1515. the authority of Hume, that this prince was invited to CHA P. accept the reins of government. Francis, careful not to XXVIII. give offence to the king of England, detained Albany fome time in France; but at laft, fenfible how important it was to keep Scotland in his interefts, he permitted him to go over, and take poffeffion of the regency: He even renewed the antient league with that kingdom, though it implied fuch a clofe connexion, as might be thought fomewhat to intrench on his alliance with England. WHEN the regent arrived in Scotland, he made enquiries concerning the state of the country, and character of the people; and difcovered a fcene, with which he was hitherto but little acquainted. That turbulent kingdom, he found, was rather to be confidered as a confederacy, and that not a close one, of petty princes, than a regular system of civil polity; and even the king, much more a regent, poffeffed an authority very uncertain, and precarious. Arms, more than laws, prevailed; and courage, preferable to equity or juftice, was the virtue most valued and refpe&ted. The nobility, in whom the whole power refided, were fo connected by hereditary alliances, or fo divided by inveterate enmities, that it was impoffible, without employing an armed force, either to punish the most flagrant guilt, or give fecurity to the most entire innocence. Rapine and violence, when exercised on a hostile tribe, instead of making a perfon odious among his own clan, rather recommended him to esteem and approbation; and by rendering him ufeful to the chieftain, entitled him to a preference above his fellows. And though the neceffity of mutual fupport ferved as a close cement of amity among thofe of the fame kindred, the spirit of revenge against enemies, and the defire of profecuting these deadly feuds, (fo they were called) still appeared to be paffions the most predominant among that uncultivated people. G THE perfons, to whom Albany first applied for information with regard to the state of the country, happened to be inveterate enemies of Hume &; and they reprefented that powerful nobleman as the chief fource of public diforders, and the great obftacle to the execution of the laws, and adminiftration of juftice. Before the authority of the magiftrate could be established, it was neceffary, G Buchanan, lib. 14. Drummond. CHA P. neceffary, they said, to make an example of this great XXVIII. offender; and by the terror of his punishment; teach all leffer criminals to pay refpect to the power of their fo1515. vereign. Albany, moved by these reasons, was induced to forget Hume's past services, to which he had been, in a great measure, beholden for the regency; and he no longer bore towards him that favourable countenance, with which he was wont to receive him. Hume perceived the change, and was incited, both by views of his own fecurity and his revenge, to take measures in oppofition to the regent. He applied himself to Angus and the queen dowager, and reprefented to them the danger, to which the infant prince was expofed, from the ambition of Albany, the next heir to the crown, to whom the states had imprudently entrusted the whole authority of government. By his perfuafion, Margaret formed the defign of carrying off the young King, and putting him under the protection of her brother; and when that confpiracy was detected, the herself, accompanied with Hume and Angus, withdrew into England, where fae was foon after delivered of a daughter. HENRY, in order to check the authority of Albany and the French party, gave encouragement to these malcontents, and affured them of his fupport, Matters being afterwards in appearance accommodated between Hume and the regent, that nobleman returned into his own country; but mutual fufpicions and jealoufies still prevailed. He was committed to cuftody, under the care of the earl of Arran, his brother-in-law; and was, for fome time, detained prifoner in his castle. But having perfuaded Arran to enter into the conspiracy with him, he was allowed to make his escape; and he openly made war upon the regent. A new accommodation enfued, not more fincere than the foregoing; and Hume was fo imprudent as to put himself, together with his brother, into the hands of the regent. They were immediately feized, committed to cuftody, brought to their trial, condemned and executed. No legal crime was proved against these brothers: It was only alledged, that, at the battle of Flouden, they had not done their duty in supporting the king; and as this backwardness could not, from the course of their past life, be ascribed to cowardice, it was commonly imputed to a more criminal motive. The evidences, however, of guilt produced against them, them, were far from being valid or convincing; and the CHA P. people, who hated them while alive, were very much XXVIII. diffatisfied with their execution. SUCH violent remedies often produce, for fome time, a deceitful tranquillity; but as they destroy mutual confidence, and beget the most inveterate animofities, their confequences are commonly very fatal both to the public, and to those who make trial of them. The regent, however, took advantage of the prefent calm which prevailed; and being invited over by the French king, who was, at that time, willing to gratify Henry, he went into France; and was engaged to remain there during five years. A great part of his authority he entrusted into the hands of Darcy, a Frenchman, whom he created warden of the marches, and who was extremely vigilant in the diftribution of justice, and the punishment of crimes and oppreffion. But Sir David Hume, a kinsman of the nobleman lately executed, defirous of revenging his friend's death on the friend of the regent, way-laid Darcy near Dunse; and after reproaching him with that execution, made an attack upon him. Darcy finding himself unable to refift, and trusting to the