenany
leadingparteitherintheagitating politicsofthetimeor
intheconstantlyrecurringwarfare,althoughprovinghimself
anactiveandexcellentmanofbusiness,asalargenumber
ofthepapersintheMortonchartularyamplytestify,agreat
benefactortotheChurch,andsuperiorineducationtomost
ofhisrankatthatperiod. In1372Robert II.grantedto
his
"belovedkinsman,JamesdeDouglas,"licencetoendow
achaplainryinthechapelofSt.Nicholas,inthetownof
Dalkeith,withtheannualsumof£6^ 13s.4d.,charged
uponthelandsofHorsburghinthecountyofPeebles.* In
1377SirJamesendowedanotherchaplainryinthesame
chapelfromthelandsofQuiltandFethane,alsoinPeebles-
shire,forthesalvationofhisfatherJohn,hismotherAgnes,
hisbrotherJohn,hisuncletheKnightofLiddesdale,and
theknight'sdaughterMary.Hemade itaconditionthat
thechaplainshouldbeconstantly residentandshould
attendtohisduties,andthrewaninterestingside-light
uponcontemporary ecclesiastical habitsbythesignificant
1
iMorton, ii.84.
2
ji,ij^^yg^
^GodscroftsaysitwasJames,afterwards2ndEarlofDouglas [xii.],who
didso,butthisJameswasbutachildin1371.TomeetthisdifficultyGodscroft
altersthedateoftheembassyto1381.
*
Moiioit, ii.9S.

v "-o;
fr^

BENEFACTIONSTOTHECHURCH 231
provisionthat,shouldthesaidchaplainkeepaconcubine
publice,andrefusetodismissheruponbeingwarnedtodo
so,heshouldvacatethechaplainry.^ In1406,having
obtainedtheconsentofBishopWardlawofSt.Andrews,
Foundsthe
DouglascrcctcdthechapelofSt.Nicholasintoa
CoUegiate
collegiatechurch,endowing itwithfundsoutof
Churchof,.,*=,-' ^
.
^ ,r
Dalkeith, hislandsforthesupportofaprovostandnve
June1406.
prebendaries asperpetualchaplains,withsuitable
"manses." Theprovostandchaplainsweretoreside
continually,andallweretoattenddivineservicedaily,
"decentlydressed ingownandblackhoodfurredwith
lamb's-wool,"exceptoneoftheirnumberdetailedtocele-
bratemassdailyinthechapelofDalkeithCastle. Allthis
wasdone
"
inmemoryoftheKingsRobert I.,David II.,
andRobert II.,theirpredecessorsandsuccessors,ofSir
JohndeDouglasourfather,andLadyAgnesourmother,
SirWilliamDouglasLordofLiddesdaleouruncle,and
hisdaughterMary,ofAgnesalsoandEgidiaourwives,
ofJohn,SirHenry,Thomas,andNicholasDouglasour
brothers,ofJohnDouglasourson,ElenaandMargaretour
sisters,andforthesalvationofallfaithfuldepartedsouls,
andofourown,andofthatofSirJames,SirWilliam,and
SirJamesoursons,andthatofourdaughters,andofall
othersprocreatedortobeprocreatedofourbody,andof
SirWilliamDouglasourbrotherandhissons,andforthe
welfareofElizabethoursister,solongasweshallremain
uponearth,andafterdeathforthesalvationofoursouls,"
^
Besides thischurchofSt.Nicholas inthetownof
DalkeiththerewasachapelofOurLadyandSt.John
theBaptistwithinthecastle,whichSirJamesendowed
in1384withachaplainry inmemoryofhisfirstwife,
supportedbyfundsfromhislandsofLouchurdeand
Kirkurde,providing that,shouldthedemolitionorrepair
ofthesaidcastleinterrupttheservices,theyshouldbe
heldinthechapelofSt.Nicholas,or,ifwarrenderedthat
impossible,thenintheparishchurchofLasswade.^
SirJamesDouglasdiedofinfluenza in1420.Bower
^Mart0)1,ii,125.
^
I/nd., ii.324.
^Ibid.,151.

232 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
mentionsthatitwasverydestructive inthatyear,—
"not
onlynobles,butthecommonaltysuccumbing toit." This
mysterious epidemic,hesays,wasvulgarly
JamesDoug-
Called"theQuhew,"justasatthepresenttime
lasofDal-
-^emayhearitspokenofas"theflue";and
althoughBowerquotesthehighest medical
opiniontoprovethatitwastheresultofcertainpeculi-
aritiesintheseason,itscauses,prevention,andtreatment
werejustaslittleunderstood inhisdayastheyarein
ours.i
SirJames's firstwife,AgnesofDunbar,diedbefore
1384. HissecondwifewasEgidia,orGiles,daughterof
WaltertheSteward,half-sisterofKingRobert II.,and
relictof(i)SirJamesLindsayofCrauford,and(2)Sir
HughEglinton.
SirJameshadtwolegitimatesons,bothbyhisfirst
wife—
(i)SirJames[xxxi.],whosucceededhim;and(2)
SirWilliam.Heleftthreedaughters—
(i)Margaret,who
marriedPhilipArbuthnotofthatilk
;
^Agnes,whomarried
JohnLivingstone ofCallander;^andJean,whoin1388
marriedSirJohnHamiltonofCadzow.*
Besideshislegitimateissue,SirJameslefttwoillegiti-
matesons,JohnDouglasofAberdour,andSirJames
Douglas,alsoofAberdour,Roberton, etc.,whomthegood
knightiscarefultonamealongwiththerestofhischildren
andrelativesinthededicationofthecollegiatechurchof
Dalkeith.
Byfarthemostinterestingmemorialleftbythisworthy
knightremainsintwowills,datedrespectively30thSep-
Hisiastwiu
tember1390and13thSeptember I392.Except
andtestament,thetestamentabovementionedofhisuncle,the
1390-1392.
KnightofLiddesdale [xxviii.],thesearethe
oldestwillsknowntobeextantexecutedbyanyScotsman,
^Bower,xv.32.
"
Ibid.,97.
^Ibid.,145.
*
Ibid., i.p.xxxviii.Theoriginalindentureunderwhichthismarriagewas
arrangedremainsatDalmahoy,andisanexceedinglycuriousdocument, illus-
tratingSirJamesDouglas'sshrewdbusinessmind.Thesealappendedthereto
bearstheearliestextantexampleoftheHamiltoncinquefoils.

SIRJAMES'SFIRSTWILL 233
and
"
arebettercalculated toconveyajustnotionofhis
rankandimportanceasaScottishbaronthananyhistorical
documentthatremainstous,"
^Bythesedocuments Sir
JamesconstitutedhiseldestlegitimatesonJamesashisheir,
withArchibaldtheGrim[xiii.]andSirHenryDouglas[xxix.],
thetestator'sbrother,asguardians,failingwhom,George,
EarlofMarch.Commending hissoultothekeepingof
theVirginandallsaints,hedirectedthathisbodyshould
belaidbesidethatofAgnes,hisfirstwife,inthemonastery
ofNewbattle,leavinghalfofhisfreegoodsfortheexpenses
ofhisfuneralandformassesandalmsforhissoul'ssake.
ThevicarofLasswadewastohavehisbesthorseand,
curiouslyenough, hisarms,asfuneral fee,underthe
expresscondition thatthesaidvicarwasnottoask
norsueforanymore[sicquodprofuneralinieoulterius
nonpetatneeealump7iiat\ ToJameshisheirheleft
hishelmetandarmsandplatearmour,withthesilken
surcoatwornoverthearmour,hissecondbesthorse,and
hisjackandtusches. Alsoan"owche"witharubyin
themiddle,aringdeeolumnaChristi,acrossmadeofthe
truecrosssuperquainpendebatJesus,asilverreliquaryen-
closinghairofMaryMagdalene,andagiltgirdle.Among
otherlegaciestoJameswerementionedagoldencirclet,a
great
"counterfillet
"
ofgold,asilverbasinandcovervalued
at£1^,3s.8d.,hisbestgiltcupat^18,2s.,andhisbest
sapphirering,whichhe,thetestator,hadreceivedfromhis
motherwithherblessing,andnowlefttohissonJames
withhisowncordialblessing.ToJamesalsohelefta
largequantityofsilverplatevaluedat£2/[,4s.8d.,his
bestbed,andallhisbooks,includingtheScottishstatutes
aswellastheromances,exceptthoseongrammarand
logic,whichwerebequeathedtohisillegitimatesonJohnof
Aberdour,uponwhomalsohesettled£\o2^yearuntilhe
shouldbeprovidedwithlandtothatamount. Inregard
tohislibrarythereisamostexemplaryandcommendable
clauseinhiswill,totheeffectthatallbookswhichhehad
borrowedshouldbereturnedtotheirowners.
^MiscellanyoftheBannatyneClub,ii.101-120.

234 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
HisdaughterJeanreceivedagoldencircletvaluedat
fortymerksinfulldischargeofthebalanceofherdowry.
HisillegitimatesonJamesgothisfather'ssecondbest
girdle,apairofplates,andasuitoftiltingarmour. His
brothersWilliamandNicholaseachreceived suitsof
armourwithanallowanceoftwentyandtenmerksayear
respectively. Alltherestoftheknight'sarmourwasto
remaininDalkeithCastleperpetually.
Therestofhisbequestsconsistchieflyofarticlesof
whichthemerementionmustturnallgoodantiquaries
greenwithdespairbecauseoftheirdisappearance. The
EarlofMarchreceivedaringwitharuby
;Johnde
LivingstonaringwithaSt.Christopher; thechurchof
NewbattleajewelofSt.Johnthatcostfortymerks,with
twelvesilverplatesofthevalueof;^i8,6s.,fortheuse
oftherefectory,andhisthirdbesthorse.ToElizabeth,his
sister,hebequeathed agoldbrooch ;toSirHenry,his
brother,asapphirering ;toArchibaldtheGrim,aring
witharuby
"endlang"inscribed Verttinepusauoir
conterpois,asapphireonagoldstalkforthepurificationof
theblood,andhissecondbestgiltcupandcovervalued
at;^8.TohissecondlegitimatesonWilliamheleftan
emeraldringwithapoesybeginning
"Remembrance," and
tohissecondwifeEgidiaan
"owche
"
whichshehadgiven
him,
"providedshedoesnotlayanyclaimtotheother
jewels."
Thenextprovision inthisremarkable willmustbe
foreverdeploredbyhistorians, foritdecreed
"
forthe
wealofmyuncle'ssoulandmyown,"thatallthebonds
oftheKnightofLiddesdale shouldbedestroyedby
fire.Thesolemnityoftheinjunctionsuggeststhatthese
documentswereofmuchimportance,notexclusivelycredit-
abletothesaiduncle,andcapableofthrowingmuchlight
upondisputedpointsinhislatercareer. Otherprovisions
settledachaliceandmissalonthechurchofSt.Nicholasin
Dalkeith,sumsofvariousamountsforbuildingandupkeep
ofdifferentchurches,legaciestothefriarsofHaddington
andEdinburgh,themonasteryofKelso,andanumberof

HISSECONDWILL 235
privateindividuals. Allhishorsesexceptthoseabove
specifiedweretobedividedamonghisbrothersbyhis
executors,ofwhomtherewereninenamedinthefirstwill,
towit—Egidia,hiswife
;William,Henry,andNicholas,his
brothers
;JamesofAberdour,hisnaturalson ;Hamilton
andLivingston,hissons-in-law
;AndrewCrocket,chaplain
;
andWilliamdeKincardine, priest.Theresidueofhis
platewastobesoldforthegoodofthepoor ;hisrobesof
clothofgoldandsilkwereleftforvestmentstothechurches
ofSt.DuthocatTainandSt.NicholasatDalkeith;Andrew
Crocket,chaplain,RichardMelok,WilliamofDreghorn,
andotherpriestsweretosharehisfurredgarments
;his
greenrobewenttotheparishchurchofLasswade ;hisrobe
withafetterlock,
"whichJohnGibson lastboughtin
Flanders,"totheparishchurchofNewlands,andsoon,all
therestofhiswardrobetobedistributedamonghispoor
servantsatthediscretionofhisexecutors.^
Inthewillof1392,revokingthatof1390,thereare
someslightalterations inthesebequests,butthemost
significant, perhaps, istheomissionofSirJames'swife,
Egidia,fromthelistofexecutors. Thetriflingbequestto
herremains,the
"owche
"
thatshehadgivenherhusband
;
buthisaffection forherdoesnotseemtohavebeengreat,
judgingfromthecaveatthatsheisnottoclaimanyofthe
otherjewels.Themostimportantnewprovisionwasthat
ofthebequestofallhisgoods,afterlegaciesanddebts,to
thebuildinganddecorationofthechapelofSt.Nicholas.^
In1378James,sonandheirofSirJamesDouglasof
MortonandDalkeith[xxx.],wasbetrothedtooneofthe
xxxi.Sir
daughtersoftheEarlofCarrick,afterwardsKing
JamesDoug-
Robert III. Inasmuchashisfatherwasonly
las,xstLord
.
, i i
•
i
Dalkeith, mamcdabout i371,thebridegroomcouldnot
c.1372-1441-
havebeenmorethansevenyearsold ;but
precociousmatrimonywaspromoted inthosedaysbyfar-
seeingparentsandguardians.
"Tooneofthedaughters,"
Ihavesaid,becausetheindentureonlybindsyoungJames
tomarry"oneofthetwodaughtersofthesaidLordJohn
'^
Morion, \,170-176. -Ibid.,179-186.

236 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
[EarlofCarrick],eitherMargaret hiselderdaughteror
Elizabethhisyoungerdaughter,accordingtohisownfancy
andchoice\secunduinlibitumeteleccionem ipsius]."
^He
choseElizabeth. In1392,whenitissupposedthemarriage
tookplace,James'sfatherinfefthiminthecastleandtown
ofDalkeith,with500merksofland
;
^andin1393headded,
bypermissionofArchibald,EarlofDouglasandLordof
Galloway,thebaronyofFrestouninGalloway.^ In1401
theyoungerJames'sfather-in-law.KingRobertIII.,bestowed
uponhimthelandsofMortoninNithsdale,Mordington in
J
Berwick,andWhittinghame inEastLothian,*and
Lordof inthefollowingyeargrantedhim£/\.oayearfrom
amen
.
^^^customsofEdinburgh.^ Ithasbeenstated
thatKingJamesI.madehimalordofParliamentunderthe
styleofLordDalkeith,butevidenceiswantingonthispoint.
SirJamesDouglas,LordDalkeith,diedabout1441,
havingmarried, first,Elizabeth,daughter ofJohnthe
Steward[afterwardsKingRobert III.],bywhomhehad
threesons
—
(i)William,whomarriedin1421Margaret,daughter
ofSirWilliamBorthwick,andwidowofSir
WilliamdeAbernethy,anddiedduringhis
father's lifewithoutissue.
(2)James[xxxii.],whosucceeded as2ndLordDal-
keith.
(3)Henry,towhomhisfathergaveacharterofthe
landsofBorgue, etc.,inGalloway,whereofhe
hadsasinefromArchibald,EarlofDouglasand
LordofGalloway [xiii.]. HenrymarriedMar-
garet,daughterofJamestheGross,7thEarlof
Douglas[xix.],andhadason,HughofBorgue,
whoin1474renounced infavourofhiscousin,
the1stEarlofMorton[xxxiii.],allrightstothe
lordshipofDalkeith,exceptwhatmightcometo
himasheirmaleoftheline.^
LordDalkeithmarried,secondly,Janet,daughterofSir
^Morion, ii.136. "Ibid.,18S.
^Ibid.,190.
*Ibid., \i\?,.
^Ibid.,202.
'^
Ibid.,222.

INSANITYOF2^^LORDDALKEITH 237
WilliamBorthwick
^ofthatilk,bywhomhehadason
William.Uponhisfather'sdeath, <:.1440,thisSirWilliam
becameproprietorofMortonandWhittinghame,andpro-
genitorofthefamilyofDouglasofWhittinghame,aline
whichended inanheiress Elizabeth,whomarried
Alexander Seton,ViscountKingston. LadyKingston's
daughtermarriedHayofDrummelzier,whosedescendants
becamethelinealrepresentatives ofDouglasofWhitting-
hameinthiscountry.^ In1474SirWilliamDouglas
renouncedhisrighttothelordshipofMortoninfavourof
James,istEarlofMorton[xxxiii.].^
LordDalkeith'ssecondwifesurvivedhim,andmarried
theAdmiralofScotland, SirGeorgeCrichton,Earlof
Caithness.
James,2ndLordDalkeith,marriedElizabeth,daughter
ofJamesGiffordofSheriffhall ;buthavingbe-
xxxii.Sir
. . ,.
,
.
JamesDoug-comcmsanedurmghislathersliietime,uponhis
Daike'ith'"'^^
succeeding in1441,theKingappointedJames
Gifford,LadyDalkeith'sbrother,hiscuratorfor
nineteenyears,withfullpowerstoadministertheestates
andtocollect therents,* Bythesameinstrument
Giffordwasconstituted constableofDalkeith Castle,a
strongholdofconsiderableimportancetothatpartyinthe
kingdomwhichshouldhold itinthosedaysofdissen-
sion.ConsequentlyKingJames'sGovernmentspentcon-
siderablesumsinrepairsandupkeepduringthetutelaryof
Gifford,thebillsforiron,Prussiantimber,etc.,amounting
to^122,15s.5d.duringtheyears1444—1445.^
LordDalkeithlefttwochildrenbyhiswife—
(i)James
[xxxiii.],whosucceededhim,and(2)Beatrix,whomarried
^Morion, ii.330.
-ThemalelineisstillrepresentedbyCarlWilhelm,CountDouglas[bornin
1824],premiergentilhomme delachanibretotheKingofSweden. Count
DouglastraceshisdescentfromPatrickDouglasofStandingStones,sprungfrom
ayoungerbrotherofDouglasofWhittinghame. Patrick'ssonRobert[bornin
1611]servedunderGustavusAdolphus ;wascreatedBaronofSkalbyin1651,
CountofScheningenin1654,andField-Marshal in1657.
^Morton, ii.207.
*
ExchequerRolls,v.146etfassim.
^
Ibid.,207-209.

