naturall to seek the repairing of them and he is excused who recompenses a wrong received and he is accounted also just who does it byorder and modestie that hath patience to sute it and abide the delayes of a Court-sute it being a mean to purge blood out of the land Neither does either Philosophie or Religion forbid it but by the contrary commands allowes it Only the caution is that the minde of the pursuer be voide of malice and his eye set upon justice of which intention the searcher of hearts can only be the competent judge If some Imperfections and weaknesse of nature do mingle with the action we must not alwayes for that either utterly reject the action or condemne the authour But we must acknowledge that as right which is right and pardon the imperfection which none wantes We must not exclaime against it as if it were nothing but partialitie Nor against the doer as meerly vindictive cheifely in a fact so very enormous as the murthering of his Cosins was wherefore if we shall without partialitie in our selves consider this whole pursuit and give it the right name we shall call it kindnesse to his kinsmen equitie justice modestie and patience rather than wrong and malice and praise him for his kindnesse and faithfulnesse in friendship in revenging their quarrells which hath been his very inclination as will appeare hereafter yet not only this his just pursuite but every thing that fell out in the countrie is laid upon him to brand him as the slaughter of James Stuart by the Boydes and the like the taking of the castle of Hales by Patrick Dumbarre which he is said to have taken and killed the keeper thereof because the Lord Hales had then received the Queen mother into the castle of Dumbarre who had fled hither to eschew the troubles of the times The Earle Douglas within a few dayes after got the castle of Hales againe on condition to suffer the said Patrick Dumbar and his men to depart with their lives safe Likewise he is said to have constrained Sir James Stuart the blacke knight of Lorne who had maried the Queen mother to goe out of the countrie upon some speeches uttered by the said Sir James against the ill government of the affairs of the kingdom But neither is it set down what the words were neither what sort of constraint was used towards him This Sir James as he was sailing into France his ship was taken by the Flemings and he himself died soone after The next year which was 1448 there fell out warre with England and incursions made on both sides by the Borderers where the Earle Douglas began again after so long an intermission to wit from the entrie of King James the first in the yeare 1423. the space of twenty five years to take upon him the managing of the warre which his house had ever done and he now also discharging with honour and following the footsteps of his predecessours for Dumfreis being burnt by the Earle of Shreusburie or Salisburie Dumbar spoiled by the Earle of Northumberland James Douglas the Earles brother burnt Anwick in England where having gotten great store of bootie and many prisoners as the others had done in Scotland being almost equall the prisoners goods were changed by consent agreement of the captains But this was only a small assay before a greater matter which followed this same year as should seem yet there was some cessation for a while and truce taken for seven years In which time the Earle who as we see was so zealous in prosecuting the revenge of the wrong done to his Cosins showes another propertie no lesse commendable which is to be as kind and forward to advance his friends as he had been to quell his enemies For the same year James Dumbar Hollinshed calles him John Earle of Murray being dead first he obtaines the foresaid Earles daughter who was Neece to King Robert the second by his daughter for his third Brother Archbald then the title of Earl of Murray from the King notwithstanding that she whom his brother had married was but the youngest sister the elder being married before her fathers death unto James Creighton of whom the house of Fenderet is descended how it came that he was preferred before Creighton who married the elder sister whether because the titles of Earles do not go by succession unto the heirs of Line but by the pleasure of the Prince and that he had more court then Creighton or whether there was some respect also had to the kinred or what ever cause there were of it it gave matter of speech to his enviers and to our histories it hath furnished matter of Censure as a wrong done to the elder sister to whom they think it belonged he obtained also his fourth brother Hugh to be made Earle of Ormond and his fifth brother John to be Lord of Balvenie and Baron thereof with many rich and fruitfull lands In which actions of his when men can finde no ground of alledging that he did any wrong they blame him as immoderate in augmenting too much the greatnesse of his house Wherein I cannot but praise his kindnesse and carefulnesse in preferring of his friends by all lawfull meanes which is a dutie standeth with wisdom and a right wisdom neither was it ever or can it be ever justly discommended where there is no injurie committed Whereas not to do it if a man be able and not to seem to do so proceeds either of carelesnes or that which is worse wickednesse selfe love and in some envi and malignity even to their owne friends Which kind of doing deserves no commendation when it is but carelesnesse farre lesse when it is done of malice last of all when men doe not onely not labour to advance their