A Short History of Scotland
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™ Ini IIS II ii .» 11 m\ •HH w mi WMmm o x " r ^ ^. : V ~*<- L:\ 'in A -A A SHORT HISTORY OF SCOTLAND By ANDREW LANG AUTHOR OF A HISTORY OF SCOTLAND FROM THE ROMAN OCCUPATION' NEW YORK DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY 1912 A^ COPYRIGHT, 1911, BY DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY ©OI.A305467 NO. I — CONTENTS CHAPTER I piaE Scotland and the Romans—The Antonine Vallum—Traces of Roman Occupation 1 CHAPTER II Christianity—The Rival Kingdoms—Mixture of Races . 6 CHAPTER III. Early Wars of Races—English Claims over Scotland—The Scottish Acquisition of Lothian—Slaying of Duncan . 9 CHAPTER IV Malcolm Canmore—Norman Conquest—Deaths of Margaret and Malcolm—Scottish Church—Dynasty of Malcolm . 15 CHAPTER V David I. and His Times—Battle of the Standard (1138)— Scotland Becomes Feudal—Church Lands—The Burghs Justice—The Courts 21 CHAPTER VI Malcolm the Maiden—William the Lion—Reign of William —Alexander II.—Alexander III.—Alexander Takes the Western Isles 32 CHAPTER VII Encroachments of Edward I.—Wallace.—The Year of Wal- lace—Perfidy of Bruce 37 CHAPTER VIII Bruce and the War of Independence—Rise of Bruce Later Days of Bruce—Death of Bruce .... 43 CHAPTER IX Decadence and Disasters—Reign of David II.—Capture of David II. (1346) —Parliament—Parliament and the Crown —Scottish Authors 49 v —— vi CONTENTS CHAPTER X pAGB Early Stewart Kings: Robert II. (1371-1390)—Death of Robert II.—The Regency of Albany—Albany's Death . 56 CHAPTER XI James I.—James and the Nobles 61 CHAPTER XII James II. —Fall of the Black Douglases—Death of James II. (1460) 65 CHAPTER XIII James III.—Defeat of Douglas—Character of James—Mar- riage Negotiations 70 CHAPTER XIV James IV.—Highland Feuds—James and Henry VIII. University of Aberdeen Founded—Factions and Feuds Struggles for the King's Person 77 CHAPTER XV James V. and the Reformation—A Martyrdom—The Guise Marriage—Death of James V 89 CHAPTER XVI The Minority of Mary Stuart—Henry Turns to Arran Waverings of Arran—Victory of Ancrum—Beaton Makes Calvinism Possible .97 CHAPTER XVII Regency of Arran—John Knox—Mary of Guise as Regent . 106 CHAPTER XVIII Regency of Mary of Guise—Knox Revisits Scotland (1555) Mary Weds the Dauphin (1558)—Outbreak at Perth (1559)— Knox's ' History ' Considered 110 CHAPTER XIX The Great Pillage—Ecclesiastical Buildings Despoiled—Leth- ington's Wiliness—The Confession of Faith—The Kirk Character of Mary 118 — CONTENTS vii CHAPTER XX PAGB Mary in Scotland—Mary and Elizabeth—Knox and Mary Mary and Darnley—Murder of Riccio—Murder of Darn- ley—Mary's Captivity—Parties in Scotland .... 109 CHAPTER XXI Minority of James VI.—Murray's Regency—Regencies of Lennox, Mar, and Morton—Knox's Death—Morton Ap- points Bishops 143 CHAPTER XXII Reign of James VI.—Arrest of Morton—The War of Kirk and King—James's Advisers—Gowrie Executed—An Alli- ance Formed—Gifts of Church Lands to Nobles—The Catholic Earls—Elizabeth Patronises Puritan Plots—Con- spiracies Against Scottish Princes ...... 151 CHAPTER XXIII The Gowrie Conspiracy—Preachers Disbelieve the King Union of the Crowns—James Succeeds to Elizabeth—The Kirk Oppressed—Articles of Perth 167 CHAPTER XXIV Charles I.—Charles I. in Edinburgh—The Brawl in St. Giles' —The Covenant—Bishops Excommunicated and Deposed Charles Gives Way to Assembly—Scots Demands Granted —Montrose Released—English Parliament Appeals to Scotland—Montrose and the Fiery Cross—Victories of Montrose—Battle of Philiphaugh—Charles Trusts His Scots—Estates and Clergy Clash—Disenabling Acts Scotland and Charles II.—Treaty of Breda—Cromwell Defeats Scots—Dundee Sacked 179 CHAPTER XXV Conquered Scotland—English Commission of Justice—Re- spect for Covenants 214 CHAPTER XXVI The Restoration—Defiance of Argyll—Parliament Obsequi- ous—Episcopacy Restored—Covenanters Intrigue with Holland—Rule of Lauderdale—Disorganisation of Scottish Church—Hanging of Mitchell—Claverhouse Defeated The Wild Hill-Folk—Flight of Argyll—" The Apologetical Declaration "—The Covenanters Put Down—Scottish Army Disbanded—Torture 218 — viii CONTENTS CHAPTER XXVII PAGE William and Mary—Dundee Collects Troops—Death of Dun- dee—The Covenant Dropped—Dalrymple—The Massacre of Glencoe 247 CHAPTER XXVIII Darien—The Darien Adventure—Scots and Spaniards Clash —Difficulties of Union—Conditions of Inequality . 258 CHAPTER XXIX Preliminaries to the Union—Union and Intrigues—Re- strictions on Scottish Trade—Taxation—Troubles After Union—George I. Accepts the Throne 266 CHAPTER XXX George I.—James Flees—Mar's Hopeless Enterprise—Illness and Flight of James—Birth of Prince Charles . 