Page:A biographical dictionary of eminent Scotsmen, vol 2.djvu/130

421 you, albeit I be on fut and ye ryd the pest [Randolph was post master to the queen's grace of England] prayin you als not to dispost my host at Newerk, Jone of Kilsterne. Thys I pray you, partly for his awyne sake, quliame I tho' ane gude fellow, and partly at request of syk as I dare not refuse, and thus I take my leif shortly at you now, and my lang leif quhen God pleasis, committing you to the protection of the Almyty." By this letter it is evident that he expected to publish his history immediately. A long delay, however, took place, for when, in September 1581, he was visited by Andrew Melville, James Melville, and his cousin Thomas Buchanan, the work was only then printing. Of this visit, James Melville lias left a most interesting account. " Thrt September in tyme of vacans, my uncle Mr Andro, Mr Thomas Buchanan, and I, heiring y' Mr George Buchanan was weak, and his historic under ye press, past ower to Edinbro annes earand to visit him and sie ye wark. When who cam to his chalmer we fand him sitting in his charre teatching his young man that servit him in his chalmer to spel a, b, ab, e, b, eb, &c. After salutation, Mr Andro says, ' I sie, Sir, ye are not ydle.' ' Better,' quoth he, ' than stelling sheep or sitting ydle, Avhilk is als ill.' Yrefter he shew ws the epistle dedicatorie to the king, the quhylk when Mr Andro had read, he told him that it was obscure in some places, and Avanted certain Avordis to perfyt the sentence. Sayes he, e I may do na mair for thinking on another matter.' ' What is that,' says Mr Andro. ' To die,' quoth he ; ' but I leave that an mony ma things to you to help.' We went from him to the printer's wark hous, whom Ave fand at the end of the 17 buik of his chronicle, at a place qhuilk we thought verie hard for the tyme, qhuilk might be an occasion of steying the hail wark, anent the burial of Davie. Therefore steying the printer from proceeding, AVC cam to Mr George again, and fand him bedfast by [contrary to] his custome, and asking him whow he did, ' Even going the Avay of Aveilfare,' sayes he. Mr Thomas, his cousin, shaws him of the hardness of that part of his story, y' the king wald be offendit w' it, and it might stey all the Avark. ' Tell me, man,' sayes he, ' if I have told the truth.' ' Yes,' says Mr Thomas, ' I think sa.' I Avill byd his feide and all his kin's, then,' quoth he. ' Tray, pray to God for me, and let him direct all. Sa be the printing of his chronicle was endit that maist learned, Avyse, and Godlie man endit this mortal lyftl"

The printing of the history must have gone on very slowly, for though it was printed as above, up to the seventeenth book, it was not finished till nearly a year after, the dedication to the king being dated August the twenty-ninth, 1532, only thirty days before the death of the author, which happened on Friday the 28th of September following, when he had reached the age of seventy-six years and eight months. He died in much peace, expressing his full reliance on the blood of Christ. He was buried in the Greyfriar's churchyard, a great multitude attending his funeral. A throughstone, with an inscription, is said to have marked his grave; but the inscription has long been invisible, and the existence of the stone itself appears to be more than doubtful. An obelisk has, by the gratitude of posterity, been reared to his memory in his native village Killearn. His death, like that of all men who live out the full term of human life, excited less emotion than might have been expected. Andrew Melville, who had often celebrated him while alive, discharged the last debt of lettered friendship in an elegant Latin poem; Joseph Scaliger also wrote an epitaph for him in terms of liberal and appropriate praise.

Buchanan was never married, and left, of course, no children to perpetuate his memory ; and though he held latterly one of the great offices of state, and possessed other considerable sources of emolument, he acquired no great estates,