A New Reign: the Rewards of Favour

Abstract

We have it on the authority of Dr. Johnson that ‘the noblest prospect which a Scotchman ever sees, is the high road that leads him to England’. Certainly no one can ever have waited with such impatience to take that road as King James did to succeed to his inheritance on the death of the Queen. In these last two years of her life he could hardly contain himself. His ambassadors were on the way south to bring pressure in favour of Essex when he had made his premature outbreak; Cecil had hurried on Essex’s execution, and neatly took over these personal contacts with James, a private line to him. James owed his smooth and orderly accession to the English throne to Cecil more than any other man and was, within the bounds of reason, duly grateful. In the first years of the reign Cecil — supported by the Howards, with whom he allied himself, Worcester, Egerton and the moderate middle-of-the-road men — was all-powerful. But James’s inclinations were with the dead Essex and his friends, a cause which also had the recommendation of being popular. Cecil tactfully sent Essex supporters to Scotland and Ireland to announce James’s accession.