Angus had
been chiefly guided in his intrigues with England by his brother, Sir
George Douglas of Pittendriech (_d._ 1552), master of Angus, a far
cleverer diplomatist than himself. His life and lands were also
declared forfeit, as were those of his uncle, Archibald Douglas of
Kilspindie (_d._ 1535), who had been a friend of James and was known
by the nickname of "Greysteel." These took refuge in exile. James
avenged himself on such Douglases as lay within his power. Angus's
third sister Janet, Lady Glamis, was summoned to answer the charge
of communicating with her brothers, and on her failure to appear her
estates were forfeited. In 1537 she was tried for conspiring against
the king's life. She was found guilty and burnt on the Castle Hill,
Edinburgh, on the 17th of July 1537. Her innocence has been generally
assumed, but Tytler (_Hist, of Scotland_, iv. pp. 433, 434) considered
her guilty. Angus remained in England till 1542, joining in the
attacks upon his countrymen on the border, while James refused all
demands from Henry VIII. for his restoration, and kept firm to his
policy of suppressing and extirpating the Douglas faction. On James
V.'s death in 1542 Angus returned to Scotland, with instructions
from Henry to accomplish the marriage between Mary and Edward. His
forfeiture was rescinded, his estates restored, and he was made a
privy councillor and lieutenant-general. In 1543 he negotiated the
treaty of peace and marriage, and the same year he himself married
Margaret, daughter of Robert, Lord Maxwell. Shortly afterwards strife
between Angus and the regent Arran broke out, and in April 1544
Angus was taken prisoner. The same year Lord Hertford's marauding
expedition, which did not spare the lands of Angus, made him join the
anti-English party. He entered into a bond with Arran and others to
maintain their allegiance to Mary, and gave his support to the
mission sent to France to offer the latter's hand. In July 1544 he
was appointed lieutenant of the south of Scotland, and distinguished
himself on the 27th of February 1545 in the victory over the
English at Ancrum Moor. He still corresponded with Henry VIII., but
nevertheless signed in 1546 the act cancelling the marriage and peace
treaty, and on the 10th of September commanded the van in the great
defeat of Pinkie, when he again won fame. In 1548 the attempt by
Lennox and Wharton to capture him and punish him for his duplicity
failed, Angus escaping after his de