238 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
thefirstEarlofErrol,Constable ofScotland. The
brothersandstep-mother ofthe2ndLordDal-
DTugiaiTs?
l^'^ithmadesomeattempttosetasideorinfringe
Earlof uponJames'srightofsuccession,ontheground
3rdLord ofhisfather'sinsanity,butwithoutsuccess,and
Dalkeith,
j^gbecame3rdLordDalkeith indueorder.
ob.c.1504,
In1458hewasbeltedEarlofMortononthe
occasionofhismarriagewithJoan,thirddaughterof
James I.Thelustreofthisalliance issadlyovercastby
thesurmise,amountingalmosttocertainty,thatthisun-
luckyprincesswasdeafanddumb. There isnocontem-
poraryevidencetoproveit,butinthedivorceproceedings
ofHugh,3rdEarlofEglinton,againstJoannaHamilton,
hiswife,in1562,onthepleaofconsanguinity, itisset
forththattheearlandcountessweredescendedfroma
commonancestress,namely,Joan,CountessofMorton,or
LadyDalkeith,knownasimitadomina,thedumblady.
JamesDouglasthereforehadtomakesomesacrifice in
return forhisearldom,andtheprospects ofoffspring
betweenthesonofamadmanandadumbladywere
anythingbutreassuring.^
Nevertheless, theistEarlofMortonprovedshrewd
enough inhisbenefactions totheChurch. In1471
PopeSixtus IV.wrotetohimurginghimtojoinin
theprojectedcrusadeagainsttheTurksinEurope,"an
invitationwhichhewasfartooprudenttoaccept.Lord
Mortonincreasedandre-endowed thecollegiatechurch
ofDalkeith,foundedbyhisgreat-grandfather [xxx.],^and
in1474foundedahospitalofSt.MarthainAberdour,for
thecomfortoftravellersandthesupportofthepoor,
beingmovedthereto,asheexpressed it,bythe"pious
importunity
"
ofJohnScott,canonofInchcolmandvicar
ofAberdour.* Fora
"purprusione
"madeupontheKing's
1TheLadyJoanmusthavebeenofatleastmatureageatthetimeofher
marriage,because,eighteenyearsbefore,shehadbeenbetrothed toJames
Douglas,2ndEarlofAngus[xxxix.],who,byhookorbycrook,managedto
evadethealliance.
-Aforton, ii.217.
^Ibid.,226-235.
^^'''^"'•>235-243-

DEATHOFMORTON 239
moorofPeebles,MortonwasadjudgedtopayJames III.
thesumof£100.Eventhewealthiestnoblesofthat
periodfound itexceedingly difficulttomeettheirobliga-
tionswithcash
;accordinglyKingJameswascontentto
take£^0down,andinpledgeofthebalancereceived
"anecheneofgoldwithanecrucifixofgoldhyngand
atthesame."
^
Fig.30.—RuinsoftheCollegiateChurchofDalkeith.
Mortondiedabouttheyear1504,leavingtwosons
—
(i)John[xxxiv.],whosucceeded totheearldom;
(2)
James
;andonedaughter,Janet,whomarried
istEariof Patrick,EarlofBothwell.
Morton,
^^^interestingmemorialoftheistEarlof
c.1504.
°
Mortonandhiswife,LadyJoan,
^remains,sadly
dilapidated, intheruinedchancelofthecollegiatechurch
^Morton, ii.243.
-Accordingtomodernusagethisladywouldbeentitledprincess,butthe
sonsanddaughtersoftheKingsofScotlandjwereseldomgiventhatstyleof
courtesyuntilaftertheunionoftheCrowns.

240 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
ofDalkeith. Itisasepulchralmonument,withtwo
recumbent figures,whichwerelongreputed torepre-
sentindividuals oftheGraham family,whopreceded
Douglas inthelordshipofDalkeith ;butthelateMr.
JamesDrummond satisfactorily proved,fromthearmorial
bearings,thatthefigureswerethoseoftheistEarlof
Mortonandhisroyalspouse.^Thearmsshownonone
shieldarethepaternalcoatofDouglas,lordsofDalkeith,
whichshowedonlytwostarsormulletsinchiefinsteadof
three,asinthearmsofDouglas,lordsofDouglas.The
othershieldshowsDouglas,asabove,impalingtheroyal
armsofScotlandonthewife'sside.
Fig.31- Fig.32.
ArmorialStonesinDalkeithChurch.
PatrickGraham,whosucceeded hisablehalf-brother
KennedyasBishopofSt.Andrews,resembled hisprede-
cessoronlyinsofarashewasanactiveand
johrDouiias,
masterful politician. Now,successinpoliticsat
2ndEarlofthatperiodconsisted,orwasheldtoconsist,in
Morton,
^
. - , . ,
'
4thLord possession otthepersonoftheyoungKing,
°b^^^^f28
JamesIII.,toeffectwhichLordKennedy,elder
brotherofthelateBishopofSt.Andrews,made
abondwithLordFlemingandSirJamesBoyd,whereof
^ProceedingsoftheAntiquariesofScotland,vol.iii.p.25.

cS.

FACTIONANDINTRIGUE 241
themembersagreed
"tostandinafaldkendnes,supple
anddefencs,ilkantilodir,inallthaircaussisandquer-
rell,leifulandhonest,movitandtobemovit,forallthe
daisofthair liffis,incontreryandaganis almanerof
personesthatleiffordeemay."AtthesametimeFlem-
ingmadeasimilarcabal,includingBishopGrahamofSt.
Andrews,andtheLordsBoyd,Crawford,Hamilton,Living-
stone,Cathcart,andMontgomery. Theseconfederates
obtainedtheirprimaryobjectintheseizureofKingJames's
personatLinlithgowonlothJuly1466.Howeagerly
theydesiredtosecurethegreatterritorialinfluenceofthe
EarlofMorton,includingpossession oftheimportant
stronghold ofDalkeith,seemsindicatedbyadocument
datedafewdaysbeforetheircoupd'etat.On30thJune
Mortonwasinducedtoexecuteanindenturewiththe
BishopofSt.Andrews,bindingtheearl'ssonJohnto
marryElizabeth,daughterofDavidGraham,thebishop's
brother, "thetymeGodwillingthatthaicumtolachful
andperfiteageofmariage." FailingthelifeofJohn,his
brotherJameswastakenboundtomarrythelady,
"andsa
furthquhillthesaidLordJamesErieofMortonehave
onysoneandthesaidDauidonydochteris lachfully
gottin." Inreturn,thebishop,hisbrotherDavid,and
RobertGrahamofFintry,theirfather,boundthemselves
todoallintheirpowertohelptheearltorecoverhislost
heritageinWhittinghameandMorton,theninpossessionof
SirWilliamDouglas,sonoftheistLordDalkeith[xxxi.]
byhissecondwife. Ifthesaidearlshouldbereinstated
intheselands,hewastopaytheGrahams1500merks.^
Sevenyearslater,inJanuary1474,Mortonwasso
reinstatedupontherenunciation ofSirWilliamDouglas
perfustenietbacidiim^-butbythattimetheBoydshad
cometoruin,andtheirestateshadbeenforfeitedtothe
Crown. BishopGraham,also,hadfallenuponevildays,
for,afterobtainingtheerectionofhisseeintoanarch-
bishopric,hewasinhibitedbytherectorofSt.Andrews
University,persecutedbySchevez,thefuturearchbishop,and
1Morton, ii.213.
2
Ibid.,ii.219.
VOL.I.
Q

242 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
becamehopelesslyinsane.Underthesechangedconditions
the2ndEarlofMortoneasilyescapedfromhisengage-
ment toElizabeth Graham, marrying instead Janet,
daughter ofCrichton ofCranston -Riddell. Hedied
before1528,leavingissue—
(i)James[xxxv.],whosuc-
ceededas3rdearl
;(2)Elizabeth,whomarriedRobert,
LordKeith
;and
(3)Agnes,whomarriedAlexander,5th
LordLivingstone. Theonlydistinctionwhichcanbe
claimed forthe2ndEarlofMortonabovemanyother
powerfulandmorefamouslandownersofhisday,isthat
hehadthegoodsenseandgoodlucktokeepclearofthe
sordidintriguesandbitterfactionswhichrentthekingdom
duringthereignofJamesV.
;butitdoesnotfollowthere-
fromthathislifewaswasted.Toomuchofwrittenhistory
ismadeupofthedoingsofnoisydemagoguesandam-
bitiousoligarchs ;thesilent,unobtrusiveinfluenceofpeace-
lovingmenofmeansuponthenationalcharacterand
developmentofindustry, isapttobeoverlooked ;and it
ispossiblethatthisearlmayhavedonemuchgoodupon
hisestates,whereoftherecordhaspassedcleanaway.
Atthesecond earl'sdeaththelandsandlordships
passedtohisonlyson,whowasaconfirmed invalid,but
who,inonerespectatleast,showedtheinstincts
3CXXV.James,
.
^
. n« •
r-
3rdEarlof ofanimprovmgproprietor. Magnificent inex-
cfhLord
^^^^^^weretheterritoriesofthelordsofDalkeith,
Dalkeith, theHchestpartofthemlaybeneaththesurface,
ofwhichthefirstthreeEarlsofMortonseemto
havehadaninkling,forin1530JohnCrichton,vicarof
Dalkeith,enteredintoanindenturewiththe3rdearl,in
whichthefollowingsentencesoccur
:
—
"ForsamekillasthesaidschirJohneCreichtoun,vicareforsaid,consideris,
understandisandperfitlyknawsthegreittravell,coistisandexpensissustenit
andbornebeumquhile
^ofgudmemorieJameseileofMortoun,lordofDalkeith,
JohneerleofMortoun,lordofDalkeith,andnowlatelythesumptuouslabouris,
exorbitantexpensisandgreitdiligencedoneanddebursitbethesaidnobilland
michtylord,JameserleofMortoun,lordofDalkeith,soneandairofthesaid
umquhileJohneerleofMortoun,lordofDalkeith,fortofjTidandobtenethe
1Bythelate.

RESIGNATIONOFTHEEARLDOM 243
colesofColdenandDalkeithlyandwithinthescheriffdomeofLowdianeand
regaliteofDalketh,andtheimportanceandemolumentis thesaidvicareand
hissuccessourismichthauetherthrow, gift"thesaidiscoleswerwonnyng^and
gottin.—Thir^causisandconsiderationismovingthesaidschirJohn,vicare
forsaid,heryplyavisit^andaluayisprovidingtheutilite,augmentatiounand
singulareproflitofthekirkandvicarageofDalkeith,andtogiffthesaidnobill
andmichtyLordJameserleofMortoun, lordofDalkeith,andtohisane
successoure, allandhaletheteyndcolesofColdenandDalkeith"...
—allfortheannualrentoffortyshillings.* Itisstrange
tolookuponthegreatLothiancoalfield,asitappearsnow,
withitsannualoutputofmanyhundredsofthousandsof
tons,andtracetheoriginofthatgreatindustrytothe
"sumptuous labouris,exorbitantexpensisandgreitdili-
gence
"
oftheshrewdEarlsofMorton.
Havingmarried Katherine, anaturaldaughter of
James Iv.byMaryBoyd,theEarlofMorton in1540
wascoercedbyJames v.,under
"dredour"of
Deprivedof .
. .
hisearldom,imprisonment inInverness,toresignhisearldom
17thOctober
^j^^i^j^^gj^favourofRobertDouglasofLoch-
1540.
_
fc>
leven,reservingonlyhisownliferentanda
reasonable terceatio7iabilis tercid\ forhiscountess in
theeventofhersurvivinghim.^Noreason isallegedfor
thisarbitraryprocedureintheKing'slettertohistreasurer
^Obtained,
"
These.
^Ripelyadvised.
*Morton, ii.260.
'Ibid., ii.261-269. ItisnofigureofspeechtosaythatKingJames
"coerced"hislucklessbrother-in-law, asthefollowingpassagefromthejudg-
mentoftheLordsofCouncilin1543uponthetransactionproves:—
"Thegift
maid[bytheEarlofMorton]tothesaidSirRobertDouglaswasmaidbedreid
thatmychtfallinaneconstantman,inconsiderationthatthesaidJamesErieof
MortounwaschargitimmediatlieofbefoirtopasstoInvernes,totheextreme
northpartisoftherealme,andtherremaneinwardinthesesiounofwynter
;to
permutandchangethehalsoumandwarmeairwithcauldandtempestiousair
;
thenaturalfudis[foods]withthequhilkishewasnuristallhisliftymewithrude
andunganand[unsuitable]metis
;andquhairsicthingisasaccordittohisestait
andpreservatiounofhislifmychtnotbehad;andalstopermuteaneplesand
palice,castell,yardis,toun,college,withdiverseotherisplesouris,withhummil
[humble]andsoberlugeingis[lodgings],withdiverseincommoditeisanddis-
plesourisquhilkiswerelangtorehers,thesaidEriebeinganeofthemaistnobill
baronysoftherealme,andimpotentofhisleggis,aigit,occupyitanddetenit
withdiversemaledeisinhispersoun."Thejudgmentgoesontorecitehowthe
resignationwasextortedatBrechin,andhowtheKingsentdailyfromhis
"lugeing,"pressingforMorton'sconsent,otherwisetheearlwastogotoprison
inInvernessstraightway.
—
Ibid., ii.2S9,290.

244 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
on I8thOctobernotifyingthetransfer,whichhesayshas
beeneffected
"
forgudecaussis,"asLochlevenwouldexplain
tohim.Amongthe
"caussis
"
giventoRobertofLoch-
leventoaccountfortheKing'sextraordinaryfavourtohim
wouldbe,nodoubt,thefactthatMortonhadnomaleissue.
Moreover,Mortonwasacripple,havingbeenabsolved for
lifefromallmilitaryserviceandwappinshawsonaccount
ofhisbeing
"subjecttodiverseseiknessandinfirmiteisin
hispersoun,havandanesareleg,andnothabiletoendure
greittravelinweirfarewithoutextremedangertohis
persoun."
^
Itwasoftheutmostimportance,Lochleven
wouldbetold,that,inthesetroubledtimes,thefeudallord
ofsuchgreatpossessionsshouldnotonlybewellaffected
tothemonarch,asMortonundoubtedlywas,butableto
exercisehispower,whichhewasnot.DouglasofLoch-
levenwassuitableinboththeserespects,but itisnot
surprising thattheCountessofMortonofferedvigorous
oppositiontotheKing'sdesign,^which,however,wasduly
carriedout.^
ButRobertDouglas'sillusionwasasbriefashisenjoy-
mentofthehonourssounexpectedlyconferreduponhim.
Compulsory ^^'^^S
James'srealmotiveswererudelyunravelled
resigrnation anddisclosedbytheLordsofCouncilwhenthey
byRobert
,
. „/^
•
i
Douglas, cametotrythecasem1543. Oursaid
January1541.
umquhilcSovcraneLord,quhemGodassolze,
labouritallwayistothateffectthathemychthavethe
saidislordschippisandlandsheritablie
"
;aconclusion to
whichtheKing'scatspaw,Lochleven,wasforcedwhen,
threemonthsafterthedateofhisinfeftment,namely,on
20thJanuary1541,heresignedtheearldomofMorton
andlordshipofDalkeithintotheKing'shands,protesting
atthesametimethathedidsoundercoercion,infearof
deathandoflosinghisestateofLochleven,*
UponJamesv.'sdeath,14thDecember1542,theEarl
ofArran,Morton'sson-in-law,becameRegent ;against
whomMortonimmediatelybroughtanactionforthere-
1MortoJt, i.3.
^Ibid., i.3,
ii.269.
3Ibid., ii.261-267.
•
Ibid., ii.281-293.

RESTORATIONOFTHEEARLDOM 245
ductionofthe
"
pretendit"resignation. Afterhearingall
parties,theLordsofCouncilpronounced in
oAheeariTomjudgmentthatthesaidresignationshould"be
infavourof
reducit,cassat,annullit,declaritanddecernitto
JamesDoug-
i i
•
11
ias[xxxvi.], havebenefrathebegynnyngandtobeinall
24thApril
iymecumingofnaneavale,andthesaidJames
1343.
J i> y J
^
ErieofMortoun tobereponitinthesamin
staittuichingthesaidislordschippisandlandis,likeashe
wasbefoirthemakingofthesaidpretenditresignatioun."
^
RobertofLochleven'sresignationoftheearldom,etc,
intotheKing'shandswasalsoannulled asmatterof
course ;andMortonexecutedaconveyanceoftheearldom
andhisestatestohisson-in-lawJamesDouglas[xxxvi.],
secondsonofSirGeorgeDouglasofPittendreich [li.],
andbrotherofDavid,7thEarlofAngus[Iv,].^
The3rdEarlofMortondiedin1552,leaving,byhis
Hisdeath, wifeKatherineStuart,threedaughters
—
'5s^"
(
I
)Margaret,marriedJames,EarlofArran,
DukeofChatelherault,RegentofScotland
;
(2)Beatrix,marriedRobert,6thLordMaxwell,and
becamemotherofJohn,8thLordMaxwell,upon
whomJamesVl.bestowedtheearldomofMorton
inI581
;and
(3)Elizabeth,whomarried in1543JamesDouglas
[xxxvi.],whobecame4thEarlofMorton.
1Morton, ii.281-293.
"
Ibid.,294-298.

