to Rest but presently an Alarming Word was given To your Arms. Whilst the rest were arming themselves the Major Part of the Foot and many of the Horse-Mens Servants making use of that slender Fortification they had bore the Brunt of the English Assault But the Horse had a great Advantage in that they were sensible of the thing before for disputing among themselves how they should entertain the Enemy when he assaulted them for an Assault they expected they saw that a Neighbour Hill would be of great Conveniency to them Thither therefore they Trooped about and whilst the English were assaulting the Passage into the Camp they fell in upon their left Flank and made a great Slaughter but a greater Noise Yet the English having Men enough brought up their Reserves and quickly made good their Ranks again yet that disorder did this good to the Scots That the Fight before the Camp was managed more remisly so that they had Liberty to draw out and Range their Army in order of Battel Whilst these things were doing the Night drew on but it was a short one as it useth to be in Iuly in the Northern Countries especially and the Weather also chanced to be fair so that the Moon shining all Night it was as bright as Day The Fight was maintained Gallantly as between Two Noble Champions who were more solicitous for their Honour than for their Lives Percy endeavoured to redeem his Credit and Douglas to maintain His by a New Atchievement so that there was as much Eagerness on the one side as on the other though their Numbers were unequal and so the Fight continued till it was late at Night And then the Moon began to be Clouded that Friend could not be discerned from Foe whereupon they rested a while to take a little breath and assoon as the Moon brake forth from the Clouds the English pressed hard upon the Scots so that they gave Ground and Douglas his Standard was like to be lost When the Two Patrick Hepburns Father and Son saw this they hastned from the other Wing and brake through the Ranks of their own Soldiers and so pierced to the Front where the main Danger was and there they began so fierce an Assault that they gave and received many Wounds and in fine brought back their Men to their former Ground from whence they had been driven Neither was Douglas content therewith but with his Two Friends and Followers Robert Hart and Simon Glenduning his Kinsman he rushed in amongst the midst of his Enemies and being of a stout Spirit as well as strong Body made a great Slaughter wherever he came His Friends strove earnestly to come up to him yet before they could do so he was mortally Wounded in Three Places and lay upon the Ground Hart lay dead by him having a great many Wounds about him and the Priest who had accompanied him in all his Hazards when he fainted defended his Body from Injury In this Condition Iohn Lindsay and the Two Sinclares Iohn and Walter found him and asked him How he did Very well said he for I am a Dying yet I do not Die like a Sluggard upon my Bed but as almost all my Ancestors have done and I have Three my last Requests to make to you First That you would conceal my Death both from Friends and Foes Secondly That you would not suffer my Standard to be taken down Thirdly That you would Revenge my Death And if you will do this I shall bear the rest more contentedly Whereupon they in the First place covered his Body with a Cloak that it might not be known and then they set up his Standard and cried out as the Custom is A Douglas A Douglas At that Cry there was such a Concourse made and they ran in upon the Enemy with such Alacrity and Courage that they drove him far away from the place of Battel For at the Name of Douglas not the Common Soldiers only but Iohn Earl of Murray came in as thinking things to be there in the greatest Danger For they had before routed that part of the Enemies Army they fought with and taken Percy the Younger who was much Wounded and sent by them into the Camp to be dressed of his Wounds so that the Service being not so hot in other parts of the Army the Duglassians which had run in to the Standard routed the English who were wearied with their Day-toil and Night Fight and in the brunt Henry Percy their General was taken Prisoner When he was lost the rest betook themselves to a confused Flight There were slain of the English in that Battel 1840 about 1000 wounded and 1040 taken Prisoners Of the Scots there were 100 slain and 200 taken Prisoners in regard a Few in pursuit followed a greater Number of their Enemies Iames Lindsay perceiving Matthew Redman Governor of Berwick to be one of the straggling Flyers judging him by the Goodness of his Army to be One of the Principal Commanders made presently after him when he had fled Three Miles his Horse being weary he thought he could not escape by Riding and so he dismounted and ran away on Foot Lindsay did the same At last after some Skirmish betwixt them the Englishman not being so good at that kind of