ter than his learning. The vigour of his mind, the interest of his manner, the dignity of his narrative, the deepness of his remark, the purity of his diction, are all conspicuous."

Sir James Mackintosh is not the least eloquent of his distinguished admirers. "The science which teaches the rights of man, the eloquence that kindles the spirit of freedom, had for ages been buried with the other monuments of the wisdom and relics of the genius of antiquity. But the revival of letters first unlocked only to a few, the sacred fountain. The necessary labours of criticism and lexicography occupied the earlier scholars, and some time elapsed before the spirit of antiquity was transfused into its admirers. The first man of that period who united elegant learning to original and masculine thought was Buchanan, and he too seems to have been the first scholar who caught from the ancients the noble flame of republican enthusiasm. This praise is merited by his neglected, though incomparable tract, De Jure Regni, in which the prin

Stuart's Hist. of Scotland, vol. ii, p. 244.

ciples of popular politics, and the maxims of a free government, are delivered with a precision, and enforced with an energy, which no former age had equalled, and no succeeding has surpassed.'

The fate of a man entitled to such splendid encomiums must certainly excite considerable interest. But even from greater characters than these, he has obtained more enthusiastic commendation: Grotius describes him as Scotiæ illud numen, that Scotish divinity.

The history of Buchanan is the history of an individual unrivalled in modern times. To have selected so important and so difficult a subject, may seem to require an apology: but if important subjects were only to be investigated by men endowed with every qualification, the number of literary productions would be prodigiously diminished. These memoirs claim no other merit than that of good intentions; and they may possibly suggest a fortunate undertaking to some more competent enquir

er.

."

A few years previous to Buchanan's death,

i Mackintosh's Defence of the French Revolution, p. 309.

some of his numerous friends felt a laudable solicitude to secure authentic memorials of so illustrious a character. With this view, Sir Thomas Randolph addressed a letter to Young, which is not unworthy of our present attention.

"After my verie hartie commendacions, Beinge lately mouid with the remembrance of my maister Mr.G, Buchanan by the sight of a booke of his, De Jure Regni apud Scotos, and callinge to mynde the notable actes of his lyfe, his studie, his trauayle, his danger, his wisdome, his learninge, and, to be short, as muche as could be wished in a man ; I thought the kinge your maister more happie that had Buchanan to his maister, then Alexander the Great that had Aristotell his instructor. I thought you very lukye that had his daily company, ioynid in office of lyke seruice, and thanckid God not a litle for my self, that euer I was acquaintid with him. For one that hath so great acquaint, ance as he hath with many learnid, and compaignons of his lyfe, and that hath so wel deseruid of the worlde, I maruaille that no man hath written of it; beinge a thinge so common vnto all famous per

sonnes, and most peculiar to the best learnid. Heerin I might chieflie blame you, my good freind Maister Yonge, so neere vnto him, so deere vnto him, that nothinge can be hid of that which you desyre to knowe. If you say that tyme yeat seruithe, and that he yeat liuethe whose life I wishe to be sett foorthe, surelie yeat I say vnto you that yf it be donne after his deathe, many thinges may be omittid that were worthie of famous memorie, by him to be better knowen then after his deathe. The cause of the wrytinge against the grey friars is knowen to many: but afterwardes howe they preuail id against him, that he was fayne to leaue his contrey, howe he escapid with great hazard of lyfe at Godes hand, the thieues on the borders, the plague in the north of England, what reliefe he found heere at a famous knightes handes, Sir John Rainsforde, the onlie man that maintaynid him against the furie of the Papistes; none doth knowe so well as him self, or can giue better notes of his life then him self can. As he liuith vertuouslie, so I doubt not but he will dye Christianly, and [this] may be addid when the former is perfectlie knowen,

This is desirid by many, specially lookid for at your handes, that can best doe, and are fittest to trauayle in so worthie a worke. As I craue this at your handes, so shall you command what is my power. And thus wishinge vnto yow, my good freind, hartely well, I take my leaue. London, the 15th of Marche 1579,"*

It is certainly to be regretted that Sir Peter Young declined the task which was thus suggested with such commendable zeal; forit was evidently in his power to exhibit a copious and authentic account of his admirable colleague. About the crisis to which our attention is now directed, Buchanan, at the request of his friends, composed a brief memoir of the principal events of his long and variegated life. This biographical tract displays his wonted modesty and elegance: but it descends no later than the period of his final return to Scotland; and the whole of it only occupies seven small pages. Nor is the author sufficiently careful to mark the chronological succession of the events which he there records. This rapid sketch, so far as it extends, is however our safest

Buchanani Epistolæ, p. 19.