CHAPTERXI
246xxxvi.JamesDouglas, 4thEarl
ofMorton,RegentofScotland,
c.1516-15S1.
247MarriesElizabeth,daughterofthe
3rdEarlofMorton[xxxv.],
1543-
250JoinstheLordsoftheCongrega-
tion,December1557.
251SignstheReformers'Covenant,
27thApril1560.
252AppointedChancellorofScotland,
1562.
253TheCountessofLennoxrenounces
herclaimtotheearldomof
Angus,1565.
254Murder ofDavid Riccio,9th
March1566.
256MortonfliestoEngland,1566.
257Isrecalled,January1567.
257Conspiracy against Darnley,
1567.
25Sxxxvii.ArchibaldDouglas, par-
sonofGlasgow,diedc.1600.
260Civilwar,June1567.
261SurrenderofQueenMary,14th
June1567.
262TheCasketLetters,20thJune
1567.
264QueenMaryescapesfromLoch-
leven,2ndMay1568.
264BattleofLangside, 13thMay
1568.
265EarlofLennoxappointedRegent,
I2thJuly1570.
xxxvi.James
Doug:las,4th
EarlofMor-
ton,Regent
ofScotland,
c.1516-1581.
JamesDouglas,secondsonofSirGeorgeofPittendreich
[li.],brotherofthe6thEarlofAngus [1.],succeeded to
theearldomofMortonunderthedispositionof
hisfather-in-law,the3rdEarlofMorton[xxxv.].
Hewasbornabout i516,and,notwithstanding
theforfeitureandbanishmentofhisfatherand
unclein1528,andthegeneralproscription of
thehouseofDouglas,whichendured tillJamesv.'sdeath
in1542,heremainedinScotlandwithhismother,andwas
namedasherheirinacharterofPittendreichgrantedin
herfavourbyKingJamesin1536.^ ThisistakenbySir
WilliamEraserasdisproofofGodscroft'sstatementthat
James'sboyhoodandyouthwerespentinhidingfromthe
^Reg.MagniSigilli, iii.No.1541.
246

EARLYYEARSOFFUTUREREGENT 247
King'spersecution. ButPittendreichhadbeenforfeitedin
1528,andbestowedupontheKing'sbastardbrother,James
Stuart,EarlofMoray,afterwardsRegent,whoheldthem
untilthedateofthecharterinquestion
;whichcharter
wasrevokedintheyearafteritsexecution,whenMoray
resumedpossession,andheldthelandsuntiltherestoration
oftheDouglasesin1543. Allthisseemsquiteconsistent
withGodscroft'saccountofyoungJamesDouglas'smode
oflife.Heexpresslystatesthatnothing isknownabout
theearlyyearsofJames'selderbrotherDavid [Iv.],but
that
—
"OfthisJames itiscertainlyknownthat, allthetimeofhisfather's
banishmentandexile,helurkedundertheborrowednameofJamesthe
Grieve
^orJamesInnes
;first,withhiscousinatGlenbervie ;afterwards, for
fearofbeingdiscoveredwithsonearakinsman,withsomegentlemaninthe
morenorthernpartsofScotland. Andasheborethename,sohedidalso
executetheofficeofagrieveandoverseerofthelandsandrents,thecorn
andcattleofhimwithwhomhelived. . . .Heattainedherebysuchskill
inhusbandry,andsuchperfection ineconomyandthriftiness, that,having
acquiredahabitoffrugality,henotonlyrepairedthedecayedandshattered
estatesofthesetwoearldoms,AugusandMorton,butalsohelpedtorecover
andaugmenttherevenuesoftheCrownandkingdommorethananyother
Regent."
Ithasbeendescribedinthelastchapterhow,assoonas
JamesV.wasoffthescene,the3rdEarlofMortonwasrestored,
. andhowhebestowedhisyoungestdaughterupon
Elizabeth, JamesDouglasyoungerofPittendreich,whomhe
th^frdEa^ri
Constituted hisheir. ThereafterJamesbecame
ofMorton knownasMasterofMorton.
LikehisfatherSirGeorge [li.],andhisuncle
Angus [1.],MortonwasanardentadvocateoftheEnglish
alliance,whichatfirstreceivedthesupportofRegent
Arran. ButCardinalBeaton,headoftheFrenchfaction
inScotland,soongainedovertheRegent,whoabjured
thereformedreligion,sothattheDouglasesfoundthem-
selvesoncemoreinopposition.Noeffectiveopposition
couldbeofferedinthesixteenthcenturywithouttheargu-
mentsofcoldsteelandgunpowder,whereforeAngusandhis
^"Grieve
"
istheScottishtermcorresponding totheEnglishfarm-bailiff.

248 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
clanenteredintoamutualbondofdefence,andtotheMaster
Siegeand
^^MortonwasCommittedthekeepingofDalkeith
surrenderor
Castlc.HerehewasbesiegedbyRegentArran,
Dalkeith
, , , , ,, ,
Castle,No-andsurrendereduponhonourabletermson7th
vemberis43.
November1543,beingallowedtodepartwith
allthegarrison,andtoremovehisgoodsandgear,^
Theperplexingpoliticsoftheseyearswillbemorefully
dealtwithunderthememoirsofthe6thEarlofAngus [1.]
andofMorton'sfather,SirGeorgeDouglas [li.] ;meanwhile
itisenoughtomentionthatMortonandhiselderbrother,
liketherestoftheDouglases,afterhavingbeenservedwith
summonses forhightreason,becameoutwardlyreconciled
withtheRegent'sGovernment. ButaslongasCardinal
Beaton'sinfluencewassupreme,noDouglasheadwassafe
onitsshoulders. TheEarlofHertford'ssuddendescent
upontheForth,inMay1544,probablysavedthelivesof
theEarlofAngusandhisbrother SirGeorge,whose
treasonable correspondence withtheEnglishhadbeen
intercepted,andwhowereatthetimeimprisoned inBlack-
ness, SirGeorge'ssons,DavidandJames,hadactually
offeredtosurrenderthegreatcastleofTantallon tothe
invaders,^showingthattheywereinperfectconcertwith
theirfather,whohadinvited theEnglishtoinvade
Scotland.
Thescenenowshiftsfromnationaldefencetofaction
war.Arranwaspracticallydeposedataconventionof
baronsatStirling[3rdJune1544];theQueen-mother,
MaryofGuise,wascommitted totheauthorityoffour
bishopsandtwelvelaypeers ;Arranstoodonhisdefence
inBlacknessCastle,andtheEnglish—thatis,theDouglas
—factionseemedintheascendantoncemore.Butitisall
veryconfused,asmightscarcelybeotherwise,seeingthat
"euerielorddidforhisawneparticulareproffeit,andtukena
heidofthecommoun weill."
^Anguswasunscrupulous
enoughinthemeansbywhichtheFrenchpolicyshouldbe
^Morton, i.5-
^HamiltonPapers,iv.parti.
94,
98.—RlaitlandClub.
^DiurnalofOccurrents,
33.

MORTON'SCAPTIVITY 249
defeatedandtheEnglishalHancesecured,butwhenScot-
tishdrumswerebeatingthepointofwar,theDouglas
bloodinhimwouldassert itself,andheborehimself
asbecameaskilfulandcourageous soldier. Itdoesnot
appearthattheMasterofMortonwaswithhisuncleand
Arran,nowrestored asRegent,whentheyroutedthe
EnglishunderEureandLaytononAncrumMoor[27th
February1545];buthewaswiththearmywhich,in
Augustofthesameyear,musteredonRoslynMoor
andmarched intoNorthumberland 30,000strong,with
3000Frenchauxiliaries,andwhich,onthetreacherous
adviceofAngusandSirGeorge,turned itsbackon
averyinferiorEnglish forceandmarchedbackinto
Scotland.
InJune1548theMasterofMortonwasbesiegedin
hiscastleofDalkeithbyLordGrey,andbeingtaken
prisonerwiththerestofthegarrison,wassentto
prisonerat theTowcrofLondon,whereGodscroftbelieved
Dalkeith,
|-]^g^^^iQremainedfor
"
certainyears,forduring
June1548.
•'^ ' °
thattimehelearnedthe . . .Englishtongue
andtone,whichhedideverthereaftermuchdelightto
use."Probablyhedidnotregainhislibertytillthepacifi-
cationin1550.
HisfirstappearanceasEarlofMortonwasatthePrivy
Councilon14thOctober1552. HiselderbrotherDavid
became7thEarlofAngus[Iv.]uponthedeathofhisuncle
the6thearl[L]in1557;andatDavid'sdeathinJuneof
thesameyear,Mortonundertookthedutiesoftutorand
guardiantohisinfantsonArchibald, 8thEarlofAngus
[Ivi.]. Having, therefore, practically absolute control
overboththesegreatearldoms,andtheprincelypossessions
comprisedtherein,Mortonwasnowaterritorialmagnateas
greatasanyoftheoldEarlsofDouglashadbeen.But
thetimeshadmovedsomewhat :politicshadbeencompli-
catedbytheadvanceofreformingdoctrinesinreligion,and
thebattleofthecreedshadgreatlyconfusedtheoldsimple
formulathatmightmaderight.Mortonmovedverywarily
atfirst.SonoftheprimeagentintheEnglishinterest,he

250 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
naturallyinclinedtothesideoftheReformation,andin
Joinsthe December1557signedtheconfederationwhich
Lordsofthe
boundtheProtestantbaronstogetherasLords
Congregation,
_
°
. ,
December oftheCongregation, Hetooklittlepartintheir
'^^^"
deliberations ;whenPerthwasheldagainstthe
Queen-Regent,Mortonwasabsentonduty,settlingthedis-
putedfrontierbetweenEnglandandScotland[31stMay
1559];neitherisherecordedashavinghadanyhandinthe
seizureofEdinburghbytheReformersinJuly.Thetruce
thenconcludedbetweentheLordsoftheCongregationand
theQueen-Regent, toendure tillthefollowingJanuary,
brokedownalmostimmediately, andagainthelords
advanceduponEdinburgh inOctober.
ThistimealsoMortonheldaloof,althoughcloseathand
inDalkeith,andalthoughSadleyrhadjustwrittentothe
EnglishCouncilthat
"
theProtestantsmake[ofMorton]a
certainaccounttobetheirs,"Sadleyrhadbeenlongenough
inScotlandbythistimetoreadshrewdlythemotivesof
Scottishpoliticians,andinasubsequent letterprobably
interpretedtheearl'sattitudearight.Heis
"simpleand
fearful , . .albeithehathbyhishandwritingboundhimself
totakepartwiththeProtestants,yetheliethaloof;some
thinkhedoth itpartlyfearingwhichpartyshallprevail,
andpartlyinrespectofthegreatbenefitthathehath
heretofore received atthedowager'shands,bywhose
meanshehathobtainedtheearldomofAngus,though
anotherhathabettertitletothesame ;
^andyetwe
thinkhimtofavourtheProtestantsmorethantheother
party,"
Morton,inshort,wasperforming thatdelicatefeatin
political athletics,notunfamiliar tostudentsofhistory
ancientandmodern,knownas
"
sittingonthefence,"
HeremainedatDalkeithwhentheLordsoftheCongrega-
tionwithdrewfromEdinburgh toStirling, Buthewas
notlongindoubtaboutwhichwasthestrongerparty.
TheearnestreformerswerestimulatedbythereturnofJohn
^ReferringtoMargaret,CountessofLennox,onlysurvivinglegitimateoffspring
ofthe6thEarlofAngus,

M>7i-^,v^?^e^zC t-o--/^^
^?i.^c^TWa^^VJl'^'OAatVi^O,7y^^n.<yrui^-ty.

THESCOTTISHREFORMATION 351
Knoxinthisyear ;theChurchofRomewasinnocountry
morecynicallycorruptthaninScotland,andhadlostmuch
ofitsholdupontheaffectionofthecommonalty ;lastly,
therewastheever-presentresiduum,theirresponsiblemob
whosearbitrament hasturnedthescaleinsomany
momentous issues,firedonthisoccasion,asBishopLesley
mournfullydescribed :
"specialieforhoipofthespulye
^
ofthefreris
^placesandkirkis."
Moreover,theEnglisharmywasonthemarch. It
crossedtheBorderon2ndApril1560;fromthatmoment
Morton feltassuredofsuccess,andtookaleadingplace
amongtheReformers. Thelords,withtheirEnglish
allies,laidsiegetoLeith,whichtheQueen-Regent had
Signsthe
garrisoned withFrench troops. Duringthe
Reformers'
siegetheyboundthemselvesbyacovenantto
27thApril
"
setfordwardthereformationofreligionaccord-
'56°-
ingtoGoddisword."Mortonsignedthiscove-
nant,3andalso,onlothMay,theratificationofthetreaty
concluded withQueenElizabeth atBerwickon27th
February.
TheQueen-Regent diedonlothJuneinthesame
year,andtheFrenchtroopsweredismissedimmediately
thereafter. IntheabsenceofMaryQueenofScotsin
France,theLordsoftheCouncilsummonedParliament
tomeetinAugust,whenfour-and-twenty
"regents
"were
appointed,whereoftwelve,ofwhomMortonwasone,were
designatedascouncillorstoactinthenameoftheQueen.
OutsideParliament,JohnKnox"taughtpublicklieupon
theprophecie ofHaggee.Hewasfervent inapplica-
tioun."
*
InsideParliament,theScottishReformationwas
establishedbylaw,intheteethoftheprelates,onceall
powerful inthelegislature ;thePope'sjurisdictionwas
declaredatanend,themassproscribed,andtheconfession
offaithapproved, asdrawnupbyKnox. SirJames
Sandilands ofCalder,aknightofSt.John,holding
ecclesiastical rank asMaster ofthePreceptory of
^Spoliation.
"
Friars.
^OriginalatHamilton,27thApril1560.
*Calderwood, ii.12.

252 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
Torphichen,wassenttoFrancetoobtaintheroyalassent,
butfailedtoobtainaccesstotheQueenofScots.
InOctoberMortonwasappointed oneofthree
ambassadorstocarryreportoftheseproceedings toQueen
Elizabeth,andtoproposetoheramarriagewiththeEarl
ofArran,eldestsonoftheformerregent,whohadbecome
DukeofChatelherault.
WhenQueenMary,escapingfromtheshipsofwarwhich
hercousinElizabethofEnglandhadsentouttointercept
her,landedatLeithon19thAugust1561,Mortonatonce
tookaforemostplaceamongheradvisers,anddidhisbestto
tempertheinevitablefrictionbetweenaProtestantpeople
andtheirPopishQueen.HeopposedKnox'sattemptto
interferewithMary'sprivateexerciseofherreligion ;but
itisdoubtfulwhetherheaccompanied herinhertourto
thenorthintheautumnof1562—anexpeditionwhich
endedsomysteriously intheoperationsagainst
ch^nceUor
^^^^arlofHuntly,headoftheCatholicparty.
ofScotland,HuutlywasslainatCorrichie,andhisson.Sir
1562.
JohnGordon,takenandexecuted
;thechan-
cellorshipofScotland,whichHuntlyhadheldsince1547,
beingbestoweduponMorton.
ThewittyandbeautifulyoungQueenfromthefirst
causedherchancellormanyananxiousandperplexing
moment. Hermarriage,ofcourse,wasaconstantsubject
ofspeculationamongherministersandcourtiers.Mary
tookdelightinbewilderingthemwiththemultitudeof
hersuitors ;butshegaveasevereshocktoMorton's
equilibriumwhensheannouncedherintentionofchoosing
asherconsortLordDarnley,thesonoftheCountessof
Lennox,aformidableclaimantontheAngussuccession.
Personally,MortondislikedDarnley,asdidanumberof
theotherScottishnobles,buthedarednotoffendLady
Lennoxbybetraying hisfeelings ;that,atleast,wasthe
interpretationputonhisconductbyRandolph,theEnglish
ambassador,whowrotetoCecilinMay1565
:"MyLord
ofMortonthistimewasabsent,butsomislikedthatIhave
notheardanymanworsespokenof.Heisnowinhopes

':
''••^E?asi'
'.^y^/77tya/A<z(/9^/^-yta (Z^.=l^a/^m.<z/it7iy

MARY'SMARRIAGETODARNLEY 253
that[theCountessofLennox] willgiveoverherrightsof
Angus,andso[he]willbecomefriendstothatside." In
fact,inthismatter,Mortonresumedhisfavouritepostureon
thefence,detestingtheDarnleymarriage,yetrefraining
fromopposing it,lesttheCountessofLennoxinrevenge
shouldpersistinherclaimtothemagnificentpropertyof
hisyoungnephew,towhomMortonwasheir-presumptive.
HowaccuratelyRandolphhadgaugedthesituation
isshownbythecontractbetweentheLennoxes,Darnley,
TheCountess^^^theboyAnguson 12thand
13thMay
ofLennox
1565,whcrcintheCountessofLennoxratified
renounces
,
. .. /-a
•
t
•
1
herclaim, themteftment ofAngusmhisestates,and
May1565.
renounced allclaimonherpartorthatof
herposterity,provided
—
"ThesaidArchibaldErieofAngus,withexpresconsentandassentofthe
saidJamesErieofMortoun, histutor,forhisinteresseandacceptandthe
burdingvpounhim,assaidis,sail,withtheassistanceofhishaillfreindisandall
thatwilldoforhimwithintherealmeofScotland,bequhatsumeverhonestand
lefullmenysatthevtermaistofhisandthairpowerisandvpounthairawin
expenss, solisst,avanceandsettfurthwardis thesaidHenryLordDernley
...tothemariagetobecontractitandsolemnizatbetwixhirhienesandthe
saidLordDernley,andsailemploythameselffis,therlabourisandguidisinmaist
honorablemanerthairupoun."
^
Morton,therefore,cannotbejudgedasdisinterested in
hissupportoftheQueen,although itmaybegrantedthat
herpersonalcharmmayhavehadsomeeffectuponone
whowascertainlynotindifferent tofeminine beauty.
TwodaysafterQueenMaryhadsecuredherchancellor's
support,sheannouncedherbetrothalwithDarnley. Morton
remainedcalmlyathispost,butMoray,whodetested
Darnley, leftthecourtwithArgyllandotherlords,and
preparedforrebellion.
Themarriagetookplaceon25thJuly,Mortonactingas
carvertotheKingandQueenatthegreatbanquetwhich
followed it. InOctoberhetookthefieldagainstthe
insurgents,sharingwiththeKingcommandofthemain
divisionofthearmy,whileLennoxtooktheadvanced
1Eraser, iii.255-261.

