History of the house and race of Douglas and Angus

214 HISTORY OF THE
Of William slain in Edinburgh castle, llie Sixth Wil-
liam, the Sixth Earl of Douglas, and third Duke
of Touraine, §c,
*-^NTO Archibald Earl of Wigton succeeded his son Wil-
liam, a youth of no great age, of an high spirit, and of a sweet
tractable and meek disposition: and therefore we cannot but
detest and execrate the wickedness and treachery of his ene-
mies, who did so unworthily cut off such a sprig in the very
budding; from whose blossoms none could but have expected
passing good fruit, to the great good of the commonwealth and
kingdom, if malice and envy had suffered it to come to ma-
turity. Let us notwithstanding rest contented with his change,
begun in his father by warding, and displacing from the room
of his predecessors from managing of affairs in the kingdom,
prosecuted against him in his lifetime, and now followed forth
against his son. This vicissitude which befel this house is to
be found and seen in all human affairs, and doth overturn all
due and right order in the world, as far as men can judge: for
innocency is often overthrown by cruelty; honesty ai;d up-
righteousness of heart by craft, falsehood, and treachery; and
yet let us reverence the sovereign cause and over-ruler of all
things who in this disorder directeth all things certainly by a
great wisdom, and with good order doubtless, though un-
searchable by man. But as nothing hath ever been so enor-
mous, which may not receive some colour, either of virtue to,
make it seem good, or at least of some extenuatiyn to, make
it seem not so ill at it is; so this fact amongst others I perceive
to be of the same kind: by some thought to be good, but very
igoorantly or maliciously, by some excusable, both in form
and in fact, by a necessity, or pretext of the common good;
by all that have written, more slend'-rly handled, and doubt -
ingly, than ought to be. For they leave it almost uncertain
what ought to be judged of it, whether it be good or ill: so
that sometimes you would think they condemn it, sometimes