Weapon yielded himself to Lindsay who sent him home having first taken his Oath That he would return in 20 days This was then the Courtesy of the Neighbour Nations towards their Prisoners which to this day is punctually observed amongst the Borderers And if a Man do not return at the Day appointed This is his Punishment In the Meetings which are made for Reparation of mutual Damages he that complains how he was deceived holds up the shape of an Hand or Glove on a long Spear that it may be seen of all That is counted the highest Brand of Infamy upon any Man so that He who hath thus violated his Faith becomes thereby detestable to his own Friends and Kindred to such a degree that no Man of any Quality will eat or drink or talk with him or so much as harbour him in his House Lindsay having dismissed his Prisoner on the forementioned Terms perceived a great Body of Men before him and Trooped up to them he knew them not to be Enemies till he was so near that he could not retreat but was taken Prisoner These were the Forces of the Bishop of Durham who coming late to Newcastle and not being able to overtake Percy not thinking that he would engage till the next Day made an halt to refresh his Men and after they had supped he renewed his March But he had not gone far from the Town before those that run away informed him of the Loss of the Day Whereupon he returned into the Town and advised with his Tenants concerning his Following the Scots The Resolve was That before Day-Break they should all be in Arms and so in the morning
Horse in the Twilight when he could not discern of whose Party they were in the High-way and so carried Prisoner into the City Upon this Loss the Rebels took heart to make another Attempt as full of Danger and Boldness so more likely if it had succeeded to put an End to the whole War For having receiv'd Intelligence by their Spies That the Nobility of the contrary Faction at Sterlin were so careless and remiss that in an open Town they had not so much as a Night-guard as if it had been a time of perfect Peace they took 300 Foot and 200 Horse and march'd thither to ease the Foot who were hastily called forth they took away all the Country-mens Horses who came to Market the Day before and if they occasionally lighted on any other Horses by the way they took them also The Captains in that Expedition were George Gordon Claud Hamilton and Walter Scot they were much encouraged to the Undertaking by George Bell an Ensign of a Foot-Company who was born at Sterlin he knew all the convenient Passages and Accesses into the Town and was made acquainted in Writing with all the Noble Mens Lodgings he gave them assured Hopes That they would quickly master all insomuch that they were so confident of Success in their March as to appoint Whom to kill and Whom to save alive They came to the Town early in the Morning and found things in profound Security not so much as a Dog opened his Mouth against them so they silently enter'd the Town and without any resistance went up to the Market-place they set Guards at all the Passes thither and then went to the Noblemens Lodgings the rest were easily taken only Iames Douglas Earl of Morton put some stop to them in his Lodging when they could not break in upon him by Force they set fire to the House one or two of his Servants who stoutly defended the Passes were slain and he himself when all was a fire hardly escaping out of the Flames surrendred himself to Walter Scot his Kinsman then near at hand Moreover the Regent was taken Prisoner at the same time his Men did not stand it out valiantly in his Defence but he was forc'd to defend himself alone and at last was taken Prisoner Alexander Earl of Glencarn and Hugh Earl of Eglington were reserv'd under a Guard for Execution For Claud Hamilton told his Men They should kill all the Nobles of the contrary Faction as soon as ever they pass'd out of the Gates without any distinction All Things thus succeeding beyond Expectation the common Souldiers scattered themselves all over the Town to get Plunder Thereupon Iohn Erskin Governour of the Castle who had before tried to break through the Enemy in the Market-Place but in vain they were so strongly posted sent a Party of Musqueteers into his own new House which was then a building and not quite finish'd from whence there was a Prospect into the whole Market-Place This House because it was uninhabited and not compleated was neglected by the Enemy and afforded a safe Post to the Royalists whence to play on their Enemies When the Rebels saw that they were shot at from an high Place garison'd against them with unequal Weapons they presently turn'd their backs and ran away in such Fear that when they came to the narrow Way leading to the Gate they trod down one another That which saved them was There were but few to pursue for they who had driven them out of the Market-Place could come out but one by one through the Gate of the new House which was but