The history of Scotland written in Latin by George Buchanan ; faithfully rendered into English.

Conarus, the Twenty Fourth King.

COnarus, his Son, succeeded him, who, from an ill Beginning, ended his wicked Reign with as unhappy a Conclusion: For, he was not only conscious and privy to, but also a partner in, the Conspiracy against his Father. But, to cover his Faults, in the be∣ginning of his Reign, a War did fall out very opportunely for him. For the Britains, having passed Adrian's Wall, took away great store of Men and Cattle. Whereupon, e Conarus, by the Advice of his Council, joyning his Army with the Picts, they passed over Adrian's Wall in many places, and made great havock in the Bri∣tains Country; and at last, encountring their Enemy, a great and bloody Battel was fought betwixt Them, the Romans and Britains. The Slaughter was almost equal on both sides, which occasioned Peace between Them till the next Year: Yet, the Romans, because they were not Conquerors, looked upon themselves as, in a manner, Conquered. Whereupon, their own Forces being much lessened, and Adrian putting no great Confidence in the Britains, whom, he saw, to conceive some hopes of Liberty upon his Misfortunes, he sent for Aid from Antoninus Pius, laying the blame of the Violation of the Peace upon the Scots and Picts, and of the loss and slaughter of his Men, upon the Britains. f Lollius Vrbicus was sent over Lieu∣tenant-General by the Emperor, who overcame his Enemy in a bloody Battel, and drove them beyond the Wall of Adrian, which he again repaired. Afterwards, there was a Cessation of Arms for many Years, as if a silent Truce had been made. For the Romans had Work enough to keep the Enemy from ravaging and plundering, and, for that end, their Camp was pitched on the Borders. And Conarus, who loved nothing in War, but the Licentiousness obtein∣ed thereby, made haste to return home, That he might imploy that Vacancy wholly to immerge himself in Pleasures: Whereupon, those Vices, which he had before concealed, on design to gain the Love of others, began now to appear bare-faced. And when, by this Dissi∣mulating Art, he judged the Kingdom sure to him, what his Ance∣stors

had gotten by great Pains and Labour, he did as profusely spend, on his own Lusts and Pleasures; insomuch, that, in a very short time, he was reduced to great want. So that, convening an Assembly of the Estates, he made a long and plausible Oration of the Grandeur and Magnificence which was necessary for Kings; and complained of the Lowness of his g Exchequer. Thus covering his Vices under the cleanly Names of Gallantry and Magnificence; and he was also an earnest Suitor, That a Valuation of every Mans Estate should be made, and a proportionable Tax imposed on each Indivi∣dual. This Speech was unacceptable to all that heard it, whose An∣swer was, That the Matter was of more Moment than to be deter∣mined on a sudden: Whereupon, the Estates, having obtained a short time for Consultation, upon asking every particular Mans O∣pinion, they soon found, That this new Device of demanding such a vast Sum of Money, did not proceed from the Nobles, h but from some Court-Parasites; whereupon, they Voted, That the King should be kept Prisoner, as unfit to Reign; until, upon his Abjura∣tion of the Government, they did substitute another. When they met the next Day, he, who was first demanded to give his Vote, made a sharp Speech and Invective against the Life of the former King, saying, That Bawds, Parasites, Minstrels, and Troops of Harlots, were not fit Instruments for Kings and Kingdoms, as being useless in War, and troublesom in Peace; besides, they were costly and full of Infamy and Disgrace. He added, The Complaint was false, That the King's Revenue and Incom were not sufficient for his Ex∣pence; for a great many of their former Kings, who were famous Warriors, and formidable to their Enemies, had lived Nobly and Splendidly upon it, in time of Peace. But if any Prince be of Opi∣nion, That the Publick Revenue was too short, then, said he, let a Supplement be made, not out of the Subjects Purse, but out of his own Domestick Parsimony. He further added, That the Measure of Expence was not to be taken from the Lust and Exorbitant De∣sires of Men, which were infinite, but from the Ability of the Peo∣ple, and the Real Necessities of Nature. And therefore it was his Opinion, That those Villains, upon whom the Publick Patrimony was conferred, and for whose sake the King had undone so many Worthy Persons of good Rank and Quality, by despoiling them of their Estates, and putting them to Death, should be compelled to refund That to the Lawful Owners, which, by their Flatteries, they had unjustly robbed them of; and that also they should be further punished, to boot. In the mean time, he advised, that the King should be kept a Prisoner, till they could substitute another, that would not only inure himself to Thrift, but also teach others, by his Example, to live hardly and parsimoniously, as his Forefathers had done, that so the strict Discipline, received from our Ancestors, might be trans∣mitted to Posterity.

