th for St. Andrews, to seek counsel from the best and most
trustworthy of his advisers, a man whose noble presence appears in the
distracted history with such a calm and sagacious steadfastness that we
can well understand the agitated King's sudden impulse towards him at
this painful period of his career. Bishop Kennedy had himself suffered
from the lawlessness of the Douglas retainers: and he too had royal
blood in his veins. He occupied one of the highest positions in the
Church, and his wisdom and strength had made him one of the most
prominent statesmen in the kingdom. James arrived hastily, according to
the chronicle, unexpected, and with many signs of distress and anxiety.
He betrayed to the Bishop his weariness of the ever-renewed struggle,
and of the falsehood and treachery which, even if victorious, were all
he had to encounter, the failure of every pledge and promise, the faith
sworn one day which failed him the next, and the deep discouragement
with all things round him which had taken possession of his mind. The
wise prelate heard this confession of heart-sickness and despondency,
and with a fatherly familiarity bade the young King sit down to meat,
which he much wanted, while he himself went to his oratory to pray for
enlightenment. That James thought no less than to throw up the struggle
and retire from his kingdom, is what the old writers say. But when, with
his bosom lightened by utterance of his trouble, and his courage a
little restored by food and rest, the Bishop came back to him with a
cheerful countenance from his prayers, the King took heart again.
Kennedy produced to him the old image of the sheaf of arrows which,
bound together, were not to be broken, but one by one could easily be
snapt asunder, and advised him to make proclamation of a free pardon to
all who would throw down their arms and make submission, and to march at
once against the rebel host with full confidence of victory. Inspired by
this advice, and by the companionship of the Bishop who went with him,
the King set out to meet the rebels, though with an army inferior in
number to theirs. Douglas, from some unexplained reason, wavered and
hesitated, taking no active step, and gave Bishop Kennedy time to put
his own suggestion in practice in respect to his nephew Lord
Hamilton--who was one of Douglas's chief supporters--sending secret
messengers to him to urge him to submission. Hamilton no doubt had
already perceived signs of wavering