He was attended by great numbers of Scots in his coming into England, who were advanced to great honours (Y), and shared largely << in them.- And it is a known and undeniable "truth, that cowards are much more cruel and vindic❝tive than men of courage are: for a coward can 66 never enough fecure himself of his enemy; infomuch How works, p. as when he is lying dead at his feet, he is yet afraid." (b) Never was the truth of this doctrine better exem- (6) King plified than in the execution of Thomas; and there- James's fore I had reafon to fay, that James thereby made good,587. the obfervation, that cowards never forgive.much more amiable is the character of those princes who have forgot, on their acceffion to the throne, perfonal injuries? how defervedly famous is the faying of Lewis XII. of France, in anfwer to those who would have perfuaded him to fhew feverity to La Tremouille: "God forbid that Lewis XII. fhould revenge the quar"rels of the duke of Orleans." (c) This was truly great (c) See Boand magnanimous. But James's conduct was wholly lingbroke's mean, and betrayed the poornefs of his foul. -Quippe minuti Semper & infirmi eft animi exiguique voluptas Revenge, which ftill we find CREECH. letters on the fpirit of pa triotism, p. 248.8vo. Lond. 1749. (d) Juvenal, Sat. 13. V. 189. (Y) He was attended by a large number of Scots, who were advanced to great honours. ] "The persons "who attended him were the duke of Lennox, the earls "of Marr, Murray, and Argile, the Lord Hume, Sir! "George Hume, Mr. James Elphinston, Sir David "Murray, Sir Robert Ker, with the ordinary gentle"men of the chamber, befides feveral of the clergy." (a) But befides thefe, there were a great multitude (a) Spott who came in with him, and reaped the benefit of his wood,p.476. favour. E 3 tish writers, largely in his bounty, at the expence and much to the regret of the English nation, to favour. Lennox, Marr, Hume, and Elphinston were made privy counfellors of England, and many of the Scots became afterwards, adorned with fome of the (6) Thus his name is al- highest English titles. Sir Robert Ker (b) was advanced ways written to the earldom of Somerset, Lennox was made duke of by the Scot Richmond, Efme Stuart, his younger brother was creand not Carr, ated earl of March, the marquis of Hamilton earl of Cambridge, Sir John Ramsey viscount Haddington of Scotland, earl of Holderness, and James Hay earl of Carlile (t). Nor were they bare honours which the Scots got, for they had alfo large lucrative pofts, and uncommon donations, as will appear bye and bye. So that there feems fome reafon for the following lines of a fatyrical writer, though they are much too fevere. as by the English. (c) Baker's chronicle, p. 448. Lond. 1684. Fol. "The (d) royal branch from Pictland did fucceed, Had there been then an union of the two kingdoms, diftance, (z), to whom it is, with fome good degree of distance, have a power of enacting laws which they themselves might eafily get out of the reach of, and their families be wholly free from? But fuch was the will of James, who, though he feldom confidered himself, cared not to be counfelled, and therefore generally acted unwifely. (z) Shared largely in his bounty at the expence, and much to the regret of the English.] Ofborn obferves, that the "exactions rofe on the English were spent 495. upon the Scots, by whom nothing was unafked, and "to whom nothing was denied; who for want of ho"neft traffic did extract gold out of the faults of the "English, whose pardons they begged, and fold at in"tolerable rates, murther itfelf not being excepted (a)." (a) Ofborn's The fame writer tells us, works, P. "that the earl of Dunbar "fwallowed at one gulp, together with the chancellor"fhip of the exchequer, all the ftanding wardrobe, "wherein were more jewels, pearl, rich robes, and "princely apparel, than ever any king of Scotland (if all "of them put together) could call his own before; all "which I have fince heard rated by the officers at an "incredible fum, whose servants did ufe to fhew them "for money, it appearing none of the leaft rarities in "London before this great diffolution." (b) Lord (6) Id. p. Clarendon affures us, "that James Hay, earl of Car-516. "life, fpent in a very jovial life, above four hundred thousand pounds, which, upon a ftrict calculation, "he received from the crown." (c)- Robert Ker, (c) Clarenearl of Somerset, had fuch vaft favours beftowed upon of the redon's history him, that even at the time of his fall, his estate was bellion, Vol. rated to the crown at three hundred thousand pounds I.p. 62. 