friends but even endeavour to keep them under by a point of wisedome which they thinke very deep that they may remain servants to them fearing that if they come to any preferment they would not be so ready to serve them and might perhaps grow up above them This humour as it is malignant and an ill disposition so it is no great good wisedome whatsoever subtilty it may seem to have in itâ—… for they advert not that they hinder them who would stand them in stead and cut them short in power to be steadable to them and so cut down the props of their owne standing and such as would support them in their need necessity And while they feare that their friends out-strip them they give place and matter to their enemies to overtop them both Now the feare which they apprehend of their friends neglecting their duetie to them is very farre off and if ever it come to passe it should not be envied providing that kindnesse remain among them though they should grow greater then they and howbeit they answered not our expectation in kindnesse except it were joyned with extremitie of wickednesse and perhaps
There were slaine in this battell 3000. English and amongst those their great Magnus and the Scots deadly enemie who had presumed so of victory A notable example to teach men not to be over confident in things of such uncertaine event as are the warres and as our proverb is Not to sell the beares skin before he be slaine There were slaine besides him eleven Knights of good account and note Of the Scots were lost but 600. There were taken prisoners a great number amongst whom were Sir John Pennington and Sir Robert Harington Knights and the Lord Percie sonne to the Earle of Northumberland whilest he helped his father to his horse who thereby escaped taking There was also so great store of spoile gotten as no man remembred so much to have beene gotten at any battell before For the English trusting to their number and the strength of their Armie together with the opinion of their enemies weaknesse through dissention and variance as they supposed had brought with them their best furniture and richest stuffe in full assurance of victorie Wallace of Craiggie being sore wounded in the fight was carried home and died within three moneths after The Earle of Ormond having gotten this honourable victorie conveyed the chiefest of the prisoners to Lochmabane and then repaired to Court where he was joyfully met and received of all with all sort of honour that could be envie it selfe not daring to open her mouth against him The King did highly commend him for this exploit and exhorted him and the Earle Douglas his brother That as their foregoers had often as they also had done defended the Estate of Scotland with their labours and vertue in most perillous times and had given large proofe of their valour and courage That so they would at home accustome themselves to modestie That they themselves would abstain and that they would containe their friends from injuries toward the weaker sort Their power and puissance which they had acquired by so many their great deserts towards their Kings his Predecessours and the Countrey that they would employ it rather in suppressing of robbers and disorderly men then to make new of giving way to it by connivence That this only was lacking to their full praise which if they would adde they should finde by experience there was nothing more deare unto him then the advancement of the House and Name of Douglas To this the Earle Douglas replied he being the elder brother and finding that this speech was chiefly directed to him with great submission and promised to doe as his Majestie had exhorted them and so they were dismissed and returned home to their owne houses with great honour and applause both of Prince and people to whom they had by this victorie purchased great quietnesse For neither were the English Borderers able to invade them any more nor the King of England to send downe a new Army which faine he would have done by reason of the civill warre which ensued shortly after at home So that he chose rather to have peace with Scotland in regard of the case he was then in then warre Wherefore he sent Ambassadours and obtained a Truce for three yeares the Scots thinking it no lesse expedient for them in a case not unlike to his through intestine dissention though not open insurrection against the King For notwithstanding all this service done to the King and Countrey the malice of such as were the enemies of the Douglasses was no whit abated nay their worth the more it was showne and the more brightly that it did shine it did so much the more stirre envie in their ill-willers whose secret practises still continued and whose credit in Court seemed still to increase against them Creighton who before had beene sent Ambassadour to Charles the seventh of France for procuring a wife to the King had concluded a match for him with Mary daughter to Arnold Duke of Gelders who by her mother the Duke of Burgundies sister was come of the Bloud Royall of France was now returned into Scotland with her in this yeare 1448. This service and her favour increased his credit greatly with the King which the Earle Douglas perceiving was nothing pleased with it but being discontented obtaining leave of the King he withdrew himselfe from Court seeing his errour of having beene contented that Creighton should be imployed in that honourable message thinking himselfe well rid of him by this his absence which practice of Court succeedeth sometimes happily as it did against the Boyds in