CADZOW CASTLE.
When princely Hamilton's abode
Ennobled Cadzow's Gothic towers,
The song went round, the goblet flow'd,
And wassail sped the jocund hours.
_Scott._
The Avon, a tributary of the Clyde, flows through a beautiful valley,
the sides of which are clothed with magnificent timber of great size
and age. Embosomed amid the thickest part of this forest, surrounded
by trees which were planted during the reign of David I., and
overhanging a rushing torrent, the rocks of which are covered by
masses of dark ivy and luxuriant creeping-plants, stands the castle
of Cadzow, now an open ruin, having been dismantled in the wars of
Queen Mary's time, but which, at the epoch of our story, had banners
on its ramparts and cannon at its gate, being in all the strength and
pride of a feudal stronghold as the residence of a princely and
powerful chief, James Earl of Arran, who, by his position as regent,
was the first subject in the realm.
This castle is about a mile distant from the town of Hamilton, where
Florence was informed that the regent, though at Cadzow, was
preparing, with all his train, to depart for Stirling. This
venerable fortress once gave a name to the whole district, and both
were anciently the property of the crown of Scotland, as there are
yet extant charters granted by Alexanders II. and III. dated at "our
Castle of Cadzow;" but David II. gifted to Walter, the son of Sir
Gilbert of Hamilton, his lands of Cadzow and Edelwood, in the county
of Lanark; and thereafter on the whole territory was bestowed the
present name of Hamilton, the castle and forest alone retaining their
ancient designation.
Many horses, saddled and richly caparisoned, held by grooms,
liverymen, pages, or men-at-arms, were grouped under the trees of the
park; and the bustle of preparation previous to departure was evident
in and about the castle as Florence rode up to the gate, where his
arrival attracted but little attention amid the throng of nearly a
hundred gay cavaliers, who were waiting for the appearance of the
regent.
After some inquiry, our new-comer found a page wearing the livery of
the house of Hamilton, and desired him to say that a gentleman from
Edinburgh requested the honour of an audience.
"You cannot see the regent," replied the page bluntly, while
switching a few specks of dust from his white leather boots with a
fine laced handkerchief.
"Why so?"
"His grace is at dinner," was the brief reply.
"He sits long; 'tis one by the dial."
"Kings are pleased to be hungry sometimes, and a regent may be so,
too."
"Thou saucy jackfeather, say instantly to the captain of the guard,
the usher, or whoever is in waiting, that I, Florence Fawside of that
ilk, bearer of letters from the queen-mother and the king of France,
am here at his castle gate, or, by the furies! I will scourge you
with my bridle, were you the last, as I verily believe you are the
first, of your race in Scotland!"
This imperious speech crushed even the proverbial insolence of the
court page, who was a son of Hamilton of Dalserfe. He reddened with
anger, and frowned; then he gave a saucy smile and withdrew, saying,--
"I shall do your bidding, sir."
In a few minutes after, the messenger found himself ushered into a
stately hall, and in the presence of the Regent of Scotland.
James, second earl of Arran and tenth in descent from the founder of
his house, who rose to favour under King Alexander II., was a peer of
noble presence. He had been the loyal friend of the late King James
V., whom he accompanied in his expedition to the Orcades and Western
Isles in 1536, and with whom, in the September of that year, he
embarked for France, and was present at his nuptials with Magdalene
de Valois, the eldest daughter of Francis I., in the church of Notre
Dame at Paris. She died soon after, a young and beautiful queen of
twenty summer days; and the king, about a year after, espoused the
daughter of René of Lorraine, Mary, whom we have already had the
pleasure of introducing to the reader. As regent of Scotland, Arran
passed many patriotic laws, one of which, sanctioning the issue of
the new Bible which Father William, a Dominican, had translated into
the Scottish tongue, procured him, on one hand the affection of the
Reformers, and on the other the hatred of those who adhered to the
Church of Rome.
He was above the middle height; he had that peculiar length and
gravity of visage which the shorn hair and peaked beard imparted to
the faces of all the great and noble of his time, as we may see in
the portraits of Francis I., Philip II., James V., of Raleigh,
Morton, Murray, and others; his eyes and hair were dark; when he
smiled, it was haughtily, with his lips closed; while the troubles
incident to his time and government gave him a saddened and
preoccupied look. He wore a hongreline of blue velvet laced with
gold braid, and so called from the pelisse of the Hungarians. This
species of doublet was buttoned close under the chin, but was open
below, to display a cuirass of the finest steel inlaid with
magnificent carving. It had been presented by Christian II. of
Denmark to his father, who had led five thousand Scots to succour
that monarch in the war of 1504.
He was attended by four pages, all sons of barons of the surname of
Hamilton--to wit, the young lairds of Dalserfe, Broomhall, Allershaw
(who in manhood and in after years fought at Langside "for God and
Queen Mary"), and Bothwellhaugh, a grave and resolute boy, who twenty
years later was to slay the regent Maray. Clad in cloth-of-gold,
with gold chains at their necks, they had his armorial bearings
embroidered on the breasts of their doublets, and, though mere boys,
they were armed like men, with swords and daggers.
