ble juncture. His pretensions on the
Milanese, and his resentment against Charles, had engaged him in a war
with that potentate; and having made great, though fruitless efforts
during the preceding campaign, he was the more disabled at present from
defending his own dominions, much more from granting any succor to
the Scots. Matthew Stewart, earl of Lenox, a young nobleman of a
great family, was at that time in the French court; and Francis, being
informed that he was engaged in ancient and hereditary enmity with the
Hamiltons, who had murdered his father, sent him over to his native
country, as a support to the cardinal and the queen mother: and he
promised that a supply of money, and, if necessary, even military
succors, should soon be despatched after him. Arran, the governor,
seeing all these preparations against him, assembled his friends, and
made an attempt to get the person of the infant queen into his custody;
but being repulsed, he was obliged to come to an accommodation with his
enemies, and to intrust that precious charge to four neutral persons,
the heads of potent families, the Grahams, Areskines, Lindseys, and
Levingstones. The arrival of Lenox, in the midst of these transactions,
served to render the victory of the French party over the English still
more undisputable.[*]

The opposition which Henry met with in Scotland from the French
intrigues, excited his resentment, and further confirmed the resolution
which he had already taken of breaking with France, and of uniting
his arms with those of the emperor. He had other grounds of complaint
against the French king; which, though not of great importance, yet
being recent, were able to overbalance those great injuries which he had
formerly received from Charles. He pretended that Francis had engaged to
imitate his example in separating himself entirely from the see of
Rome, and that he had broken his promise in that particular. He was
dissatisfied that James, his nephew, had been allowed to marry, first
Magdalene of France, then a princess of the house of Guise; and
he considered these alliances as pledges which Francis gave of his
intentions to support the Scots against the power of England.[**] He had
been informed of some railleries which the French king had thrown out
against his conduct with regard to his wives. He was disgusted that
Francis, after so many obligations which he owed him, had sacrificed
him to the emperor; and, in the confidence of frie