 Born when his father was commander of the Garde Écossaise, he was named after Louis XIII of France, and brought up until the age of ten by his grandfather, George Gordon, 1st Marquess of Huntly.From an early age, he showed himself to be a reckless romantic — while still a child, he stole some jewels and attempted to take ship to Holland, presumably to join the army.When he was thirteen, the First Bishops' War broke out, and the young nobleman sneaked out of Gordon Castle (one account says he climbed over the wall) and hurried to the Highlands, where he raised a brigade of clansmen from his father's estates to fight the Covenanters.