8vo. Oxford, (d). And Sir John' Ramfey, when made a viscount, 1712. had a thousand pounds land given him to fupport the title (a) Ofborn, (e). Again, fays Ofborn," the Scots hung on James P. 517. like horse-leeches, till they could get no more, fal- Winling then off by retiring into their own country, morial, Vol. or II. P. 217. E 4 66 wood's me P. 532. of King James, P. TO. Lond. 3081.For of probability, faid, that they behaved with much rudeness and infolency (AA). However "or living at eafe, leaving all chargeable attendance on (f) Ofborn, the English." (f) This is likewife confirmed by Frankland. The king's gifts in lands to the Scots, unthankfully and unfittingly, they fold (fays-he) convey() Annals ing that treasure into Scotland (g). These paffages fufficiently fhew how much of the wealth of England was beftowed on the Scots, and how much caufe the English had to be displeased at it; for there was not one of thefe men that was any way useful to the English nation, though Dunbar and Carlisle were men of great abilities; and therefore there could be no caufe for these exceffive donations.-The king himfelf was fenfible that his liberality to the Scots was very diftafting, and therefore apologizes for it in a speech to the parliament, and promifes for the future to be more fparing. Let us hear his words. "Had I been over-fparing to them, "they might have thought Jofeph had forgotten his brethren, or that the king had been drunk with his new kingdom. If I did refpect the English when I came first, what might the Scottish have juftly "faid, if I had not in fome measure dealt bountifully "with them that fo long had ferved me, fo far ad"ventured themfelves with me, and been fo faithful (b) King James's works, F. 515. See alio p. 542. 66 66 66 to me?Such particular perfons of the Scottish "nation, as might claim any extraordinary merit at my hands, I have already reasonably rewarded; and "I can affure you, that there is none left whom for I mean extraordinary to ftrain myfelf further." (b) This was spoken Anno 1607, a little before his majesty received Ker as a favourite, and heaped on him fuch immenfe treasures and large poffeffions as I have juft mentioned. Well therefore might the English grumble, defpife the king, and hate his countrymen, by whom they were thus fleeced. (AA) To whom they behaved with much infolency 1 However the English were not neglected. by and rudeness.] This is attefted by the following homely lines, which were every where posted. "They beg our lands, our goods, our lives, P. 504. P. 1682. wood's me Mr. Ofborn has explained these in a very entertaining manner, to whofe works I refer the inquifitive reader (a). Not contented to drain the kingdom of its (a) Oborn, wealth, and fnatch its honours, they moreover claimed 452 of the precedency of the English nobility of the fame rank. edition in "At a fupper made by the lady Elizabeth Hatton, "there grew a question between the earls of Argile and "Pembroke, about place, which the Scot maintaineď to "be his by feniority, as being now become all Britons: "at which our nobility began to ftartle." (b) And no (6) Winwonder, for whatever might be the antiquity of many morials," of the Scotch nobility, on which probably they valued Vol. III. themselves; yet that could entitle them to no place in P. 117. England, any farther than what courtefy and civility might require. To fet up a claim of right to fuperiority by reason of it, could be looked on as nothing but an infult, and as fuch, doubtlefs, was refented. Indeed the Scots feemed fo unable to bear their good fortune, and the English were fo provoked at their infolent behaviour, that it was almost a miracle it had not iffued in torrents of blood (c).– -A leffon this to princes not to be too bountiful to perfons used to low circumftances ; feeing it will only tend to inspire them with pride and haughtiness, and excite envy and contempt in ftanders-by; much more not to enrich aliens at the expence of the natives, and cause them to lift too high their heads. There may indeed be exceptions to this rule, as when diftinguished merit and great abilities are poffeffed, and thefe exerted for the good of a country; but (c) See Of born, p.595% |