ANNALS OF SCOTLAND. 63 



confpicuous in thofe of that nation ; and in the 

 extraordinary good offices done by the prefent king 

 of Scotland, who has declared himfclf a faft friend 

 of the French monarchy, in oppofition even to his 

 own brother-in-law, the king of England, and has 

 fent both a confiderable land army, and a fleet, 

 confiding of many good fhips, to France; upon 

 which account his Jubj efts ought to be for ever encou- 

 raged and favoured above all others. " 



Upon the whole, the reign of James IV. 

 may be confidered as the brighten: sera in the 

 annals of Scotland. Her gold and filver abound- 

 ed more than at any other period; her com- 

 merce flouriflied abroad ; peace and tranquil- 

 lity reigned at home; faction was annihilated; 

 univerfal harmony prevailed amongft all ranks of 

 men; and, it is worthy of remark, that no perfoa 

 fuffered, during this long reign, for rebellion, con- 

 fpiracy, or any real or imaginary trefpafs againft tle 

 crown. 



JAMES V. profecuted, with unwearied zeal, the 

 great plans of national improvement, which had 

 been chalked out by his anceflors, and their parlia- 

 ments. He revived the laws for the building of 

 fifhing buffes, the encouragement of commerce, 

 the fupplying his fubjects with wine, and necefTaries, 

 the planting and prefervation of woods, forefts, 

 and hedges ; eftablifhing a national militia; and 

 for the internal government, peace and fecurity of 

 the kingdom. He introduced a better ftyle of civil 

 architecture, built or repaired feveral palaces for 

 the royal refidence, embellifhed the town of Edin- 

 burgh, promoted the fine arts, and employed Ger- 

 mans to work the gold mines difcovered in Crawford 

 Moor. * He fet out with five fnips, attended 



by 



* James IV. and V. contrafted with funclry Germans, who 

 had the chief management of the Scottifli mines in Crawford 

 Moor, whers they employed three huadred men, and procured 



