Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
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A45001
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The grounds & reasons of monarchy considered in a review of the Scotch story, gathered out their best authours and records / by J.H.
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Hall, John, 1627-1656.
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1650
(1650)
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Wing H346; ESTC R16160
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36,146
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138
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was memorable for nothing but his breaking with George Earl of March to whose daughter upon the payment of a great part of her portion which he never would repay he had promised his Son David for an husband to take the Daughter of Douglas who had a greater which occasioned the Earl of March to make many in-rodes with our Henry Hot-spur and a famous Duel of three hundred men a piece whereof of the one side ten remained and of the other one which was the onely way to appease the deadly Feuds of two Families The Inter-reign was governed by Robert who enjoying the power he had too much coveted little minded the libertie of his Nephew onely he sent some Auxiliaries into France who they say behaved themselves worthily and his slothfull Son Mordac who making his Sons so bold with indulgence that one of them kill'd a Faulcon on his fist which he denied to give him he in revenge procured the Parliament to ransom the King who had been eighteen years prisoner This James was the first of that Name and though he was an excellent Prince yet had a troublesom Reign first in regard of a great Pension raised for his Ransome next for Domestick Commotions and lastly for raising of money which though the Revenue was exhausted was called Covetousnesse which having offended Robert Graham he conspired with the Earl of Athol slew him in his Chamber his Wife receiving two wounds endeavouring to defend him This James left the second a boy of six years whose infancy by the mis-guidance of the Governour made a miserable People and betrayed the Earl Douglas to death and almost all that great Family to ruine but being supplanted by another Earl Douglas the King in his just age suffered minority under him who upon displeasure rebelled and was kill'd by the Kings own hand afterwards having his middle years perpetually molested with Civill broils yet going to assist the Duke of York against Henry the Sixth he was diverted by an English Gentleman that counterfeited himself a Nuncio which I mention out of a Manuscript because I do not remember it in our Stories and broke up his Army soon after besieging Roxburgh he was slain by the bursting of a Cannon in the twenty ninth year of his Age James the Third left a Boy of seven years governed by his Mothe afterwards the Boyds through the perswasions of Astrologers and Witches to whom he was strongly addicted he declined to Cruelty which so inraged the Nobility that headed by his son they conspired against him routing his Forces near Sterling wherein he flying to a Mill and asking for a Confessor a Priest came who told him that though he was no good Priest yet he was a good Leech and with that stabb'd him to the heart A Parliament approved his death and ordered Indemnities to all that had sought against him James the Fourth a Boy of fifteen years is made King Governed by the murtherers of his Father a prodigall vain-glorious Prince slain at Floddon Field or as some suppose at Kelsey by the Humes which as the Manuscript alledges seems more probability in regard that the Iron Belt a Ring to which he added every year which he wore in repentance for the death of his Father was never found and there were many the day of the Battell habited like him His Successor was his son James the Fifth of that Name a Boy of not above two years of age under whose minority what by the Mis-government of Tutors what by the factions of the Nobility Scotland was wasted almost into famine and solitude yet in his just age he proved an industrious Prince but could not so satisfie the Nobility but he and they continued in a mutuall hate till that barbarous execution of young Hamilton so fill'd him with remorse he dream-that Hamilton came and cut off his Arms and threatned after to cut off his Head and displeased the people that he could not make his Army fight with the English then in Scotland whereupon he dyed of grief having heard the death of his two sons who dyed at the instant of his Dream and leaving a Daughter of five dayes old whom he never saw This was that Mary under whose minority by the weaknesse of the Governour and ambition of the Cardinall the Kingdome felt all those woes that are threatned to them whose King is a Child Till at length the prevalency of the English Arms awakes for her Cause brought the great designe of sending her into France to perfection so at five years old she was tâ—ansported and at fifteen married to the Daulphin Francis after King whilest her mother daughter of the Guise in her Regency exercised all Rage against the Professours of the pure Religion then in the dawn who after two years left her a childlesse Widow so that at eighteen she returned into Scotland to succeed her Mother then newly dead in her exorbitoncies This young Couple in the transport of their Nuptiall solemnities took the Arms and Title of England which indiscreet Ambition we may suppose first quickned the jealousie of Elizabeth against her which after kindled so great a flame In Scotland she shewed what a strange influence loose education hath upon youth and that weaker Sex all the French effeminacies came over with her the Court lost that little severity which was left David Rize was the onely Favourite and it too much feared had those enjoyments which no woman can give but she that gives away her honour and chastity But a little after Henry Lord Darnly coming with Matthew Earl of Lenox his father into Scotland she cast an eye upon him and married him Whether it were to strengthen her pretension to England he being come of Henry the Sevenths Daughter as we shall tell anon or for to colour her Adulteries and hide the shame of an impregnation though some have whispered that she never conceived and that the son was supposititious or some Phrenzy of affection drew her that way certain it is she soon declined her affection to her husband and encreased it to David he being her perpetuall Companion at Board and managing all Affairs whilst the King with a contemptible train was sent away insomuch that some of the Nobility that could not digest this entred a Conspiracy which the king headed and slew him in her Chamber This turn'd all the neglect of her Husband into rage so that her chiefest businesse was to appease her Favorites Ghost with the slaughter of her Husband poyson was first attempted but it being it seems too weak or his youth overcoming it that expectation failed But the Devil and Bothwel furnish'd her with another that succeeded she intices him being so sick that they were forc'd to bring him in an horse-litter to Edenburgh where she cherisht him extreemly till the credulous young man began to lay aside suspition and hope better so she puts him in a ruinous House near the Palace from whence no news can be had brings in her