King James the thirds time in the very like case yet it did not so now but turned to the greater advantage and advancement of his enemie Creighton was well contented with his retiring esteeming it his gaine to be so rid of him from the Kings eare and presence Whilest they concorded thus in their discord both willing one thing in so contrary mindes to wit the Earle Douglas absence there fell out an accident that occasioned his longer absence not from the Court onely but out of the Countrey also Richard Colville of Ochiltree was an enemy and bare deadly feud to John Auchenlech of Auchenlech a friend and depender of the Earle Douglas whom the Earle having sent for to come to him to Douglas Castle for such businesse as he had to do with him the said Richard having notice of the said Auchenlechs journey notwithstanding he knew he went toward the Earle whether stirred up by the Earles enemies at Court so to put an affront upon him or leaning to their credit for impunitie or out of impatience or presumption or contempt of the Earle in respect of his withdrawing from Court not regarding him or fearing his displeasure or anger he lay in wait for him by the way and set upon him with a number of armed men where after some small conflict Auchinlech was slaine and divers of his friends and servants with him The Earle Douglas having notice hereof the fact touching him so neerely in the person of his friend and follower in his service comming toward him and sent for by him he was so incensed therewith that whether distrusting the ordinary course of justice as wherein he might be eluded by his enemies then guiders of Court or impatient of delay or not accounting it so honourable for him nor so awefull in example to others concluding immediately to revenge it and vowing solemnly he should be avenged before he either eat or dranke he tooke horse immediately and with the readiest of his friends rode to the Castle of Ochiltree forced it and slew the said Richard Colvill and all the males within the Castle that were come to the age of men This opened the mouths of men diversly according to their diverse humours some condemning his cruelty some commending his courage some saying that he had gone too farre and done too much others that he could doe no lesse that he had just cause and that he had been ill used his friend slain his honour
hate most honour brings Of George Master of Angus and sonne to Archbald the first HIs eldest son as hath been said was George slain at Flowdon designed commonly by the appellation of Master of Angus He was married to Elizabeth Drummond daughter to the Lord Drummond of whom we told how he defeated the Earle of Lennox His children by her were three sonnes First Archbald afterward Earle of Angus Secondly Sir George of Pittendrich Thirdly William Priour of Colding hame His daughters were First the Lady Yester Secondly the Lady Basse. Thirdly Jeane Lady Glames Fourthly Alison married first to Robert Blackader of Blackader and afterward to Sir David Hume of Wedderburne Fifthly the Lady Drumlanerige as I take it Also they mention a sixth married to a Baron in the North whom they name not neither do I know who he should be His age at his death to reckon from the 15. year of his fathers age in the 1469. to the year of his own death at Flowdon 1513. was not above 44. His actions because he never came to be Earle are not recorded Some dealing there was betwixt him as Governour of Liddisdale and the Lord Dacres in England with whose Deputies he agrees to meet at Dumfreis for doing of Justice in the year 1489. the year after the King was killed at Bannock-burne So at Cannabie he met with the Lord Dacres himself where they accorded not well For they intended both to send to the Councels of both Nations to have their determination of their differences He agrees the same year with Sir Robert Lundie of Bagonie Treasurer for a generall remission to Ewsdalde Eskdale and Niddisdale which I think should rather be Liddisdale for a 1000. pounds being at this time not above 20. years of age not out of Curatorie by the Laws though that was in his fathers hands Yet we see also Courts held in his name by his Bailiffs as a retoure of Adam Ker to some Lands in Selkrig in the said year which makes me to think he hath been then married Also he it is as we told above that excambes the Lands of Liddisdale for Bothwell with Patrick Earle Bothwell resigning the Lands of Liddisdale and the King disponing them upon the resignation in the year 1492. upon what reason either the Earle Bothwelshould have affected these or he preferred the other and not thought himself as fit to rule that unruly Countrey as any other I have not heard But it was done in his fathers life time who was no fool when he was in his greatest vogue the first three years of King James the fourth He allies afterward with this same Earl Bothwel marrying his sonne Archbald to his daughter but that must be long after except that he hath been married young as some say he was In the year 1510. he indents for the marriage of his fourth daughter Alison to Robert Blackaders sonne and apparent heir to Andrew Blackader of that Ilk. Her portion 300. marks the terms 1. at the compleating 40. pounds and 20. pounds at the feast of Martimasse next after and so 20. pounds termly till it were payed That same year he is infeft in Abernethie And this is all we have of him which we have set down chiefly for his children and the Historie that followeth of them Of Archbald the seventh Earle of Angus and the second Archbald TO Archbald