received and admitted to the Kings Table but in the midst of the Feast some Armed Men beset him being Weaponless and put a Bulls Head upon him which in those Times was a Messenger and Sign of Death When the young Man saw that he was troubled and sought to arise but the Armed Men laid hold on and carry'd him to a Court near the Castle where by the loss of his Head he paid for the Intemperance of his Youth David his Brother and Malcolm Fleming whom next to his Brother he trusted most of all were also put to Death with him 'T is said that the King who was now fully entring on his being of Age wept for his Death and that the Chancellor did greatly Rebuke him for his unseasonable Tears at the Destruction of an Enemy whereas the Publick Peace was never like to be settled as long as he was alive William dying thus without Children Iames Sirnamed Crassus or the Gross from his Disposition succeeded him in the Earldom for 't was a Male-Feo as Lawyers speak the rest of his Patrimony which was very great fell to his only Sister Beatrix a very beautiful Person in her Days This Iames the Gross though he were no bad Man yet was no less suspected by the King and hated by the Commons than the former Earl because though he did not maintain Robbers as the former Earl had done yet he was not very Zealous in subduing them but he was substracted from this Envy by his Death which happen'd Two Years after William the Eldest of his Seven Sons Succeeded him he being Emulous of the ancient Power of the Family that he might restore it unto its Pristine Splendor resolv'd to Marry his Uncles Daughter who was the Heiress of many Countries Many of his Kindred did not approve of the Match partly because 't was an unusual and by consequence an unlawful thing and partly because by the Accession of so much Wealth he would be envy'd by the People and also formidable to the King For a Rumor was spread abroad and that not without ground that the King himself would do his utmost to hinder the Match This made William to hasten the Consummation of the Marriage even in the time when Marriages were forbidden that he might prevent the Kings endeavours to the contrary Thus having obtained great Wealth he grew insolent and envy follow'd his Insolence in regard Troops of Robbers did swarm every where whose Captains were thought to be no Strangers to Douglas his Design Amongst them there was one George Gorm of Athole who pillag'd all the Country about him and set upon William Ruthven Sheriff of Perth because he was leading a Thief of Athole to the Gallows and fought with him as it were in a set Battel At last Gorm the Captain and 30 of his Followers were slain and the rest sled to the Mountains This Bustling Fight was in the year of Christ 1443. A few days after the Castle of Dunbarton impregnable by Force was twice taken in a little time Robert Semple was Commander of the Lower Castle and Patrick Galbreth of the Higher and their Government was so divided that each had a peculiar entrance into his own Part. These Two were not free from Factions amongst themselves For Patrick was thought secretly to favour the Douglasses whereupon Semple perceiving that his Part was but negligently guarded seiz'd upon him and commanded him to remove his Goods The day after Patrick entred with four Companions attending him without Arms to fetch out his Goods where first he light upon the Porter alone and then catching up Arms drave him and the rest out of the Upper Castle and thus sending for Aid out of the Neighbouring Town he beat them out of the Lower Castle also and so reduc'd the whole Fort into his own hands About that time there were very many Murders committed upon the inferior Sort which were partly perpetrated by the Douglassians and partly charg'd upon them by their Enemies The King was now of Age and manag'd the Government himself so that Douglas being unable to stand against the Envy of the Nobles and the Complaints of the Commons too resolves to become a New Man to satisfie the People and by all means possible to atone the Heart of the King which was alienated from him and in order thereunto he came with a great Train to Sterlin And when he had Intelligence by some Courtiers whom he had greas'd in the Fist and made his Own that the Kings Anger was appeas'd towards him then and not before he came into his Presence and threw down his Life and Fortune and all his Concerns at his Feet and to his Dispose he partly excused the Crimes of his former Life and paâ—â—ly because That seemed the readier way to Reconciliation he ingenuously confest Them withal affirming that whatever Fortune he should have hereafter he would ascribe it solely to the Clemency of the King not to his Own Innocency but if the King were pleas'd to receive Satisfaction from him by his Services and Obsequiousness he would do his utmost endeavour for the future that no Man should be more Loyal and observant of his Duty than himself and that in restraining and punishing all those exorbitant Offences which his Enemies cast upon him none should be more sharp and severe than he in regard he was descended from that Family which was not raised by oppâ—â—â—sing the Poor but by defending the Commons of Scotland by theâ—â— Arms By this Oration of the Earls and the secret Commendation of the Courtiers the King was so chang'd that he forgave him all the Crimes of his former Life and received him into the Number of his Privadoes and communicated all his secret Designs to him And indeed the Earl in a very little time had so obliged the King to him by his Obsequious Carriage and had won so much on his Ministers by his Liberality yea had so ingratiated himself into all Men by his modest and courteous Condescension that the ordinary sort of People conceiv'd great Hope of his gentle and pliable Deportment but the Wiser were somewhat afraid whither so sudden a change of Manners would tend And especially Alexander Levingston and William Creighton imagining that all his Counsels would tend to their Destruction having laid down their publick Offices in the Government went away severally Alexander to his own Estate and William into the Castle of Edinburgh there to watch and observe where the Simulation of Douglas would terminate and end Neither did their preconceiv'd Opinion deceive such Wise Men as they were For Douglas having gotten the King alone and destitute of graver Counsel and who was somewhat unwary too by reason of the Greenness of his years thought now that he had a fit Opportunity to revenge the Deaths of his Kinsmen and so easily persuaded the King to send for William Creighton and Alexander Levingston with his two Sons Alexander and Iames to
they crowded and hindred one another in endeavouring to Ship themselves they were all slain to a Man Belus their King despairing to obtain Quarter slew himself Evenus having finished the War returns to the work of Peace and constitutes two Mart-Towns for Trade in convenient Places i. e. Ennerlochy and Ennerness each of them receiving their Name from Rivers gliding by them For Enner amongst the Ancient Scots signifies a Place whither Ships do usually resort He subdued the Inhabitants of the Aebudae who by reason of their long Wars were grown very Licentious and Quarrelsome He reconciled their Animosities and appeased their Disturbances and soon after died having Reigned Seventeen years Ederus the Fifteenth King EDERVS the Son of Dochamus was made King in his place who whilst he was reaping the sweet Fruits of Peace establish'd both at home and abroad and giving himself to the sport of Hunting according to the ancient Custom of the Nation had News suddenly brought him That one Bredius an Islander of Kin to the Tyrant Gillus was Landed with a great Navy of Souldiers and plundered the Country He presently gathered together a Tumultuary Army against him and marching as silently as he could in the Night he passed by the Camp of his Enemies and set upon their Ships in the Road which by this suddain surprize he easily mastered and killing the Guard he burnt the Navy In the Morning he led his Army against the Camp which he easily took finding the Souldiers negligent and in no order at all many were slain on the spot whilst they delay'd either to Fight or Fly The rest having their flight by Sea prevented by the burning of their Ships were there taken and Hanged The Prey was restored to the Owners that claimed them A few years after another of the kindred of Gillus and out of the same Island too raised the like Commotion which had the same Event and Success for his Army was overthrown his Fleet burnt the Prey recovered back and restored to the Right Owners Thus having settled a firm Peace being very old he fell Sick and died in the Forty Eight year of his Reign Evenus III. the Sixteenth King EVENVS the Third Succeeded him a Son unworthy of so Good a Father for not being contented with an Hundred Concubines of the Noblest Families he published his Filthiness and Shame to the World by Established Laws For he enacted That every Man might Marry as many Wives as he was able to maintain And also That before the Marriage of Noble Virgins the King should have one Nights lodging with them and the Nobles the like before the Marriage of Plebeians That the Wives of Plebeians should be common to the Nobility Luxury Cruelty and Covetousness did as they ordinarily do attend and follow this his flagitious Wickedness For his Incomes and Revenues not answering his Expence upon pretended Causes the Wealthier sort were put to Death and the King going snips with the Robbers by that means Theives were never punished And thus the Favour which he had obtain'd from corrupt youth by reason of his permission of Promiscuous Lust he lost by his Cruelty and Rapaciousness For a Conspiracy of the Nobles being made against him he soon perceived that the Friendship and seeming Union of Wicked Men is not to be relied upon For assoon as they came to Fight he was Deserted by his Souldiers and fell alive into his Enemies Hands by whom he was cast into the common Jail Cadallanus who Succeeded him demanding what Punishment he should have he was Condemned to perpetual Imprisonment But there one or other of his Enemies either out of some old Grudge for Injuries received from him or else hoping for Favour or at least Impunity for the Murder of the King Strangled him by Night in the Prison when he had Reigned Seven years The Murderer was Hanged for his Labour Metellanus the Seventeenth King METELLANVS Kinsman to Ederus Succeeded him in the Throne a Prince no less dear to all for his excellent Virtues than Evenus was hated by them for his flagitious Vices He was mightily Priz'd and Esteem'd for This That during his Reign there was Peace both at home and abroad But it was some allay to his Happiness that he could not abrogate the Filthy Laws of Evenus being hindred by his Nobility who were too much addicted to Luxury He deceased in the Thirtieth year of his Reign Caratacus the Eighteenth King METELLANVS dying without Issue the Kingdom was conferred on Caratacus Son of Cadallanus a young Man of the Royal Blood Assoon as he entred upon the Kingdom he quieted the People of the Aebudae Islands who had raised Commotions upon the Death of their last King but not without great Trouble Yet here I cannot easily beleive what our Writers following Orosius Eutropius and Bede do say viz. That the Orcades were subdued by Claudius Caesar in his Reign Not that I think it a very hard thing for him to attempt one by one a few Islands scatter'd up and down in the Stormy Sea and having but a few and those too unarmed Inhabitants to defend them and seeing they could not mutually help another to take them all in nor that I think it incredible That a Navy might be sent by Claudius on that Expedition he being a Man that sought for War and Victory all the World over But because Tacitus affirms that before the coming of Iulius Agricola into Britain that part thereof was utterly unknown to the Romans Caratacus Reigned Twenty years Corbredus the Nineteenth King CORBREDVS his Brother Succeeded him He also subdued the Islanders in many Expeditions a People that almost in every Inter-Regnum did affect Innovation and raise up new Tumults He also quite suppress'd the Banditti which most infested the Commonalty Having settled Peace he return'd to Albium and making his Progress over all Scotland he repaired the Places injured by War and departed this Life in the Eighteenth year of his Reign Dardanus the Twentieth King THE Convention of Estates set up Dardannus the Nephew of Metellanus in his stead passing by the Son of Corbredus because of his young and tender years No Man before him entred upon the Government of whom greater Expectations were conceived and no Man did more egregiously deceive the Peoples Hopes Before he undertook the chief Magistracy he gave great Proof of his Liberality Temperance and Fortitude So that in the beginning of his Reign he was an indifferent Good and Tolerable King but he had scarce sat Three years on the Throne before he ran head-long into all sorts of Wickedness The Sober and Prudent Counsellors of his Father he banish'd from his Court because they were against his lewd Practices Only Flatterers and such as could invent new Pleasures were his Bosom Friends He caused Cardorus his own Kinsman to be put to Death because he reproved him for his Extravagance in Lawless Pleasures and yet he had been Lord Chief Justice and Chancellor too under
