Abbotsford Club > Historical memoirs of the reign of Mary, Queen of Scots, and a portion of the reign of King James the Sixth

4 HISTORIE OF THE REIGXE OF a. d. 1542.
they refolve to crofs the bufines, and retard the dehverie of the pledges
promifed ; which was fo ciinninghe wrought tliat it tooke effect; for by
no means the Regent coukl perform that part of the agreement, ahliough
the firfl and mofl materiaL
When King Hcnrie underllood of this demurr, he raged and vowed to
force us to keep thefe conditions made with his ambaflador. He firft
arrefts all the Scots fliips that were within his power ; then he imprifones
the pledges, and denounces warr. The Earle of Caffils is noted the onlie
man of all the prifoners wlio refufed to flgne with the reft. He preferred
the love of his brothers whom he left pledges, before the love to his
cuntrie. He onlie appeared, and rendered himfelf again to releave his
brothers ; and King Henrie, to gratifie him in publick, difmifled both him
and his brothers frielie.
Now, warr being expected from England, it was eafie to know on which
partie the weight and burthen would light. Thofe who were the authors
of this match expe6led it, and might be fure they were not onlie to efteem
the Englifli their ennemies, but they flood in greater fear of their own
cuntrie-men, who were combyned. Whereupon they difpatch letters to
France ; wherin they inform the King of all — in what danger the friedom
of the cuntrie, the young Queen, the ant lent relligion, the croune, and
the whole friends of the croune were into. They defyred and inijilored
his affiftance, without which they were not able to fubfift ; tliey defyred,
above all, that Mathew Earle of Lenox might be fent over to be a head
to their partie. He was fone to John Earle of Lennox, killed at Lith-
gou, one who was much in the affe6lions of the people, for the antient
faim and actions of his hous, and for the memorie of his father, who was
the people's darling ; one who was bred a Roman Catholick, without
tindlure of this new do6trin ; and one whome tliey ])erfwaded themfelves
wold be an utter ennemie to the Hamiltouns, who killed his father. They
mantained, diredllie, that it was his place, by blood, to take the charge
and government of the cuntrie upon him ; becaufe tlie Earle of Arran
(thev faid plainlie) was a baftard, for he was begotten upon a fecond
wyff, which his father tooke in his iirft wyve's lyftyme, which firft wyff he
ftill kept in his hous ; and had the Hrft place of the fecond at all tymes