Two English forces the one under Sussex and Hunsdown, the other under Scrope crossed the Border, and spread ruin in the old ferocious fashion. Of the achievements of Sussex and his force we have from Sir Robert Constable a specific report, prepared with a parsimony of useless words, and dutiful attention to details, especially the inventorying of the mischief done, such as we have already seen in the reports of like inroads. We are told that Sussex, " from Wark the 17th of April, entered into the realm of Scotland, and did burn and spoil all along the river of Rule and the water of Kale, and encamped that night at Jedburgh. The next morning he marched to Fernyhurst and overthrew it, and so burned and spoiled all along the river of Teviot, and so to Hawick, and burned and spoiled it. The next day he overthrew the strong house of the Laird of Buccleuch, called Branxholm, and thence to Bedrule, a house of Sir Andrew Turnbull, and overthrew it, with divers other notable towers and houses all alone, those rivers aforenamed. The next night we returned to Jedburgh, where we encamped again. The next morning we dislodged and burnt all the country along the river of Bowmont, and burnt and spoilt the 'whole country as we marched, and came back that night to Kelso. The number of the towns and villages by estimation %,as above five hundred, the terror of the which caused the rest of the country to come and offer their submission to my lord-lieutenant, with all the friendship they could do to him and to his ; and so we retired ourselves back again for that time, so that we rested ourselves three or four days. The 27th day, my lord-lieutenant being at Wark, accompanied with the whole bands of footmen and a thousand horse, with three battery-pieces and two sacris, went to the siege of Hume, where he planted his battery; where, within twelve hours after the battery was planted, the castle was surrendered to him, simply having within it two hundred and forty soldiers; so the soldiers departed out of it in their hose and doublets."

It may be inferred from this that the terribly-tortured Border district had been accumulating the funds of peaceful industry during the quarter of a century following on the latest desolation from England, since there was so much found by Sussex worth destroying. But there was another consideration more important to the heads of parties in Scotland. What did this invasion mean? Was it to support the new Government in Scotland? or was it meaningless for the time, with a possibility that it might be turned towards the chastisement of those who had dared to rise against an anointed sovereign? So doubtful was all to those chiefly concerned, that in the midst. of the work of ruin, Sussex, the chief agent, presses on Cecil the necessity of a decision on what part England is to, take in Scotland-where she is to have the friend and where the enemy? He is ready to take either side, according to instruction, but it is clear that he thinks the new Govemment the safer side for England. -"The time passeth away," he says, "and therefore it were good her majesty would resolve what she will do. For as, if she will restore the Scottish queen, it were no good policy to have me show countenance on the other side; so, if she will maintain the other side, and command me to join with them, I will, with allowance of three hundred carriage horses, make all men within thirty miles of the Borders to obey that authority, or I will not leave a stone house for any of them to sleep in surety that shall refuse. And if her majesty command me to pass further, I will, with the help of Morton, deliver the Castle of Edinburgh, or any other ID Scotland, to any in Scotland whom Morton, with her majesty's consent, shall appoint to receive them. These matters have too long slept. It is time now to wake, and therefore, good Mr Secretary, sound the queen's mind fully; and if she intend to restore the Scotch queen, advise her to do it in convenient sort, and suffer me not to put my finder in the fire without cause, and her to be drawn into it by such degrees as are neither honourable nor sure; and if she will set up the other side, and make open show thereof, let her command what she will, and it shall be done, or I will lie by it."'

There was no distinct utterance as to the ultimate policy of the invasion, but inferences might be made by noticing those who were attacked and those who were spared. It seemed as yet that the object of the invaders was merely the punishment of those Border tribes, chiefly of the Kerrs and Scotts, who had invade(i Eii-land. But penetrating northward as far as the Forth and the Clyde, there was a deeper policy in the aim of the invasion. The Hamiltons and the queen's party were the sufferers. The Palace or Castle of Hamilton was stripped and battered, and the estates of the family in East Lothian were swept and plundered. Thus an opportunity came for aiding the new Government, without acknowledging the acts of those who had committed political sacrilege by uplifting the hand against their anointed queen. That this party was favoured was to be inferred only from the punishment inflicted on its enemies.

Such was the Queen Elizabeth's answer to the appeal made to her friendship and magnanimity by the supporters of Queen Mary.

* - certain edits to the original text have been made for clarity