eady, it is evident, longing for more brilliant
scenes.

"Pervigil in lucem lecta atque relecta revolves
Et putri excuties scripta sepulta situ:
Saepe caput scalpes, et vivos roseris ungues,
Irata feries pulpita saepe manu."

At St. Barbe, however, he secured a noble young pupil of his own
country, the future Earl of Cassilis, who opened to him a brighter way,
and finally led him back to his own country and for a time to higher
fortune. When young King James came to Paris to meet Magdalen of
France--with the sudden pathetic result of a hasty romantic marriage
soon followed by the poor young lady's death--young Cassilis was still
there with his tutor, who was himself but little advanced in life beyond
his patron. And it was presumably in the train of the royal pair that
the young men returned home. In that case Buchanan must have witnessed
the touching scene that took place at the poor young Queen's
disembarkation when she kissed the soil of her new country, the land
which was to afford her only a grave. Whether dreams of Court favour and
advancement were beginning to germinate in the young scholar's brain as
he was thus suddenly swept into the train of royalty there is nothing to
say; but at all events he observed everything with keen attentive eyes,
unconsciously collecting the best materials for the history he was yet
to write. And it is clear that this accidental connection with the King
bore after-fruit. Buchanan went to Ayrshire with his young patron who
had come of age, and whose studies were over it is to be supposed: and
in the leisure of that relaxation from former duties amused himself with
compositions of various sorts, and in particular with the _Somnium_, a
lively poetical satire upon the Franciscans. The monks, who had been the
favourite butt of all the ages, were more than ever open to the assaults
of the wits now that the general sentiment had turned so strongly
against them, and Buchanan said no more than Dunbar with full
permission, before any controversy arose, had said, nor half so much as
David Lindsay was privileged to say. And Lord Cassilis' tutor had all
the freedom of a private individual responsible to no one while he
lingered at his young patron's castle, pleased to make as many as
comprehended his Latin laugh, though probably there were few capable of
appreciating its classical beauty. This, however, was but a pastime, and
his mind again began to turn towards Paris, wher