"Welcome to Cadzow," said the regent, presenting his hand, which
Fawside kissed respectfully. "You have come from France, I am
informed?"
"With M. le Chevalier de Villegaignon."
"Villegaignon!" reiterated the regent coldly, but with surprise. "He
hath come and been gone again these several weeks. How comes it to
pass, young sir, that I have only now the honour of seeing you?"
"The honour is mine, Lord Arran. As regent of Scotland, all honour
must, after our young queen, flow from you."
Arran gave a cold smile, and replied,
"This is well-timed flattery, and proves that you have not spent
seven years, as I have heard, with the Duchess Anne of Albany without
benefit."
Fawside bowed, and presented the letter of Henry II.
"What spots are these on the cover?" exclaimed Arran. "Blood! You
have been fighting, sir--been wounded! Where was this? And you have
delayed----"
"Three swords in one's body are likely enough to cause delay; and I,
my lord, have had these, with a stroke or so, from a partizan to
boot. Hence the delay of which your grace complains."
"Indeed! I must inquire into this. But such brawls are now of
hourly occurrence. Retire, gentlemen," said he to the four pages;
who at once withdrew to resume their game of primero in the
antechamber.
Florence briefly and modestly, but with an indignation that grew in
spite of himself, related the dangers he had undergone, first in the
streets of Edinburgh and latterly in the tower of Millheugh, to which
he had been snared by the letter given from the hand of Champfleurie;
and as he proceeded, the broad brow of Arran grew black as a
thunder-cloud, and his whole face assumed a sombre expression.
"Now, heaven grant me patience!" he exclaimed, striking his sword on
the floor; "there is more than a mere brawl in this: treason lies
under it--treason and a conspiracy; and, by my father's soul, I shall
hang them all!"
"Hang nobles?"
"Well, the more titled rascals shall have the perilous honour of
having their heads sliced off by an axe,--the grim privilege of
nobility; but the more common rogues I shall hang high and dry, like
scarecrows in a cornfield."
"My lord regent, I beseech you not to embroil yourself with powerful
peers like Cassilis, Bothwell, and Glencairn, for a small matter like
my three sword-cuts."
"Knaves who are at faith and peace with England, as I am told,"
continued Arran, pursuing his own thoughts.
"True, my lord; but when we find among them a man like Hugh Earl of
Eglinton, who is constable of Rothesay, bailie of Cunningham, and
chamberlain of Irvine, to attempt punishment would embroil your whole
government, and peril the Queen's authority."
"And both are so weak, that no later than last year, without the
assistance of the prior of Rhodes, and his galleys, I could not
dislodge a few sacrilegious rebels from the castle of St. Andrew's!
Yet we are strong,--we Hamiltons," continued the regent loftily; "the
blood of our house has mingled with that of our kings, and run over
Scotland in a thousand channels; but you counsel well and wisely,
Fawside; for there are times when I fear that the envy of these
malcontent lords will destroy me, and level even the throne."
"Fear them not, my lord; that man is worth little who excites not
envy."
"Faith, thou art right, boy!" said the regent cheerfully; "and though
those who wronged thee are perhaps too numerous and powerful for me
to punish at present, a time shall come; and meanwhile, I will not
the less reward your worth and bravery; and now, sir, for the letter
of the Valois."
As he read it, the contents seemed to please him; his eyes sparkled;
a glow suffused his cheek, and an expression of triumph spread over
all his features.
"We are to have auxiliaries from Henry II. to strengthen my
government, and enable me to resist the wiles and wishes of the
English protector, so that our young queen shall wed the heir of
France, and _not_ the son of the last Tudor! Good--good! Monsieur
d'Essé d'Epainvilliers is to be lieutenant-general; Monsieur
d'Andelot, colonel of two thousand French men-at-arms," he muttered,
reading the names of those soldiers who served at the siege of Leith,
and in the campaign of 1548; "the Rhinegrave will bring three
thousand Almayners armed with pike and arquebuse; Monsieur Etanges is
to be colonel of a thousand gendarmes on horseback; Signor Pietro
Strozzi will lead a thousand Italian veterans; M. le Chevalier de
Dunois is to be general of the ordnance; and the Sieur Nicholas de
Villegaignon, knight of Rhodez, and admiral of the galleys of France,
shall bring twenty-two war-ships, and sixty-two transports, all
bearing the red lion of Scotland. 'Tis good, 'tis noble of King
Henry, and worthy the spirit of the old alliance with France.
'Fall--fall, whatever befall,
_Our Lion shall be lord of all!_'
If we have war with England,--and hourly I expect a declaration of
it, the sooner these succours arrive the better, for there are many
men in Scotland so foully corrupted by English gold, that I tremble
at the prospect of leading a Scottish army to the field, lest it
crumble by the very corruption of our peers."
