Notizen zu dieser Person
1 _UID 8ED57A675A6A42D09B77FF895D47E878B83D
1 _UID FDE559E5C6798748A7014B4E84962C03B8B7
KIRKALDY, WILLIAM, one of the earliest converts to theprotestantfaithinScotland, and a brave and accomplished man, was theeldest sonofSirJames Kirkaldy of Grange, high treasurer to James V.ofScotland.[Thefacts in this article are in general taken from thememoirofKirkaldy ofGrange by Mr Graham Dalyell, a gentleman who hasbeensominute in hisinvestigations that it would be difficult to find afactofimportanceomitted by him.] Of the period of his birth and themethodofhiseducation we have been unable to discoveranysatisfactoryinformation;but like the greater number of theScottishbarons at thattime, he seemsto have chosen, or to have beendevoted byhis parents, tothe professionof arms. At the death of James,his fatherseems to havelost hissituation in the government; yet with aview ofprocuring thatnoblemanusassistance to the cause of protestantism,he wasone of themost activeassistants in raising Arran to the regency;but inthe hope hehadformed, he was to a considerable extent disappointed.
Young Grange, as well as his father, had embraced theprinciplesoftheReformation; and his first appearance in the historic pageis asoneofthe conspirators against the persecutor, cardinalDavidBeaton.Thecircumstances of this renowned conspiracy havealreadybeencommemoratedin these pages. The conspirators having, by anactwhichcannot bejustified, avenged the death of the martyrWishartbyassassinating hismurderer, shut themselves up in the castleofStAndrews, which they heldfor several months, and onlysurrendered,afterbeing besieged by aFrench force, in the end of July orthe beginningofAugust, 1546. It wasstipulated that the lives of all thatwere inthecastle should bespared; that they should be transportedtoFrance,whence, if they didnot choose to continue in that country,theywere tobe transported towhatever other country they chose,Scotlandexcepted.The victors,however, did not find it necessary orconvenient toattend tothe termsof the stipulation; the greater part ofthe garrisonwere sentto thegalleys, and the leaders immured in differentdungeons.NormanLeslie,Peter Carmichael, and the subject of this memoir,wereimprisonedinMount St Michael, where they lay a considerable time.Fromthisplacethey wrote a letter to John Knox, who was in thegalleys,askingthesomewhat superfluous question whether they might notwithagoodconscience break their prison. To this Knox naturallyansweredintheaffirmative, with the proviso, that they were notmorallyentitledtoshed blood in the attempt.
Embracing the opportunity of a festival night, whenthegarrisonwereintoxicated, they bound every man in the castle, lockedthedoors,anddeparted, having it is said, strictly adheredtothehumanerecommendation of Knox. The two Leslies came toRohan,andspeedilyescaped; but Kirkaldy and Peter Carmichael,disguisedasbeggars,wandered through the country for upwards of a quarterof ayear;at thetermination of which period they got on board a Frenchship,whichlandedthem in the west of Scotland, whence they found theirwayintoEngland.
Kirkaldy appears to have spent a considerable portion oftheensuingperiodof his life in France, where he entered the army,andwasdistinguished asa brave and skilful soldier in the warsbetweentheFrench king and theemperor Charles V. Sir James Melvilleinformsus,that in these wars hecommanded a hundred light horsemen; andforhisuseful services, receivedthe commendation of the duke ofVendome,theprince of Condé, and the dukeof Aumale. Henry II., he adds,usedtopoint him out and say, 'Yonder isone of the most valiant menofourage.' Henry indeed seems to have usedhim with themostendearingfamiliarity, and in all the pastimes which heattended, issaidto havechosen Grange as a supporter of his own side, intheirmimicbattles;while, according to the same writer, who isalwayscircumstantialinrecording the honours paid to a Scotsman, thegreatconstable ofFrancewould never speak to him uncovered. We are notaware ofthe exactdate ofhis return to Scotland, but we find him in thatcountryin theyear 1559.
