the earl of Murray, his grandfather the earl of Lennox, and the earls of Mar and Morton; with the latter of whom the no

those who have refused to give it, have been branded with baseness and ingratitude. For to form the mind to knowledge and virtue, to teach youth prudence, self-government, and proper behaviour, is a work of labour and merit; and such as perform it are entitled to gratitude and respect.--But in another place James plainly discovers his hatred and aversion to the memory of his instructor; for he stiles his History an infamous invective: "I would have you, says he, to his son prince Henry, to be well versed in authentic histories, and especially in our own histories :-I mean not of such infamous invectives as Buchanan's or Knox's chronicles: and if any of these infamous libels remain unto your days, use the law upon the keepers thereof." I will leave the reader to make his own remarks on the baseness of this passage, and the littleness of that soul that was capable of writing it concerning a preceptor. I will conclude this note by observing that the probable causes of this hatred of the memory of Buchanan were the part he had acted against his mother; the principles of his history, which were opposite to the notions of regal power entertained by James; and the great awe in which he held him in his youth, according to Melvil'. I would have it carefully observed, that this history stiled by James an infamous invective, is said by archbishop Spotswood to be "penned with such judgment and eloquence as no country can shew a better."

The Works of the most high and mighty prince James by the grace of &c. published by James bishop of Winton, 1616. Lond. fol. p. 176. Spotswood, p. 325.

b Melvil, p. 125.

bility being dissatisfied, he was obliged to quit the regency, and James entered upon the government March 12, 1578. Too soon, it may easily be supposed, for his own honour, or the welfare of his subjects. He was greatly in the power of his favourites the duke of Lennox and the earl of Arran, through whose instigations he performed many unpopular actions. Where

3

t

He was greatly in the power of his favourites, the duke of Lennox and the earl of Arran, &c.] The duke of Lennox was cousin-german to James's father, the earl of Arran was captain James Stuart, promoted to that dignity at the expence of the house of Hamilton, unjustly deprived of it..." The duke of Lennox was led by evil counsel and wrong informations, whereby he was moved to meddle in such hurtful and dangerous courses, that the rest of the nobility became jealous of his intentions, and feared their estates. As for the earl of Arran, they detested his proceedings, and esteemed him the worst and most insolent instrument that could be found out, to wrack king, kirk and country. The duke had been tolerable, had he happened upon as honest counsellors, as he was well inclined of himself: but he wanted experience, and was no ways versed in the state of the country, nor brought up in our religion, which by time he might have been brought to have embraced. But the earl of Arran was a scorner of religion, presumptuous, ambitious, covetous, careless of the commonwealth, a despiser of the nobility and of all honest men"." Hopeful coun

a Melvil, p. 131.

upon being seized by the earls of Mar and Gowry, with others of the nobility, as he returned from hunting, and conveyed to Ruthven castle, they obtained a charge for the duke of Lennox to depart the country, and for the confinement of the earl of Arran. This was followed by a proclama

sellors these for a young king! and admirably fit for governing a kingdom. And yet these were the men who carried all before them, and obtained honours and estates by wholesale. Arran from a private gentleman

was made gentleman of the bed-chamber, knighted, made a privy counsellor, and tutor of Arran. A few weeks after he was made captain of his majesty's guards, and created earl of Arran "." Lennox "in a few days after his appearance at court, had a grant of the lordship of Arbroath, then he was created earl of Lennox, governor of Dumbarton castle, captain of the guard, first gentleman of the bedchamber, and great chamberlain of Scotland, and duke of Lennox"."

-These sudden promotions to honour, and places of profit to such men, must necessarily have been very unpopular and distasteful, and could not but be highly resented. However 'tis but justice to James, to ac quaint the reader that he was very young, and consequently most easily drawn aside by those who had influence over him; and therefore more excusable than he was in misplacing his favours afterwards, as he almost always did.

+ Being seized by the earls of Mar, &c. they ob

a Lives and Characters of the Officers of the Crown and State of Scot

land, by George Crawfurd, Esq; p. 137. fol. Lond. 1736. b Id. p. 331.

tion from the king, discharging the commissions which he had formerly given them, and declaring that in so doing he acted not by compulsion. However, having regained his liberty, he turned out of place those who had been enemies to his favour

a

tained a charge for the duke of Lennox to depart the country, and for the confinement of the earl of Arran, &c.] "As the king was returning from stag-hunting in Athole, in his way towards Dumferling, he was invited by the earl of Gowry to his house of Ruthven, near Perth. The earl, who was at the head of the conspiracy, instantly sent to advertise his friends of what had happened. Whereupon several of the discontented nobility, and all those that were in the English interest at hand, repaired to Ruthven, where without any ceremony they resolved to detain the king, and keep him prisoner. The next day when the king was essaying to get out, they stopt him; wherefore growing into a passion and weeping, Sir Thomas Lyon boldly, though rudely, told him, it was no matter for his tears, better that bairns greet than bearded men." After they had him in custody they presented a supplication to him, "representing the false accusations, calumnies, oppressions and persecutions they had suffered for two years, by means of the duke of Lennox, and the earl of Arran, the like whereof were never heretofore borne in Scotland." Upon this representation, the king, sore against his will, sent orders to the duke to leave the kingdom, who obeying, died soon after at Paris, and the earl was

. August 23, 1582. See also Melvil, p. 129, &c.

b Crawfurd, p. 332. Spotswood, p. 320.

ites, and insisted on such of the nobility's asking pardon as had been concerned in the affair of Ruthven; which causing a confederacy and a rising, issued in the death of the earl of Gowry', in revenge of which,

confined for a time. Before this a proclamation had been issued forth, "declaring that it was his own voluntary act to abide at Perth; and that the noblemen and others that attended him, had done nothing but what their duties obliged them unto, and which he took for a good service performed both to himself and the commonwealth." But all this was a mere act of dissimulation, and the effect of constraint. As soon as he was at liberty he returned to the same courses, and behaved after his wonted manner. For favourites he must have, and so their pleasure was consulted, no matter how the kingdom was pleased.

5 Having obtained his liberty, he insisted on such of the nobility's asking pardon as were concerned in the affair of Ruthven, &c.] James was never a man of his word. We see just now, that, by proclamation, he had allowed what was done at Ruthven to be good service, and he moreover had desired the kirk "to find it good for their parts, and to ordain the ministers and commissioners of every shire to publish the same to their parishioners, and to get the principal gentlemen's subscription to maintain the same." But no sooner had he got his liberty, but he acted quite differently from what he had declared to be his sentiments. Arran was introduced again into court, was made Chancellor, captain of the castles of Edinburgh and

a Spotswood, p. 321.

Melvil, p. 183.