George Buchanan epub The History of Scotland, Vol. 3 of 4 (Classic Reprint)

Book I. The death of the earl of Marr, left the road to the regency open to the ambition of the earl of Morton, who, supported by the interest of England, was elected to that high office without opposition, on the 24th day of November, A. D. 1572. At the time of Morton saccession to the regency, the queens party was divided into two distinct bodies, those within the castle, and those without. The chiefs of the former were Kirkaldy of Grange, the most renowned warrior, and Maitland, younger of Lethington, the most dritthi politician of the day; at the head of the latter, were the duke of Chatellerault, and the earl of Huntly, the two richest, and most powerful noblemen, the one in the south, and the other in the north On the same day, Scotland lost one of her greatest benefactors, John Knox, at whose interment the new regent passed the well known eulogium :T here lies he who never feared the face of man, and never was eulogium better merited. Through a life of the most unwearied labour, and trying vicissitude, his intrepidity of soul remained unshaken, his constancy unmoved, and when all was dark around him, and every heart filled with dismay, his energetic eloquence imparted courage and ardour, similar to his own, into the bosoms of his fainting companions. His zeal equalled his courage, and both originated from an unfeigned exalted piety. He possessed an intuitive sagacity, which enabled him at once to perceive the best method for attaining his object, and that decision of character, which never allowed it to escape. In reproof he was perhaps severe, but he averred on his deathbed, that it was never the persons, but their vices, that were the objects of his dislike. The usual charges brought against him, are rudeness to his queen, barbarism to the monasteries and a gloomy moroseness in his general deoortment; but VO t. III.(Typographical errors above are due to OCR software and don't occur in the book.)About the Publisher