her prefence, had fuch an effect on this her fon, that even through his life he could not bear the fight of a drawn fword. He was placed in the throne after his mother's forced refignation, July 25, 1567, being but little above a year old. He had the famous George Buchanan Lond. 1668. p. 189. For both these affure us, he was the perfon, the only Spotfwood, perfon who prevailed on the queen to marry Henry lord p. 189, 193. Darnley. She at firft difrelifhed the propofal, but thro' edit.3d. Fol. means of Rixio, "fhe took ay the longer the better "liking of him, and at length determined to marry "him." (b.) No wonder then common fame was not (¿) Melvil, favourable in her reports of Mary, and that the envious P. 55. and and ill-natured hinted things reproachful to her virtue, Spotswood, I pretend not to say any thing criminal paffed between the queen and her fecretary (though her affair, after her hufband's death, with Bothwell, would induce one to fufpect her not incapable of a familiarity fo difhonourable); but I think, all men must allow that things were not fo decently managed between them as they ought. Perfons of an elevated rank, fhould ftrive not only to be good, but to appear fo; and careful to act in fo pure and unexceptionable a manner, that envy itself may not be able to biaft their reputation. However Mary had little regard to what the world faid. She continued her favour to her fiddling fecretary, 'till a violent death put an end to it, to her great horror and amazement. Rixio, though he had procured the queen for Darnley, could not long continue in his favour; fufpicions being put into his head, he confented to his murther, which was perpetrated in the following manner: "At fix o'clock at night, when the queen was at fupper in her closet, a number of armed men entered within the court, "and going up into the clofet (where the king was leaning on the queen's chair) overthrew the table, candles, meat and difhes. Rixio took the queen a"bout the wafte, crying for mercy, but George Dowg 66 66 ་་ B 2 " las, (c) Melvil, P. 64. Buchanan for his tutor, by whom he seems to have profited little, and towards whose memory he had a great averfion (B). Du ring "las plucked out the king's dagger, and ftruck Rixio "fitft with it, leaving it sticking in him. He making great shrieks and cries, was rudely fnatched from the 66 queen, who could not prevail either with threats or "entreaties to fave him. But he was forcibly drawn "forth of the clofet, and flain in the outer hall, and her majesty kept as a captive." (c)—But they had no commandment from the contrivers fo to kill him, but to bring him to public execution. "And good it "had been for them fo to have done, or then to have "taken him in another place, and at another time "than in the queen's prefence. For befides the great "peril of abortion which her fear might have caused, "the false afperfions caft upon her fame and honour "by that occafion, were fuch as fhe could never dicc geft, and drew on all the pitiful accidents that after"wards enfued." (d) The fright and terror the queen was in at the fight of the drawn fword, fo far influenced the child in her womb, that, "Sir Kenelm Digby as"fures us, he had fuch an averfion to a naked sword "all his life-time, that he could not fee one without a "great emotion of fpirits; and though otherwise cou"ragious enough, he could not over-mafter his paffions "in this particular. I remember, adds he, when he "dub'd me knight, in the ceremony of putting a na"ked sword upon my shoulder, he could not endure "to look upon it, but turned his face another way; "infomuch that in lieu of touching my fhoulder, he (e) Digby of had almost thrust the point into my eyes, had not the power of the duke of Buckingham guided his hand aright." (e) (d) Spotf wood, p. 195. fympathy, 4to. Lond, (B) The famous George Buchanan for his tutor, by whom he feems to have profited little, and towards whose memory he had a great averfion.] Buchanan's merit needs not to be celebrated by me His fame as a 3 polite ring his minority the kingdom had several regents, viz. his uncle the earl of Murray, his grandfather the earl of Lennox, and the earls of Mar and Morton; with the latter of whom the nobility being diffatisfied, he was polite writer, and a man of deep learning and folid judgment, is established on the moft lafting foundations (a). Even those who dislike most of all his prin- (a) See ciples, refufe not to give him his due praife. And I Thuanus's need not be afraid to affert that his writings will be read him in judgment of and admired as long as learning in this part of the world Bayle's fhall live. Melvil, fays he, "was a man of notable enDictionary, "dowments for his learning and knowledge in Latin Buchanan, "poefie, much honoured in other countries, pleasant note (H). ❝in conversation, rehearsing at all occafions