one neither and that half-shut too towards the Town and but a few came forth from other Houses where they stood armed ready for all Events Thus the whole Souldiery which the Day before had attempted so desperate a piece of Service and had almost successfully finish'd it were driven out of the Town in such Fear and Confusion that they left their Prisoners and every one shifted for himself In this Onset there was only one Man of Note slain and that was George Ruven a young Gentleman of great Hopes who pressing too eagerly upon the thickest of the Enemies lost his Life And Alexander Stuart of Gairlice when he was led away Prisoner was killed 't is not known whether by his own Men or the Enemy In this great Trepidation and Affrightment they who before kept within their own Doors for fear now came abroad They who had taken Iames Douglas and Alexander Cuningham Prisoners seeing no hopes to escape surrendred themselves up to their Captives David Spence Captain of Horse amongst the Rebels was leading away the Regent he knew that many lay in wait for his Life and therefore he defended him with all the Care he could insomuch that when the Ruffians aim'd at and shot the Regent they hit him too and he died the same Day to the great grief of both Parties for he was an accomplished young Man in all Endowments both of Body and Mind and inferiour to no Man of his Age in Scotland After his Decease the Enemies Horse never did any memorable Service Two of the Regent's Murderers were put to Death not being able to escape The rest fled in such Fear that the Prisoners whom they had taken escap'd out of their Hands For certain the Whole of the Enemies Party might have been destroyed if there had been Troops enow of Horse to have pursued But the Tories of Teviotdale at their first Entrance into the Town had plundred all the Horses That saved them The slain of Both sides were almost equal Of the Royalists not a Man was carry'd away Prisoner of the other side many most of which were intent upon the Prey and so were taken in the Houses which they were a rifling The Regent died the same Day of his Wounds His Funerals were celebrated in haste as well as they could in such an Hurry and then the Nobles which were there Assembled to create another Regent to succeed him They chose Three out of their own Number having first given them an Oath to stand to the Decision of the Nobility and thus as Candidates they were to expect the Issue of the next Assembly The Three were Gilespy Cambel Earl of Argyle Iames Douglas Earl of Morton and Iohn Erskin Earl of Marr. All the Votes pitched on Iohn Erskin His first attempt was to assault Edinburgh there having been an Army appointed to be levy'd by the former Regent against the first of October but this sudden change of Affairs made it to be deferred till the 15 th of the same Month that Delay was a great hindrance to Business for it gave liberty to the Townsmen who wrought Night and Day to perfect their Works so that the early Winter the long Nights the bad Weather in those cold Countries the Difficulty of conveying Provisions and his want of Military Accommodations caused him to return without carrying the Place For
the 26th of August 1482. the Castle of Berwick should be surrendred up to the English and a Truce was made for a few Months till they could have more time to Treat of a Peace Thus Berwick was lost after it had been enjoy'd by the Scots 21 Years since they last recovered it Then the Duke of Glocester having made a prosperous Expedition return'd in Triumph Home Edward by the Advice of his Council judg'd it more for the advantage of England to nullifie the Marriage for he fear'd that the Intestine Discords of the Scots were so great that possibly the Issue of Iames might lose the Crown and if Alexander were made King be hoped to have a Constant and Faithful Ally of him in regard of the great Kindness he had receiv'd at his Hands Hereupon an Herauld was sent to Edinburgh to renounce the Affinity and to demand the Repayment of the Dowry when he had declar'd his Errand publickly on the Twenty Fifth of October the Scots obtained a Day for the Payment thereof and restor'd it to a Penny and withal they sent some to convoy the Herald as far as Berwick Alexander that he might extinguish the Remainders of the Old Hatred of his Brother against him and so obtain new Favour by a new Courtesie brought him out of the Castle and restor'd him to the free Possession of his Kingdom But the memory of old Offences prevail'd more with his Proud Huffing Spirit than This of his late Courtesie Moreover besides the Kings own Jealousies there were Those who did daily calumniate him and buzz into the Kings Ear his too great Popularity as if now 't was very Evident that he affected the Kingdom he being advis'd by his Friends that Mischief was hatching against him at Court fled privately into England and gave up the Castle of Dunbar to Edward In his absence he was Condemn'd The Crimes