ANNALS OF SCOTLAND. 43 



' The fifteenth century opens an asra extremely- 

 favourable to the arts of civil life in Scotland, par- 

 ticularly literature, fcience, hufbanury, planting-, 

 commerce, navigation, and the ftfheries. It intro- 

 duces the pacific, the fplendid, and truly patriotic 

 reigns of the five James's, who were equally vigo- 

 rous in - executing, as their parliaments were in 

 enacting, the numerous regulations and inftitutions 

 which di.ftinguifhed the vertical period of Scotland's 

 glory and happinefs. 



JAMES I. one of the moft accomplifhed princes 

 of the age, applied himfelf with unremitting afti- 

 'duity, to every object of national utility. 



He amply endowed the univerfity of St. An- 

 drews, of which he was properly the fccond foun- 

 der. He eftablifhed fchools over the kingdom ; 

 invited and encouraged learned and ingenious 

 foreigners to refide in Scotland ; and frequently 

 honoured their public exercifes with his prefence. 

 He kept a diary, in which he wrote down the 

 names of all fnch men as delerved his patronage, 

 and preferment ; reproved, with great freedom, 

 fuch churchmen as lived unfuitably to their tha- 

 ra6ler ; and, as a check to their immoderate lu&Ery, 

 lie brought over fome Carthufian monks, >the 

 fevereft order in the church of Rome, for w-h$m 

 he endowed and alloted a monaftry at Perth/cthe 

 centre of his dominions. 



He rewarded induftry, encouraged agricul- 

 ture, hufbandry, manufactures, and commerce ; * 



regulated 



* In the ftatutos of his firft parliament, mention is made of a 

 duty of 4d. Scots, on each thoufand of red herrings, made in 

 Scotland. And, in his lecond parliament, a duty was laid on 

 woollen cloth exported. While the foregoing extrads ferve to ex- 

 hibit the antiquity of red herrings and woollen cloth, for exporta- 

 tion in Scotland ; they inform us, at the lame time, that our an- 

 ceitors of thole days were little acquainted with the Ictence of 

 commerce ; for, befides the impolitic duties laid upon exports, 

 the royal boroughs made an ordinance, tho.t no foreign merchants 



ftiould 