254 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
guard,andHuntly
^therear.Morton, infact,wasin
chiefcommand
;butMary'ssuspicionofhimwasonthe
alert,byreasonofhiswell-known friendshipwithMoray
andArgyll. Therefore,aftertheinsurgentlordshadbeen
drivenacrosstheBorder,abondwasexactedfromMorton
forthedelivery,wheneverrequired,ofTantallon Castle,
whichheheldashisnephew'sguardian.-
Thisputthechancelloruponhisguard ;itbehoveda
manindangeroflosingtheroyalfavourtogatherother
supporttohimself,ifhesetanyvalueuponlibertyandlife.
Mortonsoonbecameawarethat itwastheQueen's
purposetoobtaintheforfeitureofMoray,Argyll,andthe
Murdrf
Otherbanishedlords
;currentreport,confirmed
Riccio,9thbyMary'sbehaviour,pointedoutherconfidential
^^
secretary,DavidRiccio,aschiefadviserinthis
design,and,whichwasofsingular interesttoMorton,
indicatedtheItalianasprobablytobeappointedchancellor
intheearl'sroom. Ricciohadenemiesalreadyinthe
highestquarters. Maryhadcertainlysettongueswagging
byherindiscreetintimacywithhim
;eveniftherewereno
truthinherallegedamour,doubtlessshefoundinhis
cultivatedconversationandmusicaltalentanagreeable
relieffromthevapidchatterofthehusbandwhohad
already forfeited her
"vehement love
"—fromthedull
ScottishCourt,sodifferentfromthatinwhichshehad
growntowomanhood—andfromtheinterminable lectures
ofgrimandtactlessdivines. ItwasthecaseofJamesIII.
andhis
"fiddlersandbricklayers
"
overagain,andsimilar
meanswereappliedasremedy.EvenDarnley,thoughhe
wascontinuallyabsentfromhiswife,huntingandhawking,
wasquitewillingtofallinwithhisfather,Lennox's,
project fordoingawaywiththeforeigner. SirJames
Melville,acontemporary diarist,imputestheoriginofthe
plottoMorton,andsaysthatheemployed hisamiable
cousin,GeorgeDouglas [liv.],futureBishopofMoray,to
^George,5thearl,sonofthe4thearl,slainatCorrichie threeyears
previously.
-Reg.PrivyCouncil, i.382,417.

MURDEROFRICCIO 255
inflameDarnley'smindagainstRiccio. WilliamMaitland
ofLethingtonwasasdeepinitasanyone.
"
Iseeno
certainway,"hewroteon9thFebruarytoCecil,
"
unless
wechopattheveryroot."FourdayslaterRandolph
wrotetoLeicesterthat
"David,withconsentoftheKing,
shallhavehisthroatcutwithinthesetendays."There
wereplentyofpeopleinthesecret—
JohnKnoxhasnot
escapedtheimputation,butthereisnothingtoprovethat
heknewabout itbeforehand. Hecertainlynevercon-
demned itafterwards. ButMorton,thoughresolvedto
"chop,"wascarefulthatresponsibilityshouldrestonthe
propershoulders. Hepersuaded Darnley togranta
"bandofassurance,"declaringthecomingcrimetobeof
hisowndesigning,andguaranteeingtheperformersagainst
allconsequences atthehandsof
"greatpersons." Darnley
pledgedhimselfinthisdocumenttomaintaintheProtestant
religion,andtorestorethebanishedlords,inconsideration
whereofhewastoreceiveequalregalrightswiththe
Queen,
Thecircumstances ofthedeedon9thMarch1566
havebeentoooftendescribedtorequiredetailedrepeti-
tionhere. Probably theintentionwastoseizeRiccio
andexecutehimpubliclyaftersomesummaryformof
judicialprocedure ;butsixteenthcenturypoliticianswere
notmeticulousabouttheprecisemeanstoadesirableend,
andScottishdaggerseversleptlightlyintheirsheaths.
Hence,when,atduskonSaturday,9thMarch,Morton,
withanarmedband,hadsecuredthegatesofHolyrood
Palace,forcedhiswaytotheQueen'ssupper-room,where
wereDarnleyandRuthven,seizedRiccioinhismistress's
presenceanddraggedhimintotheanteroom, itwasthe
cleric,GeorgeDouglas [liv.],saynearlyallwriters,who
endedthescufflebysnatchingthedaggerfromDarnley's
belt,andplunging itintoRiccio'sbosom,cried,
"Take
thatfromtheKing !
"^
Messageofthemurderhadfilteredthroughthelocked
1AnthonyStanden[unpublishedMS.atHatfield]saysGeorgedrovethe
daggerthroughRiccio'stemples.

256 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
palacegates.Acrowdgatheredoutside,towhomDarnley
appeared,anddispersedthepeoplewiththeassurancethat
allwaswellwithin.TheQueenwaslockedintoherchamber,
Bothwellandotherswhoresistedwereoverpowered,and
custodyofthepalacewastakenoverbyMorton.
Nextday,Sundayloth,Morayandthebanishedlords
cametoEdinburgh,andonMondayiithobtainedan
interviewwiththeQueen,ChancellorMortonexplaining
theirgrievancesandintentionstoherMajesty.Maryspoke
themfair,andproposedageneralreconciliation ;butthat
verynightsheescapedtoDunbar,takingwithherthecraven
Darnley,andescortedbyLordSetonwith200horse.
AtDunbarshewasjoinedbyBothwell,whosemasterful
bearinghadalreadywonherchangefulheart.
DesertedbyDarnley,whostoutlyrepudiated allpart
intheconspiracy,^theProtestantpartyscattered,Morton
Mortonflies
^^^RuthvenSeekingrefugeinEngland,where
toEngland, theyclaimedprotectionfromElizabeth. The
'^
QueenofEnglandhadbeenkeptinformedof
thesuccessivestepsintheconspiracy,andhadbeenquite
preparedtoprofitbyitssuccess ;buttheturntakenby
affairsmade itprudentthatsheshoulddissociateherself
fromevenatacitpartinthematter,andoni6thJune
MortonsailedforFlanders,HewasbackinEnglandon
4thJuly,whenhereceivedordersto
"conveyhimselfto
somesecretplace,orelsetoleavethekingdom."
^
TheEarlofMorayremained inScotlandduringhis
friendMorton's exile. Bothwell,thoughaProtestant
—
"thestoutestandtheworstthoughtof"—wasnowa
poweratcourt.TohimMorayhadtoaddresshimself
tosecuretheQueen'sconsenttoMorton'srecall.Darnley's
partinthisaffairhadinspiredMarywithunconquerable
aversionfromherconsort,whereofshemadenosecretto
Bothwell. Thatunscrupulous individual,perceiving that
1"Allmenweredischargedbyproclamatioun toaffirmethattheKingwas
partakerorprivietothelastfact;wheratmaniesmiled."—Calderwood, ii.
316.
-Cal.StatePapers,Scotland, i.237.

CONSPIRACYAGAINSTDARNLEY 257
Morton'sreturnwouldturnthebalanceagainstDarnley,
usedallthepowerhehadacquiredoverMarytoobtain
herforgiveness forhim.Maryatlasthavingconsented
topardonthefugitives,MortonreturnedinJanuary1567,
but,beingforbidden tocomewithinsevenmilesofthe
court,wasmetatWhittinghamebyBothwellandSecretary
Maitland,whoinvitedhimtoplungeintoafarmoreserious
plotthanthefirst,namely,oneagainsttheKing's life.
Fourteenyearslater,afewhoursbeforeMortonsuffered
onthescaffold,hegavehisownaccountofhowhereceived
Bothwell'sproposal,whichistrulysolittletohisowncredit,
thatitmaybeacceptedasaveryprobableversionofthe
truth.
BothwelltoldhimthattheQueendesiredthat
"
theKing
souldbetaneaway,"holdinghimmoreguiltyofRiccio's
Conspiracy
^loodthanMortonhimself.NowMortonhad
against specialreasonfordetestingDarnley,whohad
Darnley,1567.,. ii- 1 ^ ,
betrayedhnn,andpasteventshadprovedthat
hesufferedfromnoinsuperablequalmsaboutmurderfora
sufficientpurpose. Speakingwithinafewhoursofhisown
death,hedidnotsaythathewasatallshockedbysuch
damnableproposals,butthathedeclinedtobemixedup
infreshtrouble,seeingthathewasnotyetfreefromthe
consequences oftheoldone. Inspiteofrepeatedsolicita-
tionsbyBothwellandArchibaldDouglas[xxxvii.]hecon-
tinuedfirminhisrefusal,atleastuntilBothwellshould
showhimtheQueen'sauthorityinherownhandwriting,
"thequhilkwarrandheneverreportedvntome."
Theposition,then,wasthis. Mortonknewweeks
beforehand thataplotwasinprogressagainstKing
Henry's life ;hedeclinedtotakeanactiveparttherein,as
hedidnotwishtogethimselfintofreshtrouble ;buthe
diligentlyrefrainedfromgivinganywarningtotheintended
victim,"fforIdurstnochtreveill itforfeirofmylyfe."
AskedwhyheallowedArchibaldDouglastotakepartin
suchanodiouscrime,herepliedthatheneitherorderednor
advisedhimtoproceedorrefrain.RemindedthatArchi-
bald,beinghisservantanddepender,implicatedhismaster
VOL.T. R

258 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
inwhateverhedidwithhisknowledge,Mortonreplied
:
"Mr.Archibald atthattymewasadependerontheerle
Bothuel,makingcourtferhimself,ratherthanadepender
ofmyne."AskedwhetherhereceivedArchibaldafterthe
crime,hereplied :
"
Ididindeid,"andlistenedtothe
particularsfromthemouthofoneoftheKing'sassassins.
TheblackestpartofMorton'sconduct,asexplainedin
hisconfession,remainstobetold.
"Lastofallitwassaidtohimconcerningthispurpos
that,inrespectofhisowindepositioune, hispairtwaldbe
suspectittobemairfowlenorhedeclairit ;hespereit
^
'
fforwhatreasone?
'
Iwasansuerit,
'Becauseye,beand
anauctoritie,howbeityepuneistvtherisferthatmurther,
yepuneistnotMr.Archibald,whomeyeknewtobeguiltie
thairof.'Heansuerit,
'
Ipuneisthimnot,indeid,nather
durst I,forthecausbefoirschawin,'"
-namely,fearofhis
precious life.NowMortondidhimselfinjusticeinthus
excusinghimself.Nomaneverbreathedwhohadless
regardforhisownpersonalsafetythanhe;inlateryearsit
wasafrequentsubjectofreproachandremonstrancebyhis
friendsthathewouldnottakeordinaryprecautionagainst
assassination. Rightlyorwronglyheconsideredhimself
indispensable tohiscountry'swelfareandtotheProtestant
cause,anddeemedthatitwouldbeanirreparable mis-
fortune toScotland ifhelosteither lifeorinfluence.
Morton's qualities,goodand ill,wereonalargescale
:
hewasfreefrompettyweaknessofallkinds.
ItistimetoexplainwhowasthisMr.Archibald
Douglas,sobalefullyprominent inthisaffair.Hewas
xxxvii.Archi-
^^eyoungerbrotherofWilliamDouglasof
baldDouglas,Whittinghame, andgrandsonofthe2ndEarl
Glasgow,diedofMortoii[xxxiv.].Trained inFranceforthe
c.i6oo.
priesthood,heaccommodated hisconscience to
acceptingtheProtestant cureofDouglasparish,andin
1565hewasraisedtothebenchasextraordinaryLordof
SessioninplaceoftheBishopofOrkney. Fourmonths
later,havingbeenconcerned inthemurderofRiccio,he
1Enquired.
"
Morton'sconfession :R.Bannatyne'sMemorialcs.

ARCHIBALDDOUGLAS 259
fledtoFrance,whence,havingobtainedthefavourof
Charles IX.,futureauthorofthemassacreofSt.Bar-
tholomew,hewasallowed toreturntoScotland,and
exertedhimselftoobtainpardonforhisfellow-conspirators.
HewaspresentwithhisservantThomasBinningatthe
murderofDarnley inKirk-o'-field,wherehe
"tynthis
mulis
"—losthisslippersordancingpumps,havingcome
straightfromtherevelheldbytheQueenatHolyrood in
honourofBastian'smarriage. Butnoproceedingswere
takenagainstthisworthyatthetimeforhispartinthe
crime ;onthecontrary, intheyearfollowingDarnley's
death,hewasmadeanordinaryLordofSessioninplace
ofBishopLesley,thehistorian. In1571RegentLennox,
atMorton'sinstance,bestoweduponArchibaldtheparson-
ageofGlasgow,whichappointment theGeneralAssembly
refusedtoconfirm,notwithoutreason, itseems,tojudge
fromRichardBannatyne's accountofthescene,when
Douglasatlastwasallowedtogothroughtheformof
examination.
"InregisteritwasappointedtobeputtheexercisemadebeMr.Archibald
Douglas,madeatStirvelingintheassemblieofAugust1571,whobeingcomandit
topreparehimselfforthesamebethekirk,sendMr.WalterGourlaytobid
himbereddieagainstthemorne,fand
^himplayingatthetables
^withthelard
ofBargany ;andefterhehadresavitthekirkischargeinwraitfrathesaid
Walter,ansuerit,'Whynot?yemaysayIamatmystudie.'Onthemorne
whenhecometotheplaceofexaminationewantingapsalmebuke,andluking
tillsumgudfellowsuldlenhimone,Mr.DavidWemyshadgivehimtheGrek
testament(perHeroniam),buthesaid,
'Thinkeye,sirs,thateverieminister
thatoccupeisthepulpcthesGreik
?
'andwhenhehadgottinthepsalmebuike,
afterlukingandcastingowertheleivesthereofaspace,hedesyritsumminister
tomaktheprayerferhim
;'fer,'saidhe,'Iamnotvsedtopray.' Efterhe
redhistext...hesayis,
'
fertheconexioneofthistextIwillreidthething
thatisbefoir,'andsuaredagudspace, tillhecomewhairhebegan,andsa
continewed hisexerciswithmonyrastlienoises,&c.Yemaypersave itwas
frutfull,seingheculdnotprayatthebeginning.OLord !whatsalbesaidwhan
sicdumdogissalbesufferittomocktheministrieofthyword,andthetrueth
thereof,onthisnianer?
"
JustaweekafterBothwell's trialfortheKing'smurder,
namely,on 19thApril,MortonreceivedfromParliament
formalratificationofhisearldom.^Hewasonceagainthe
'Found. ^Probablybackgammon,
^AdsofPa
j-
1.Scot., ii.562.

26o THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
mostpowerful territorialpotentate inScotland,andifhe
fearedtorevealwhatheknewofthecrime,itisnomatter
forsurprisethatthemouthsofhumblerwitnesseswere
sealed,orthatBothwell'smocktrialon9thAprilhad
endedinanacquittal. Ratherthanserveonthejury,
Mortondeclaredhewouldpayforfeit,givingashisreason
thatDarnleywashiskinsman.
Deeperanddeeperhedescendedintothemire
;on20th
heevensignedthebondconsentingtotheQueen'smarriage
withherhusband'sassassin,^notwithstanding that,asthere
isgoodreasontosuppose,hewasmaturingaprojectfor
Bothwell's overthrow. Mortonknewwellenoughthat
Bothwell,havingusedhimforhisownpurpose,wouldnot
hesitatetocrushhimwhenthatpurposeshouldbefully
accomplished,andBothwellplayedwellintohisrival'shand.
Hewasamarriedman,yeton24thApril1567heinter-
ceptedQueenMaryonherjourneyfromStirlingtoEdin-
burgh,andcarriedheroff,awillingandprobablycollusive
captive,toDunbar.Thenheinstitutedtwoprocessesof
divorceagainsthisyoungwife.LadyJaneGordon,sisterof
theEarlofHuntly,whomhehadmarriedlittlemorethan
ayearbefore—amatchofMary'sownmaking !and
obtaineddecreeuponthemrespectivelyon3rdand7th
May.Onthe15thBothwell,createdDukeofOrkney,
andQueenMary,weremarriedunderProtestant ritesby
theBishopofOrkney.
Thescandalofthewholeproceedingwasintolerable
;
horrorthereofdroveAtholandotherCatholiclordsinto
thearmsoftheProtestant party.Theyenteredintothe
bondalreadysubscribedbyMortonandtheothermembers
ofthesecretcouncil,pledgingthemselves
"
toseekthe
libertyoftheQueen,topreservethelifeofthePrince,andto
pursuethemthatmurderedtheKing."Aplanfortheseizure
ofBothwellandMaryinHolyroodmiscarried;warnedintime.
Civilwar, theyhadshutthemselvesupinBorthwickCastle.
June1567.
ThitherMortonandHomerodewithsome
hundredsoftheirfollowers,andsurroundedtheplaceduring
^Metnoriales,319;Calderwood, ii.354.

MARY'SSURRENDER 261
thenightoflothJune. Bothwellmanagedtoescapeto
Dunbar,whereMary,dressedasaman,joinedhimafew
dayslater.Theconfederate lordsthenseizedEdinburgh,
andissuedaproclamation attheCross.MeanwhileBoth-
wellhadbeengatheringwhatforceshecould,andadvanced
withtheQueenuponthecapital. Morton,incommandof
theinsurgentarmy,mettheroyalistsatCarberryHillon
Sunday,14thJune.MarysenttheFrenchambassadorto
conveyherwishthat
"themattershouldbetakenup
withoutblood." Mortonrepliedthathispartywerein
arms,notagainsttheQueen,butagainstthemurdererof
^thelateKing,andpromisedsubmission ifhe
Surrenderof
'^ '
QueenMary,weregivcnup.ThereuponBothwellproposed
i4tJune1567.
^^submittotlicaucicntordealbybattletoprove
hisinnocence,offeringtodosinglecombatwithMortonor
anyother.Thechallengewasaccepted,butLordLindsay
claiminghisrightasanearerkinsmanofDarnley,Morton
gavehimplace,andgirthimwiththegreattwo-handed
swordofArchibaldBell-the-Cat [xliii.].ThenQueenMary
interfered,declaringthatherconsortwasoftoohighrankto
fightwithanysubject,andcallinguponhertroopstodrive
thetraitorsoffthehill.Notamanofthemmoved,except
towardstherear
;Bothwellsawthegamewasup;accepted
Morton'sprivatehinttoavoidaworsefatebymakinghis
escape,androdeoffthefield,leavingtheQueentoreturn
toEdinburghacaptive.
Asorrowfulcavalcade itwasaseversummersunlooked
downupon.Mary,
"
inashortpitticoate, littlesyderthan
herknees,"
^herbeautifulfeaturessoiledwithdustand
smirchedwithpassionateweeping,rodebetweenMorton,
murdererofRiccioandaccomplice inDarnley'smurder,
andAthol,headoftheCatholiclords,uponwhomshehad
relied.FromwindowsandstairsinthecrowdedHigh
Streetcursesandjeerswerehurledatthefairhead,which
oughttohavebeentheprideofScotland.Manyofher
captorswerehottohaveherblood,butMortonrestrained
them—atleastsoaProtestantcontemporary states
^—and
'Calderwood, ii.364.
"
Ibid.,366.