During the border wars of this period, anincidentoccurredpeculiarlycharacteristic of the chivalrous temper ofKirkaldy,which isotherwiseremarkable as being the latest 'passage ofarms' whichhas beenhandeddown to us, described with all the minute 'pompandcircumstance'ofFroissart. Lindsay of Pitscottie, who describesthecircumstance,tellsus, that lord Eversus brother desired to fightwithKirkaldy'anesingular combatt upone horseback with speares.' SirWilliamwas'veryweill content' with such a species of amusement, andconsentedtomeetthe challenger on any spot he might prefer. The lordEversusbrotherwasattended by the governor of Berwick and hiswholegarrison,whileKirkaldy was waited on by 'Monseor Doswell (Mons.duOswell?), thekingof France lieftennent,' with the garrisonofHeymouth, and otherScottishgentlemen. In bringing the opposing armiessonear each other,and withinview of example so seducing, it wasnecessaryto 'decerne underpaine oftreasoun, that no man should come nearthechampiones, be thespace ofane flight shot.' Each of the champions hadasquire to bear hisspear,there were two trumpeters to sound thecharge,and after themostapproved method, two lords were appointed asjudges ofthe field, 'tosiethe matter finished.' 'And when all things warput toordour, andthechampiones horsed, and their speirs in their hands,thenthetrumpeterssounded, and the heralds cryed, and the judges let themgo,andthey rantogether very furiously on both sides, bot the lairdofGrangeran hisadversar, the Inglisman, throw his shoulder blaid, andaffhishors, andwas woundit deadlie, and in perill of his lyff; butquhidderhedied orlived I cannot tell, [Lindsay of Pitscottie, ii. 524.]botthelaird ofGrange wan the victorie that day.'
Kirkaldy became after this incident actively engaged in thecauseoftheReformation. When the French troops arrived to subdueScotland,andbymeans of the popish faction reduce it to a province ofFrance,nomanstood firmer to the interests of his country, and inthefirstencounterhe is said to have slain the first man with his ownhand.To theFrench,who were aware of his bravery and military skill,hewasparticularlyobnoxious, and in one of their inroads throughFifetheyrazed his houseof Grange to the foundation. Naturally exasperatedatsuchan act,Kirkaldy sent a defiance to the French commander;reproachedhimfor hisbarbarity, and reminded him of the many Frenchmenwhom hehadsaved whenengaged in quarrels not his own. The commander,lesschivalrousthanGrange, paid no regard to the communication; andthelattertookvengeance by waylaying a party of marauders, and cuttingthemoff toaman. During this invasion of Fife by the French, he had amerehandfulofmen, and these were but poorly provided, yet he retardedthepowerfulandwell-appointed troops of France at every village andateveryfield,disputing as it were, every inch of ground, andmakingthempurchase at aruinous price every advantage.
In common with all the wise and good among hiscountrymen,Kirkaldywasconvinced of the danger of the French alliance, andof thefarsuperioradvantages which might be derived from a connexionwithEngland,which bya barbarous and ignorant policy had beenalwaysoverlooked ordespised,and he contributed materially to theformation ofthatfriendship whichsubsisted between the ministers ofElizabeth andtheScottish reformers,without which, it may be doubted ifthe reformationofthat country couldhave been effected. In the conteststhat arosebetweenMary and hersubjects, while it must be admitted thathiscorrespondencewith theEnglish was clandestine, contrary to the law,andnot perhapsdictated bymotives quite purely patriotic, he steadilyadheredto thepopular cause.Kirkaldy was among the number of the adherentsofMoray,who on thetemporary success of the queen, were compelled in1565,to takerefuge or' banish themselves' in England, and the criminalrecordshowsus someinstances of barbarous punishment denounced on thosewhohadintercoursewith them, as ' intercommuning with rebels.'[PitcairnusCrim.Trials, i.(p. i.) 466, 478.]
