whom he acquired by pecuniary
motives, he roused up the zeal of those who were attached to the
Catholic worship; and he represented the union with England as the sure
forerunner of ruin to the church and to the ancient religion.

* Sir Ralph Sadler's Letters.

** Buchanan, lib. xv.

The nations antipathy of the Scots to their southern neighbors was also
an infallible engine by which the cardinal wrought upon the people;
and though the terror of Henry's arms, and their own inability to make
resistance, had procured a temporary assent to the alliance and marriage
proposed, the settled habits of the nation produced an extreme aversion
to those measures. The English ambassador and his retinue received many
insults from persons whom the cardinal had instigated to commit those
violences, in hopes of bringing on a rupture; but Sadler prudently
dissembled the matter, and waited patiently till the day appointed
for the delivery of the hostages. He then demanded of the regent the
performance of that important article; but received for answer, that his
authority was very precarious, that the nation had now taken a different
impression, and that it was not in his power to compel any of the
nobility to deliver themselves as hostages to the English. Sadler,
foreseeing the consequence of this refusal, sent a summons to all those
who had been prisoners in England, and required them to fulfil the
promise which they had given of returning into custody. None of them
showed so much sentiment of honor as to fulfil their engagements, except
Gilbert Kennedy, earl of Cassilis. Henry was so well pleased with the
behavior of this nobleman, that he not only received him graciously, but
honored him with presents, gave him his liberty, and sent him back to
Scotland, with his two brothers, whom he had left as hostages.[*]

* Buchanan, lib. xv.

This behavior of the Scottish nobles, though it reflected dishonor on
the nation, was not disagreeable to the cardinal, who foresaw that all
these persons would now be deeply interested to maintain their enmity
and opposition to England. And as a war was soon expected with that
kingdom, he found it necessary immediately to apply to France, and to
crave the assistance of that ancient ally, during the present distresses
of the Scottish nation. Though the French king was fully sensible of
his interest in supporting Scotland, a demand of aid could not have
been made on him at a more unseasona