nerous prince. By his bounty, great accessions of wealth and power were added to a family already opulent and powerful. On the death of that monarch, Alexander the next earl, being appointed lord lieutenant of all the counties beyond Forth, left the other nobles to contend for offices at court; and having retired to the north, where his estate and influence lay, resided there in a kind of princely independence. The chieftains in that part of the kingdom dreaded the increasing dominion of such a dangerous neighbour, but were unable to prevent his encroachments. Some of his rivals he secretly undermined, others he subdued by open force. His estate far exceeded that of any other subject, and his superiorities and jurisdictions extended over many of the northern counties. With power and possessions so immense, under two long and feeble minorities, and amidst the shock of civil commotions, the earls of Huntly might have indulged the most elevated hopes. But happily for the crown, an active and enterprising spirit was not the 'characteristic of that family, and whatever object their ambition might have in view, they chose rather to acquire it by political address, than to seize it openly, and by force of arms.

The conduct of George, the present earl, during the late commotions, had been perfectly suitable to the character of the family in that age, dubious, variable, and crafty. While the success of the lords of the congregation was uncertain, he assisted the queen-regent in attempting to crush them. When their affairs put on a better aspect, he pretended to join them, but never heartily favoured their cause. He was courted and dreaded by each of the contending parties; both connived at his encroachments in the north; and, by artifice and force,

which he well knew how to employ alternately, and in their proper places, he added every day to the exorbitant power and wealth which he possessed.

He observed the growing reputation and authority of the prior of St. Andrew's with the greatest jealousy and concern, and considered him as a rival who had engrossed that share in the queen's confidence, to which his own zeal for the popish religion seemed to give him a preferablė title. Personal injuries soon increased the misunderstanding occasioned by rivalship in power. The queen determining to reward the services of the prior of St. Andrew's, by creating him an earl, made choice of Mar, as the place from which he should take his title; and, that he might be bet ter able to support his new honour, bestowed upon him at the same time the lands of that name. These were part of the royal demesnes, but the earls of Huntly had been permitted, for several years, to keep possession of them. On this occasion the earl not only complained, with some reason, of the loss which he sustained, but had real cause to be alarmed at the intrusion of a formidable neighbour into the heart of his territories, who might be able to rival his power, and excite his op pressed vassals to shake off his yoke.

An incident which happened soon after, increased and confirmed Huntly's suspicions. Sir John Gordon, his third son, and lord Ogilvie, had a dispute about the property of an estate. This dispute became a deadly quarrel. They happened unfortunately to meet in the streets of Edinburgh, and being both attended with armed followers, a scuffle ensued, in which lord Ogilvie was dangerously wounded by Sir John. The magistrates apprehended both the offenders, and the queen commanded them to be closely confined. Under any regular government, such a breach of public

peace and order would expose the person offending to certain punishment. At this time some severity was necessary, in order to vindicate the queen's authority from an insult, the most heinous which had been offered to it since her return into Scotland. But, in an age accustomed to license and anarchy, even this moderate exercise of her power, in ordering them to be kept in custody, was deemed an act of intolerable severity; and the friends of each party began to convene their vassals and dependents, in order to overawe, or to frustrate the decisions of justice. Meanwhile Gordon making his escape out of prison, and flying into Aberdeenshire, complained loudly of the indignity with which he had been treated; and as all the queen's actions were, at this juncture, imputed to the earl of Mar, this added very much to the resentment which Huntly had conceived against that noble

man.

At the very time when these passions fermented, with the greatest violence in the minds of the earl of Huntly and his family, the queen happened to set out on a progress into the northern parts of the kingdom. She was attended by the earls of Mar and Morton, Maitland, and other leaders of that party. The presence of the queen, in a country where no name greater than the earl of Huntly's had been heard of, and no power superior to his had been exercised for many years, was an event of itself abundantly mortifying to that haughty nobleman. But while the queen was entirely under the direction of Mar, all her actions were more apt to be misrepresented, and construed into injuries; and a thousand circumstances could not but occur to awaken Huntly's jealousy, to offend his pride, and to inflame his resentment. Amidst the agitations of so many violent passions, some eruption was unavoidable.

On Mary's arrival in the north, Huntly employed his wife, a woman capable of executing the commission with abundance of dexterity, to sooth the queen, and to intercede for pardon to their son. But the queen peremptorily required that he should again deliver himself into the hands of justice, and rely on her clemency. Gordon was persuaded to do so; and being enjoined by the queen to enter himself prisoner in the castle of Stirling, he promised likewise to obey that command. Lord Erskine, Mar's uncle, was at that time governor of this fort. The queen's severity, and the place in which she appointed Gordon to be confined, were interpreted to be new marks of Mar's rancour, and augmented the hatred of the Gordons against him.

Meantime Sir John Gordon set out towards Stirling; but, instead of performing his promise to the queen, made his escape from his guards, and returned to take the command of his followers, who were rising in arms all over the north. These were destined to second and improve the blow, by which his father proposed, secretly and at once, to cut off Mar, Morton, and Maitland, his principal adversaries. The time and place for perpetrating this horrid deed were frequently appointed; but the executing of it was wonderfully prevented, by some of those unforeseen accidents which so often occur to disconcert the schemes, and to intimidate the hearts, of assassins. Huntly's own house at Strathbogie was the last and most convenient scene appointed for committing the intended violence. But, on her journey thither, the queen heard of young Gordon's flight and rebellion, and refusing, in the first transports of her indignation, to enter under the father's roof, by that fortunate expression of her resentment saved her ministers from unavoidable destruction.

The ill success of these efforts of private revenge precipitated Huntly into open rebellion. As the queen was entirely under the direction of his rivals, it was impossible to work their ruin, without violating the allegiance which he owed his sovereign. On her arrival at Inverness, the commanding officer in the castle, by Huntly's orders, shut the gates against her. Mary was obliged to lodge in the town, which was open and defenceless; but this too was quickly surrounded by a multitude of the earl's followers. The utmost consternation seized the queen, who was attended by a very slender train. She every moment expected the approach of the rebels, and some ships were already ordered into the river to secure her escape. The loyalty of the Monroes, Frazers, Macintoshes, and some neighbouring clans, who took arms in her defence, saved her from this danger. By their assistance she even forced the castle to surrender, and inflicted on the governor the punishment which his insolence deserved.

This open act of disobedience was the occasion of a measure more galling to Huntly than any the queen had hitherto taken. Lord Erskine having pretended a right to the earldom of Mar, Stewart resigned it in his favour; and at the same time Mary conferred upon him the title of earl of Murray, with the estate annexed to that dignity, which had been in the possession of the earl of Huntly since the year 1548. From this he concluded that his family was devoted to destruction; and dreading to be stripped gradually of those possessions which, in reward of their services, the gratitude of the crown had bestowed on himself, or his ancestors, he no longer disguised his intentions, but, in defiance of the queen's proclamation, openly took arms. Instead of yielding those places of strength