Biggar and the House of Fleming

532 BIGGAR AND THE HOUSE OF FLEMING.
is reddy to cum fordwart this morning toward Haldingtoun,
and therfore desiris me and my friendis to be in rediness,
quhen it sail pleise hir to charge us to merche fordwart. Heir-
foir I haif thocht goid to send this berar, knawing that zour
lordship sould be togidder this nicht, in to Beggar, to knaw
zour dyet, and thinkis goid, safand better counsell, that we
joyne us togidder or we cum to hir Maistie, baith for zour
surete and ouris. And we intend quhen we marche, to pass
be Pentland Hills or neir therbie, and gif se please to appoint
ony place be that way, we being chargit to cum fordwart, we
wald be glad to meit zou ther, as ye sail appoint ; and the rest
referris to zour advertisement with the berar ; and sa comrnittis
zour lordship to the protectioune of God, this Saterday at vij
houris afoirnoune the xiiij of junij 1567.
Zour Lordship's loving friend at power,
Johne Hamilton."
From a statement made in an Act of Parliament * of date
1584, it would seem that Fleming and his Biggar retainers
actually reached Carberry, but the whole of the Clydesdale
forces did not arrive in time ; and the Queen was thus induced
to dismiss Bothwell, and surrender herself to the confederated
lords. She was conducted, with every mark of indignity aud
disrespect, to Edinburgh, and next day, in violation of the con-
ditions on which she had surrendered, was placed in con-
finement in Lochleven Castle. Lords Fleming and Hamilton,
after the Queen's surrender, withdrew their forces to Hamilton
to watch the progress of events.
After the surrender of the Queen at Carberry, the Earl of
Bothwell fled to the north of Scotland. It would seem from a
letter of Sir Nicholas Throkmorton to Queen Elizabeth, dated
18th July 1567, that he had been joined there by Lords
Fleming and Seton. The likelihood is, that they had been
despatched from Hamilton to hold a conference with him, and
learn his designs. It is evident from the following extract from
*This Act ratified the restoration to John Lord Fleming of the "possessioun,
richt, and titill to all landis, heretigis, takis, stedingis, rowmis, possessiounis,
teyndis, and others quhatsumever, quhilk pertenit to ye umquhile Johnne, sum-
tyme Lord Fleming, his father at ye field of Carbarrie hill as gif he had never
been foirfallit of befoir.