the first succeeded Archbald the second his Grand-childe by his sonne George Master of Angus He was thrice married first to Margaret Hepburne daughter to Patrick Hepburne the first Lord Bothwell being as yet very young for at his second marriage he was not old but a youth or stripling Adolescens She died in childe-birth within the year as they say immediatly after the Field of Flowdon 2. His second wife was Queen Margaret relict of King James the 4. and daughter to King Henry 7. of England She bare to him a daughter Lady Margaret Douglas who was married to Matthew Stuart Earle of Lennox and bare to him Henry Lord Darnly that married Queen Mary of Scotland and father to King James the sixt of Scotland and first of great Brittain now happily reigning Lady Margaret had also another sonne named Charles who was father to the Lady Arabella 3. His third wife was Margaret Maxwell daughter to the Lord Maxwell She bare to him a sonne and a daughter who died both of them before they were 8. years old He had also a base daughter by a daughter of Traquairs Jeane Douglas married to the Lord Ruthven Some say that he begot this daughter in the Queens time while she lying in of Lady Margaret Douglas in England after her delivery went to London and stayed there with her brother King Henry the 8. and with her sister the late Queen of France and then Duchesse of Suffolk Others say that it was before He had also a base sonne as I take it commonly called George the Postulant to a by-name because I know not upon what claim or title he did postulate and claim the Abbacie of Aberbroth or Abernethock and not onely did postulate it but apprehended it also and used it as his own Having brought the house of Angus still increasing and growing in greatnesse and honour unto this man Archbald the second shall we suffer it now to decay or to take halt in his person No but we shall see it increase so much the more as he approacheth nearer unto that descent which is able to give honour unto basenesse it self far more to adde and multiply honour upon that which is already honourable Men do not onely take honour from their progenitors their posterity makes them honourable when they have much honour and that variable according to the degrees of their honour more or lesse Which seeing it is undeniable in what place of honour shall we rank this Archbald father to the Lady Margaret Douglas and by her great Grandfather to our Soveraigne King James of great Brittain This one thing is enough to lift him up to the highest top of honour All other things are but accessary yet are they additions of great importance Men are honourable by their marriage Who then so honourable as he Having married a Queen a Kings daughter a Kings sister a Kings mother Others also of the Subjects of this Countrey have married Queens I grant But none of them did marry Queen Margaret a Lady so vertuous None did marry a Queen so Royally descended and every way Regall in her father her mother her brother her sister her husband her sonne being all of them Kings or Queens None did marry a Queen without some blemish and diminition of her reputation but he None with the approbation of all men even of the Queens own chief Kinred with the allowance desire and exhortation of her Kinsfolks of King Henry the 8. But you will say perhaps that this hath been chance or fortune or ignorance in her blindnesse of an impotent woman who placed her affection
the field but after the field in his owne Tent and that the Earles of Crawford Murray and March went into his Tent and found him lying hurt with three great wounds almost dead at which sight each looked upon other with a silent astonishment and then burst forth into teares and weeping which he beholding said unto them with a weake and faint voyce which could scarcely be heard I beseech you good friends leave your lamenting and be glad of the present victorie which God of his goodnesse hath granted to us We exposed our bodies to the enemies sword to obtain that which wee have obtained Turne therefore your teares unto thanks mindefull rather of the benefit then sorrowfull for that which is happened otherwayes then ye wished If yee regard my paines and my life which for you I lose pray for my soul and follow Vertue and Armes as ye doe which you may imploy for the liberty of your Countrey keeping concord amongst your selves with a kinde remembrance of me Soone after these words were uttered hee died in the armes of his friends There are that say that he was not slain by the enemy but by one of his owne men a Groome of his Chamber whom he had struck the day before with a truncheon in the ordering of the battell because hee saw him make somewhat slowly to and they name this man John Bickerton of Luffenesse who left a part of his armour behinde unfastned and when hee was in the greatest conflict this servant of his came behinde his back and slew him thereat but this narration is not so probable He was buried at Melrosse besides his father with a Military pompe of the whole Army and all the honour that could bee devised for him besides by the Abbot and Monks of that Convent after the most solemne manner of those times Jacobus Duglassius qui obiit ad Otterburnum Julii 31. 