Saturday, March 27, 2010

King Solomon died in Peace, when he had lived about sixty years...and so you know did King James

The title words were spoken by Bishop John Williams eulogizing James VI of Scotland and I of England, who died on March 27, 1625.  Thus ended the reign of the first Scottish ruler of the United Kingdoms.  Walter Scott mentions the taking of the Stone of Scone by King Edward I of England 300 years earlier as a precursor to James' rule in his "History of Scotland".

"...This fatal stone, as already mentioned, was said to have been brought from Ireland by Fergus, the son of Erie, who led the Dalriads to the shores of Argyllshire. Its virtues are preserved in the celebrated leonine verse -

Ni filial fatum, Scoti, quocunque Iocs turn
Invenieut lapidt-m, regnare tenentur ibidem.

Which may be rendered thus : —
Unless the fates are faithless grown,
And prophets' voice be vain,
Where'er is found this sacred stone
The Scottish race shall reign.

There were Scots who hailed the accomplishment of this prophecy at the accession of James VI. to the crown of England, and exulted, that, in removing this palladium, the policy of Edward resembled that which brought the Trojan horse in triumph within their walls, and which occafioncil the destruction of their royal family. The btone is -till preserved, and forms the support of king Edward the Confessor's chair, which the sovereign occupies at his coronation, and, indei«ndent of the divination so long in being accomplished, is in itself a very curious remnant of extreme Antiquity..."

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.