Excerpt from Scotland, Vol. 2 of 2

Disadvantages of the Protestants - They receive Supplies of Treasure from England: a large Sum of which is intercepted by the Earl of Bothwell - The Protestants are repulsed from Leith, and retire to Stirling much discouraged - They recover Courage at the Exhortation of John Knox; and send Lethinglon to the Court of England - Aid is granted to the Reformers by Elizabeth - A Detachment of the French ravage the Coast of Fife - The Protestant Gentlemen skirmish with them - Critical Arrival of the English Fleet - The French retreat

The lords of the congregation were not long in discovering that in the task of besieging a fortified town like Leith, defended by veteran and disciplined troops, they had greatly overrated their own strength. The town, being open to the sea, could not easily be reduced by famine; and the insurgents, however brave in the battlefield, were far inferior to the French in the attack and defence of fortified places. Brantome gives us reason to believe that the talents of the general of the French were of the first order, and affirms that it was sufficient to gain a high name in arms to have assisted at the siege of Leith.

But the Scottish nobles labored under other disadvantages besides inferiority in military skill. A still greater difficulty arose from the want of money to pay and maintain an army in the field, without which the feudal array of the reformed chiefs was sure to crumble to pieces anew in the space of a month or two.

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