character were avarice, caprice, and a delight in architecture, mufic, and aftrology, too violent to leave room for the duties of a Monarch. His averfion to the feverity of public bufinefs rendered the relaxation of his government obnoxious to the united evils of anarchy and tyranny for, befides a fixed inclination to defpotifm, his impatience of flow and moderate meafures prompted him to fudden acts of outrage; and his favourites oppreffed the people, while the indolence of the King abandoned the reins of juftice; and his lenity to the bad was cruelty to the good. His fceptre was fo little ftained with blood, that the future fate of his brother may excite doubt, or aftonishment; yet oppreffion may proceed by rapid, though filent, fteps, while the fears and weakness of the Sovereign conftrain him to fhrink from fanguinary violence." VOL. I. P. 170.

Very defpotic ftatutes were propofed and paffed under his administration. James endeavoured to deprefs the Nobles, and, evidently, not from the wife policy which would raise the people to their juft share in the legislature, but to render himself defpotic. His means, however, were fo little adapted to his end, that he mortified the pride, and ftimulated the refentment, of his Nobles, by the haughtinefs of his deportment, while, by the fubtlenefs of his talents, he increafed their power. He kept his Nobles at an unusual distance, and bestowed his confidence and affection on low mechanics, fencing-mafters, muficians, and other mean perfons, fo totally unworthy of being the prime favourites. Among the most remarkable of thofe who had engroffed the King's affection, were Cochran, a mafon, Hommel, a taylor, Leonard, a fmith, Rogers, a mufician, and Torfifan, a fencing-master. From fuch counfellors it was not likely that political plans could iffue, deferving, from their intrinfic wifdom and beneficial tendency, to be gratefully received by the nation; or which, from the authority of the devifers, could have much weight among the powerful and haughty Barons. A treaty was propofed between England and Scotland, which would have prevented many evils to both countries, but did not take place.

The characters of the King's two brothers, the Duke of Albany, and the Earl of Marr, are contrafted with that of the King. The chief difference, however, appears to have been in their boldnefs, activity, and their excellence in martial exercifes; for of force and comprehenfiveness of intellectual power, neither exhibited any proofs. The two Princes, difgufted with the conduct of their brother, by which they were excluded from his prefence as much as the other great men, entered into cabals and confpiracies against the Monarch and his favourites. Being committed to prifon, Albany efcaped;

efcaped; Marr was tried by a domeftic council, confisting of the mafon, the taylor, and the other vulgar minions, and condemned and executed. Albany retired into France, and afterwards betook himfelf to England, where he prevailed with Edward IV. to join him in a project of dethroning his brother. The Duke of Gloucefter, with a powerful army, conducted him towards Scotland. James implored the affiftance of thofe Nobles whom he had fo long treated with contempt. They affembled an army, but foon fhewed themfelves more difpofed to redress their own grievances than fupport the King; and concerted a plan for punishing those minions whofe infolence they could no longer tolerate. When they were encamped near Lauder, the Barons of chief note entered the apartment of the King, feized all his favourites. except one Ramfay, whom they could not tear from the King, in whofe arms he took fhelter, and, without any form of trial, hanged them inftantly over a bridge. At length, the King and Albany were apparently reconciled, and his lands and honours were restored. Albany had, for fome years, the entire management of affairs in Scotland, the King abandoning himself to new favourites, equally mean and contemptible with the former, and to low debauchery. Albany's views were again raised to the crown, to which he was stimulated by the exhortations and example of Richard III. but threatened with merited vengeance by the Earl of Richmond, the ufurper was too much occupied at home to afford any affiftance to Albany. That Prince, disappointed in his ambitious projects, retired to France. James's Queen, Margaret of Denmark, a Princefs of great accomplishments and virtues, the author thinks, reftraired the folly and infatuation, and protracted the fate, of James. Deprived, by death, of her prudence, and freed from his former fears of Albany, James addicted himself moft openly to his follies and vices.

