Several incidents of a less important character served to exhibit the cruelty of Douglas, and exasperate the king, who, with the advice of his council, determined upon private revenge. The earl was invited to visit the court or Stirling. After supper, the king, taking him into a private chamber, mildly desired him to dissolve his illegal combinations. But the earl proud ly refused, and upbraided the king as the cause of the confederacy. James, with fury, exclaimed, " If you will not break this league, I shall!" and instantly stabbed him with his dagger. An attendant struck the earl with a battle axe, and he fell mortally wound ed. Crawford, one of Douglas's confederates, on hear ing of his fate, rose in arms. He was met near Brechin by Huntly, and defeated with great slaughter. The four brothel's of Douglas threatened the king with vengeance, but Jan;ies's forbearance and authority in duced them to return to their duty.
In the subsequent part of this reign, the most pro minent transaction is the final ruin of the house of Douglas. Earl James had entered into a treasonable engagement with Richard duke of York, who directed the councils of England. The king of Scots was the friend of Henry, and therefore displeased with the usurpation of York, who necessarily availed himself of the alliance with Douglas to retaliate upon James and prevent his interference in the affairs of England.
Upon discovering the designs of Douglas, James summoned him to appear at court. The earl not only disobeyed, but caused placards to be stuck charging the king with the murder of the two late chiefs of the house of Douglas. An army was immediately sent to ravage the lands of the contumacious earl, and to be siege his castle of Abercorn. Douglas retired to the border, and applied for aid to the English ally, who sent him a pecuniary remittance, on which he resolved to raise all his vassals and adherents to give battle to the king, or expel him from the kingdom. In this extremity, the king passed over to St. Andrews, issued a proclamation summoning the array of the north, and offering an amnesty to all who should join his army.
A considerable force speedily assembled, and the king marched to Stirling, where, being joined by the troops from the northern shires, his army amounted to 40,000. The royal army then advanced to give the rebels battle, and in one night the whole forces of the Earl deserted him, on which he fled to Annandale, and afterwards to England. On this, the castles of Aber corn, Douglas, Strathaven, and Crieff in Galloway were razed, and the family estates confiscated.
A truce for nine years was concluded with England; but the civil dissensions in that kingdom rendered the continuance of peace very precarious. From some un certain cause, James advanced with an army to Rox burgh castle, which had remained in the hands of the English since the battle of Durham. In this siege, while the king was observing the effects of his rude cannon, one of them burst, and he died almost instan taneously, in the twenty-ninth year of his age, and the twenty-fourth of his reign. He left three sons and two daughters.
James the Third, at eight years of age succeeded his father, and was crowned at Scone.
Henry the Sixth of England having been defeated by Edward the Fourth, fled to Scotland, and engaged the sympathy of the queen regent. Berwick was conceded to the Scots, who, in return, sent an army into Eng land, but they were compelled to make a disastrous re treat. George, earl of Angus, was engaged to assist the unfortunate Henry by the promise of a ducal dig nity, with an estate in England. To balance the in fluence of Henry in Scotland, his successful rival, Ed ward the Fourth, entered into a negotiation with the Lord of the Isles, who became the liege subject of Ed ward for a pension, and by the promise of ample ter ritories when his country should be subdued. James had entered his fourteenth year when his venerable preceptor Kennedy died.
Lord Boyd was appointed guardian of the king and his family, and was created constable of Scotland.
.An embassy was sent to Denmark, to adjust a pro tracted dispute relative to the arrears due for the west ern islands. At the suggestion of the king of France, a marriage was concluded between the king of Scots and the princess of Denmark. In'lieu of dowry, her father consented to cancel the arrears, and to make a permanent cession to the crown of Scotland of the Orkney and Shetland Islands. Margaret of Denmark arrived at Leith, and was married and crowned, though only in her thirteenth year. James's character, upon his assuming the chief authority, began to be delineat ed, in his attachment to favourites, his love of retire ment and the arts, and his consequent inattention and aversion to public business. The parliament was put upon the dependent footing of a mere court of justice, existing by the royal pleasure, and assimilated in terms of contempt with the inferior courts.