262 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
on16thJuneMarywasimprisoned inLochleven Castle,
underchargeofSirWilliamDouglas [Iviii.],ownerthereof,
andtheLordsLindsayandRuthven.^
Threedayslater,on19thJune,Morton,actingaschief
oftheStateinMoray'sabsence,hearingthatoneofBoth-
ThCakt
^^^^^'^servantshadcometoEdinburghCastle
Letters, torccovcrsomcofhismaster'sproperty,sent
June1567.
ArchibaldDouglasandotherstoarrestthe
man.Theresultwasthatacertain silver-giltcasket
cameintoMorton'shands,which,onthe21st,wasforced
openinthepresenceofseveralofthelords. Itwasfoundto
containhighlycompromising documents,including letters
fromQueenMarywrittentoBothwellbeforetheirmarriage,
which, ifgenuine,provedbeyond alldoubtguiltyfore-
knowledgeofthemurderofDarnley. Itisimpossible
inthisplacetofollowthediscussion,whichhasnever
yetproducedagreement, andprobablynever will,as
towhetherthesepaperswereforged,tamperedwith,or
genuine. Iftheywereforged,whowastheforger
—
Lethington orArchibald Douglas?Inwhoseinterest
weretheyforged? InthatofMortonandtheProtestant
partyundoubtedly,towhoseschemesandpolicytheQueen
wasthechiefobstacle,anditisscarcelypossiblethatMorton
shouldnothavebeenawareofsuchaforgery.Thecon-
scienceofthemanwhoknewofDarnley'sapproaching fate,
andrefrainedfromwarninghimthereofforfearofhisown
life,wouldnothaveshrunkfromsanctioningthefabrication
ofevidenceinsupportofachargewhich,afterall,heand
manyotherswereconvincedwastrue. Ontheother
hand,hadMortonatthattimedesiredtheexecutionof
QueenMary,woulditnothavebeenmuchsimplerforhim
toletthattakeplace,aswasstronglyurgedbysomeof
thelords,immediately afterthesurrender atCarberry?
Insteadofdoingso,hehadbeenthechiefmeansofsaving
theQueen's life,atleastsosaysCalderwood, thereby
incurringfromsomeoftheotherlordsthereproachof
being"astayerofjustice." Genuine orforged,these
^Morton, i,24.

SUSPICIONAGAINSTMORTON 263
casketletterswerefoundeduponinParliament,which,in
December,confirmedMorton'sactionincommitting the
Queentoprison.
Meanwhile,on24thJuly,Marywascompelledtoabdi-
cateinfavourofherson,James vi.,andnominated as
Regenthernaturalbrother,theEarlofMoray.Aninterim
councilwasappointed toactunderMorton tillMoray's
return
;theyoungKingwascrownedatStirlingon29th
July,Mortontakingtheoathsonhisbehalfandswearing
tomaintaintheProtestant religion. Moraytookupthe
regencyon22ndAugust,Mortonhavingbeenrestoredto
thechancellorship.
Mortonhadgoodcausetocongratulate himselfupon
thediscretionwhichhadkepthimclearoftheplotagainst
Darnley,for,on14thDecember,whenfourofBothwell's
wretchedinstrumentswereputontrialandcondemnedto
deathfortheirparttherein,nomentionofthechancellor's
nameoccurredintheirlongandminutedepositions.^
Itistrue,asadmittedbyCalderwood,Morton'sun-
waveringpanegyrist, that itwascommonlybelievedand
reportedthatMorayandMortonwereatthebottomofthe
wholedeadlyplot,butbothhadthesagacitytobeabsent
fromEdinburghwhenittookeffect,andfewdaredtospeak
abovetheirbreath.
InMay1568QueenMaryescapedfromLochlevenand
^Sincethisparagraphwaswritten Ihavebeenfavouredwithatranscript
oftheremarkablediscoverybyFatherRyan,S.J.,intheCambridgeMS.of
HepburnofBowton'sdeposition.AlongpassagewhichoccursinthisMS.
doesnotoccurinthecopyoftheconfessionattestedas"true"bytheLord
Justice-Clerk,Bellenden[B.M.Cotton,Caligula, c.i.folio325],whichwasno
doubtthesameasthatputinattheWestminsterconference. Inthispassage
occursthefollowingimportantsentence
:—
"ItemdepossisthatIlkanethatwer
oftheband[forthemurderofDarnley]andsicliketheerleofMortonandSyr
JamesBalfor[whohadnotsignedtheband]suldhalfsendtwamentothecom-
mittingofthemurther." This,iftrue,wouldaccountforthepresenceofArchi-
baldDouglasandhisservantBinning,asrepresentingMorton.Theinference
isasinisterone :namely,thatMoraycausedBellendentoattestafalsecopyof
Bowton'sconfession,whichwassubmitted atWestminster, soastoscreen
Morton.Yetwhoshallpronouncewhatweightiscarriedbytheconfession
ofHepburn, themurderer present,againsttheconfession ofMorton,the
accompliceabsent?

264 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
joinedaforceof6000menwhichheradherentshadcol-
Escapeof
lectedinreadiness. MoraywasinGlasgowat
QueenMary
^^gtime,andsummonedMortontohisassistance.
fromLoch-
•
i a n i i
•
ieven,2nd TheQueenappomtedArgyllhercommander-m-
May1568.
^j^jgf^^^^marchedtoHamilton
;butArgyllfell
sick,andhisabsenceprovedfataltotheconductofopera-
tionswhen,oni3thMay,theforcesoftheQueenandthe
RegentmetatLangside. Moray'sarmy,whereofMorton
commandedtheadvancedguard,wasinferiorinnumbersto
theQueen'sbyone-third ;nevertheless Mary,seatedon
r,,,, r Cathcart Hill,aboutamilefromtheconflict
Battleof
'
Langside, whiclicnsued,hadtowitnessthecompleterout
131
ayis
.
qI"j^gj.people,androdeoffthefieldescortedby
theLordsHerries,Fleming,andLivingstone.Afewdays
later,trustingtotheprotectionofhercousin,QueenEliza-
beth,shecrossedtheBorder,nevertoreturntoScotland.
Butherfriendsremained faithfultotheirbeautifulQueen,
whoseevilfortunehadgonefartoobliteratewhatwasdeplor-
ableinherrecord.Mortonhadenoughadotosecurethe
positionhehadwonforhimself,nottomentionthedefence
ofthereformedreligion.Hecouldnotaffordtobescrupul-
ousinrememberingoldfriendships,andtheinfluenceofhis
formerconfederate,WilliamMaitlandofLethington,upon
Elizabeth'spolicytowardsScottishparties,causedhimmuch
anxiety. Maitland,oneoftheauthorsofRiccio'smurder,
hadgoneoverforthenoncetoQueenMary's interest,
notwithstanding thathehadaccompaniedMoray,Morton,
Lindsay,andtheothercommissioners toYork,wherethey
publiclymadetheirindictmentagainsttheQueenofScots,
andthecasketletterswereprivatelyshowntotheDukeof
Norfolk. ItcametoMorton'sknowledgethatMaitlandwas
insecretcommunicationbothwithElizabethandwithMary's
adherents;accordinglyhecausedtheRegenttodirectthe
arrestandarraignmentofMaitlandonthechargeofcom-
plicityinDarnley'smurder. Inviewoftheopposition
expectedfromtheQueen'sparty,Mortonheldhimselfready
atDalkeithwith3000mentoprotectthejudgesincaseof
disturbance. Butthetrialnevertookplace, Kirkaldyof

LENNOXAPPOINTEDREGENT 265
Grangedemanded,beforeMaitlandshouldgotoanassize,
"thehkejusticetobedoneupontheErieofMortounand
MesterArchibald,andLordHerisofferittofeichtwiththe
ErieofMortounthathewasupontheconsellandairtand
partoftheKingismurthour."
^SoMortondeemed it
prudenttokeepawayfromthecapital. Kirkaldythen
rescuedMaitlandandtookhimintoEdinburgh Castle,
whichthesetwocontinuedtoholdforQueenMary,tillthey
wereoverpowered in1573.
On23rdJanuary1570theRegentMoraywasassas-
sinated inLinlithgowbyHamilton ofBothwellhaugh.
MortonappliedtoQueenElizabethforanarmedforceto
assisthiminpunishingtheHamiltons,threatening, ifshe
persisted inholding aloof,that
"hewouldnotrunher
courseanylonger." ThisforcedElizabeth'shand
;Sussex
crossedtheBorder,wastedthelandsofsomeofQueen
Mary'spartyinthatregion,andmarchedtoHamilton,
wherehedidthelike.Lennox,fatherofthemurdered
TheEarlof
Damlcy,andgrandfatheroftheyoungKing,
Lennoxap-
returnedtoScotlandatthistime,and,atMor-
pointedRe-
. •
i i -n
gent,12th tonsearnestmstancewiththeProtestantparty
July1570.
^j^^QueenElizabeth,wasappointed tothe
regency. ThisdidnotinterferewithMorton'spositionas
practicalheadoftheGovernment,
"thestrongestmanin
Scotland,"asDrurydescribedhimtoCecil ;
-butnearly
allthenobilityhadrangedthemselvesagainsthiminthe
Queen'scause.Thecivilwar,therefore,whichwasnowin
progress,wastheoldblood-feudofDouglasandHamilton
inanaggravatedform.
Now,ArchibaldDouglasknewfartoomuchabout
Morton'sguiltyforeknowledge ofthecrimeofKirk-o'-field
^ , ,tomake itsafeforMorton toneglecthim
;
Treacheryof
.
Archibald accordinglyhewasemployedastheconfidential
ougas,1570.
^ggj^i-q£j^jgpowerful relative innegotiations
withtheEnglishGovernment. Archibaldcouldplaymany
parts—
parson,judge,diplomat,murderer—buttherewas
1Melville'sMemoirs,218.
"^
StatePapersI^Foreigji),1569-1571,No.1S4.

266 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
oneinwhichhealwaysfailed—thatofanhonestman.
WhileemployedbyMorton,hetookpayfromDrury,the
Englishcommander inBerwick,asaspy ;heenteredinto
treasonable correspondence anddealingswithKirkaldy
andMaitland,whomMortonwasbesieging inEdinburgh
Castle ;buthecouldnotrefrainfromcheatingthemof
1000outof5000Flemishgoldcrownswhichhewas
commissioned toconveytothem ;heevencaused his
servant.Binning,toattemptMorton's lifewithapistol.
ItisnotimprobablethathisrancouragainstMortonarose
outofpiqueattheappointmentofanotherDouglastobe
Archbishop ofSt.Andrews ini
57
i
;butthefactthathe
wasdeepinconspiracyagainsthispatrondidnotprevent
himaccepting athishandstheparsonage ofGlasgow,
whenstraightwayhebegantostirupthePresbyterian
clergytoresistMorton'sintromissionswiththeirstipends.
ChiefinMorton's counsel atthistimewasJohn
Knox,whogreatlystrengthened theearlinoffering
resistance toElizabeth'swavering inclination forMary's
restoration. InFebruary1571Morton, Pitcairn, lay
abbotofDunfermline,andMr,JamesMacGill,clerkof
register,wentonanembassytoLondon,inordertocon-
vincetheQueenofEnglandofthenecessityforMary's
continuedimprisonment. Ambassadors inMary'sinterest
werealreadyinLondon—BishopLesleyofRoss,Bishop
GordonofGalloway,andLordLivingstone. Elizabeth
appointedLordBurghley, SirWalterMildmay,andSir
FrancisKnollystoreceiveMorton'srepresentations, which,
beingputinwritingandlaidbeforeher,mightilyoffended
herbytheassertionoftheinherentrightofsubjectsto
deposetheirsovereignundercertaincircumstances. But
atthisjuncturealetterarrivedfromSirFrancisWalsing-
ham,whomElizabethhadsentonasecretmissiontoParis,
announcingthataprojectwasafootforthemarriageofMary
withtheDued'Anjou,whichhadreceivedthesanctionof
thePope.Nowthiswaspureandintentionalfictiononthe
partofWalsingham,intendedtofireElizabeth'sjealousy
ofMary,fornegotiationshadbeeninprogressforsome

QUEENELIZABETH'SPOLICY 267
timeforthemarriageofElizabethherselftoAnjou.The
devicetookeffect,butonlyatemporary one. Presently
Elizabethseemedreadytofulfiltheconditions ofthe
articlessettledatChatsworth betweenMaryandLord
Burghley,whichincludedtherestorationoftheQueenof
ScotsandtheremovalofhersontoEngland. Nothing
wasfartherfromBurghley'sdesignthanasettlementso
menacingtoProtestant interests ;itwasprobablyinfull
collusionwiththeEnglishSecretarythatMortonatthis
stageresiledfromthenegotiations,declaringthathewas
notempoweredbytheScottishGovernmenttoconsentto
Mary'srestoration. TheScottishcommissioners returned
home,andtheRegent'sGovernmentweresowellsatisfied
withMorton'sdischargeofhismission,that,inorderto
indemnifyhimforhisexpenses,theybestoweduponhim
thebishopricofSt.Andrews,vacatedbythedeathof
ArchbishopHamilton,
Afterthis,Elizabethresumedthetraditionalpolicyof
England,encouraging alternatelythehopesofeachparty
inScotland,therebyaggravating thebitterness ofcivil
strife,andrenderinganagreementbetweenparties less
practicablethanever.

CHAPTER XII
269SlaughterofRegentLennox,4th
September1571.
271MortonelectedRegent,24thNo-
vember1572.
273Pacification ofPerth,23rdFeb-
ruary-1573.
276Deprived oftheRegency, Sth
March1578.
276Resumesauthority,5thMay157S.
278Arrestedonachargeofmurder,
29thDecember1580.
2S0Histrialandexecution, 1stand
2ndJune1581.
286TreacheryofArchibaldDouglas,
1572.
287HefliestoEngland,December
1580.
289IstriedforDarnley'smurder,26th
May1586.
290Goesasambassador toEngland,
1586.
UnimportantengagementsbetweentheRegent'ssoldiers
andpartiesoftheQueen'sadherentscontinued,withvary-
ingsuccesstoeitherside,throughoutthespringandsum-
merofI
571
,involvingintheaggregatethelossofmany
lives.Thegallowswasbusytoo. Itissickening to
readofthereprisalsbybothparties. Thus,on15th
AprilfourofKirkaldy'shorseweretakeninattackinga
convoycomingfromLeith,andwerepromptlyhanged.
ThereuponKirkaldyhangedfourprisonersoftheRegent's
men,and
"agentleman calledDowglas
"—unluckilynot
Archibald.Onthenightofthe25th,Mortoninperson,
lyinginwaitforLordClaudHamilton,missedhisprey,
butfelluponadetachmentoftwo-and-twenty ofKirkaldy's
foragers,whereofheslewfifteenorsixteen,andtookfive
prisoners. TheseweretakentoLeith,wheretheRegent
andMortonhadtheirheadquarters duringthesiegeof
Edinburgh Castle. Fourwerehangedatonce,butthe
fifthwassenttoHolyrood,and
"flowredcaptaneMitchallis
gallous." Kirkaldyimmediately repliedbystringingup
twoprisoners"vpounMowtraistries,foiranentthechapell,"
268

SLAUGHTEROFREGENTLENNOX 269
andtwomoreonthe28th,"thattheiofLeithmichtsie
;
andso,"ejaculatesRichardBannatyne ruefully,
"thairis
nothingbuthangingoneathersyde."
^
Onthewhole,thebalancehadturnedinfavourofthe
Regent'sparty,severaloftheQueen'slordscomingover
tothatside.ButtherelationsbetweenRegentLennox
andMortonwerebecomingmoreandmoreimpracticable
;
Morton,indeed,maybeheldtohavebeguntolongforthe
removaloftheRegent,whenthiswassuddenlyaccom-
plishedbytheHamiltons.AParliamenthavingbeen
summoned inStirlingon4thSeptember, threeorfour
hundredmountedmen,undercommandofoneGeorge
Bell,weresentintothetownbyLordHuntlyatday-
break,capturedMortonandGlencairnintheir
Slaughterof
,
,
.
i »
•
i
, -r.
RegentLen-lodgmg,andhavmgtakentheRegentprisoner
nox,4thSep-
^jg^ gj^^^j^jj^ jj^^,qJjblood. Mortonwould
tember1571.
'
assuredlyhavesufferedthesamefate,hadnot
ScottofBuccleuchinterfered.
Threecandidateswerenominated fortheregency,
namely,theEarlsofArgyll,Morton,andMar,thechoice
ofParliamentfallingonthelast.Fromverywearinessof
slaughter,aswellasoutofrespectwhichallpartiesyielded
tothisnobleman, itisprobablethataffairsinScotlandmight
havesettledintosomething likepacification
;butscarcely
hadtheharvestof1572begunwhennewsofthemassacreof
St.Bartholomewbroughtvividlybeforethereformersavision
ofwhataCatholicrestorationmightexposethemto,inflaming
theirfearsandhatredtoanuncontrollable pitch. Itshocked
QueenElizabethoutofhertemporisingpolicy,andinclined
hertogiveupQueenMarytobedealtwithbythedomin-
antpartyinScotland. MortonandKnoxbetweenthem
overruledthemilderMar'shesitation
;butMortonwastoo
astutetoyieldtoElizabeth'swishesthatMaryshouldbe
privilydonetodeath
;he
**
stipulated forsomemannerof
ceremonyandakindofprocess,"andforthepresenceof
2000Englishtroopsattheexecution,inorderthatEliza-
beth'spartinthisactofjusticeshouldbepubliclymanifest,
^Memoriaks,231,232.

