146 



SCOTLAND ^HISTORY). 



cries of a long and feeble regency. When at length 

 he assumed the reins of government into his own 

 hands, James displayed a prudence and fortitude, 

 which inspired hopes of a reign favourable to his 

 country. These hopes were prematurely blasted, 

 by his being accidentally killed by the bursting of a 

 cannon at the siegeof Roxburgh (1460),in the twenty- 

 ninth year of his age and twenty-fourth of his reign. 

 James III. was not quite seven years of age 

 whi'ii he succeeded to the kingdom: like that of 

 his father, therefore, the reign of this prince was 

 subject to all the troubles of a minority, equally 

 long; but the disorders of the kingdom did not 

 terminate with the minority. The king, of a 

 pusillanimous and irresolute temper, attached 

 himself to persons of mean station, and, for the 

 most part, of contemptible abilities. He hated his 

 nobles, and was, in his turn, despised by them. 

 Frequent quarrels and insurrections were termi- 

 nated by open rebellion; in which a party of 

 nobles had the influence to prevail on the king's 

 own son to place himself at their head. The forces 

 of the rebels were numerous, but the king's troops 

 were in number at least equal. They came to an 

 engagement in the neighbourhood of Stirling. 

 James' cowardice ruined his cause. He fled at the 

 first onset, was thrown from his horse, carried into 

 a miller's hut, and, by a person who, calling himself 

 a priest, was brought to confess him, he was treach- 

 erously murdered. His death took place in the thirty- 

 sixth year of his age, and the twenty-eighth of his 

 reign. 



James IV. was crowned in 1487, while he 

 was yet a minor; but his minority seems to 

 nave been attended with few of those disorders 

 which had distinguished those of his predecessors ; 

 and when he assumed the power into his own 

 hands, he enjoyed a degree of quiet and prosperity, 

 almost unknown to the former monarchs of Scot- 

 land. He espoused the daughter of Henry VII., 

 and thus laid the foundation of the future union of 

 the two kingdoms. He concluded a peace with 

 England, which, in the treaty, was vainly termed 

 perpetual. During the reign of Henry VII., indeed, 

 it remained unviolated; but, such was the predi- 

 lection of the Scots towards a connexion with 

 France, that, during the reign of Henry VIII., 

 James was induced to embrace the French interest, 

 and to invade England. The undertaking proved 

 fatal to himself, and hurtful to his kingdom. He 

 invaded the northern counties; and, engaging the 

 English army at Flodden, he fell, with the greater 

 part of the nobles by whom he was accompanied. 

 The battle of Flodden, so disastrous to the Scots, 

 was fought in 1514. James was slain in the forty- 

 rst year of his age, and the twenty-sixth of his 

 reign. 



The death of James IV. once more subjected 

 Scotland to the turbulence of a long minority 

 The nobles had, during the former minorities, been 

 gradually acquiring a greater share of power than 

 was consistent with the stability of government 

 Each of the princes of the house of Stuart was em 

 ployed, during the latter part of his reign, in reducing 

 that power, which, during the former part of it hat 

 become exorbitant. The minority of James V 

 was, if possible, more turbulent than that of any o 

 his predecessors. The influence of the queen, hii 

 mother, prevented the commencement of hostilitiei 

 with England ; but this only afforded the nobles a 

 better opportunity of quarrelling with each other 

 James' interest ought, perhaps, to have induce 



im to form, by marriage, an alliance with England j 

 >ut his attachment to France prevailed, and he 

 narried the daughter of the French king. This 

 irincess lived not long after her nuptials; and 

 ames espoused a princess of the same nation, the 

 veil known Mary of Guise. The king, in many 

 rases, consulted the true good of his country ; and 

 his institution of the Court of Session entitled him 

 o the gratitude of his subjects: but his continual 

 efforts to depress the nobility, though not inconsis- 

 ent with the interests of his kingdom, embroiled 

 lim with that powerful body, and rendered almost 

 lis whole reign disastrous. Had he understood 

 he political relations in which it was proper for 

 Scotland to stand, he might have promoted the 

 >ower of his kingdom while he preserved its peace; 

 ince his alliance was courted by the kings of Eng- 

 and and France, as well as by the emperor and the 

 >ope ; but his attachment to France led him to 

 commence hostilities against England ; and the dis- 

 gust of his nobles, prevented him from carrying on 

 ;he war with honour or success. The disgraceful 

 ssue of an expedition which he had sent against 

 England, made an impression which nothing could 

 obliterate. He survived only a few days, and 

 expired in 1542, expressing the incurable anguish 

 with which the defeat of his army, at Solway, had 

 nspired him. 



IV. From, the death of James V., to the accession 

 of James VI. to the English throne, A. D. 1603 

 James V. left only one legitimate child, who was 

 born at Linlithgow a few days, before his death. 

 This was the celebrated Mary, whose beauty, ac- 

 complishments, and misfortunes, have given her an 

 European fame. Mary of Guise, the queen mother, 

 bad the art to obtain the regency ; but, the soothing 

 measures, which for that purpose, she was con- 

 strained to pursue with all ranks, gave an advan- 

 tage to the reformers in religious matters, to which 

 she was otherwise extremely averse. The minority 

 of Mary was not without its troubles, arising chiefly 

 from a continual struggle between those who 

 favoured an alliance with England, and those who 

 were attached to the interests of France. The 

 policy of Elizabeth, who now filled the English 

 throne, made her rather foment than terminate the 

 struggle ; since she thereby gave ample employment 

 at home, to a nation, which, had it been united in 

 its councils, might have proved a troublesome foe. 



The young Scottish queen was early carried to 

 France for the purpose of being educated; and 

 through the influence of her relations of the family 

 of Guise, was married to the eldest son of the 

 French king. Her husband ascended the throne of 

 France, under the name of Francis II., but lived 

 not long to enjoy the power which he had inherited. 

 Mary soon found it necessary to return to Scot- 

 land, where she ascended the throne of her ances- 

 tors, with not only the approbation, but the love 

 of all ranks. For some time her felicity was unim- 

 paired; but her subjects required her to choose a 

 husband ; and the ardour of youthful passion, rather 

 than the dictates of policy, or even of prudence, 

 induced her to accept of the hand of Henry, lord 

 Darnley, a man of comely appearance, but head- 

 strong, foolish, and in some instances, brutal. 

 Darnley's disposition soon lessened the affections 

 of the queen; and her love, formerly so violent, 

 was, in a short time, converted into a hatred 

 not less violent. From private quarrels, they pro- 

 ceeded to public insults and injuries. Jealous of 

 the influence of Rizzio over Mary, if not of a 



