spirited horse, which had been presented to him by the celebrated lord David Lindsay, who joined him with three thousand foot and one thousand cavalry, and who had told his majesty that he might trust his life to the swiftness and surefootedness of this remarkably beautiful animal. James was descended from a race of great heroes, and all his family had been distinguished for their bravery; but he degenerated from them, and is accused of being a coward. At the beginning of the battle, the first line of the royalist army obliged that of the rebels to give way; but, the latter being supported by the borderers, the first and second line of the king's army were beaten back to the third. The little courage which James possessed, forsook him at this time; and he spurred his horse, intending to reach the banks of the river Forth, and go on board a ship of his own fleet, which lay off there, commanded by the brave and loyal admiral Wood; but, in passing through the village of Bannockburn, a woman, who was filling her pitcher with water at the brook, frightened at the sight of a man in armour galloping at full speed, left it behind her; and, the horse taking fright at it, the king was thrown to the ground, and much hurt. A miller and his wife seeing him, carried him into their hovel, and he im mediately called for a priest, to make his confession. On the rustics asking his name and his rank, he imprudently said, "I was this morning your king." The woman, overcome with astonishment, clapped her hands, and, running to the door, called for a priest to confess the king. "I am a priest," said a man passing by; "lead me to him." Being brought into the hovel, he saw the king covered with a coarse sheet; and, kneeling by him, he asked whether he thought he should recover, if he were properly attended and taken care of? James replied he thought he might: upon which the villain took out a dagger, and stabbed the unhappy monarch to the heart. The assassin afterwards made his escape, and it is still unknown what was his name. It is probable, that the cowardly flight of James was the cause of the battle being lost to the royalists; for his troops continued to fight bravely after he had left them, and were only dismayed on receiving the certain account of his death. The number of slain on both sides was very great, and many men of the first rank were among them. CHAPTER XXII. JAMES IV. Began to reign, 1487. Slain in battle, 1513. BEFORE the battle began, which proved so fatal to James III. his son, the duke of Rothesay, who was in arms against him, gave strict orders to all his soldiers, not to injure the king his father; and when it was told him that his father had left the field, he ordered that none should pursue him : but this was in vain, for the rebels knew they could not be safe from punishment whilst he lived. When the duke, now become king, heard of his death, he was overwhelmed with remorse and anguish; but he still indulged a hope that the news might not be true, and many thought it possible that the old king might have gone on board one of the ships belonging to the fleet of admiral Sir Andrew Wood, who was a man of distinguished loyalty and bravery. Young James sent messages repeatedly to the admiral, inquiring for his father; but the gallant admiral assured him that he was quite ignorant of his fate, even offering to allow his ships to be searched; yet, so great was the anxiety of the new king, that he could not be satisfied till he had seen the admiral himself. It was so long since James had seen his father, that he could not have known him from any other person. When Wood, therefore, entered the room, the king, struck with his 66 ?". noble appearance, asked him, "Are you my father ?”—“I am not," replied the admiral, bursting into tears: "but I was your father's true servant; and, while I live, I shall be the determined enemy of his murderers." This did not satisfy the nobles, who were present, and they demanded if he knew where the king was. The admiral answered that he did not; and when they told him that the boats belonging to his fleet were seen plying backwards and forwards on the day of the battle, he said, that he and his brother had determined to save the king, if possible; but were only able to get some of his friends on board their ships. "I would to God," said he, "that my king were there safely; for I would defend and keep him there skaithless from all the traitors who have cruelly murdered him; and I think to behold the day when they shall be hanged and drawn for their demerits." This spirited declaration struck terror and dismay into the guilty nobles; but they were afraid of punishing the brave Wood, and therefore suffered him to depart to his ships. The king and nobles of his council then went to Edinburgh, where James IV. was crowned, on the 24th of June, 1487. He was a very amiable young prince, notwithstanding he had been persuaded, by evil counsellors, to rebel against his father; and he shewed so much remorse for this guilty conduct, and governed his people so kindly and wisely, that he was at length greatly beloved by his subjects. In 1495, he married the princess Margaret, daughter of Henry VII. of England; and the marriage was celebrated with the greatest pomp and magnificence. Many years passed in peace between the two nations, so often enemies and rivals to each other; and James's court was certainly the most splendid of any of the kings of Scotland, his predecessors. But at length, after the death of Henry VII. when his son, Henry VIII. had become king, differences arose between the two nations, and James determined to invade England. His queen did all in her power to dissuade him from this fatal purpose, but in vain: she endeạvoured to work upon his mind, by recounting to him her ominous dreams, and her apprehensions of ill to him; and when these were without effect, she tried other arts to gain him over to her advice. While he was waiting at Linlithgow for the arrival of his army from the north and the Highlands, he went one afternoon to prayers, at the church of St. Michael and, being placed in one of the |