MARY AT INCHMAHONE.

II

The whole army, throwing down weapons and "jacks," ran in every direction. Some 10,000 were cut down: few prisoners were taken, the nobles, except Huntly, not being distinguishable by their dress. In Huntly, England had an important captive. Many priests were slain, and their sacred banner, the Church supplicating Christ, was given to Edward.

Never-no, not at Solway Moss-was Scotland so smitten and so disgraced. As later, at Dunbar, they abandoned a strong defensive position, and threw away the chance of destroying an invader. Angus is said only to have advanced in obedience to a threat of a charge of treason. In fact, the Scots thought that Somerset meant to embark his infantry, and make a rapid retreat with his cavalry. To prevent this they rushed on ruin.

Next day Somerset occupied Leith. The use he made of his victory was to seize Broughty Castle from the sea, to fortify Inchcolm, in the Firth, to ravage the country, and devastate Holyrood Abbey. On the retreat, at the end of a week, Hume Castle was taken, and Roxburgh Castle was repaired. Meanwhile, on the west Marches, Lennox and Wharton ravaged Annandale, took the church, which was defended, and burned the town.31 As in his dream, Somerset had practically done nothing: he had merely strengthened the Scottish resolve never to accept the English marriage, and had confirmed the French alliance. After the defeat of "Black Saturday" (September 10), Arran with the Archbishop hastened to the queen-mother at Stirling. On September 16 (?), just before his retreat, Somerset ordered Norroy Herald to carry proposals to the queen-mother and the Council. The Protector has only come to Scotland "to forward the godly purpose of the marriage," and to say that if they will not yield to his amicable proceedings, he will accomplish his purpose by force.32 The queenmother now removed Mary to the Isle of Inchmahone, in the Loch of Menteith, "half-way between Stirling and the Highlands." 33 How long the child stayed there is uncertain, assuredly not later than February 1548. Her "child's garden" has been commemorated, but from October to January there is little opportunity for horticulture. 34 Mary was safe enough, despite attempts by Grey of Wilton on the loyalty of Sir George Douglas, who, on October 9, promised Grey that he would try to put Mary in his hands for a reward.35 Sir George was offering schemes for an English invasion, but Somerset saw through his purpose of destroying the invading

12

FRENCH AID ARRIVES (1548).

36

force. By November 5 the Laird of Longniddry, a spy, informed Somerset that the Scots had sent an envoy to France, and schemed to carry thither the child queen.3 Indeed by October 23 a French gentleman had turned Arran and the queen-mother from a purpose, negotiated by Glencairn, of accepting Somerset's proposals.37 While French aid was being asked and prepared, the chief scenes of military operations were Dundee, Broughty Castle (held by Warwick's brother, Sir Andrew Dudley), and Buccleuch's country on the Border. Between October 1547 and February 1548 many strange examples were given of the mixture of Protestant piety, perfidy, and ambition. On the whole, it seems that the populace, as far as it was touched by Protestantism, remained staunch and single-hearted, while most of the Reforming gentry and nobles were hypocritical self-seekers. On October 27 the burgesses of Dundee, overawed by Dudley in the adjacent Broughty Castle, bound themselves to be "faithful setters forth of God's work." 38 Arran, in Edinburgh, was unpopular: "the wives" (anticipating Jenny Geddes) "were like to have stoned him to death." 39 Doubtless they blamed him for the slaughter of their husbands and sons at Pinkie. Fife, Angus, and Dundee called out, Dudley says, for Bibles and Testaments. "Yet," writes a spy, "it makes one sore to see these gentlemen feigning themselves favourers of 'The Word of God,' more for your pleasure than for God's sake." Hypocrisy that sickens a spy must be odious indeed.

40

The next really important move in the game was the arrival of a large French force, under André de Montalembert, Sieur d'Essé, in June 1548. This was the result of many petitions by the queenmother. The winter after Pinkie fight, and the spring, had seen Argyll besiege Broughty Castle, and withdraw, promising to aid the English marriage, for a bribe of 1000 crowns. Broughty Castle, under Sir Andrew Dudley, had gallantly held out, and in February (21-27) a double invasion by Grey of Wilton in the east, and Lennox and Wharton in the west, had been ruined by a defeat inflicted on Wharton by Angus and Lord Maxwell. Grey later destroyed Sir George Douglas's house at Dalkeith, and took his son, the Master of Morton. He also fortified Haddington strongly, that being the chief object of his invasion, and it was at the abbey outside Haddington (July 7, 1548) that Parliament accepted the hand of the Dauphin for Mary, carefully securing Scottish independence. Dunbar was now placed in French keeping, but Mary of Guise exaggerated when she declared that the Estates "would

MARY LANDS IN FRANCE (1548).

13

put everything into the hands of the King of France." 41 That was what France desired in vain, and soon it became apparent that jealousy of French domination would throw Scotland into the arms of England.

