the earldom of Lennox to his nephew, Esme Stuart of Aubigny; and he had a charter of the earldom of March and lordship of Dunbar, 25th of October 1582, erecting the same of new into an earldom. Dying without issue, the title again reverted to the crown. Lord William Douglas, second son of William, first duke of Queensberry, was created earl of March in 1697; his grandson William, third earl of March, succeeded as fourth duke of Queenberry, in 1778; but dying without issue in 1810, the earl of Wemyss succeeded to the title of earl of March, along with an extensive range of property in Peeblesshire. 66 With the fall of the castle, the ancient military history of Dunbar is at a close. After the union of the kingdoms there was a repose from the miseries of war, and the glorious work of reformation from popery next engaged the attention of the people. This was followed by the virulence of sects or parties, and pulpit drum ecelesiastic, was beat with fist instead of a stick.”—Dunbar could take little part in these quarrels; but in the winter of 1588, when the popish lords had leagued with the Spaniards, the inhabitants felt the natural alarm, then spread throughout the country, lest the Spanish Armada might land on their shores. The elements happily prevented this; and we have only to notice the wreck of the hulk of Jan Gomes de Medina on the opposite coast of Fife, as recorded by the minister of Anstruther.* * See Note IV. at the end of this chapter. NOTES TO CHAPTER XI. NOTE I. "Apud EDINBURGH, 22d Apriles, 1550, præsentibus REGINA et GUBERNATORE. "In the answeris to the maist Cristine King of Francis Memoriale, ressavit fra Mons. de Finnell, gevin to Thomas, Maister of Erskin, ambassador for the Queenis grace of Scotland and my Lord Governour thairof (to be schawin to his Hienes upon thair behalf,) is this item: "That the king putt sik garrisones in Dunbar, Blaknes, castell of Bruchty and Incheketh, as his majestie or his lieutenant thinkis neidfull for preservation of the samyn in tyme of pece, and that they be fortifyit, and specialie the forts of Inchekethe and castle of Bruchty; becaus thai ar the entres of twa of our soueranes maist speciale revars: And that the lord Hume kepe the castell of Hume, and the king to support him as he pleses; becaus it is our charge, and to the said lord to keep the samyn as an hous of were so nere the bordoris. It is thocht expedient be the Quenis grace, my Lord Governour, and counsale, that the fortis of Lauder, Dunglas, Roxburc and Aymouth, be all cassin down for sik motives as the said Maister of Erskin can schaw."-Keith's App. NOTE II. Apud EDINBURGH, 27th January 1551, præsentibus Regina et GUBERNATORE. "The quhilk day, forsamekle as the Queenis grace, my Lord Governour, and Lords of secret Counsale, being remembrit of the mony and diverse gratituds done to our soverane Lady, hir realme and liegis thairof, for defens of the samyn, be the maist Cristin King of France, and speciallie in bigging of the fort of Abirlady at Lufness, and strenthning thairof with men and munitioun in time of weir; and that the samyn is sumptuous to his majestie, and nocht necessary to be keipit now in tyme of peax; and willing to dimi nische the sumptuous chargeis sustenit be his Majestie in this realme, insafer as thai may: Thairfore the Quenis grace, my Lord Governour, and lordis foresaidis, ordainis the said fort of Abirlady to be randerit and deliverit to Patrik Hepburn of Wauchtoun, and the same to be cassin down and destroyit to the erd, except the hous and mansioun thairof, swa that na fort nor strenth be thair in tymes to cum; and the said mansion and housis to be broukit and joisit be the said Patrik as his heritage, like as his forbears bruikit the samyn of before in tymes bipast, conforme to his infeftment; provid. ing always that the said Patrik caus the munitioun and artailzery being in the said fort, to be had and carryit to Dunbar upoun his expensis. 'IBID. NOTE III. "Proclamatioun to all Men to be in reddines. 1st September. "Forsamekillas it hes plesit Almychtie God lauchfullie and rychteouslie to call our soverane Lord the Kingis Majestie to the royall crowne of this his kingdome, be the dismissioun of the Quenis grace his moder; and that he, according to the same, is solempulle investit and possest in the same kingdome, quhairof all his guid and lufing subjectis are debt-bound to prais God that hes so favourablie and gratiouslie lukit upoun this natioun; and conforme to his ordainance and will to reverance, obey, and serve his Hienes as thair native Prince and soverane Lord: Nevirtheles the malicious hartis of sum unnaturall and disobedient personis, legeis to his Majestie, ceis nocht, sa far as in thame lyis, planelie to resist and gainstand his Hienes' authoritie, uow in the begyning thairof, contempnandlie plukkand down and stoppand the herauldís and ordinar officiaris of armis to mak proclamatioun and significatioun of his majesties coronation; tending nathing ellis, as weill appears by thair proceidings, bot planlie to disobey his Hienes, and nawayis recognosce him as their soverane Lord: And lykwayis, James, Erle