Stuart dynasty

60 The Stuart Dynasty.
and others, when endeavouring to assist James IV. to elevate
the navy. Nor was personal inspection neglected by the
King, who superintended each minuter detail, conversed with
artisans of every country who flocked in from France, Italy,
and the Low Countries ; while, under the tuition of Wood and
Andrew Barton, the King received lessons in navigation
during the trips along the coast and to the Isles, which were
from time to time indulged in for the purpose of gaining
familiarity with the harbourage and general character of the
sea-board.*
In the ' Pitscottie Chronicle ' (pp. 257, 258) will be found an
interesting account of the great leviathan vessel of those
days, the Michael, which James IV. constructed at this period
of his reign. She is said to have been 240 feet long, the hull
of oak 10 feet thick. " When this ship," says the chronicler,
" passed to the sea and was lying in the road, the King caused
shot ane canon at her, to essay if she was wight, but the
canon deered (injured) her not." Truly the counterpart of
some modern trial at Portsmouth or Plymouth of the strength
and invulnerability of a modern ironclad.
Nor did the vigour and energy of James IV. stop at naval
preparations ; for there remained no portion of his dominions
wherein a wrongdoer could feel sure that his sovereign might
not appear and in person demand an account of the talents
committed to him ; the consequence being that property had
not ever been so secure across the Border as at this moment,
when the geographical discoveries of the Portuguese, and the
rapid introduction of the printing-press in Europe threatened
to change the world altogether. Anxious to see Scotland in
the van when progress such as this was in question, James IV.
was never called on to make up his mind regarding any of
the burning problems which resulted on the dissemination of
a general reforming spirit ; but the King was asked to decide
whether he would or would not preserve the ancient league
with France which had hitherto remained the very corner-
stone of Stuart foreign policy. The necessity for " yea " or
"nay" being pronounced with regard to this important matter,
came about in this wise.
During the year 1507 Pope Julius II. endeavoured to entice
James over to the enemies of Louis XII., but received a
decided rebuff, after which confidence in the King o' Scots
was never evinced at Rome ; while, as years passed by, it
* Tytler's ' History of Scotland,' edition 1841, vol. iv. p. 317.