P. 131. 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 " ran. "the state 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 fcorn"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 thefe 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 counsellor, and tutor of ArA few weeks after he was made captain of (b) Lives and "his majefty'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 lordship of Arbroath, then he was of the "created earl of Lennox, governor of Dumbarton castle, ftate 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, must neFol. Lond. ceffarily have been very unpopular and distasteful, and could not but be highly resented. However 'tis but (e) Id. p. juftice to James, to acquaint the reader that he was very young, and confequently most eafily 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. crown and George 1736. 331. (D) Being seized by the earls of Mar, &c. they btained 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 Dumferling, he was "invited by the earl of Gowry to his houfe of Ruthven, near Perth. The earl, who was at the head of the confpiracy, inftantly fent to advertise 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 furd, p. king, and keep him prifoner. The next day when August 23. "the king was effaying to get out, they ftopt him; 1582. "wherefore growing into a paffion and weeping, Sir "Thomas Lyon boldly, though rudely, told him, it was 66 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," representing "the falfe accufations, calumnies, oppreffions and per- wood, p. 332. Spotf"fecutions they had fuffered for two years, by means 320. See al "of the duke of Lennox, and the earl of Arran, the io Melvil, "like whereof were never heretofore borne in Scot"land." Upon this representation, the king, fore againft 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 iffued 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 Goury (E), in revenge of which, as was said, his fon engaged in the confpiracy so 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 service performed both "to himself and the commonwealth." (b) But all this was a mere act of dissimulation, and the effect of constraint. As soon as he was at liberty he returned to the fame courses, and behaved after his wonted manner. For favourites he muft have, and fo their pleasure was confulted, no matter how the kingdom was pleased. (E) Having obtained his liberty, he insisted on such of the nobility's afking pardon as were concerned in the affair of Ruthven, &c.] James was never a man of his word. We see just now, that, by proclamation, he had allowed what was done at Ruthven to be good fervice, and he moreover had desired the kirk “to find it "good for their parts, and to ordain the ministers and "commiffioners of every fhire to publifh 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 sentiments. Arran was introduced again into court, "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 diverse, 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 "majesty declared, that he was refolved to forget and "forgive that offence, providing the actors and affift"ers 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) Craw withdrew from the court, for fear, to fome place of furd, p. 139. Spotfwood, fecurity; for they well knew that their deftruction was p. 326. aimed at. Whereupon the principal of them were ordered to confinement, which they not obeying, were denounced rebels (c). This was fhocking behaviour, (c) Id, ib, and enough to provoke the most 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 master, and facrificed his honour on all occafions. A fure proof this of James's weaknefs, 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 treatment of those concerned in the Ruthven affair, feveral of the nobility were induced to enter into an affociation, for reforming abuses, fecuring religion, and the prefervation of the king's person and estate, among whom was the earl of Gowry, who being taken, tried and condemned, was executed for treafon. "His majesty " (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 de"fign of ruining him; which afterwards he did, ha"ving 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 Spotfwond, name, and under the royal authority committed the p. 332. moft unjust actions; for all agree that Gowry had hard Crawfurd, measure dealt him. In time the Gowry family was P. 390. reftored (e) Craw Spotfwood, P. 458. 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 estate, but, as hiftorians tell us, nothing could allay the revenge of the two eldeft 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 furd, p. 390 lives in the attempt, and ruined thereby their family; for their houses were demolished, their eftates confiscated, 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 (f) Burnet's history 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 Cromarty hath lain together in his hiftorical 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 reasons that may be affignthet and ex-ed for the doubting concerning the truth of the king's narration. I could not act the part of a faithful historian without it, and therefore muft beg the reader's pardon for detaining him a little longer on this fubject. Dutch edit. 12mo. (g) Craw furd, P. 390. (b) Crawfurd's epi preffions. (i) Spotf 66 1. We are to obferve, that the next day after this happened, the ministers 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). wood, p. 444. 2. Though |