ABSTRACT
The succession of James to the English throne made him the ruler of a people which not only had been welded into unity by the vigour of Tudor administration, but also was becoming increasingly conscious of its common interests and character. The success of the Tudors in organizing a government able to undertake the centralized direction of the many social and economic interests within a national framework helped to evoke a sense of unity among the people in proportion as the sense of mutual dependence and a common interest became more pronounced. Tudor government had rested upon the monarch’s councils and their prerogative powers. An independent authority enabled the crown to decide policy and to put it into operation. James’ concern had been to achieve the well governed commonwealth, to promote security and prosperity and to encourage the integration of the country—in short, to carry through a Tudor policy in Scotland and to release it from medieval bonds.
