[Footnote 9:  In a letter to the Duke of Norfolk, October 1524, Queen Margaret says, “Sen that the Lard of Sessford and the Lard of Baclw vas put in the castell of Edinbrouh, the Erl of Lenness hath past hyz vay vythout lycyens, and in despyt; and thynkyth to make the brek that he may, and to solyst other lordis to tak hyz part; for the said lard of Bavkl wvas hyz man, and dyd the gretyst ewelyz that myght be dwn, and twk part playnly vyth theasyz as is well known.”—­Cot.  MSS.  Calig. B.I.]

This chief, with Kerr of Cessford, was committed to ward, from which they escaped, to join [Sidenote:  1525] the party of the exiled Angus.  Leagued with these, and other border chiefs, Angus effected his return to Scotland, where he shortly after acquired possession of the supreme power, and of the person of the youthful king.  “The ancient power of the Douglasses,” says the accurate historian, whom I have so often referred to, “seemed to have revived; and, after a slumber of near a century, again to threaten destruction to the Scottish monarchy.”—­Pinkerton, Vol. 11, p. 277.

In fact, the time now returned, when no one durst strive with a Douglas, or with his follower.  For, although Angus used the outward pageant of conducting the king around the country, for punishing thieves and traitors, “yet,” says Pitscottie, “none were found greater than were in his own company.”  The high spirit of the young king was galled by the ignominious restraint under which he found himself; and, in a progress to the border for repressing the Armstrongs, he probably gave such signs of dissatisfaction, as excited the [Sidenote:  1526] laird of Buccleuch to attempt his rescue.

This powerful baron was the chief of a hardy clan, inhabiting Ettrick forest, Eskdale, Ewsdale, the higher part of Tiviotdale, and a portion of Liddesdale.  In this warlike district he easily levied a thousand horse, comprehending a large body of Elliots, Armstrongs, and other broken clans, over whom the laird of Buccleuch exercised an extensive authority; being termed, by Lord Dacre, “chief maintainer of all misguided men on the borders of Scotland.”—­Letter to Wolsey, July 18. 1528.  The Earl of Angus, with his reluctant ward, had slept at Melrose; and the clans of Home and Kerr, under the Lord Home, and the barons of Cessford, and Fairnihirst, had taken their leave of the king, when, in the gray of the morning, Buccleuch and his band of cavalry were discovered, hanging, like a thunder-cloud, upon the neighbouring hill of Haliden[10].  A herald was sent to demand his purpose, and to charge him to retire.  To the first point he answered, that he came to shew his clan to the king, according to the custom of the borders; to the second, that he knew the king’s mind better than Angus.—­When this haughty answer was reported to the earl, “Sir,” said he to the king, “yonder is Buccleuch, with the thieves of Annandale and Liddesdale, to bar your grace’s passage.  I vow to God they shall