The regard in which King James I is held as a writer has flourished or foundered in tandem with his historical reputation. His position in the ranks of British literature's secondary figures, however, is secure. In publications on topics from political theory and practice to the condemnation of tobacco, James's prose is distinguished by systematic argument, memorable phrasing, homey wit, and vivid imagery. His poetry, although uneven, displays considerable skill--especially when his mature work, unpublished until the twentieth century, is included. The King James Version of the Bible (1611) was produced under his aegis, and he encouraged and patronized other writers, both Scottish and English. As G. P. V. Akrigg points out in Letters of King James VI & I (1984), "a king who could address a courtier as 'my little pork' and a Secretary of State as 'my little beagle' or 'my little wiffe-waffe,' and who could warn a...