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 ment to Edinburgh on 31 July. Thereupon the queen-dowager advanced against him at the head of a considerable force, but, finding the city too strongly fortified, retired to Stirling. Arran postponed the meeting of parliament till November (Acts of Parl. ii. 445). The queen-dowager issued writs for a rival parliament to be held at Stirling on the 12th of the same month (Diurnal of Occurrents, p. 36;, History, v. 359–65). But by the cardinal's intervention she was constrained to give way, and on 6 March 1545 consented to acknowledge Arran's supremacy, and co-operate with him in the conduct of affairs (Hamilton MSS. p. 36). Meanwhile the war with England still went on. After the defeat of the Scots at Pinkie Cleugh (10 Sept. 1547) the situation of Scotland was grave in the extreme. Arran exerted himself as much as his weak nature was able; but, deserted by the nobles, many of whom had privately made their peace with England, he was unable to work to much purpose, and the reins of government gradually slipped into the stronger hands of the queen-dowager. By her advice a council was convened at Stirling, when it was resolved to appeal to France for assistance against England. The proposal was warmly supported by the French ambassador D'Oysel, and a suggestion was made that the young Queen Mary should be removed to France for safety. The suggestion, foreshadowing as it did a marriage between Mary and the dauphin, was distasteful to Arran, who was not without hope of an alliance between her and his eldest son (, p. 204;, Cal. i. 68, 71; , vi. 37). At a meeting of the estates on 17 July 1548 the arrangement was formally confirmed; a judicious distribution of French gold among the nobility, and a grant of the duchy of Châtelherault to Arran himself, with other favours, smoothing over all difficulties (, Cal. ii. 19;, p. 89). Arran's supine conduct is generally attributed to the absence of his brother the archbishop, supposed to be on his deathbed at the time (, i. 377). The arrival of reinforcements from France and the conclusion of peace with England in 1550 gave the queen-dowager a further advantage in her endeavour to oust Châtelherault from the regency. Notwithstanding his assiduous devotion to his duties the nobility were gradually drawn over to her side. Influenced, however, by his brother, who had recovered from his illness, and who represented to him the folly of retiring from power, when only the life of a feeble girl stood between him and the crown (, Memoirs, pp. 21, 73), Châtelherault did not yield without a struggle. But finally, finding himself deserted on all sides, he on 12 April 1554 reluctantly consented to abdicate (Acts of Parl. ii. 600–4). He manifested, however, no feelings of resentment against the queen-dowager, and continued to support her government until she had driven the protestant nobles into rebellion. After much hesitation he then adopted a policy more consonant with his own interests. On the capture of Edinburgh (29 June 1559) by the lords of the congregation he intimated to the regent that it was no longer possible for him to take part with her against those of the same religion as himself. On the following day he retired to Hamilton (, Cal. i. 349, 365). He would still have gladly observed a strict neutrality, but the pressure of the protestants and of Cecil finally led him, with evident reluctance, to sign the covenant (ib. i. 401, 571;, i. 404). His defection exasperated the regent, who charged him with a desire to usurp the crown (, Cal. ii. 43), and endeavoured to undermine his credit at the English court by forging a letter addressed to Francis II, in which Châtelherault was made to profess allegiance to the French king, and to offer security for his fidelity in the shape of a blank bond. The letter came to the knowledge of the English privy council, and though there was a general tendency to discredit it, yet Châtelherault's reputation for insincerity gave plausibility to the charge, and he was immediately questioned about it. He denied all knowledge of it, and offered to fight any one who doubted his word. The plot was finally exploded by an intercepted letter from the regent to the cardinal of Lorraine, complaining of the way in which the French ambassador in England had mismanaged the business. But the suspicion, while it rested upon him, gave Châtelherault great uneasiness, and caused him to age rapidly (ib. ii. 332, 453, 481;, i. 407, 566; , p. 267). His property in France had long since been seized, but by the treaty of Edinburgh it was stipulated that it should be restored to him (, p. 354). After the death of Francis II in December 1560 Châtelherault again conceived the project of a marriage between his eldest son and Queen Mary, which he regarded as the only adequate guarantee for the recognition of his claim to the succession. His overtures were received by Mary in a friendly spirit, but there was little prospect, in the opinion of others, that they would be realised (, Cal. iii. 580, iv. 85;, vi. 208, 219). On the queen's arrival in Scotland he was one of the first to salute her, but his absence from the subsequent fes-