faction and that of Angus, in the High-street of the metropolis.*

The return of the regent was followed by the banishment of Angus, and by a desultory warfare

• The particulars of this encounter are interesting. The Hamiltons were the most numerous party, drawn chiefly from the western counties. Their leaders met in the palace of Archbishop Beaton, and resolved to apprehend Angus, who was come to the city to attend the convention of estates. Gawin Douglas, Bishop of Dunkeld, a near relation of Angus, in vain endeavoured to mediate betwixt the factions. He appealed to Beaton, and invoked his assistance to prevent bloodshed. 66 "On my conscience," answered the archbishop, I cannot help what is to happen.' As he laid his hand upon

his breast, at this solemn declaration, the hauberk, concealed by his rocket, was heard to clatter: "Ah! my lord!" retorted Douglas, " your conscience sounds hollow." He then expostulated with the secular leader, and Sir Patrick Hamilton, brother to Arran, was convinced by his remonstrances; but Sir James, the natural son of the earl, upbraided his uncle with reluctance to fight. "False bastard!" answered Sir Patrick, "I will fight to-day where thou darest not be seen." With these words they rushed tumultuously towards the Highstreet, where Angus, with the Prior of Coldinghame, and the redoubted Wedderburn, waited their assault, at the head of 400 spearmen, the flower of the East Marches, who, having broke down the gate of the Netherbow, had arrived just in time to the Earl's assistance. The advantage of the ground, and the disorder of the Hamiltons, soon gave the day to Angus. Sir Patrick Hamilton, and the Master of Montgomery, were slain. Arran, and Sir James Hamilton, escaped with difficulty; and with no less difficulty was the military prelate of Glasgow rescued from the ferocious Borderers, by the ge

with England, carried on with mutual incursions. Two gallant armies, levied by Albany, were dismissed without any exploit worthy notice, while Surrey, at the head of ten thousand cavalry, burned Jedburgh, and laid waste all Tiviotdale. This general pays a splendid tribute to the gallantry of the Border chiefs. He terms them, "the boldest men, " and the hottest, that ever I saw any nation."

Disgraced and detested, Albany bade adieu to Scotland for ever. The queen-mother and the Earl of Arran for some time swayed the kingdom. But their power was despised on the Borders, where Angus, though banished, had many friends. Scot of Buccleuch even appropriated to himself domains belonging to the Queen, worth 400 merks yearly; being probably the castle of Newark, and her jointure lands in Ettrick Forest.+-This chief, with

1523

nerous interposition of Gawin Douglas. The skirmish was long remembered in Edinburgh, by the name of "Cleanse the Causeway."-PINKERTON'S History, vol. II. p. 181.PITSCOTTIE, Edit. 1728, p. 120.-Life of Gawain Douglas, prefixed to his Virgil.

A curious letter from Surrey to the king is printed in the Appendix, No. I.

+ In a letter to the Duke of Norfolk, October 1524, Queen Margaret says, "Sen that the Lard of Sessford and the Lard

Kerr of Cessford, was committed to ward, from 1525 which they escaped, to join the party of the exiled

Angus. Leagued with these, and other Border chiefs, Angus effected his return to Scotland, where he shortly after acquired possession of the supreme power, and of the person of the youthful King. "The ancient power of the Douglasses," says the accurate historian, whom I have so often referred to, "seemed to have revived; and, after a slumber "of near a century, again to threaten destruction "to the Scottish monarchy."-PINKERTON, Vol. II. p. 277.

In fact, the time now returned, when no one durst strive with a Douglas, or with his follower. For, although Angus used the outward pageant of conducting the King around the country, for punishing thieves and traitors, " yet," says Pitscottie, "none were found greater than were in his own com

66

pany." The high spirit of the young King was

"of Baclw vas put in the castell of Edinbrouh, the Erl of Lenness hath past hyz vay vythout lycyens, and in despyt ; and thynkyth to make the brek that he may, and to solyst other "lordis to tak hyz part; for the said laird of Bavklw vas hyz 66 man, and dyd the gretyst ewelyz that myght be dwn, and "twk part playnly výth theffyz as is well known."-Cot. MSS. Calig. B. I.

galled by the ignominious restraint under which he found himself; and, in a progress to the Border, for repressing the Armstrongs, he probably gave such signs of dissatisfaction, as excited the Laird of Buccleuch to attempt his rescue.

This powerful baron was the chief of a hardy clan, 1526 inhabiting Ettrick Forest, Eskdale, Ewsdale, the higher part of Tiviotdale, and a portion of Liddesdale. In this warlike district he easily levied a thousand horse, comprehending a large body of Elliots, Armstrongs, and other broken clans, over whom the Laird of Buccleuch exercised an extensive authority; being termed, by Lord Dacre," chief “maintainer of all misguided men on the Borders “ of Scotland.”—Letter to Wolsey, July 18, 1528. The Earl of Angus, with his reluctant ward, had slept at Melrose; and the clans of Home and Kerr, under the Lord Home, and the Barons of Cessford and Fairnihirst, had taken their leave of the King, when, in the grey of the morning, Buccleuch and his band of cavalry were discovered hanging, like a thunder-cloud, upon the neighbouring hill of Haliden.* A herald was sent to demand his purpose,

* Near Darnick. By a corruption from Skirmish field, the

and to charge him to retire. To the first point he answered, that he came to shew his clan to the King, according to the custom of the Borders; to the second, that he knew the King's mind better than Angus. When this haughty answer was reported to the Earl, "Sir," said he to the King, "yon"der is Buccleuch, with the thieves of Annandale "and Liddesdale, to bar your grace's passage. I

vow to God they shall either fight or flee. Your

grace shall tarry on this hillock with my brother George; and I will either clear your road of yon"der banditti, or die in the attempt." The Earl, with these words, alighted, and hastened to the charge; while the Earl of Lennox (at whose instigation Buccleuch made the attempt,) remained with the King, an inactive spectator. Buccleuch and his followers likewise dismounted, and received the assailants with a dreadful shout, and a shower of lances. The encounter was fierce and obstinate; but the Homes and Kerrs, returning at the noise of

spot is still called the Skinnersfield. Two lines of an old ballad on the subject are still preserved :

"There were sick belts and blows,

"The Mattous burn ran blood."