Series 3 > Letters of James the Fourth, 1505-1513

XX
LETTERS OF JAMES IV
in him a most genial President, who on a rainy afternoon in
St. Andrews transformed a moribund conference into a
lively music-hall entertainment, with himself as compere
and principal vocalist. Though he did not make a practice
of attending historical conferences furth of Scotland, he
was in touch with many continental scholars, with some of
whom, faithful to medieval practice, he corresponded in
Latin.
The Scottish History Society owes much to him. He
joined it in 1912 and was elected a member of Council in
the following year. After seven years as assistant to Dr.
Maitland Thomson he became Honorary Secretary in
1920. During his eight years’ service in that capacity the
membership of the Society was increased, the number and
quality of its publications were maintained, and pressure
was brought successfully to bear upon public authorities
for the publication of national and local records. He
was elected Chairman of the Council in 1938, and threw
himself wholeheartedly into the task of preparing for it
the Calendar of the Letters of James IV which forms this
volume.
In the same year, however, he suffered an irreparable
loss in the death of his wife. The whimsical stories became,
if possible, more frequent and more whimsical, but, said
one of his oldest friends, ‘ he broke quite visibly though
he tried—very pathetically to those who knew them both—
to go on just as though things were as they had been.
When his own last illness came, he had not the strength nor
any wish to recover.’ He died in Edinburgh on 19th
March 1940, and was buried beside his wife at New
Abbey, ‘under the shadow of Criffel, and almost within
hearing of the tide of Solway.’