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 not appear that the king even privately intimated to Melville any dissatisfaction with the policy he had pursued.

On 8 April 1690 Melville was created Earl of Melville, Viscount Kirkcaldy, Lord Raith, Monimail, and Balwearie. In January 1691 Sir John Dalrymple, first earl of Stair [q. v.], was appointed joint secretary along with him. This would seem to indicate that while the king was so far satisfied with his services, he had some doubt as to his administrative talents and his power to cope with the new difficulties of the situation. The fact that he was not superseded altogether, indicated a desire to spare his feelings; but on 29 Dec. he exchanged the office of joint secretary for that of lord privy seal. In August 1696 he became president of the privy council, and a member of the committee for the security of the kingdom. On the accession of Queen Anne he was in December 1702 deprived of his offices. He died on 20 May 1707, and was buried in the parish church of Monimail. By his wife, Lady Catherine Leslie, only daughter of Alexander, lord Balgonie, afterwards second earl of Leven, he had eight sons and four daughters. The sons were: Alexander, master of Melville and lord Raith, who predeceased his father in 1698; John, who died young; David, third earl of Leven and fourth earl of Melville [q. v.]; George, James, John (who died young), Charles, and John (who died young). The daughters were: Margaret, married to Robert, fourth lord Balfour, Mary, Anne, and Catherine. An engraving of the Earl of Melville, from the original portrait of Medina, is in Sir William Fraser's ‘Earls of Melville.’

 MELVILLE, GEORGE JOHN WHYTE (1821–1878), novelist. [See. ]

MELVILLE, JAMES (1535–1617), of Hallhill, autobiographer, born in 1535, was the third son of Sir John Melville of Raith [q. v.], by his second wife, Helen Napier. When fourteen years of age he was appointed page to the youthful Mary Queen of Scots, then at the French court. On his way to France in the train of John de Montluc, bishop of Valence, a visit was paid to the coast of Ireland, and Melville was there eagerly sought in marriage by a young Irish lady, who had a priest in readiness. But Melville declined, telling her he was too young and had no means. For three years he remained in the retinue of the bishop, and then entered the service of the constable of France, whom he accompanied to the field against the emperor, and was wounded in 1557 at the battle of St. Quentin, where the constable was made prisoner. In 1559 Melville was introduced by his master to the French king, Henry II, and was sent to Scotland to discover the real designs of Lord James Stewart, the half-brother of Queen Mary, whom Mary of Guise, the queen-dowager of Scotland, charged with aiming at the crown. He carried out his mission successfully, but on his return to France was obliged to withdraw for a short time to the court of the elector palatine. While there he was entrusted with the delicate task of recommending a marriage between Duke John Casimir, the elector's second son, and Queen Elizabeth, and about the same time he proposed marriages between Archduke Charles of Austria and Mary Queen of Scots, and between Charles IX and the second daughter of the Emperor Maximilian. In none of these schemes was he successful.

At the earnest desire of Queen Mary he settled next at the Scottish court, and was appointed a privy councillor and gentleman of the bedchamber. She granted him two yearly pensions of 100l. and five hundred merks Scots for life, and these were afterwards confirmed to him by James VI. At first the queen employed his diplomatic talents to win over Queen Elizabeth to her projected marriage with Darnley, and Melville personally ingratiated himself with Elizabeth. On his return from England he vainly attempted to prevent the murder of Rizzio, which from the aspect of affairs at court he clearly foresaw. He was present in Holyrood at the time of the tragedy, but was apparently not a witness. He was made the bearer of the tidings of the birth of Queen Mary's son to Elizabeth, and was present at the baptism of the prince. After the murder of Darnley he tried to dissuade Mary from marrying Bothwell, but only incurred the resentment of that nobleman. He was present at their marriage, which was followed by the queen's deposition and imprisonment, and the coronation of her infant son.

The nobles sent Melville to offer the regency to James Stewart, earl of Moray [q. v.], at Berwick. Through the troublesome period of James's minority he was entrusted with the most delicate diplomatic missions. During the latter portion of Morton's regency he retired