JAMES

james, 2nd earl of douglas and mar (c. 1358-1388), married lady isabel stewart, daughter of robert ii. in 1385 he made war on the english with the assistance of a french contingent under john de vienne. he allowed the english to advance to edinburgh, wisely refusing battle, and contented himself with a destructive counter-raid on carlisle. disputes soon arose between the allies, and the french returned home at the end of the year. in 1388 douglas captured hotspur percy's pennon in a skirmish near newcastle. percy sought revenge in the battle of otterburn (august 1388), which ended in a victory for the scots and the capture of hotspur and his brother, though douglas fell in the fight. the struggle, narrated by froissart, is celebrated in the english and scottish ballads called "chevy chase" and "the battle of otterburn." sir philip sidney "never heard the olde song of percy and douglas that i found not my heart mooved more than with a trumpet" (_apologie for poetrie_). the 2nd earl left no legitimate male issue. his natural sons william and archibald became the ancestors of the families of douglas of drumlanrig (see queensberry) and douglas of cavers. his sister isabel became countess of mar, inheriting the lands of mar and his unentailed estates. the earldom and entailed estates of douglas reverted by the patent of 1358 to archibald douglas, 3rd earl of douglas, called "the grim" (c. 1328-c. 1400), a natural son of the "good" sir james. with his cousin, the 1st earl of douglas, he had fought at poitiers, where he was taken prisoner, but was released through ignorance of his real rank. on his return to scotland he became constable and sheriff of edinburgh, and, later, warden of the western marches, where his position was strengthened by his becoming lord of galloway in 1369 and by his purchase of the earldom of wigtown in 1372. he further increased his estates by his marriage with joanna moray, heiress of bothwell. during the intervals of war with the english he imposed feudal law on the border chieftains, drawing up a special code for the marches. he was twice sent on missions to the french court. the power of the black douglas overshadowed the crown under the weak rule of robert iii., and in 1399 he arranged a marriage between david, duke of rothesay, the king's son and heir, and his own daughter, marjory douglas. rothesay was already contracted to marry elizabeth dunbar, daughter of the earl of march, who had paid a large sum for the honour. march, alienated from his allegiance by this breach of faith on the king's part, now joined the english forces. a natural son of archibald, sir william of douglas, lord of nithisdale (d. 1392), married egidia, daughter of robert iii. archibald the grim was succeeded by his eldest son, archibald, 4th earl