Series 1 > Chronicles of the Frasers

182
POLICHHOMCON SEU
of Court, curries the favour of his mortall enemies about the
King, and among them contrived Ids ruin as accessory to the
Kings murder with Bodwel. Upon this account the King
favoures him with the title of Lord Arran. So, in end, with
his cruel accomplices about the Court, brought the great Earle
of Morton under a jury, is assised, convict, sentenced, and
execut publickly, as I formerly narrated to the full.
Arran, getting this grand design throught, and Morton out
of the way, concluds it easy for him to do anything else; so
that his next contrivance was in his intrigues with the Lady
March, Elisabeth Stuart, to procur her a divorce from her
husband, as frigid, that so he might enjoy her to himselfe.
The course of law is followed to the full in every point, divorce
obtained before the judges competent, att Halyroodhouse, and
in earnest Arran obtaines Elisabeth Stuart for his wife, and
wer married next morrow. And, that what I aver uppon this
head may be sustained and beleved as truth, I shall set down
here for my warrand the expresse paragraph of a very famous
historian on it.
Spotswoods In June 1581 the Earle of Arran made a discourse of his
istory, p. 315. proceedings in the triall of Morton, declaring what he had
done, and how to come to the knowledge of the fact for which
he had suffered. He was forced to use some rigorous dealeing
towards his servants, and put certain of them to the torture;
lest this should be imputed to him as a crime, his desire was
to have his Majesties and the Councels approbation. This
was easely obtained, and an act made ratefying all that he had
done in that bussiness as good service to his Majesty and the
Estate. Yet was it well known to all that the inquisition he
made upon Morton’s servants was to find out where his gold
and mony was hidden, and for no purposes else. Neare about
the same time he tooke to wife the Earl of March his lady, a
woman intollerable in all the imperfections incident to that
sexe. She had forsaiken her husband not long before, and
obtained sentence against him for alleadged impotency; yet
was she known to be with child even then by Arran, which
made the process on her part shamefull; nor was his part a
whit better, nay, rather much worse, haveing been a long time
entertained in the noblemans house, and furnished by him in