the four years in queftion m different parts of France, 
lometimes in the capital and (ometimes in the provinces, 
cultivating acquaintance with the molt learned men of 
that country, and afiilting them occafionally in tlieir lec¬ 
tures and other literary engagements. About tiie year 
1544 he is fuppofed, with confiderabie probability, to have 
been connected with the famous Adrian Turnebus, and 
retus, in the college of cardinal Le Moine, at Paris. 
In the year 1546, his old friend Govea was commillioned 
by the king of Portugal to invite able,teachers of philofo- 
phy and clallical literature to eltabhlh themlelves in the 
tiniverfity of Coimbra. Among others he made the king’s 
propofal to Buchanan, who very willingly doled with it, 
as offering him a quiet retreat, and that in the fociety of 
ieveral of his friends, for the cultivation of letters in al- 
molt the only corner of Kurope at that time tree from fo¬ 
reign or domeffic wars. In 1547 he embarked for Portu¬ 
gal ; and here his affairs profpered, till the death of Govea, 
w ho lived only about a year after they had quitted France. 
How prematurely are our bed purpofes of happinefs' 
often thwarted ! Buchanan had now, bereft of his friend 
and protestor, to combat the tyranny and fuperltition of 
monks. A monfter that ate flefh in Lent, and dared to 
imagine that St. Audio's opinions favoured the common 
fenf'e of the protedants more than certain extravagant 
doctrines of the catholics; an impious wretch who could 
difdover no metamorphofis in the elements of the encha- 
rid ; and one, above all, from whofe eye the hypocrify of 
Francifcans could neither veil tlieir ignorance nor tlieir 
vices; was fure not to want enemies at that time in Portu¬ 
gal. Through the influence of the monks, Buchanan was 
imprifoned a year and a half in the inquifition. Delivered 
from thence, he was fent to a monadery, to be better in- 
firucted in the principles of the catholic faith. But ar¬ 
riving at no convictions in its favour, and vainly endea¬ 
vouring in his turn to enlighten thofe whom he found to 
comprehend nothing of the genuine fpirit of religion, he 
grew weary of his fituation; although he acknowledges 
the particular-friars of that convent to have been neither 
bad men, nor to have wanted kindnefs towards him. To 
amufe the ennui of his confinement, he here wrote a con¬ 
fiderable part of his inimitable verfion of the Pfalms. Some 
have afferted, that this talk was enjoined him as a penance 
for his heterodoxy, and that, fafeinated by the divine 
mttfic of his lyre, the monks of the cloider rew-arded him 
•with his liberty. Be the caufe what it might, he at length 
obtained it. He now greatly defired to return to France, 
and earnedlv folicited a paffport and neceffaries for his 
journey. The king, peritiaded of his uncommon merit, 
endeavoured to detain him in Portugal, and, to tempt his 
flay, held out to him profpects of honourable advance¬ 
ment ; allowing him, however, in the mean time, but a 
Bender provifion for his daily fufienance. After having 
been for feverai months encouraged by falfe hopes of a 
certain and permanent fituation, chagrined and tired out 
by delay, he was determined to yield no longer to oblta- 
cles thrown in the way of his departure, and feizing the 
opportunity of a Cretan veffel ready to fail for England, 
in 1552, he embarked without permiffion, and landed in 
this country. Fie did not lifien to any propofals made for 
his continuance id F.ngland amidfl the confiiiions which 
prevailed during the minority of Edward VI. hut, after a 
very (hort flay here, he fulfilled his original delign of go¬ 
ing to France, and remained two years at Paris. During 
this vilit he publifhed his Alceltis, and wrote his Fratres 
Eraterrimi, in one book, confiding of epigrams, and fmaller 
poems in various metres, meant chiefly to fatyrize lazy 
monks, ftiperflitious prielts, and even popes themfelves. 
Among thefe we find his Somnium, fpoken of above, and 
which feems to have been the primary caufe of half the 
vexations and unpleafant occurrences of hi? life. 