moralities "fhort and inftructive, whereof he had abundance, article inventing where he wanted." (b) A tutor this, wor- (5) Melvil, thy a great prince, and fit to form the mind to virtue p. 125. and politeness! for I doubt not but he discharged with See alfo Spotswood, honour the duty of his truft, and did what in him lay P. 325. to inspire his pupil with just opinions, and elegant fentiments. But his labour was in vain. For it does not appear that James improved any thing by his mafter, or ftudied at all to copy after him, for his writings are wholly pedantic; his ftyle low and mean; his arguments taken from those barbarians the school-men; and his method of treating his adverfaries was after the manner of your country controvertifts, inspired with the most fervent zeal. Abundant proof of these affertions will be found in the extracts I fhall give of fome of his writings in the enfuing notes. However, not contented to disgrace his tutor by his want of improvement, he treated him with contempt alfo and reproach. Thus for inftance, when the authority of Buchanan, for refifting kings, was alleged by cardinal Perron, James replies, "Buchanan I reckon and rank among poets, ❝ not among divines, claffical or common. If the man "hath B 3 (c) The of God, &c. published by was obliged to quit the regency, and James entered upon the government March 12, 1578. Too foon, it may eafily be fuppcfed, "hath burst out here and there into fome terms of "excess, or speech of bad temper; that must be im66 puted to the violence of his humour, and heat of his fpirit." (c)-What a contemptible way of fpeaking Works of the most of a tutor is this, more especially of fo great a man as high and Buchanan? Had Buchanan been ever fo wrong in his mighty prince James Opinion, the leaft fenfe of decency or gratitude should by the grace have restrained his pupil from speaking of him after such a manner. Next to parents, tutors (if they have disJames bishop charged their parts well) have always been thought to of Winton, have deferved honour * ; and those who have refused to give it, have been branded with baseness and ingratiFol. p. 480. tude. For to form the mind to knowledge and virtue, to teach youth prudence, felf-government, and proper behaviour, is a work of labour and merit; and fuch as perform it are entitled to gratitude and refpect. But in another place James plainly difcovers his hatred and averfion to the memory of his inftructor; for he ftiles his Hiftory an infamous invective: "I would have you, fays he, to his fon prince Henry, to be well verfed 1616. Lond. (d) Id. p. 376. in authentic hiftories, and especially in our own "hiftories:- -I mean not of fuch infamous invectives "as Buchanan's or Knox's chronicles: and if any of "these infamous libels remain unto your days, use the "law upon the keepers thereof." (d) I will leave the Dii majorum umbris tenuem & fine pondere terram, reader Juv. Sat. VII. v. 207. In peace, ye fhades of our great grandfires reft, CHARLES DRYDEN, fed, for his own honour, or the welfare of his fubjects. He was greatly in the power of his favourites the duke of Lennox and the earl of Arran, through whofe inftigations he performed many unpopular actions (C). Whereupon being feized by the earls reader to make his own remarks on the bafeness of this paffage, and the littleness of that foul that was capable of writing it concerning a preceptor. I will conclude this note by obferving that the probable causes of this hatred of the memory of Buchanan were the part he had acted againft his mother; the principles of his hiftory, which were oppofite to the notions of regal power entertained by James; and the great awe in which he held him in his youth, according to Melvil (e). I would (e) Melvil, have it carefully obferved, that this hiftory filed by p. 125. James an infamous invective, is faid by archbishop Spotfwood to be "penned with fuch judgment and elo66 quence as no country can fhew a better." (f). (f) Spotf wood, p. (C) He was greatly in the power of his favourites, 325. the duke of Lennox and the earl of Arran, &c.] The duke of Lennox was coufin-german to James's father, the earl of Arran was captain James Stuart, promoted to that dignity at the expence of the house of Hamil ton, unjustly deprived of it. "The duke of Lennox "was led by evil council and wrong informations, "whereby he was moved to meddle in fuch hurtful "and dangerous courses, that the reft of the nobility "became jealous of his intentions, and feared their "eftates. As for the earl of Arran, they detefted his "proceedings, and efteemed him the worst and most infolent inftrument that could be found out, to "wrack king, kirk and country. The duke had been "tolerable, had he happened upon as honeft coun"fellors, as he was well inclined of himself: but "he wanted experience, and was no ways verfed in B4 "the |