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iv says of him, "he was as kind and forward to advance his friends, as he had been to quell his enemies." One of his brothers, Hugh, was created Earl of Ormond; another of them, John, received the title of Lord of Balveny; whilst a third, Archibald, as already has been mentioned, obtained in marriage the daughter of James Dunbar, Earl of Moray, who had died without male issue; by which alliance, he procured the right and title to that earldom. This, it may be added, he obtained through his brother's influence, to the prejudice of James, second Lord Crichton, who, previous to the father's death, had been espoused to the elder daughter. But soon after the marriage of James II. with Mary of Gueldres, in 1449, the favour and power of Douglas began sensibly to fail; till at length, partly in consequence of repeated acts of tyranny and oppression, joined to the representations of his enemies during his absence abroad, the King's affections were entirely alienated from him; and it was deemed prudent to endeavour, by all possible means, to curb his exorbitant power and influence. This object was conceived to be the more urgent, inasmuch as the confederacy which Douglas had entered into with the Earls of Crawford, Ross, and some other of the Scotish nobles, for their mutual protection, was sufficient to alarm the monarch for his own safety, and the security