When after her unhappy marriage and flight to Dunbar, shereturnedwithanarmy to meet the lords who had entered into aconfederationforthepreservation of the prince, Grange was one of themostactiveandinfluential among them, having the command of twohundredhorse,withwhich he intended at Carberry hill, by a stratagem, tohaveseizeduponthe earl of Bothwell, which he hoped would have been themeansofputtingan end to the contest between the queen and hersubjects.Thequeen,however, who highly respected him, perceiving theapproach ofthetroop,and understanding that he was their leader, requestedto speakwithhim,which prevented the attempt being made. While he wasinthisconferencewith the queen, Bothwell called forth a soldier toshoothim,who was inthe very act of taking aim, when the queen perceivinghim,gavea suddenscream, and exclaimed to Bothwell, that he surelywouldnotdisgrace herso far as to murder a man who stood underherprotection.With that frankhonesty which was natural to him, Kirkaldytoldher thatit was ofabsolute necessity, if she ever expected to enjoytheservicesand theconfidence of her subjects, that she shouldabandonBothwell, whowas themurderer of her husband, and who could neverbe ahusband to her,havingbeen so lately married to the sister of the earlofHuntly.Bothwell, whostood near enough to overhear part of thiscolloquy,offeredto vindicatehimself by single combat, from the charge ofany onewhoshould accusehim of murdering the king. Grange told him heshould haveaspeedyanswer; and returning to the lords, found littledifficultyinpersuadingthem of the propriety of his accepting thechallenge, whichhedidwithout hesitation. Bothwell, however, thought itprudent todecline,onthe plea that Kirkaldy being only a baron, was nothis equal.Tothelaird of Tullibardine he objected on the same ground.ThelordLindsaythen came forward, whom he could not refuse on thescoreofinequality;but he finally declined to engage. The queen thensentagainfor Grange,and proposed surrendering herself to the lords.Bothwell,inthe meantime, made his escape. The queen holding out herhand,Kirkaldykissedit, and taking her horse by the bridle turned himabout,and ledher downthe bill. This was almost the full measure ofMaryushumiliation,whichwas accomplished by her entry into Edinburghamidst theexecrationsofthe rabble. The lords, (particularly Kirkaldy)were stillwillingtotreat her with kindness, if she could have beenprevailed ontoabandonBothwell. The same night, however, she wrote aletter tohim,calling him'her dear heart, whom she should never forgetnorabandon,though she wasunder the necessity of being absent from him foratime;'adding, thatshe had sent him away only for his own safety,andwillinghim to becomforted, and to be watchful and take care ofhimself.Thisletterfalling into the hands of the lords, convinced themthatherpassion forBothwell was incurable; and they determined to secureherinLochleven.Grange alone wished to excuse her, and hoped thatgentleusagemight yetreclaim her; but they showed him her letter toBothwellwhichhad falleninto their hands, which left him no room to speakmore onherbehalf. Thequeen, in the mean time, sent him a letter,lamenting herhardusage, andcomplaining of broken promises. He wrote toher inreturn,stating whathe had already attempted in her behalf, and howhismouth hadbeenstopped by her letter to Bothwell; 'marvellingthathermajestyconsidered not that the said earl could never beherlawfulhusband,being so lately before married to another, whom hehaddesertedwithoutany just ground, even though he had not been so hatedforthemurder ofthe king her husband. He therefore requested her todismisshimentirelyfrom her mind, seeing otherwise that she could neverobtainthelove orrespect of her subjects, nor have that obedience paidherwhichotherwiseshe might expect.'
His letter contained many other loving and humble admonitionswhichmadeherbitterly to weep. Eager to free the queen and the nationofBothwell,Grangemost willingly accepted the command of two smallvesselsthat hadbeenfitted up from Mortonus private purse (for Bothwellhad notleftasufficient sum for the purpose in the Scottish treasury),withwhich hesetsail towards Orkney, whither it was reported Bothwellhadfled. Hewasaccompanied by the laird of Tullibardine and AdamBothwell,bishopofOrkney. Bothwell having made his escape from Orkney,was pursuedbyGrangeto the coast of Norway, where, at the moment whenthey hadalmostovertakenthe fugitive, the impetuosity of Kirkaldy, whocalled onthemariners tohoist more sail than the vessel was able tocarry, lostthemtheir prize,and they were wrecked on a sand bank.Bothwell escapedin asmall boat tothe shore, leaving his ship and hisservants a preytoKirkaldy. Thisunhappy man fled to Denmark, and themethod of his endistoo well known tobe repeated.
