rson of the king, while residing in his metropolis. At
the dead of night, followed by a band of borderers, he occupied the
court of the palace of Holyrood, and began to burst open the doors
of the royal apartments. The nobility, distrustful of each other, and
ignorant of the extent of the conspiracy, only endeavoured to
make good the defence of their separate lodgings; but darkness and
confusion prevented the assailants from profiting by their disunion.
Melville, who was present, gives a lively picture of the scene of
disorder, transiently illuminated by the glare of passing torches;
while the report of fire arms, the clatter of armour, the din of
hammers thundering on the gates, mingled wildly with the war-cry of
the borderers, who shouted incessantly, "Justice! Justice! A Bothwell!
A Bothwell!" The citizens of Edinburgh at length began to assemble for
the defence of their sovereign; and Bothwell was compelled to retreat,
which he did without considerable loss.--_Melville_, p. 356. A similar
attempt on the person of James, while residing at Faulkland, also
misgave; but the credit which Bothwell obtained on the borders, by
these bold and desperate enterprizes, was incredible "All Tiviotdale,"
says Spottiswoode, "ran after him;" so that he finally obtained
his object; and, at Edinburgh, in 1593, he stood before James, an
unexpected apparition, with his naked sword in his hand. "Strike!"
said James, with royal dignity--"Strike, and end thy work! I will not
survive my dishonour." But Bothwell with unexpected moderation, only
stipulated for remission of his forfeiture, and did not even insist
on remaining at court, whence his party was shortly expelled, by
the return of the Lord Home, and his other enemies. Incensed at this
reverse, Bothwell levied a body of four hundred cavalry, and
attacked the king's guard in broad day, upon the Borough Moor, near
Edinburgh.--The ready succour of the citizens saved James from falling
once more into the hands of his turbulent subject[28]. On a subsequent
day, Bothwell met the laird of Cessford, riding near Edinburgh, with
whom he fought a single combat, which lasted for two hours[29]. But
his credit was now fallen; he retreated to England, whence he was
driven by Elizabeth, and then wandered to Spain and Italy, where he
subsisted, in indigence and obscurity, on the bread which he earned by
apostatizing to the faith of Rome. So fell this agitator of domestic
broils, whose name passed into a