In The Scottish History of James the Fourth, probably written some time after the two preceding, the author seems to have got convinced that imitation of Marlowe was not his line, and that he could do best by working his own native vein:  accordingly, considerable portions of it are in prose and rhyme; while the style throughout is disciplined into a tolerable degree of sobriety and simplicity.  Though purporting to be a history, it has scarce any thing of historical matter.  It opens with a comic scene betwixt Oberon, King of Fairies, and Bohan, an old Scottish lord, who, disgusted with the vices of Court, city, and country, has withdrawn from the world with his two sons, Slipper and Nano, turned Stoic, lives in a tomb, and talks broad Scotch.  King Oberon has nothing in common with the fairy king of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, except the name.  The main plot of the drama is as follows: 

King James marries Dorothea, the daughter of Arius, King of England.  Before the wedding is fairly over, he falls in love with Ida, the Countess of Arran’s daughter, makes suit to her, and is rejected with horror.  He then sets himself to work to get rid of his Queen, turns away from his old counsellors, and gives his ear to an unscrupulous parasite named Ateukin.  Through his influence, the King forms a scheme for assassinating the Queen; who gets information of the plot, disguises herself in male attire, and escapes, with Nano in her company.  The parasite’s agent overtakes her, finds out who she is, fights with her, and leaves her for dead.  During the fight, Nano runs for help, and soon returns with Sir Cuthbert Anderson, who takes her to his house, where her wounds are healed, both Sir Cuthbert and his wife supposing her all the while to be a man.  Meanwhile Ida gives herself in marriage to Lord Eustace, with whom she has suddenly fallen in love upon his asking her hand.  The King now begins to be devoured by compunctions on account of the Queen, believing her to be dead.  The King of England also gets intelligence how his daughter has been treated, and makes war on her husband.  When they are on the eve of a decisive battle, Dorothea makes her appearance, to the astonishment of all the parties:  she pleads tenderly for her repentant husband, and a general reconciliation takes place; Ateukin and his abettors being delivered over to their deserts.

This play has something of what may not unworthily be called character.  The parts of Ida and the Queen are not without delicacy and pathos, showing that the author was not far from some right ideas of what womanhood is.  Ateukin’s part, too, is very well conceived and sustained, though the qualities of a parasite are made rather too naked and bald, as would naturally result from the writer’s ambition being stronger than his love of nature and truth.  The comic portions are much beyond any thing we have met with in that line, since Ralph Roister Doister and Misogonus.  The versification is endurably free from gas, and the style in many parts may be pronounced rather tight and sinewy.