The regent Moray was in the mean time establishingorderandtranquillitygenerally through the country. The king, an infant,hadbeencrowned atStirling, and his authority in the person of theregentverygenerallyacknowledged, when the queen, making her escapefromLochleven,andputting herself into the hands of the Hamiltons, creatednewandseriouscalamities. The regent being at that time inGlasgow,holdinghisjustice-eyre, was just at hand, and meeting with thequeenandherfollowers at Langside, on the way for Dumbarton castle,gavethem,thoughthey were far more in number than all the kingus friendsthathecouldmuster, an entire overthrow. The regent led thebattlehimself,assistedby Grange, who being an experienced soldier,wasappointed tooversee thewhole battle; to ride to every wing, andtoencourage and makehelpwherever it was most required. The dispositionsofthe regentwereexcellent, and his followers behaved with great courage;sothatthevictory was soon won, and there being few horsemen topursue,andtheregent calling out to save and not to kill, there were notmanytakenorkilled; the greatest slaughter, according to Sir JamesMelville,beingatthe first rencounter by the shot of some troops thatwereplantedbehindthe dykes at the head of the lane leading up to thevillage.
Having taken the command of the castle of Edinburgh fromSirJamesBalfour,the regent bestowed it upon Grange, who appears to havehadtheprincipaldirection of affairs during the time that Moraythroughtheintrigues ofthe queenus faction was called up to theconferencesatYork. Lethington,subtile, restless, and changeable, had bythistimechanged to the queenusside, whom he almost openly owned duringthetimeof these conferences, andhe had imposed upontheunsuspectingdisposition of Grange, enticing himinto a kind ofdoubtfulneutrality,which had an unhappy influence upon thepublic cause,andended fatallyfor Grange himself. Lethington and SirJames Balfourhavingbeen both atlast arrested under an accusation ofhaving beenconcerned inthe kingusmurder, Grange took them into his ownhands, andprotected themin thecastle, which he refused to deliver up tothe regent.On the murderofthe regent Moray in 1570, it did notimmediately appearwhat partyGrangewould embrace. It was evident,however, that for some timeprevioustothis event he had leaned to theside of the queen, and thecastleofEdinburgh in a short time became theresort and general rendezvousofallwho opposed the party of the prince.
The earl of Lennox succeeding to the regency was supportedbyElizabeth,whosent an army into Scotland for that purpose, andtoretaliate uponsome ofthe border chieftains, who had made inroadsintothe Englishterritories,particularly Buccleugh and Fernihurst.Grange, inthe meantime, by theorders of the queenus faction, who nowassembledparliamentsof their own,liberated all those who had beenformerly givenhim incharge as prisoners,for their opposition to the kingin the personofthe regent. These,dispersing themselves over thecountry,somepretending to be employed in acivil, and others in amilitarycapacity,carried dissension and rebellionalong with them, to theentireruin ofthe miserable inhabitants. LordSeaton, to intimidate thecitizensofEdinburgh, who in general leaned tothe side of the king,assembledhisvassals at Holyrood house, while theHamiltons, with thewholestrengthof their faction, assembled atLinlithgow, when they madeasudden andunexpected attack upon the castle ofGlasgow, the residenceofLennox theregent. Coming upon the place bysurprise, they gainedthecourt, and setfire to the great hall; but theywere soon repulsed,andthe approach ofthe kingus army, a principal part ofwhich wasEnglish,compelled them toraise the siege. The Hamiltons sufferedmostseverely onthis occasion,their lands in Clydesdale being ravaged,Cadzowplundered,and the townof Hamilton, with the seat of the Hamiltons,burnedto theground. Nordid this suffice; they also burned the house ofthe dukeofChatelheraultin Linlithgow, the palace of Kinnoul, the houseofPardovan,and Bynie,Kincavil, and the chapel of Livingston.
