by which the Scots consented to send their sovereign into England, so soon as she should attain the age of ten years; and in the meanwhile, six hostages, of the first rank, were to be delivered to the English monarch, as pledges for the fulfilment of the treaty. Sir George Douglas prevailed with the Scottish nobility to assent to this proposal, by reminding them of the apologue of the physician, who, to escape the wrath of a tyrannical sultan, undertook to teach an ass to speak within the course of ten years; and justified the hopeless undertaking to his friends by saying, that he had gained a space, within which either the King, or the ass, or he himself, might die, in any of which events he escaped final punishment, and meantime lived in good estate and favour. "Even so," said Douglas, "we being unprovided for war, gain by this treaty ten years of peace; during which King Henry, or his son, or the Queen, may die, or the parties coming of age may refuse each other, or matters may so stand that the match may be concluded on more equal terms." Sir George in boasting of the effects of his eloquence, probably did not pique himself to Sadler upon the nature of his arguments and illustration.

This alliance was hardly ratified, ere it became obvious that it could never be carried into effect. The Earls of Huntley, Argyle, Lennox, and Bothwell, Lord Home, and the Laird of Buccleuch, took up arms openly against the governor, with the avowed purpose of preventing the odious match

Hume of Godscroft, vol. ii., p. 113, Edit. 1743.

with England. The imprudent detention of some Scottish vessels in the ports of England excited the irritable multitude of Edinburgh to fury against their new ally. Sadler's situation became at once embarrassing and dangerous, and he narrowly escaped assassination, a musket being discharged at him while walking in his garden. The governor secretly meditated a revolt from the party of England, and used many devices to prevail on the ambassador to retire from Scotland. It was in vain that Sadler made him the most flattering offers, even so far as to propose that the Regent should marry one of Henry's daughters, and become King of all Scotland beyond the Forth. From the Regent's reply to this extravagant proposal it seems plain, that a gratuity of a thousand pounds would have been much more acceptable than the vague hopes which it implied. But this Sadler durst not promise. To the Douglasses, and to that diminished part of the Solway captives who still professed adherence to England, Sadler offered an auxiliary army of English. But they replied, that the name of England was so utterly detested by their countrymen, that their own friends and followers would to a man desert them, were they to accept of such odious aid. In fine, the Regent, who had on the 25th of August, 1543, ratified the treaty with England, did, upon the 3d of September following, altogether renounce that alliance, and unite himself to the Cardinal, and those nobles who were in arms, to oppose it. Even the patience of Sadler gave way, when he beheld the party, who had so strongly vowed to maintain the interest of England, melt away

like a snowball; and he expresses his cordial wish and expectation that his Majesty would shortly correct the untruth and folly of the Scottish, and prayed that he might either be recalled, or permitted to take refuge in some stronghold belonging to the Douglasses, who still maintained their friendship with England. This permission being at length obtained, he left Edinburgh and retired to Tantallon, a strong castle in East Lothian, belonging to the Earl of Angus. Here he abode for several weeks, better pleased with his lodging for its strength and security, than in point of accommodation, as the interior buildings had become ruinous during Angus's long exile, and the apartments were almost totally unfurnished.

About the beginning of November, Sadler received a message from the governor by a herald, summoning him either to come to his presence for achieving of his embassy, or else to depart from the kingdom of Scotland. But secure in the strength of Tantallon, and the friendship of the Earl of Angus, the English envoy remained in that castle to abide Henry's further instructions. These appear to have been, that he should join the Earl of Angus and the other lords friendly to England. This Sadler found himself unable to do, because the lords were not drawn into a party; besides, they lay at a distance, and he had no means of joining even the nearest without sleeping in an open town, “where I must,” said he, “be among such a malicious kind of folks, as on little or no occasion will be persuaded to take my life."

At length, perceiving the party of the Lords, who

favoured the English match, was unable to take the field, and in most cases entering into treaty with the Regent, Sadler gave up hope of doing good by longer residence at Tantallon, and returned to England about the beginning of December 1542, the precursor of a Scottish war, in which the destruction of Leith by the Earl of Hertford, and a desolating succession of incursions on the frontiers by Evers and Latoun, avenged the perfidy of the Regent.

Although Sadler had totally failed in the object of his embassy, the skill and patience with which he had conducted the negotiation, maintained, and even raised him in the esteem of his sovereign. Upon the death of Henry VIII., in 1547, it was found that he had bequeathed the care of his son and of the realm to sixteen of his nobility and counsellors, to whom he nominated a privy council of twelve persons. In this last number Sadler was included, by the title of Sir Ralph Sadleyr, knight, and he was further distinguished by a legacy of L.200. As the last instructions of the king to his council contained a warm recommendation to prosecute the Scottish match, there can be little doubt that Sadler was recommended to this high trust and honour, as well by his intimate acquaintance with the affairs of Scotland, as by the other qualities which had acquired Henry's confidence. It would seem he was present with the executors when the will was opened and read, and an oath taken faithfully to discharge the trust which it imposed. But a great innovation was almost immediately made upon the form of government, so solemnly ratified,

by the elevation of the Earl of Hertford, afterwards Duke of Somerset, to be Protector of the realm. In order to reconcile the rest of the king's executors to this pre-eminence, wealth and honours were conferred on them with no sparing hand; they were named counsellors to the protector, and a commission was issued under the great seal, to warrant this new form of government, in which however, the privy counsellors were raised to the same rank with the executors; and power was granted to the protector to assume any other commissioners whom he should think fit. The special gratification destined for Sir Ralph Sadler upon these changes, seems to have been a confirmation of the large grants of church lands formerly assigned to him by Henry, with splendid additions. There is said to be an illuminated deed in existence, in which Sadler is painted on his knees, receiving from Henry and Edward a grant of all the church lands, on which the town of Clifton, near Bristol, now stands, and extending down to the Severn. It would seem from the indenture below quoted, that various exchanges were made between the crown and Sir Ralph Sadler, all doubtless to the advantage of the grantee.1

1 "WHEREAS, our dear father, King Henry VIII., by indenture under the great seal of Court of Augmentation, dated Westminster, 10th March, 31st year, granted to Anthony Southwell, of his household gentlemen, inter alia, Allesborough, Grange, and certain other lands, containing 279 acres in the whole, being the demesne lands of the late monastery of Pershore, in Worcestershire, and lying within parishes of Pershore; and also 197 acres of pasture and meadow land, lying in Pershore and Flodbury, part of possessions of said monastery, for 21 years, paying annually for same and scite of said monastery, L.27, 18s. 74d.