crutiny of the learned. And
yet, during this time, he was not wholly free from trouble, being
harassed with the menaces of the cardinal on the one side, and of the
Franciscans on the other: For the cardinal had wrote letters to the
arch-bishop of Bourdeaux, to apprehend him; but, providentially, those
letters fell into the hands of Buchanan's best friends. However, the
death of the king of Scots, and the plague, which then raged over all
Aquitain, dispelled that fear.

In the interim, an express came to Govean from the king of Portugal,
commanding him to return, and bring with him some men, learned both in
the Greek and Latin tongues, that they might read the liberal arts, and
especially the principles of the Aristotelian philosophy, in those
schools which he was then building with a great deal of care and
expence. Buchanan, being addressed to, readily contented to go for one.
For, whereas he saw that all Europe besides, was either actually in
foreign or domestic wars, or just upon the point of being so, that one
corner of the world was, in his opinion, likeliest to be free from
tumults and combustions; and besides his companions in that journey were
such, that they seemed rather his acquaintances and familiar friends,
than strangers or aliens to him: for many of them had been his intimates
for several years, and are well known to the world by their learned
works, as Micholaus Gruchius, Gulielmus Garentaeus, Jacobus Tevius, and
Elias Vinetus. This was the reason that he did not only make one of
their society, but also persuaded a brother of his, called Patrick, to
do the same. And truly the matter succeeded excellently well at first,
till, in the midst of the enterprize, Andrew Govean was taken away by a
sudden death, which proved mighty prejudicial to his companions: For,
after his decease, all their enemies endeavoured first to ensnare them
by treachery, and soon after ran violently upon them as it were with
open mouth; and their agents and instruments being great enemies to the
accused, they laid hold of three of them, and haled them to prison;
whence, after a long and lothsome confinement, they were called out to
give in their answers, and, after many bitter taunts, were remanded to
prison again; and yet no accuser did appear in court against them. As
for Buchanan, they insulted most bitterly over him, as being a stranger,
and knowing also, that he had very few friends in that country, who
would either rejoice in hi