But James I., although so great an amateur of antiquities, did not regard the society with a favourable eye.  He was eminently cautious, and fancied that these meetings might lead to a political association, and he accordingly suppressed them.

In recognition, however, of Cotton’s merit the king knighted him at his coronation honours; he called him “cousin,” and acknowledged his claim to be descended from the Scottish family of Bruce.  From that time Cotton quartered the royal arms of Scotland with his own, and adopted the name of Bruce, “not,” says Collins in his Baronetage, “in arrogance and ostentation, but in distinction to those of the name of Cotton of other families . . . and in a grateful sense of the divine favour for that extraction, and to excite an emulation in his issue to follow the virtues of such glorious ancestors.”  His descent is clearly traced in the history of Connington Castle in Huntingdonshire, which had been the home of his family for centuries.  The house had been rebuilt at various times.  When it came into Sir Robert Cotton’s hands he completely restored it, embellishing the north front with richly moulded arches which he had purchased and brought from Fotheringhay Castle, together with the room in which Queen Mary had been executed.*

* Neale.  Views of the Seats of Noblemen and Gentlemen, vol. ii, for Cotton’s pedigree, see Julius F 8, f. 58b.

Cotton’s friendship with Camden began at Westminster School, where Cotton was educated—­Camden being at that time second master.  In the last year of the century, the two friends made an antiquarian journey into the North, where they explored the old Roman wall, built to keep out the marauding Picts, and returned to Connington laden with trophies.  These were afterwards presented to Trinity College, Cambridge, where they are still preserved.  Camden’s Britannia contains more than one allusion to this journey.  His History of Queen Elizabeth was long supposed to be their joint work; and it is probable that, although he only acknowledged the loan of autograph letters, the part relating to Mary Queen of Scots was at least inspired by Cotton.  It is certain that Camden obtained nearly all his materials from his friend’s library.  In one of his letters he speaks of Cotton as “the dearest of all my friends”; and in this profession he was constant till his death, directing in his will that Sir Robert should have the first view of his books and manuscripts; “that he may take such as I borrowed of him;” and then he goes on to bequeath to him his entire collection, except his heraldic and ancient seals, which he left to the Herald’s College.

About the year 1614 it began to be whispered that Sir Robert Cotton had unlawfully come by some of the State Papers in his library, and the low murmurs soon grew into a loud argument to the effect that the Public Record Office was injured " by his having such things as he hath cunningly scraped together."* The general feeling of jealousy and suspicion is expressed in the following extract from a contemporary letter which was prompted by the fact that Arthur Agard, keeper of the Public Records, had left his private collection to Cotton: