On a number of occasions, Donne comments explicitly on James’s publications, particularly his works of political theory, theological controversy, and scriptural interpretation. By exploring Donne’s responses to James as a writer, this chapter sheds new light on ongoing debates about Donne’s relationship with authority and with his readers and audiences. Focusing on unprinted, preordination writings, the chapter argues that Donne responds sceptically to certain aspects of James’s self-representation in his speeches and published works. At the same time, however, Donne shows a complex awareness of both the difficulties inherent in James’s position and his own complicity in some of the problems of language and rhetoric he explores. The chapter goes on to consider Donne’s first printed book, Pseudo-Martyr, which he dedicated to the King in 1610. It argues that this polemical work offers a sophisticated commentary on James’s books and on the relationship between authorship, authority, and print. The chapter illuminates, then, the importance of James’s publications to the development of Donne’s political views and writing career. It also highlights some of the sceptical or critical views that James’s political and religious works elicited, even among those broadly supportive of his reign.