Henry VII. fhewed himself, as foon as he was firmly feated on the throne, defirous of cultivating that amity with. Scotland which was fo much the interest of both nations. Intermarriages and alliances were propofed; but the capricious weakness of James prevented their accomplishment at that time.

The affairs of James were now drawing to a crifis. A gradual confederacy had been long forming against the feeble and defpotic government. The moft powerful Nobles confpired to wreft the fceptre from hands fo unable to fway it. The Earls of Huntley, Errol, Argyle, Marshall, and many other Noblemen, united with the profeffed intention of dethrening James, and affigning either the crown or regency to

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his

his fon, a youth fifteen years of age. Even in this fituation, as many fill adhered to him, had James poffeffed vigour of character, he might have been fuccefsful; but his irrefolution, fluctuation, and timidity, foon confirmed the advantages of the confpirators. He rafhly hazarded a battle, and was defeated. Of his death, which happened in the purfuit, the following account will, we think, be interefting to thofe who can compaffionate fallen greatnefs, even though the fall fhould be caufed, or accelerated, by the perfonage himself :—

"As the King, in his flight, was about to pafs the rivulet Bannerburn, at the hamlet of Miltown, a woman, who was drawing water, alarmed at his appearance, and rapidity, fled, and left her pitcher, which startled the fteed, or difordered his career, fo that the unexperienced rider fell from the faddle, and, oppreffed with the weight of his armour, fainted away. A miller, and wife, conveyed their unknown Sovereign into a corner of the mill; and, to conceal the ftranger from any purfuers, they covered him with a cloth. Some time after, he refumed his fenfes; but perceiving himfelf much hurt, and very weak, he called for a Prieft to hear his confeffion; and to his blunt hofts, who enquired his name and quality, his impatience anfwered, I was your King this morning. The woman, upon this, ran into the road, wringing her hands, and calling aloud for a Prieft to the King. It fo chanced, that fome of the rebels were in the neighbourhood, engaged in diforderly pursuit; and a Priest, one of Lord Gray's followers, as is faid, riding up, exclaimed, I am a Prieft, where is the King? Being conducted to the place, he knew his Sovereign; and kneeling, enquired if he thought he might furvive by the help of furgery ?-To which James anfwered, I believe that I might; but let me have a Prieft to hear my confeffion, and to bring me the Eucharift." The Prieft, it is averred, heard this confeffion, and ftabbed the unfortunate Monarch, whose weakness deferved a milder fate than to fall the victim of a lawless Ariftocracy, more inimical to public order and prosperity than the feeble defpotism of their Sovereign." VOL. I. P. 334.

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The retrofpect, introductory to the hiftory of James the IVth, gives a very curious account of the state of the country, the morals, manners, customs, opinions, and fentiments of the people; their laws and government, in a state of barbarifin. The author begins this retrofpect with an observation to which we can by no means fubfcribe: that "the origin and progress of civilization feem more to depend on fortuitous circumstances than upon any exertion of human power or wisdom." In those ftates of antiquity which are best known to us, the wisdom of certain individuals was manifeftly the chief cause of their improvement in various arts and departments of civilized life. To the inftitutions.

of

of Solon is to be imputed the plan of policy, which, till corrupted by the influx of Democracy, rendered Athens fuperior, in the various conftituents of excellence, to any country of Greece. To these institutions may, in a great degree, be afcribed the literary fuperiority of that celebrated people. Single stars might have fhone in countries of dark barbarifm; but, from the regulations of wifdom, have arifen conftellations of genius. The fame obfervation might be illuftrated from the effects that Pericles produced on the elegant arts. The fuperiority of Rome may be much more certainly traced to the exiftence of fuch men as Servius Tullius, and his many able fucceffors in legiflation, than to any accidental fources; nor do we believe that England would have maintanned fuch a fuperiority of materials to civilization, had fhe not poffeffed fuch wife rulers as Henry the Ift and Henry the IId, to refift the barbarifing power and influence of clerical tyrants; Edward the Ift, to establish a code of laws on the principles of the foundest jurifprudence; and his many able fucceffors in legislation, whether Kings or fubjects.

