rance. The man who urged on the conflict was De la Motte, the French
ambassador, standing ever at my father's side, whispering his
treacherous, poisonous advice into an ear too willing to listen.
England was not a bitter enemy, for England did not follow up her
victory and march into Scotland, where none were left to command a
Scottish army, and no Scottish army was left to obey. Scotland, on
this occasion, was merely the catspaw of France. Now I am the son of
an Englishwoman. The English king is my uncle, and France fears that I
will keep the peace with my neighbour; so through his ambassador, he
sounds me, and learns that such indeed is my intention. France
resolves to leave me alone and accomplish its object by corrupting,
with gold coined in my own mint, the nobles of my court, and, by God!"
cried James in sudden anger, bringing his fist down on the table and
making the coins jingle, "France is succeeding, through the blind
stupidity of men who might have been expected to know their right hand
from their left. The greatest heads of my realm are being cozened by a
trickster; befooled in a way that any humble ploughman should be
ashamed of. You see now why they wish to keep the silly proceedings
from the king. I tell you, Davie, that Italian's head comes off, and
thus in some small measure will I avenge Flodden."

Sir David Lyndsay sat meditatively silent for some moments while the
king in angry impatience strode up and down the small limits of the
room. When the heat of his majesty's temper had partially cooled, Sir
David spoke with something of diplomatic shrewdness.

"I never before realised the depth and penetration of your majesty's
mind. You have gone straight to the heart of this mystery, and have
thrown light into its obscurest corner, as a dozen flaming torches
would have illumined that dark laboratory in the Monastery. I have
shared the stupidity of your nobles, which the clarity of your
judgment now exposes so plainly; therefore, I feel that it would be
presumption on my part to offer advice to your majesty in the further
prosecution of this affair."

"No, Davie, no," said the king, stopping in his march and speaking
with pleased cordiality, "no, I value your advice; you are an honest
man, and it is not to be expected that the subtilty and craftiness of
these foreigners should be as clear to you as the sunshine on a
Highland hill. Speak out, Davie, and if you give me your counsel, I
know it will be as wh