1388. Moriens Quaeritis ô quid agam an animam jam ago fata meorum Hac sequor Innumero huc vulnere facta via est Nesciat hoc hostis sequitor quam quisque secat spem Atque aliquis nostri funeris ultor ades Finiit Et subito redivivo funere surgens Mars novus intonuit victor ultor obit Johnst Herees In English thus My friends you aske me how I do My soul is now prepar'd to go Where many wounds have made her way Conceal it till you winne the day Pursue your hopes this said he dy'd Then the whole rank's a Douglas cry'd And charg'd a fresh that thou might'st have Revenge and honour in the grave Before we proceed to speake of the next Earle of Douglas the order of the History requireth that first wee speake of Archbald Douglas Lord of Galloway brother to William the first Earle of Douglas and of the said Archbalds naturall sonne VVilliam Lord of Nithisdale Of this Archbald we have mentioned what was remarkable in his brother Earle VVilliams life for that was the time of his action The first was after the battell of Penure to bee revenged of the losse whereof the English invaded Scotland with 50000 men as they say that make them the fewest or 40000. as others conducted by the Lord Talbot a very valiant man with this huge number when they had spoyled the Countrey farre and wide as they retired towards England they were assailed at a strait passage by the Lord of Galloway who had not above 5000. in his company with these he discomfited his hoast and recovered the whole bootie There were slain of the enemies in the conflict 400. and 200. taken prisoners and many were drowned in the river Solway as they fled unadvisedly Some write that he set upon them in the night being incamped in a strait valley not farre from England where the first that they met withall being slain the rest were affrighted and disordered and so overthrowne The next thing that we heare of him is that he was with his brother the Earle at the conference with John of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster concerning a truce and that hee accompanied the said Duke to Holyrood-house The truce was made for three yeares And after these were expired the Lord of Galloway being very much grieved that there should be a Garrison of English in the Castle of Lochmabane which did daily spoil and rob the villages and townes of Galloway and Annandale raised a great power by the help of his brother the Earle Douglas and the Earle of March and besieged the Castle for the space of eleven dayes There came some English companies to have raised the siege and relieved the Castle but he repulsed them Thereafter having assaulted it very fiercely the Captain thereof Sir William Ediston yeelded it up unto him lives and goods safe and he having gotten it into his hands razed it to the ground It is written also of him that hee went into France with his Nephew James Earle of Douglas when he was sent to renew the ancient league with that Kingdome The last of his actions that we can finde is that hee was with his Nephew James Earle of Douglas and the Earle of March at the taking of Wark Foord and Cornhill where he wasted and spoyled the Countrey betwixt Berwick and Newcastle with the Frenchmen These Frenchmen not contented herewith but desirous to doe some other exploit joyning with Archbald Lord of Galloway passed Solway sands and did wonderfull great hurt in Cumberland He is accounted by Writers to have been a very sufficient and valorous Gentleman and that he died before the battell of Otterburn in the yeare 1387. He founded the Hospitall of Holiwood and to him succeded his Nephew Archbald called the Grimme in the Lordship of Galloway who afterwards was both Earle of Douglas and Lord of Galloway And here it is to be observed that there were three Archbald Douglasses almost contemporary which are to be distinguished that we mistake not one for another The first is this Archbald brother to William the first Earle who was Lord of Galloway then when his brother lived and who was father to the Lord Niddisdale The second Archbald was son naturall to good Sir James slain in Spain who was made Captain of the Castle of Edinburgh when it was taken by his brother the Lord of Liddesdale who is wrongfully named VVilliam in our Chronicles in stead of Archbald He was at the battell of Poytiers and is reported to have married in France and remained there till his death The third is Archbald the Grimme of whom we shall speake hereafter Our Writers through inadvertance doe divers times confound these three taking one of them for another As when they say Archbald Lord of Galloway sonne to sir James slain in â—…pain was taken at Poytiers it is a manifest errour for if he was Lord of Galloway hee was not sonne to Sir James if he were sonne to Sir James then was hee not Lord of Galloway for Galloway did never belong to Sir James but to
bring him home that would take order with them also But it was too late for his death ensuing shortly after hindered the execution of that purpose He died the thirteenth of December 1542. leaving one onely daughter Mary his heir behinde him a childe of five dayes old But although he lived not to effect his determination yet he gave them an honourable testimony of their worth and withall made a confession of the wrong he had done to them and gave them a clear absolviture from all former imputation And so for their part they rest satisfied with it and seek no other The King was dead who had purposed to have brought them home his will is enough to them they stand not on ceremonies they come home now unsent for There were taken prisoners at the Solom-Mosse seven Earles and Lords foure and twenty others of inferiour but good place and quality When King Henry of England had triumphed a while over them causing to lead them from the Towre of London to Court through Cheapside Street the 20. of December upon Saint Thomas day he rebuked