answer for his chief.
Balvenie, very unwilling to risk any inquisition, held back, until he
was seized and brought before the King. His explanations were so little
satisfactory, that he was ordered at once to put order in the matter,
and to "restore to every man his own:" a command which he received
respectfully, but as soon as he got free ignored altogether, keeping
fast hold of the ill-gotten possessions, and hoping, no doubt, that the
momentary indignation would blow over, and all go on as before. James,
however, was too much roused to be trifled with. When he saw that no
effect was given to his orders he took the matter into his own hands.
The Earl of Orkney with a small following was first sent with the King's
commission to do justice and redress wrongs: but when James found his
ambassador insulted and repulsed, he took the field himself, first
making proclamation to all the retainers of the Douglas to yield to
authority on pain of being declared rebels. Arrived in Galloway, he rode
through the whole district, seizing all the fortified places, the narrow
peel-houses of the Border, every nest of robbers that lay in his way,
and, according to one account, razed to the ground the Castle of Douglas
itself, and placed a garrison of royal troops in that of Lochmaben, the
two chief strongholds of the house. But James's mission was not only to
destroy but to restore. He divided the lands thus taken from the House
of Douglas, according to Pitscottie, "among their creditors and
complainers, till they were satisfied of all things taen from them,
whereof the misdoers were convict." This, however, must only have
applied, one would suppose, to the small losses of the populace, the
lifted cows and harried lands of one small proprietor and another. "The
King," adds the same authority, "notwithstanding of this rebellion, was
not the more cruel in punishing thereof nor he was at the beginning:"
while Buchanan tells us that his clemency and moderation were applauded
even by his enemies.

This is throughout the opinion which we find of James. He was capable of
being moved to sudden violent indignation and hasty action, as was too
distinctly demonstrated afterwards; but the hasty outburst once over
came back at once without rancour to his natural benignity, always
merciful, slow to anger, ready to hear whatever the accused might have
to say for himself, and to pardon as long as pardon was possible.
Notwithstanding the rebellious and a