Fortuitous circumftances may have, and actually have, contributed, in many cafes, to civilization; but, generally speaking, that, and every other conftituent of happiness, is to be derived, not from the accident of fortune, but the qualities and exertions of mind.

Through his retrofpect the reader will find much more pleasure in his narrations than his reflections. He is accurate in detail, acute in remark; but, when he attempts to rife to generalization, is neither comprehensive nor profound, and, confequently, often not just.

The

The reign of James IV. opened with a profpect of a much fhorter minority than thofe which before and after produced fo many diforders under Princes of the house of Stuart. young King, in the 16th year of his age, manifested spirit and abilities that enabled him to affume the reins of government, though at an earlier than the ufual age. The character of this Prince is drawn with exactnefs and difcrimination. The reader has before him, at the outfet of the narrative, the excellencies and defects which produced that mixture of great good and great evil in his very interesting reign :

"The young Monarch," he fays, "was foon to develope a cha racter brightened with many illuftrious qualities, and darkened with few thades. His strict administration of justice, by which the realm was maintained in a tranquillity long unknown; his uniform concord with his Nobles, his magnificence, his generofity, his patronage of useful arts and fciences, particularly navigation, which had been ftrangely

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ftrangely neglected by the Scottish Monarch, and even his fpirit of chivalry, were to render his reign popular and glorious. Nor has it been unjustly afferted that the period of his domination was that of the greateft wealth, and power of Scotland, while a separate kingdom; yet fome of his qualities were rather fpecious than folid, and rather belonged to chivalrous romance than to real life in the high regal duties of a politician, and a general, he was extremely defective; his natural impetuofity predominating alike in his fmaller purfuits, and in his most important affairs. The avarice of the preceding reign he contrafted by a profufion which fecured the attachment of the Peers at the expence of the people. That fuperftitious devotion which, with a few exceptions, was inherent in his family from its first elevation till its final defcent from the throne, was, in the fourth James, much increafed by his remorfe for his father's death; and the mafs formed one of his chief daily offices. The refourcof his magnificence were not exempt from a charge of extortion; but his gentleness and affability won all hearts, and ftifled all murmurs, Juft in his decrees, the feverity of punishment was foftened by his vifible reluctance to chaftife. To admonition, or even reproach, his ear was open; and his fenfe of an innocent confcience fuch, that he liftened without the smallest emotion. By a neglected education he was ignorant of letters, but his mind was acute; he excelled in mufic, in horfemanship, and other exercises; and a firm conftitution enabled him to fupport every fatigue. His perfon was of the middle fize, and elegant; his countenance majestic."

The first remarkable tranfaction of this reign, was an exploit of Sir Andrew Hood, who, with an inferior force, defeated an English fquadron on that element, on which, even then, they were eminently diftinguifhed. The pacific policy of the prudent Henry foon procured a truce with Scotland. James cultivated the arts of peace. He was alfo diftinguished for encouraging tournaments, and other warlike exercifes, to which he repeatedly invited, by proclamation, the Earls, Barons, and Knights; and, at the appointed place, which was generally Edinburgh, the capital city, fome ran with fpears, others fought with the battle-ax, others with two-handed fwords; while others fhot at marks with the bow, cross-bow, or culverin. In whatever weapon each victor excelled, he received one of the fame kind, richly ornamented; and the Heralds proclaimed his merit amid fhouts of applaufe. The voice of chivalry refounded over Europe the fame of the Scottish court; and many an errant Knight came from diftant countries to engage in this theatre of renown :

"Nor was James lefs popular," fays the author, "among the nation at large, who efteemed his regal fpirit, and loved his amiable appearance, and qualities, and even his wildness of youth. Some

times