James IV

James IV is portrayed as a Scottish king whose dynastic connection to England promises peace even as reports of maritime and border attacks undermine it. The novel gives him little direct presence: his character emerges through the actions attributed to him, the interpretations of English observers, and the tension between a royal marriage intended to bind neighboring kingdoms and conduct said to endanger that alliance.

Identity and Indirect Characterization

James IV is King of Scotland and the husband of Margaret Tudor. The account presents him chiefly through other people’s reports rather than through scenes in which he speaks or acts in person. This distance matters: his reputation is built from claims about what he has authorized and what he may intend, so the narrative distinguishes reported policy from the certainty with which his English opponents interpret it.

The English court’s view is sharply hostile. Henry VIII calls James a coward and an oath breaker, but those are Henry’s accusations, made in anger over Scottish attacks, not neutral descriptions. The narrative instead supplies concrete grounds for the dispute alongside these judgments: a privateer sails with royal authority, English ships are attacked, and Scottish raids on northern lands grow more daring.

Marriage and the Promise of Peace

James’s marriage to Margaret Tudor is part of the political relationship between Scotland and England. Henry VIII points to the marriage as evidence that the kingdoms had promised peace and become kin and neighbors. From his perspective, James’s alleged support for attacks on English shipping makes that connection seem hypocritical: marriage has created an expectation of peace, but the reported actions suggest its limits.

Henry hopes Margaret can help preserve the relationship by warning her husband that England will not accept attacks on its shipping and expects the border to be respected. Katherine of Aragon doubts that Margaret will necessarily be able to persuade him. Henry nevertheless insists that Margaret is not to blame, describing her as too young for the marriage and James as committed to war. The exchange presents the princess’s marriage as a diplomatic instrument, but also shows how little control she may have over the conduct it is meant to influence.

Maritime and Border Threats

London hears that Scottish privateers have attacked an English merchant ship. Andrew Barton is identified as the privateer, and the account says he sails under letters of authority from James. Barton is described as merciless toward English ships; in the London docks, the prevailing belief is that James has deliberately licensed him to prey on English trade. This attribution turns privateering from an isolated danger into a possible sign of state policy, though it remains presented as the common belief of London’s maritime community.

The danger is not confined to the sea. Border lords report that Scottish raids in the north have become bolder, and the narrative presents James as spoiling for war and possibly seeking land in Northumberland. Berwick and Newcastle are named as places that could be threatened by a southward march. Henry responds with indignation and boasts that he could raise an army, while Katherine judges that a campaign across the border would be difficult: the terrain is wild, the march long, and English soldiers reluctant to fight far from their villages. The reported threat therefore exposes not only the fragility of the peace but the practical costs of confronting it.

Narrative Role

James functions as an offstage source of pressure on England. His marriage to Margaret Tudor embodies the possibility of peace between neighboring royal houses; the reports of Barton’s attacks and northern raids make that possibility increasingly uncertain. Because the novel presents his intentions through accusation and intelligence rather than direct testimony, the conflict also reveals how dynastic diplomacy depends on interpretations of conduct. A marriage may declare kinship, but it cannot by itself establish trust or prevent a border from becoming a battleground.