ANNALS OF SCOTLAND.- 59 



adminiftration of juftice; civilizing the Highlands; 

 and protecting the church againft the encroachments 

 of the court of Rome. It was laid down by parlia- 

 ment, as a maxim, " That the privileges of the 

 church, as well as the ftatutes of the realm, had 

 been created for the benefit of the community, and 

 that they could not be renounced without confent 

 of the king, the three eftates^ and the refpedive 

 chapters. " 



This reign is particularly diftinguifhed for one 

 of the bed and moft humane ftatutes that is to be 

 found in the annals of the moft civilized ftates, and 

 at a time when clergy as well as laity, throughout 

 great part of Europe, were plunged in barbarifm, 

 It was enacted, That all barons and freeholders 

 of fubftance ihould henceforth fend their eldeft fons a 

 or heirs, to the grammar fchool, at eight or nine 

 years old, there to remain till they had attained a 

 perfect maftery of the Latin, * when they were to 

 be removed to the college, where the arts and laws 

 were taught, at which place they were to continue 

 three years ; to the end, fays the ftatute, that 

 juftice might reign univerfally through the realm, 

 all judges ordinary under his highnefs having know- 

 ledge to do juftice;" 



Thus the kingdom, by a uniform perfcverance in 

 the moft excellent inftitutions which human wifdom, 

 could devife, enjoyed peace, |fecurity, and a mutual 



conri- 



* To this excellent law was owing, in all probability, the ele- 

 gant ftyle of Boethius, Buchannan, and other Scottim writers of 



f The fplendour of the Scottifli courc, upon the event of 

 James's marriage with Margaret, daughter of Henry VII. lerve to 

 corroborate the teltimony of hiilorians, reipecting the fiourifhing 

 Hate of Scotland under this excellent prince. The royal bride fet 

 out from Richmond, in Surry, June, 1503, attended by her 

 father as far as Collewefton, near Nottingham, the reiidence of 

 his mother, where Ihe was reiigned to the care of the earls of 

 Surry and Northumberland, who proceeded with her in the man- 

 er and form preicribed by Henry, in his own, hand-writing, which 



is 



