BALFOUR, Sta James, LORD PrrrEN DREICH), Scottish judge, and a conspicuous actor in the civil wars which ended in the dethrone ment of Mary, Queen of Scots: b. Fifeshire, Scotland, about the beginning of the 16th cen tury; d. 1583. He espoused the Protestant cause, and in 1547, for his share in the con spiracy against Cardinal Beaton, he was, with Knox and other reformers, condemned to the galleys. In 1549 he was released, having ab jured his heresies, and returned to Scotland. His abilities and tact gained him appointments and he was high in office on the arrival of Mary in Scotland, and was with the Queen at Holy rood on the night of Rizzio's assassination. He is believed to have drafted the bond in the murder of Lord Darnley, Mary's husband, but contrived to divert suspicion from himself. In 1567 he was appointed captain of Edinburgh castle. A change in Balfour's convictions (if any he had) was forced upon him, for he saw that a powerful party had been formed against Mary and the advantages of an alliance with them overcame all scruples. He held
the castle of Edinburgh against the Queen, and was the means of delivenng up Mary's letters into the hands of her enemies. He afterward surrendered the castle for various considera tions. On the breaking out of the civil war Bal four sided with the regent, Murray, and was with the regent's army at the battle of Lang side, but after Mary's imprisonment in England he took part in conspiracies for her restoration, although professing adherence to the regents Murray and Morton. His last public act was furnishing the evidence of Morton's guilt in the murder of Darnley, for which Morton was con demned and executed. His flexibility of adapta tion was remarkable, and it was shown in the facility with which he changed sides. He has been described as the °most corrupt man of his age.'