Douglas book > Angus memoirs

VICTORIOUS RETURN OF THE BANISHED LORDS, 1585. 357
appearance of the banished lords and their forces at St. Ninians, a procla-
mation was issued against them and their adherents. 1 When this failed
the king sent to the Earl of Bothwell, requiring him either to submit or
to leave his comrades. Some assert that Angus settled the Earl's doubts
by commanding him to stay where he was, others that the message only
excited Bothwell's wrath.
There was, it would appear, a firm bond of association among the banished
lords, binding them to support each other, and they were thus united in their
counsels, whereas the party of the king and Arran were not. The result was
that when, on the morning of the 2d November, an assault was made upon
the town of Stirling, the attacking party encountered scarcely any resistance.
Arran, seeing that defence was hopeless, made his own escape as quickly as
possible. The town was almost immediately surrendered, the gentlemen
there fraternising with the invaders, while Montrose and Crawford, who were
Arran's chief supporters, retired into the castle, which was at once invested.
This state of affairs continued during the following day, the castle being
in reality defenceless and provisions scarce, as the besiegers allowed no
victuals to enter, except as much as served the king. His majesty then sent
a flag of truce to Angus and his friends, and being assured of the perfect
safety of his person, and of their own loyalty and obedience, the king ordered
the castle gates to be thrown open. Another condition of surrender was
that the lives of Crawford, Montrose, and others who were at feud with the
banished lords, should be spared, which was at once conceded, to show that
they sought the good of the State and not private revenge. On the 4th
November, Hamilton, Angus, Mar, and others, were admitted to the presence
of the king, who, making a virtue of necessity, received them graciously,
and reinstated them in their former honours and possessions. 2
1 Register of Privy Council, vol. iv. p. 29. croft, edition 1644, pp. 404-407 ; Register of
2 Calderwood, vol. iv. pp. 389-392; Gods- Privy Council, vol. iv. pp. 30, 31.