Introduction

Now that James had escaped the Ruthven Raiders, the Episcopal/Catholic faction seemed to be back in control, under the Earl of Arran’s leadership. But England had other ideas, and before long, Arran had been sacrificed to placate Scotland’s powerful southern neighbor. Scotland now moved…

Introduction for our first chapter: The Spanish Century, covering 1492-1603.

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In this lecture, we discuss James’s political alliance with the Kirk, spearheaded by his indefatigable Chancellor, John Maitland. This period (1587-1594) was marked first by the rivalry between Maitland and the Earl of Huntly, and later on between the King and the Earl of Bothwell. This latte…