fwiftness of his horfe, fled towards Dunbar; but being ignorant of the roads, he ran into a bog, was overtaken by the pursuers, and put to death. As he had long flowing hair, Hume, exulting in this affaffination as a gallant exploit, cut off thefe locks, and plaiting them into a wreath, wore them ever after at the pommel of his faddle H. During the absence of the regent, fuch confufions prevailed in Scotland, and fuch mutual enmity, rapine, and violence among the great families, that that kingdom was, for a long time, utterly disabled both from offending its enemies, and affifting its friends. We have carried on the Scots history some years beyond the prefent period; that as that country had little connexion with the general system of Europe, we might be the lefs interrupted in the narration of those memorable events, which were transacted in the other kingdoms. IT was foreseen, that a young, active prince, like Francis, and of fo martial a difpofition, would foon employ the great preparations, which his predeceffor, before his death, had made for the conqueft of Milan. He had been obferved even to weep at the recital of the military exploits H Buchanan, lib. 14. Pitfcottie. 1515. CHA P. exploits of Gafton de Fois; and these tears of emulation XXVIII. were held to be fure prognostics of his future valour. He renewed the treaty which Lewis had made with Henry; 1515. and having left every thing, as he thought, fecure behind him, he marched his armies towards the south of France; pretending, that his fole purpose was to defend his kingdom against the incurfions of the Swifs. That formidable people still retained their animofity against France; and having taken Maximilian, duke of Milan, under their protection, and indeed reduced him to abfolute dependence, they were determined, from views both of honour and of intereft, to guard him against this invader. They fortified themselves in all thofe vallies of the Alps, through which, they thought, the French must Progrefs neceflarily pafs; and when Francis, with great secrecy, of Francis industry, and perseverance, made his entrance into Piedthe firft. mont by another paffage, they were not difmayed, but defcended into the plain, though unprovided of cavalry, and opposed themselves to the progrefs of the French 13th Sept. arms. At Marignan, near Milan, they fought with Francis one of the most furious and best contested battles, which is to be met with in the history of these latter ages; and it required all the heroic valour of that prince to inspire his troops with courage fufficient to refift the defperate affault of thofe mountaineers. After a bloody action in the evening, night and darkness parted the combatants; but next morning, the Swifs renewed the attack with equal alacrity; and it was not till they had loft all their bravest troops that they could be prevailed with to retire. The field was ftrowed with twenty thousand flain of both fides; and the marefchal Trivulzio, who had been prefent at eighteen pitched battles, declared that every engagement, which he had yet feen, was only the play of children; but that the action of Marignan was a combat of heroes K AFTER this great victory, the conqueft of the Milaneze was eafy and open. Francis, fenfible how important the alliance of the cantons was, even in their lowest fortune, gave them all the conditions, which they could have demanded, had they been ever fo fuccefsful; and he courted their friendship by every poffible condefcenfion. The I Memoires du Bellai, lib. 1. Guicciardini, lib. 12. The Venetians were in alliance with France; and as CHA P. they trusted entirely to the fucceffes of that crown for XXVIII. the final recovery of their dominions on the continent, they feconded Francis in every enterprize. Pope Leo, 1515. whose fole fault was too great fineffe and artifice, a fault, which, both as a priest and an Italian, it was difficult for him to avoid, had hitherto temporized between the parties; and Francis's victory at Marignan determined him abfolutely to embrace the friendship of that monarch L. But what both facilitated moft, and fecured the conqueft of the Milaneze, was the refolution taken by Maximilian Sforza himself, who, tired of the viciffitudes of his fortune, difgufted with the tyranny of the Swifs, and defirous of privacy and repofe, put himself into Francis's hands; and having ftipulated a yearly pension of thirty thousand ducats, refigned all pretenfions to that dutchy, and retired into France. THE fuccefs and glory of the French monarch began Jealousy to excite jealoufy in Henry; and his rapid progress, of Henry. though in so diftant a country, was not regarded without apprehenfions by the English miniftry. Italy was during that age the feat of religion, of literature, and of commerce; and as it poffeffed alone that luftre, which has fince been shared among other nations, it fixed the attention of all Europe; and every acquifition, which was made there, appeared more important than its weight in the balance of power should, ftri&ly speaking, have made it be esteemed. Henry alfo thought, that he had reafon to complain of Francis for fending the duke of Albany into Scotland, and undermining the power and credit of his fifter, the queen dowager M. The repairing the fortifications of Teroüenne was also regarded as a breach of treaty. But above all, what tended to alienate the court of England, was the disgust which Wolfey had taken against the French monarch. HENRY, On the conquest of Tournay, had refufed to admit Lewis Gaillart, the bishop elect, to the poffeffion of the temporalities, because that prelate declined taking the oath of allegiance to his new fovereign; and Wolfey was appointed, in his room, adminiftrator of the bishopric. As the cardinal wifhed to obtain free and undisturbed poffeffion, L Guicciardini, lib. 12. Paullus Jovius. vol. iii. p. 31. M Pere Daniel, |