Stuart dynasty

54 TEE STUART DYNASTY.
the universal appreciation'of his regime by posterity
might well have been used as an argument by certain
obsolete theorists who desired to institute such a con-
dition of things during the nineteenth century.
Truly the memory of this monarch should ever
remain prominent amongst the sovereigns of the
world ; while, as regards the fifteenth century, no
royal competitor disputes pre-eminence in wisdom or
ability with the first King James of Scotland, bar-
barously slain at Perth by ignorant, jealous savages,
who were incapable of understanding the prescient
policy whereby he hoped to restore peace to the
Highlands and security to the whole country under
his care.
One incident of the great King's life and expe-
rience deserves special mention, viz. the giving in
marriage of his beautiful and interesting daughter
Margaret to the Dauphin, afterwards Louis XI.
Taken prematurely from home, she was neglected
abroad by her husband, and died in 1444 at Chalons
before he came to the throne.
Margaret, daughter of James I., married the
Dauphin of France at Tours, on June 25, 1436. She
was a poetess and a spirited woman. Walking
through the gallery of the palace and seeing Alain
Chartier (the French writer) asleep, she kissed him,
and, on being told of her impropriety, replied " that
she did not kiss the man, but the mouth which had
uttered so many fine sayings." " That kiss," says
Me'nage, " will immortalise her." *
* Chalmers's ' Poetical Remains of the Scottish Kings,' pp. IS, 19.