XXVIII. 1515. CHAP. the reins of government. Francis, careful not to give offence to the king of England, detained Albany fome time in France; but at length, 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 ancient league with that kingdom, though it implied fuch a close connexion as might be thought fomewhat to intrench on his alliance with England. WHEN the regent arrived in Scotland, he made inquiries concerning the ftate of the country, and character of the people; and he discovered a scene 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 fyftem 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, preferably to equity or juftice, was the virtue moft valued and refpected. 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 hoftile tribe, inftead of making a perfon odious among his own clan, rather recommended him to their 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 clofe cement of amity among those of the fame kindred, the fpirit of revenge against enemies, and the defire of profecuting the deadly feuds (fo they were called) ftill appeared to be paffions the most predominant among that uncultivated people. THE XXVIII. 1515. THE perfons to whom Albany on his arrival first CHAP. 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 the adminiftration of juftice. Before the authority of the magiftrate could be established, it was neceffary, they faid, to make an example of this great offender; and by the terror of his punishment, teach all leffer criminals to pay refpect to the power of their fovereign. Albany, moved by these reasons, was induced to forget Hume's paft fervices, to which he had in a great measure been indebted for the regency; and he no longer bore towards him that favourable countenance with which he was wont to receive him. Hume perceived the alteration, and was incited, both by regard to his own fafety, and from motives of 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, 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, fhe herself, attended by Hume and Angus, withdrew into England, where the was foon after delivered of a daughter. HENRY, in order to check the authority of Albany and the French party, gave encouragement to thefe malcontents, and affured them of his fupport. Matters being afterwards in appearance accommodated between Hume and the regent, that noble XXVIII. 1515. CHAP. man returned into his own country; but mutual fufpicions and jealoufies ftill 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 caftle. But having perfuaded Arran to enter into the confpiracy with him, he was allowed to make his escape; and he openly levied war upon the regent. A new accommodation enfued, not more fincere than the foregoing; and Hume was fo imprudent as to entrust himself, together with his brother, into the hands of that prince. They were immediately feized, committed to cuftody, brought to trial, condemned and executed. No legal crime was proved against thefe brothers: It was only alleged, that at the battle of Flouden they had not done their duty in fupporting the king; and as this backwardnefs could not, from the course of their past life, be ascribed to cowardice, it was commonly imputed to a more criminal motive. The evidence, however, of guilt produced against them was far from being valid or convincing; and the people, who hated them while living, were much diffatisfied with their execution. SUCH violent remedies often produce, for fome time, a deceitful tranquillity; but as they deftroy mutual confidence, and beget the most inveterate animofities, their confequences are commonly fatal, both to the public and to thofe who have recourfe to 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 for fome years. 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 difabled, both from offending its enemies and affifting its friends. We have carried XXVII. carried on the Scottish history some years beyond the CHAP. prefent period; that, as that country had little connexion with the general fyftem of Europe, we might be the lefs interrupted in the narration of those more memorable events which were tranfacted in the other kingdoms. Ir was foreseen, that a young active prince like Francis, and of fo martial a disposition, 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 of Gafton de Foix; and these tears of emulation were held to be fure prefages of his future valour. He renewed the treaty which Lewis had made with Henry; and having left every thing fecure behind him, he marched his armies towards the fouth of France; pretending that his fole purpose was to defend his kingdom against the incurfions of the Swifs. This formidable people ftill retained their animofity against France; and having taken Maximilian duke of Milan under their protection, and in reality reduced him to abfolute dependance, they were determined, from views both of honour and of intereft, to defend him against the invader . They fortified themselves in all thofe valleys of the Alps through which they thought the French muft neceffarily pafs; and when Progress of Francis, with great fecrecy, induftry, and perfe- Francis I. verance, made his entrance into Piedmont by another paffage, they were not difmayed, but defcended into the plain, though unprovided with cavalry, and oppofed themselves to the progrefs of the French arms. At Marignan, near Milan, they fought with Francis one of the most furious and 13th Sept. beft contested battles that is to be met with in the hiftory of these later ages; and it required all the A Memoires du Bellai, lib. 1. Guicciardini, lib. 12. 4 heroic XXVIII. 1515 CHAP. heroic valour of this prince to infpire his troops with courage fufficient to refift the defperate affault of those mountaineers. After a bloody action in the evening, night and darkness parted the combatants; but next morning the Swifs renewed the attack with unabated ardour; and it was not till they had loft all their braveft troops that they could be prevailed on to retire. The field was ftrowed with twenty thousand flain on 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; the action of Marignan was a combat of heroes. After this great victory, the conqueft of the Milanefe was eafy and open to Francis. Jealousy of THE fuccefs and glory of the French monarch began to excite jealoufy in Henry; and his rapid progrefs, though in fo 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 out among other nations, it attracted the attention of all Europe, and every acquifition which was made there appeared more important than its weight in the balance of power was, ftrictly speaking, entitled to. Henry alfo thought that he had reason to complain of Francis for fending the duke of Albany into Scotland, and undermining the power and credit of his fifter the queen dowager*. The repairing of the fortifications of Teroüenne was likewife regarded as a breach of treaty. But above all, what tended to alienate the court of England, was the difguft which Wolfey had entertained against the French monarch. HENRY, on the conqueft of Tournay, had refused to admit. Lewis Gaillart, the bishop elect, to the i Hiftoire de la Ligue de Cambray. Pere Daniel, vol. iii. p. 31. |