objected against him were First That he had often sent Messengers into England and then that he had retir'd thither himself without obtaining a Pass-port from the King and that there he joined in Counsel against his Country and his Kings Life All the other of his Partizans were pardon'd and amongst the rest William Creighton who was accus'd not only to have been an Abettor of his designs against his Country but also the chief Author and Instigator of him thereunto But after he had obtain'd Pardon for what was past he was again accus'd that he did incourage Alexander by his Advice and Counsel after he was Condemned frequent Letters passing between them by the means of Thomas Dickson a Priest and that he had caus'd his Castle of Creighton to be Fortified against the King and commanded the Garison Soldiers not to surrender it up to the King's Forces Hereupon he was summoned to appear the 13th Day of February in the Year 1484. but he not appearing was outlawed and his Goods Confiscate These were the Causes of his Punishment mentioned in our publick Records But 't is thought that the Hatred the King had conceiv'd against him upon a private Occasion did him the most Mischief of all It was this William had a very beautiful Wife of the Noble Family of the Dunbars when her Husband found that the King had had the use of her Body he undertook a Project which was rash enough in it self but yet not unproper for a Mind sick of Love and also provok'd by such an Injury as his was for he himself lay with the King 's young Sister a beautiful Woman but ill spoken of for her too great Familiarity with her Brother and on her he begot Margarite Creighton who died not long since In the interim Creighton's Wife died at his own House and the King's Sister whom as I said the King had vitiated was so much in Love with William that she seem'd sometimes to be out of her Wits for him The King partly by the Mediation of William's Friends and partly being mindful of the Wrong he himself had done him of the like sort and being willing also to cover the Infamy of his Sister under a pretext of Marriage permitted William to return Home again to Court upon Condition that he would Marry her William was persuaded by his Friends and for want of better Counsel especially since Richard of England was dead came to Eâ—verness where he had Conference with the King not long before Both their Deaths and great Hopes were there given of his Return His Sepulchre is yet there to be seen These things were done at several times but I have put them together that so the Thread of my History might not be discontinued and broken off Let us now return to what was omitted before Edward of England died in the Month of April next after Dunbar was delivered to him in the Year 1483. leaving his Brother Richard Guardian to his Sons He was first content with the Name of Protector and under that Title Govern'd England for two Months but afterwards having by several Practises engaged a great part of the Nobility and Commonalty to his side he put his Brothers Two Sons in Prison the Queen and her Two Daughters being forced to retire into a Sanctuary near London but the next Iune he took upon him the Name and Ornaments of a King Alexander of Albany and Iames Douglas being willing to try how their Countrymen stood affected towards them came with 500 select Horse to Loch-Maban on Maudlins-day because a great Fair used that day to be there held There a Skirmish began between the Parties with inraged Minds on Both sides and the Success was various as Aid came in out of the Neighbouring District either to This or That Party They fought from Noon till Night and the issue was doubtful but at last the Victory inclined to the Scots though it were a Bloody one as having lost many of their Men Douglass was there taken Prisoner and sent away by the King to the Monastery of Lindors Alexander was set on a Horse and escap'd but staid not in England long after that In the mean time many Incursions were made to the greater Loss of the English than Benefit of the Scots Richard was uncertain of the Event of things at home and withal fear'd his Enemy abroad for many of the English did favour the Earl of Richmond who was then an Exile in France and had sent for him over to undertake the Kingdom so that Richard was mightily troubled neither was he less vext with the Guilt of his own Wickedness and because he saw he could not quell Domestick Seditions as soon as he hoped therefore he thought it best to Oblige Foreigners by any Conditions whatsoever that so by their Authority and Power he might be safer at home and more formidable to his Enemies For this cause he sent Embassadors into Scotland to make Peace or at least a Truce for some years there he found all things more facile than he could have hoped for For Iames
