of the kirk's commissioners to the king in 1587, he is mentioned as one of the ‘Papists and idolators’ who had been promoted by the king to ‘offices and benefits contrary to the acts of parliament’ (ib. iv. 632). At the meeting of parliament in this year a quarrel occurred between Home and Lord Fleming on account of the latter being allowed by the council to vote before the other lords. Home challenged Fleming to a duel, but the combat was prevented by the citizens of Edinburgh, and the king subsequently reconciled them (ib. p. 640; Moysie, Memoirs, p. 65). After the fall of Arran the old jealousy between Home and Bothwell broke out anew. When the king in 1589 sailed to Denmark to convoy the Princess Anne to Scotland, they were specially charged to keep the peace towards each other, and while both of them were ‘employed in particular charge of service,’ they were required to keep within their own special bounds until the king's return (Reg. P. C. Scotl. iv. 423). Home, however, for a time befriended Bothwell when that nobleman fell into disgrace with the king. After Bothwell, on 22 June 1591, broke ward out of Edinburgh Castle, he dined the same evening with Home in Leith (Moysie, p. 86); and on account of his having openly joined Bothwell, proclamation was, on 2 Aug., made for his pursuit (Reg. P. C. Scotl. iv. 662). The proclamation was effectual, for soon after he went to Blackness Castle, and was reported to have turned an enemy of Bothwell (Calderwood, v. 138). Bothwell attributed the changed attitude of Home to the influence of the chancellor Maitland, but he was actuated largely both by a conviction that Bothwell's course was becoming desperate and by anticipation of a share in his forfeited lands. On 17 Nov. 1592 a convention of ministers sent a request to the king that he should remove Home, a professed papist, out of his company (ib. p. 178). The king answered ‘he had no law for him to do so,’ but after they had laid before him the dangers hanging over the church, he consented to the appointment of a commission to inquire into such matters. On more stringent measures being threatened against the catholics, Home, on 23 Jan. 1592–3, appeared before the presbytery of Edinburgh, and, professing himself a catholic, desired a conference (ib. v. 221). In June of this year he assisted James Gray, brother of Patrick, master of Gray, in forcibly carrying off a young heiress, guarding the High Street with his retainers till the deed was accomplished (ib. p. 252). After Bothwell's interview with King James in Holyrood Palace in July of this year, the king, regarding himself as practically a prisoner, entered into communications with Home to aid him to escape to Falkland, but the purpose of the king was accidentally discovered and frustrated by Bothwell. One of the conditions granted to Bothwell after he was purged by an assize was that Home should not repair to the king's company, but this condition was not kept, for Home was made captain of the king's bodyguard, and openly expressed his contempt for Bothwell and the whole race and name of the Stewarts, who, he said, ‘dared not take one sillie bee out of the moss in his bounds without his will’ (Bowes to Burghley, 13 Sept. 1593). Meantime, having failed to satisfy the demands of the kirk, Home was on 25 Sept. excommunicated by the synod of Fife. Nevertheless he remained in close company with the king, with whom he journeyed in October to Jedburgh, where a special meeting of the barons had been summoned (Calderwood, v. 269). On 22 Dec. he subscribed the confession of faith at the special instance of the ministers of Edinburgh (ib. p. 290), and at the assembly which met at Edinburgh in May of the following year he was, on professing sincere repentance and promising thenceforth to adhere to protestantism, absolved from excommunication (ib. pp. 316–21).
On 27 March previous he had received a commission for the pursuit of Bothwell. He accompanied the king in command of the horse when a skirmish took place with Bothwell near Arthur's Seat, but was driven back by a strong division of Bothwell's infantry, and compelled to retreat (Hist. James the Sext, p. 305; Calderwood, v. 297). At the opening of the parliament in May he accompanied the king to the Tolbooth, riding on his left hand (ib. pp. 329). At this parliament he was chosen a lord of the articles. After the banishment of Bothwell, his estates were divided chiefly among Home, Kerr of Cessford, and Scott of Buccleugh, Home obtaining the priory of Coldingham. He was one of the noblemen appointed in November 1596 to assist the lords of exchequer ‘in ordering of the public affairs of the country’ (Reg. P. C. Scotl. v. 338), and he was present with the king when he was besieged in the Tolbooth during the tumult of 18 Dec. of this year (ib. p. 362).
In April 1599 Home went abroad, and resigned the office of warden of the east marches, which was bestowed on Sir Alexander Home of Manderston (ib. v. 552). The cause of his absence abroad was supposed by some to be his appointment to a special embassy on behalf of the king to the papal court. For not appearing at a meeting con-
