Dr. Barlow was therefore despatched to Scotland, to ascertain the views of the Scots in regard to religion. The English monarch next proposed a meeting be tween himself and the king of Scots, but the clergy re presented the danger of his leaving the kingdom; and Henry's request was therefore evaded or delayed.
In compliance with the wishes of the people, James went over to France, and married Magdalene, daugh ter of Francis. The bride's portion was 100,000 crowns, and an annual pension of 30,000 livres. The perpetual alliance between Scotland and France was then renewed. But within forty days after he.r arrival in Scotland, Magdalene died, and an embassy was sent to France to select another partner for the king. and Mary of Guise arrived soon after, and was married to James.
Two treasonable plots were detected and punished about this time. John, the eldest son of Lord Forbes, was accused of treason, condemned, and executed. The lady Glammis, a widow, and the sister of the earl of Angus, was burnt to death on the Castlehill of Edin burgh. Her son, in endeavouring to escape, was dashed to pieces on the rocks below the castle.
David Beaton was appointed to the see of Mirepoix, in France, and was raised to the dignity of cardinal. To recommend himself to pontiff, he instigated the Scottish clergy to persecute heretics with unrelenting severity, and seven persons suffered at the stake. One of the most beneficial events of James's reign, was his voyage to the Orkney and Western islands. For this expedition, twelve ships were equipped. and with the king and his court on board sailed round Scotland. The barbarous clans of the north, and the lawless islanders were awed into submission. Many of their chieftains were detained as hostages, and so effectual was this policy, that there was hardly a conflict of the clans, till the reign of James the Sixth. The doctrines of the reformers were meanwhile making proselytes in Scotland. The majority of the nobility and the people were secretly but decidedly inclined to a reformation in the church; even James himself seemed to admit the necessity of such a measure.
But cardinal Beaton was not inclined to concur in the wishes of his sovereign. Private conventicles were forbidden; suspected heretics were declared in eligible to any office or privilege; and disobedience to the pontiff's authority was death. Many Scottish gen tlemen fled to England, that they might enjoy the pri vilege of reading the scriptures.
About this time died Margaret of England, the peen mother, and this was followed by the death of the king's two infant sons. The conduct of Henry in throwing off the papal yoke, enraged the pontiff; and cardinal Beaton proceeded to the continent to receive the pope's instructions for his master. Henry des patched Sadler into Scotland to vindicate his own cha racter; and to confirm the pacific relations between the kingdoms, Henry requested an interview with his ne phew at York, to which James returning an ambigu ous answer, he was so exasperated by the disappoint ment, that he declared war against Scotland. Surrey,
earl of Norfolk, entered with an army of 30,000, and burned Kelso and Roxburgh, but after an incursion of eight days, the want of provisions compelled the Eng lish to retire.
The council now proposed to levy an army of 10,000, under the command of Lord Maxwell, to invade England by the western marches. When it had ad vanced beyond the frontiers, Oliver Sinclair, a royal favourite, produced the king's commission, appointing him general; and an universal murmur ensued, which was quickly changed into disorder.
Dacre and Musgrave, perceiving their dissensions, charged and put them to flight. A thousand prison ers were taken, among whom were many nobles and gentlemen. James had advanced to the castle of Caer laverock when he received the news. Impatience and grief distracted his mind, and he became pensive and sullen; shunned the society of mankind in the retire ment of Falkland; and died soon after in the thirty first year of his age. James left only one legitimate child, Mary, who was born a few days before his death.
The seeds of the Reformation were sown in Scotland by several noblemen who had resided on the continent during the religious disputes of the German empire. A spirit of general inquiry and independence was awakened, which rendered men attentive to their pri vileges as subjects, and jealous of the encroachments of their rulers.
Patrick Hamilton was the first who avowed the re formed doctrines, but he was accused of heresy and thrown into prison. He was soon after brought to trial, condemned to the flames, and led to the stake on the same clay on which he had been condemned. From 1530 to 1540, ten persons suffered death for confessing Hamilton's sentiments; and numbers fled to England and the continent. During the same period, the earls of Glencairn and Errol, the lords Ruthven and Kil nrtaurs, Sir David Lindsay, Sir James Sandilands, and a multitude of other persons of respectability made open profession of the Reformed faith. They narrow ly escaped persecution and death; but James was averse to a persecuting spirit.
The nobility soon began to cast a wistful eye on the church revenues and possessions; and hoped to enrich themselves by the plunder of the ecclesiastics. And as the reformers inculcated subordination to the civil power, and declaimed against the ambitious prelates, they were further inclined to the new opinions from political considerations. Lord Maxwell proposed in parliament, that the people should be permitted to read the Scriptures in the vulgar tongue. The archbishop of Glasgow, in name of the clergy, was the only opposer of this measure; but the bill received the ap probation of parliament; and the regent made it gene rally known by proclamation. From that time, copies