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| To mark the four hundredth anniversary of the Union of the Crowns in 1603 - when James VI of Scotland inherited the throne of England following the death of Queen Elizabeth I, thus becoming the first king of Great Britain - this month we feature a volume of first editions of James's speeches. Originally printed between 1604 and 1621, these constitute an invaluable primary resource for the understanding of James as a ruler. |
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James Charles Stuart was born on 19 June 1566. Just over a year later, at the age of thirteen months, his mother Mary Queen of Scots abdicated and he was crowned King James VI. During his minority, James was rigorously instructed in the Protestant faith and given the education of a Renaissance scholar by his two tutors, George Buchanan and Peter Young. Buchanan was one of the most famous classicists of the age; renowned throughout Europe as a scholar, he was a severe teacher. It is thanks to this schooling that James can be described as 'probably the best-educated ruler ever to sit on an English or Scottish throne, and the only one with any claim to be a political philosopher'. James was a prolific writer. His first known poem, 'Since thought is free', was written at the age of fifteen. As well as poetry and commentaries on religious texts, he was also responsible for penning treatises on a variety of topics including duelling, tobacco, and witchcraft. But it is probably for his political writings that he is best remembered, and he is now cited as one of the most influential political writers of the early modern period. His first political work, The trew law of free monarchies, was published in 1598; in it, James stressed the considerable duties of rulers while defending divine-right monarchy, warning against the 'sirene songs' of those who praised or excused rebellions. |
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| On this occasion, James delivered a general exposition of the general principles guiding his policy, including the issue of the Union of England and Scotland, an undertaking dear to his heart. The reference in the first lines of the speech to God's 'devouring angel' alludes to the terrible outbreak of plague in England of 1603. As well as killing more than 37,000 people, it subdued the celebrations and pageantry of James's coronation and was probably a significant factor in delaying the first meeting of parliament until 1604. | |
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| James's second speech mainly concerns the circumstances of the Gunpowder plot, discovered on 5 November, four days before the speech was delivered. He describes the plot as 'this great and horrible attempt', reflecting that kings are most subject 'to the dayly tempests of innumerable dangers'. He alludes to two previous attempts on his life. The first, when he was 'yet in my mothers belly', is a reference to Rizzio's murder, calculated, it was always supposed, to upset his mother's pregnancy; the second, when he was delivered 'from the very brinke of deathe, from the point of the dagger' refers to the Gowrie conspiracy of 5 August 1600, a supposed attempt by malcontent Scottish noblemen to capture James. |
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The speech from 1607 is devoted to the Union of England and Scotland. James's greatest wish was leave behind him at his death 'one worship to God, one kingdom entirely governed, one uniformity in laws'. The failure to bring this about was probably his greatest disappointment. By 1610 James was hoping to be granted a long-term financial settlement by Parliament. His speech on 21 March shows his eagerness to retain the good will of the House of Commons. Although uncompromising about divine-right kingship, he stresses his respect for the common law and assures his hearers that he has no intention of using the 'absolute power of a King' to alter the existing form of government in England: he asserts that a good king does not abuse his power, but rules according to the laws of the land. |
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This is the most extensively annotated speech in the volume, although several others are also marked with the marginalia of early readers. The book is now in an eighteenth century binding, and while a fairly late hand has added a manuscript listing of its contents to a flyleaf, there seem to be at least three different, earlier, hands at work in adding comments to the texts. Cropping to the comments is evidence that they were added before the various items were brought together and bound up. It may be assumed that the pamphlets were originally in the possession of different owners: the signature of Ri[chard] Bacon appears on the title-pages of the 1604 and 1605 items, the monogram 'K' appears on the 1610 speech, while a note about a payment of rent is found at the end of the 1616 speech is signed 'T. Browne'. The section where James describes his views on the state of monarchy seems to have been of particular interest to the reader of the 1610 speech. James's argument is summed up as 'God and king compared', and the annotator refers to chapters in other books for comparison. Elsewhere, chapters from the Basilicon Doron are cited for comparison of James's arguments. |
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Other comments include attacks on James's gifts to favourites and 'scotishemenn'. James' profligacy was a constant source of concern throughout his reign. Undoubtedly a spendthrift - especially in comparison with his predecessor, Elizabeth - his extravagance was a frequent cause of dispute between himself and parliament. |
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| James had continuing difficulties with his parliaments, the first ending acrimoniously in 1610. As the reader notes at the end of this speech, 'I take it that the king brake up this parliament ... in displeasure without doinge of anythinge'. However, it is not true that 'hee would never have more parliaments' as stated here. In fact, parliament was reconvened in 1616. James had hopes that this parliament would overcome previous misunderstandings and that it would become the parliament 'of love', but in reality it became even more fractious then its predecessor and James brought it to an abrupt end: it has become known as the 'Addled Parliament'. |
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The fifth item in the volume is James's speech from 1616 delivered in the Star Chamber.
It principally
concerns the proper administration of the law of England as
James conceived it; he asserts that it is the king who should determine the
boundaries between the jurisdictions of the country's various courts. Also
discussed is the problem of the rapid
expansion of London, a growing matter for concern.
After a seven year gap, parliament was again called in 1621. Although the speech from this year is chiefly concerned with abuses in the exercise of patents which were being pursued by the Commons, it again expresses a desire for more harmonious relations between the monarch and his parliament. |
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Three other pamphlets are bound in with the speeches. Two
precede the Union of Crowns and relate to James's rule as king of
Scotland. The seventh item is a 1646 copy of a Declaration
made by King James in Scotland concerning Church-Government
and Presbyters, made in 1585; the eighth item is a copy of
A
Declaratioun of the Kings Majesties intentioun and meaning
toward the lait actis of Parliament, published by Thomas
Vautroullier in Edinburgh in 1585. The last item is the only
pamphlet not directly connected with James. It is a copy of A Speech
delivered in the starr-chamber, on Wednesday the 14th June
1637 at the censure of John Bastwick, Henry Burton & William
Prynne concerning pretended innovations in the Church.
This pamphlet was printed by Richard Badger in 1637 and dedicated to Charles I. James died in 1625. Contemporary opinions of his rule differed widely: while Henry IV of France labelled him as 'the most learned fool in Christendom', John Locke referred to him as 'that Learned King who well understood the Notions of things'. For many years he was disparaged by historians as a political failure. His reputation, however, has been reconsidered more favourably in recent years. He is now seen more as an enlightened Renaissance king, who successfully pursued peace by relying on strong monarchical power in a period of religious conflict. That he was the most intellectual and scholarly of all British monarchs is undisputed. |
| The speeches found in this volume provide direct evidence of James's views on kingship and reflect his interests in politics, theology and social issues. In the introduction to a recent book on James's writings, Kevin Sharpe encourages their study today as enabling 'a far better understanding of the man and monarch as well as of the nature of Jacobean literary and political culture'. Furthermore, he underlines the need for more in depth study 'of the traces of the readings of the king's works in marginalia and glosses ... of the king as a text'. With this book, students at Glasgow University have a perfect opportunity to explore this area further. | |
Other items of interestThe following were useful in compiling this article:
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Return to main Special Collections
Exhibition Page Julie Gardham September 2003
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reader annotations at end of speech, ? 1609