270 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
sothatshemightneverthereafterwithdrawfromthe
ProtestantalHance.
MarhadmadeMortoncommander-in-chief inthe
operationsagainsttheinsurgents, asQueenMary'sparti-
sansmustbetechnicallytermed,andthe
"DouglasWars,"
asmencalledthem,wentonwithincreasing bitterness.
MortonhadhisenemiesevenintheReformedChurchon
accountofthefirmnesswithwhichheresisted,oratleast
soughttolimit,theinterference ofchurchmenwithState
affairs. His lifewasattempted morethanonce,but
whateverwerehisfaults,thatofwantofpersonalcourage
wasnotofthem.Theknifeandbulletwereagentsin
thepoliticsofthesixteenthcentury,asuniversalandwell
recognised astheplatform isinthetwentieth. Morton
musthavebeenfullyawarethathisdeathwouldbehailed
withrejoicingbytheCatholicpartyinalllands,yetnever
wouldheconsenttotakeanyprecautions,andusedtowalk
andrideaboutintownandcountrywithoutanyescort.
Admirersofhisunquestionable ability,however,arehard
pressedtofindexcuseforanactwhichhewasinducedto
commitatthistimeoutofdesiretoconciliateElizabethand
establishtheunionwithEngland. In1569theEarlsof
Northumberland andWestmorland, havingjoined ina
CatholicrisingagainstQueenElizabeth,weredrivenover
theScottishborder,whereNorthumberland wascaptured
byoneEckieArmstrong,deliveredtotheRegentMoray,
andimprisoned inLochleven Castle. Therehehadlain
eversince ;Morayrefusedtogivehimup,andQueen
Mary,attheChatsworth conference,hadchivalrously
refusedtomakethesurrenderoftheserefugeesoneofthe
conditionsofherownrestoration,sodishonourablehadit
everbeenheldforonecountrytorefuseasylumtothe
political exilesofanother. Intheautumnof1572
theDukeofNorfolkwassenttothescaffold for
plotting withQueenMary. Thediscovery ofthis
conspiracy somuchincreased Elizabeth's desiretoget
Northumberland intoherhands,thatsheraisedherprice.
Morton,eagertoconciliatetheQueenofEnglandatany

MORTONELECTEDREGENT 271
cost,sanctionedthesaleoftheearltotheEnglishGovern-
mentfor;^10,000,andhewasexecutedatYorkthreedays
afterhisdelivery.
"Thisfaitwesdoneforsumvthercaus
norweknow,tothegreatschameofthisrealme,tosteale
sanobleaman,anepresonar,yeathatcomeinthisrealme
forsaiftieoffhislyff."
^
NodoubtthedeliveryofNorthumberlandwaspartand
parcelofthecompactforthesurrenderofQueenMary's
person,withwhichothereventsweretointerfere.
RegentMardiedon29thOctoberofanillnessbrought
on,itwassaid,because
"helufitpeaceandculdnochthaue
thesame."
^FollowedthedeathofJohnKnoxon24th
November,leavingMortonmoresupremethaneverinthe
King'sgovernment.
"Thereliesonewhoneverfearedthe
faceofman,"wasMorton'seulogybesidethegraveofthe
mightypreacher. Doubtlesshefeltthathehadlostatrue
friendandvaluablecounsellor ;notthelessmusthehave
breathedmorefreely,releasedfromtheconstantinterference
withpolicyandgovernmentwhichKnoxclaimedasthe
inalienable rightoftheChurch. Theconsequence of
Knox'sdeathwasimmediateandimportant. Theattitude
ofthereformeddivinestowardstheCatholicpartywas
formedonaliteralinterpretation ofthedealingsofthe
childrenofIsraelwiththeCanaanites.Notemporising
withthem,nomercyshowntothem ;smitethemhipand
thigh
;destroythemutterlyoffthefaceoftheearth !
MortonwaselectedRegentinplaceofMar,anditis
upononeofhisearliestactsthatSirJamesMelvillefounds
lyiorton
^^smostdamning accusation ofhim.He
elected
declaresthatthenewRegentsentforhimand
November toldhimthatthelords
"hadbourdenithim
^572.
vviththatfaschious
^office,"whichhehadfelt
boundtoaccept ;thathewantedthehelpofallgoodand
honestmentobringaboutpeace,andhewishedMelville
toinducehisfriends inthecastle—Kirkaldy,Maitland,
Home,andothers—tosubmit.HepromisedasRegent
toforgetalltheinjurieshehadreceivedfromthemasEarl
'^
DiurnalofOcctirrents, 2CjZ. -
Ibid.,^ij. ^Troublesome.

272 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
ofMorton,andendedbypromisingthatMelvilleshould
receivetheprioryofPittenweemasarewardforhislabours,
KirkaldyshouldhavethebishopricofSt.Andrewsand
thecastleofBlackness,andthatallinthecastleshould
receivebacktheirlandsandpossessions. Melvillethen
statesthataftertwoorthreeinterviewswithKirkaldy,
hewasabletoreporttotheRegentthatKirkaldywas
willingtosubmit,butrejectedtheofferofthebishopric
andthecastle,desiringonlytogetbackhisownestateof
Grange. Moreover,Kirkaldywaswillingandabletobring
alltheQueen'sfactiontosubmittotheRegent'sauthority.
ThisdidnotsuitMorton'sviewsbyanymeans.
"
James,Iwillbeplainwithyou,"quothhetoMelville.
"
Itisnotmywilltoagreewiththem all,[for]thentheir
factionwillbeasstark
^
asitis,wherebytheymaysome
daycircumventmeiftheyliked.Therefore itismywillto
dividethem
;andmoreover,therehavebeengreatcumbers
inthecountrythiswhilebygone,and,duringthem,great
wrongsandextortionscommitted,forwhichsomefashion
ofpunishmentmustbemade ;andIwouldratherthatthe
crimesshouldbelaidandalightupontheHamiltons,the
EarlofHuntlyandtheiradherents,thanuponyourfriends
;
andbythatIwillgetmoreprofitbytheirwreckthanby
thewreckofthoseinthecastle,thathaveneithersogreat
landsnorescheats
^forustowinandtobethereward
ofourlabours. ThereforeshowGrangeandyourfriends
thateithertheymustagreeby
^theHamiltons,theEarls
ofHuntlyandArgyll,orthesaidlordswillagreewithout
themofthecastle."
MelvilleborethissecondmessagetoKirkaldy,who
replied,likethehigh-souledgentlemanhewas,thatitwas
neithergodlynorjusttopunishmeninproportiontotheir
wealthratherthantotheirguilt ;thatthenobleshad
alwaysbeenwillingtosubmit,aftertheQueen'sdetentionin
England,butthattheyhadbeenrefusedterms.He,Kirk-
aldy,preferredthattheyshouldnowdeserthimandmake
theirownterms,ratherthanheshouldstooptodesertthem.
'Strong. -Forfeits.
^Without.

BETRAYALOFKIRKALDY 273
Morton,saysMelville,seemedtoapproveofKirkaldy's
chivalrousfidelitytohisfriends,andassuringMelvillethat
hewouldcometotermswiththewholeofQueenMary's
adherents,allowedhimtogohomewellpleased.^ But
Morton'swasaPunicfaith !Without furtherdealincfs
withKirkaldy,hebrushedasidetheblack-robed, blatant
hordeofclergy,toattachwhomhehadoftensnuffled
cantingphrasesbutneveramended hisownprofligate
living,andopeneddirectnegotiationswithHuntlyandthe
Hamiltons. Theseandtheiradherentswere
of^Perth,'23rd ^^^^Y
^^owillingtoabandonalostcause
;the
February
resultwasageneralamnestyandpacification
concludedatPerthon23rdFebruary1573
;the
insurgentlordsmakingsubmissiontotheKingandRegent,
andbindingthemselvestodissolvetheirforces."
ThuswasKirkaldybetrayedandleftinthelurch.
"Thiswastherecompencethatthisgudgentilmanobteanit,
forthegrethelp,hazardandchargesdoneandmaidfor
thirlordis ;notbeleuing thattheRegentwaldbesa
maliciousastocasthimaff,andnotaccepthisfrendschip,
quhilkheofiferitincontinent efterthattherestweragreed
by
^him."
'^OfalltheactsofMorton's lifethereisnone
thatstandsoutsoforbidding ashisheartless, faithless
treatmentofthebravestmaninScotland.
ThesiegeofEdinburghCastlewenton,butitwasnot
Morton'sarmsthatfinished it. ItwastheMarshalof
Berwick'sEnglishgunswhich, inMay1573,battered
downthewallswhichKirkaldyhadsosplendidlydefended
forthree-and-thirtymonths.Nopleaformercyfrom
Kirkaldy's friendsprevailedwiththecold-bloodedRegent
;
deeplyversedinthepoisonous statecraftofMachiavelli,he
allowednocompunction tointerferewithhisdesignof
shatteringtheCatholic opposition. Kirkaldywasdrawn
totheshambleslikeacommonmalefactor,hiscompanion,
MaitlandofLethington,havingbeendeliveredonlybyhis
deathinprisonfromasimilarfate.
^Melville,249-252.
^Calderwood, iii.361-371.
3Without. *Melville,253.
VOL.I. S

274 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
Atlastthegovernment ofScotlandhadpassedinto
strongandcapablehands.
"TheRegent isthemostable
maninScotlandtogovern ;hisenemiesconfess it."
^He
combined thequalitiesofaresoluteandunscrupulous
administrator withthoseofanadroitfinancier. While
enforcingobediencetothesixthandeighthcommandments
amongthewildBorderriders,andconformitytothePro-
testantreligionamongmenofallclasses,hediscarded
thegibbetandthestake,whichfamiliarityhadbrought
intomuchcontempt,andsubstitutedasystemoffines,
whichservedthedoublepurposeofpunishingoffenders
andreplenishingtheexhaustednationalexchequer.
"His
fyveyears,"wroteMr.JamesMelville inhisDiary,
"wereesteemed tobealshappieandpeacable as
euerScotlandsaw ;thenameofapapistdurstnochtbe
hardof;therewasnaatheiffenoroppressorthatdurst
kythe."
^ Itisthefateofeveryreformertoincurthe
deadlyanimosityofthosewhoseinterestsmaybeinfringed
onbyhisaction. Hisplan[1572]ofcreating
"tulchan
"
bishops—bishops,thatis,whodrewthefullrevenuesfrom
theirsees,butwereobligedtohandoverthelargerportion
ofthemtolaypatrons—waspartofhispolicyfor
diminishingtheauthorityoftheChurchincivilaffairs. It
broughtuponhimthechargeofpersonalavarice,although
itisnotprovedthatheprofiteddirectlythereby ;
^and
alienatedfromhimthesympathyofmanyoftheclergy.
Oneofthese,Mr.JohnDavidson,ministerofLiberton,
hadthedangerous giftofwritingexcellent satiricalverses,
andsufferedexileforalampoononMorton'spolicyof
reducingthenumberofincumbents.* TheRegentfurther
exasperated thePresbyterian divinesbyhisendeavourto
confirmepiscopacyasapermanentformofChurchgovern-
ment,perceiving ittobeindispensable totheunitywhich
^Cal.StatePapers{Foreipt),1575-1577,No.299.
-Melville'sDiary,47.
*Akinsman,JohnDouglas,parsonofSt.Andrews,wasmade"tulchan"
ArchbishopofSt.Andrewsin1572.
*
iNI'Crie'sLifeofAndrewMelville, ii.3S8.

MORTON'SADMINISTRATION 275
itwasthewholeobjectofhispolicytoestablishwith
England. MortonhadnolikingforPresbyterianism, to
whichtheScottishreformersweresteadilyinclining ;he
wished
"tobringinaconformitiewithEnglandingoverning
oftheKirkbebischopesandinjunctiones, withoutthe
quhilkhethoughtnatherthekingdomecouldbegydetto
hisfantasienorstandinguidaggriementandlykingwiththe
nibourland."
^Aboveall,hedetestedtheverynameofthe
GeneralAssembly,andresistedtheirrepeatedexhortation
tobecomean
"instrumentofrighteousness
"
asalayelder.
WhentheyinvitedhimaschiefoftheGovernmenttotake
partintheirinterminable debates,healwaysrepliedthat
hehad
"noleisuretotalkwiththem
"
;andatlast,underthe
exasperating effectsoftheirdeputations,hebluntlytoldthe
reverendgentlementhattherewouldbenopeaceinthe
landtillhehadhangedsomeofthem.^
TheadventofAndrewMelvilleini574gavenewvigour
tothemovementagainstepiscopacy. Declininganastute
proposalbytheRegent thatheshouldbecome his
privatechaplain,MelvilletooktheleadofthePresby-
terians,andcausedthemtopasstheSecondBookof
Discipline in1578,wherebythesettlementunderbishops
wasoverturned.
StillmoreseriousinitseffectuponMorton'scareerwas
thedisaffectionengenderedamongArgyll,^Athol,andother
lordsbythecurtailmentoftheirfeudalprivilegesandhis
encouragementoftownspeopleandartisans. Mortonwould
not,orforwantofpublicfundscouldnot,stooptocon-
ciliatetheseproudpersonagesbybribery ;whereforearose
thestrangestconfederation againsthisauthority—Andrew
MelvilleandtheGeneralAssemblyhand-and-glovewiththe
headsofthedormantCatholic party. Argyll'shostility
wasdirectlybroughtaboutbythetenacitywithwhich
Mortoninsisteduponhisrestoringcertaincrownjewels
'Melville'sDiary,35.
"
Caklerwood, iii.393.
^NotQueenMary'scommander-in-chief, buthishalf-brother,whosucceeded
himin1575as6thearl.

276 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
whichtheCountessofArgyllhadappropriatedwhileshe
wasthewifeoftheRegentMoray. ArgyllandAthol,
then,summonedaconvention atStirlingon8thMarch
1578,whereatMortonwasdeposedfromthe
privedoftheregency/andexcludedfromacounciloftwelve
March^'
^3^appointedfortheguidanceofJamesVI.,whohad
justcompletedhistwelfthyear.Mortonoffered
neitherremonstrance norresistance.
"
Iwaldbeatthat
pointmyself,"hewrotetoDouglasofLochleven,
"
tohaue
nathingadonowhottoleifquietlie,toseruemyGodand
theKingmymaister."
-HeretiredtoLochleven,perhaps
feelingsaferinthatislandretreatthaninoneofhisown
castles,andbegantooccupyhimselfinlayingout
"
afayre
gardenwithallayis."
Butsuchadominant figurecouldnotdisappearfrom
thefieldofactive politicswithoutmomentous effects.
HopesofaCatholicrevivalwerestirred,andthejust
apprehensions oftheProtestantswereroused.Eventhe
Presbyterians,impatientastheyhadshownthemselvesof
Morton'sauthority,realisedthattheymighteasilycome
underaworserulerthanKingLog.
TheEarlofMarwashereditarykeeperofStirling
Castle,butthecouncilhadgiventhatchargetohiskins-
„ man,ErskineofGogar.ByMorton's advice,
Resumes
' o y >
authority, stiiMarassertedhisrightbyforciblyseizingthe
^^'^^
castle,andMortonhimselfappearedthereon5th
May,resuminghisformerplaceofauthorityovertheKing's
person.Ataconventionheldinthecastleoni2thJune,
hewasappointedtothepresidencyofthePrivyCouncil,^
andhisnephew,theEarlofAngus [Ivi.],wasmade
Lieutenant -General oftheKing's forces.* Argylland
AtholcollectedtheirforcesinEdinburgh,andmarchedto
attackStirling;butAnguswasathandwith5000troops,
andRobertBowes,Englishambassador attheScottish
court,mediatedbetweenthefactionssosuccessfullythathe
wasabletowritetoLeicester "thatthisdarkeclowde,
^Morton, i.92-100.
-Ibid.,103.
^ActsPari.Scot.,iii.121.
^Reg.PrivyCotmcii, iii.1-12.

ESMESTUART 277
threatenynge astormyshower, isdissolvynge gentlyinto
smalldroppes,promisyngeacalme."
^Mortonwasonce
moreattheheadofaffairs,althoughthegovernmentwas
nominally inthehandsoftheKing. Unluckily, there
wereoldscorestobesettled
;twoRegents,Morayand
Lennox,hadbeenslainbytheHamiltons,who,bythe
pacificationofPerth,hadbeenexemptedfromcriminal
proceedingsuntiltheKingshouldassumethegovernment.
MortonnowcausedthePrivyCounciltoissueacommission
againsttheHamiltons. Bothwellhaugh,murdererofMoray,
wasdead,buthisservantwastriedandhanged ;
-Lord
ClaudandLordJohnescapedabroad,buttheirlandsand
thoseoftheirchiefadherentswereforfeited.
InpursuingthispolicyMortonmayhavebeendoing
whathisexperienceshowedhimwasessential tothe
peaceoftherealm,notthelessdid itbreedcalamity
tohisownfortunes.Tothisendanothercircumstance
contributedatthistime. Inordertocelebratethegeneral
reconciliation,theEarlofMargaveabanquettothelead-
ingnoblesinStirlingon25thApril1579,onreturning
fromwhichtheEarlofAtholsuddenlydied. Itwasassi-
duouslybruitedthathehadbeenpoisonedbyMorton's
direction.Anincredibleslander,onemightsuppose ;but
thechargewaslevelledagainstonestainedwiththeblood
ofRiccio,DarnleyandKirkaldy,anddiscreditedby
promiscuousprivateprofligacy.TofillAthol'splaceatthe
headoftheCatholicparty,EsmeStuart,Lordd'Aubigny,
acousinofJamesVI.,wasinvitedtocomefromFrance,
andsoonprovedhimselfafarmoreformidableleaderof
theoppositionthanAtholhadbeen.
EsmeStuart,uponwhom,inMarch i580,theKingcon-
ferredtheearldomofLennox,^hadsecretinstructionstoen-
ablehimtoeffecttheoverthrowofMorton,bycharginghim
openlywiththemurderofDarnley.* Butbeforedivulging
thisschemeheexertedhimselftosupplantMortoninthe
^Bowes'sLetters,lo.
^Pitcairn, i.31.
^Esmeboughttheearldomfromtheholderofthetitle.—Bowes'sLetters,21.
*Ibid.,22.