is the intrinsical value and expediency of this Government and some little comparison with others but herein we shall be short and onely so far as concerns this And indeed it is a businesse so ticklish that even Mr. Hobs in his de Cive though he assured himself that the rest of his Book which is principally erected to the assertion of Monarchy is demonstrated yet he doubts whether the Arguments which he brings to this businesse be so firm or no And Malvezzi contrarily remonstrates in his discourses upon Tacitus that Optimacies are clearly better then Monarchies as to all advantages And indeed if we look on their Arguments they are either Flourishes or meerly Conceptions such are the reference and perfection of an Unity which must needs work better and more naturally as one simple cause besides that it stills and restrains all other claims then many co-ordinate whereas they never consider that though among many joynt Causes there may be some jarring yet like crosse wheels in an Engine they tend to the regulation of the whole What violent mischiefs are brought in by the contentions of Pretenders Ambiguities of Titles and lawlesse ambition of Aspirers whereas in a setled Republick all this is clear and in case any particular man aspire they know whom to joyn against and punish as a Common Enemy As for that which alledges the advantage of secresie in businesse it carries not much with it in regard that under that even most pernicious designs may be carryed on and for wholsome counsels Bating some more nice Transactions it matters not how much they be tost among those who are so much entrusted and concerned in them all crosse Designs being never in probability so feeble and ineffectuall as when there are many eyes to over look them and voyces to decry them As for that expedition in which they say Monarchs are so happy it may as well further a bad intention as give effect to a just Councell it depending on the judgement of a single man to whose will and ends all must refer whereas a select number of Entrusted persons may hasten every opportunity with a just slownesse as well as they though indeed unlesse it be in some Military Criticall minuts I see not such an excellency in the swiftnesse of heady dispatch precipitation in Councels being so dangerous and Ominous As for what concerns private Suitors they may as if not more speedily and effectually be answered in staid Re-publicks as in the Court of a King where Bribery and unworthy Favourites do not what is just but what is desired With these and many others as considerable which partly willingly and partly in this penury of Books forgettingly I passe do they intend to strengthen this fantasticall and airie building but as sly Controverters many times leave out the principall Text or Argument because should it be produced it could not be so easily answered so these men tell us all the advantages of Monarchy supposing them still well setled and under men virtuous but you shall never hear them talk of it in Statu corrupto under lewd Kings and unsetled Laws they never let fall a word of the dangers of Inter-reigns the minorities and vices of Princes Misgovernments evil Councels Ambitions Ambiguities of Titles and the Animosities and Calamities that follow them the necessary Injustices and Oppressions by which Monarchs using the peoples wealth and bloud against them hold them fast in their seats and by some suspension of Divine Justice die not violently Whereas other Governments established against all these evils being ever of vigour and just age setled in their own right freed from pretences served by experienced and engaged Councels and as nothing under the Moon is perfect sometimes gaining and advantag'd in their Controversies which have not seldome as we may see in old Rome brought forth good Laws and Augmentations of Freedome whereas once declining from their purity and vigour and which is the effect of that ravisht by an Invader they languish in a brutish servitude Monarchy being truly a disease of Government and like Slaves stupid with harshnesse and continuance of Slavery wax old under it till they either arrive at that period which God prescribes to all people and Governments or else better Stars and Nephews awaken them out of that Lethargy and restore them to their Pristine Liberty and its Daughter happinesse But this is but to converse in Notions wandring and ill abstract from things let us now descend into practicall observation and clearly manifest out of the whole Series of Time and Actions what circumstances and events have either ushered or dog'd one race of Kings That if there were all the justice in the world that the Government of a Nation should be entailed upon one Family yet certainly we could not grant it to such an one whose Criminall lives and formidable deaths have been evidences of Gods wrath upon it for so many Generations And since no Countrey that I know yields such an illustrious example of this as Scotland does and it may be a charity to bring into the way such as are misled I have pitched upon the Scottish History wherein as I have onely consulted their own Authours as my fittest witnesses in this case So have I not as a just History but as far as concerns this purpose faithfully and as far as the thing would permit without glosses represented it so that any calm understanding may deduce that the vengeance which at the present is levell'd against the Nation is but an attendant of this new introduc'd Person and that he himself though for the present he seems a Clog among his Frogs and suffer them to play about him yet God will suffer him if the English Army prevent not to turn Stork and devour them while their cries shall not be heard as those that in dispight of the warning of Providence and light of their own reasons for their own corrupt Interest greedy Ambition brought these miseries upon themselves THE INSTANCE Out of the Scottish History Which is the Second Part. ANd now we come to our main businesse which is the review of Story wherein we may find such a direct and uninterrupted Series such mutuall Endearments between Prince and People and so many of them crowned with happy Reigns and quiet Deaths two together scarce dying naturally that we may conclude that they have not onely the most reason but a great deal of excellent Interest who Espouse the Person and Quarrell of the hopefull descendant of such a Family nor shall we be so injurious to the glory of a Nation proud with a Catalogue of Names and Kings as to expunge a great part of their number though some who have done it affirm There can be no probability that they had any other being then what Hector Boyes and the black Book of Pasley out of which Buchanan had most of his materials bestow on them there being no mention of the name of Scot in any Authentick