Iuletide substituting the Name of Iulius Caesar for that of Saturn The Vulgar are yet persuaded that the Nativity of Christ is then celebrated but mistakingly for 't is plain that they imitate the Lasciviousness of the Bacchanalia rather than the Memory of Christ then as they say born In the mean time the Saxons were reported to have pitched their Tents by the River Humber and Whether it were so or no Arthur marched towards them But in regard the Brittons were enfeebled by Pleasures by that means they were less fit for Military Services in so much that they did not seem the same Men who had overthrown the Saxons in so many Battels heretofore for by their Luxurious Idleness they had added so much to their Rashness as they had lost of their ancient Severity of Discipline Hereupon Advice was given by the wiser sort to send for Aid from the Scots and Picts Whereupon Ambassadors were sent and Aid easily obtained so that those whom Ambition had almost disjoined yet the mutual Care of Religion and Emulation too did so piece together That Forces were sent from either King sooner than could well have been imagined Lothus also that he might give a Publick Testimony of his Reconcilement brought his Sons Modredus and Galvinus with him into the Camp Galvinus he gave to Arthur as his Companion whom he received with so great Courtesie that from that Day forward they lived and died together The Army of the Three Kings being thus ready and their Camps joyned it was unanimously agreed between them That as the Danger was common to them all and the Cause thereof was also the same so they would drive out the Saxons and restore the Christian Rites and Religion which were profaned by them The Armies drawing near the one to the other Occa Son of a former Occa who was then General of the Saxons made haste to joyn Battel In the Confederate Army the Two Wings were allotted to the Scots and Picts the main Battel to Arthur The Scots at the first onset wounded Childerick Commander of that Wing of the Enemy which fought against them he falling by reason of his Wounds so terrified the rest that the whole Wing was broken In the other Wing Colgernus the Saxon after great Complaints made of the Perfidiousness of the Picts made an assault upon Lothus with great Violence who was easily known by his Habit and his Arms he dismounted him but he himself being environed in the midst of his Enemies was run through by Two Picts with Spears on both sides of his Body The main Battel where there was the sharpest Fight having lost both Wings did at length give Ground Occa being wounded was carried to the Sea-side with as many as could get on Shipboard with him and Transported into Germany of the rest of the Saxons Those who were most obstinate in their Errour were put to Death The rest pretending to turn to the Christian Religion were saved There were great Forces of the Saxons yet remaining in the Eastern part of England and in Kent The Summer after Arthur marched against them having 10000 Scots and Picts for his Assistance Congallus the Son of Eugenius commanded the Scots and Modredus the Son of Lothus the Picts both young Men of great Hope and who had often given good Testimonies of their Valour and Conduct This Army of Three Kings being about Five Mile from the Enemy and their Camps being distant one from another The Saxons being inform'd by their Spies that the Picts who were farthest distant from the other Forces were very careless and secure they made a suddain and unexpected Assault on them in the Night Modredus made a gallant Resistance for a time at last when things were almost desperate on his side he mounted on an Horse with Gallanus his Father-in-Law and so fled to King Arthur Arthur was nothing dismayed at the loss of the Picts but spent that Day in setling things which were discomposed after that his Army being commanded to march in the Third Watch he came upon the Enemy with a Treble Army and was at the Saxons Camp before they knew what the Matter was The Saxons being dismayed ran up and down having no time to take counsel or to arm themselves thus their Camp being entred they were slain by the Brittons and especially the angry Picts were cruel to all without distinction Some Writers of English Antiquities say That Arthur fought Twelve pitched Battels with the Saxons But because they give us only the Names of the Places where they were fought and nothing else I shall mention them no otherwise To speak briefly of his Famous Actions This is manifest That he wholly subdued the Forces of the Saxons and restored Peace to Britain And when he went over to settle Things in Lesser Britain in France he Trusted the Kingdom to Modredus his Kinsman who was to manage the Government as King till his Return I have no certainty of the Exploits he performed in Gaul As to what Geofry of Monmouth attributes to him there it hath no shadow much less likelyhood of Truth in it so that I pass them by as impudently forged and as causelesly believed But to return to the Matter Whilst Arthur was absent and intent on setling the Gallick Affairs there were sown the Seeds of a War most pernicious to Britain There was a certain Man in Arthurs Retinue named Constantine the Son of Cadoris who for the excellent Endowments both of his Body and Mind was highly in all Mens Favour He did secretly aim at the Kingdom and to make the People his Own Whereupon the Nobles at a convenient time when the King was free from business cast in Words concerning his Successor beseeching him to add this also to the other innumerable Blessings he had procured for his Country that if he died Childless he would not leave Britain destitute of a King especially when so great Wars were like to be waged against them Hereupon when some named Modredus as nearest of Kin and already accustomed to the Government both in Peace and War and One too who had given good Proof of himself in his Viceroy-Ship who also was likely to make no small Accession to the British Affairs These things being spoken the Multitude who favoured Constantine cryed out That they would not have a Stranger to be their King and that Britain was not so devoid of Men but that it would afford a King within its own Territories They added also That it was a Foolish thing to seek for that abroad which they might have at home Arthur knew before the Love of the People to Constantine and therefore though being a Man otherwise Ambitious yet he easily took part with the People and from that day shewed him openly and cherished in him the hopes of the Kingdom Modredus his Friends took this ill and looked upon it as a great wrong to him they alleged That by the League made by Arthur with Lothus
Alpinus and many of his Nobles were taken Prisoners and cruelly slain The Kings Head was fastned to a Pole and carried up and down the Army till at last they set it up for a Spectacle in the most eminent place of the greatest Town they had which then was Abernethy The place where he was slain as yet retains his Name being called Bas Alpin i. e. The Death of Alpin Kennethus II. The Sixty Ninth King ALpin being slain after he had Reigned Three Years his Son Kennethus succeeded him The next Summer the Picts having some hopes that if they did but endeavour it the Scots might easily be driven out of Britain as they had been heretofore hereupon they hired some Troops of the English and joyned them with what Forces of their Own they could make But a sudden Sedition arose betwixt the Commanders and that so outragious an One That King Brudus himself could not compose it so that the Army disbanded thereupon and Brudus died about Three Months after rather Heart-broken than of any Disease His Brother Druskenus was made King in his stead who in vain attempted to compose things at home but in the interim some Scotish Youngsters stole away the head of Alpinus from the place where the Picts had set it up and brought it to Kennethus he not only commended them for their Noble Exploit but also rewarded them with Lands Kennethus called together an Assembly to consult about War with the Picts and though the King himself and the forwardest of the Soldiers did advise to revenge the Treachery of such a perfidious People yet the Major part and especially the Graver sort thought it more adviseable to stay till their Forces which were weakned in former Wars had recovered themselves in the mean time they would neither seek Peace nor yet make War with the Picts till a better opportunity for either did offer it self This Opinion prevailed so that there was Peace betwixt the two Nations for Three Years as if it had been by common Consent But in the Fourth Year Kennethus desirous to renew the War yet finding few of the Nobles of his Mind invited them to a Banquet the Entertainment continued till late at Night so that they were all necessitated to lodge there which they might more easily do in regard every Man according to the custom of his Ancestors lay on the Ground and so they disposed of them in that large House having nothing under them but Leaves and Grass When they were gone to Bed the King suborned a Youth one of his Kinsmen commanding him to clothe himself with the Skins of Fishes dried in the Wind and so to enter by Night and to speak through a long Tube that the Voice might better reach their Ears at a distance and thus to exhort them to War as if a Message had been sent them from Heaven to that purpose The Nobles suddenly awoke at this Voice which at that time seem'd to them to be Greater and more August than a Mans many also were laden with Wine and the sudden flashing of Light from the Fishes Skins darting upon their drowsie Eyes and dazling them drove them into a great Astonishment in fine an un-wonted Apparition affected the Eyes of them all and a kind of Religious Consternation seized upon their Minds And That which increased the Admiration was That the Messenger stripping himself of his disguised Habit and by a secret Passage conveighing himself away as in an instant seemed to have vanished out of sight When the News hereof was brought to the King in the Morning and many did add to the Story as is usual in such Cases he also affirmed That the like Apparition was seen by him in his Sleep Hereupon a War was concluded upon by the general Consent of them all as if they were Commanded thereunto by God himself When the Armies were led forth to Battel as soon as ever they came in fight one of another every one ran upon the Enemy which stood next to him not staying for the Command of their Captains The Fight was as fiercely continued as it was eagerly begun At last the Victory inclined to the Scots Those in whom the Picts put most Confidence proved their Ruin For the English Troops seeing that all things were managed without Order and by Tumultuary Force withdrew themselves into the next Hill as if they had only been Spectators of other Mens Dangers There was a mighty Slaughter made of the Picts For the Scots were highly provoked against them not only by their ancient Hatred but by the remembrance of their later Cruelty against Alpinus and the rest whom they had taken Prisoners But that which chiefly inflamed their Minds was a Watch-Word spread abroad among the Scots That they should remember Alpinus From that very moment they spared neither Age nor Rank of Men The Hills covered the departure of the English and the Scots were so pertinaciously intent in revenging themselves on the Picts that they could not follow them This Victory reduced the Picts to so low an ebb and rendred their Condition so deplorable that though they endeavoured to make Peace yet all was in vain for the Scots would hearken to no Conditions but the full surrendring up of their Kingdom The next Year when all Places were surrendred up beyond Forth Northwards and Garisons placed in them as Kennethus was marching his Army against those on this side thereof word was brought That some of the Garisons which he had left behind were taken and the Souldiers slain Hereupon he marched his Army back against the Rebellious Picts of whom he spared neither Man Woman nor Child But wasted the whole Country with Fire and Sword Druskenus seeing the Picts were inraged almost like Mad-men at the Cruelty exercised over them and knowing now that they must fight not for their Kingdom but for their very Lives and the Lives of their Wives and Children gathered together all the Force that ever he could make and so passing the Forth came to Scone a Town situate on the Bank of the River Tay where he waited for the coming of the Scots There they again endeavoured to make a Pacification offering to surrender all the Country beyond the Forth but the Scots would have All or none The Fight as in such Circumstances of Necessity was very fierce At last the Pertinacy of the Picts was broken and the River Tay putting a stop to their flight was the cause of their Destruction For Druskenus and almost all his Nobility being not able to pass it were there slain And the Fortune of the common Souldiers was not better for as they crowded to the River in several places to save themselves they laboured also under the same incapacity of passing it and so they every one of them lost their Lives Hence it is as I judge that our Writers say We Fought with the Picts seven times in one Day The Force of the Picts was wholly broken by this Overthrow and
Enemy When their Camps were near one another Grimus knowing that Malcolm would Religiously observe Asâ—ensiâ—n-day resolved then to attaque him hoping to find him unprâ—pared Malcolm having notice of his Design kept his Men in Arms and thô he did hope well as to the Victory in so good a Cause yet he sent to Grimus to advise him to defer Fighting for that day that so They being Christians might not pollute so Holy a Day with shedding the Blood of their Countrymen Yet he was nevertheless resolved to Fight alleging to his Soldiers That the Fear the Enemy was in thô pretended to be out of Reverence to so Holy a Feast was a good Omen of their Victory Hereupon a fierce and eager Fight began wherein Grimus being forsaken of his Men was wounded in the Head taken Prisoner and soon after had his Eyes put out Insomuch that in a short time out of Grief as well as his Wounds he Dyed in the Tenth Year of his Reign Malcolm carried it Nobly towards the Conquered and caused Grimus to be interred in the Sepulchres of his Ancestors The Faction which followed him he received into his Grace and Favour laying aside the Memory of past Offences Then going to the Assembly of Estates at Scone before he would undertake the Government he caused the Law made by his Father concerning the Succession to the Crown to be publickly Ratified by the Votes of the whole Parliament Malcolm II. The Eighty Third King AT the entrance into his Government he laboured to restore the State of the Kingdom which was sorely shaken by Factions And as he forgave all former Offences to himself so he took care that the Seeds of Faction and Discord amongst all different Parties might also be rooted out After this he sent Governors chosen out of the Nobility into all Provinces Just and Pious Men to restrain the Licentiousness of Robbers who in former times had taken great Liberty to themselves to Steal and Plunder By Them also the Common People were encouraged to Tillage and Husbandry so that Provisions grew cheaper Commerce between Man and Man safer and the publick Peace was better secured Amidst these Transactions Sueno the Son of Harald King of the Danes being banished from home came into Scotland He was oftentimes overcome made Prisoner by and Ransomed from the Vandals and having sought for Aid in vain from Olavus King of the Scandians and Edward King of England at last he came into Scotland and being turned Christian of whom before he was a most bitter Enemy there he received some small assistance and so returned into his own Country from whence soon after he passed over with a great Army into England First he overthrew the English alone and afterwards he had the same Success against them when the Scots assisted them whom he grievously threatned because they would not forsake the English and return into their own Country Neither were his Threatnings