intent upon other Matters and Concerns were secure as to the King's Departure from them because they believed that now his Mind was fully reconciled to them by those Blandishments and immoderate Pleasures they had indulg'd him in And besides they thought if he had a mind to remove there was no Faction strong enough to oppose them neither was there any strong Garison whither to retire but only Sterlin Castle which was allotted to the Queen for her Habitation but then it was deserted for a time by the Queen's Officers when she hid her self for fear of the Douglasses and when the Tumult was a little appeased 't was somewhat fortified but rather for a Shew than for any real Defence The King having obtained some small Relaxation saw that this must be his only refuge and therefore he bargain'd with his Mother privately to exchange that Castle and the Land adjoyning for other Lands as convenient for her and providing all other Requisites as secretly as he could the Douglasses not being so intent as formerly in their Watch over him he retired by Night with a few in his Company from Falkland to Sterlin whither he soon sent for some of the Nobles to come to him and others hearing the News came in of their own accord so that now he seemed sufficiently secured against all Force There by the Advice of his Nobles he published a Proclamation that the Douglasses should abstain from all Administration of publick Affairs And moreover that none of their Kin by Blood or Marriage or of their Dependants should come within twelve Miles of the Court he that did otherwise was to lose his Life When the Edict was served upon the Douglasses as they were coming to Sterlin many were of opinion that they should go on in their Journey but the Earl and his Brother George thought it best to obey the Edict Thus they went back to Linlithgo resolving to stay there till they heard some more News from the Court. In the mean time the King with great Diligence sent Messengers even to the furthest parts of the Kingdom to call in all the Nobles who had a Priviledg of voting to an Assembly at Edinburgh to be celebrated Septemb. the 3 d. next ensuing In the Interim He at Sterlin and the Douglasses at Edinburgh gathered Forces about them but it was rather to defend themselves than offend one another At length Iuly the 2 d. the Douglasses departed out of the City and the King with his Forces and Banners display'd enter'd in but by the Mediation of Friends deprecating the King on their Behalf Conditions were offer'd to them which were That the Earl of Angus should be banished beyond the Spey That George his Brother and Archibald his Uncle should be kept in hold in the Castle of Edinburgh If they submitted to these Terms then there was hopes of the King's Mercy otherwise not These Terms being rejected by them they were commanded by an Herauld to attend the Parliament that was to be held at Edinburgh the 3 d. of Septemb. In the mean time their publick Offices were taken from them and Gawin Dunbar the King's Tutor was made Chancellor instead of the Earl He was a good and a learned Man but some thought him a little defective in Politicks and Robert Carncross was made Treasurer in the place of Archibald one more known for his Wealth than his Virtue The Douglasses being now driven to their last shifts endeavoured to seize upon Edinburgh which was void by the King's Departure and accordingly they sent Archibald thither with some Troops of Horse their Design was to keep out the King and so to dissolve the Parliament But on the 7 th of the Calends of September Robert Maxwell with his Vassals had by the King's Command prevented them and kept them from entring the City yea the Guards and Sentinels were mounted and disposed so carefully in all convenient places that things were kept there in great Tranquillity till the Parliament's time of Meeting Douglas being disappointed of this hope retired to his Castle of Tantallon about fourteen Miles distant from the City The same day that the King came out of Sterlin there fell such mighty Showers of Rain from the Heavens and the Brooks and Rivers did so overflow their Banks that the King's Retinue was scatter'd into many parties so that they came much harassed and late in the Night to Edinburgh They were so mightily batter'd with the Violence of the Storm that a very few Horse if they had charged them might have done them a great deal of Mischief In that Parliament the Earl of Angus George his Brother Archibald his Uncle and Alexander Drummond of Carnock their intimate Friend were out-lawed and their Goods confiscate This Edict or Clause was also added to their Condemnation that whosoever did harbor them in their Houses or give them any other Assistance should incur the same Punishment That which most of all moved the Court to condemn them was this because the King had affirmed upon Oath That as long as he was in the Power of the Douglasses he was afraid of his Life he also profess'd that his Fear was heightned and made a deeper Impression on him after George had given him such cutting Menaces before mention'd There was only one