"The galleys and transports were lying in the harbour of Brest, where
I saw them when I sailed; and they wait----"
"Wait--for what?"
"The arrival of the troops, who are all chosen men, and are now on
their march from the frontiers of Italy; but I have yet another
letter for your grace."
"From whom?"
"Her majesty the queen-mother."
The brow of Arran darkened for a moment, as he opened and read the
missive.
"She exults at the prospect of having so many French men-at-arms to
fence her daughter's throne, and fight the English; but let me be
wary, lest they fight with Scottish men as well. Sir, if you love
me----"
"Oh, your excellency!"
"And wish to serve me," resumed the regent, grasping the arm of
Fawside, and bending his keen dark eyes upon him, "you must avoid
that dangerous Frenchwoman."
"Who, my lord?" stammered Fawside.
"The widow of the late king; for she plots deeply to deprive me of
the regency, which is the darling object of her ambition, and the
hope of the Guises; and this I know so well, that I dare scarcely lay
my head on its pillow at night, for fear that a hand with a dagger is
concealed behind the arras,--avoid her, I say; avoid her!"
Florence coloured deeply as the beautiful face and form of the royal
widow seemed to rise before him, with the dearer image of her friend.
Arran now insisted on his visitor being seated; and the purport of
King Henry's letter having put him in the best of humours, he became
more conversational. He walked about the room, and as he did so, or
stood with his back to the fire, he said,--
"I presume, sir, that you know how hard a task the loyal and faithful
have to perform here in Scotland, to maintain the national league
with France, in the face of secret treaties, formed, or _said_ to
have been formed, by certain of our lords, who were the prisoners of
King Henry after the field of Solway, and whose plots, by the seven
pillars of the house of wisdom, a wise man will be needed to unravel."
"In France, I heard such things talked of openly; and that Henry
VIII. had the audacity to propose, if you would put the little Queen
Mary into his murderous hands, to give his daughter Elizabeth in
marriage to your son, now captain of the Scottish guard, and, with an
army, to make you king of all Scotland beyond the river Forth."
"You heard rightly, sir," said Arran, with a scornful laugh; "'twas a
knave's hope--a madman's project; and then he tried gold; but had he
offered all the precious metal that Michael Scott cheated the devil
of, he would have failed with James of Arran!"
"And how did wise Sir Michael cheat the devil?"
"Know ye not the story?" asked the earl, smiling.
"No, my lord."
"The Evil One was as marvellously overreached as when Michael
employed him to make ropes of sea-sand. He cut a hole in the crown
of his bonnet, and here, in Cadzow wood, holding it over the mouth of
a coalheugh, which the devil saw not, so curiously had the wizard
concealed it, he tauntingly offered to barter his soul for the said
bonnet full of gold-dust."
"And the devil----"
"Was outwitted, as he had to fill the pit ere he could fill the
bonnet. So had Henry of England offered me all the gold which the
infernal pit of Michael of Balwearie contained, he had failed to
tempt me; though I fear that a less bribe has tempted many others,
who pretend to be merely averse to the residence of our queen in
France; but, after our conference at Stirling, I have resolved that
she sail for Brest; for I would rather see the daughter of James V.
lying by his side at Holyrood than wedded to son of him who, three
years ago, carried fire and sword into Scotland, and who broke the
gentle heart of Catharine of Aragon!"
"But what of the Protector Somerset?"
"He may meet us again in battle, when and where he will; and now,
sir, if you will accompany me to Stirling, whither I set forth in a
few minutes, you must refresh; for on my faith you look both weary
and worn."
Florence, in truth, felt and looked as the regent said; for after his
long ride from Edinburgh, and the adventures of the past day and
night, he was becoming faint and pale. The regent sounded a silver
whistle, which lay on the table, and was then used in lieu of a
hand-bell. The young laird, of Dalserfe, the senior page, appeared;
and to him Arran remitted the duty of attending to the wants of his
visitor. The latter, though he would have preferred returning to
Edinburgh, _felt_ that the wish of Arran to have his company so far
as Stirling implied a command, obedience to which became more
palatable when he discovered that Mary of Lorraine and the ladies of
her court would be present at the intended conference.
The regent, a man of great penetration, though too quiet and
well-meaning to govern a people so turbulent as the Scots, saw in
Florence a young man, travelled, brave, intelligent, of good
position, of high spirit, and--what was much more remarkable in
1547--of education. He felt that such a man might prove invaluable
to his household and government, and was anxious to attach him to his
person.
This idea proved fortunate; for, by accompanying the regent to
Stirling, he eluded the followers of Bothwell and Glencairn, some
twenty or so of whom, with loaded arquebuses, were at that moment
lurking in the forest of Cadzow, for the express purpose of cutting
him off, if he came forth from the castle alone.