fashions and manners of living. If you do not, I will send six of the proudest of you unto my uncle of England,[231] and after he has put them in order, I will do the same with the rest if they will not amend.’ The chancellor, in consternation, humbly answered, ‘One word of your grace’s mouth shall suffice them to be at commandment.’ James rejoined immediately and angrily, ‘I shall gladly bestow any words of my mouth that can amend them,’ The notion of applying to Henry VIII. to set his bishops right was original; and the prelates of Scotland, knowing that that preceptor did not spare the rod nor even the sword, trembled to the very marrow of their bones. Ballenden, in confirmation of these new intentions of James, said to Thomas Eure, ‘The king is fully minded to expel all spiritual men from having any authority by office under his grace, either in household or elsewhere.’ It appears that the author of the drama, author also in part of the change wrought in the prince, was Sir David Lyndsay, who had been the king’s guardian and companion during his minority. This bold man of letters composed many satires against the superstitions of the age, and above all against the ignorance and licentiousness of the clergy; but the king never allowed the cardinal to lift a finger to harm him. The convictions of James were not very deep, and his own life was not such as to give him the right to criticise the lives of the bishops. So long as this liberal humor of the prince lasted, the cardinal seems to have abstained from demonstrations hostile to the reform of the Church. He was sure of getting him to change his mind, and he did not trouble himself about comedies to which he was bent on replying by tragedies. He was not long in showing his inflexibility, and the capricious humor of the king again bent under his immovable firmness. Other men have been named great, just, or well-bred. Beatoun deserved to be called persecutor. This surname, which history inflicts on him as a disgrace, he seems to have aspired to as a glory. [Sidenote: SIR JOHN BORTHWICK.]