in vain for Olavus of Scandia and Enecus General of the Danes were sent by him with a great Army into Scotland They ranged over all Murray killed whomsoever they met took away all they could catch whether Sacred or Prophane at last gathering into a Body they assaulted Castles and other strong Places While they were Besieging these Fortresses Malcolm had gathered an Army together out of the Neighbouring Countrys and pitch'd his Camp not far from them The day after the Scots perceiving the Multitude of the Danes and their Warlike Preparations were struck with great Terrour The King endeavoured to encourage them but to small purpose at last a Noise was raised in the Camp by those who were willing to seem more valiant than the rest and when it was raised others received and seconded it so that presently as if they had been wild they ran in upon the Danes without the Command of their Leaders and rushed upon the points of their Swords who were ready to receive them After the forwardest were slain the rest fled back faster than ever they came on The King was Wounded in the Head and had much ado to be carried off the Field into an adjacent Wood where he was Horsed and so escaped with his Life After this Victory the Castle of Narn was surrendred to the Danes the â—arison being dismayed at the Event of the unhappy Fight yet they put them to Death after the surrender They strongly fortified the Castle because it was seated in a convenient Pass and of a Peninsule made it a convenient Isle by cutting through a narrow Chanel for the Sea to surround it and then they called it by a Danish Name Burgus The other Castles which were Elgin and Foress were deserted for fear of the Cruelty of the Danes The Danes upon this good Success resolved to fix their Habitations in Murray and sent home their Ships to bring over their Wives and Children in the mean time exercising all manner of cruel hardships over the Captived Scots Malcolm in order to prevent their further Progress gathered a stronger and more compact Army together and when they were gone into Marr he met them at a place called Mortlich both Armies being in great fear the Scots being afraid of the Cruelty of the Danes and the Danes fearing the Places which they did not know as being far from the Sea and fit for Ambushes more than their Enemies In the beginning of the Fight the Scots were much discouraged at the Slaughter of Three of their Valiant Worthies viz. of Kennethus Thane of the Islands of Grimus Thane of Strathearn and of Dumbar Thane of Lothian who all fell presently one after another so that they were forced to retreat and to retire into their old Fastness which was behind their backs There fencing their Camp with a Trench Ditch and huge Trees which they cut down in a narrow place they fronted and stopped the Enemy yea they slew some who as if they had fully gotten the Victory did carelesly assault them amongst whom Enecus one of their Generals fell His Loss as it made the Danes less forward to fight so it added Alacrity to the Scots who were crest-fallen before So that almost in a moment of time the Scene was quite altered The Danes were put to flight and the Scots pursued them Olavus the other of their Generals got some to guide him and bent his Course that night towards Murray Though Malcolm knew it yet having slain the forwardest of his Enemies and wounded many more he desisted from following the Chase. When News of this Overthrow was brought to Swain in England he bore it undauntedly and sent some of his old Soldiers and some that were newly come to him from his own Country under Camus their General to recruit his old and shattered Army in Scotland He first came into the Firth of Forth but being hindred by the Country who observed all his Motions from Landing he set Sail and made for the Red-Promontory of
Henry was buried he stept into the Throne and the Two First Years reigned peaceably enough Whereupon growing insolent he began to neglect his Agreement made with the English and also to deal harsly with strangers After he had compelled all the English partly by Fear partly by fair Promises to take an Oath of Allegiance to him he sent Embassadors to David King of Scots to put him in mind to take the same Oath for the Counties of Cumberland Northumberland and Huntingdon which he held of him David returned Answer That he together with Stephen himself and the other Nobles of England had not long since bound themselves by an Oath to obey Maud their Lawful Queen And that he ought not nor would acknowledge any other King as long as she was alive When this Answer was brought to Stephen presently a War began The English entred upon the adjacent Scots the Scots doing as much for them The next Year an Army of Scots under the Conduct of the Earls of Merch of Menteith and of Argus entred England and met the English at the Town of Allerton whose General was the Earl of Glocester A sharp Battel was there fought with equal slaughter on both sides as long as the Army stood to it at last the English being overthrown many perished in the flight and many of the Nobility were taken Prisoners amongst whom was the Earl of Glocester himself Stephen being much concerned at this Overthrow lest the Friends and Kindred of the Captive Nobles might be alienated from him refused no Conditions of Peace The Terms were These That the English Prisoners should be released without Ransom That Stephen should quit all the Claim which as chief Lord he pretended to have over Cumberland But Stephen observed those Conditions no better than he did the Oath formerly taken to Maud his Kinswoman For before the Armies were quite Disbanded and the Prisoners Released he privately surprized some Castles in Northumberland and by driving away Bootys from the Scots Countrys renewed the War The Scots gathering a sudden Army together out of the Neighbour Countrys and despising the English whom they had overthrown in Battel the self same Year did rashly run on to the Conflict at the River Tees where they paid for their Folly in undervaluing the Enemy by receiving a great Overthrow and were also enforced to quit Northumberland David to retrieve this Loss and Ignominy gathered as great an Army as ever he could together and came to Roxburgh Thither Turstan or as William of Newberry calls him Trustinus was sent by the English to Treat concerning a Pacification and there being some hope of Agreement a Truce was made for Three Months upon Condition That Northumberland should be presently restored to the Scots But this Promise which was made by Stephen only to have the Army Disbanded was not performed so that David drove away a great Booty out of that Part of Northumberland which obeyed Stephen and Stephen gathering a great Force together pierced as far as Roxborough But understanding That the Nobility were averse and complained That they were intangled in an Unjust and Unnecessary War without performing any Memorable Exploit he retired into the heart of his Kingdom And the next Year fearing some intestine Sedition he sent his Wife Maud to David her Uncle to treat of Peace Upon her Mediation it was accorded That David from Newcastle where he commonly aboad and Stephen from Durham should send Arbitrators for composing of Matters to the Town of Chester in the street scituate in the Midway equally distant from Both Places David sent the Arch-Bishops of St. Andrews and Glasgoe Stephen the Arch-Bishops of Canterbury and York Both Parties were the more inclineable to Peace because Stephen feared War from abroad and Seditions at home and the Scots complained That they were forced to bear the shock of a War made in the behalf of another whereas Maud for whose sake it was commenced did nothing at all in it The Peace was made on These Conditions That Cumberland as by Ancient Right should be possessed by David and that Northumberland unto the River Tees as William of Newberry the Englishman writes and Huntingtonshire should be enjoyed by Henry Davids Son upon the account of his Mothers Inheritance and That he should do Homage to Stephen for the same When things were thus composed David retired into Cumberland and Stephen into Kent This Peace was made in the Year of our Lord 1139. In which Year Maud being returned into England sent her Son Henry afterward King of England to Carlisle to David his Great Uncle that he might be instructed in Feats of Arms and also be made Knight by him who without doubt was the excellentest Warrior in his time which Matter in those days was performed with a great deal of Ceremony At that time there was so great a Disturbance in England by reason of Domestique Discords That no Part of it was free from a Civil War but That which David the King of Scots held And that he alone might not plead Exemption from the publick Calamity within Three Years after his Son the only Heir in hope of so much Power and Felicity dyed in the flower of his Age leaving Three Sons and as many Daughters behind him He left so great a Love behind for him both from the Scots and English that besides the publick Loss every one lamented his own private Misfortune also at his death For so great a Sincerity and Moderation of Mind shined forth in him even in that Age wherein Youth is accustomed to wantonize That every body expected most rare and singular Fruits from his Disposition when it was ripened by Age. His Fathers Grief was also further increased by reason of the tender Age of his Nephew and the Ambition and restless Disposition of Stephen and if he dyed he was troubled at the Fierceness of Henry's Spirit then in the fervor of his Youth who being the Son of Maud was to succeed in the Kingdom When the Thoughts of so many foreseen Mischiefs did assault his diseased and feeble Mind insomuch that all Men imagined he would have sunk under them yet he bore up so stoutly that he invited some of the Prime Nobility who were solicitous for him lest he should be too much afflicted as well they might to Supper and there he entertained them with a Discourse rather like a Comforter than a Mourner He told them That no new thing had hapned to him or to his Son That he had long since Learned from the Sermons of Learned and Holy Men That the World was Governed by the Providence of Almighty God whom it was a foolish and impious thing to endeavour to resist That he was not ignorant his Son was born on no other Terms but that he must also dye and so pay that Debt to Nature which he owed even at his very Birth And when Men were always ready to pay that Debt 't was
First retreated back This Terror did also somewhat retard the Foot for they were afraid of falling into the like Snares There also did happen another Accident which thô little in itself yet contributed very much as such Niceties are wont to do in War to the main Chance Robert rode up and down before his Army to keep them in their Ranks having a Batoon in his Hand a certain Englishman knew him and ran at him with his Spear The King avoided the blow and as the Horse in his Carrier ran a little beyond him struck his Rider dead with his Batoon and down he tumbled from his Horse to the ground The Common Soldiers highly commended the perillous Audacity of the King and were hardly kept in by their Commanders but hand over head would rush upon the Enemy with such an eagerness of Mind that they were likely to break their Enemies Ranks unless the English Archers who were placed in their Wings had repulsed them with great Loss and Bruce also sent in some Troops of Horse who drove them back Yet in this Action a Mistake did more prejudice to the English than their Enemy did The Rabble-Rout which followed the Camp caused the Baggage-men to mount their Draught horses and to hang out some Linen Cloth instead of Ensigns thus they stood on an Hill where they might easily be seen and made an Appearance of a new Army The English who stood nearest were surprized with a double Fear and betook themselves to their Heels Their Fear disordered the rest of the Army A Multitude of common Soldiers were slain the pursuit some of our Writers say Thi◠Fifty Thousand English fell at that Fight Caxton an Englishman doth not set down the precise Number but he says it was a mighty Overthrow an innumerable Multitude being slain and he did well in not being positive in the Number for it was hard to compute it in regard the Flight was so scattered wherein more perished than in the Battel This is certain the Slaughter was so great that the English thô they had many Provocations from the Scots yet did not stir for Two or Three Years after Of the English Nobility there fell about Two hundred and almost an equal Number were taken Prisoners The Prisoners related That the King himself began to fly first and if he had not been received into the Castle of Dunbar by the Earl of March and so sent in a Skiff by Water to Berwick he had not escaped the hands of Douglass who with 400 Horse pursued him Forty Miles Amongst the Prisoners there was taken a Monk One of those who are called Carmelites from Mount Carmel in Syria he was accounted a good Poet for that Age and was brought into the Army to celebrate the Victory of the English in a Poem but they being beaten he Sung their Overthrow in a Canto for which he had his Liberty His Verse was rude and barbarous yet it did not altogether displease the Ears of the Men of that Age. Neither was the Victory unbloody to the Scots they lost above Four thousand Men amongst whom there were but Two Knights Hereupon Sterlin Castle was surrendred according to Compact and the Garison sent away About these times there happened a Passage not unworthy to be related in regard of the variety of Providences in a narrow compass of time Iohn Menthet who betrayed his Friend Wallis to the English and was therefore worthily hated by the Scots received amongst other Rewards the Government of the Castle of Dumbritton from the English When other Forts were recovered That only or but very few with it held out for the English And because it was naturally impregnable the King dealt with the Governor by his Friends and Kindred to Surrender it He demanded the Country or Earldom of Lennox as the Price of his Treachery and Surrender Neither would he ever so much as hear of any other Terms In this Case the King did waver and fluctuate in his Mind what to do on the One side he earnestly desired to have the Castle yet on the Other he did not so much prize it as for its sake to disoblige the Earl of Lennox who had been his Fast and almost his only Friend in all his Calamities But the Earl of Lennox hearing of it and coming in soon decided the Controversie and persuaded the King by all means to accept the Condition Hereupon the Bargain was made as Iohn Menteith would have it and Solemnly confirmed But when the King was going to take Possession of the Castle a Carpenter one Rolland met