James I. was fond of literature, and was an industrious reader, but as an author “he was only possessed of that mediocrity of talent which in a private person had never raised him to notice.” In 1599 was published his “Basilicon Doron,” containing advice to his son respecting his moral and political conduct; and in his work on “Dæmonologie” we find his Majesty inveighing against the “damnable opinions of one Scott, an Englishman, who is not ashamed to deny in public print that there be such a thing as witchcraft, and so maintains the old error of the Sadducees in denying of Spirits;”[152] and one of his first acts on ascending the English throne was to order all copies of Scott’s “Discoverie of Witchcraft” to be burnt. His translation of the Psalms was never finished, and as a poet it is generally agreed he was a failure. His collected works were published in 1616 by Bishop Montagu, together with earlier speeches and State Papers. Walpole, speaking of his literary abilities, says, “It is well for the arts that King James had no disposition for them: he let them take their own course. Had he felt for them any inclination, he would have probably introduced as bad taste as he did in literature.” His unpublished correspondence with Buckingham is described by Wellwood as too disgusting to be read by a modest eye. The claims of Charles, his son, have been ranked very high as an author; and if the “Eikon Basilike” had been his composition, this famous production--which is full of piety and wisdom, and in style pure and graceful--would give him a prominent place in the catalogue of royal authors. But, as it has been observed, “the silence of Clarendon upon the subject in his History, and the explicit denial by both Charles II. and James II., as vouched by two unconnected witnesses, Bishop Burnet and Lord Anglesey, would be decisive of the question, even if we could overlook the evidence of Bishop Patrick and Dr. Walker.” During his imprisonment at Carisbrooke Charles expressed his feelings in poetry; the subjoined stanzas amongst many others having been attributed to him at this period, although they have been suspected to be a pious fraud:-- “Tyranny bears the title of taxation, Revenge and robbery are reformation, Oppression gains the name of sequestration. My loyal subjects, who in this bad season, Attend (by the law of God and reason), They dare impeach and punish for high treason. Next at the clergy do their furies frown, Pious Episcopacy must go down, They will destroy the crosier and the crown. Churchmen are chained, and schismatics are freed, Mechanics preach, and holy fathers bleed, The crown is crucified with the Creed. The Church of England doth all faction foster, The pulpit is usurped by each impostor; _Ex tempore_ excludes the _pater noster_.”