Grange, meanwhile, acting somewhat dubiously, and notsupportingtheextrememeasures of either of the parties, was confounded toseeaforeign foe inthe heart of the kingdom, and Maryus friendsusedwithsuch extreme rigour;and afraid of being entrapped himself,begantofortify the castle with allhaste, and lay in every thingnecessary forasiege. Lennox, in the meantime, summoned an army in thekingus nametoattend him, with twenty daysuprovision, and to completehisequipments,he applied to Grange for somefield-pieces. The requestwas,however,refused, under a pretence that hewould not be accessory tothesheddingof blood. The purpose of thisarmament was to interfere withaparliamentwhich the queenus party intendedto have held atLinlithgow,which iteffectually accomplished; and on thefollowing month(October)Lennoxheld one for the king in Edinburgh. Theinsignia ofroyaltybeingsupposed necessary to the legality of parliaments,theyweredemandedfrom Grange, who flatly refused them, and from thattimeforth hewasregarded as determinedly hostile to that cause for whichhehad doneandsuffered so much. Through the mediation of Elizabeth,however,who wasatthe time amusing Mary and her friends with proposalsforrestoring hertosome part of her authority, a cessation of hostilitieswasagreeduponfor two months, which being renewed, was continuedtillthesucceedingApril, 1571.
The truce, however, was not strictly observed by eitheroftheparties.Fortresses were taken and retaken on both sidesoftenerthanonce, and inthe month of April, Dumbarton castle,reckonedimpregnable,was taken bysurprise by the friends of the regent,who, on asentence offorfaulturein absence, hanged Hamilton, archbishop ofStAndrews, who hadtakenrefuge in the place. Alarmed at the fateofDumbarton, Grangerepairedthe walls of the castle, cut away alltheprominences on therock, andsmoothed the banks to prevent thepossibilityof an escalade. Healsoprepared the steeple of St Giles forreceiving abattery, andcarriedaway the ordnance belonging to the town.His brotherJames at thesametime arrived from France with 'ten thousandcrowns ofgold.somemurrions, corslets, hagbuts, and wine, whilk wassaiflieconvoyitfromLeyth be the horsemen and soldiers of the town.' Allmen whofavourednotthe queen were now commanded to leave the town, andeven hisoldtriedfriend and fellow sufferer, John Knox, was obliged toquithisplace,which was supplied by Alexander, bishop ofGalloway.Theregentussoldiers, however, took possession of some ruinoushousescloseto thewalls, whence they annoyed the town. There was now anendtoallbusiness; public worship ceased, and there was nothing tobeheardbutthe thundering of artillery. The queenus party hadnow,however,thepride of also holding a parliament in Edinburgh,whichdeclaredthedemission of Mary null; forbade any innovation to bemadeinthepresbyterian religion; and after two or three hoursdeliberation,rodeinprocession from the Canongate to the castle, havingtheregaliabornebefore it. Prayers for the queen were ordered bythismeeting, andallwho omitted them were forbidden to preach.Duringtheseproceedings,there were daily skirmishes on the streets, andtheregentstill keptpossession of Holyrood house. In the month of Augustinthisyear, anenvoy arrived from the king of France, with money,arms,andammunitionfor Grange; but the money fell into the hands of theregent.Intheensuing month, Grange laid a plan for seizing the regentatStirling,andbringing him safe to the castle, which failed of successonlythroughtheimprudence of those who conducted it. The regent wasactuallymadeaprisoner, and on the road for Edinburgh, when,principallythroughthevalour of Morton, he was rescued, but shot by one ofthe party,whentheysaw they could not carry him away. David Spens ofWormiston, whohadhimin charge, and used every endeavour to save him, wasalsoshotinrevenge, though the wounded regent attempted to protecthim.Thiswasunfortunate for Grange. Mar was immediately elected regent; amanoffarhigher merit, and much more respected than Lennox, andinstillgreaterfavour with the ministers of Elizabeth; and he in theendprovedtoostrong for the misled, though patriotic Grange. The warnowassumedthemost ferocious character. Morton destroyed the wholeofGrangeuspropertyin Fife. Grange, on the same day retaliated byburningDalkeith;and forupwards of two months they reciprocally hangedtheirprisoners.