Bothuile, denuncet rebell and traitour for the tressonabill, schamefull and unworthie murthour of umquhile King Hennrie, our soveranis derrest fader, being fugitive frae the ordinar lawis, and culpabill be the law of armis for refusall of that singular combat quhairunto of befair he offerit himself for purgatioun of his allegat innocencie, hes bayth stuffit and garnissit our soveranis castell of Dunbar with men, munitioun, and otherwayis ; and being requyrit to deliver the same, hes planelie refusit, mynding to detein and hald the said castell against our soverane Lord, and his authoritie: And in the mean tyme, the said erle, accumpanyit with a greit numer of notorious pyrattis, fugitives frae all lawis, and utheris brokin men, being past to the sey, daylie committis reiff, depredatioun, plane pyracie and oppressioun on the subjectis of all Cristiane Princes, friendis and confederatis of this realme, evir thynking, at his plesour, to retyre him to our said soveranis castell of Dunbar as a saif-guard to keip him frae justice; and alswa, be the ayd of sic utheris as abstractis thair dew obedience frae his Hienes, to resist his authoritie foirsaid, and eschew the dew punischment quhilk worthilie he deservis for his rebellioun and treasonabill deids to the incourageing of sic ungodlie and wickit men to continew in thair mischeivous deids, and to the greit hurt of this commounweill, gif tymous remeid be nocht providit: Qvhairfoir, our soverane Lord, with avyis of his derrest cousing, James, Erle of Murray, Lord Abernethie, Regent of his Hienes, his realme and legeis, and Lordis of our Secreit Counsall, ordainis letters, &c."—laid. NOTE IV. Letter by the Rev. John Melville of Anstruther, regarding the "That winter, in the year 1588, the king occupied in comment, ing of the Apoclypse, and in setting out of sermons thereupon, against the Papists and Spainzards; and yet by a piece of great oversight the Papist practised never mair busilie in this land, and maid greater preparation for receiving of the Spainzards nor that zeir. For a lang tyme the newes of the Spanish navie haid been blazed abroad; and about the lambas tyde of the 1558, this yland haid fund a fearful effect thereof to the utter subversion bathe of kirk and police, giff God had not wonderfullie watched over the same, and mightilie faughten and defeat that armie be his suldiars the elements, quwhilk he maid all four maist fercelie to afflict them, till almaist utter consumption, Terrible was the feir, presshing war the preachings, earnest, zealous, and fervent war the prayers, sounding war the siches and sobbes, and abounding war the tears at that first and General Assembly keept at Edinburgh, when the news war credibilie tauld, sumtymes of their landing at Dunbar, sumtymes at St Andrais, and in Tay, and now and then at Aberdeen and Cromartie frith: and in verie deid, as we knew certainlie soon after, the Lord of armies wha ryddes upon the wings of the wunds, the keeper of his awin Israel, was in the mean time convoying that monstrous navie about our coasts, and directing their hulks and galiaces to the ylands, rokkes, and sands, wharupon he had destinat their wrak and destruction; for within twa or thrie moneths thereafter, earlie in the morning be brake of day, ane of our bailzies came to my bedside, saying, (but not with fray) I have to tell you news, Sir; there is arrived within our harbrie this morning a shipfull of Spainzards, bot not to giff mercie, bot to ask, and sa shaws me that the commanders haid landit, and he haid commandit tham to their ship again, till the magistrates of the town haid advyst; and the Spa nzard had humblie obeyit; therefore desiret me to ryse and hear thair petition. With thaim up I got with diligence, and assembling the honest men of town, came to the tobbuthe, and after consultation taken to heir tham, and what answer to make, there presented us a verie reverend man of big stature, and grave and stout countenance, gray-heared, and very humble like, wha, after mikle and verie low courtessie, bowing down with his face neir the ground, and twitching my sho with his hand, began his harange in the Spanish towng, wharof I understood the substance; and being about to answer in Latin, he haiffing onlie a zoung man with him to be his interpreter, began and tauld over again to us in guid English. The sum was, that King Philip, his maister, had rigit out a navie and armie to land in England, for just causes, to be avengit of manie intollerable wrangs quhilk he haid receivit of that nation; but God for their sins haid been against them, and be storme of weather had dryven theirnavie by the coast of England, and him, with a certean of capteans, being the general of twentie hulks, upon ane yll of Scotland, called the Fair yll, whar they maid shipwrack, and whar sa monie as had eschapet the merseless seis and rokkes, haid mair nor sax or seaven ouks suffered great hunger and cauld, till conducing that bark out of Orkney, they were come as to their special friends and confederates, to kiss the king's majesty's hand of Scotland, (and therewith bekkit even to the zeird), |