New-York tribune., 1906-06-17
GEORGE BUCHANAN.
-Four Hundyedth AnmUersary of
Birth of Scotch Poet and Historian.

number OF VINO nave lived IN thiS
| word have made so enduring an impression that
then memory has survived the shocks of time for
| four centuries Still less Is the number of those
whose claim for so long period rests upon
| literary works. Harking back 400 years brings us
10 the sixteenth century. the Elzabethian age in
literature when the STRINGS of new life were felt
in the dry bones of monxish and medieval traci-
tions of the learning of the Middle Ages
| At that time there in Scotland scholar
| who lived long enough to secure name and fame as
| both poet and historian. whose reputation would
have been worldwide had not all his learning been
embalmed in dead language. the use of which
| soon ceased even among scholars.
| This man. whom competent literary authority
! has declared TO be "one' of the most famous
| scholars who ever lived" George Buchanan
humanst, historian and poet Born in 1906, his ma
| tive land and Scotchmen everywhere are preparlnS
to celebrate the quarto-centenary of his birth. He
divides with John Knox the leader of Protestant
ism among his countrynfen. the reputation of being
! the greatest of the Land o Cakes in the six
teenth century. His career covered three-quarters
OF that period and was passed in his native land
and In England. France and Portugal. The esteem
In which Buchanan is held in Edinburgh is shown
bv the fact that "B1ackwoods Magazine the lead
ing literary publication in Scotland, has borne his
features It's ever since it was founded
eghty-nine years ago. r.
George Buchanan one of eight children who
left fatherless at Killain Sterling County in
the early part of the sixteenth century. But his
mothers brother, James Heriot sent him to the
University of Paris where for two years he dis
played much diligence in acquiring education
The death of his uncle then called him back to
Scotland and threw him his own resources. and
he entered the army, serving under the Duke of
Albany who commanded the French forces at that
time in Scotland But his heart was in his books
and he soon began to attend the lectures of John
Major at the University of St. Andrews. and by
Majors influence enabled to go once more to
France where. in the College of St Barbe. he took
his degree when twenty-one years old. His first
use of his education tutoring the Earl of Cas-
sils and when this pupil died he became the in
structor of the natural son of King James V, who
was afterward Abbot of Kelso.
Young Buchanan had already displayed talent as
a versiher, and at the Instance of the King. he
attacked the Franciscan monks, whom the King
suspected of disloyalty. charging them with IL
centious living in satires entitled "sonrI-
um" and ''Francscanus." both of which were writ
ten in Latin and were published under pseudonymes
This did not prevent the arrest of the author
a charge of neresy, but he escaped TO England.
Meeting with encouragement from the De
fender of the Faith" King Henry VIII, he re-
turned to France, where he remained for num-
Der OF years a college professor in Bordeaux
and Paris.
The next event of importance in his checkered
career in 1547, when he went to Portugal with
the former head of the Bordeaux College with
whom he had been associated After the death of
this man, buchanan was arrested hereto, and
kept in prison for year and half and then
to a monastery to be educated in the faith of
Rome. While there he made what proved 10 be
his most important work in poetry, the translation
Of the Psalms of David into Latin. which has COM
manded the admiration of scholars as equal TO
classical Latin poetry
When Buchanan returned to Scotland he was for
a time tutor to Mary Queen of Scots, and then the
Earl of Moray became his patron. and he was
made head OF St. Leonard's College. in the Uni
versty Of St. Andrews. He stanch sup
porter Of Moray when ne councillor for his
half-sister. the Queen. but when the latter mar
ried Darney. and Moray his party revolted,
Buchanan sided with his patron. and after the ex-
ploson which ended the life of the Queens hus-
band and her marriage TO Boutwell, followed, the
nd gcofcb &l f b e0fh & %f9 m IN poem IN an M
lection of the duinges OF Marie Queepe of Scottes
spiracie; adulterie and pretended marriage with
the the Erie B9thweil The General Assembly of
but there considerable dissatisfaction by rea
son OF the fact that he was aymGn, and because
of the feeling against kifa--he- accompanied the
Earl of Moray to England, where he wrote poem
With pension Of 400 year
When the rising against Queen Mary in Scotland
resulted IN her & hlght TO England the Scottish
MOBILES made buchanan tutor 10 her son by Lord
afterward James Of Ensand So little did the
that he soundly birched the future sovereign, who
said of The Scottish solomon. He made u
In l55l Buchanan created OF the Lords
OF Council and Lord Priyy Seal with seat in the
time for the ensuing dozen years to his History
x,
published in l5S2 He had for years suffered
from gout and when. in consequence of some of
his structures on the ruling powers, ne was sum
moned before the Council in 1882, ne died before
the day OF compearance When he had been told
that the King was much displeased with some of
his sentiments in hts 'Dlalogus de Jure Resni
about that, for am shortly going where there
few kings"
Ills views IN regard the divine rights Of kings
were far IN advance OF the general sentiment OF his
hT5 10 D N @ 1en rs t dfef M b of The
DeC!ara
pendence two centuries later In this work there
were the most liberal sentments. which tended
lnent BUCKLE. in his History OF Civilization"
says: buchanan was the INST political writer vino
Who clearly defined the true relation betwecn the
people and their rulers: t4e placed popular rights
subsequent revolutions ~
Abone. in his Critical Dictionary of English
more than ordinary hardship there gathered
70 his fathers one OF the most famous scholars
il would Be diaculf praise Ruchanan extraS9- AVA
| he entered into their spirit and form
c"ntury after Buchanans death his works,
burned by oxfo-d University.
famous socha S n hs In Tags er ts
| and maintained by the Buchanan Society, which
was formed in l25 to aid The poor OF the Buchanan
| elan and educate its youth and which is stin in
! prosperous existence. stone also marks Buchan-
! the expense Of the city. he had directed his
servant when he was about to die 10 give his
90 think il proper 10 bury me at their own
@ Gxle!se; ] dhey may .et me lie Where am or throw
The quar;o centenary celebration in honor of this
typical Scottish scholar By mis- fellow-countrymen
viii take place the University of St. Andi wa.
| OF which andrew Carnegie Is lord rector. on July
chapel the former ,iaGe followed by an oratio2
on on the genius Of Buchanan and garden party the
The Buchanan Society and other orGar:iza Ions viii
| also celebrate the anniversary.