Man found in this Assembly by name Iohn Bannatine a Vassal of the Douglasses who was so bold as to make a publick Protestation against all that was acted against the Earl because as he alleged his Non-appearance at the day limitted was occasion'd by his just Fear A few days after William another Brother of the Earl's Abbat of the Monastery of Holy Rood died of Sickness trouble of Mind and Grief for the present Posture of Affairs Robert Carncross one meanly descended but well monyed bought that Preferment of the King who then wanted Mony eluding the Law against Simony by a new kind of Fraud The Law was that Ecclesiastical Preferments should not be sold but he laid a great Wager with the King that he would not bestow upon him the next Preferment of that kind that fell and by that means lost his Wager but got the Abbacy Thus the Douglasses seeing that all hope of Pardon was cut off betook themselves to open force and to the only Comfort they had left which was in Revenge for they used great Extremity and committed all sorts of Outrages upon the Lands of their Enemies they burnt Cousland and Cranston and every day skirted by the Gates of Edinburgh with their Horse so that the City was almost besieged and the Poor were made to suffer for the Offences of the great Ones During these Hurly Burlies on the 11th of the Calends of December A Ship called the Marina a brave Vessel in those days and richly laden by stress of Weather was forc'd upon the Shore of Enverwick part of the Lading was pillaged by Douglasses Horse who rang'd up and down
also expose his Friends Kindred and Vassals whom he had engaged in the publick Cause and who had been almost worn out with toil and labour to Servitude and Torment under an impious and cruel Tyrant who as much as in him was had sold both Queen and Kingdom to the Enemy and who observed the Pacts and Promises he made to Men no more religiously than he did the Duties of Piety towards God for within a few Years he had changed his Religion Three times neither was it to be wonder'd at in him who looked upon Oaths and Promises not as Bonds obliging to Faithfulness but as lurking holes to hide Perfidiousness And therefore he moved earnestly That the King and those of his Council would consider whether in so great an Affair They would believe him all whose Ancestors had devoted themselves their Lives Honours and Fortunes for the increase of his Greatness and who indeed had been honoured and rewarded by him with many Benefits which yet were rather Testimonies of their good Acceptance than just Rewards and Compensations of their Labours or else a Man who would change his Friends and Foes at the blast of every Wind and who depended on the Arbitrement of Fortune alone Though many were not ignorant that his Allegations were true yet the French King was so influenc'd by the Guise's the Queen Dowager's Father and Unkle and who in all things endeavoured to promote her Concerns that his Heart and Ear were both shut against Lennox's Request insomuch that he would not permit Iohn Cambel a Man of approved Virtue sent by Lennox to have Audience or so much as to come into his Presence but kept him in the nature of a Prisoner and had Spies set upon him to watch him that so he might not write back any thing of the Designs agitated in the French Court yet notwithstanding this their Caution there were some who told him all When Lennox heard this by the Dispatches which were sent him his troubled Mind was variously hurried betwixt Anger and Shame he was ashamed to leave his Enterprize which he had begun unfinished and the rather because he thought that he was not able to satisfy the Love of his Friends and Kindred whom he had drawn with him into the same Danger but by the Sacrifice of his Life As for the rest his Anger was highly inflamed especially against the Queen-Dowager and the Cardinal by whose perfidious Contumely he was cast into these Straits but he was chiefly offended with the King of France complaining that he had brought him upon the Stage and now in the midst of his Acting had forsaken him and joined himself with his Enemies Whilst his Thoughts thus fluctuated not knowing where to fix News was brought him That all the Inhabitants on this side Mount Grantzbain who were able to bear Arms were commanded by Proclamation by such a Day to appear at Sterlin and to bring ten Days Provision along with them that they might be ready to march whithersoever the Regent should command them whither accordingly they came at the Day appointed and the Regent marched them to Glasgow There he besieged the Castle ten Days and battered it with his Brass-Guns but in vain yet at last a Truce was granted for a Day and the Guards tampered with so that the Castle was surrendered upon Quarter and Indemnity to the Garison-Souldiers yet notwithstanding all of them but One or Two were put to Death In the mean time Lennox being forsaken by the French King and also cut off from any hope of