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earls of Mar and Gowry, with others of the nobility, as he returned from hunting, and conveyed to Ruthven caftle, they obtained a charge for the duke of Lennox to depart the country, and for the confinement of the earl of Arran (D). This was followed by a proclamation

"the fate of the country, nor brought up in our reli"gion, which by time he might have been brought to "have embraced. But the earl of Arran was a scorn"er of religion, prefumptuous, ambitious, covetous, "careless of the commonwealth, a defpifer of the no(a) Melvil,bility and of all honeft men." (a) Hopeful counfellors these for a young king! and admirably fit for governing a kingdom. And yet these were the men who carried all before them, and obtained honours and eftates by wholefale. Arran from a "private gentle66 man was made gentleman of the bed-chamber, "knighted, made a privy counfellor, and tutor of Ar

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of the

crown and

George

ran. A few weeks after he was made captain of (b) Lives and "his majesty's guards, and created earl of Arran." (b) characters of " Lennox in a few days after his appearance at court, the officers had a grant of the lordfhip of Arbroath, then he was "created earl of Lennox, governor of Dumbarton caftle, State of Scot-captain of the guard, firft gentleman of the bedland, by "chamber, and great chamberlain of Scotland, and Crawfurd, "duke of Lennox." (c).Thefe fudden promotions Efq; p. 137. to honour, and places of profit to fuch men, muft neFol. Lond. ceffarily have been very unpopular and diftafteful, and could not but be highly refented. However 'tis but juftice to James, to acquaint the reader that he was very young, and confequently most easily drawn afide by those who had influence over him; and therefore more excufable than he was in mifplacing his favours afterwards, as he almost always did.

1736.

() Id. p.

331.

(D) Being seized by the earls of Mar, &c. they obtained a charge for the duke of Lennox to depart the country,

clamation from the king, difcharging the commiffions which he had formerly given them, and declaring that in fo doing he acted not by compulfion. However, having regained his liberty, he turned out of place those who had been enemies to his favourites, and infifted on fuch of the nobility's afking pardon as had been concerned in the affair of Ruthven; which caufing a confederacy and

a rifing,

country, and for the confinement of the earl of Arran, &c.] As the king was returning from ftag-hunting

in Athole, in his way towards Dumfering, he was “invited by the earl of Gewry to his houfe of Ruthven,

near Perth. The earl, who was at the head of the "confpiracy, inftantly fent to advertife his friends of "what had happened. Whereupon feveral of the dif" contented nobility, and all thofe that were in the English intereft at hand, repaired to Ruthven, where "without any ceremony they refolved to detain the

66

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1582.

furd, p.

king, and keep him prifoner. The next day when Auguft 23. "the king was effaying to get out, they ftopt him; "wherefore growing into a paffion and weeping, Sir "Thomas Lyon boldly, though rudely, told him, it was no matter for his tears, better that bairns greet than "bearded men." (a) After they had him in cuftody (4) Crawthey prefented a fupplication to him," reprefenting the falfe accufations, calumnies, oppreffions and per- wood, p. 332. Spotf"fecutions they had fuffered for two years, by means 320. See alfo Melvil, "of the duke of Lennox, and the earl of Arran, the "like whereof were never heretofore borne in Scot"land." Upon this representation, the king, fore against his will, fent orders to the duke to leave the kingdom, who obeying, died foon after at Paris, and the earl was confined for a time. Before this a Proclamation had been issued forth, " declaring that it was his own voluntary act to abide at Perth; and that the

noble

P. 129, &c.

(b) Spotfwood, p. 321.

(a) Melvil, p. 183.

a rifing, iffued in the death of the earl of Gowry (E), in revenge of which, as was faid, his fon engaged in the confpiracy fo much talked

"noblemen and others that attended him, had done "nothing but what their duties obliged them unto, "and which he took for a good fervice performed both "to himself and the commonwealth." (b) But all this was a mere act of diffimulation, and the effect of constraint. As soon as he was at liberty he returned to the fame courfes, and behaved after his wonted manner. For favourites he must have, and fo their pleasure was confulted, no matter how the kingdom was pleased.

