necessary burden to the state, Patrick Hepburn of Waughton was authorized to demolish it, and to send the ammunition and artillery to Dunbar at his own expense.*

In June 1555, the queen-regent, on her return from the southern shires, visited Dunbar; and, in 1557, she sent De Oysel, the lieutenant of the French king in Scotland, with a detachment of French from the castle, to rebuild the fortress of Eyemouth, which, by the convention of 1551, had been demolished.+

After the destruction of Perth and the abbey of Scone by the partisans of John Knox in 1559, the queen-regent, alarmed for her safety, fled with three hundred guards to the castle of Dunbar.‡

In 1560, when the English forces, under Lord Grey passed Dunbar on their way to Leith, some skirmishers sallied from the garrison; but as they kept near the walls of the castle, only a few lives were lost.§

While the English were now aiding the cause of the Reformers at the siege of Leith, the latter were employed in the destruction of palaces and abbeys in another quarter. Nor were their opponents

less active; for Bothwell and the French commandant of Dunbar, cut to pieces many straggling parties of Scots and English, and more than once seized the military chest when on its way from Berwick.

The English and French ambassadors having met

*See Note II. at the end of this chapter.

+ Maitland.

+ Spottiswood.

$ Ridpath. || Maitland.

at Berwick for the purpose of negotiating a truce, it appeared to be one great object of the Scottish nobility and people to get the French garrisons sent out of the country. But while thus anxious for their removal, they, at the same time, were equally anxious that their departure should not take place till restitution had been made to those they had wronged. Here two difficulties occurred: The commissioners of France wished, that a certain number of men should remain for the service of the king and queen, while those that were disbanded should be allowed to depart with their baggage unmolested. At length, to propitiate both parties, through the intercession of the queen of England, concessions were made to the nobility and people; and part of the fortifications lately built at Dunbar were to be razed, and no new buildings erected without the consent of parliament. These resolutions are noticed in a parliamentary article, entitled, " Concessions granted by the King and Queen to the nobility and people of Scotland."*

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"I. Item, That no more than six score French soldiers shall be retained in the forts of Dunbar and Inchkeith, to be divided be. tween these two places; sixty whereof, and no more, shall remain in the fort of Dunbar; and if the states can fall upon any secure means whereby to retrench the expense laid out on these two places, without incurring the danger of rendering them a prey to those that would pretend to make themselves master of them, they are at free. dom to acquaint their majesties thereof. But the foresaid number of French soldiers shall in no wise be augmented; nor shall it be allowable for them to do harm or injury to any person, nor yet to receive within their forts any Scottish men, of what quality or degree soever, with intention to secure them from the magistrates of

From these articles it appears that certain new works lately erected at Dunbar were to be demolished. On the 16th July 1560, the French army embarked in English vessels, and the English army

the country, or defend them against the officers of justice; nor shall they take any part in any private quarrels, which may chance to fall out among the great men or other persons within the kingdom: And if any complaint shall be made against any of themselves, they shall be bound to answer before the ordinary judges of the land, and shall be liable to punishment according to the laws and customs of the country. Item, It is provided, that, to prevent their taking things upon loan, they shall receive their wages regularly each month. And it shall be lawful for two Scottish gentlemen, chosen by the council, to be present at their musters, and to inspect the forts, lest their be more men got into them, than the stipulated number. Item, The soldiers belonging to the garrison of Dunbar shall not take to them any victuals, without paying ready money for the same; at least, they shall not take them against the good will and consent of those to whom they belong; and the nobility shall be obliged to furnish them with as much as they stand in need of, provided they have money to pay for the same.

II." As to the petition présented to the Lords Deputies concerning the demolition of fortifications, they have consented, agreed, and appointed, that two commissioners shall be appointed by the said Lords, who, together with two Scotsmen, shall visit Dunbar, and consider what therein is fit to be demolished; and such new works as have been added to it since the beginning of these troubles, together with such as may serve to enlarge the fortification, and render it capable to receive soldiers, shall all be thrown down, three days after Leith begins to be demolished. And forasmuch, as by the said demolition, and the few soldiers that are to be left in garrison, the place will be in danger to be surprised; 'tis accorded, That those who have presented this petition, shall each in particular oblige themselves to defend it with all their force against all those that would attempt to seize it. The same thing shall in like manner be

K

when on their way to Berwick, made it their business to see, that the demolition of the fort lately built in front of the castle of Dunbar should be put in execution.*

In 1562, Lord Gordon, eldest son of the earl of Huntly, was convicted of joining with his father in an enterprise against the queen, and was condemned for high treason, the sentence was however commuted into imprisonment in the castle of Dunbar.+

On the assassination of David Rizzio, by Lord Ruthven and others, in Holyroodhouse, on Saturday, 9th March, 1566, Mary, alarmed for her safety, left Edinburgh on the following Monday, at midnight, in company with Darnley, and proceeded to the palace of Seton, whence she pursued her journey to the safer retreat of the castle of Dunbar. Having thus seduced the king to abandon his party,

agreed upon by the states, with respect to the wardens of the marches. And neither the king nor the queen shall hereafter cause to be built any new fortification within the kingdom, nor yet enlarge those that are now subsisting, nor repair those that are now to be demolished, but by the advice and consent of the states. Neither shall they cause to be imported any artillery, ammunition, gunpowder, or vivres, in a greater quantity than shall be necessary for the defence of the two fore-mentioned forts, and the complement of their garrisons from one half year to another, or at most from year to year, without the advice and consent of the states foresaid."-Keith's Hist. p. 137.

This paper is drawn up in French. The title prefixed to the copy in the Cotton Library, is not written by the same hand, but by Secretary Cecil; and is entitled: "Accord betwixt the French Kyng and Queen of Scots, and the nobilitie of Scotland, 3. die Julii 1560."

the queen's next step was to avenge the murder of her favourite. A proclamation was accordingly issu ed from Dunbar, on the 16th March,* calling on the inhabitants of the sheriffdom of Edinburgh in the constabulery of Haddington, Linlithgow, Stirling, Lanark, Roxburgh, Selkirk, Peebles, Berwick, Lau der, &c. to meet her at Haddington, on Sunday the 17th current, with eight days provisions," and or danis thairfoir letteris to be direct to officiaris of armes to pass to the mercat-croces of the said burgh of Hadingtoun, and utheris places neidfull, and thair be openin proclamatioun charge all as aforesaid, under the pane of tynsall of lyff, landis and gudis."+

After issuing this proclamation, Mary, sent orders to Lord Erskine to fire upon the associated Lords from the castle of Edinburgh; and the earl of Morton, lord Ruthven, the barons of Ormiston, Warriston, &c. were immediately summoned to ap pear under pain of rebellion; but the two first fled to Newcastle, while the others sought refuge in the highlands or on the border. The queen thereafter returned to Edinburgh in triumph, with 8000 warriors in her train. Sir James Melville, (one of the gentlemen of her chamber at Haddington,) says, that she complained bitterly of Darnley's conduct in the

Present, George earl of Huntly, James earl of Bothwell, John earl of Athol, William earl Mareschal, David earl of Crawford, Gilbert earl of Cassilis, and George earl of Caithness. + Keith's App. 130., who quotes Acts of Privy Council.