278 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
King'sconfidence,andaccomplished thatpurposebyassur-
inghismostProtestantMajestythathistheologicalargu-
mentshadcompletelyconvertedhimfromtheerrorsof
Rome. This,ofcourse,hadagreateffectupontheattitude
ofthePresbyterianparty,whohadfoundMortonnomore
favourabletotheirextremeviewsthanhehadproved
beforehisbriefeclipse.
TheforcesthusarrayedagainstMortonwerethemore
overpowering,byreasonthatthereexistedaseriousdis-
agreementatthetimebetweenhimandhisnephewAngus,^
thuscripplingthenaturalpreponderance ofthehouseof
Douglas. Morton,seeingnoothercoursetoavoidde-
struction,enteredintoa
"plattforthecommonbenefites
"
withAmbassadorBowes,-havingforitsobjectthecon-
veyanceoftheKingtothecourtofElizabeth,whereby
todefeatasimilarplotbyLennox fortheKing's
conveyance intoFrance. Morton's
"
platt"miscarried,
chieflybyreasonoftheEnglish Queen's vacillation,
andLennoxwentfromstrength tostrength,securing
forhimselfcontinualattendanceontheKingbyhis
appointment toanofficecreatedadhoc—thatofHigh
Chamberlain.
Morton,althoughfullywarnedofhisdanger,disdained
toseeksafetyinflight,andon29thDecember1580a
,, , dramaticscenewasenactedinthecouncilchamber
Morton
arrestedon ofHolyrood,whcu CaptainJames Stuart,^
murder,^29th
"withtheprevityandespeciallcommandementof
December
j-^gKynge,"'*havingdemandedanaudience,was
admitted,kneltbeforetheKing,anddeclaredthat
dutytohissovereigncompelledhimtorevealwhatheknew
ofagreatcrime.Thenrisingtohisfeet,hedenounced
MortonasthemurdererofDarnley,anddemanded his
arrest. Morton,withperfectcoolness,repliedatconsider-
ablelength.Heknewnot,hesaid,whosetoolStuart
mightbe,buthewasquiteprepared tomeetcharges
broughtevenbysoobscureanindividual. Asforthe
^Bowes'sLetters,73.
"
Ibid.,68.
^ShortlytobecreatedEarlofArran.
"*
Bowes'sLetters,159.

ARRESTOFMORTON 279
murderofDarnley, itwasperfectlywellknownthathe
himselfhadbroughttojusticeeveryonewhohadashare
inthatguilt,
"False !
"
shouted Stuart,startingforward. "Have
younotcausedyourcousin,ArchibaldDouglas,topol-
lutethebenchofjusticewithhispresence,whereasheis
aninfamousmurderer?
"
Thetwomenseemedtobeabouttoflyuponeach
other
;Morton'sswordwashalf-drawnwhentheLords
LindsayandCathcartrushedbetweenthem,andboth
wereremovedfromthechamber. Mortonwasordered
towardhimselfinhisownapartments inHolyrood
House ;twodayslaterhewastransferredtoEdinburgh
Castle,^andthen,toavoidmanifestationofpopularfeelings
inthecapital,wassenttoDumbartonCastleundercustody
ofhisenemytheEarlofLennox. Orderswereissued
fortheinstantarrestofArchibaldDouglas,butthatcrafty
rascalhadalreadytakentohisheels.
QueenElizabeth,repentingtoolateofherhalf-hearted
supportoftheScottishProtestants,wasnowindismayat
theimpendingwreckofthereformedreligioninthenorth,
andsentRandolph post-haste toEdinburgh toobtain
Morton'sliberation,oratleasttosavehislife.ButLennox
tookcarethatneitherthreatsnorpersuasion,norargu-
mentsaboutthesafetyoftheProtestantascendency,should
moveKingJames,whowasmadetoreplythatMorton
shouldbebroughttotrialassoonasArchibaldDouglas,
chiefwitnessagainsthim,shouldbesentbackbythe
QueenofEngland,underwhoseprotectionheremainedat
Berwick.
P'ailingtomovetheKing,Randolphnextwentbefore
Parliament,andfortwohourslabouredtoconvincethe
membersoftheThreeEstatesthatMortonwastrueand
Lennoxfalse.Heproducedsomeintercepted letters,pur-
portingtobewrittenbyBishopLesleytothePope,in
supportofthechargethatLennoxwasasecretemissaryof
Rome.Lennox,whowaspresent,denouncedthelettersas
^Morton, i.124.

28o THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
forgeries
;sotheywere,indeed,havingbeenconcoctedby
ArchibaldDouglas,ashisbrotherthelairdofVVhittingham
confessed,addingthattheywereforgedbyArchibald in
collusionwiththeEnglishambassadorBowes.^
Equallyinvainwasthemilitarydemonstrationmade
bytheEarlofHuntingdonontheBorder ;themenaceof
invasiononlystrengthened thehandsoftheScottish
Governmentbyrousingthehereditaryhatredofthenation
fortheEnglish.
Greatarethemisfortunesofthegreat.Duringthe
fivemonthsthatMortonlayinprisonawaiting trial,the
peopletreatedtheirformerrulerwithcomplete indiffer-
ence.Theyforgottheprosperitythathadcometothe
countryduringhisregency,remembering onlythatthe
pricehadbeenexacted inadditional taxation. Young
Angus [Ivi.]raisedtheDouglasstandard invain ;the
vassalsdidnotrallytoitasofyore ;
"
ilaestedelaiss^de
beaucoupquiluiavoitpromisassistance."
^
Itcosthisaccusersmuchtimeandtroubletoprepare
thechargesagainstMorton. Greateffortsweremadeto
obtainfromFrancetheextraditionofThomasWeirdy,who,
aswasalleged,hadboughtthepoisonwhichcausedthe
deathoftheEarlofAthol,inorderthatMortonmightbe
chargedwiththatmurderalso,butintheendtheprocess
wasadjustedonlyonthechargeoftreason.
^
Ifthepreliminariesofthetrialweredilatory,therewas
noneofthelaw'sproverbialdelayinthefinalproceedings.
MortonwasbroughtfromDumbarton toEdin-
Histrialand
i i i
•
i ,t i
execution,ist
burgh,andarraignedonistJuneuponacharge
and2ndJunecontainingnineteencounts,chiefofwhichwas
1581.
°
thatofbeing"council,concealing,andbeingart
andpartoftheKing'smurder."Theonlywitnessagainst
himwasSirJamesBalfour,whocertainlyhadbeenan
^LettersfromLennoxandLordOgilvytoArchbishopBeaton,i6thandi8th
April
1581.—Hosack, ii.550-554. Bowesindignantlydeniedhisallegedshare
intheforgery.—Bowes'sLetters,174.
-LennoxtoArchbishopBeatoun,i8thApril15S1.—Hosack, ii.552.
"^
Ibid.,554.

MORTON'SLASTHOURS 281
activeaccomplice inthemurder,andmoreoverhadowed
immunityfromtheconsequencestoMorton'sownreprehen-
siblelenitytowardshim.Uponhistestimonytheearlwas
convictedandsentencedtobehanged,drawn,andquartered,
adoomcommutedbytheKingtothatofdecapitationby
"theMaiden,"aninstrumentresembling inprinciplethe
guillotine,whichitissaidMortonhimselfhadbroughtinto
useinScotland,havingbeenfavourablyimpressedbythe
cleanworkhehadseen itperform inYorkshire. The
executiontookplaceonthedayfollowingthetrial[2nd
June].Mortonbehavedwithperfectdignityandfortitude
onthescaffold. Itisnotwisetolendmuchcredenceto
reportsoflastspeechesmadeindayswhentheartofshort-
handwasnot ;butifthewordsreportedbyRichard
Bannatynewerenotactuallyspoken,thethoughtsthey
expressmaywellhavepassedthroughthemindofthe
dyingDouglas :
"GifIhadbenealscairfulltoservemy
GodandwalkinhisfeirasIwastoseetheKingisweill,I
hadnochtbenebrochttothispoyntthat Iamatthis
day."
1
JamesStuart,hisaccuser,whobythistimehadreceived
hisrewardinbeingmadeEarlofArran,stoppedMorton
betweenhischamberandthescaffold,saying,
"Now,my
lord,youwillbereconciledwithme,for Ihavedone
nothingonanyparticularagainstyou."
"
Itisnotimenowtorememberourquarrels,"answered
Morton.
"
Ihavenoquarrelwithyouoranyother. I
forgiveyouandallothers,asIwillalltoforgiveme."
^
^Metnoriales,320.
"Ibid.,331.Bannatyne's isthefullest,asitisprobablyafairlytrustworthy,
accountofMorton'slasthours. True,Bannatyne, solongsecretarytoJohn
Knox,betweenwhomandMortonhadbeenenduringfriendshipandconfidence,
wouldinclinetopartialityfortheearl
;but,ontheotherhand,Mortonhad
deeplyoffendedthePresbyterians bothbyhisinflexibleresistance totheir
attemptstointerfereinmattersofcivilgovernment,andbyhisfirmmaintenance
ofepiscopacy,sothattheywerefarfromunitedindevotiontohimatthetimeof
hisdeath.Bannatynegivesatlengththereportrenderedbytwoministersof
theconfessionmadebyMortontothemonthedayofhisdeath—aremarkable
document. "Andsua,"concludesBannatyne,"quhateverhehadbeneafoir,he
constantliediedthetrewservantofGod;andhoweveritbethathisvnfriendis

282 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
Morton'scorpsewasleftonthescaffold tillsunset,and
wasthentakentotheplaceofcommonburialinGreyfriars'
churchyard,wherehisresting-place ismarkedbyastone
bearingthesimpleinitials
J.
E.M.[James,EarlofMorton].
Hishead,afterbeingexposedontheTolboothforeighteen
months,wastakendownbyorderofKingJames[8th
December1582]andplacedinthegravewherehisbody
alreadylay.^
OneveryuglyfeatureinthisStatetrialremainstobe
recorded. John,8thLordMaxwell,wasanephewof
RegentMorton,beingthesonofBeatrixDouglas,sisterof
Morton'swife.Notwithstanding beingthusnearofkinto
theaccused.Maxwellwasoneoftheassizeofsixteenwhich
convictedhim,havingpreviously,whileMortonwasinward
awaitingtrial,enteredintoanagreementwithEsmeStuart,
EarlofLennox,forthedivisionbetweenthemofMorton's
estates
"
incaisprocesofforfaltourbeledagainisthesaid
James,nowErieofMortoun."
-Comment issuperfluous
uponatransactionsoflagrantlyatvariancewithimparti-
alityofjustice. Maxwellgothisblood-money,being
createdEarlofMorton,andreceivingthelandsattached
tothatdignity,exceptthoseofDalkeith,Caldercleir,and
Aberdour,whichfelltotheshareofLennox.
Mortonhasneverbeenafavouritewithhistorians. It
hasbeenhisfatealwaystoappearincontrastwiththe
inspiringandpatheticfigureofMaryQueenofScots ;and
although,likeher,heendedhisdaysonthescaffold,none
oftheglamourofalostcause fallsuponhim,where-
forehisfaultsloommoredarkly,hismeritsshineless
brightly,than isaltogether justtohismemory. His
politicalprincipleswereclearlydefinedandconsistent,and
thereisnoreasontosuspecthimofprivateambitionor
self-seeking inardentlypursuingaProtestantleaguewith
Englandandaunionofthecrownsasthesurestmeansof
securingthemuch-desired peaceforbothcountries. But
alledgethatashelivedproudlysohediedproudly,thechirritableservantisof
Godcouldperceavenothinginhimbutallkyndofhumilitieinhisdeath."
^Pitcairn, i.115,note.
^BookofCarlaverock, ii.490.

MORTON'SCHARACTER 283
withoutdoubthewasunscrupulous inthemeasuresadopted
forestablishing hispolicy. Hisguiltyforeknowledge of
Bothwell'sdesignuponDarnley's liferemainsabsolutely
withoutexcuse,evenifwerejectBowton'sdubioustesti-
monytoMorton'sactiveshareinthemurder. Hispart
inthatheinouscrime,renderedhissubsequentpunishment
ofotheraccomplicesofBothwell,andhisdenunciation of
QueenMary,peculiarlydetestable. Beyondthat,condem-
nationmustnotbecarried,unlessanduntil itcanbe
provedormadeprobablethatthecasketletterswere
forgeries,whollyorinpart,andknownbyMortontobeso.
Asforambition—well,grantedthathewasambitious,
whereistheopprobrium ?Mortonsethishanddeliberately
andresolutelytoagreatworkofreform
;whenwassuch
work ever effectedexceptbyanambitious instru-
ment?Thechargeofavarice,almostuniversallybrought
againsthim,isdeficientofproof. Lethisownmanlyand
dignifiedexpressions beheardinrepelling thesetwo
charges.
"Forambiciounsurelywethinknanacanjustlieaccusews,fforinourprivat
estaitweculdandcanleifalsweillcontentedasonyofourdegreinScotland,
withoutfurtheraspiring.Thebearingofthechargeofthegovernamentofthe
realmeindeidmonleadewsoronyvtherthatfalltooccupythatplace,notsimpillie
torespectourselfbothisMajestie'srowme,quhilkwesupplie. . . .Itauchtnot
tobeattributittoonyambiciouninws,fforhowsoneaseuirhisMajesticsailthink
himselfreddyandableforhisawingovernament,nanesailmairwillinglieaggre
andavancethesamenorI. . . .Fortheavariciousnes laidtoourcharge,indeed
itlyisnotinwssaliberallytodealetheKingisgeareastosattisfieallcravers
;
norneuirsailonysoueraneandnativeborneprince,lettbeaneofficiar,eshew
^
thedisdaynofsicasthinkisthamejugeistothairawinreward.^ Inmany
caussisIdoubtnottofyndtheassistenceofmyfreindis
;botquhairmyactionis
sailappearvnhonest, Iwillnotcravethairassistence,botlettmebearemyawin
burding."^
Severalcausescontributed tobuttressthechargeof
avariceagainsttheRegent. BytheActsof 1561and
I562two-thirdsoftheChurchrevenuesweremadetorevert
tothe
"auldpossessors," i.e.layproprietors
;ofthe
remaining third,afterthereformed clergyhadreceived
^Escape.
-Judgesoftheirowndeserts.
^RegentMortontoDouglasofLochleven,4thMarch1578.
—
Morton, i.90.

284 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
theirstipends,thesurpluswasdirectedintotheExchequer.
Thisbeingfoundtoworkunsatisfactorily,Mortonarranged
thatthewholeChurchfundshouldbecollectedbythe
Government,andensuredasurplusfortheExchequerby
largelyreducing thenumberofbenefices, obligingone
ministertodischargetheservicesofseveralchurcheson
thestipendofone.Theclergywhosufferedunderthese
changesreadilyacceptedthescandalthattheRegent
enrichedhimselfattheexpenseoftheChurch,whereas it
isalmostcertainthatthemoneythusobtainedwasspent
inthepublicservice. So,also,werethesubsidieswhich
MortonreceivedfromQueenElizabeth: magnifiedby
rumourintoregularpaymentofapensionof;!^10,000a
year,thesesumswerecurrentlybelievedtopassintohis
ownpocket.Ontheotherhand,hesteadilyandrepeatedly
refusedlargebribesofferedhimbytheFrenchGovernment
toprocureQueenMary'srelease,sayingthat
"
ashewas
chosentheKing'sRegentduringhisminority,hewould
notknowanyothersovereigntysolongastheKinglived."
^
ThefidelitywithwhichMortonadministered theKing's
revenuesexasperated thosewhofoundtheirperquisites
stintedandtheirpilferingschecked,andwhoswelledthecom-
plaintagainsttheministerwhomitsuitedthemtodenounce
asavaricious. Infact,itwasMorton'ssterninsistenceupon
therestorationofcertaincrownjewelsinthepossessionof
theEarlofArgyllwhichprovokedtherelentlesshostility
ofthatnobleman,whowasthechiefagent inhisun-
doing. AfterMorton'sdeathitwasreportedthathehad
amassedandconcealedvasttreasure
;
proceedingswereset
afoottorecover it;oneofhisservantsdescribed,under
torture,theplaceswhereitwashidden,butwhensearchwas
made,nonewasdiscovered.
Thegroundlessness ofsuchcharges astheseimpart
suspiciontootherandgraverimputationsuponMorton's
character,—that,forinstance,ofhavingcausedthedeathby
poisonoftheEarlofAtholin1579,—andtheseneednot
beputinthescaleofjudgmentagainsthim.Hisprivate
^Cal.StatePapers{Foreign),1575-1577,No.294.

