Page 957 : JAMES II — JAMES IV
Individual articles:
Henry, Lord Darnley, was born in Edinburgh, June 19, 1566. When his mother was forced to resign the crown, James was proclaimed king of Scotland, July 29, 1567. The training of his childhood was under the care of the earl of Mar. His tutor was the famous vscholar, George Buchanan. In 1578 the earl of Morton, then regent, was driven from power, and James assumed full control. The new government was unpopular, and Morton was once more made regent. He was at length condemned and executed as one of the murderers of Lord Darnley. In the winter of 1589 James went to Denmark, where he married Princess Anne, daughter of King Frederick II. By the death of Elizabeth in 1603 James succeeded to the throne of England. He soon became unpopular with his new subjects. The anger of the Roman Catholics toward him, because of his severities, led to the famous Gunpowder Plot (which see). He really governed through his favorites, Kerr and Buckingham, both of them unpopular; and England’s prestige as a power, which had been gained under Elizabeth, soon disappeared. He has been described as two men in one — “a witty, well-read scholar, who wrote, disputed and harangued, and a nervous, driveling idiot who acted.” He was called by Henry IV of France “the wisest fool in Christendom.” James died on March 27, 1625. See Macaulay’s, S. R. Gardiner’s and Ranke’s histories; also Goodman’s Court of James I and Scott’s The Fortunes of Nigel.
James II of England and VII of Scotland, second son of Charles I and Henrietta Maria, was born on Oct. 15, 1633. In 1643 he was made duke of York. During the Civil War he escaped into France. He served in the French and Spanish armies. In 1661 he married Anne, daughter of Lord-chancellor Hyde. When Charles II died, James was made king, Feb. 6, 1685. He was most unpopular, because he was a Roman Catholic and utterly failed to understand the temper of the English people. He levied, without warrant from parliament, from the customs-duties. He became, as his brother Charles had been, a mere puppet in the hands of the French king, Louis XIV. The Covenanters of Scotland were persecuted even worse than they had been when Charles had handed Scotland over to the tender mercies of James. After the unsuccessful rebellion of the king’s nephew, Monmouth, came the “Bloody Assize,” the court held by the wicked Jeffreys, in which 320 persons were hanged. Such acts roused the anger of the nation to the highest pitch. An invitation was sent to William, Prince of Orange, signed by seven of the leading English statesmen, to come over to England and take the crown and throne. At the head of a powerful army William landed at Torbay on the English Channel, on Nov. 5, 1688, and began his march toward London. He was everywhere hailed as a deliverer, while James was deserted, not only by his ministers and troops, but even by his daughter, Princess Anne. The king had feared danger, and had sent his wife and infant son to France, where he soon joined them at St. Germain. He was kindly received by Louis XIV, who settled a revenue upon him. Next year he made a hopeless attempt to regain his throne, with an army furnished by France. He invaded Ireland, but was totally defeated at the battle of the Boyne (1690), He died at St. Germain, Sept. 6, 1701. See Macaulay’s, Ranke’s and Lingard’s histories and Burnet's History of his Own Time.
James III of Scotland, the son of James II and Mary of Guelderland (Guelders), was born in 1452. On the death of his father the government was conducted by his mother, aided by the wisdom of Bishop Kennedy. Upon her death in 1465 the young king came to power. He all his life, however, was under the influence of scheming favorites. Among these was a man named Cochran, who had been a mason. Through his influence the duke of Albany, the king’s brother, was forced to fly from the kingdom, having been charged with witchcraft; while the earl of Mar, another brother, died in prison. The rule of Cochran and other lowborn favorites led to a rebellion among the nobility. The result was that they were hanged. The king himself was shut up in his castle at Edinburgh. James’s love for literary pursuits drew upon him the contempt of the warlike and ignorant nobles. An attempt was made to take the throne from him. James led out the royal army to defeat the rebels, near Stirling, but was himself overcome and obliged to fly. He was thrown from his horse and murdered, June 11, 1488.
James IV of Scotland, the son of James III and Margaret of Denmark, was born on March 17, 1472. The rule of the new king, who came to the throne after the death of his father, gave promise of being both vigorous and popular, while his personal beauty and open frankness won the hearts of his people. He exhibited energy and sense in the management of public affairs, in vindicating the law and punishing crime, in encouraging ship-building and in developing agriculture and manufactures. In 1503 the king married Margaret, oldest daughter of Henry VII of England, an alliance which led to the union of the two crowns just 100 years later. Henry VIII came to the English throne in 1509, disputes followed, and James invaded England. He was met by the earl of Surrey, and in the battle of Flodden, Sept. 9, 1513, the king and many of his nobles were killed. He was 46 years old, and had reigned 26 years. James was onty in his 16th year when he was persuaded to join the barons in their rebellion against his father. The remorse which he felt when he learned that
