Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume IX.djvu/532

 514 JAMES II. Murdoch, who might have transferred the crown to his branch of the Stuart line had he possessed his father's talents and unscrupulous- ness. The Scotch were then the allies of the French, and Henry V. took James to France in 1417, agreeing to restore him to freedom if he should prevail upon those of his subjects who were in France to abstain from hostilities ; but the Scotch refused to obey a king who was in durance. On the death of Henry V. the new government of England resolved to give James his freedom, on condition of his paying 40,000 as the cost of his maintenance in Eng- land. He married Joanna Beaufort, grand- daughter of John of Gaunt through Catharine Swynford, and niece of Cardinal Beaufort, who, seen from his window during his captivi- ty, had inspired the "Quhair." He reached Edinburgh in the spring of 1424, and immedi- ately commenced that vigorous administration which had become necessary through the bad government of his predecessors. Many impor- tant legislative acts were adopted. He perse- cuted the Lollards, and proceeded with energy against the nobles, whose lawless conduct de- manded punishment. Albany and two of his sons, and the earl of Lennox, were executed ; and soon after other executions took place, of the most cruel nature, the victims being mere- ly retainers, who believed they were bound to obey their feudal superiors. The family of Albany was popular, and their deaths made the king unpopular. James I. revived the connection of his kingdom with France, en- couraged the clergy as a counterpoise to the nobility, legislated in favor of trade, labored for the restoration of order, provided for the administration of justice, and maintained the dignity of Scotland against the designs of Eng- land. An expedition against the islemen proved successful, and 300 robbers were executed. He stripped the earl of March of his earldom and property, which alarmed the nobility. A con- spiracy was formed against him, the head of which was Sir Robert Graham, who was ac- tuated partly by personal and partly by political motives. Not.being well supported by his as- sociates, he was baffled, imprisoned, and ban- ished, and his estates were seized. In the high- lands, whither he had fled, he formed his plans. His only associates of eminence were the earl of Athol and his grandson, Sir Robert Stew- art, the latter being the king's chamberlain. Through the assistance of Stewart, Graham ob- tained access to the king's apartments, in the monastery of the Dominicans at Perth, and slew him with his own hands, but not until James had made a heroic resistance, though at last he begged his life of the assassin. JAMES II., king of Scotland, only son of the preceding and of Joanna Beaufort, born in 1430, killed in 1460. Being but a child when he became king, his mother was appointed to take charge of his person during his minority, and the earl of Douglas lieutenant general of the kingdom. The government was really in the hands of Sir William Crichton, who had been made chancellor by James I. ; and next to him was Sir Alexander Livingston, another of the late king's statesmen. These two were rivals, and their quarrels added to the troubles of the country. Archibald of Douglas died, and was succeeded by his son, Earl William, an arrogant youth, who allowed his followers great license; and he and his brother David were put to death by Crichton's orders. The power of Crichton and Livingston was final- ly ended through the successes of another earl of Douglas in 1446, the king having assumed supreme power in 1444. The internal condi- tion of the country was very bad, through the feuds of the nobles ; but Douglas upheld its dignity in the wars with England. A truce for nine years had been made with England, but in 1448 the English entered Scotland, and were defeated by Douglas, whose brother Or- mond soon after won the battle of Sark. The truce was then renewed. The power of Doug- las was now on the decline. The king, whose intellect matured early, was jealous of him, and, aided by Crichton and by Kennedy, arch- bishop of St. Andrews, he asserted his authori- ty with extraordinary vigor, punishing many of the nobles and their adherents. In 1449 James married Mary, daughter of the duke of Gueldres. Douglas made a pilgrimage to Rome, and during his absence the king took measures for the curtailment of his power, but on his return he received marks of royal favor. He soon left the court, and lived as an independent sovereign in his own territories, perpetrating many acts of lawless cruelty, and setting the royal authority at defiance. Too powerful to be encountered openly, Douglas now became the object of conspiracy. A reconciliation was effected, and the earl visited Stirling cas- tle, where, in spite of his safe-conduct, he was stabbed by James, and then slain by the royal attendants. In the wars that followed the king triumphed, though not without encoun- tering great resistance, and the main branch of the Douglas family was destroyed. The king sought to improve the condition of the people, and the legislative measures of his reign were often as liberal as the character of the age would allow. The disputes between the houses of York and Lancaster in England, which had now openly commenced, affected Scotland. In 1459, in a treaty between James II. and Henry VI., the former agreed to sup- port the Lancastrians, in consideration of re- ceiving in return portions of the north of Eng- land, including Durham and Northumberland. James entered England at the head of 60,000 men, but his army committed such ravages that Henry prevailed upon him to withdraw. In 1460 he renewed the war, not with Eng- land, but with the Yorkists, and laid siege to the frontier fortress of Roxburgh, which the English had held since the defeat of David Bruce at Durham. While the king was ex- amining a battery, one of the guns burst, and