Page:A biographical dictionary of eminent Scotsmen, vol 3.djvu/90

118 gow, therefore, being convenient for the Hani ikons, was first fixed on as the general rendezvous of the party, whence they wrote to Morton, and the party of the king, to meet them either at Falkirk or Linlithgow. This not being agreed to, the queen's faction removed themselves to Linlithgow, and afterwards, thinking to persuade the citizens to join them, into Edinburgh. Foiled in this, though Kirkaldy, the governor of the castle, had declared for them, as also in their aim to assemble the parliament before the appointed time, they, before that time approached, withdrew to Linlithgow, whence they issued an edict, commanding all the lieges to obey only the commissioners of the queen, and summoning a parliament to meet in that place on the 3d of August. Previously to their leaving Edinburgh, the faction despatched two special messengers into England, one to meet with the earl of Sussex, who was on his march with an army to punish the Scotts and the Kers, with their adherents, who had so barbarously, a few months before, carried fire and sword into England,—praying for a truce, till they should be able to inform the queen, Elizabeth, by letter, of the state of their affaire. The other carried the said letter, which contained the most exaggerated statements of their own strength, and not obscurely threatened war against the English nation. It also contained a request that Elizabeth, as arbitress of the affairs of Scotland, should annul the decrees of the two former years, that the whole business should be gone over anew, and settled by the common consent of all. Trusting to the ignorance of the English, they ventured to append to this document, not only all the names of the party, but many of those of the other, and the whole of those that stood neuter. Sussex, having full authority, opened both these despatches, and perfectly aware of the fraud, sent back the messengers with contempt He also transmitted copies of the letters to the adherents of the king, that they might know what was going on among their enemies ; in consequence of which they sent an embassy to Elizabeth, to treat about repressing the common enemy, and to show their respect for her, proposing, in the choice of a regent, to be guided by her wishes.

Sussex, in the meantime, entered Teviotdale, and laid waste without mercy the whole possessions belonging to the Scotts and the Kers, and generally all those belonging to the partisans of Mary. Under pretence of being revenged on the Johnstons, lord Scrope entered Annandale in the same manner, and committed similar depredations. They even carried their ravages into Clydesdale, where they burnt and destroyed the town and castle of Hamilton, and carried off" a large booty from the different estates in that quarter belonging to the Hamiltons; after which they returned to Berwick. The messenger, who had been by the protestant lords sent to Elizabeth, in the meantime returned with an answer that contained the strongest expressions of astonishment at the length of time that had elapsed from the death of the regent, before they had thought it meet to make her acquainted with the state of their affairs, and in consequence of the delay, she declared, that she could scarcely determine in what manner she should conduct herself with regard to them. The truth was that she had been again truckling with Mary, who had promised to cause her party in Scotland deliver up the earl of Westmoreland and some other fugitives, subjects of Elizabeth, who had taken refuge among them ; in consequence of which, Sussex had been recalled, and to save appearances with both, she was now necessitated to propose another conference, with a view to the clearing of Mary's character and restoring her to the exercise of sovereign authority. Both parties were in the meantime to abstain from hostilities of every kind, and whatever innovations they had attempted by their public proclamations, they were to annul by the same means.

Nothing could have been contrived more discouraging to the king's friends