him in the Wood of Cholcon about a Mile from it and having obtained Liberty to speak with the King concerning a matter of great importance he told him what Treachery the Governor did intend against him Yea and had prepared to execute it It was This In a Wine-Cellar concealed and under Ground a sufficient number of Englishmen were hid who when the rest of the Castle was given up and the King secure were to issue forth upon him as he was at Dinner and either to kill or take him Prisoner Hereupon the King upon the Surrender of the other Parts of the Castle by Iohn being kindly invited to a Feast refused to eat till as he had searched all other parts of the Castle so he had viewed that Wine-Cellar also The Governor excused it pretending That the Smith who had the Key was out of the way but that he would come again anon the King not satisfied therewith caused the Door to be broken open and so the Plot was discovered The English were brought forth in their Armour and being severally examined confessed the whole Matter and they added also another discovery viz. That a Ship rode ready in the next Bay to carry the King into England The Complices in this wicked Design were put to death but Iohn was kept in Prison because the King was loth to offend his Kindred and especially his Sons in Law in so dangerous a time For he had many Daughters all of them very beautiful and Married to Men rich enough but Factious Therefore in a time of such imminent Danger the Battel drawing near wherein All was at stake lest the Mind of any powerful Man might be rendred averse from him and thereby inclined to practise against him Iohn was released out of Prison upon this Condition for the performance whereof his Sons in Law undertook That he should be placed in the Front of the Battel and there by his Valour should wait the Decision of Providence And indeed the Man otherwise fraudulent was in this as good as his Word for he behaved himself so Valiantly that that days Work procured him not only Pardon for what was past but large Rewards for the future The Fame of this Victory being divulged over all Britain did not only abate the Fierceness of the English but raised up the Scots even from extream Desperation supplying them not only with Money
to settle Matters at home When the Marriage of his Son was magnificently celebrated he perceiving the end of his Life to be near at hand composed himself almost into the Habit of a private Man for some years before all the Grand Affairs of State had been managed by Thomas Randolph and Iames Douglas and lived in a small House at Cardross a place divided from Dumbritton by the River Levin and kept himself but in case of great Necessity from the Concourse of People Thither he called some of his Friends a little before his Death and made his Will He confirmed those to be his Heirs which were so declared by the Convention of Estates First David his Son being eight year old next Robert his Nephew by his Daughter he commended them to his Nobles and especially to Thomaâ— Randolph his Sisters Son and Iames Douglas Afterward he settled his Houshold Affairs and exhorted them all to Concord amongst themselves and to observance of Allegiance to their King if they did so he would assure them to be unconquerable by a Foreign Power Moreover he is reported to have added Three Commands or if you will Counsels First That they should never make any one Man Lord of the Aebudae Islands Next That they should never fight the English with all their Force at one time and Thirdly That they should never make with them a Perpetual League In Explicating his First Advice he discoursed much concerning the Number Bigness and Power of the Islands and concerning the Multitude Fierceness and Hardiness of their Inhabitants They with Ships Such as they were yet not inconvenient for those Coasts coping with Men unskill'd in Marine Affairs might do a great deal of Mischief to others but receive little Damage themselves And therefore Governors were Yearly to be sent thither to administer Justice amongst them by Officers who should not be continued long in their Places neither His Second Advice concerning the English stood upon this Foot Because the English as inhabiting a better Country did exceed the Scots in Number of Men Money and all other Warlike Preparations and by reason of these Conveniencies they were more accustomed to their Ease and not so patient of Labour or Hardship On the other side the Scots were bred in an hardier Soil and were by reason of their Parsimony and continual Exercise of a more healthy Constitution of Body and by the very manner of their Education made more capable to endure all Military Toil and therefore That they were fitter for suddain and occasional Assaults so to weaken and weary out their Enemy by degrees than to venture all at once in a pitch'd Battel His Third Advice was grounded upon this Reason Because if the Scots should have a long Peace with the English having no other Enemy besides them to exercise their Arms upon they would grow Lazy Luxurious and so easily become Slothful Voluptuous Effeminate and Weak As for the English though they had Peace with the Scots yet France was near them which kept their Arms in ure If then those who are skilful in Warlike Affairs should cope with the Scots thus grown unskilful and sluggish they might promise to themselves an assured Victory Moreover he commended to Iames Douglas the Performance of the Vow which he had made which was to go over into Syria and to undertake the Cause of Christendom in the Holy War against the Common Enemy thereof And because he himself by reason of his Home-bred Seditions or else being broken with Age and Diseases could not perform the Vow himself he earnestly desired That Douglas would carry his Heart after he was deceased to Jerusalem that it might be buried there Douglas looked upon This as an Honourable Imployment and as an eminent Testimony of the Kings Favour towards him and therefore the next Year after the Kings Death with a good Brigade of Noble young Men he prepared for his Voyage But being upon the Coasts of Spain he heard That the King of Arragon managed a fierce War against the same Enemy with which he was to fight in Syria and thinking with himself that it mattered not in what Place he assisted in the Cause of Christianity he Landed his Men and joined himself with the Spaniard where after many prosperous Fights at last despising the Enemy as a weak and fugitive one he thought to attempt something against him with his own Men and so rushing unadvisedly on the Army of the Sarazens he was by them drawn into an Ambush wherein he and most part of his Men were slain His chief Friends that perished with him were William Sinclare and Robert Logan This happened the next year after the Kings Death which was 1330. To be short Robert Bruce was certainly a most Illustrious Person every way and he can hardly be parallelled for his Virtues and Valour even in the most Heroick Times for as he was very Valiant in War so he was most Just and Temperate in Peace and though his unhoped for Successes and after that Fortune was once satiated or rather wearied with his Miseries a continual course of perpetuated Victory did highly Ennoble him yet to me he seemed to have been more Glorious in his Adversities For What a strong Heart was That which was not broken no nor yet weakened by so many Miseries as brake in upon him all at once Whose Constancy would it not have tried to have his Wife a Prisoner and to have his Four Valiant Brothers cruelly put to Death And his Friends at the same time vexed with all kind of Calamities and they which escaped with their Lives were Exiled and lost all their Estates As for himself he was outed not only of a large Patrimony but of a Kingdom too by the powerfullest King of those Times and one who was most ready both for Advice and Action Though he were beset with all these Evils at one time yea and brought into the extreamest Want yet he never doubted of recovering the Kingdom Neither did he ever do or say any thing which was unbecoming a Royal Spirit He did not do as Cato the Younger and Marcus Brutus who laid violent Hands on themselves neither did he as Marius incensed by his Sufferings let loose the Reins of Hatred and Passion against his Enemies but when he had recovered his Ancient State and Kingdom he so carried it towards them who had put him to so much Hardship and Trouble That he seemed rather to Remember that he was now their King than that he had been sometimes their Enemy And even a little before his Death though a great Disease made an addition to the Trouble of his Old Age yet he was so much Himself as to confirm the Present State of the Kingdom yea and to consult the quiet of his Posterity So that when he died all Men bewailed him as being deprived not only of a Just King but of a Loving Father too He departed this Life the Seventh of
his Former Life and especially for his late and yet reaking Conquests was received with a great deal of Favour and had the Government of Roxburgh bestowed on him yea and the Sheriff-wick of all Teviotdale was also added to his Authority William Douglas took this mighty heinously that Ramsay was preferred before him in that Honour For seeing he had expelled the English from almost all Teviotdale he had sometimes presided over the Publick Assembly there thô without the Kings Command yet relying upon his Merits towards his Country the Nobleness of his Stock and the Power of his Family he hoped That no man would have been his Competitor for that Office Whereupon being wholly bent on Revenge he at present dissembled his Anger but in Three Months after he met with his Adversary holding an Assembly in the Church of Hawick and unawares assaulted and wounded him having also slain Three of his Followers who endeavoured to rescue him and so set him upon an Horse and carried him to the Castle of Hermitage where he starved him to Death About the same time William Bullock a Man of singular Loyalty to the King was put to the same kind of Death by David Berclay These Two Savage and Cruel Facts filled almost the whole Kingdom with Seditions and distracted it into several Parties These things did mightily exercise the King who was yet but Young and not accustomed to Men of Rough and Military Dispositions yet though he used great diligence to find out Douglas to bring him to Condign Punishment he by Means of his Friends of which he had procured Many by his Noble Exploits for the Liberty of his Country and especially of Robert Stuart the King's Son by his Sister obtained his Pardon And indeed the Magnificent yet True Report of his Famous Actions did much facilitate the Obtaining thereof together with the present Conjuncture of the Time wherein there being but an uncertain Peace abroad and Seditions at home Military Men were to be respected yea and honoured too Upon which Account he was not only pardoned but preferred also to the Government of Roxburgh and of Teviotdale too a Clemency which perhaps in the present Circumstances of Things might be useful but certainly of very ill Example for the Future David having thus settled Matters at Home the best he could denounces War against England the greatest Part of the Nobility dissuading him from that Expedition by reason of the great Scarcity of Provisions Yet he Listed an handsom Army and made Thomas Randolfe General thereof he himself accompanied him but in disguise that he might not be known to be the King This Army having wasted Northumberland for about Two Months time returned home with great Booty Within a few Days after he made another Inrode into the Enemies Country but then he did not disguise but openly professed Himself both King and General The English being inferior in Strength would not venture to give a set Battel whilst their King was absent in France but skirmished their Enemies with their Horse and so kept them from plundering much by a close March Five of the Chief Nobility whom David had lately raised to that Honour straggling too far from their Men were taken Prisoners their Followers being also killed or put to Flight So that David to spend no more time there in vain returned with his Army He made also a Third Expedition with what Force he could privately Levy that so he might fall upon his Enemy unawares But entring England in a stormy Autumn the small Brooks were so swollen with large Showres that they made all the Country unpassable and also hinder'd the Carriage of Provision so that Home he came again yet that he might not seem to have taken so much Pains to no purpose he demolished a few Castles Not long after Embassadors were sent to and fro in order to obtain a Truce for Two Years which the Scots consented to upon Condition That Philip King of France gave his Consent for That was one Article in the Treaty between the Scots and French That neither of them should make Truce or Peace with the English without the Other 's Consent For those Two Years Scotland was quiet About the Fourth Year after David's Return the French were overcome in a great Battel and Calais a Town of the Mâ—â—ini was besieged by them so that Philip pressed the Scots by his Ambassadors to Invade England and to so draw away some of their Force from Him Hereupon an Army was commanded to meet at Perth Thither they came in a great Abundance and there David Earl of Rosse waylaying Reginald Lord of the Aebudae his Old Enemy fell upon him in the Night and slew him with Seven Nobles in his Company This Murder did much weaken the Army for the Kindred and Tenants of both Parties yea the Neighbouring Inhabitants fearing a Civil War between Two such Potent Families returned to their own Homes And therefore William Douglas of Liddisdale earnestly persuaded the King to desist from his present Expedition and to compose Matters at Home His Counsel was refused and the King his Friendship to Philip overcoming his Love to his Country marches forward into England and destroyed all as he went by Fire and Sword And thus in Sixteen Days he came into the County of Durham where the English parly levied by Percy and partly sent back from the Siege of Calais made a great Body and shewed themselves to the Enemy in Battel-array sooner than ever the Scots could have imagined David who feared nothing less than the coming of the Enemy and therefore had sent abroad Douglas to forage the Neighbouring Country gave a Signal of Battel to his Souldiers Douglas fell unawares amongst his Enemies and having lost Five Hundred of his Men was put to slight and returned in great Fear to the Camp And the End of the Conflict was as unhappy as the Beginning For the Fight being sharply begun Randolfe's Men were routed at the first Onset and he himself slain The main Battel in which the King was was assaulted by Two Brigades of the English One that had conquered before and Another that was intire and had not yet charged who shattered it and cut it off quite They being resolved to die and therein almost all the Scotish Nobility were utterly lost and the King himself after his Arms were taken away was taken Prisoner by Iohn Copland but he struck out Two of his Teeth with his Fist though he himself was sorely wounded with two Arrows The Third Wing commanded by Robert Stuart and Patrick Dunber perceiving the Slaughter of their fellow-Souldiers withdrew themselves with little Loss The Nobility were so destroyed in this Fight that immediately after it Roxburgh Hermitage and many other Castles were surrender'd to the English And the Scots were enforced to quit their Claim to all the Lands they held in England and also to Merth Teviotdale Liddisdale and Lauderdale and the
