Volume 3

277
ber 1482, after a change had taken place of the king's ministers (c). In this
parliament sat pre-eminent Albany and Angus, as his coadjutor (d). On the
ninth day of the sitting of the Estates, they recommended to the king that
Albany should be appointed Lieutenant-General of the realm (e). It is easy to
perceive the motives which induced the parliament to deliver, in this manner,
the king and nation into the artful hands of that insidious prince. The truce,
which had been so recently made, did not preserve the quiet of the contiguous
kingdoms. Angus, as we have seen, was at that troublous time warden of
the east and of the west marches, whose duty it was to maintain their tran-
quility. But unhappily for the king and people, it was one of the artifices
of faction, during that corrupt age, to create disturbances on the borders in
order to distress both by foreign war. The Estates did not see that Albany
and Angus had promoted hostilities to alarm the country; and thereby to
gain their ambitious objects, and the Estates ordained preparations for war;
yet, directed that every measure of peace might be zealously pursued (f).
Albany seems now to have used the means, which were thus put into his
hands, to seize the king's person and to overpower his government. He was,
in fact, governor of the kingdom as lieutenant general; but still pursuing his
late projects of usurpation, nothing could satisfy his overweening ambition but
the kingship itself, in exclusion of his affectionate brother. During the holy
days of Christmas, 1482, Albany appears to have attempted to carry into effect
his odious design. The king, who then resided at Edinburgh seems to have
had some intimation of his brother's purpose; and by retiring into the castle,
and rousing the citizens, who were attached to their beneficent sovereign,
(c)   Lord  Evandale, who  had  been  Chancellor  from   1460, resigned his office soon after the
restoration  of Albany,  and was  succeeded  by John,  Bishop of Glasgow.     Crauford's  Officers of
State, 38-9.
(d)  Pad. Rec., 282.                                 (e) Ib., 292.
(f) On the 11th of December, 1482, an Act was made that peace should be taken with England,
if it could be had, with honour; that the alliance and marriage which had been formerly agreed
on should be renewed, if the king will consent; and for those ends the lion-herald was directed to
repair to Edward IV., from the King, from Albany, and from the whole Estates. Parl. Rec., 291.
An Act was at the same time ordained for making preparations for war. Ib., 292. The Parliament
adjourned on the 14th of December to the 1st of March thereafter. Ib., 293. Proposals had,
indeed, been lately made for marrying Margaret, the king's sister, to Earl Rivers; and a safe
conduct was granted for her on the 22nd of August, 1482 (Rym., xii., 163), and renewed on the 4th
of December, 1482 (Ib., 173); but there was no result, and there seems from the silence of
Rymer to have been no safe conduct granted to the lion-herald, in pursuance of the parliamentary
recommendation.