The men of counsel, judgment, and godliness that had travailed to promote the Governor, and that gave him faithful counsel in all doubtful matters, were either craftily conveyed from him, or else, by threats of hanging, were compelled to leave him. Of the former number were the Laird of Grange, Master Henry Balnaves, Master Thomas Bellenden, and Sir David Lyndsay of the Mount; men by whose labours the Governor was promoted to honour, and by whose counsel he so used himself at the beginning that the obedience given to him was nothing inferior to that possessed by any king of Scotland for many years before. Yea, it did surmount the common obedience, in that it proceeded from love of those virtues that were supposed to have been in him. Of the number of those that were threatened were Master Michael Durham, Master David Borthwick, David Forrest, and David Bothwell. These had counselled the Governor to have in his company God-fearing men, and not to foster wicked men in their iniquity, albeit they were called his friends and were of his surname. When this counsel came to the ears of the foresaid Abbot and the Hamiltons, who then repaired to the Court as ravens to the carrion, it was said in plain words, "My Lord Governor and his friends will never be in quietness, until a dozen of these knaves that abuse his Grace be hanged." These words were spoken in his own presence, and in the presence of some of them that had better deserved than so to have been entreated. The speaker was allowed his bold and plain speaking, and the wicked counsel being tolerated, honest and godly men left the Court and the Governor in the hands of such as led him so far from God that he falsified his promise, dipped his hands in the blood of the saints of God, and brought this commonwealth to the very point of utter ruin. These were the first-fruits of the godliness and learning of the Abbot of Paisley: hereafter we will hear more. [Sidenote: The Abbot and the Cardinal next threaten the Regent.]