The distress of the town and the surrounding districtsnowbecameextreme;the poor were turned without the gates, and theemptyhousespulled downand sold for fuel; a stone weight being sold forwhatwouldpurchase apeck of meal. Through the mediation of the EnglishandFrenchambassadors,an armistice was at last agreed to, and allthedifferencesbetween Mortonand Grange nearly made up. Through theintriguesofMaitland, however, whohad gained an extraordinary influenceoverhim,Grange rose in hisdemands, and nothing was accomplished furtherthanarenewal of the truce.In the meantime Mar, who was a sincere,goodman,and truly devoted to thepublic interests, died, and wassucceededbyMorton, a man of greataddress, and the mortal enemy ofMaitland. Hetoo,however, professed todesire peace, and offered the sameterms asMar.Grange was to deliver upthe castle in six months, and aconventionwascalled to consider themeans of effecting double peace. Bothpartieswereat the same timeattempting to over-reach each other. Mortonthirstedforthe wealthyestates of some of the queenus adherents andthequeenusadherents wantedto gain time, in the hope of procuringeffectiveaidfrom France. TheHamiltons, Huntly, Argyle, and theirfollowers, werenowweary of the war;and in a meeting at Perth accepted ofthe termsofferedby Morton, and,according to Sir James Melville, abandonedGrange,whowould willinglyhave accepted the same terms; but from thattimeforthMorton would notpermit the offers to be mentioned to him. Theday ofthetruce had nosooner expired than a furious cannonade wascommencedbyGrange on thetown from the castle. He also shortly after, onastormynight, set fireto the town, and kept firing upon it topreventanyperson coming forth toextinguish the flames; a piece ofwantonmischief,which procured himnothing but a additional share ofodium.Beinginvested by the marshal ofBerwick, Sir William Drury, withanEnglisharmy, the garrison was soonreduced to great straits. Theirwaterwasscanty at best, and the fallingof one of the chief towerschokeduptheir only well. The Spur, a buildingof great strength,butimperfectlymanned, was taken by storm, with theloss of eightkilled,andtwenty-three wounded. Sir Robert Melville, alongwith Grange,were,afterbeating a parley, let over the walls by ropes,for the gatewaschoked upwith rubbish. They demanded security for theirlivesandfortunes, andthat Maitland and lord Hume might go to England,Grangebeingpermittedto go or stay as he might deem best. Theseconditions notbeinggranted,they returned to the garrison, but theirsoldiers refused tostanda newassault, and threatened in case of anotherthat theywouldhangLethington, whom they regarded as the cause oftheirprotracteddefence,over the wall. Nothing remained, therefore,butanunconditionalsurrender; and so odious were the garrison tothecitizens,that anescort of English soldiers was necessary to protectthemfrom therabble.After three days they were all made prisoners.Lethingtondiedsuddenly,through means, it has been supposed, of poison,which hehadtaken of hisown accord. Grange, Sir James Kirkaldy, (hisbrother,)JamesMossman andJames Leckie, goldsmiths, were hanged on thethird ofAugust,1573, andtheir heads afterwards set up on the mostprominentplaces ofthe castlewall.
Thus ignominously died one of the bravest warriors [In thecaseofKirkaldythere appears to have been considerable debate ontherelevancyof theindictment on which he was tried, too technical tobeinterestingto thegeneral reader.vPitcairnus Crim. Trials, ii. 3.] ofhisage; thedupe avolatile and crafty statesman, and of his own vanity tobehead ofa party.He had been one of the earliest friends, and, duringitsfirstdays ofperil, one of the most intrepid defenders oftheReformation.Knox, whoknew and loved him well, lamented his apostasy,andwith thatsagacitywhich was peculiar to his character, admonished himoftheissue. 'Thatmanus soul is dear to me,' said Knox, 'and Iwouldnotwillingly see itperish; go and tell him from me, that, if hepersistsinhis folly, neitherthat crag in which he miserably confides,northecarnal wit of that manwhom he counts a demi-god, shall save him;butheshall be dragged forth,and hanged in the face of the sun.' Hereturnedacontemptuous answerdictated by Maitland; but he rememberedthewarningwhen on the scaffoldwith tears, and listened with eagernesswhenhe wastold the hope that Knoxalways expressed, that, though the workofgraceupon his heart was sadlyobscured, it was still real, andwouldapproveitself so at last; of whichhe expressed with great humilityhisownsincere conviction.
Thomas
Schäfer
