846 
SCOT 
anxiously sought by all the great European sovereigns. 
Even the pope sent an ambassador to the Scottish court, and 
conferred upon James the title of “ Defender of the Faith.” 
In the year 1536, the king negociated a treaty of mar¬ 
riage with Marie de Bourbon, which was solemnly ratified 
by the French king; but it was afterwards annulled by 
the visit of James himself to the continent, where he es¬ 
poused Magdalen, the daughter of Francis, who died in less 
than two months after her arrival in Scotland. The Scottish 
king, however, did not long remain a widower; for in 1538, he 
espoused Mary of Guise, dowager duchess of Longueville. 
In 1540, a parliament was held in Edinburgh, in which 
an act of indemnity was passed for all offences committed 
during the king’s minority. Shortly after war broke out 
with England, and the duke of Norfolk invaded Scotland ; 
but was compelled to retreat by the skilful movements of the 
earl of Huntley. James resolved to pursue this advantage, 
by penetrating into England; and the expedition would 
most probably have been successful but for the appointment 
of an unworthy favourite to the chief command in the mo¬ 
ment of attack, which so much disgusted the nobles, that 
they chose rather to surrender to the English, than submit 
to his orders. This disgraceful occurrence happened at Sol¬ 
way Moss; and produced such an effect upon the mind of 
the king, that it brought him to his grave, in the 31st year 
of his age. 
III.— History of the Fourth Period. 
Mary, the infant daughter of James by Mary of Guise, suc¬ 
ceeded to the throne, and cardinal Beaton, who had been for 
many years prime minister, assumed the regency; in virtue of 
a pretended testament which he himself had forged in the 
name of the late king. The earl of Arran, the next heir to 
the crown, was, however, elected to the regency by the 
nobles; and thus new jealousies were excited. The Eng¬ 
lish monarch proposed his son Edward as a match for the 
young queen, but this was opposed by the regent. A war 
was the consequence; but it was soon terminated by a peace 
negotiated with the French king, in which Scotland was 
included. Shortly after this, cardinal Beaton fell a sacri¬ 
fice to the hatred of the reformers, who were particularly 
incensed against him for the barbarous execution of one of 
their champions, named Wishart. This event proved fatal 
to the Catholic religion, and to the French interest in Scot¬ 
land ; for though a large party in the nation still continued 
zealously attached to both, the loss of so bold and skilful 
a leader rendered their influence and exertions much less 
effective. 
In September 1547, Henry VIII. being deceased, the 
protector, Somerset, in pursuance of the intentions of his 
late master, entered Scotland with a large army, and having 
engaged the Scots, commanded by the regent in person, 
at Pinkev, near Musselburgh, gained a complete victory. 
Above ten thousand men fell on this day, which was 
scarcely less disastrous to Scotland than the fatal one of 
Floddon. The victory, however, was of little advantage 
to the protector, whose cruel ravages only increased the 
aversion of the Scots to unite %vith England; and induced 
them to form a close alliance with France. The queen 
dowager, who, after the death of Beaton, took a considerable 
share in the direction of affairs, seized every opportunity to 
promote this object. By her advice, ambassadors were sent 
to the court of Henry II. to offer the young queen in mar¬ 
riage to the dauphin; and accordingly a treaty was con¬ 
cluded, by which the parties were betrothed, and the Scots 
became bound to send Mary to receive her education in 
France. In vain did a few patriots remonstrate against such 
extravagant concessions, by which Scotland was made a 
French province; and Henry, from an ally, raised to be 
master of the kingdom. 
While Mary was enjoying the pleasures of the court of 
France, the only scene in which she ever experienced the 
smiles of fortune, Scotland, first under the regency of the 
earl of Arran, who had been dignified with the title of duke 
de Chatellerault, and afterwards of the queen dowager* 
Mary de Guise,. was rent by factions, and experienced all 
LAND. 
the direful effects of religious and- feudal dissentions. The 
whole time which had elapsed from the death of James V. 
had been a season of anarchy, during which parties had 
risen and fallen in rapid succession. To the commotions so 
common in every country,, while the feudal system was in 
its vigour, and in none more than in Scotland, may be added 
those caused by the collision of the principles of the refor¬ 
mation, with the interests of a powerful hierarchy. Through¬ 
out Europe the wealth of the church was exorbitant; but in 
Scotland it so far exceeded the just proportion, that not less 
than half of the national property was possessed by eccle¬ 
siastics. The mode of its disposal likewise considerably 
increased their influence. Church lands being let on lease, 
at an easy rate, and possessed by the younger branches of 
the great families, many estates in all parts of the kingdom 
were held of the church. This extraordinary share in the 
national property was accompanied by a proportionable 
weight in the national councils. The number of temporal 
peers being small, and the lesser barons and representatives 
of boroughs seldom attending, the ecclesiastical members 
formed a very considerable body in the Scottish parliaments, 
in which they possessed all the influence that exorbitant 
wealth and superior talents could give. 
A. hierarchy established on so firm a basis, with so many 
pillars for its support, it was difficult to overturn. The 
progress of the reformation, however, gave a serious alarm 
to the clergy, and the sword of persecution was effectually, 
drawn in defence of the privileges and emoluments of the 
Catholic church. 
In spite of all these difficulties, however, the reformed 
religion was established in Scotland, by act of parliament, 
in 1560, and the exercise of religious worship according to 
the rites of the Popish church, was prohibited, under the 
penalty of forfeiture of goods for the first, banishment for 
the second, and death for the third offence. “ Such stran¬ 
gers,” says Dr. Robertson, “ were men at that time to the 
spirit of toleration, and to the laws of humanity; and with 
such indecent haste did the very persons who had just es¬ 
caped the rigour of ecclesiastical tyranny, proceed to imitate 
those examples of severity, of which they themselves had 
so justly complained.” The new system of church go-, 
vernment, however, was yet to be modelled; and in this 
business Knox, a popular preacher, of a rude but energetic 
eloquence, of rigid morals, and republican ferocity, had a 
principal share. This reformer had long resided at Geneva, 
and considered the system of church government established 
by Calvin in that city, as the most perfect model for imita¬ 
tion. He, therefore, recommended it to his countrymen, 
and succeeded in accomplishing its establishment. 
When Mary returned to Scotland, she was received by 
her subjects with every demonstration of joy. Never did a 
prince ascend a throne under circumstances of greater diffi, 
culty, or conduct herself at first with more prudence. Find¬ 
ing the Protestant religion completely established over the 
whole kingdom, she very properly took into power the most 
eminent men of that party ; and, to remove all dread of mo¬ 
lestation from the minds of their followers, she formally de¬ 
clared, “ that until she should take final orders concerning 
religion, with advice of parliament, any attempt to alter or 
subvert the religion which she found universally practised in 
the realm, should be deemed a capital crime.” The division, 
of the property of the church, and the settlement of the 
Protestant revenues, however, soon gave rise to animosities^ 
and the queen, in her anxiety to please both parties, lost the 
confidence of the Papists by her concessions to the Protes¬ 
tants, while the latter were offended at the small share of 
spoil which was declared to accrue to them. Dissentions 
broke out among the nobility; and particularly between the 
earls of Marr and Huntley. The latter, w-ho was a zealous 
Catholic, pressed the queen to restore popery; and finding 
his counsels neglected by the influence of Marr, first attempt¬ 
ed to assassinate him, and thereafter raised the standard of 
rebellion against his sovereign. The earl of Murray marched, 
to oppose him, and after a bloody contest;put his forces to 
the rout.. 
The 
