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Memoirs and Adventures of Sir William Kirkaldy of Grange
Memoirs and Adventures of Sir William Kirkaldy of Grange Author:James Grant Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III. THE CONSPIRATORS. On the death of the king, the father of William Kirkaldy, being esteemed one of the wisest and worthiest men of the time, wa... more »s continued in office by the regent; and Henry VIII. of England depended much upon his efforts and influence for bringing about his favourite and ambitious project—the marriage between Mary, the infant daughter of the late king, and his own son, afterwards Edward VI.1 The treasurer had been one of the most active of the Scottish barons in raising to the regency James Hamilton, Earl of Arran, and afterwards Duke of Chatelherault, who first authorised in Scotland the use of the Bible in the vulgar tongue. For a time Sir James was one of his steadiest and most zealous adherents; but, the great hopes he had formed of his administration being to a considerable extent disappointed, he, with Sir David Lindesay of the Mount, and Balneaves of Halhill, was among the first to abandon him, and withdraw his influence from the Hamilton family. Cardinal David Beatoun, though but a younger son of the Laird of Balfour, by his talent, craft, and ambition, 1 Officers of State. having obtained a complete ascendency in the councils of Arran, broke all the treaties with England, which he justly deemed no less injurious to the interests of Scotland than to those of the Romish Church ; and, to be revenged upon the high treasurer as the promoter of them, he was deprived of his gold staff, and dismissed from office; the unfortunate prelate John Hamilton, Abbot of Paisley, (afterwards Archbishop of St Andrews,) being appointed in his place.1 Having thus lost his important and lucrative office by the influence of the primate, Sir James Kirkaldy felt all his wrath and animosity roused keenly against that celebrated churchman ; and it is...« less