The Politics of Religion in the Age of Mary, Queen of Scots: The Earl of Argyll and the Struggle for Britain and Ireland (review)

The title is lengthy but the subject is significant. Dr. Dawson's central theme is the career of the fifth earl of Argyll, who exercised a strategic role in securing a Protestant victory at the Scottish Reformation. He not only helped shape the shared Protestant allegiance within the two kingdoms on the British mainland but supported English efforts at controlling Ireland.

Highland chieftain, Protestant reformer, and supporter of John Knox, Argyll succeeded to the earldom in 1558, and followed his father's example in promoting Protestantism within his domains and beyond with evangelical zeal. He grew up in a household whose Protestant chaplains were renegade Catholic clerics, John Douglas, a former friar, and notably John Carswell, a former priest and later superintendent of Argyll, who, with Argyll's patronage, furthered the work of the Reformed church in the west Highlands.

As a leading magnate, Argyll held key offices of state: justice-general, master of the royal household, and ultimately the prized post of chancellor. Geographically, his power-base lay in the west Highlands and islands where he commanded the necessary military and naval resources enabling him to intervene in Ireland. Besides, within Scotland, he effortlessly straddled the cultural divide and was as readily at home in the Scots-speaking Lowlands as he was in his Gaelic-speaking heartland. He became one of the most powerful figures not only in Scotland but in the whole of Britain.

Joining the Protestant "lords of the Congregation," he took a lead in overthrowing, with English help, the regime of Mary of Guise, governor of Scotland for her daughter Mary, queen of Scots, then absent in France. Even so, as brother-in-law to Mary, he became a member of the royal circle when Mary, who remained a Catholic, returned home in 1561. That may appear incongruous, for Argyll was also one of the nobles who had been particularly active in destroying "idolatrous" images in churches and in demolishing friaries. At the Reformation parliament in 1560, he had been prominent in promoting the legislation abrogating papal jurisdiction in Scotland and forbidding the celebration of Mass. As part of the deal, Mary was obliged to support Protestantism publicly while maintaining a priest for her own private devotions at Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh.

At the same time, Argyll came to an understanding with Sir William Cecil in England, Queen Elizabeth's secretary, whom he met in Edinburgh, to promote a shared Protestantism within the three kingdoms of the British Isles. Argyll's promise of assistance in northern Ireland was welcomed by the English government as part of its plans for subjugating Ulster. Five years later, however, Argyll withdrew his offer of co-operation. When Mary married Darnley, her second husband, Argyll had temporarily lost power, and he blamed Elizabeth for her failure to send help to Scotland. Consequently, any belief he had in a common cause evaporated.

By 1567, he accepted the need to imprison Mary after her defeat in battle, but he could not condone her enforced abdication. He refused to attend the coronation of Mary's infant son and continued to support the queen's party, commanding her forces at the battle of Langside in 1568 before her flight to England. Under pressure from his clan council, however, he changed sides and finally joined the supporters of young King James. To some degree, he served as a peacemaker and tried to reconcile his former allies to the government of King James. He died in 1573 as the dust of the civil war between supporters of Mary and King James began to settle.

Dr. Dawson is to be congratulated for her well-researched and masterly study of Argyll as a 'British' statesman, exploring his triple role as Gaelic chief, Scottish statesman, and British...