All honest and godly men once banished from the Court, the Abbot and his council began to lay before the inconstant Governor the dangers that might ensue the alteration and change of religion; the power of the King of France; and the commodity that might come to him and his house by retaining the ancient league with France. He was also called on to consider the great danger that he brought upon himself if, in any jot, he suffered the authority of the Pope to be violated or called in question within this realm; for thereon alone stood the security of his right to the succession of the Crown of this realm. By God's Word, the divorcement of his father from Elizabeth Home, his first wife, would not be found lawful, his second marriage would be judged null, and he himself declared bastard. Caiaphas spake prophecy, and wist not what he spake; for at that time there were no men that truly feared God that minded any such thing. With their whole force they would have fortified the title that God had given unto him, and things done in time of darkness would never have been called in question.
Another practice was used. The Cardinal, being now at liberty, ceased not to traffic with such of the nobility as he might draw to his faction or corrupt by any means, seeking thereby to raise a party against the said Governor, and against such as stood fast for the contract of marriage and peace with England. The said Cardinal, the Earls Argyll, Huntly, and Bothwell, and the bishops and their bands, assembled at Linlithgow: thereafter they passed to Stirling, and took with them both the Queens, the mother and the daughter, and threatened the deposition of the said Governor, as inobedient to their Holy Mother the Kirk, as they term the harlot of Babylon, Rome.
The Regent breaks Faith with England, and receives Absolution.
The inconstant man, not thoroughly grounded upon God, was left destitute of all good counsel by his own default, and had the wicked ever blowing in his ears, "What will ye do! Ye will destroy yourself and your house for ever." Beaten with these temptations, the unhappy man surrendered himself to the appetites of the wicked. Quietly stealing away from the Lords that were with him in the Palace of Holyroodhouse, he passed to Stirling, subjected himself to the Cardinal and to his council, received absolution, renounced the profession of the holy Evangel of Christ Jesus, and violated the oath that he had made for observation of the contract and league with England.
King Harry remonstrates without avail.
At that time our Queen was crowned, and new promise was made to France. The certainty hereof coming to King Harry, our Scottish ships were stayed, the sails taken from their rays,[53] and the merchants and mariners were commanded to sure custody. New commission was sent to Master Sadler, who still remained in Scotland, to demand the reason for that sudden alteration, and to travail by all means possible that the Governor might be called back to his former godly purpose, and that he would not do so foolishly and inhonestly, yea so cruelly and unmercifully, to the realm of Scotland. He was assured that he would not only lose the commodities offered and presently to be received, but that he would also expose Scotland to the hazard of fire and sword, and other inconveniences that might arise from the war that would follow upon the violation of his faith: but nothing could avail. The Devil kept fast the grip that he had got, yea, even all the days of his government. The Cardinal got his eldest son in pledge, and kept him in the Castle of St. Andrews until the day that God punished his pride.
War is declared by King Harry.
King Harry, perceiving that all hope of the Governor's repentance was lost, called back his ambassador, and that with fearful threatenings, as Edinburgh afterwards felt. He proclaimed war, made our ships prizes, and our merchants and mariners lawful prisoners, and this alone was no small hardship to the burghs of Scotland. But the Cardinal and priests did laugh, and jestingly said, "When we shall conquer England, the merchants shall be recompensed." The summer and the harvest passed over without any notable thing. The Cardinal and Abbot of Paisley parted the prey betwixt them: the abused Governor bare the name only.
The revolt of the Earl of Lennox.