The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-12-12
GREAT LOVE
STORIES
of HISTORY
KING JAMES AID
JOAN BEAUFORT
By Albert Payson Terhune
Copyright. ~ The AUthor.l

Copyright. ~ tAs A9thor.l
An 11-year-old Scotch boy was cap |
tured in 1905 by English officials as |
he was on his way to France to be |
educated. The boy was James, only !
living son of King Robert Ill of Scot |
land. England and Scotland were for |
ever quarreling with each other. So
the capture of the latter country's |
little crown prince was looked on as
a master stroke of diplomacy. Robert |
III. died the next year, after trying in
vain to persuade the English king to
set his son free. The lad at IL became
James l. of Scotland, and remained Is
years longer as a prisoner in Eng
land.
The English treated the boy kindly.
The best tutors were provided for
him. He was also taught the warlike
accomplishments without which no
thirteenth century youths education
was complete. The prisoner king as
he grew to manhood won fame as an
athlete and as poet Once as he
stood looking down from the window
of his castle prison he saw a tall. beau
tiful girl wander
MY" ing among the
Is~er' roses and lilies in
the garden below At first sight the
lonely man was attracted by her love
illness, and he became henceforth her
devoted slave. So eloquently did he
plead his suit that the maiden soon
returned his love.
She was Lady Joan Beaufort. daugh-
ter of the earl of Somerset and kins.
woman to the English King Henry Nv.
In her honor James wrote poem
entitued "Ye Kings Quhair" 1.-THE
Kings Booklet"D, and he consecrated
his life to her service. Now a match
between these two was just what Eng
land most desired. 1t would form a
bond between the two rival countries
and would, perhaps, make English in
fluence strong in Scotland. So James
and Joan were permitted to marry.
Their wedding was celebrated in Feb
ruary, 1921. Then England allowed
the Scotch to ransom their captive
king for 100000, and the young cou-
pie, rejoicing in their freedom, jour-
neyed north to reign over Scotland.
Their descendant, James vi. of Scot
land, was destined to become James I.
of England. and Mus unite the two
kingdoms.
The newly released monarch found
his kingdom in q terrible condition
The country was ruder and more law
less than England. 1t was overrun
with corrupt politics. The powerful
mobiles oppressed the poor and took to
themselves almost royal privileges.
Laws were ill-enforced. Everywhere
the hand Of master was urgently
needed. James had a tremendously
difficult task before him. Those who
looked on him only as a dreamy. love-
sick poet thought he would be content
to let matters rest as they were.
But they were mistaken. With an
iron hand he subdued the naughty
mobiles. crushed misrule, put traitors
to death, made wise laws and in count
less ways built up the country and re-
| formed its government. For twelve
| years he and Joan reigned. Under
their rule the land prospered. But the
mobiles hated the king who had de-
prived them of their power. A num-
Der of these noblemen at last con-
| spired against him. The leader of the
conspiracy was Sir Robert Graham
With band Of assassins Graham
| planned to seize and murder the king
at the first safe opportunity.
James and Joan with their children
and a small party of attendants rode
to Perth to spend Christmas at the
monastery there. On the road thither
a wild-eyed old Highland woman who
had the name of being q prophecies
threw herself in front of the king and
1mplored him to turn back, declaring
that he rode to his death. James
against his wife's advice, paid no heed
to the strange warning. Late tina,
night Graham and his accomplices
with 800 Highland clansmen, sur
rounded the monastery and broke
down its doors. There was a cellar
under James bedchamber In thi.
vault the king and Joan were thrus
by their faithful servants. The bar OF
-.. his bedchambel
g.. ,;t" door had beer
stolen. So Cath
crime Douglas, one of Joan's maidl
Of honor, passed her arm through tn,
iron loops that had held the bars. Sh,
heroically kept her arm there until i
was broken by the pressure of the az
sassins' shoulders from the outside
Then Graham and his men burst int.
the room. They found the trapdoo