them as breakers of Covenant by a long harangue of his Chancellour who magnified the Kings mercy who did said he remit much of the rigour he might justly have used against them After this they had some more freedome and when the news of the Kings death was come he dealt kindly with them and told them his intention which was to have their Kings daughter married to his sonne Prince Edward that so the Nations of England and Scotland might be joyned together by that alliance for affecting of which match he takes their promise to favour his designe and to set it forward at home as farre as they might without dammage to their Countrey or reproach and infamy to themselves So having first taken pledges and hostages of them at New-Castle by the Duke of North-folke for their return in case the peace were not agreed on he sent them home to Scotland the first of January 1543. with these returned our Douglasses the Earle and Sir George after fifteen years exile and were received of all with great joy and gratulation Onely they were not welcome to the Cardinall They had been ever at variance they ranne divers courses in policie he suspected their Religion specially Sir Georges He knew they would not approve nor ratifie the Kings testament which he had forged wherein he was made Protectour and Governour with three Noblemen to be his Assessours He doubted not but that they would oppose him in the Parliament and therefore here he found means to be chosen Governor before their return Yet his fraud was detected before they came home and he debouted and put from that authority In his place James Hamilton Earle of Arran was chosen as being the man to whom it properly belonged as next heire and best beloved partly because they had a good opinion of his towardly disposition and that he was not averse from the reformed Religion whereof he willingly read the controversies partly because they hated the Archbishop Beton and his priests crueltie which put every man in fear of their government That businesse was settled ere they came home The next point was the marriage of the young Queen which they were to set forward with England The Queen mother and the Cardinall and the whole faction of the Priests oppose this way with all their might and power But they prevailed not and the Cardinall because he troubled all and would suffer nothing to be done orderly he was shut up in a Chamber till the matters were concluded and pledges promised to bee given to the English Ambassadour Sir Ralphe Sadler for performance Ambassadours also were sent into England to treat on the conditions They were the Earle of Glencarne Sir George Douglas Sir William Hamilton of Machane and the Secretarie of estate These remained foure moneths in England agreed at last and concluded all articles and conditions But in their absence the Cardinall was set at liberty who troubled all gathered a contribution of the Clergie and what by bribing what by other practices used by him and the Queen turns the Nobilitie quite an other way When those that had been sent into England were returned and found things in this estate they were much grieved at it and laboured to recall things and to perswade them to keep their promise made to King Henry To move them hereto Sir George Douglas spake to them very earnestly and told them the apologue of the asse which a King did love so dearly that he had a great minde and desire to have her to speak and having dealt with divers Physicians to make her to speak they told him it was a thing impossible and gainst nature but he being impatient and not enduring to have his desire crossed slew them because they told him the truth At last he trying about what others could doe one who was made wise by their example being required to do it he undertook it but withall he shew him that it was a great work and would be very chargeable The King being set upon it to have it done told him he should have what allowance he pleased and bade him spare for no charges and that besides he would reward him liberally The Physician told him that it would prove also a long cure and could not be done in a day ten years were the fewest that could be allotted to it The King considered of it and was contented to allow him that time for performing it and so they agreed and the Physician began to fall to work about his asse His friends hearing of it came to him and asked him what he meant to take in hand that which could not be performed in nature He smiled and said unto them I thought you had been wiser than to ask me such a question if I had sayes he refused to take it in hand he had put me to death presently now I have gained ten years time before which be expired who can tell what may happen The King may die the asse may die I my self may die and if any of these happen I am freed In the mean time I shall be in good estate wealth honour and the Kings favour Even so sayes Sir George stands the case with us at this time if wee refuse and leap back from the conditions that are propounded and agreed on wee enter into present Warre for which we are very unfit and ill provided If we embrace them we gain time we shall enjoy peace and quietnesse during the Queens childe-hood and before that be expired Prince Edward may die our Queen may die King Henry may die or the parties when they come to age may refuse one another or then perhaps as things may fall out it may be thought the best way by us all But he could not perswade them to it the Queen mother and the Cardinall the Popish and Politick Faction standing for France and drawing