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visited the University of St. Andrews, where James had the temerity to request a lecture from the Principal, Andrew Melville—the minister who later twitched his sovereign by the arm and reminded him that he as only "God's silliew vassal." Melville spoke offhand "of the right government of Chryst, and in effect refuted the haill Actes of Parliament maid against the discipline thairof, to the grait instruction of his auditor, except the king allean, who was verie angrie all that night." The next day he had so far recovered as to partake of "a bankett of wett and dry confections. . . . wherat His Maiestie camped verie merrelie a guid whyll."[1] On his guest's departure in September, James gave him "a chaine of 1000 crowns, made him knight, and accompanied him to the sea side, where he made him promise to return again."[2] The French poet repaid these honors by a translation of the King's Lepanto, with a fulsome preface and dedicatory sonnet. This is printed with the original and the King's translation of Du Bartas's Furies in the Exercises at vacant houres.[3]
Two years later, a second political visitor arrived in Scotland, just at the time when the King, alone at Craigmillar Castle, was eagerly awaiting the arrival of his bride from Denmark, and easing his restless mind by penning songs and sonnets.[4] This was the English poet Henry Constable, whose appearance in Scotland at this time is indicated by evidence both in his own poems and in contemporary documents. On October 20, 1589, T. Fowler wrote Burleigh that "Roger Dalton [Aston?] is exceeding great with young Constable and hath brought him to secret conference sundry times with Victor [James]. He hath commission from Ernestus [Essex] and from Rialta and Richardo [Lady and Lord Riche]."[5] His errand in Scotland, as the letter states, was to secure the King's friend-
