The Affair of Cupar Moor: the Regent sues for an Armistice.
The Lords, being notified of this, assembled their company upon Cupar Moor early in the morning.... The Lord Ruthven took charge of the horsemen, and so ordered them that the enemy was never permitted to espy our number; the day was dark, and that helped. The enemy, thinking to have found no resistance, after they had twice or thrice made a feint of retiring, advanced with great expedition, and approached within a mile before ever their horsemen stayed.... After twelve o'clock, the mist began to vanish, and then some of their horsemen occupied an eminence whence they might discern our number. When they perceived this, their horsemen and footmen came to a speedy halt. Posts ran to the Duke and Monsieur D'Oysel to declare our number, and what order we kept; and then were mediators sent to make appointment. They were not suffered to approach the Lords, nor yet to view our camp. This put them in greater fear.... Answer received, the Duke and Monsieur D'Oysel, having commission from the Queen Regent, required that assurance[136] might be taken for eight days, to the end that indifferent men in the meantime might commune upon some final agreement concerning those things which were then in controversy. To this we fully consented, albeit that in number and force we were far superior....
The assurance granted by the Earl of Arran and others contained faithful promise, "that we, and our company foresaid, shall retire incontinent to Falkland, and shall with diligence transport the Frenchmen and our other folks now presently with us; and that no Frenchman or other soldiers of ours, shall remain within the bounds of Fife, except as many as before the raising of the last army lay in Dysart, Kirkcaldy, and Kinghorn, these to lie in the same places only, if we shall think good. And this to have effect for the space of eight days following the date hereof exclusive, that in the meantime certain noblemen, by the advice of the Queen's Grace and rest of the Council, may convene to talk of such things as may make good order and quietness amongst the Queen's lieges...."
Once more the Regent breaks Faith.
Having received this assurance, we departed first, because we were requested by the Duke to do so. We returned to Cupar, lauding and praising God for His mercy showed; and thereafter every man departed to his dwelling place. The Lords and a great part of the gentlemen proceeded to St. Andrews, and abode there certain days, always looking for those that had been promised to be sent from the Queen, for the preparation of an appointment. Perceiving her craft and deceit (for under that assurance she meant nothing else than to convey herself, her ordnance, and Frenchmen, over the water of Forth) we took consultation as to what should be done to deliver Perth from these ungodly soldiers, and how our brethren, exiled from their own houses, might be restored again. It was decided that the brethren of Fife, Angus, Mearns, and Strathearn should convene at Perth on the twenty-fourth day of June for that purpose; and in the meantime letters were written by the Earl of Argyll, and Lord James, to the Queen Regent....
The Relief of Perth.
At Perth, a trumpet was sent by the Lords, commanding the captains and their bands to vacate the town, and to leave it to its ancient liberty and just inhabitants; and also commanding them and the Laird of Kinfauns, provost, thrust upon the town by the Queen, to open the gates of the town and admit all our sovereign's lieges.... To this they answered proudly that they would keep and defend that town, according to promise made to the Queen Regent.... And so, upon Saturday, the twenty-fourth of June, at ten o'clock at night, the Lord Ruthven, who besieged the west quarter, commanded to shoot the first volley. This being done, the town of Dundee, whose ordnance lay upon the east side of the bridge, did the like. The captains and soldiers within the town, perceiving that they were unable long to resist, requested a truce until twelve o'clock noon, promising that, if before that hour there came no relief to them from the Queen Regent, they would surrender the town, provided that they should be suffered to depart from the town with ensigns displayed. We, thirsting for the blood of no man, and seeking only the liberty of our brethren, suffered them freely to depart without any further molestation....
The Sack of the Abbey and Palace of Scone.
The Bishop of Moray lay in the Abbey of Scone, and it was thought good that some proceedings should be taken against him and against that place, which lay near to the town-end. The Lords wrote unto him, for he lay within two miles of Perth, that, unless he would come and assist them, they neither could spare nor save his place. He answered, by writing, that he would come, and would do as they thought expedient; that he would assist them with his force, and would vote with them against the rest of the clergy in Parliament. But his answer was slow in coming, and the town of Dundee marched forward.