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of September, 1508, the royal permission to pursue his studies abroad, but soon again returned to Scotland. The last glimpse which we have of this impostor is quite in character. He is found, on the 29th March, 1513, receiving twenty pounds from the king, for his journey to the mine in Crawford Moor, where his Majesty expected to find gold.

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The Abbot of Tungland, however, was only one of a multitude of empirics who resorted to James's court, and seem to have been received with equal generosity and credulity. "The leech with the curland hair," "the lang Dutch doctor," one Fullertone, who possessed the secret of making precious stones, Dr. Ogilvy, who laboured hard at quinta essencia," and many others, were kept in pay by this monarch, who not only supported them in their experiments, but himself assisted in their laboratory, and delighted to show his attainments in medicine and surgery. On one occasion, the monarch gave Kinnard, his barber, thirteen shillings for two teeth, which he was pleased to draw out of his head with his own royal hand. On another, we find the following characteristic entry in the books of the High Treasurer:-" Item, to Jamie Dog, for claith to be bandages to John Balfour's leg, quhilk the king helit, twa shillings and aucht pennies."

IX. ARRIVAL OF THE GIPSIES IN SCOTLAND.

The date of this remarkable event is fixed by the books of the High Treasurer. On the 22nd of April, 1505, we find this entry:-"Item, to the 1 which the king cured.

ARRIVAL OF THE GIPSIES IN SCOTLAND.

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Egyptianis, be the king's command, seven pounds." Their leader was Anthony Gavino, Lord of Little Egypt, as he styled himself; and, after he and his company had sojourned for some months in Scotland, they determined to pass over to Denmark. It was on this occasion that the king addressed to his uncle, the King of Denmark, the following curious letter, which was found by Pinkerton in the manuscripts of the King's Library, and published by him in his Appendix, vol. ii. No. 4:"Most Illustrious Prince-Anthony Gavino, Earl of Little Egypt, along with his company, an afflicted and miserable race of men, in the progress of his peregrination round the Christian world, undertaken, as he affirms, by order of the Pope, hath at length reached the borders of our kingdom, and entreated that, out of our royal humanity, he might be permitted, with his goods, chattels, and company, to travel through our territories, where he may find some refuge for his helpless fortunes and miserable subjects. You may believe, that a request of this kind, proceeding from the unfortunate, could not be refused; and, accordingly, after having lived here for several months, comporting himself, as I am informed, after a conscientious and Catholic fashion, he is now preparing, my excellent king and uncle, to pass over to Denmark. Before crossing the sea, however, he hath requested our letters, by which your highness might not only be informed of the truth of these particulars, but might, also, be moved to extend your kindness and munificence towards relieving the calamities of this people. Yet, as the kingdom of your Highness is nearer to Egypt

than our dominions, and as there must, consequently, be a greater resort of these people within your territories, than to these our realms, it follows that the fate, manners, and extraction of these Egyptian wanderers, must be more familiar to your Highness than to ourselves.-Farewell, most Illustrious Prince."*

X. ANCIENT SCOTTISH GAMES AND
AMUSEMENTS.

A valuable and curious additional chapter might be added to Strutt's "Sports and Pastimes," from the pages of the manuscript accounts of the Lord High Treasurer, during the reign of the Fourth James. The king's fondness for games, glee, and merriment of every kind is ludicrous; and, when we consider the many grave and valuable qualities which James undoubtedly possessed, presents a singular picture of human nature. The multitude of persons whom he kept in pay, for the sole purpose of amusement, was very great. Take one item for example, which belongs to his expenses in 1506. Payments to divers menstrales, schawmourers, trumpeters, tambrownars, fithelaris, lutars, clarscharis, and pyparis, extending to eighty-nine persons, forty-one pounds eleven shillings." He appears to have been passionately fond of music, both vocal and instrumental. When he took his progresses through his kingdom, he was generally met at the gates of the town by maidens, who welcomed him with songs; and, wherever he went, the royal taste appears to have found out those who could *The original epistle is in Latin.

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please him in his favourite art.* Thus, in the treasurer's accounts, as regularly as the king comes to Dumfries, a little crukit backit vicar" makes his appearance, who sings to the king; and this deformed vocalist figures from year to year as a recipient of the royal bounty. On his journeys he took his organs, organists, harpers, lutars, and Italian minstrels along with him; and when the noted papal embassy arrived at his court, which brought him from his holiness a splendid sword of justice, still to be seen amongst the Scottish regalia, the first attitude in which we discover the king is "listhening," not to the ambassador, but to the Paip's ambassador's servant, who was a celebrated singer. Many other examples might be given; but let us pass to the games in vogue at court. Chess-tables, dice, and cards we find common; and the king seems almost invariably to have played for money. Thus, in 1488, we have "Item, on Yule-day, for the king himself to play at the dice and cards, 287. Item, on St. John's day at even, sent with Archie Dickson to the king to play at the dice at Lithgow, 421." The Bishop of Murray and the queen seem to have been James's most frequent partners at the card-table; but there are other games of which the names only remain, whilst the meaning and mode of playing have passed away. What, for instance, are we to understand by the king playing at the prop in Strathbogy, and losing four shillings and four

* He himself played on the lute; thus, in the high treasurer's accounts, under 6th December, 1496, we have "Item, to Johne Jamesone for a lute to the king, 6sh. 8d." He performed also on the monocordis, April 10, 1497.

pence? and what is the difference between the "lang bowlis" with which his Majesty amused himself at St. Andrews, on the 28th of April, 1487, and the " row bowlis" which contributed to his royal diversion on the 20th June, 1501? on which occasion Sir John Sinclair, and the prothonotary, Andrew Forman, were his partners in the game. What, again, are we to understand by " the kiles" which the king played at in Glenluce, on the 29th March, 1506? and what is the distinction between the game of "Irish gamyne" (March 17, 1507,) and the "tables" which occur so constantly? Archery, and shooting at the butts, shooting with the cross bow, and culveryng, playing at the golf and football, not only occur continually, but in all of them the king himself appears to have been no mean proficient. Another favourite sport of James was the exhibition of his skill and strength in striking with the great sledgehammer used by smiths in their forge. Thus, when Sir Anthony D'Arsy came into Scotland from the French court, and distinguished himself at the tournaments held at Stirling, in 1506, we find, on the 25th June, this entry in the books of the high treasurer-"Item, to the smith quhen the king and the French knycht strak at the steddye, 13 shillings."

Other examples might be given of such exercises of power and dexterity; but we must look for a moment to the king's more sedentary amusements; amongst these, listening to story-tellers or tale-tellers seems to have been one of the most frequent. Thus, on the 9th November, 1496, the accounts introduce us to "Wedderspoon the

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