ABSTRACT
Northampton had been rebuffed when he had sought assistance in resolving his marital problems. The equable Russell had had more than enough of being treated as an incompetent. Mercifully the anticipated French invasion had not materialised, but the campaign in Scotland was no longer even a pipe dream, having been cancelled by the end of July. The adherence of most of the moderates was already assured; officials for the most part and concerned primarily for efficient administration, they needed no persuasion that a change of government was overdue. During these critical days the western army was advancing by leisurely stages, punctuated by numerous rest days, while the commanders watched developments and pondered their course of action. Certain characteristics common to the wave of European revolts between the fourteenth and seventeenth centuries were unquestionably present in 1549. Organisation had improved, objectives were more clearly articulated than in the past, and the outbreak was more extensive.
