10. James IV. King of Scotland.

JAMES STU TAR, eldest Son of James the third, was born on the tenth day of March, Anno Domini, One thousand four hundred seventy two, and created Duke of Rothsay; and upon the death of his Father crow∣ned King of Scotland, on the twenty fourth day of June, Anno Domini One thousand four hundred eighty eight, by the name of James the fourth. After he had ruled the Kingdom of Scot∣land for the space of twenty five years, he (together with the chief of the Gentry, and flower of the Nobility of the Realm) was slain in that most un∣fortunate and fatal Battle of Flodden∣field, on the borders of Northumber∣land, fought against the English, on the 9th. day of September, Anno Domi∣ni One thousand five hundred and thirteen. Yet various have been the opinions concerning the loss of this Page  75 King: Some will have it, That he fell in the Battle on that fatal day; others, That he made his escape. The English say, (with greatest likelyhood) That he was slain in the field; that they found his Body (well known to several of their Officers) conveyed it to Berwick, em∣bowelled, seared, and wrapped it in Lead, carried it to London, and from thence to the Monastery of Shein in the County of Surrey, where it was bu∣ried. And John Stow assures us, (both in his Survey of London, and his Chro∣nicle) That after the spoil of that House, (to wit, in the time of King Edward the sixth) he saw the aforesaid Leaden Chest, and the reputed head of the said King; the hair both of the Head and Beard being red. To this the Scotch Annalists make answer, That on the day of the fight several men of renowned Va∣lour, resembling the King in stature and proportion▪ were apparelled like him, had peculiar Guards and Followers appointed them, in all appearance as the King him∣self, that in case the King should be kil∣led, Page  76 it might not be justly known to either party until after the Battle; whose fall might encourage the one, and dishearten the other; and that the person so taken by the English, was one of those mock-Kings, viz. Alexander Lord Elphin∣stone, the King's Favourite, who resem∣bled him both in Face and Shape; who couragiously fighting that day, and many of his Friends and Followers of the No∣bility falling on each side of him, was at length himself slain; which number of Nobles, the courage and resistance of the person, and the resemblance he had of the King, gave the English occasion to believe it was himself.

A second reason they give (why the Body found by the English was not their King's) is, For that he had been accustomed to wear next to his skin an Iron Girdle of a considerable weight, (a severity imposed upon himself ever since his being in arms against his Father when he was killed at Bannocksbourn) and that no such Girdle or Chain of Iron (un∣to which he usually every three years ad∣ded Page  77 more links) was found on the Corps that was carried to Berwick. They further say, That he was seen soon after the Battle between Kelsoe and Dunce, and supposed to be carried to the Castle of Humes, where he was privately mur∣dered, and for which the Lord Humes was afterwards accused, tryed in Parlia∣ment, but acquitted because there was no positive evidence that could make it ap∣pear that they had seen the King after the fight. But the more common and vulgar report was, That he was still li∣ving; who seeing the Victory incline to the Enemy, and that so many brave men perished through his own wilfulness in not declining the Encounter, (accor∣ding to the advice of his Nobles) the shame thereof made him timely withdraw himself, and forsaking the Kingdom went to the Holy-Land, where he spent the re∣maining part of his days in tears and re∣pentance: And this they grounded up∣on some former resolutions he had made to visit the holy Sepulchre; but being prevented by the death of Bishop Page  78 Blacktour, (and other occurrences in∣tervening) who had been sent before to prepare his way, took this oppor∣tunity to accomplish it.

Much like the story of Charles Duke of Burgundy; who having lost the Battle at Nancy, was never heard of more; and therefore his Subjects for many years would not believe but that he was alive, and at Ierusalem. Be it which way it will, we are certain of this, that neither the one nor the other ever afterwards appeared on the Stage of the World, to act either as Princes or private persons.

This King James took to Wife the Lady Margaret, eldest Daughter of King Henry VII. of England, by whom he had four Sons, and two Daughters; JAMES, Prince of Scot∣land, and of the Isles, born at Holy∣rood-house on the 21st. day of January, Anno One thousand five hundred and seven, and died the 17th. of February next following at Sterling. AR∣THUR, Prince of Scotland, and of Page  79 the Isles, born on the 20th▪ day of October, Anno Domini One thousand five hundred and nine, at Holyrood∣house, and died on the 14th. of July the next year, at the Castle of Edin∣burgh. JAMES, third Son, was King of Scotland; and ALEXANDER, a Posthume, born six months after the death of his Father, (viz. on the 30th. of April, Anno Domini One thousand five hundred and fourteen) and was created Duke of Rothsay, but died young at Sterling, and was buried at Cambus-kenneth. The Daughters (one born on the 15th. of July, Anno Domini One thousand five hundred & eight; the other Anno Domini One thousand five hundred and thirteen) died soon after Baptism. The Queen, after the death of her Husband, marri∣ed again, and took to Husband Ar∣chibald Douglas Earl of Angus, by whom she had one sole Daughter and Heir, born at the Castle of Hathottel in Northumberland, and named Mar∣garet, given in marriage to Matthew Page  80 Stuart Earl of Lenox, Governour of Scotland, Father and Mother of Henry Lord Darnley, who wedded Mary Queen of Scots. She was after∣wards divorced from the Earl of An∣gus, and married a third Husband, viz. Henry Stuart, (Son to the Lord Evendale) who was created (by his Son-in-law King James the fifth) Lord Meffan; but dying in the year One thousand five hundred thirty nine, at Methven, was buried in the Charter∣house of St. Johnston, near the Tomb of King James the first, her Husbands Great-grand-father.