The borderers having resumed their predatory ha bits, which were loudly complained of by the English, the vassals of Angus and Arran were marched to Edin burgh, to attend the king in a progress of justice against the marauders.
The king proceeded to Jedburgh, and redressed the border grievances. The Armstrongs in particular had enriched themselves by plundering the English, but they were compelled to give pledges for their fu ture peaceable conduct. James evinced great impa tience under the power of the Douglases. He dis dained to be kept a prisoner in his own palace, to be treated with disrespect, and stripped of all his power. Angus, aware of his danger, resolved to secure the king's person, as he could not gain his confidence, and therefore surrounded him with spies.
The queen resided in Stirling castle, the only fortress in the kingdom which had escaped the power of Douglas. James secretly acquired possession of this place, and seizing the opportunity of Angus's absence, disguised as a groom, escaped in the night from his guards, and accompanied only by two servants, arriv ed at Stirling.
His court was soon filled with persons of the great est distinction, while Angus, indignant at the escape, hastened to Stirling. A herald met him by the way, and commanded him not to come within six miles of the king's residence, and he judged it prudent to sub mit. In a parliament which assembled soon after, Douglas and his adherents were attainted, and fled to England, where he resided during the remainder of this reign.
James was now in his seventeenth year, and enjoyed not only the name but the full authority of king. The faults of his government may be traced to the peculiar circumstances in which he was placed. The fruga lity in which he had been trained, degenerated into avarice; yet he expended his revenue in architectural works, in the construction of a navy, and similar plans of national utility. His political designs were sub servient to the humiliation of the aristocracy. But he had learned that the spirit of the feudal nobles was not to be restrained by laws alone; that the aggran disement of a few noble families would not produce a permanent accession of strength to the crown ; and that the elevation of persons of mean birth was both dangerous and dishonourable to a prince.
James, therefore, applied himself to the dignified clergy, who depended entirely on the crown, and pos sessed great authority over the minds of the people. Between the clergy and the nobles various causes of disgust existed. The latter despised the ecclesiasti cal character; and they envied the wealth and influ ence of the church. The clergy, on the other hand, were men of cultivated minds, and experienced in the art of commanding popular reverence. They readily entered into his views, and carried on his measures with vigour, reputation, and success.
James appointed Galvin Dumbar, archbishop of Glasgow, to be chancellor. The fortifications of Edin burgh and Stirling castles were repaired. A jury of six ecclesiastics and five peers pronounced sentence of forfeiture against the Douglases, and shared the plunder of his estates. As the peace with England was nearly expired, negotiations were opened for its renewal. A truce for five years was concluded and ratified by Henry and James.
The police of the kingdom was at this time in a miserable state, and the temerity of the border marau ders called for chastisement. Forty-eight of the most criminal were seized and hanged. John Armstrong, the chief of that name, who had attained wealth and power by robbery, was betrayed by his brother, and suffered the punishment of a felon.
Angus and Sir George Douglas continued to annoy the frontier counties by their incursions and outrages. Henry encouraged these disorders, by settling an an nuity of £1000 on the earl for his services against his country. To prevent an open declaration of war be tween the kingdoms, the French monarch interposed his good offices. A truce for one year was first con cluded, which led to a treaty of peace during the lives of the monarchs. Henry of England was about to emancipate his kingdom from the authority of Rome. A conference was held between the pope and the emperor, and his holiness sent an ambassador to James, with a consecrated sword and helmet, but James had the prudence to avoid a quarrel with his uncle.