Memoirs of John Napier of Merchiston

NAPIER OF MERCHISTON. 23
fifty merks Sterling annually upon John Napier, the son and heir of the vice-
admiral of Scotland, who at this time was on his embassy to England.*
Sir Alexander was also in England in 1464, as appears from his letters of
safe-conduct dated 6th November of that year ; and an important embassy,
which occurred in the year 1468, again called into requisition his well-tried
sagacity, j- Christiern, king of Denmark and Norway, at that time feudal
superior of the islands of Orkney and Shetland, had been highly offended at
the imprisonment of his friend and favourite Tulloch bishop of Orkney,
by the Earl of Orkney. He accordingly sent letters, of no very amicable as-
pect, to James III., complaining of the indignity. Repeated remonstrances
were at length accompanied with an argument more formidable to Scotland
than a declaration of war. Denmark demanded the arrears of the Hebudian
annual, due to the crown of Norway from those islands ; and Scotland found
the claim not easy to evade either in law or honour. The menace was met,
however, by a courtship of Denmark's daughter on behalf of the young king
of Scots ; and the latter, instead of paying tribute, eventually received the va-
luable cession of the islands themselves, in satisfaction of the arrears of the
princess's dower.
Lord Napier, in his genealogical account of the family, states that, " in a
manuscript book of heraldry, formerly belonging to that great antiquary the
laird of M'Farlane, and now in the library of Andrew Plumber of Sunderland-
Hall, Sir Alexander Napier is said to have been sent with Andrew Stewart,
the lord-chancellor, to negociate the marriage betwixt King James III. and
the king of Denmark's daughter." Though I have not discovered any official
record of this fact, it can hardly be doubted. Napier, dwing a period of
twenty years, was continually employed in the most difficult and important
missions of his day ; and the circumstances of the Danish alliance were such
as scarcely to dispense with his experience in foreign negociation. Besides,
his eldest son was by this time married to a grand-niece and co-heiress of
* See Appendix, (No. II.)
f Betwixt the years 1464 and 1468, Sir Alexander's services were bestowed at home. In
1467 he is one of the commissioners for a tax raised upon the barons, &c. " Item, anent ye
taxt of the barouns, it is ordanit yat yar be ane inquisitioun taken be ye personnes efter folowand
and depute yarto and nemmyt in ilk schir, and to retour again ye avale of ilk mannis rent, and
efter ye cummyn of ye retouris, that ye abbot of Halirudhous, Sir Alexander Napar, and Thomas
Oliphant sail modyfie and set ye said taxt evinly apoun all ye persounis yat ar ordanit to contribut
yarto." — " Item, it is ordanit yat ye abbot of Halirudhous be resavoir of ye taxt of the clergy,
Sir Alexander Napar of ye barons, and Thomas Oliphant of ye baronis." — Pari. Record.