Spottiswoode Society > History of the affairs of the Church and State of Scotland from the beginning of the reformation to the year 1568 > Volume 1

74 THE HISTORY OF THE AFFAIRS [1543.
allowed of that Prelate's being transported to his own castle
in St Andrews, but positively ordered it, the Cardinal him-
self at first declining, or seeming to decline, the propo-
sition. 1
King Henry, finding by his ambassador that his demands
in Scotland were highly opposed, not only by the Governor
and the body of the Nobility, but even coldly entertained by
his very pensioners, resolved to achieve by force what he
could not obtain by promise and fair words.
1 In the liberation of the Cardinal, the Governor might have had dif-
ferent views, as may be gathered from Mr Sadler's Letters, such as,
1. That the Cardinal, whose interest he knew to be very extensive in the
country, might join the same to his ; or, 2. That he might the more easily
decoy the Cardinal, and make himself master of the castle of St Andrews ;
or, 3. Which touched him most, he thereby might prevent what was deter-
mined upon by oath and bond betwixt the Earls of Argyll, Huntly, I3oth-
well, and Moray, with divers Bishops, viz. the Cardinal's liberation, or
the Governor's destruction ; by being before-hand with them, and making
that Prelate owe his liberty, though under cover, to himself. For nothing is
more plain than that even then the Governor, if ever he was in earnest,
began to repent him of his English bargain, seeing himself so like to be
bubled of King Henry's promises of his daughter in marriage to his son,
or all be-north Forth for a kingdom, by that King so warmly insisting to
have the young Queen and the Cardinal delivered into his hands, which
he knew would render him but a tool in Scotland ever after, if at all con-
tinued in any trust ; since even then that King denied him the title of
Governor in the letters which he addressed to him, calling him simply
Earl of Arran occupying the place of Governor, and left him no expecta-
tion that his Majesty would confer such honours upon his Family when he
once had the Queen of Scotland in his custody, the head of the clergy in
bonds, and the reins of the Government in his own hands. This, which
was not untold him by Huntly, his own brother, and many of the Nobility,
soon made him cast about for the Cardinal's friendship, yet so as he
might seem to act in sincerity with England. He, therefore, in opposition
to all Sadler's remonstrances, sends the Cardinal to St Andrews in charge
of the Lord Seton, with a guard of about twelve or sixteen men, though he
knew the Cardinal had not only above 300 of his own, but all that town
and indeed most of that country at his devotion. Nay further, the Lord
Seton had the Governor's orders to give the Cardinal his full liberty about
his own house ; yet in his communing with Sadler, he would fain have
thrown the whole blame of the Cardinal's liberty upon the Lord Seton,
as if lie had been bribed by the Cardinal's money ; but a short time took
off the mask, and how soon he saw the Cardinal and his friends in any
condition to second him, he plainly and openly refused all King Henry's
conditions, but sent for the Cardinal and his adherents to come and join
him, though without their forces, to Edinburgh; whither they all came
except Huntly and the Cardinal, who being now at liberty, and all his
offers to Sadler of favouring King Henry's interest, and a desired com-
muning refused him, sets himself vigorously a-work to oppose all King
I [enry's measures.