the King 's good Liking and that on no dishonourable Terms neither no nor unrevenged one upon another To this Motion they seemed inclinable so that the Condition was proposed That 300 of each side should Try it out in Fight before the King Armed only with their Swords They that were Conquered should have an Amnesty for all past Offences and the Conquerors should be Honoured with the King's Favour and the Nobles too Both sides were well pleased with the Terms so that a day was fixed for the Combate and at the time appointed the Heads of the Families with their Parties came to Court and part of a Field on the North side of the Town of Perth which was severed from the rest by a deep Trench was appointed for the place of Combate and Galleries built round for Spectators Hereupon an huge Multitude was Assembled together and sate ready to see the Dispute but the Fight was delayed awhile because one of the 300 of the One Party had hid himself for Fear and their Fellows were not willing to engage without having just an equal number with their Adversaries neither was any one found to supply the Place of him who was absent And of the other Party not a Man would be drawn out or exempted from the Fight lest he might seem less valued and not so couragious as the rest After a little pause an ordinary Tradesman comes forth and offers to supply the Place of him that was absent Provided That if his Side Conquered they would pay him halfe a Gold Dollar of France and also provide for him afterward as long as he lived Thus the Number being again equalled the Fight began and it was carried on with such great Contention both of Body and Mind as old Grudges inflamed by new Losses could raise up in Men of such fierce Dispositions as were accustomed to Blood and Cruelty especially seeing Honour and Estate was propounded to the Conqueror Death and Ignominy to the Conquered The Spectators were possessed with as much Horror as the Combatants were with Fury as detesting to behold the ugly and deformed Mutilations and Butcheries of one anothers Bodies the Detruncation of their Limbs and in a word the Rage of Wild Beasts under the shape of Men. But all took notice that none carried himself more valiantly than that Mercenary and Supposititious Hireling to whose Valour a great Part of the Victory was to be ascribed Of that Side that he was of there were Ten left alive besides himself but all of them grievously wounded Of the contrary Faction there remained only One who was not wounded at all but seeing there was so much odds that he alone must encounter with so many he cast himself into the River Tay which was near at hand and in regard his Adversaries were not able to follow him by reason of their Wounds he escaped to the other Side By this means the forwardest of Both Parties being slain the promiscuous Multitude being left without Leaders left off their Trade of Seditioning for many Years after and betook themselves to their Husbandry again This Fight or Combat happened in the Year 1396. About Two Years after in an Assembly of the States at Perth the King made David his Son being 18 Years before old of Rothes and Robert his Brother Earl of Menteith and Fife Dukes of Albany This vain Title of Honour then was first Celebrated in Scotland a great increase to Ambition but none at all to Virtue neither did it afterwards thrive with any who enjoyed it The King would have bestowed the same Title of Honour upon the Earl of Douglas also but he being a grave and solid Person absolutely refused that nominal Shadow of empty Honour and if any Man told thim that he should be a Duke he rebuked him sharply for it Some say That the Name of Governour which was given by his Father to Robert the Kings Brother was this Year confirmed by the King as also That the Family of the Lindsys had the Earldom of Crawford added to their former Honours But they do not fully clear Whether the Name of the First Earl of that Family were Thomas or David The next Year after Richard the Second King of England was enforced to resign the Crown and Henry the Fourth succeeded him In the Beginning of his Reign before the Truce was quite ended new Seeds of War with the Scots were sown George Dunbar Earl of Merch had betrothed his Daughter Elizabeth to David the King's Son and had already paid a good part of her Dowry Archibald Earl of Douglas storming That so powerful a Man and his Corrival should be preferred before him alleging That the Consent of the Estates was not obtained in the Case which no Man ever remembred but was asked in any of the King's Marriages before offered his Daughter Mary with a larger Dowry and by means of Robert the King's Brother who could do All at Court He brought it about that the Condition was accepted and the Marriage was Consummated by the Decree of the Estates George was much affected at this Injury as well as Reproach and made great complaint to the King but seeing what was once done could not be undone he desired at least the repayment of the Dowry This his just Demand being denied and perceiving that he was not like to obtain any Right in regard the Minds and Ears of all the Court were prepossessed by his Rival he departed upon very angry yea threatening Terms and so giving up the Castle of Dunbar to Robert Maitland his Sisters Son he went for England Robert presently yielded up the Castle to an Herald sent by the King to demand it and Douglas was admitted into it with a Garison so that when George returned home he was denied entrance Hereupon he took his Wife Children and some intimate Friends and returned into England Being there as he was a Man powerful at home and famous abroad he joyned Counsels with Percy a mortal Enemy to the name of the Douglas's and in regard he was well beloved by the bordering Scots of which many were either his Tenants Allies or otherwise obliged to him he made an Inroad into the whole Province of Merch and drove great Preys from the Country especially from the Lands of the Douglasses The King of Scots first proclaimed George a Publick Enemy and confiscated all his Estate next he sent an Herald to England to Demand That he might be given up as a Fugitive according to the League made betwixt them and also to complain of the violation of the Truce Henry of England gave a peremptory Answer to his Demands That he had given the Publick Faith to George for his Protection and that he would not break his Royal Word as if a private Pact with a Runagate were more Religiously to be observed than That which had been publickly confirmed by Embassadors and Heralds for the Days of the Truce made with Richard were not yet expired In
Military Matters was upheld by Douglas the Ecclesiastical Authority and Resemblance such as it was of Ancient Discipline by Trayle and the Dignity of the Court by the Queen as did soon appear by what happened after her death For David the Kings Son was a Young man of a fierce Disposition and enclined to Wantonness and Lust. The Indulgence of his Father encreased those Vices for tho' he had not Authority enough to maintain the Reverence due from him to his Father yet by the diligent Monitions of Those who were appointed to be his Tutors in his Youth but much more by the Counsel and Advice of his Mother his Youthful Heats were somewhat blunted and restrained but when she was dead he as new freed from this Curb returned to his own Manners and Lustful Courses for laying aside all shame and fear he took away other Mens Wives by Force yea and Virgins too tho' well descended and Those that he could not persuade by fair means he ravished by Compulsion and if any one endeavoured to stop him in his libidinous ways he was sure to come off not without Punishment Many Complaints were brought to his Father about These his Exorbitancies so that he wrote to his Brother the Governour to keep him with him and to oversee his Conversation until his Lustful Spirit did abate And till he gave some hopes of his Amendment of Life The Governour had now an Opportunity put into his hands to effect that he most desired which was â—o destroy his Brothers Issue so that he met David three Miles from St. Andrews and carried him into the Castle thereof which he kept in the nature of a Garison after the Arch-Bishops death After a while he took him out from thence and carried him to his own Castle of Falcoland and there shut him up close Prisoner intending to starve him But that miserable death which his Uncles Cruelty had designed him to was prorogued and staved off for a few days by the Compassion of Two of the Female Sex one was a Maid and Virgin whose Father was Governour of the Castle and Garison She gave him Oate Cakes made so thin that they would be folded up together as 't is usual in Scotland so to make them and as often as she went into the Garden near the Prison she put them under a Linen Vail or Hood which she did as it were carelesly cast over her Head to keep her from the Sun and thrust them into the Prison to him thro' a small Crany rather than a Window The other was a Country Nurse who Milked her Breast and by a little Canale conveighed it into his Mouth By this mean fare which served rather to encrease than kill his hunger his wretched Life and Punishment was protracted and lengthned out for a little while till at length by the vigilance of the Guards they were discovered and put to Death The Father mightily abhoring the Perfidiousness of his own Daughter whilst he endeavoured to manifest his Faithfulness to an unfaithful Regent The Young man being thus left destitute of all human Support having by Force of Hunger gnawed and torn his own Flesh died at length more than a single kind of Death His End was concealed from his Father thô it were commonly known abroad because no Man durst to be the Messenger of such sad Tidings to him But to return to the Affairs of England as far as they are intermixed with Ours When Percy and a great Number besides of the Nobility had conspired to make War upon their own King he agrees with Douglas whom he still held Prisoner since the Battel of Homeldon That if he would improve his Interest by assisting him against the King as strenuously and as faithfully as he had before done against him he would set him at Liberty without ransom which Douglas frankly promised him to do as being willing to omit no Opportunity of service against the English King Hereupon he gathered some of his Friends and Tenants about him and prepared himself for the Fight wherein he behaved himself as stoutly as he promised to Percy so that without regard to the Common Soldiers his Mind and Eye was wholly intent upon the King only and in regard there were several Commanders cloathed in Royal attire which was done on purpose by the English either to deceive the Enemy if they should press hard upon him or else that the Soldiers in more places than one might find him a present witness of their Courageousness or Cowardize Douglas took notice of One of these who had Gallant Armour and rushed in upon him with all his might and so unhorsed him But he being relieved by those who were next he did the same to a Second and a Third who were all attired as Kings thus Edward Hall the English Writer affirms as well as Ours so that he was not taken up so much with the Apprehension of his own danger as with a wonderment from whence so many Kings should start up at once At length after a terrible and bloody Fight Fortune turned about and the King won the day Douglas was sore wounded and found amongst the Prisoners and whereas many urged to put him to death the King saved him and did not only commend his Faithfulness to his Friend but also rewarded him for his Valour and when his Wounds were cured after he had staid some Months with him upon the Payment of a great sum of Money he was released In the mean time the Scotish King heard of the death of David his Eldest Son by the unnatural Cruelty of his Uncle The Author was sufficiently pointed at by private whisperings tho' no man dared publickly to accuse so potent a man Whereupon the King sends for his Brother and makes an Expostulation with him concerning the matter He had prepared his Tale before-hand and charges others with the Guilt of the Young Mans death as for him and his they were ready forsooth whenever the King pleased to plead and assert their Innocency in a due course of Law as for the Murderers some of them he had taken already and the others he would diligently look out Thus the matter being brought to Examination in the Law The Author of the wickedness Summons a Council sets up an Accuser and he who was impleaded as Guilty was by them acquitted as Innocent of the Murder The King imprecated a most dreadful punishment from the God of Heaven above to be poured down on him and his Posterity who had committed that horrid Wickedness And thus being overpressed with Grief and bodily Weakness he returned to Bote whence he came The Suspicion was encreased in him That his Brother had committed the Parricide tho' he was too powerful to be brought by him to Justice and Punishment for the same But he like a strong dissembler brings the supposititious Authors of the wickedness out of Prison and put them to Cruel deaths 't is true they were
