ABSTRACT
Andrew Melville's writings on kingship, scattered though they are across various pamphlets and poems, walk a similarly fine line. One would expect Melville to be most heavily influenced on this topic by his good friend George Buchanan. There is a common perception that Buchanan's politics were rapidly internalised by Melville', a perception bolstered by the anecdotes of contemporary historians on his radicalism, and Spottiswoode's allegation that Melville used Buchanan's political works in his teaching at St Andrews. The most radical and provocative conclusion of the De Iure Regni was Buchanan's endorsement of single-handed tyrannicide political assassination carried out by any individual in the defence of the common good. George Buchanan is said to have haunted the dreams of King James right down to his death. Perhaps his spectre hung more than a little over Andrew Melville as well. Melville was personally banned by the king from attending the assembly in any capacity.
