Walter Scott

Marmion Walter Scott

In 1488, a group of Scottish nobles rebelled against their king, James III, and defeated him in battle. Following their murder of the monarch, James III was succeeded on the throne by his fifteen-year-old son, James IV, who unified Scotland and led it to new prosperity. During the twenty-five years of James IV's eventful reign, the Spanish Inquisition would establish a well-deserved reputation for intolerance and cruelty, the Star Chamber of England's Henry VII would deprive his subjects of their civil rights, a fanatic Florentine monk named Girolamo Savonarola would preach against the supposed sinfulness of some of the world's greatest art, and Christopher Columbus would land in the Americas. As subsequent explorations revealed hitherto unknown lands in the Americas and Africa and new trade routes to Asia, European powers struggled to adjust. The opportunities offered by political instability and expanded geographical horizons tempted many to enhance their fortunes through military conquests of various kinds, not only in the New World but also in Europe. Anxious to gain influence over his southern neighbor, for example, James IV of Scotland expanded his army and navy, actively supported a young pretender to the English throne named Perkin Warbeck, and threatened to invade England. Scotland had allied itself with France against England, but England defeated them both. James IV's attempt to take England by force came to an abrupt halt September 9, 1513, just south of the border between the two countries. In the Battle of Flodden Field, an army sent from London defeated that of the Scots, killing James IV and most of his nobles. This is also the conflict that climaxes Sir Walter Scott's Marmion.