JAMES 1V., King of Scotland, son of James IlL, was about fifteen years old at his accession to the throne, which took place on the 11th of Jnne 1488. He was of an active disposition, full of life and vigour ; and in his time the commerce and literature of tho country flourished under his encouragement. But though he possessed not a few of the elements of a great mind, be unfortunately became the slave of super stition, and thence in his public conduct a mere tool in the hands of his clergy.
In 1494, having fallen into a state of melancholy on the reflection that he had conntenanced the rebellion in which his father perished, be received a legate from the pope, and, in obedience to him, bound about his waist an iron belt, to be worn in penance, day and night, for the remainder of his life. Some time after this hie queen fell sick, and immediately thereupon he made a pilgrimage to St Nioian's in Galloway, on foot, fur her recovery, and she having afterwards recovered, they both went thither in pilgrimage the same year. That year also he went to St. Duthin's in Ross—which was to the extreme north of the kingdom, as the other shrine was at the extreme south; and it appears most probable that it was at the desire of the eccle siastics be made those repeated prozreeses to the highlands and isles in which we find him engaged, with the ostensible purpose of quieting that part of the realm, but in fact to remove him from the seat of authority and government In the meantime the clergy were not idle. In the above year, 1494, the University of Aberdeen (the third
of the Scottish universities) was founded ; and in the same year an net was passed in parliament, enjoioing all barons and freeholders of substance to put their oldest sons to grammar learning, and thereafter for three years to the universities to study the canon and civil laws. In 1503. while the archbishop of St. An•irews was lord chancellor, the court of 'Daily Council' was instituted—a court of the same nature and extensive jurisdiction as the previous Court of the Session, composed of the chancellor and others appointed by the crown ; and the same year en act was passed subjecting all notaries to the examina tion of the Ordinary. In 1512 a great council of the clergy was held at Edinburgh, where the famous Valor beneficiorum, called Bagiuiont's Roll,' was made up. The following year the king, taking up the French cause, entered, with the flower of the kingdom, on the fatal field of Flodden, where he perished. pleettr VII L of England.]