Nigel Tranter: The Wisest Fool

For his part, Doddie Home, Earl of Dunbar-who had now added to his responsibilities the offices of Lieutenant of the Border Marches, Keeper of Holyroodhouse, Master of the Great Wardrobe (in England) and Collector-General of Customs as well as Lord High Treasurer and Great Commissioner-did his part He arranged a General Assembly of the Kirk at Glasgow with himself as Commissioner and the Archbishop of Glasgow as Moderator, which proceeded to deliver practically all central and provincial power in the Church of Scotland to the bishops-and excommunicated the most prominent Catholics. In his other capacity as Borders Lieutenant he hanged no fewer than one hundred and forty of what he named the prime thieves of the Marches, for to discourage envious folk elsewhere as he humorously put it.

The powder-trail in Scotland was nearing the barrel and flashpoint seemed imminent.

In all this ferment, life at the English Court went on as usual, indeed all England appeared to be completely unaffected. The great matter here was the forthcoming investiture of Henry as Prince of Wales and the nation-wide celebrations to mark the occasion-one of the principal of which seemed to be the raising of Carr to the dignity of Viscount Rochester and Knight of the Garter. James Stewart had all-or most-nicely in hand.

LUDOVICK OF LENNOX rubbed his hands before the cheerful fire- for it was unseasonably chilly for April-and glanced around the pleasant panelled room.

"You have made a difference in this house, Alison," he observed. "The woman's hand. Would that I had a chamber as kindly at Whitehall." "You have better at Methven," the young woman reminded.

"Aye. To be sure." He gazed out of the window across the street to the Royal Exchange building with its soaring square tower. "You judge me a fool? Or worse? That I leave Mary there -and my heart with her? To live here at a Court I mislike, aye even despise. She would not come, you know-Mary. Nothing would make her leave Methven."

"I know, yes. She loves Methven. But that is not what keeps her from London. She loves you a deal more, Vicky. She has a clear eye. She knows that her place here could never be aught than that of courtesan, unable to appear with you in your life at Court An embarrassment and hindrance to you, her own pride the sufferer. She is better at Methven, with Johnnie."

"Aye-say it then, ghl, say it. Where I should be, too, were I not a weakling."

"No, Vicky-you are not that. You cannot help yourself. You were born to be a duke. Of the royal house. Your place is with the King-must be. Your duty. He relies on you as he does on no other-even though he seems to scorn you often. None other can walk in on him, unsummoned. No other man may call him James. Your influence for good, with the King, is great There is no other to fill the place of the Duke of Lennox-Geordie always says it. He says the King heeds you and your advice more than he would ever admit."

'You would scarce think it! I am his whipping-boy! Lord save me-the only legitimate near kinsman to His Sacred Majesty! Other than the sons he resents. Ha-but here is Geordie! I hope I have not brought you away from some matter of great moment, friend? Some juggling with pounds Sterling, to buy or sell us ah!"

"I was but parading St Paul's with my fellow-usurers, gossiping away better men's credits!" Heriot assured. "This is a happiness! We see you insufficiently often, Vicky."

"Alas, yes. James uses me as errand-boy ever the more-call it ambassador if he will! I have now been over most of Christendom on his ploys-France, Spain, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden. I am new back indeed from the Rhineland, where James would now marry off young Elizabeth to the Elector Palatine, as better for his purposes than Gustavus. He would bring the Empire into his peace-making now. So I traipse and travel-all in the name, of peace on earth!" "A worthy cause, is it not?" "So I would suppose. Yet I know not one tithe of what he is at, when he sends me, so intricate, so unfathomable are his methods and labyrinths. I fear I have not the wits to be Jamie Stewart's ambassador. But-who has? Save perhaps Patrick Gray!"

"He trusts you, Vicky-as there are few he does. And as he would never trust Gray."

"It may be so. But can I trust James? There's the rub! But… Gray. That is why I am here, Geordie. I have come straight from a meeting of the Privy Council. I am for Scotland the morn's morn. Would that you were coming with me, again. But," he glanced at Alison, smiling, "that attraction is not what it used to be, I think!" "I could by no means leave London this week…"

"No, no-I did not think you could. I but came to see if I might carry any letters or messages for you, or otherwise serve you, in Scotland." "You are kind. Will you be gone for long? " "That depends on… fate! My errand this time is an awkward one. I am to bring back the Earl of Dunbar." "Bring back?"

"Aye. Doddie Home's reign is over, I think! James has given him a lengthy rope-of a purpose, I swear-and now he has hanged himself! He is summoned back to London to give account of his stewardship." "But he comes frequently…"

"This time I am sent to fetch him! He will perceive the difference! And I am to bring Tom Hamilton, Dunfermline and Archbishop Spottiswoode with him." "These too? Are they in trouble also? All these?" "I think not They are to act Dunbar's accusers, rather."

"Ah! What has he done, then? We all know the style of him. He is a rogue-but James has always known that he was. And used him, in despite. What has he done, to change that?"

"He has committed the unforgivable sin. He has put his hand in James's pocket! So long as it was others he robbed-like Logan or the Catholics-James could use him. You would have thought, as Treasurer and Collector both in Scotland, offices capable of lining his pouch richly enough for any man, he would have been careful not to foul his nest But, no. He has it seems, been taking his pickings out of James's beloved Ulster scheme. If a Scot wants a share in Ulster now, he has to get it through Doddie Home-at an extra charge! The man is a fool-for it was bound to come to the King's ears in time. I suppose the fact is that he is just a Home Border freebooter at heart, for all his earldom, like the rest of his clan, and could not keep his hands off even the King's kye!" "Aye, James would not like that" "How did the King find out, do you know?" Alison asked.

"Oh, yes, we know. A friendly letter, no less-not to James himself but to the English Privy Council, through Lord Chancellor Ellesmere. From Patrick, Lord Gray of Fowlis, no less! Enclosing sworn testimony. Statements from three Angus lairds that they had paid each one thousand pounds Scots, above the required figure, for Ulster lands, signed and sealed."

"Save us! So Gray wins another round 1" Heriot exclaimed. "He set a trap-and the fool Dunbar walked into it. Mind, Scotland will be the cleaner lacking Dunbar. But it makes Gray that much the stronger. "Who is there now to oppose him?"

"Heaven help me-myself, I fear!" Lennox answered ruefully. "Or so James would have it. After I have seen to Dunbar, I have to be the new Great Commissioner for Scotland, to deal with the Kirk-and Patrick Gray " "Oh, Vicky!" Alison cried.

"I protested, actually refused, there and then, before the Council. But James made it a royal command, on pain of treason. What could I do? At least it will mean that I am much in Scotland. Can see more of Mary."

There was silence in that panelled room above the goldsmith's shop for a little, as they all considered the implications of this development

"Mary…?" Heriot demanded. "What will she say? You are to bring down her father!"

"God knows! Only… James can make me go, mind you-but he cannot control what I do, there. With Mary's sharp wits, we may find a way to weather this storm," "The King is a devil!" the young woman declared.