MORTON'SCHARACTER 285
character,Mortonhimselfadmittedtobeveryimperfect
:
thoughmuchconcerned inreligiousquestions,hisinterest
inreligionwasalmostwhollypolitical.Theirregularityof
hisrelationswithwomenhasbeenaccounted for,ifnot
excused,bytheinsanityofhiswife,whomajurypronounced
in I581tohavebeen"furious" fortwo-and-twenty years,
butitwasworsethanamereerrorintastetomakea
mistressoftheprettywifeofCaptain Cullen,whom,
reprobateashewas,Mortonhadsenttothegallows.Of
thetenchildrenhiswifeissaidtohavebornehim,all
aresupposedtohavediedyoung;butintheagreement
betweenLordMaxwellandEsmeStuart,EarlofLennox,
abovereferred to,Lennoxundertook toraisebrievesof
idiocyagainsttheex-Regent's threedaughters,whomust
thereforehavebeenalivein1581.
Besideshislegitimatechildren,Mortonleftfourbastard
sons
—
(i)JamesDouglas,whowaslay-priorofPluscardine
forawhile,andmarriedAnna,daughterand
heiressofGeorgeHomeofSpott,bywhomhe
hadissue.Hewasforfeited afterhisfather's
death,andrestoredwithhisbrothersin1585.
In1592hewasarraignedonachargeof
treasoninconnectionwiththerebelliouspro-
ceedingsofFrancis,EarlofBothwell, suffered
forfeitureasecondtime,^andwasrestoredagain
in1603.
(2)ArchibaldDouglas,uponwhomhisfatherbestowed
hispaternalestateofPittendreich. Hemarried
Elizabeth,daughterofWilliamSutherland of
Duffus,andhadissueElizabeth,whomarried
JohnInnesofLeuchars.^
(3)GeorgeDouglas,acripple,pensioneroftheprioryof
St.Andrews ;and
(4)William,aboutwhomnothingisknownsavethathe
sharedintherestorationofhisbrothersin1585.
Thereremainstobenoticedwhat isknownofthat
^Pitcairn, i.268,347
;ii.21.
-Fiaser, ii.321.

286 THEHOUSEOF.DOUGLAS
exemplarydivine,Mr.ArchibaldDouglas[xxxvii.],parson
ofGlasgowandjudgeoftheCourtofSession. Surely
ofallthemiscreantsbearingthenameofDouglas,here
isthemostaccomplished rogue. Morton,wellknowing
hisguilt,hadscreenedhimfromcriminalproceedingson
I'"iS5'33>34)35-—SealsofJamesDouglas,EarlofMorton,Regent.
accountofDarnley'smurder,thoughhesentothers,his
accomplices, tothegibbet. Yetin1572,whenMorton
Treacher of
^^^besiegingKirkaldy inEdinburgh Castle,
Archibald Archibald,judgeandparson,wasdiligently
ougas,1573.
gj^yggijj^gsuppliesintothebeleaguered fortress,
andkeepingKirkaldy informed ofthemovement of
Morton'sgunsandtroops.Heconveyed Kirkaldy's
letterstoFrance,andmanagedQueenMary'sclandestine
correspondence withBishopLesley. InApril1572his
misdeedscametotheknowledge ofRegentLennox's
governmentbytheseizureofsometreasonable corre-
spondence. Archibald, itseems,hadreceived5000crowns
fromFlanders totransmit toKirkaldy,whereof1000
adhered tohisfingersasmiddleman. Kirkaldywrote

ARCHIBALDDOUGLAS 287
complainingofhisexorbitantgreed,expressinganopinion
that500wouldhavebeenample;andthisletter fell
intothewronghands.Amongthecorrespondence thus
broughttolightwassomeevidenceofArchibald's plot
toprocureMorton'smurder. Archibald,however,either
explainedthisplotasadevicetohoodwinkhisemployers
inthecastle,orelseheknewenoughtopreventMorton
visitinghimwiththeconsequences
;for,althoughhewas
arrestedandtakentoStirlingon14thApril,hegotoff
withsixyears'imprisonment,
"
gritrequeist"havingbeen
madeonhisbehalfbyinfluential persons.^ Somehow
orother,Archibaldwasatlargeagainin1578,andon
iithNovember, afterMorton'stemporaryabsencefrom
theheadofaffairsandhisreturntothecourtinMay,the
Fig.36.—SignatureofJamesDouglas,EarlofMorton(1565).
King,actingofcourseuponMorton'sinstigation,restored
himtothebench.
Twoyearslater,whenMortonwasseizeduponJames
Stuart'sdenunciation, warrantswereissuedforArchibald's
^,. ,^ apprehension,buthewasovertheBorderbefore
FliestoEng-rr
>
land,Decern-theycouldtakeeffect.Hecarriedwithhima
^'^'^
°'
warmletterofcommendation fromAmbassador
BowestoBurghley,
"forhisdevotedandgoodaffeccionto
herMajestibymanyservises,grettchargesandsondry
dangerssustayned
;
"
-butLordHunsdon'stestimonyto
Archibald'sworthwaslesscordial—
"TowchyngeArchbalt
Duglas, IthynkehecansaylyttellofSkotlande attthys
^Menioriales,230,231.
'BorderPapers, i.68.

288 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
present.Andseurly,mylorde,heysgretlyhatydthere !
"^
Hewasdegradedfromthebenchon26thApril1581,
andsentenceofforfeiturewaspronounceduponhimon
28thNovember." Ehzabethwouldnotconsent tohis
extradition,butkepthimasasourceofinformationabout
theinternal affairsofScotland. ShesentRandolph to
intercedewiththeScottish estates forMorton's life
;
andArchibald alsoexertedhimself inacharacteristic
wayonbehalfofhisoldpatron.Heforgedcertain
letters,implicatingtheEarlofLennox inaPopishplot,
andsoarrangedthatthebearerofthemshouldbetaken
byDruryatBerwick,whosentthelettersontohischiefin
London. Randolph laidthembeforethecouncilinEdin-
burgh,butLennox,shrewdlydiscerning theirauthorship,
causedWilliamDouglasofWhittinghame, Archibald's
brother,tobearrested. Whittinghame,whowasalsoa
LordofSession,wasdeepinArchibald'ssecret,and,having
nofancyforbootandthumbikins,atoncegaveawaythe
wholecaseagainsthisbrother.
AftertheexecutionofMorton,Archibaldrenewedhis
secretconnectionwiththeEnglishGovernment,buthedged,
aswasthenatureofthecreature,byworminghimselfinto
QueenMary'sconfidence,forJamesVI.,towhomhelooked
forultimateadvancement,wasveeringunderLennox's
influence,tohismother'sparty. ButArchibald's lettersto
Marywereintercepted,and,beingfoundfullofmatterlittle
toElizabeth'sliking,hewasclappedinprisoninSeptember
1582.Hewasavaluableprize,beingabreathingrepertory
ofthesecretsoftheunhappyQueenofScots.Walsingham
sawhisopportunity :hepliedtheprisonerwithpromisesof
greatandinstantreward ifhewould tellallheknew.
Archibaldmountedaveryhighhorse,andspokeof
"the
shameanddisgrace"thatwould,behiswereheuntrueto
hisQueen.Thefactis,hedreadedoffendingKingJames
bybetrayingQueenMary,andthusforeverforfeitingall
prospectofprefermentinhisnativeland.Butsixmonths'
imprisonmentwroughtwondersuponhisconstancy. In
1BorderPapers, i.71.
"
AdsPar!.Scot.,iii.193,196-204.

TRIALOFARCHIBALD 289
May1583heshowedsignsofyieldingtoFowler,Walsing-
ham'sagent,andayearlaterhehaddonesomuchagainst
QueenMaryasenabledQueenElizabethtoreceivehim
backtoherfavour.
AfterthefallofJamesStuart,EarlofArran,andthe
restoration oftheEarlofAngus [xxxviii.]andhis
fellow-exiles in1585,ArchibaldDouglaswaspermitted
toreturntoScotland also,onthespecialintercession of
theEnglishambassadorRandolphandPatrick,Masterof
Gray,andunderanActofrehabilitation [istMay1586],
passedwiththelimitationthatitshouldnotbeoperative
shouldArchibaldbefoundguiltyofDarnley'smurder.He
gaveWalsinghamadescription ofhisinterviewwithKing
Jameson30thApril.
"Atyourdeparture,"herepresentstheKingassaying,"
Iwasyourenemy,
nowIamandshallbeyourfriend.Youarenotignorantwhatthelawsofthis
realmare,andwhatmaybestagreewithmyhonourtobedoneforyoursafety.
...Imyselfdobelievethatyouareinnocentofmyfather'smurder,exceptby
foreknowledgeandconcealing,afaultsocommoninthosedaysthatnoman
ofanydealingcouldmisknow,andyetsoperiloustoberevealedinrespectof
alltheactorsinthattragedy,thatnomanwithoutextremedangercouldutter
anyspeechthereof,becausetheydidseeitandcouldnotamendit."
Soabounding istheKing'sgrace !yetforwhathad
Morton'sbloodbeenshedsavefor
"foreknowledgeand
concealing
"
?
On26thMayArchibaldDouglaswasputuponaform
oftrialforthe
"crewall,horribill,abhominabill,andtres-
sonabillmurthourofvmquhileHenrieKingof
Istriedfor _
. _
,
•d i , ,
Darnley's Scottisolgudmemorie
;butthewholepro-
^l^^'sl^^^
ceedingswereshamelessly collusive
;Morton's
depositiononthedayofhisexecution,wherein
Archibaldwasshowntohavebeenthechiefinstrument in
themurder,wasnotsubmittedtothejury.^Thedeposition
ofArchibald's servant,ThomasBinning,whohadbeen
hangedforthecrimeinwhichhehadassistedhismaster,-
andwhohadtestifiedthatArchibald
"
tinthismwlis
"—lost
hisvelvetslippers—atthedoingofit,wassetasidealso.
^
Pitcairn, i.154.
2
/^j^^.
^g^,
VOL.I. T

290 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
TheMasterofGray,activeagent inthepreliminaries
ofQueenMary'sexecution,andearnestadvocatewith
ElizabethonbehalfofArchibald,waschosenchancellor
[i.e.foreman]ofthejury,uponwhichalsoservedGeorge
HomeofSpott,who,inJune1582,hadbeentriedand
acquittedofpartinthatverycrime. Lastly,Archibald's
brotherWilliamofWhittinghamewasoneofthejudges
inthe case. Thewhole affairwasatransparent
sham. Itwas allarranged beforehand ;Douglashad
returned toScotland asQueenElizabeth'sprivyagent,
andshecouldnotaffordtolethimgethisdeserts.
Hisacquittalwaspronounced by allhonestpeople
"thefilthiestiniquitythatwasheardofinScotland."
Itmaybementioned tothecreditofScottishgentlemen,
thattenofthempaid thepenalty of^^40each
[Scotsmoney,tobesure
!]ratherthanserveasjurorson
suchafraudulent trial.^
Assoonasthisblood-guiltywretchhadbeenwhite-
washed,Jamesvi.senthimashisambassadortotheEnglish
court,wherehismemorywasingreatrequestin
ambassador Supplyingmaterials fortheindictmentofQueen
1586."^'^"'^' Mary,hismaster'smother—
"havingdiscovered
-
severalpassagesbetwixtherandhimselfand
otherCatholics ofEngland,tending toherliberation
;
whichweremadeuseofagainstherMajestyfortakingher
life."
3
Nosoonerhadthese
"passages
"
takendueeffectand
helpedtobringaboutMary'sexecutionon8thFebruaiy
1587,thanDouglaswasdismissedfromoffice. Indeed it
isnotatallcertainthatKingJameshadnotceasedto
regardhimashisambassadorsometimebeforethetragedy
atFotheringay. Atallevents,influencedbyChancellor
Maitland,hehadconceived distrustanddislike forthe
murdererofhisfatherandthebetrayerofhismother.He
hadcommissionedArchibaldtobuyhimacoupleofgood
Englishhunters inEngland,but,nearlyamonthbefore
"'
Pitcairn, i.154.
-Revealed.
^MemoirsofSirJamesMe.lvillofHalhill.,348.—Ed.1735.

ARCHIBALDONTHEDOWNGRADE 291
QueenMarymetherdoom,HunsdonwrotetoBurghleyto
saythathehadbeenwarnedagainstArchibaldbySirJohn
Carmichael.
'
'ItysmostesertenthattheKyngehathenolekyngetooArchibaldDuglas,
forhe[Archibald]hathebowghtetwospecyallhuntyngehorsysfortheKynge,
buttheKyngewyllbynomeanesrecevethem,andyetthathehesowghtbyall
themeaneshecan,toogetttheK}Tigetootakethem,butasyetthewyllnott,so
theybeyettynInglande."
'
Archibald, therefore,considered itnofittingtimeto
returntoScotland,where,asHunsdonassuredBurghley,
"
hewillfindeasbadenterteignment aseverheehad
inhislyfe."
^Heremained inEngland,posing stillas
Scottishambassador,andinFebruary1588Hunsdon
wrotetoWalsingham fromBerwick,warninghimthat
Archibaldshouldnotberecognised.
"
IfherMajesticdo
acceptofhimasthekingesambassadour,orlooketounder-
standanythingbyhimfromtheKingortheStatehere,her
Majesticwillfindeherselfegreatlyabusedanddisceaved
therin."
^Nevertheless,Hunsdonwasunwilling tolose
ArchibaldasanagentofEnglishpolicyinScotland,foron
theverynextday,3rdFebruary1588,hewrotethe
followingremarkablelettertoBurghley
:
—
"
Irecevydyourpakkettofthe29ofthelastethesecondeofthys[month],
withthecopyofhyrMajesti'sletterandtheanserstooArchbaldDuglaspro-
posycyons,whichIhadbyfor.
"HavyngepereusydthecoppyofhyrMajesti'sletter,Ifyndeytsoharde,as
Ihadratherkepeyttsecretethenshewytt,forytysnottynseasontoowryght
thystoohymatthystyme—forytwyllbuttveryfytheyrsayngesthatwoldhave
hymrunnanothercowrse,thathyrMajestiysallynwordes,butwhanytt
comestootheperformanceheshallfyndenothynge,and,asArchbaldDuglas
letterwas,sheysstyllattgenerallytys,yfhewantoryfheshallhaveoccasyon
tooeusehyrfrendshype. Thesbenowaysenormeanestoowynapryncethat
yssofaralyenatydfromhyrashe[KingJames]ysandhathesomanyyle*
instrumentesabouthymashehathe. . ..HyrMajestichargythehym[Archibald]
withthedealyngewithforrenpryncys,andsundryuthermatters,whichyfhe
havedune,thenhatheshethemorecawsetoseketoowynhymfromthem,
whychemustebewithlyberallyteandpresentmonytoobeofferdandsenthym,
toohelpehymynhysdystres,whichyfheaccepte,thanehathshesumehowlde
1BorderPapers, i.303
-
Ibid.,308.
^Ibid.,309.
*
IL'-

292 THEHOUSEOFDOUGLAS
ofhym—
yfjherefuseytt,thenmaysheknowwhattoolookeforatthyshandes.
But,mylord,yfhyrMajestithynkthatthysdealyngewylldooanygoode,she
ysgreatlydeceyved,andsheW7IIbesonyforyttwhanyttwyllbetoolate.He
iswondyd 'thohehyrMajesti [is]innocentthereof,yetthyrinnocensyysno
satysfactyontoohim,norwordeswyllgofornopayment,wheredeedesmuste
supplywantes.andhemustehaveyteytherofhyrMajestiorsumutherprinse,
forutherwyseheshallnottbeabletoreulehysnobyllyte,"buttheywylloverrule
hym,asyoumayseebytheyrlateaccyon. Iassureyourlordshipthatyfhyr
Majestidealenottmoreeffectuallyheryn,andthatowteofhande,shewyllfynde
thelakeofytt,forhewyllbegone ! . . .Imaybeblamydforwrytyngethys
playnly,butconsyderynge thegretedangerthatdependsheron,bothtoohyr
Majestiandthestate,asyfIshowldebesylentherynIshowldedeservefarr
gretarblame,andtherforIhopehyrMajestiwyllaccepteytyngoodeparte,
beyngeduneyndyschargofmydewty."
^
NeitherBurghleynorQueenElizabethcouldbebrought
totakehonestHunsdon's viewoftheimportance of
ArchibaldDouglas'sservices,andthoughhewasafterwards
occasionallyemployedasaspyfortheEnglishgovernment,
itwasathisowncharges,andheseemstohavebeenleft
withoutanymeansofsubsistence. KingJames'sdislike
forthefellowhadgrowntoloathing ;hecontinuedeven
torefusetoreceiveatArchibald'shandsthetwohunters
whichhehadcommissionedhimtobuy.Thiswasthe
moreunkindbecausetheroyalstableswereinalowstate
atthetime,asshownbyHunsdon'sapplicationtoBurghley
on25thFebruary1588for"aplacardfromhyrMajesti
forthebuyngeofhalfeadosenhorsysorgeldyngesforthe
kyngesownesaddellforhuntynge,forhehatheover-huntyd
allhyshorsys. IprayyourlordshypmovehyrMajesti
heryn,orelsehe[KingJames]maythynkemycredyttas
smaleasA.Duglasmakesytt !
"*
IfArchibaldeverreturnedtoScotland[hewasstillin
EnglandinJune1594^] itwasonlytolingerafewyears
indesperatepenury,disownedbyhisformeremployersand
shunnedbyhisoldaccomplices,evenbytheinfernally
handsomeandshiftyMasterofGray.Theobscuritywhich
hangsovertherestofhisignoblecareerisbrokenonlyby
^Wounded.
2MeaningthatArchibaldwouldhavenomeansofbribingtheScottishlords.
^BorderPapers, i.310.
'^
Ibid.,317.
^
Ibid.,
533.

THEEXITOFAVILLAIN 293
theactdeposinghimfromtheparsonageofGlasgowfor
neglectofdutyandabsencefromhisparish.Hedied
somewhereaboutthebeginningoftheseventeenthcentury.
HiswifewasLadyJaneHepburn,widowofJohn,
MasterofCaithness,butofhisoffspringthereisnorecord.
Thedeeperthatobliviondescendsuponsucharascal,
thebetterforthoseinwhoseveinshisbloodmayrun,if
suchtherebe.
Fig.37.—SealofElizabethDouglas,CountessofMorton.
'd^^^^
Fig.37A.—SignatureofMatthew,EarlofLennox(1565).
ENDOFVOL.L
PRINTEDnvMORRISONANDGIBBLIMITED,EDINBURGH

-f^"
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