The independence of the Scottish church having been threatened by the encroachments of the Roman court, the estates enacted several ordinances. The fo reign disposal of elective benefices was annulled; the ecclesiastics threatened with punishment, if they vio lated at Rome any statute of the realm or privilege of the Scottish church; all appeals to Rome in civil cases were prohibited; benefices were guarded from papal exactions; and no person was to be allowed to appear as legate in Scotland, except he were a native, or had attained the rank of cardinal. A statute was passed for encouraging the fishery.
The example of the monarch, who delighted in mar tial exercises, music, and the arts, accelerated the progress of civilization and refinement, but his ro mantic spirit plunged his country into a war with England. James believed, or affected to credit the account of Warbeck's legitimacy, and gave him in marriage the ladv Catharine Douglas, daughter of the earl of Huntly. Determined to make a vigorous effort in favour of Perkin, he raised a considerable army, and entered England, but soon abandoned the enter prise as hopeless, and dismissed Perkin as an im postor.
Henry the Seventh, sensible that the impostor would soon be exposed, commanded his lieutenant of the north of England to retaliate with moderation; and offered his daughter in marriage to James, who was prevailed upon to consent to an alliance when she should attain her fourteenth year.
Conformably to the marriage treaty, the princess Margaret arrived in Scotland, and was wedded to James. In their alliance was laid the foundation of the union of the two kingdoms, and from this union sprang a negotiation, which terminated in a treaty of peace, that was broken in the course of ten years. The tranquillity of the kingdom presented a favoura ble opportunity for improving the domestic policy, especially of the Highland districts. A sentence of forfeiture was issued against John lord of the isles, and his territories were annexed to the crown. It was ordained that the highlands and islands should be go verned by the common laws of the land, and not by feudal authority or local usage; sheriffs and justices of the peace were therefore ordered to hold courts at stated times for the strict administration of the laws. A stimulus was given to agriculture, by an extension of the act of 1457, by which the vassal was exempted from military service, and was only bound to pay a rent in money or grain, with some agricultural servi ces to his lord.
The increasing intercourse between Scotland and the continent suggested the necessity of creating a navy. James applied to the king of France for ship builders and timber, and an enormous vessel was con structed, 240 feet in length, and 36 in breadth, called the Great Michael. The art of printing was also about this period introduced into Scotland.
The death of Henry the Seventh was an inauspicious event to Scotland, and opened a new and great series of affairs, which produced many disastrous events. Henry the Eighth reserved his father's political max ims with regard to Scotland. James, regardless of Henry's alliance, concluded a treaty with France, en gaging to co-operate with that power against all her enemies. Meanwhile, Ilenry passed over to France with a powerful army; and a Scottish fleet, with 3000 troops on board, was despatched to the aid of France. A remonstrance was at the same time sent to Henry, denouncing war, in the event of his refusing to sus pend his operations, and James summoned the whole army of his kingdom to meet him at the Burrowmuir, near Edinburgh, with provisions for forty days, and with a numerous army entered England.
To oppose him, the earl of Surrey collected an army of 30,000 men, and sent a herald with a challenge of fering the Scots battle. James rashly accepted the challenge, and both armies advanced to the combat, and at four in the afternoon the action commenced, and after a severe contest the Scots were utterly rout ed. Above 5000 men fell on each side. The English lost few persons of rank, while the Scots had to de plore the fate of their king and the flower of their no bility. Such was the fatal battle of Flodden. The body of the king was identified on the field of battle, and conveyed in a leaden coffin to London. James was slain in the forty-first year of his age, and the twenty-sixth of his reign.
James the Fifth, his successor, was only eighteen months old; the principal nobility were slain or made prisoners; France, being the theatre of war, could af ford no aid. It was doubtful whether Henry would regard the slender tie of consanguinity, or might be tempted rather to wrest the kingdom from his nephew. Though he forbore to follow the example of Edward, he pursued a policy more refined and effective, deter mining to divide and thwart the Scottish government, and virtually direct its operations to his own advan tage.