essed himself of the fortress of Stirling, and of
the person of James. His nephew, Angus, hastened to his assistance.
Against him appeared his follower Cessford, with many of the Homes,
and the citizens of Edinburgh. Alluding to the restraint of the king's
person, they bore his effigy on their banners, with a rude rhyme,
demanding liberty or death.--_Birrel's Diary, ad annum_, 1578. The
Earl of Morton marched against his foes as far as Falkirk, and a
desperate action must have ensued, but for the persuasions of Bowes,
the English ambassador. The only blood, then spilt, was in a duel
betwixt Tait, a follower of Cessford, and Johnstone, a west border
man, attending upon Angus. They fought with lances, and on horseback,
according to the fashion of the borders.--The former was unhorsed and
slain, the latter desperately wounded.--_Godscroft_, Vol. II. p. 261.
The prudence of the late regent appears to have abandoned him, when he
was decoyed into a treaty upon this occasion. It was not long before
Morton the veteran warrior, and the crafty statesman, was forced bend
his neck to an engine of death[26], the use of which he himself had
introduced into Scotland.

[Footnote 26: A rude sort of guillotine, called the _maiden_.
The implement is now in possession of the Society of Scottish
Antiquaries.]

Released from the thraldom of Morton, the king, with more than
youthful levity, threw his supreme power into the hands of Lennox and
Arran. The religion of the first, and the infamous character of the
second favourite, excited the hatred of the commons, while their
exclusive and engrossing power awakened the jealousy of the other
nobles. James, doomed to be the sport of contending factions was
seized at Stirling by the nobles, confederated in what was termed the
Raid of Ruthven. But the conspirators soon suffered their prize to
escape, and were rewarded for their enterprize by exile or death.

In 1585, an affray took place at a border meeting in which Lord
Russel, the Earl of Bedford's eldest son, chanced to be slain. Queen
Elizabeth imputed the guilt of this slaughter to Thomas Kerr of
Fairnihirst, instigated by Arran. Upon the imperious demand of the
English ambassador, both were committed to prison; but the minion,
Arran, was soon restored to liberty and favour; while Fairnihirst, the
dread of the English borderers and the gallant defender of Queen Mary,
died in his confinement, of a broken heart.--_Spottiswoode_ p. 341.

The