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her prefence, had such 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

66

Lond. 1653.

p. 189.

For both thefe affure us, he was the perfon, the only Spotfwood, perfon who prevailed on the queen to marry Henry lord r. 189, 193. Darnley. She at firft difrelished the proposal, 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 (6) 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 fay any thing criminal paffed between the queen and her fecretary (though her affair, after her hufband's death, with Bothwell, would induce one to fufpe& her not incapable of a familiarity fo difhonourable); but I think, all men muft 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 itfelf may not be able to blaft their reputation. However Mary had little regard to what the world faid. She continued her favour to her fiddling secretary, '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, 66 candles, meat and dishes. Rixio took the queen about the wafte, crying for mercy, but George Dowg

66

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B 2

"las,

(c) Melvil, P. 64.

(d) Spotf

wood, P. 195.

Buchanan for his tutor, by whom he feems to have profited little, and towards whose memory he had a great averfion (B). Du

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"las plucked out the king's dagger, and ftruck Rixio
"fift with it, leaving it fticking 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 closet, and flain in the outer hall, and
her majefty 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 falfe afperfions caft upon her fame and honour
"by that occafion, were fuch as fhe could never di-
"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 fword
"all his life-time, that he could not fee one without a

great emotion of fpirits; and though otherwife 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 fword upon my fhoulder, 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 fympathy, "the duke of Buckingham guided his hand aright." (e)

the power of

p. 188. at

the end of his difcourfe on bodies.

4to. Lond. 1669.

(B) The famous George Buchanan for his tutor, by whom he feems to have profited little, and towards whofe 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 feveral 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

Dictionary, article

polite writer, and a man of deep learning and folid judgment, is established on the most lafting foundations (a). Even those who diflike most of all his prin- (a) See ciples, refufe not to give him his due praife. And I Thuanus's judgment of need not be afraid to affert that his writings will be read him in and admired as long as learning in this part of the world Bayle's fhall live. Melvil, fays he, "was a man of notable en"dowments for his learning and knowledge in Latin "poefie, much honoured in other countries, pleafant note (H). "in converfation, rehearfing at all occafions moralities. "fhort and inftructive, whereof he had abundance, "inventing where he wanted." (b) A tutor this, wor- (¿) Melvil, thy a great prince, and fit to form the mind to virtue p. 125. and politenefs! for I doubt not but he difcharged with See alfo honour the duty of his truft, and did what in him lay p. 325. Spotfwood, to infpire 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 fchool-men; and his method of treating his adversaries was after the manner of your country controvertifts, infpired with the moft 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 difgrace his tutor by his want of improvement, he treated him with contempt alfo and reproach. Thus for instance, 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

B 3

hath

(c) The Works of the moft high and mighty

published by

and James

was obliged to quit the regency,
entered upon the government March 12,
1578. Too foon, it may eafily be fuppc-
fed,

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hath burst out here and there into some terms of "excess, or speech of bad temper; that must be im"puted to the violence of his humour, and heat of his fpirit." (c)- What a contemptible way of speaking of a tutor is this, more efpecially of fo great a man as Buchanan? Had Buchanan been ever fo wrong in his prince James Opinion, the leaft fenfe of decency or gratitude fhould by the grace have reftrained his pupil from speaking of him after such of God, &c. a manner. Next to parents, tutors (if they have difJames bishop charged their parts well) have always been thought to of Winton, have deferved honour * ; and those who have refufed 1616. Lond. to give it, have been branded with bafenefs and ingratitude. 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,

Fol. p. 480.

(d) Id. p. 176.

fays he, to his fon prince Henry, to be well verfed "in authentic hiftories, and especially in our own "hiftories I mean not of fuch infamous invectives c 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,
Spirantefque croccs, & in urna perpetuum ver,
Qui præceptorem fancti voluere parentis
Effe loco.

reader

Juv. Sat. VII. v. 207.

In peace, ye fhades of our great grandfires rest,
No heavy earth your facred bones moleft:
Eternal spring, and rifing flow'rs adorn
The relicks of each venerable urn,
Who pious reverence to their tutors paid,
As parents honour'd and as Gods obey'd

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 whose inftigations he performed many unpopular actions (C). Whereupon being feized by the

earls

reader to make his own remarks on the bafenefs 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 caufes of this hatred of the memory of Buchanan were the part he had acted against 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 eloquence as no country can fhew a better." (f).

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(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 houfe 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 rest of the nobility "became jealous of his intentions, and feared their "eftates. As for the earl of Arran, they detefted his

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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

B 4

"the

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