History of the house and race of Douglas and Angus

HOUSE OF DOUGLAS. 2?3
r : nd Queen; he pretended that it was for restitution of some
goods taken out of Scotland, and not restored by the wardens
of England; but this cause, the lighter it was, the greater sus-
picion did it move in his own King, who could not think it
probable, that he being of that place, of that courage, of that
nature, would, upon such an occasion only, take such a jour-
ney. The true cause is thought to be, that he went to treat
of certain conditions for his assistance to be given to the King
of England against his nobility, with whom he was then in ha<-d
terms, the wars of the house of York beginning to spring up,
which increased afterward so mightily, and prevailed, to the
ejecting him out of his kingdom.
This the Queen of England either foreseeing, or fearing some
other such like enterprise against her husband, had dealt with
the Earl Douglas when he came home through England from
Rome the year before, to strengthen them by his help, and ap-
pointed him to return for performance, and perfecting of all
conditions of agreement. But we find no effect of this agree«
ment and conditions, whether because that conspiracy of the
Duke of York was not yet come to maturity, and so Dougla9
Was not employed, being prevented by death, which fell out
shortly after this; or because they were not fully agreed, is un-
certain: neither is it specified what the conditions were, only
it is corjectured that they were the same, or such like as the
same King Henry VI. granted afcerward to the Earl of Angus
in the time of James III. which if they were, they were no-
ways prejudical to the King of Scotland, as shall appear there,
yet being done without his knowledge, it gave occasion either
to the natural jealousy of princes to think hardly of it, by his
own mere motion, or to his enemies, so to construct it to the
King, and stir him up by their speeches to that suspicion which
he inclined to, of both which he ought to have been wary and
not to have given such ground to the one, or to the other, by
such a journey undertaken without the King's allowance.
Whether at his return he acquainted the King with what
had past betwixt him and the King of England is not certain,
and our writers seem to say the contrary; yet in that he
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