SCOTLAND. 



593 



Hiitory. policy of his own kingdom, by reducing more com- 



> "Y"' pletely the Western Islands. The Lord of the Isles 



WHS summoned to nj>|>r:ir .-it court , l>ut disobeying the 



royal mandate, M-ntrnrr ot lorlcilurc was prODOOBfied 



against him, which induct d the refractory dm -I 



pear in parliament and supplicate the royal clemency. 



In consequence of his engaging to maintain the laws 



of the kingdom, he wns confirmed in his jurisdiction 



and title as Lord of the Isles, but was deprived of the 



A.D.H76. ear id om O f Ross, and of Knapdale and Kintyre. 



Events of an inauspicious aspect concurred to hasten 

 the tragical termination of James's reign. His bro- 

 thers, Albany and Mar, were princes of a character 

 dissimilar to the king's. They associated with the 

 nobility, and excelled in martial exercises ; while he, 

 neglecting the duties of his high station, incurred the 

 contempt of the haughty nobility. The wardenship 

 of the eastern marches had been assigned to Albany 

 by his father ; the command of Berwick and the lieu- 

 tenancy of the borders had been subsequently intrust- 

 ed to him by his brother. A violent feud existed be- 

 tween Albany and the Homes and Lindsays ; and in 

 order to procure Albany's ruin, his enemies applied 

 to Cochrane, one of the king's favourites, who report- 

 ed, on the prediction of a witch, that he should be 

 lain ty one of his nearest kindred. The monarch's 

 suspicions immediately fell upon his brothers, and they 

 were seized and confined in separate fortresses. Al- 

 bany effected his escape to France, but Mar was brought 

 A.D. 1479. to Edinburgh and bled to death. 



An infraction of the truce with England occasioned 

 alternate incursions of the English and Scots, unim- 

 portant in the details. Instigated by revenge, Al- 

 bany was persuaded to pass over from France to Eng- 

 land, and to enter into a treaty with Edward the 

 Fourth to dethrone the king of Scots. James applied 

 A.I). MSI. to his parliament, but the nobles took the field with a 

 stronger disposition to regain their lost authority, than 

 to annoy the enemy. About 50,000 men attended the 

 king from Edinburgh to Lauder, where the nobles de- 

 liberated upon their purpose of revenge. The ob- 

 noxious royal favourites were Cochrane, Hommil, 

 Leonard, Rogers, and Forfyan. Cochrane had been 

 created earl of Mar. It was determined that James 

 should be placed under restraint, and that his favou- 

 rites should be hanged over the bridge at Lauder. 

 This resolution was speedily executed, and the king 

 was conducted to Edinburgh castle, and there confin- 

 ed. Meanwhile, the English took Berwick, and ad- 

 vanced to Edinburgh ; but Albany, finding the nobles 

 indisposed to dethrone the king, sued for a pardon, 

 and obtained it. The English army retired. Albany's 

 ambition revived by his security; he renewed his trea- 

 sonable correspondence with the court of England, 

 which being discovered, he became a second time an 

 exile in England. 



Richard the Third was disinclined to second the 

 views of Albany ; but Douglas agreed to assist him in 

 his designs upon the kingdom, and entered Scotland 

 with five hundred horse. But the name of Douglas 

 had lost its influence, and Albany was despised. Their 

 troops were soon overpov/ered ; Albany escaped to 

 France, where he died ; and Douglas was sentenced to 

 be imprisoned for life in Lindores abbey. 



A train of misfortunes preceded the conclusion of 

 James's unhappy reign. Untaught by the tragical fate 

 of his former favourites, he relapsed into his former 

 conduct, associating with persons ot mean birth, and 

 secluding himself from the nobility. A conspiracy was 



VOL. XVII. PART II. 



at 

 111. 



formed to imprison and dethrone the kin? ; I u ( he had 

 influence to muster an army of 90,000 rcen. The di- 

 affected nobles prepared formidable force. Both per* 

 ties were, however, reluctant to put the iue of the 

 contest upon a battle, and James disbanded hi* troops, 

 His pusillanimity emboldened hit enemies to re liCtu 

 ble their adherents, and they constrained the prince to 

 become their nominal leader. The king proceeded to 

 Stirling castle, to join the loyal peer* woo were ad- 

 vancing to his help, and was advised to hazard an en- 

 gagement near Bannockburn ; but the action had 

 scarcely commenced when he fled. He was thrown 

 from his horse, and a priest being called to hear hie 

 confession, one of the rebels being conducted to the 

 unfortunate monarch under this pretence, stabbed him 

 to the heart. 



James the Third waa killed in the thirty-sixth yeer 

 of his age and the twenty -eighth of his reign, leaving J 

 three sons. and 



James the Fourth succeeded his father, end wo m 

 crowned at Scone. A revocation of all lands, dignities, J * 

 and offices, granted since the commencement of the ci 

 vil war, was published. The estates passed an act of 

 indemnity ; but the part which the young king had 

 taken in the late contest, excited his remorse ; and, as 

 an evidence of his contrition, he constantly wore an 

 iron girdle. 



The independence of the Scottish church having . n IIM 

 been threatened by the encroachments of the Roman 

 court, the estates enacted several ordinances. The fo- 

 reign disposal of elective benefices was annulled ; the 

 ecclesiastics threatened with punishment, if they vio- 

 lated at Rome any statute of the realm or privilege of 

 the Scottish church ; all appeals to Rome in civil cases 

 were prohibited ; benefices were guarded from papal 

 exactions ; and no person was to be allowed to appear 

 as legate in Scotland, except he were a native, or had 

 attained the rank of cardinal. A statute was passed 

 for encouraging the fishery. 



The example of the monarch, who delighted in mar- 

 tial exercises, music, and the arts, accelerated the pro* 

 gress of civilization and refinement, but his romantic 

 spirit plunged his country into a war with England. 

 James believed, or affected to credit the account of A.D. 14*6. 

 Warbeck's legitimacy, and gave him in marriage the 

 lady Catharine Douglas, daughter of the earl of Huntly. 

 Determined to make a vigorous effort in favour of Per- 

 kin, he raised a considerable army, and entered Eng- 

 land, but soon abandoned the enterprise as hopeless, 

 and dismissed Perkin as an impostor. 



Henry the Seventh, sensible that the impostor would 

 soon be exposed, commanded his lieutenant of the 

 north of England to retaliate with moderation ; and of- 

 fered his daughter in marriage to James, who was pre- 

 vailed upon to consent to an alliance when she should 

 attain her fourteenth year. 



Conformably to the marriage treaty, the princess A.D. 1503. 

 Margaret arrived in Scotland, and was wedded to 

 James. In their alliance was laid the foundation of 

 the union of the two kingdoms, and from this union 

 sprang a negotiation, which terminated in a treaty of 

 peace, that was broken in the course of ten years. 

 The tranquillity of the kingdom presented a favourable 

 opportunity for improving the domestic policy, espe- 

 cially of the Highland districts. A sentence of forfei- 

 ture ws issued against John lord of the isles, and his 

 territories were annexed to the crown. It was ordained 

 that the highlands and islands should be governed by 

 the common laws of the land, and not by feudal autho- 