276 CHAPTER XXXI The Argathelians and the Squadrone—Enclosures and Riots —Malt Riots—State of the Highlands—Prince Charles Under Fire—The Porteous Riot—Dislike of Walpole's ^ Government 284 CHAPTER XXXII The First Secession—Secession in the Kirk—Excommunica- tion of Seceders 294 CHAPTER XXXIII The Last Jacobite Rising—The Prince Raises the Standard The Prince Approaches Edinburgh—Gledsmuir—The Prince's Peril—March of Charles's Troops—Concentra- tion of the Enemy—Hawley Defeated—Campaign in the North—Culloden—After Culloden—The Appin Murder Conclusion—The Disruption 299 >3- CHAPTER I SCOTLAND AND THE ROMANS If we could see in a magic mirror the country now called Scotland as it was when the Romans under Agricola (81 a.d.) crossed the Border, we should recog- nise little but the familiar hills and mountains. The rivers, in the plains, overflowed their present banks; dense forests of oak and pine, haunted by great red deer, elks, and boars, covered land that has long been arable. There were lakes and lagoons where for cen- turies there have been fields of corn. On the oldest sites of our towns were groups of huts made of clay and wattle, and dominated, perhaps, by the large stockaded house of the tribal prince. In the lochs, natural islands, or artificial islets made of piles (crannogs), afforded standing-ground and protection to villages, if indeed these lake-dwellings are earlier in Scotland than the age of war that followed the withdrawal of the Romans. The natives were far beyond the savage stage of cul- ture. They lived in an age of iron tools and weapons and of wheeled vehicles ; and were in what is called the Late Celtic condition of art and culture, familiar to us from beautiful objects in bronze work, more commonly found in Ireland than in Scotland, and from the oldest Irish romances and poems. In these " epics " the manners much resemble those A SHORT HISTORY OF SCOTLAND described by Homer. Like his heroes, the men in the Cuchullain sagas fight from light chariots, drawn by two ponies, and we know that so fought the tribes in Scotland encountered by Agricola the Roman general (81-85 a.d.). It is even said in the Irish epics that Cuchullain learned his chariotry in Alba—that is, in our Scotland. 1 The warriors had " mighty limbs and flaming hair," says Tacitus. Their weapons were heavy iron swords, in bronze sheaths beautifully decorated, and iron-headed spears; they had large round bronze- studded shields, and battle-axes. The dress consisted of two upper garments: first, the smock, of linen or other fabric—in battle, often of tanned hides of animals,—and the mantle, or plaid, with its brooch. Golden torques and heavy gold bracelets were worn by the chiefs; the women had bronze ornaments with brightly coloured enamelled decoration. Agriculture was practised, and corn was ground in the circular querns of stone, of which the use so long survived. The women span and wove the gay smocks and darker cloaks of the warriors. Of the religion, we only know that it was a form of polytheism; that sacrifices were made, and that Druids existed; they were soothsayers, magicians, per- haps priests, and were attendant on kings. Such were the people in Alba whom we can dimly descry around Agricola's fortified frontier between the firths of Forth and Clyde, about 81-82 a.d. When Agricola pushed north of the Forth and Tay he still 1 A good example of these Celtic romances is * The Tain Bo Cualgne.' THE ANTONINE VALLUM 3 met men who had considerable knowledge of the art of war. In his battle at Mons Graupius (perhaps at the junction of Isla and Tay), his cavalry had the better of the native chariotry in the plain; and the native infantry, descending from their position on the heights, were attacked by his horsemen in their attempt to assail his rear. But they were swift of foot, the woods sheltered and the hills defended them. He made no more effectual pursuit than Cumberland did at Culloden. Agricola was recalled by Domitian after seven years' warfare, and his garrisons did not long hold their forts on his lines or frontier, which stretched across the country from Forth to Clyde ; roughly speaking, from Graham's Dyke, east of Borrowstounnis on the Firth of Forth, to Old Kilpatrick on Clyde. The region is now full of coal-mines, foundries, and villages; but excava- tions at Bar Hill, Castlecary, and Roughcastle disclose traces of Agricola's works, with their earthen ramparts. The Roman station at Camelon, north-west of Falkirk, was connected with the southern passes of the High- land hills by a road with a chain of forts. The remains of Roman pottery at Camelon are of the first century. Two generations after Agricola, about 140-145, the Roman Governor, Lollius Urbicus, refortified the line of Forth to Clyde with a wall of sods and a ditch, and forts much larger than those constructed by Agricola. His line, " the Antonine Vallum," had its works on commanding ridges; and fire-signals, in case of attack by the natives, flashed the news " from one sea to the other sea," while the troops of occupation could be 4 A SHORT HISTORY OF SCOTLAND provisioned from the Roman fleet.