JAMES IV. (1473-1513), king of Scotland, eldest son of James III., was born on March 17, 1473. He was nominally the leader of the rebels who defeated the troops of James III. at the Sauchieburn in June 1488, and became king when his father was killed. Few if any of the kings of Scotland have won such general popularity, or passed a reign so untroubled by intestine strife. Crowned at Scone a few days after his accession, James began at once to take an active part in the business of government. A slight insurrection was easily suppressed, and a plot formed by some nobles to hand him over to the English king, Henry VII., came to nothing. In spite of this proceeding Henry wished to live at peace with his northern neighbour ; a five years' truce was con cluded on Dec. 21, 1491. When, in 1495, Perkin Warbeck, pre tending to be the duke of York, Edward IV.'s younger son, came to Scotland, James prepared to invade England in his interests, but the war was confined to a few border forays, and a seven years' peace was negotiated in 1497. In 1502 a marriage was arranged between James and Henry's daughter Margaret (1489 1541) which took place at Holyrood in Aug. 1503. This union led to the accession of the Stewart dynasty to the English throne.
About this time James crushed a rebellion in the western isles, and parliament took measures to strengthen the royal authority therein. He may be said to have been responsible for the unifica tion of the country. James also began to treat as an equal with the powerful princes of Europe, Maximilian I., Louis XII. and others; sending assistance to his uncle Hans, king of Denmark, and re ceiving special marks of favour from Pope Julius II. But his posi tion was weakened when Henry VIII. succeeded to the English throne in 1509. Causes of quarrel already existed, and Henry's attitude was not conciliatory ; sea-fights took place between their ships, while war was brought nearer by the treaty of alliance which James concluded with Louis XII. in 1512. Urged on by his French
ally and his queen, James declared for war, in spite of the counsels of his advisers. Gathering a large and well-armed force, he took Norham, Ford and other castles in August 1513. He met the ad vancing English army under Thomas Howard, earl of Surrey, at Flodden, or more correctly, at the foot of Brankston Hill. The battle, which took place on Friday, Sept. 9, 1513, is among the most famous and disastrous, if not among the most momentous, in the history of Scotland. Having led his troops from their position of vantage, the king himself was killed while fighting on foot, to gether with nearly all his nobles. He left one legitimate child, his successor James V., but he had many illegitimate children, among them (by Marion Boyd) Alexander Stewart, archbishop of St. An drews and chancellor of Scotland, who was killed at Flodden, and (by Janet Kennedy) James Stewart, earl of Moray (d. One of his other mistresses was Margaret Drummond (d. 1501).
James appears to have been a brave and generous man, and a wise and energetic king. He was possessed of considerable learn ing; during his reign the Scottish court attained some degree of refinement, and Scotland began to count in European politics. Literature flourished under the royal patronage, education was encouraged, and the material condition of the country improved enormously. The king was specially interested in his navy. The tournaments which took place under his auspices were worthy of the best days of chivalry in France and England. He is said to have worn an iron belt as penance for his share in his father's death; and by his frequent visits to shrines, and his benefactions to religious foundations, he won a reputation for piety.