were fit for such or such Promotions Which Course if succeeding Kings had followed certainly we had never fallen into these times wherein the People cannot endure the Vices of the Priests nor the Priests the Remedy of those Vices Neither was the King ignorant that the Church was incumber'd with those great mischiefs under which it then labour'd by reason of the Immoderate Opulency thereof and therefore he did not approve the Prodigality of Former Kings in exhausting their Treasury to inrich Monasteries so that he often said That though David was otherwise the Best of Kings yet his profuse Piety so praised by many was prejudicial to the Kingdom yet notwithstanding He himself as if he had been carry'd away by the Rapid Torrent of Evil Custom could not withhold his hand from building a Monastery for the Carthusians near Perth nor from endowing it with large Revenues One thing in him was very admirable that amidst the greatest Cares for the high Affairs of the Publick he thought the most inferior and private Matters not unworthy of his Diligence provided some benefit came to the Publick by them For whereas Scotland had been exercised with continual Wars after the death of Alexander the Third for almost 150 years wherein her Cities had been so often spoil'd and burnt and her Youth generally made Soldiers so that other Trades were much neglected he invited Tradesmen of all sorts to come out of Flanders proposing great Rewards and Immunities to them by which means he filled his Cities almost empty before in regard the Nobility did usually keep themselves in the Country with this sort of Artificers neither did he only restore the appearance of ancient Populousness to the Towns hereby but also ingag'd a great number of Idlers to fall to honest Labour and hereby it came to pass that what was with small cost made at home need not with far greater be fetch 't from abroad Yet whiles he was thus strengthning all the weak parts of his Kingdom by proper Remedies he ran into the great dislike and offence of his Subjects especially for Two Reasons The one seem'd light in appearance yet ' was That which is the beginning of almost all Calamity to a People For when Peace was universally setled Idleness Luxury and Lust to the destruction first of ones self then of others followed thereupon Hence arose sumptuous Feastings Drinking Caresses by day and night personated Masks Delight in strange Apparel Stateliness of Houses not for necessary Use but to please the Eye A corruption of Manners falsely called Neatness and in all things a general neglect of the Country Customs so that nothing forsooth was accounted handsom or comely enough but that which was New-fangled and Strange The Commonalty did willingly cast off the fault of these things from themselves and laid it on the English Courtiers who followed the King and yet they did not inveigh against such wanton and pleasurable Courses more bitterly in their Words than they studiously practis'd them in their Lives But the King obviated this Mischief as much as he could both by good Laws and also by his own good Example for he kept himself in his Apparel and Frugality within the rate of the Richer sort of private Men and if he saw any thing of Immoderation in any part of a Man's Life he shew'd by his Countenance and sometimes by his Words that 't was displeasing to him By this means the course of increasing Luxury was somewhat restrain'd rather than the new Intemperance extinguisht and the old Parsimony reduc'd His other Fault was bruited abroad by his Enemies and afterwards broke forth into a Publick Mischief Robert the King's Uncle and Murdo his Cosin-German who had the Regency of the Kingdom for many Years seeing they themselves aspir'd to the Throne and yet knew not how to remove Iames out of the way they did what was next to it i. e. Engage the Affections of Men so to them that the better sort might have no extraordinary miss of a King nor any ardent Desires after him so that they us'd such great Moderation in the management of Affairs that their Government seem'd to many not only tolerable but very desireable if Mâ—rdo's Son had carried it with a semblable Popularity and Moderation For they so engaged the Nobles to them by their Liberality and Munificence that some injoyed the Lands belonging to the King by Connivence To others they gave them and in favour of some particular Men they Cancell'd Proceedings and Judgments in Law and restor'd some who had been banish'd and amongst them one Eminent and Potent Person George Dunbar Earl of Merch who during his Exile had done much mischief to his Country and by this means they hop'd so to ingage the Nobility that they would never so much as think of calling home the King and then if Iames Dy'd without Issue the Kingdom would come to them without any Competitor but if he should chance to return from his Banishment yet their Faction would be so powerful that if the King bore them a Grudge yet they were able to defend themselves by force against him but when the King did actually return the old Favour and Respect born to the Uncle seem'd to be quite extinguish'd by the new Injury and Flagitiousness of Murdo so that it plainly appear'd that nothing was more popular than Iustice. And therefore the People were not only consenting but also contributed their assistance to the Execution of Murdo the Father and his Two Sons and to the Banishment of of a 3d. So that the King's Revenue was Augmented by the Confiscation of their Estates and also by the Accessâ—on of the Estates of Iohn Earl of Buchan who Dyed Childless in France and of Alexder Earl of Merch who was also Childless and a Bastard who Dy'd at home concerning whom I shall speak a few Words by way of Digression This Alexander was the Son of Alexander Son to King Robert In his Youth by the ill Advice of some bad Men he turn'd to be a Commander amongst Thâ—eves but when he came to â—an's Estate he was so Reform'd that he seem'd plainly to be quite another Man so that his Vices gradually decreasing by the benefit of wholsom Counsel he so manag'd things both at home and abroad that he left a Memory behind him precious to Posterity For at home he quell'd the Insurrectioâ— of the Islanders at Harlaw making great Slaughter of them And so he extinguisht a dangerous War in the very Rise and Bud and thô he had great Wealth well gotten and had bought 〈◊〉 stately Sâ—â—ts insomuch that he much exceeded his Neighbourâ— yet he addicted not himself to Idleness or Pleasure but went with â— good Party of his Country-men into Flanders where he follow'â— Charles D. of Burgundy against the Luick-landers in which War he got both Estate and Honour and besides he Married richly in Holland and Island of the Batavians but the Hollanders not being able
were pluckt up by the roots and new Foundations of Amity laid and thus they by joynt Counsel again undertake the Management of the Kingdom After this Concord an Assembly of the Estates was held at Edinburgh Thither came not a Few Persons as is usual but even whole Clans and Tenantrys as if they had remov'd their Habitations to complain of the Wrongs they had sustain'd and indeed the Sight of such a miserable Company could not be entertain'd without deep Affliction of Spirit every one making his woful moan according to his Circumstance that Robbers had despoiled Fathers of their Children Children of their Fathers Widows of their Husbands and all in general of their Estates Whereupon after Commiseration of the Sufferers The Envy as is usual and Reflection was carry'd to and fix'd upon the Captains of those Thieves whose Offences were so impudent that they could in no wise be suffer'd and their Faction was so far diffus'd that no man was able to defend his Life or Fortune unless he were of their Party yea their Power was so great that the Authority of the Magistrate could afford little help to the poorer and weaker Sort against their Violence and Force Whereupon the Wiser sort of Counsellors were of Opinion That seeing their Power was insuperable by plain Force 't was best to undermine it by degrees They all knew well enough that the Earl of Douglas was the Fountain of all those Calamities yet no Man durst name him publickly whereupon the Regent dissembling his Anger for the present persuaded the whole Assembly That it was more adviseable for them to cajole Douglas by Flatteries than to irritate him by Suspicions for he was of so great Power that he alone if he remain'd refractary was able to hinder the Execution of the Decrees of All the Estates but if he joyn'd himself with the Assembly then he might easily heal the present Mischiefs Semblable to this Advice a Decree was made that Letters of Complement in the Name of the Estates should be sent to him to put him in Mind of the Place which he held and of the great and Illustrious Merits of his Ancestors for the Advantage of their Country and withal to desire him to come to the Publick Assembly of the Estates which could not be well Celebrated without the presence of him and his Friends If he had any Complaint to make in the Assembly they would give him all the Satisfaction they were able to do and if he or his Friends had done any thing prejudicial to the Publick in respect to his Noble Family which had so often well deserv'd of their Country they were ready to remit many things upon the account of his Age of the Time of himself and the great Hopes conceiv'd of him And therefore they desired he would come and undertake what part of the Publick Government he pleas'd for seeing Scotland had often been deliver'd from great Dangers by the Arms of the Douglas's they hop'd that by his Presence he would now strengthen and relieve his Country which labour'd under Intestine Evils The Young Man who by his Age and Disposition was desirous of Glory was taken with the Bait and his Friends also persuaded him for they were all blinded by their particular Hopes so that their Minds were turn'd from all Apprehension of Danger to the sole Consideration of their particular Advantages When the Chancellor heard that he was on his Journey he went out several Miles to meet him and gave him a Friendly Invitation to his Castle which was near the Road it was called Creighton where he was Magnificently entertain'd for the space of Two Days in which time the Chancellor shew'd him all imaginable Respect that he might the more easily intrap the unwary Young Man For to shew that his Mind was no way alienated from him he began in a familiar manner to persuade him to be mindful of the Kings Dignity and of his own Duty that he should own him for his Leidge Lord whom his Birth the Laws of the Country and the Decree of the Estates had advanc'd to be King that he should transmit the great Estate which his Ancestors had got by their Blood and Valour to his Posterity in like manner as he had receiv'd it that so the Name of the Douglasses which was Illustrious for their Loyalty and Atchievements might be freed from the foul Blot of Treason yea and from all Suspicion of the same that he and his Tenants should forbear oppressing the poor Commons that he should put all Robbers out of his Train and for the future he should so addict himself to the maintenance of Justice that if he had offended heretofore it might be thought attributable to the ill Counsel of Bad Men and not to the Wickednese of his own Nature for in that tender and infirm Age his Repentance would pass for Innocence By these and the like Speeches he persuaded the young Man that he was his entire Friend and so drew him on to Edinburgh with David his Brother who was privy to all his Projects and Designs But his Followers smelt out some suspicion of Deceit by reason of the frequent Messages that past betwixt Alexander and the Regent for almost every Moment Posts ran betwixt them and besides the Chancellors Speech seem'd to some more glozing and kind than was usual for one of his Place and Dignity His Train did secretly mutter this and some freely told him That if he were resolv'd to go on yet he should send back David his Brother and according to his Fathers advice to him on his Death Bed not give up his whole Family to one stroke of Fortune But the improvident Youth was Angry with his Friends that had thus advis'd him and caus'd a Word to be given forth to all his Followers to surcease all such private Whisperings And to his Friends he made Answer That he knew well enough that 't was the common Plague of great Families to be troubled with Men who loved not to be quiet and who made a gain of the Dangers and Miseries of their Patrons And that such Men because in time of Peace they were bound up by Laws were the Authors and Advisers to Sedition that so they might Fish the better in troubled Waters but for his part he had rather cast himself on the known Prudence of the Regent and Chancellor than give Ear to the Temerity and Madness of Seditious Persons Having spoken these Words to cut off any occasion of further advice in the Case he set Spurs to his Horse and with his Brother and a few more of his Confidents hastned to the Castle with more speed than at the rate of an ordinary March and so Fate drawing him on he precipitated himself into the Snares of his Enemies In that very Moment of time the Regent came in too for so it was agreed that the whole weight of so great Envy might not lye on one Mans Shoulders only Douglas was kindly
with his Army if he did they threatned to Excommunicate him with Bell Book and Candle For the Pope said they is wholly intent upon a War against the Common Enemy of Christendom and so would have the differences compos'd all over Europe that they might be free for that War and that they were sent before to give him Notice hereof but there was a more Solemn Embassy which would shortly arrive and which they believ'd was already come as far as France to decide the Civil Discords of England and to give satisfaction to the Scots for the Wrongs they had sustain'd The King did not imagine any Fraud in the Case and desiring nothing more than an Honourable Peace in regard things at home were not quite setled to his Mind Obey'd the Legate and Disbanded his Army He had scarce dismist it but he was advis'd from England that this suppos'd Embassador was a Cheat so that he gather'd again some Forces and because he could not joyn the Duke of York that he might keep off some of the King's Force from him and also revenge his own Wrongs he march'd directly to Roxborough the Town he took and destroy'd it at his first coming but whilst he was laying Siege to the Castle Embassadors came from York and his Associats informing him that their King was overcome and the War ended in England They gave him Thanks for his Good-Will and his Desire to assist them in the maintenance of their Lives and Honours and that they would in time be mindful to requite the Courtesie but at present they desir'd him to raise the Siege and draw off from the Castle and likewise to forbear any other Act of Hostility against England For otherwise they should be laden with great Envy amongst the People who could hardly be contain'd or satisfy'd but that an Army must presently march against the Scots Iames congratulated their Victory but ask'd the Embassadors Whether the Duke of York and his Allies had given them nothing in Command concerning restoring the Places promis'd He Answer'd Nothing Then said he before your last Embassy came to me I was determin'd to pull down that Castle which is built upon my Land neither since that time am I so much obliged by the Courtesies of that Faction as to give over an Enterprize which is begun and almost finisht As for the