George Buchanan

George Buchanan (1506-1582), a most distinguished Scottish scholar and humanist, born at Killearn, Stirlingshire. He was educated at St. Andrews and Paris. He was professor for three years in the College at St. Barbe. Then returned to Scotland and became tutor to James V's illegitimate sons. He was imprisoned by Cardinal Beaton for satires against the monks, however, he escaped to France. Driven from one place to another, imprisoned in a monastery in Portugal at the instance of the Inquisition, where he commenced his celebrated Latin version of the Psalms. He came back to Scotland and was appointed in 1562 tutor to Queen Mary, in 1566 principal of St. Leonard's College, in St. Andrews, in 1567 moderator of the General Assembly in 1570 tutor to James VI, and had several offices of State conferred on him. He wrote a "History of Scotland," and his book "De Jure Regni," against the tyranny of peoples by kings. He died in Edinburgh without enough to bury him. He was buried at the public expense in Greyfriars' churchyard. When dying, it is said he asked his housekeeper to examine his money-box and see if there was enough to bury him, and when he found there was not, he ordered her to distribute what there was among his poor neighbours and left it to the city to bury him or not as they saw good.

Nearby pages
George Bull, George Burder, George Byng, George Caleb Bingham, George Calixtus, George Campbell