(E) Having obtained his liberty, he infifted on fuch of the nobility's asking pardon as were concerned in the affair of Ruthven, &c.] James was never a man of his word. We fee just now, that, by proclamation, he had allowed what was done at Ruthven to be good fervice, and he moreover had defired the kirk "to find it "good for their parts, and to ordain the minifters and "commiffioners of every fhire to publish the fame to "their parishioners, and to get the principal gentle"men's fubfcription to maintain the fame." (a) But no fooner had he got his liberty, but he acted quite differently from what he had declared to be his fentiments. Arran was introduced again into court, 66 was made "Chancellor, captain of the caftles of Edinburgh and "Stirling, and ruled fo as to make the whole fubjects "to tremble under him, and every man to depend up"on him, daily inventing and seeking out new faults "against diverfe, to get their efcheats, lands, benefices." He wrought fo far with the king, that a proclamation was published, " condemning the detaining his majesty's "perfon at Ruthven as a fact most treasonable. Yet his

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majefty declared, that he was refolved to forget and "forgive that offence, providing the actors and affifters do fhew themselves penitent for the fame, ask "pardon in due time, and do not provoke him by their "unlawful

talked of, and variously cenfured; which terminated in the ruin of his family.

Mary

"unlawful actions hereafter, to remember that at"tempt!" (b) Whereupon divers noblemen and others (6) Crawwithdrew from the court, for fear, to fome place of Spotfwood, fecurity; for they well knew that their destruction was p. 326. aimed at. Whereupon the principal of them were ordered to confinement, which they not obeying, were denounced rebels (c). This was shocking behaviour, (c) Id. ib, and enough to provoke the moft patient men to take a fevere revenge; for the king's word was no fecurity, his promife could not be relied on, and no man was safe who affronted his favourite, who made a mere dupe of his mafter, and facrificed his honour on all occafions. A fure proof this of James's weakness, and a fufficient indication of what the world was to expect from him hereafter; for the tempers and difpofitions of men are pretty much the fame through life. As they are in youth, fo are they in reality in age, though they may know better how to glofs and difguife.By this treat ment of thofe concerned in the Ruthven affair, feveral of the nobility were induced to enter into an affociation, for reforming abuses, securing religion, and the prefervation of the king's perfon and eftate, among whom was the earl of Gowry, who being taken, tried and condemned, was executed for treafon. His majesty

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(fays Melvil) had no intention of taking his life, but "the earl of Arran was fully refolved to have his lands, " and therefore to make a party to affift him in that de"fign, he engaged to divide them with feveral others, << upon condition that they would affift him in the defign of ruining him; which afterwards he did, having by this means procured their confent and votes.' (d) What weakness and feebleness of government was (4) Melvil, this! Arran was in effect king, whilft James bore the Spotswood, name, and under the royal authority committed the P. 332. most unjust actions; for all agree that Gowry had hard Crawfurd, meafure dealt him. In time the Gowry family was P. 390.

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restored

p. 156.

(e) Craw

furd, p. 390

Spotswood,
P. 458.

(f) Burnet's

Dutch edit.

12mo.

Mary, queen of Scots, having fentence of death pronounced on her, Oct. 11, 1586, at Fotheringhay, by the commiffioners of

queen

reftored to honour and eftate, but, as hiftorians tell us, nothing could allay the revenge of the two eldest fons, for their father's blood, but the death of the king, which. they attempted to have taken away at the earl's own houfe, August 5, 1600 (e)-But they both loft their lives in the attempt, and ruined thereby their family; for their houses were demolished, their eftates confifcated, and the whole family, by act of parliament, prohibited to carry the name of Ruthven. The 5th of Auguft was likewife ordered to be kept yearly in remembrance of this deliverance. Whether there was

any such conspiracy of the Gowries against the king, or whether it was only a pretence, in order to palliate the murther of them, has been very much debated. Spotfwood believed it: it was generally received as truth by the courtiers at the time it happened; and the affifters of the hiftory of his king received honours and rewards. (f) Burnet (no way own times, prejudiced in favour of the king) gives credit, to it; and Vol. I.p. 22. Mr. Crawfurd tells us, that after what the earl of Gromarty hath lain together in his historical account of the confpiracies by the earls of Gowry against king James, he hopes few or none will fufpect, far lefs doubt its truth and reality. (g) I hope I fhall not be thought to be malicioufly fet against the royal family, or the (b) great king who was more immediately concerned in "this affair," if I give the reafons that may be affigned for the doubting concerning the truth of the king's narration. I could not act the part of a faithful hiftorian without it, and therefore muft beg the reader's pardon for detaining him a little longer on this fubject.

(g) Craw furd, p. 390.

(b) Crawfurd's epi

thet and expreffions.

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1. We are to obferve, that the next day after this happened, the minifters were called together at Edinburgh, and defired to convene their people, and give thanks 460 Cal- unto God for the king's deliverance: but they by no derwood, p. perfuafion could be moved to do it (i).

(i) Spotfwood, p.

444.

2. Though

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