Threatnings made either by the People or by Them let them look to it goe you and tell them that I will not be remov'd hence by Words but Blows Thus the Embassadors were dismist without their Errand and whilst he did press upon the Besieg'd by all the hardships of War Donald the Islander came into his Camp with a great Band of his Country-men He to obtain the easier Pardon for his past Offences and fully to Atone and Reconcile the King promis'd him that if he would march forward into the Enemies Countries as long as he was there he would march a Mile before his Army and endure the sharpest and first of all Brunts and Hazards But he was Commanded to be near the King yet some of his Troops was sent out to prey upon the Country It happen'd also that at the same time Alexander Gordon Earl of Huntly brought in new Forces to the King This Accession of Strength made the King more resolute to continue the Siege tho' a strong Defence was made by Those within So that whereas before it was a Blockade only a well-laid and close Siege was now made when he had Soldiers enough some presently succeeded in the Places of others insomuch that the Garison Soldiers of whom many were Slain many Wounded and unfit for Service the rest tired out with continual Toil and Labour were not so eager to run into the Places of most Danger as before and to strike the more Terror into them the King gave Command to batter part of the Wall with Iron pieces of Ordnance which were then much us'd and were very terrible And whilst the King was busie about one of them to press on the work the Fire catcht within it and with its force drove out a wooden Wedg or Plug which immediately fell'd the King to the Earth and slew him without hurting any body else Those Courtiers who stood next him tho' they were terrify'd at this sudden Accident yet they cover'd his Body left if his Death were divulg'd the Common Soldiers should run away The Queen who that very Day came to the Camp did not give up her Mind to Womanish Lamentations bur call'd the Nobles together and exhorted them to be of good Courage and that so many valiant Men should not be so dismayed at the Loss of One as counting it dishonourable to desert a Business that was almost ended She told them She her Self would speedily bring them another King in the place of him that was slain in the mean time they should press with might and main upon the Enemy lest he might grow more resolute upon News of their Generals Death and so imagin that all the Courage of so many valiant Men was extinguisht in in the Fate of one Person only The Officers were asham'd to be exceeded in Courage by a Woman Whereupon they assaulted the Castle with such Violence that neither Party was sensible that the King was lost In the mean time Iames the King's Son being about 7 Years of Age was brought into the Camp and Saluted King And 't was not long after before the English being tired out with Watching and continued Service surrendred up the Castle to the new King upon Condition to march away with Bag and Baggage The Castle that it might be the Occasion of no new War was levell'd to the Ground This End had Iames the 2d in the Year of Christ 1460. a few Days before the Autumnal Equinox in the 29 th Year of his Age and the 23d of his Reign he had been exercis'd always even from his Youth with Domestick or Foreign Wars he bore Both Estates of Life the Prosperous and Adverse with great Moderation of Mind he shew'd such Valour against his Enemies and such Clemency to those that submitted themselves that All Estates were much afflicted for his Loss and his Death was the more lamented because 't was sudden and that in the Flower of of his Youth too after he had escap'd so many Dangers and when the Expectation of his Virtues was at the highest And he was the more miss'd because his Son was yet immature for the Government whilst Men consider'd what Miseries they had suffer'd for the last 20 Years the Ashes of which Fire were hardly yet rak'd up so that from a reflective Remembrance of what was Past they seemed to Divine the Estate of future Things The Twelfth BOOK James III. The Hundred and Fourth King JAMES II. as I have related being slain in his Camp to prevent all Controversy concerning the Right of Succession which had happen'd at other times his Son Iames a Child
Triumphed over And so She herself and her Kingdom which was enlarged and increased by her Husband Odenatus was lost in a moment Neither may I pass over in silence what is principally to be regarded in the management of other Mens Affairs That the Chief Command is not to be intrusted to such sort of Persons who are not accountable for their Mal-Administration I do not at all distrust the Disposition Faithfulness nor Care of the Queen but if any thing be acted amiss as it often happens by the Fraud of others and Matters be carried otherwise than the Publick Good or the Dignity of Her Place doth Require What Mulct can we exact from the Kings Mother What Punishment can we require Who shall give an account for Miscarriages The Highest Matters will then be managed in the Meetings of Women in the Nursery or Dressing Room You must There either each Man in particular subscribe to Decrees or All in General Make them and She whom you scarce now restrain tho' She be without Arms and obnoxious to you by Laws and Customs when you have by your Authority put Power into Her hands you will certainly feel Her Womanish Wilfulness and Extravagance Neither do I speak this as if I did fear any such thing from our Queen who is the Choicest and Modestest of all Women but because I think it base and unseemly for us who have all things yet in our own Hands and Power to place the Hope of our Safety which we may owe to our Selves only in anothers Power especially since both Divine and Human Laws the Custom of our Ancestors yea and the Consent of all Nations throughout the whole World make for us 'T is true some Nations have endured Women to be their Chief Magistrates but they were not elected to that Dignity by their Judgment and Suffrage but were cast upon them by the Lot of their Birth and Nativity but never any People who had freedom of Vote when there was plenty of able Men to chuse did ever prefer Women before Them And therefore most Eminent Patriots I advise and earnestly intreat you That according to the Laws of our Country and the Customs of our Ancestors we chuse One or if you think fit More the Best out of the Noblest and Best who may undertake the Regency till the King arrive at that strength both of Body and Mind as to be able to manage the Government Himself And I pray God to Bless your Proceedings herein Kennedy spake thus with the Approbation of the undoubtedly major part of the Assembly and the rest perceiving that it was in vain to oppose passed over to their Opinion The Matter was thus composed That neither Party seemed to have the Better of the other Two of each Faction were chosen for the Guardianship for the King who were to manage all Publick Affairs with Fidelity to Collect and Expend the King's Revenue and to undertake the Charge of the Royal Family Of the Queens side William Graham and Robert Boyd then Chancellor Of the Other Robert Earl of the Orcades and Iohn Kennedy All on both sides the Chief of their Families To these were added the Two Bishops of Glasgo and Caledonia The Queen was allowed to be present at the King's Education but She was not to touch any part of the Publick Government As for the other Children which were Four viz. Alexander Duke of Albany and Iohn Earl of Mar and Two young Females She had the Charge of their Educations Herself Matters being thus composed at home Embassadors from England had their Audience who desired a Truce which was granted for Fifteen Years The next Year which was 1463. The King's Mother Died being not well spoken of in point of Chastity The same Year Alexander the King's Brother returning from his Grandfather by the Mothers-side out of France was taken Prisoner by the English but freed soon after in regard the Scots urged it as a Breach of the Truce and threatned a War thereupon Peace being obtained abroad it was not long before Intestine Commotions arose at home for when the Disputes and Controversies betwixt the Nobility concerning ordering the State of the Kingdom were bruited abroad and magnified by vulgar Rumors And Moreover the King's Minority together with the fresh Remembrance of the Licentiousness of the late Times were brought upon the Stage all these Temptations put together did easily let loose the Reins to Men who were turbulent enough in their own Nature Alan of Lorn a Seditious Person had a mind to enjoy the Estate of Iohn his Elder Brother and therefore kept him Prisoner intending there to detain him so long alive till the hatred of his cruel Practise did with time abate and so he yield to his Will and Pleasure when Calen Cambel Earl of Argyle heard of it he gather'd a Band of his Tenants together freed Iohn and cast Alan into Prison in his room resolving to carry him to Court that he might suffer Punishment for That as well as for his other noted Robberies but he prevented his Punishment by Death whether voluntary or fortuitous is not known In another part of the Country Donald the Islander as being a more powerful Person began to make a far greater Commotion for after the Kings Death as free from Fear and judging That turbulent state of things to be a fit Opportunity for him to injure his Inferiors and to increase his own power he came to Enverness with no great Train and was kindly invited into the Castle by the Governor thereof who had no Thoughts or so much as the least Fear of any Hostility from him when he was entred he turned out the Garison seized upon the Castle and gathering his Islanders about him proclaim'd himself King of the Islands He sent forth Edicts into the Neighbour Countries That the Inhabitants should pay Tribute to none but himself and that they should acknowledge no other Lord or Master denouncing a great Penalty to those that did otherwise The News hereof caus'd Debauch'd Persons to flock to him from all Parts so that having made up an Army great enough he entred Athole with such celerity that he took the Earl thereof who was the Kings Uncle and his Wife Prisoners before they suspected any such thing For the Earl hearing the sudden Tumult of a War distrusted the strength of his Castle of Blare and went into the Church of St. Brides near adjoining to defend himself there as in a Sanctuary by the Religion of the Place many also of his Vassals and Countrymen being surprized at the sudden danger carried and laid up their best Goods there That Church was venerated in those Parts with great Ceremony and it had remain'd inviolate to that very day by reason of the great Opinion of its Sanctity but the consideration of Gain was more prevalent with that Savage and Avaritious Person than any sense of Religion For he violently pull'd out the Earl and his
in those parts the rest was taken away by the Country-men who were so ignorant of the price of it that they thought the Cinnamon therein to be but a low priz'd Bark and so sold it to make Fire with yet the whole Envy of the matter fell upon the Douglasses Upon this change of Affairs the Tories who had a long time refrain'd their Depredations for fear of Punishment came forth out of their lurking holes and grievously infested all the circumjacent Countries And though many Pranks were plaid by others up and down yet all the Murders and Robberies every where committed were charg'd upon the score of the Douglasses by those Courtiers who thought they humour'd the King by so doing that so they might make the name of that Family otherwise popular invidious to the vulgar And in the beginning of Winter the King march'd to Tantallon a Castle of the Douglasses by the Sea side to take it in that so no Refuge might be left for the Exiles and that he might take the place with less Labour and Cost he was supplied with Brass-Guns and Powder from Dunbar That Castle was distant from Dunbar six Miles and it was garison'd by the Souldiers of Iohn the Regent because it was part of his Patrimony he continued the Siege for some days wherein some of the Besiegers were slain others wounded and some blown up with Gun-Powder but none at all of the Besieged were lost so that he raised his Siege and retreated In his return David Falkner who was left behind with some Foot-Souldiers to carry back the Brass-Ordnance was set upon by Douglasses Horse who were sent out to snap up the Stragglers in the Rear and slain his Death did so inrage the young King who was incens'd enough before that he solemnly swore in his Passion that as long as he liv'd the Douglasses should never have the Sentence of their Banishment revoked And as soon as he came to Edinburgh to straiten them the more by the Advice of his Council he order'd that a party of Souldiers should be continually kept at Coldingham which was to be rather an active or flying than a numerous one to prevent the pillaging of the Country by them The charge of doing it was commended by the King to Bothwel one of the greatest Persons for Authority and Puissance in Lothian but he refused the Imployment either out of Fear of the Power of the Douglasses which not long since all the rest of Scotland was not able to cope with or else because he would not have the Disposition of the young King who was eager and over-violent of his own accord to be inur'd to such Cruelty as totally to destroy so noble a Family And whereas the King had no great Confidence in the Hamiltons as being Friends to his Enemies and he did also disgust them upon the account of the Slaughter of Iohn Stuart Earl of Lennox and besides there being none of the Nobility of the adjacent parts that had Power or Interest enough for that Service at last he resolved to send Calen Cambel with an Army against the Rebels a Person living in the furthest parts of the Kingdom but a prudent Man of approv'd Valour and upon the account of his Justice very popular The Douglassians when the Hamiltons and the rest of their Friends failed them were reduced to great straits so that they were compell'd by Calen and by George chief of the Humes to retire like Exiles into England In the Month of October two eminent Persons came Embassadors from the King of England about a Peace which tho earnestly desir'd by both Kings yet they could scarce find out the way to make it up For Henry being about to make War upon Charles the Emperor was willing to leave all safe behind his back and with the same labour to procure the Restitution of the Douglasses As for Iames he did much desire to have Tantallon Castle in his Power but his Mind was very averse to restore the Douglasses and for that Reason the Matter was canvassed to and fro for some Days and no Temper for