Mary had won the consent of Angus, Douglas, and Cassilis by the usual means. Arran had already been compensated by the Duchy of Châtelherault (February 8, 1548). Huntly and Argyll received the Order of St Michael.42 Yet both in March 1549 will be found negotiating with England "to the end they may compel the French King to return the young Queen to Scotland," and undertaking to favour her English marriage.43 Meanwhile the robberies and oppressions by the French soldiery, which led to bloodshed between them and their allies, increased the jealousy of French designs. After much scathe on either side, Haddington was relieved, and the siege broken up in the middle of August. By that date, leaving Dumbarton with her four child friends, the four Maries, on August 2, Mary was safely landed on the friendly French shores (August 13). Somerset retorted by again setting up the claims of Edward I.44 The wars took a character of ferocity. Arran refused quarter to any Scot taken in arms for England.45 Somerset retorted by a general refusal of quarter. The Scots were all rebels to "their superior and sovereign lord, the King's Majesty of England." Poor as they were, the Scots purchased English prisoners from French captors, and then tortured them to death.46 Mary of Guise had often to complain of the excesses of the French. They seize farmhouses, and use the furniture for firewood. "Our peasants have no property, and never remain more than five or six years on a holding," a singular fact, but strongly corroborated.47 Knox, who never omitted a chance of describing a grimly humorous situation, chronicles a great tumult in October 1548. On a trifling quarrel a riot arose in Edinburgh. The Provost and others were slain by the French. D'Essé, d'Oysel, and the queen - mother composed the strife by promising that the French would do a great feat of arms. They nearly surprised Haddington, when one of the besieged, shouting "Ware before!" to warn his own party, then struggling with the French at the East Port, fired two large pieces of artillery. These pierced the French ranks, cannoned off the wall of the church back into the assailing party, thence cannoned back through them again, off the wall of St Catherine's Chapel, back to the church wall again, and so on, "so often that there fell more than a hundred of

the French at those two shots only." " 48 The incident is not mentioned in strictly contemporary accounts. Though the large force under Shrewsbury not only relieved Haddington, but was rewarded by the capture of Dundee and other successes, the Scots cut off a raiding party in Fife. Huntly returned to Scotland-according to Lesley, by escaping while his jailers were busy at cards at Morpeth.49 De Selve's despatches are full of suspicions of Huntly's perfidy and double-dealing. Was he a patriot? Was he a traitor Scot? Probably he took each part by turns.

The Scots captured Hume Castle, and were reinforced by French soldiers under De Termes. Mary of Guise describes this leader as possessing, in the gout and a pretty young wife, quite enough to provide him with occupation.50 Nevertheless, a force of French and Scots cut off and captured Sir John Wilford, the courageous captain of the English garrison in Haddington. Jedburgh and Ferniehirst were won on the Border, Inchcolm was recovered, and domestic discords broke out in England. Somerset had offended by what was called avarice and insolence: his lenity to agrarian insurrection made him suspected by the nobles. Warwick, having put down a rising in Norfolk, appeared as the rival of the Protector, who secured the person of Edward VI., but presently yielded to force or fear. The victor of Pinkie was conducted to the Tower; but his successful rivals were unable to retain the English hold on Boulogne. The Scots and French had already taken Broughty Castle and Lauder; the English were compelled to make peace in March-April 1550, and to abandon Boulogne and all their holds in Scotland.51 The eight years' war had again demonstrated that England, when divided by domestic strife, and opposed by both France and Scotland, could never overpower her northern vassal. The clergy marked their opportunity by burning one Adam Wallace as a heretic.52

"The

That this execution was as impolitic as cruel is obvious. common people" had now opportunities of reading and hearing the Scriptures. From these they could draw no conclusions except that the Christian doctrine, as exhibited in practice by priests as profligate as Hamilton, and by peers as treacherous as Angus, Huntly, and Argyll, was not the doctrine of Christ. Mere cruelty did not shock the populace. For a hundred and fifty years they were to behold the burning of witches without remorse or pity. But they feared and hated witches, whereas men like Wallace neither

MARTYRDOM OF ADAM WALLACE.

15

had injured nor could injure them. While the English were occupying parts of Scotland, no Scot had suffered for his opinions. The people would therefore infer that England was a Power less cruel to the innocent than France. All this made in favour of the Reformation. It is true that Protestantism in England was also keenly engaged in burnings and persecutions. The Act of Uniformity was being enforced by Cranmer, Ridley, Latimer, Parker, Cecil, and others. Champneys, a priest who denied the divinity of Christ; Patton, a tanner; Thumb, a butcher; and Ashton, another Unitarian priest, were all tried: they all, unlike Wallace, abjured-they all burnt their faggots and saved their lives. But Joan Bocher was tried for similar opinions before Cranmer, Latimer, and others, was condemned, and, despite the tears of Edward VI., was burned in the year following the martyrdom of Wallace, as was Von Parris, a Dutch Unitarian.53 In this matter of persecution there was then nothing to choose between England and Scotland, Hamilton and Latimer; they merely burned different sets of people. Yet a point so notorious is usually overlooked by historians of the Scottish Reformation. The true difference came out later. Persecutors as they were, the Presbyterians did not burn, and scarcely ever executed, either Catholics or Unitarians as such.

In the same Council the

Priests were to dismiss

Denunciations of heresy had been made the year before Wallace's death, in a Provincial Council of 1549. Every ordinary in his diocese, every abbot and prior, was to make inquisition of heresy. Among the heresies noted, Unitarianism does not appear. For some reason it never was popular in Scotland. Church tried to put her own house in order. their concubines. The medical advice of Jerome Cardan to the Archbishop of St Andrews proves that the Archbishop did not obey his own rule. Monasteries were to be visited and reformed: bishops were not to keep drunkards, pimps, gamblers (Lyndsay accuses Beaton of very high play), and buffoons in their establishments. There were other restrictions on a Church which, by its own confession, needed them badly. On the evangelical side, the Protestant teachers, like Adam Wallace (and unlike the ruffians and aristocrats of the party), were usually men of unblemished life. This contrast made a direct and natural appeal to the populace. Thus the Reformation gathered and grew, while the love of sheer destruction of "idols," or works of sacred art, and the pleasures of plunder, made a constant appeal to the passions of Knox's "rascal multitude."