THE HISTORY OF SCOTLAND, FROM THE EARLIEST ACCOUNTS OF THAT NATION, IN TWENTY BOOKS. TRANSLATED FROM THE LATIN OF GEORGE BUCHANAN. IN THREE VOLUMES. VOL. III. A NEW EDITION, CORRECTED AND IMPROVED. EDINBURGH: Printed by Michael Anderson, FOR JAMES KAY, BOOKSELLER. 1821. THE HISTORY SCOTLAND. BOOK XV. JAMES AMES the Fifth dying in the flower of his age, ra ther of grief than any disease, and the tumults of the former times being rather hushed asleep than composed; wise men. foresaw so great a tempest impending over Scotland, the like of which they themselves never beheld, nor had ever read of in ancient records. The king had not so much as ordered his own domestic affairs, but had left a daughter, born about eight days before his death, heiress to the crown as for those of the nobility who had borne sway, either they were killed in battle, or else were banished, or taken prisoners by the enemy and if they had been at home, yet, by reason of private animosities, or of dissensions on the account of religion, which were stifled out of fear during the king's life, but now, that restraint being taken off, were likely to break out again; they would have quarrelled amongst themselves, so that they were not in any probability of acting like men of sobriety and discretion. VOL. III. A |