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Earl of Cassilis； who seems to have been a noble young gentleman； took
him as his tutor for the next five years； and with him he went back to
Scotland。
But there his plain speaking got him； as it did more than once
afterward； into trouble。 He took it into his head to write； in imitation of
Dunbar； a Latin poem； in which St。 Francis asks him in a dream to bee
a Gray Friar； and Buchanan answered in language which had the
unpleasant fault of being too clever； andto judge from contemporary
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evidenceonly too true。 The friars said nothing at first； but when King
James made Buchanan tutor to one of his natural sons； they； 〃men
professing meekness； took the matter somewhat more angrily than befitted
men so pious in the opinion of the people。〃 So Buchanan himself puts it：
but； to do the poor friars justice； they must have been angels； not men； if
they did not writhe somewhat under the scourge which he had laid on
them。 To be told that there was hardly a place in heaven for monks； was
hard to hear and bear。 They accused him to the king of heresy； but not
being then in favour with James； they got no answer； and Buchanan was
manded to repeat the castigation。 Having found out that the friars
were not to be touched with impunity； he wrote； he says； a short and
ambiguous poem。 But the king； who loved a joke； demanded something
sharp and stinging； and Buchanan obeyed by writing； but not publishing；
〃The Franciscans；〃 a long satire； pared to which the 〃Somnium〃 was
bland and merciful。 The storm rose。 Cardinal Beaten； Buchanan says；
wanted to buy him of the king； and then； of course； burn him； as he had
just burnt five poor souls； so； knowing James's avarice； he fled to England；
through freebooters and pestilence。
There he found； he says； 〃men of both factions being burned on the
same day and in the same fire〃a pardonable exaggeration〃by Henry
VIII。； in his old age more intent on his own safety than on the purity of
religion。〃 So to his beloved France he went again； to find his enemy
Beaten ambassador at Paris。 The capital was too hot to hold him； and he
fled south to Bordeaux； to Andrea Govea； the Portuguese principal of the
College of Guienne。 As Professor of Latin at Bordeaux； we find him
presenting a Latin poem to Charles V。； and indulging that fancy of his for
Latin poetry which seems to us nowadays a childish pedantry； which was
thenwhen Latin was the vernacular tongue of all scholarsa serious； if
not altogether a useful； pursuit。 Of his tragedies； so famous in their day
the 〃Baptist；〃 the 〃Medea；〃 the 〃Jephtha；〃 and the 〃Alcestis〃there is
neither space nor need to speak here； save to notice the bold declamations
in the 〃Baptist〃 against tyranny and priestcraft； and to notice also that
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these tragedies gained for the poor Scotsman； in the eyes of the best
scholars of Europe； a credit amounting almost to veneration。 When he
returned to Paris； he found occupation at once； and； as his Scots
biographers love to record； 〃three of the most learned men in the world
taught humanity in the same college；〃 viz。 Turnebus； Muretus； and
Buchanan。
Then followed a strange episode in his life。 A university had been
founded at Coimbra； in Portugal； and Andrea Govea had been invited to
bring thither what French savants he could collect。 Buchanan went to
Portugal with his brother Patrick； two more Scotsmen； Dempster and
Ramsay； and a goodly pany of French scholars； whose names and
histories may be read in the erudite pages of Dr。 Irving； went likewise。
All prospered in the new Temple of the Muses for a year or so。 Then its
high…priest； Govea； died； and； by a peripeteia too mon in those days
and countries； Buchanan and two of his friends migrated unwillingly from
the Temple of the Muses for that of Moloch； and found themselves in the
Inquisition。
Buchanan； it seems； had said that St。 Augustine was more of a
Lutheran than a Catholic on the question of the mass。 He and his friends
had eaten flesh in Lent； which； he says； almost everyone in Spain did。
But he was suspected； and with reason； as a heretic； the Gray Friars
formed but one brotherhood throughout Europe； and news among them
travelled surely if not fast； so that the story of the satire written in Scotland
had reached Portugal。 The culprits were imprisoned； examined； bullied
but not torturedfor a year and a half。 At the end of that time； the proofs
of heresy； it seems； were insufficient； but lest； says Buchanan with honest
pride； 〃they should get the reputation of having vainly tormented a man
not altogether unknown；〃 they sent him for some months to a monastery；
to be instructed by the monks。 〃The men；〃 he says； 〃were neither
inhuman nor bad； but utterly ignorant of religion；〃 and Buchanan solaced
himself during the intervals of their instructions； by beginning his Latin
translation of the Psalms。
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At last he got free； and begged leave to return to France； but in vain。
And so； wearied out； he got on board a Candian ship at Lisbon； and
escaped to England。 But England； he says； during the anarchy of Edward
VI。's reign； was not a land which suited him； and he returned to France； to
fulfil the hopes which he had expressed in his charming 〃Desiderium
Lutitiae；〃 and the still more charming； because more simple； 〃Adventus in
Galliam；〃 in which he bids farewell； in most melodious verse； to 〃the
hungry moors of wretched Portugal； and her clods fertile in naught but
penury。〃
Some seven years succeeded of schoolmastering and verse…writing： the