absent, and it took a great deal of urging and threatening from the Estates to bring him back to his trust. =24. English Interference.=--It was now nine years since Flodden, and, as there had been peace with England during that time, the country had somewhat recovered her strength. When therefore Henry began to meddle in the affairs of Scotland, to require that Albany should be dismissed, and that the French connexion should be broken off, the Estates refused and prepared for war. As the greater part of the English force was in France, the northern counties of England were comparatively unprotected, and it was just the time for striking an effective blow there. Instead of doing this, Albany came to terms with _Lord Dacre_, the _English Warden_, and the large army that had gathered round him melted away without doing anything. But the truce was not renewed. Dacre stormed _Jedburgh_, and the Scots mustered again. This time their numbers were increased by the presence of some French auxiliaries whom Albany had brought back from France, to which he had paid a second visit. Again the army was brought to the Border without being led any further. By this time the Scots were thoroughly disgusted with Albany, and he with them; and shortly after this second fruitless expedition, he sailed for France and took the Frenchmen with him, 1524. =25. "Erection" of the King.=--No sooner was Albany gone than Henry, through his subtle chancellor _Wolsey_, tried to make the Scots break with France. _Margaret_, the Queen-mother, was the great upholder of the English interest; _James Beaton_, Archbishop of St. Andrews and Chancellor, was the leader of the French party. Wolsey tried hard to get hold of Beaton on various pretexts, but Beaton was too cunning for him, and held himself apart in his own strong castle of _St. Andrews_, where he kept up dealings with France. But the English party were for a time the stronger, and, by the advice of Henry, James, who was now twelve years old, was set up to rule in his own name, and took his place at the head of the parliament, August 1524. The only change made by this step, called the _erection_, was that Albany's nominal government was done away with, and the French influence much weakened. Still Henry's interference was not liked, and the capture of _Francis the First_ at _Pavia_ turned the tide of popular feeling back to the old allies of France. Since the _erection_, Arran had been the nominal head of the government, but in 1526 the King, who was now fourteen, was considered old enough to choose his own guardians. He chose the Earls of _Errol_, _Argyle_, and _Angus_, and an agreement was made that each in succession was to have the care of the King for three months. Angus's turn came first, but at the end of it he refused to give up his charge, and for two years he tyrannized over both the King and his subjects, and successfully resisted all attempts at a rescue.