But in September James found himself in a position to repudiate his forced engagement.

Bothwell now allied himself with the Catholic earls, and, as a Catholic, had no longer the prayers of the preachers.

James ordered levies to attack the earls, while Argyll led his clan and the Macleans against Huntly, only to be defeated by the Gordon horse at the battle of Glenrinnes (October 3).

Huntly and his allies, however, dared not encounter King James and Andrew Melville, who marched together against them, and they were obliged to fly to the Continent.

Bothwell, with his retainer, Colville, continued, with Cecil's connivance, to make desperate plots for seizing James; indeed, Cecil was intriguing with them and other desperadoes even after 1600.
Throughout all the Tudor period, from Henry VII.