Charles de Colli, marefchal de Briffac, conceiving very 
highly of Ins talents from his tragedy of Jephthe, induced 
him, in 1.555, to undertake the education of his fon, Ti- 
jnolcou de Cofll, and for that purpofe to accompany him 
ANA N. 
into Piedmont. According to Brancome, Buchanan fuc- 
ceeded not ill in this talk; for we are informed by that 
author, that lie rendered his pupil fufficiently learned to 
qualify him properly for military life, in which his fa¬ 
ther was chiefly ambitious of advancing him to honour. 
Buchanan, during this connection, was not only entertained 
by the marefchal de Briffac with all attention and refpeCt 
due both to his character and fituation, but lie is laid to 
have been frequently admitted to the marefchal’s fecret 
counfels. This connection with the marefchal continued 
till 1560, and formed not improbably the happielt part of 
his life. Where he paffed the two fubiequent years is 4 
matter of uncertainty : contemporary writers differ much 
about it. In 1563 he returned to Scotland a declared 
member of the reformed church. Two years after, we 
find him gone again to France ; but on what particular 
account he went is not known ; he was however almoft 
immediately recalled by Mary queen of Scots, and enga¬ 
ged as future preceptor to the child with whom fhe was 
pregnant, afterwards James the Sixth of Scotland and tire 
Firllof England. Till this prince became old enough to 
receive inflruCtion, file placed Buchanan in the principal- 
fiup of St. Leonard's college at St. Andrew’s, an office he 
filled lor four years with lingular credit. As his genius, 
abilities, and extraordinary acquifitions in literature, had 
now fecit red him univqrfal elleem and reputation in the 
learned world, lo his religious and political principles won 
him the attachment and confidence of that party, whole 
counfels, not many years afterwards, predominated in the 
tranfadions of his country. 
I11 the execution of his profeffional duties at St. An¬ 
drew’s, he principally dedicated himfelf to the inftruCtion 
ot the (Indents in philofophy, employing however his lei- 
fure in preparing an edition of his Poems. But philofo- 
phy, poetry, criticifm, and grammar, diflinguilhed as he 
was by his proficiency in each, were not the only ftudies 
which had occupied the former part of his life : during 
hisrefidence in Piedmont with the marefchal de Briffac, he 
had applied himfelf earnellly to the fiudy of controverfial 
theology, particularly to the fubjeCts in difpute between 
the church of Rome and the reformers. Thus qualified,, 
although a layman, he was eleCted moderator of the fy- 
nod of Scotland, which afi’embled in June 1567. The 
ambition of the regent Murray, his old pupil, difeovered 
no inconfiderable refources in the literary talents and poli¬ 
tical abilities of Buchanan, whilft placed in this fituation. 
Jt was in this polt too that he found opportunity both of 
projecting and giving fandtion to thofe meafures, which 
proved fatal to the intereft, and at length to the govern¬ 
ment, of the queen, to whom he had been under great o- 
bligations, and wliofe beauty and merits had been the 
theme of fome of his poems. 
About the end of the year 1563, when the prince had 
nearly completed the fourth year of his age, Buchanan 
was by order of the privy council and Hates of the realm 
diredled to attend the charge of his educationat court, be¬ 
ing at the lame time very honourably permitted to nomi¬ 
nate a fucceffor to his literary functions at St. Andrew’s- 
As lie had now no public office to divert his attention ; as 
an ardent love of letters was his ruling paffion ; as the 
eyes of the court and of the whole kingdom were turned 
upon him, and, as it were, waiting the fuceefs of his in- 
firudtions ; we mult fuppofe every nerve of his genius t©• 
be drained to the utmolt in order to accompli!]) his royal 
pupil, and to infufe into his mind thofe principles of vir¬ 
tue and knowledge in which the welfare of his fellow-citi¬ 
zens was fo nearly interefted. The character and talents 
of James VI. being known to every one at all converfant 
in hiltory, it may fuffice to fay, that the public expecta¬ 
tion refpedting his inftructors, fo far as their refponlibility 
went, was amply fatisfied : we fay infiruCtors, for it will 
be unjuft not to mention that Mr. Peter Young, who af¬ 
terwards received the honour of knighthood, a learned 
and accomplifhed perfon,-was Buchanan’s colleague in 
this important charge ; important however as it was, yet 