other Aid made trial by his Friends how the King of England stood affected towards him and finding it fair Weather there he resolv'd for England but before he went he had a great Mind to perform some notable Exploit against the Hamiltons and communicating his Design to William Cuningham Earl of Glencarn They two at a Day appointed with their Tenants and Adherents resolved to meet at Glasgow and from thence to make an inroad into the County of Clydsdale which almost all belonged to the Hamiltons When the Regent heard of this he resolved to be before-hand with them and so to seize upon Glasgow and thereby prevent the place of meeting but Cuningham with a great Party of his Men were entered the Town before and there expected the coming of Lennox but hearing of Hamilton's coming and of his Design he drew out his Men into the Fields adjoining and according to the number of those he had set them in array there were about 800 of them part of his own Clanship and part of the Citizens of Glasgow which favoured his Cause and thus with greater Courage than Force he joined Battel and fought so valiantly that he beat the first Rank of the Enemy back upon the second and took the Brass-pieces they had brought with them But whilst the Fight was hot about the Regent's Quarter and the Matter was in great Hazard there on a sudden Robert Boyd a valiant and brave Man came in with a small Party of Horse and thrust himself into the midst of the Fight where the hottest Service was He occasioned a greater Fear and Trepidation than so small a number need to have done for both Armies believed that great Assistance was come into the Hamiltons This Mistake quite changed the fortune of the Day whilst one thought the assistance was come into his Party the other to his Enemies There were slain in the Battel about 300 on both sides the greatest part was of the Cunningham's and amongst them two Sons of the Earl's gallant Men both Neither was the Victory unbloody to the Hamiltons for they lost considerable Persons on their side too But the greatest Mischief fell upon the Inhabitants of Glasgow for the Enemy not contented with the Blood of the Towns-men which they had killed nor with the Miseries of those who survived nor yet with the Plunder of their Houses they also took away the Valves and Shutters of their Gates and Windows and their Iron-Bars neither did they forbear any kind of Calamity but only the firing of their Houses which were so torn and deformed before The Event of this Battel wrought a great change in Mens Minds so that Lennox's Friends and Kinsmen refused to commit the Matter to the Hazard of a second Encounter not so much because their Enemies Force was increased and theirs lessened nor that because having lost so many valiant Men they could not speedily gather together a new supply from places so remote as that they were unwilling to give any new Provocation to Hamilton or by too much Obstinacy to offend him under whose Government they knew they must shortly come Lennox being thus deserted by the French and the greatest part of the Scots too made George Sterlin Governour of the Castle of Dunbarton and he himself with a few in his Company sailed for England against the advice of his best Friends who were willing he should have stayed some Months in
Necessity of the time requir'd them to steer their Counsels so as they might be pleasing to the Queen of England And on the other they knew of what Concernment it was to the Publick That one chief Magistrate should be set up to whom all Complaints might be made and for want of creating One some Months already past the Enemy had improv'd the delay to gather Forces to make new Courts of Justice daily to set forth new Edicts and to usurp all the Offices of a King On the other side the Royalists were dejected and a Multitude without one certain Person whom to obey could not be long kept in Obedience After the Embassadors Return News came That there was a new Insurrection in England and that in London the Popes Bull was fastned on the Church Doors to exhort the English partly to cast off the unjust Yoke of the Queen's Government and partly to return to the Popish Religion and it was thought that the Hand of the Queen of Scots was in all This. These things tho kept private yet came to be known by Letters from the Earl of Sussex and also the same Thomas Randolph had in presence confirm'd it yet they could hardly be restrain'd from chusing a Regent But at last a middle Way prevail'd That they might have an appearance of a chief Magistrate to set up an Inferior Regent or Deputy-Governour to continue till the 12 th of Iuly in which time they might be further inform'd of the Queen of England's Mind they judg'd That she was not averse from their Undertaking especially upon This ground That she had put it into the Articles of Capitulation That the Rebels should give up all the exil'd English If that were done they might easily understand that the Spirits of