tin translation of Xenophon, and
Seneca's Philosophy. These last two James only read because he was
obliged to, but he would sit half the morning poring over the pages of
Raleigh, of whose own life and adventures master Forrett could tell him
much.

For a short time his little sister Katherine lived with him. Probably
she had been ill, and the soft air of the west was thought good for her;
for Glasgow was only quite a small place then, and the sky over the
Clyde was bright and clear, instead of being dark with smoke, as it
often is now. But in two years' time James Graham's life at Glasgow came
to a sudden end, owing to the death of his father, and, distressed and
bewildered at the duties of his new position, he rode swiftly away one
November morning to Kincardine Castle, to make arrangements for the
funeral.

The ceremonies attending the burial of a great noble were of vast
importance in the seventeenth century. The widow, if he had one, was
expected to spend weeks, or even months, in a room hung with black, in a
bed with black curtains and coverings, no ray of sunlight being suffered
to creep through the cracks of the shutters. The young earl of Montrose
had, as we are aware, no mother, but his sisters were kept carefully out
of sight, while he prepared the list of invitations, to be despatched by
men on horseback, to the friends and relations of the dead earl. For
seven weeks they stayed at Kincardine, every guest bringing with him a
large supply of game or venison, though the castle larders already held
an immense amount of food. Poor James must have felt the days terribly
long and dismal, and doubtless escaped, as often as he could, to take
counsel with his brother-in-law, sir Archibald Napier, who remained his
staunch friend to the end.

* * * * *

At length the old customs had been fulfilled; the last guest was gone,
and in January 1627 Montrose, not yet fifteen, set out for the
University of St. Andrews. Here he found many acquaintances, with whom
he played golf or tennis, or, what he loved still more, practised
archery at the butts. Bows instead of pictures hung on his walls, and
in the second year of his residence the place of honour was given to the
bow with which he gained the silver medal that may still be seen in the
college. On wet days he spent his free hours in chess and cards, or in
making verses like all young cavaliers, but he studied Caesar and other
Latin authors