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Primary sourceBook1599 (published 1603)

Basilikon Doron

James VI and I · 1599 (published 1603)

A guide to kingship James VI wrote for his son Prince Henry, later published and widely read when James became king of England.

James wrote this personal guide to kingship for his son, later published to present his political ideas to England.

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Title page of an early 17th-century printed book, 'Basilikon Doron, Devided into Three Books', printed at Edinburgh by Robert Waldegrave, Printer to the King's Majestie, 1599. Ornate border with figures of Justice and Peace, Latin mottoes Amor, Pax, Pacis Alumnus, and Infestamalis, and a central printer's ornament.
James VI, Basilikon Doron, Edinburgh, 1599.

About this source

What it is

Basilikon Doron, meaning "royal gift" in Greek, is a treatise on government written by James VI of Scotland in 1599 as a private letter of advice to his eldest son, Henry, Duke of Rothesay.

Only seven copies were printed in Edinburgh in 1599, but it was republished in London in 1603 and sold in large numbers.

Why it matters

The book covers a king's duty to God, how to govern justly, and how to behave in daily life. It repeats James's belief in the divine right of kings and warns against both Catholics and Puritans. Its wide readership in 1603 helped introduce James's political and religious views to his new English subjects.

Look closer

  • Why might James want this private advice to his son published for everyone to read?
  • What does the advice about dress, diet and manners suggest about how a king was expected to live?
  • How does this book connect to James's other writings on royal power?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of James I on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Engraved title page of the 1611 King James Bible. Large white central panel reads 'The Holy Bible' and 'Anno Dom. 1611'. Above, figures in clouds and a dove with rays. Moses holds tablets on the left, Aaron on the right, and four evangelists sit in the lower corners.Book

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Title page of a early 17th-century book. Ornate woodcut border at top. Text reads: DAEMONOLOGIE, IN FORME OF A DIALOGUE, Diuided into three books, written by the high and mighty Prince, James by the grace of God King of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith. Below is a small ornament, then LONDON, Printed by Arnold Hatfield for Robert Waldegraue, 1603.Book

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