all the Papists about England were alienated from the Queen of Scots If it were denied then the Conference or Treaty would break off and the Suspicions which made the Commonalty averse would daily increase For they saw that other things would not easily be agreed upon when a greater Danger was imminent over the English than the Scots upon the Deliverance of their Queen and if other things were accorded yet the Queen of England would never let her go without giving Hostages neither was she able to give any such who could make a sufficient Warranty These Considerations gave them some Encouragement so that they proceeded to create Matthew Stuart Earl of Lennox the King's Grandfather to be Vice-Gerent for the time Whilst this new Vice-Roy by the advice of his Council was busied in rectifying things which had been disorder'd in the late Tumults Letters came opportunely from the Queen of England Iuly the 10 th wherein she spake much of her Affection to the King and Kingdom of Scotland and freely offer'd them her Assistance withal she deprecated the naming of a Regent which was a Title invidious of it self and of no good Example to them only if they ask'd her Advice she thought none was to be preferr'd to that high Office before the King's Grandfather none being of greater Faithfulness to the King yet a Pupil and who now for the same Reasons was made Deputy-Governour of the Kingdom These Letters incourag'd them by the joint Suffrages of all the Estates of a Vice-Roy to make him Regent Assoon as ever he was created Regent and had taken an Oath according to Custom to observe the Laws and Customs of his Country First of all he commanded that All which were able to bear Arms should appear at Linlithgo August the 2 d to hinder the Convention which the Seditious had there Indicted in the Name of the Queen then he himself summon'd a Parliament in the Name of the King to be held the 10 th day of October he also sent to the Governour of the Castle of Edinburgh who as yet pretended great Friendship to the King's Party tho his Words and Actions did very much disagree to send him some Brass-Guns Carriages and other Apparatus for the managing of them This he did rather to try them than in hopes to obtain his desires He promis'd very fair at first but when the Day was coming on that the Parliament was to Meet when he was desir'd to perform his Promise he peremptorily refus'd alleging That his Service should be always ready to make up an Agreement between but not to shed the Blood of his Country-Men Nevertheless the Regent came at the Day appointed to Linlithgo with 5000 arm'd Men in his Company but hearing that the Enemy did not stir only that Huntly had placed 160 Souldiers at Brechin and had sent out an Order commanding the Brechinians to get in Provision for some Thousands of Men by the 2 d of August The Garison there plac'd by him did rob not only the Inhabitants but all Travellers also when they were wearied with their Journy Whereupon the Regent by the advice of his Council resolv'd to march thither and to seize on the Place which would be of great advantage to him before Huntly's coming and if occasion were offer'd there to fight him before his Partners came up with their Force and so to overthrow that Party of Musqueteers which was All he had and by that means he might catch some of the Leaders of the Faction as the Earl of Crawford Iames Ogilby and Iames Balfure who he heard were there Whereupon he commanded Patrick Lindsy and William Ruven chief Officers and Iames Haliburton Governour of Dundee to take what Souldiers they could raise at Dundee and St. Iohnstons and to make haste thither to prevent the News of their coming They made all the speed that ever they were able the next Night horsing their Foot for greater Expedition yet as they drew near the Place they march'd slowly that they might get some Refreshment before they charg'd the Enemy so that the Alarum was taken at Brechin that the Enemy was a coming whereupon Ogilby and Balfure who chanc'd to be there got the Souldiers presently together and incouraging them as well as they could for the time They told them that They and Huntly would return again in 3 Days and so they got an Horseback and made haste away over the Mountains The Souldiers that were left catch'd up what was next at hand and about 20 of them got to the Tower of a Church that was near The rest fled into the House of the Earl of Marr which was seated on a Hill near thereto it was like a Castle and commanded the Town Iames Douglas Earl of Morton with 800 Horse went a further March about and came not in till the Day after The Regent sent home the Lennoxians and the Renfroans to guard their own Country if Argyle should attempt any thing against it But he himself in 3 Days overtook those whom he had sent before to Brechin At the noise of his coming the neighbour Nobility came in so that now he muster'd 7000 Men effective Whereupon they who were in the Church Tower