|
Alexander Seton, 1st Earl of Dunfermline (1555–1622) was a Scottish lawyer, judge and politician. He served as Lord President of the Court of Session from 1598 to 1604, Lord Chancellor of Scotland from 1604 to 1622 and as a Lord High Commissioner to the Parliament of Scotland. ==Career== Born at Seton Palace, East Lothian, Alexander was the son of George Seton, 7th Lord Seton and Isobell Hamilton. The Setons remained a Roman Catholic family after the Scottish Reformation of 1560, and continued to support Mary, Queen of Scots after her abdication and exile in England. Alexander was educated at the German and Roman College in Rome from June 1571 to December 1578.〔Dilworth, Mark,''Innes Review'', 'Scottish Students at Collegium Germanicum', vol. 19, no. 1 (1968), 20.〕 Alexander was noted learning Italian and science (philosophy) in Rome by Baptista da Trento in 1577 in a letter describing plots to marry Elizabeth I of England to the Earl of Leicester and re-instate Mary in Scotland.〔Historical Manuscripts Commission, ''Salisbury Manuscripts, Hatfield'', vol. 2 (1888), v-vi, 168, Baptista di Trento to Elizabeth.〕 The family historian Viscount Kingston heard it said that he was skilled in mathematics, heraldry and architecture, and Alexander might have been made a Cardinal if he had stayed at Rome.〔''The history of the house of Seytoun to the year 1559'', (1829), p. 63〕 In 1583, Alexander joined his father's embassy to France. William Schaw, the Master of Work to the Crown of Scotland was his companion. They left from Leith in Andrew Lamb's ship.〔''Calendar State Papers Scotland'', vol.6 (1910), 645, 649〕 According to the Jesuit Robert Parsons, Lord Seton even considered sending the youthful Alexander back to Scotland as his representative at one point.〔''Calendar State Papers Scotland'', vol. 7 (1913), 235.〕 Alexander became a Privy Councillor in 1585 and was appointed a Lord of Session as Lord Urquhart in 1586. He rose to be Lord President of the Court of Session and was created Lord Fyvie on 4 March 1598.〔Maurice Lee jnr, 'King Jame's Popish Chancellor', in Cowan & Shaw ed., ''Renaissance and Reformation in Scotland'', Scottish Academic Press (1983), 170-182.〕 Anne of Denmark in her capacity as "Lady of Dunfermline" made him 'bailie and justiciary of the regality of Dunfermline on both sides of Forth on 15 February 1596.〔G. Seton,''Memoir of Alexander Seton'', (Blackwood, Edinburgh 1882), p. 102〕 At the end of August 1596 according to James Melville, the King arranged a Convention of the Estates at Falkland Palace which included the allies of the forfeited earls. Alexander Seton made a speech like those of Coriolanus or Themistocles calling for the re-instatement of these earls to strengthen the country. The reference to Themistocles, who spoke about naval power to the Athenians, perhaps refers to the forfeited Lord High Admiral of Scotland, Francis Stewart, 5th Earl of Bothwell.〔''Mr James Melvill's Diary'', (Bannatyne Club, 1829), pp.243-4〕 On 7 November 1598 he was made burgess, Guild-brother and Provost of Edinburgh. In March 1598 he took delivery of Spanish and Bordeaux wine, probably for the banquet for Ulrik, the younger brother of Anne of Denmark at Riddle's Court. Other notes in the town's records include a dozen torches supplied by a waxmaker for the baptism of Princess Margaret in April 1599, and another dozen for the baptism of Prince Charles.〔G. Seton,''Memoir of Alexander Seton'', (Blackwood, Edinburgh 1882), p. 84, 86-7〕 His was regarded as one of the finest legal minds of the time, and he became an advisor to James VI and guardian and tutor to Prince Charles, then called the Duke of Albany. After the Union of the Crowns, Seton remained on the committee supervising Anne's Scottish incomes, while James VI went to England, and the infant Charles remained with Seton at Dunfermline Palace.〔''Register of the Privy Seal of Scotland'', vol. 6 (Edinburgh 1884), p.556-7〕 On 14 March 1604 Seton wrote to Robert Cecil on the subject of the union and opinion in Scotland; This Union is the most at this time of all men's hearts and speeches. I find none of any account here but glad in heart to embrace the same in general: some suspect the particular conditions may engender greater difficulties. I hope the wisdom of the Prince who is both the ground and the cornerstone of this happy Union, with your and other wise men's assistance shall set by all such difficulties: as also I think there can be no particular condition desired for the weal (commonwealth) of one of the nations, but it must be profitable to the other, nor nothing prejudicial to one, but must be hurtful to the other, albeit only by the distracting of their due concord which wise men will think of greater consequence, nor any particular may be subtly cozened (brought) in. This is all I can write even of our thoughts here-away: I doubt not there are divers apprehensions there also."〔''Calendar of the Cecil Papers in Hatfield House, 1604'', vol. 16, (1933), under date〕 In 1604 he was appointed Lord Chancellor of Scotland and was created Earl of Dunfermline in 1605. Alexander Seton brought Prince Charles, Duke of Albany, to England in August 1604.〔Seton, Walter W., 'The Early Years of Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales, and Charles, Duke of Albany, 1593-1605', ''Scottish Historical Review'', vol. 13, no. 52 (Jul., 1916), pp. 366-379.〕 He stayed in London till January 1605 in London, co-inciding with the visit of the Ulrik, Duke of Holstein, and had a tour of armouries of the Tower of London. While he was at Whitehall, Viscount Cranborne arranged for him to read the original Treaty of Greenwich, which had led to the war of the Rough Wooing in 1543, and other documents, which he returned to Cecil on 3 November.〔G. Seton,''Memoir of Alexander Seton'', (Blackwood, Edinburgh 1882), pp. 64-5: ''Calendar of the Cecil Papers in Hatfield House, 1604'', vol. 16, (1933), see 3 Nov. 1604Alexander returned to Scotland with more funding to reward his keeping of Prince Charles, made Duke of York on Twelfth Night, and his expenses for his 'pains in the Union' amounting to £200 a year.〔Sawyer, Edmund, ed., ''Memorials of the affairs of State under Queen Elizabeth and James I'', vol.2 (1725), p.46, Chamberlain to Winwood, 26 January 1605〕 In 1616 he was required by the Privy Council of Scotland to declare what remained of the Scottish Royal tapestry collection at Dunfermline Palace. He stated there were 10 pieces "of auld and worne tapestrie of the storie of Aeneas, the storie of Troy, and of the story of Mankynd."〔''Register of the Privy Council of Scotland, 1613-1616'', vol. 10 (1891), p. 521〕 His modern humanist and neo-stoic attitude was demonstrated by his energetic defence of Geillis Johnstone accused of witchcraft in 1614.〔David Allan, ''Philosophy and Politics in Later Stuart Scotland'', Tuckwell (2000), 114.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Alexander Seton, 1st Earl of Dunfermline」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|