This Speech, as it was sharp enough of it self, so it seemed more cutting to those, who had Velvet Ears, and were unaccustomed to hear such free and bold Discourses, before. Neither did the King endeavour to allay the Heats of his People, by fair and gentle Words,

but rather, by fierce and minatory Expressions, which did more vehemently inflame and provoke them; so that, amidst these Quar∣rellings and Altercations, a Tumult arising, some that were next the King, i laid Hands on him, and thrust him, with some few others, into a Cave, under-ground. Those Courtiers, who had been the Authors of such wicked Counsels, were presently put to Death; and, lest any Tumult of the Mobile should arise upon this Dissolution of the Bonds of Government, One k Argadus, a Nobleman, was made Vice-Roy, till the People could conveniently meet, to set up a New King. He, though, in the beginning of his Administration, he set∣led all things with great Equity, and thereby had procured much Commendation by his moderate Deportment; yet, his Mind being corrupted by Prosperity, he soon lost all the Credit of his former praise-worthy Life. For he cherished Home-bred Seditions, and strengthened his Authority by External Aid, having such great Fa∣miliarity with the chief of the Picts, that he took a Wife from amongst them, and gave his Daughters to them, in Marriage; by which practice, it soon appeared, that he aspired to the Crown. These things being laid to his Charge in a Publick Assembly, where∣in he was much blamed for his so sudden Degeneration and Aposta∣cy, he was altogether ashamed, and knowing them to be True, he brake forth into Tears; and as soon as his Weeping gave him liberty to speak, being unable to purge himself from the Objected Crimes, he craved Mercy, and humbly deprecated the punishment of his Of∣fences; Which, said he, if I can obtain, I will recompense, and make amends for my Errors in Government, by my future Care, Industry and Valour. These things he humbly supplicated upon his Knees, so that the Anger of the Nobles being now turned into Pity, they lifted him up from the Ground, and ordered him to continue in the Government, remitting his own Punishment to himself. As for Them, they were well enough satisfied, if he did now truly and heartily repent of what he had done amiss heretofore. From that Day forward, Argadus as∣sembled the Wisest Men of the whole Kingdom about him, and act∣ed nothing but by their Advice; yea, during the l Remainder of his Magistracy, he Enacted many Laws for the Good of the Publick; of which This was the chief; That he restrained the Arbitrariness of Provincial Judges, and forbad them to give Sentence against all Of∣fenders, alike; but to have respect to alleviating Circumstances, where any such were. He either restrained, or put to Death, Flagi∣tious Persons, and amended the Publick Manners, which had been corrupted by a long course of Licentiousness, not only by inflicting Legal Punishments on Transgressors of the Laws, but by affording them the Leading Example of his own Regular Life. Whilst these things were acting, Conarus, partly afflicted with Grief, and partly worn out by Diseases, ended his filthy and ignominious Life in Pri∣son, in the Fourteenth Year of his Reign.

Notes

• e

  A Battel be∣tween Conarus and the Picts, against the Romans and Brittons.
• f

  Lollius Vr∣bicus sent to Aid the Ro∣mans in Bri∣tain.
• g

  Conarus his Prodigality enforces him to demand large Subsidies of hi•• Sub∣jects;
• h

  Which are denied by the Commons, and their Reasons why?
• i

  Conar•••• im∣p••isoned, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 his Evi•• C••••••∣sellors slain.
• k

  Argadus set up in his room, who first Rules justly;
• afterwards de∣generating, he is accused;
• but, upon his Repentance, is continued in the Govern∣ment,
• l

  Which he managed equi∣tably, for the remainder of his Magistracy.