BEATON, or BETON, DAVID, archbishop of St Andrews, primate of Scotland, and cardinal of the Romish church,"the son of John Beaton of Bal four, in Fife, was born in 1494. He was educated at the university of St Andrews, and gave early in dications of strong mental powers.. Being destined for the church, he was sent, by his uncle, the arch bishop of St Andrews, to complete his education at the university of Paris ; and, as soon as he attained the usual age, he was admitted to holy orders. In France he was early received into the favour and ser vice of the Duke of Albany, regent of Scotland, during the minority of James V.; arid, by him, in 1519, he was appointed Resident at that court. About the same year, his uncle bestowed upon him the rectory of Campsie ; and, in 1523, vested him with the abbacy of Aberbrothock. He returned to Scotland in 1525, and received the privy-seal in 1528. In 1533, we find him, in conjunction with Sir Thomas Erskine, returning to France, to con firm the treaty entered into between the two nations, and to demand in marriage for his sovereign the daughter of the French king. During his residence at that court, he insinuated himself into the, good graces of Francis ; was favoured with a knowledge of the whole political system of that great monarch ; and, by his influence in bringing over his sovereign to adopt the same political views, he laid the founda tion of his own future greatness. The nuptials of the Scottish king and the young princess, were cele brated at Paris, on the 1st of January 1537 ; and Beaton returned with them to Scotland in the en suing May ; but the queen having survived her mar riage only two months, he was .again sent to Paris, and successfully negociated a second marriage for •• the king, wilt") Mary, daughter of the Duke of Guise.
Beaton, now high in power, and eminently quali fie_d to promote the interests of the church of Rome, was, in 1538, raised by Pope Paul III. to the rank of cardinal, by the title of St Stephen, in monte cte lio. This promotion gave great uneasiness to Henry VIII., who, jealous of Beaton's growing ascendancy over his sovereign, and afraid of the consequences of that strict alliance which he had formed with the king of France, devised a scheme for the cardinal's disgrace ; but, though deeply laid, it did not suc ceed. The archbishopric of St Andrews falling vacant, the cardinal succeeded, and became primate of Scotland. No sooner was he invested with that high office, than he discovered the most violent spi rit of bigotry and persecution. Having summoned
a numerous meeting of the Romish clergy and laity to St Andrews, le, in a long speech, denounced the reformers, who, he said, openly maintained their he retical opinions in the king's court. He particular ly accused Sir John Borthwick, whom he had cited to that meeting ; and against whom a senfence of ex communication for non-appearance was passed, his goods confiscated, and his person burned in effigy. But Bortbwick was not the only victim of Beaton's resentment ; several pesons of rank and. distinction were included in this prosecution, among whom we find the celebrated Buchanan. A ll would, without doubt, have suffered death, had they not happily esca ped from prison ; and to what length this bloody per secutor would have gone, it is impossible to say, had not the king's death put a stop to his power ; for, it is affirmed, that he had furnished his majesty with a list of no fewer than 360 of the nobles, whom he re presented as heretics, who deserved to suffer the se 'vercst punishment. James appears not to have been averse to those violent measures, being tempted by the hope of getting the valuable estates of the con victed nobles annexed to the crown.
When the king died, Beaton produced a deed signed by his majesty, which Buchanan affirms was forged. The fact is also admitted by Robertson and Guthrie. ' Hume, after mentioning it, expres ses himself thus : " At least, (for historians are not well agreed in the circumstances of the fact), he had read to James a paper of that import, to which that monarch, during the delirium which preceded his death, had given an imperfect assent and approba tion." The deed established the regency in himself, and the Earls of Argyle, Huntly, and Arran ; but it was set aside, although to give it validity, he caused it to be proclaimed at the cross of Edinburgh. The Earl of Arran, who, next to the young prin cess, was heir to the crown, was chosen sole regent, during her minority ; and the cardinal was sent.pri soner to the castle of Blackness. But he found means of soon obtaining his liberty, and of restoring himself to the good opinion of the regent : nay, he was again admitted to the council ; piomoted to the high office of chancellor of the kingdom ; and, at the express solicitation of the regent himself, receiv ed a commission from the Pope, appointing him his legate.