THE HISTORY O F SCOTLAND DURING THE REIGNS OF Queen MARY, and of King JAMES VI. TILL His ACCESSION to the Crown of ENGLAND. WITH A REVIEW of the SCOTTISH HISTORY previous to that Period; IN TWO VOLUME S. By WILLIAM ROBERTSON, D. D. VOLUME II. THE SIXTH EDITION. LONDON: Printed for T. CADELL, in the Strand. THE HISTORY OF SCOTLAN D. T BOOK VI. Diforders oc1570. cafioned by the Regent's death. HE unexpected blow, by which the Regent was cut off, Book VI. ftruck the King's party with the utmost confternation. Elizabeth bewailed his death as the moft fatal difafter, which could have befallen her kingdom; and was inconfolable to a degree that little fuited her dignity. Mary's adherents exulted, as if, now, her restoration were not only certain, but near at hand. The infamy of the crime naturally fell on those, who expreffed fuch indecent joy at the commiffion of it. And as the affaffin made his escape on a horse, which belonged to Lord Claud Hamilton, and fled directly to Hamilton, where he was received in triumph, it was concluded that the Regent had fallen a facrifice to the refentment of the Queen's party, rather than to the revenge of a private man. On the day after the murder, Scott of Buccleugh, and Ker of Ferniherst, both zealous abettors of the Queen's caufe, VOL. II. B entered 1570. Book VI. entered England in an hoftile manner, and plundered and burnt the country, the inhabitants of which expected no fuch outrage. If the Regent had been alive, they would fcarce have ventured on fuch an irregular incurfion, nor could it well have happened fo foom after his death, unless they had been privy to the crime. Steps taken towards elecing another Regent. Feb. 12. THIS was not the only irregularity, to which the anarchy that followed the Regent's death gave occafion. During fuch general confufion, men hoped for univerfal impunity, and broke out into exceffes of every kind. As it was impoffible to restrain these, without a fettled form of government, a Convention of the nobles was held, in order to deliberate concerning the election of a Regent. The Queen's adherents refused to be present at the meeting, and protested against its proceedings. The King's own party was irrefolute, and divided in opinion. Maitland, whom Kirkaldy had set at liberty, and who obtained from the nobles then affembled. a declaration acquitting him of the crime which had been laid to his charge, endeavoured to bring about a coalition of the two parties, by propofing to admit the Queen to the joint administration of government with her fon. Elizabeth, adhering to her ancient fyftem with regard to Scottish affairs, laboured, notwithstanding the folicitation of Mary's friends *, to multiply, and to perpetuate the factions, which tore in pieces the kingdom. Randolph, whom she dispatched into Scotland on the first news of the Regent's death, and who was her ufual agent for fuch fervices, found all parties fo exafperated by mutual injuries, and fo full of irreconcileable rancour, that it cost him little trouble to inflame their animofity. The Con→ vention broke up without coming to any agreement; and a new meeting, to which the nobles of all parties were invited, was appointed on the first of May †. * See Append. N° I. + Crawf. Mem. 131. Calderw. 2. 157. MEAN 1570. A coalition of parties at tempted in vain. MEANTIME, Maitland and Kirkaldy, who ftill continued to ac- Book VI. knowledge the King's authority, were at the utmost pains to restore fome degree of harmony among their countrymen. They procured, for this purpose, an amicable conference among the leaders of the two factions. But while the one demanded the restoration of the Queen, as the only thing which could re-establish the public tranquillity; while the other efteemed the King's authority to be fo facred, that it was, on no account, to be called in question or impaired; and neither of them would recede in the least point from their opinions, they feparated without any profpect of concord. Both were rendered more averfe from reconcilement, by the hope of foreign aid. An envoy arrived from France, with promifes of powerful fuccour to the Queen's adherents; and as the civil wars in that kingdom seemed to be on the point of terminating in a peace, it was expected that Charles would foon be at liberty to fulfil what he promised. On the other hand, the Earl of Suffex was affembling a powerful army on the borders, and its operations could not fail of adding spirit and ftrength to the King's party fo Queen's party in poffeffion of Edinburgh. THOUGH the attempt towards a coalition of the factions proved ineffectual, it contributed somewhat to moderate, or fufpend their rage; but they foon began to act with their ufual violence. Morton, the most vigilant and able leader on the King's fide, folicited Elizabeth to interpose, without delay, for the fafety of a party, devoted to her intereft, and which ftood fo much in need of her affistance. The Chiefs of the Queen's faction, affembling at Linlithgow, marched thence to Edinburgh; and Kirkaldy, who was April 10. both Governor of the castle, and Provost of the town, prevailed *Crawf. Mem. 134. |