Accommodation could be found out but at last they came to this That Tantallon Castle should be surrendred to Iames and a Truce be granted for five Years and their other Demands the King was to promise the granting of under his Signet The Castle was surrendred accordingly but the other Demands were not as punctually performed save only that Alexander Drummond had leave given him to return home for Brittain's sake For some Months before Iames Colvill and Robert Carncross upon suspicion of their favouring the Douglasses were removed from Court and their Offices bestowed on Robert Brittain who then was in high Favour at Court and had great Command there After this tho Matters were not quite settled abroad for the English had burnt Arn a Town in Teviotdale before their Embassadors return'd yet the rest of the Year was more quiet but the Insolence of the Banditti was not quite suppressed whereupon the King caus'd William Cockburn of Henderland and Adam Scot noted Robbers to be apprehended at Edinburgh and for a Terror to the rest he put them to Death The next Year in the Month of March the King sent Iames Earl of Murray whom he had made Deputy-Governour of the whole Kingdom to the Borders there to have a Meeting with the Earl of Northumberland in order to settle a Peace and to treat about mutual Satisfaction for Losses But a Contention arose betwixt them about expiating the Murder of Robert Car. The One pleaded that the Process ought to be form'd in Scotland according to the Law The Other would have it in England In the Interim each of them sent Messengers to their several Kings to know their Minds in the Case On the 17 th of the Calends of May there was held a Council of the Nobility where after a long Debate which lasted till Night 't was concluded That the Earl of Bothwel Robert Maxwel Walter Scot and Mark Carr should be committed Prisoners to Edinburgh Castle And that the Earls and chief Men of Merch and Teviotdale should be sent Prisoners to other Places it being supposed That they privately scatter'd abroad the Seeds of a War against England And in Iuly the King levied about 8000 Men and marched out against the Robbers and that with so much speed that he quickly pitch'd his Tents by the River Ewse Not far from thence lived one Iohn Armstrong chief of one Faction of the Thieves who had struck such a Fear to all the neighbouring Parts that even the English themselves for many Miles about bought their Peace by paying him a certain Tribute yea Maxwel was also afraid of his Power and therefore endeavoured his Destruction by all possible ways This Iohn was enticed by the King's Officers to make his Repair to the King which he did unarm'd with about fifty Horse in his Company but having forgot
have reason to believe 80 of the chief of the Family had left their Wives at home great with Child all of which in due time brought forth Male-Children and they all lived to Man's Estate At the same time the King of England heard that his Army was beaten and wasted in Scotland and that an Embassador was sent by the Regent to the King of France to acquaint him with the Victory and to desire Aid of him against the Demands and Threats of the King of England and likewise to inform against Lennox in Defamation of his Departure into England as for Aid he could scarce obtain any because the French knew for certain that Henry was about passing over with great Forces into France only they sent 500 Horse and 3000 Foot not so much to defend the Scots from the Incursions of the English as to hold them in play that they might not fall with their whole Strength upon France Henry that Summer did not think it fit to send greater Forces to the Borders of Scotland because he was of opinion that the Garisons there were sufficient to inhibit the Excursions of the Scots and besides he knew well enough that the Scots in such a perplexed State of their affairs could not raise a great Army that Year to attack any well-fortified places The Scotish Embassador in France objected some sorry matters against Lennox in his Absence scarce worth the answering as that he had concealed the Mony sent to him that by reason of his Dissensions with the Cardinal the cause of the Publick was betray'd and as for his Departure into England That he exaggerated most invidiously The King of France who by means of false Rumors had conceiv'd such an Anger against Lennox that he would by no means admit of any Compurgation or Apology against those Calumnies and who also had imprisoned Lennox's Brother unheard Captain of his Guards when the Truth began a little to appear as 't were in excuse for his temerarious Fault sought for some colour to hide it and commanded an Examination to be made of the Crimes objected against Lennox And the Enquiry was committed to Iames Montgomery of Lorge Commander of the French Auxiliaries a Man active and good enough but a bitter Enemy to Lennox 't was put into his Hands by the Procurement of the Guises because they were not able to separate the cause of their Sister from the Perfidiousness of the Cardinal Montgomery arriv'd with his French Auxiliaries lately mention'd in Scotland on Iuly the 3 d in the Year 1545. where by shewing the Letters and declaring the good Intentions of the King of France towards them in the Council he obtained that an Army should be levied but only of the better sort who were able to bear the charges of the War and they were to meet together upon a short day And accordingly at the time appointed there met 15000 Scots at Hadington and marching to the Borders they formed their Camp over against Work a Castle in England From thence almost every other day they marched with their Colours into England and did obtain great Booty the Enemy endeavour'd to resist their Incursions but in vain they made indeed some light Skirmishes but unprosperously so that the Scots wasted all the Country for six Miles round This they continued during ten Days never going further into the Enemies Country in the Day-time than they could return back to their Camp at Night In the Interim Montgomery and George Hume dealt earnestly with the Regent that he would remove his Camp to the other side of the Tweed that so they might make freer Inrodes upon the parts adjacent and spred the terrour of their Army to a greater Distance but their Solicitations were in vain For the Regent and those of the Council about him were against it because they were destitute of all Necessaries for storming of Castles so that they disbanded the Army and returned home The other took up their Winter-Quarters as every one thought fit but Montgomery went to Sterlin to the Court where knowing of the Calumnies raised against Lennox by his Enemies though he himself did highly disgust him too yet he grievously rebuked the Cardinal that without any considerable Provocation on Lennox's part he had loden so noble and innocent a Person with such calumnious Imputations and had compell'd him even against his Will to join himself with the Enemy About the same time Inroads were made on both sides on all parts of the Borders with various Events Robert Maxwel the Son of Robert a young Man of singular Valor was taken Prisoner by the English there was nothing memorable done besides At the beginning of the following Winter Montgomery return'd to France and the Cardinal carried about the Regent with him through the Neighbouring Provinces upon pretence to reconcile and heal the Seditions and Distempers of all Parties First they came to Perth where four Men were punish'd for eating Flesh on a day prohibited and also a Woman and her Infant were both put to Death because she refused to call upon the Virgin Mary for Aid in her Travel then they applied themselves to the Overthrow of all the Reformed universally they went to Dundee and as themselves gave out 't was to punish such as read the new Testament for in those days that was counted a most grievous Sin and such was the Blindness of those Times that some of the Priests being offended at the Novelty of the Title did contend that That Book was lately written by Martin Luther and therefore they desired only the Old There 't was told them that Patrick Grey chief of a noble Family in those parts was coming with a great Train and the Earl of Rothes with him The Tumult being appeased the Regent commanded both of them to come to him the day after but the Cardinal thinking it not safe to admit two such potent and factious Persons with so great a Train into that Town which was the only one highly addicted to the Reformed Religion persuaded the Regent to return to Perth The Noble-Men when they were ready for their Journy heard News that the Regent was gone for Perth whereupon they followed him thither and when they came in sight of the Town the Cardinal was so afraid that to gratify him the Regent commanded them to enter the City severally and apart and the next day after they were both committed to Prison yet Rothes was soon released but Grey was delivered with more difficulty afterwards because he was more hated and feared by them Before they went from thence the Cardinal thought good to abate the Power of Ruven Mayor of the City so that the Regent took away the Mayoralty from him and gave it to the Laird Kinfans a Neighbour-Laird Gray's Kinsman Ruven was envied by the Cardinal because he favoured the Reform'd Religion and as for Grey he was not wholly averse from the Reformed neither nor yet any great Friend of
above 300 Men maintaining themselves in their Posts When Murray came thither he stood with his Party in Order and Rank on a small Hill where he overlook'd all the Marish the rest as they were advancing towards the Enemy gave evident Tokens of Treachery putting Boughs of Heath on their Helmets for that Plant grows in abundance in those Parts that they might be known by the Enemy When they came near the Huntleans secure of the Success hasten to them and seeing the adverse Army disordered by the Traitors and put to Flight that they might more nimbly pursue them they cast away their Lances and with their drawn Swords to terrify those Ranks that stood they cried out Treason Treason and made with great Violence at the Enemy The Traitors thinking that they should also put to Flight the standing Party made haste towards it But Murray perceiving no hope in Flight and that nothing remain'd but to dye nobly cried out to his Party to hold out their Lances and not to let those that were running away come in amongst them They being thus unexpectedly excluded from both Wings passed by in great Disorder But the Huntleans who now thought the matter ended and the Victory sure when they saw a Party though but small standing in a terrible manner with their Pikes forward they who were making towards them dispersedly and out of order and could not come to handy-strokes by reason of the length of their Spears being struck with a sudden Terror fled as swiftly as they had pursu'd before The Revolters perceiving this change of Fortune press'd upon them in their Flight and as if willing to expiate their former Fault what Slaughter was made that Day 't was They that did it There were 120 of the Huntleans slain and 100 taken Prisoners of the other Army not a Man was lost Amongst the Prisoners was Huntly himself and his two Sons Iohn and Adam the Father being an old Man corpulent and pussy dyed under the Hands of those that took him The rest late at Night were brought to Aberdeen Murray had appointed a Minister of the Gospel to wait for his Return where in the first place he gave Thanks to God Almighty who out of his Mercy alone beyond all Men's Expectation without any Strength or Wisdom of his own had delivered him and his Men out of so imminent a Danger afterwards he went to the Court where though many did highly congratulate him yet the Queen gave no Sign of Joy at all either in Speech or Countenance A few days after Iohn Gordon was put to Death not without the Trouble of many for he was a manly Youth very beautiful and entring on the prime of his Age not so much designed for the Royal Bed as deceived by the Pretence thereof and that which moved no less Indignation than Pity was that he was beheaded by an unskilful Headsman The Queen beheld his Death with many Tears but as she was prone to conceal and counterfeit Affections so various Descants were made upon her Grief and Passion and the rather because many knew that her Brother was as much hated by her as Huntly She pardoned Adam because he was but young George the eldest Son in this desperate case fled from his House to his Father-in-Law Iames Hamilton there to shelter himself or else by his Mediation to obtain his Pardon As for Gordon's Followers according to the Degrees of their Offences some were fined others banish'd the Land many sent packing into remote parts of the Kingdom that they might make no more Commotions at home Those who lighted upon powerful Intercessors were remitted their Offence and taken into former Grace and Favour Matters being thus settled or at least appeased for the present the rest of the Winter was spent in Peace The 26 th day of November Bothwel who had escap'd out of Prison was by a Proclamation commanded to render himself again and in Default thereof he not obeying was declared a publick Enemy When the Queen was returned from Aberdene to St. Iohnston's Iames Hamilton came to her to beg Pardon for George Gordon his Son-in-Law he received an Answer not wholly severe yet was forced to deliver up his Son-in-Law who was sent Prisoner to Dunbar and the next Year after which was 1563 on the 7 th of the Calends of February was brought to Edinburgh there condemned for Treason and sent back to Dunbar 'T was about this time that there came forth a Proclamation under a pecuniary Mulct That no Flesh should be eaten in Lent The pretence was not any thing of Religion but civil Advantage only The Arch-bishop of St. Andrews because he did not forbear to hear and say Mass after the Edict made at the coming in of the Queen was committed Prisoner to the Castle of Edinburgh Others guilty of the same Fault were punish'd but slightly yet were threatned to be more severely treated if they offended in the like sort again Now the time of the Parliament drew near which was summon'd to be held the 20 th day of May where the Queen with the Crown on her Head and her Royal Robes went in great Pomp to the Parliament-house a new Spectacle to many but that Men had been accustom'd to bear the Government of Women in her Mother's and Grandmother's Days In that Assembly some Statutes were made in Favour of the Reformed and some Coyners were punish'd the rest of the Summer the Queen spent in Athol in the Sport of Hunting At the end of Autumn Matthew Stuart Earl of Lennox by the Queen's Leave returned to Scotland having been unworthily deserted by the King of France the 22 d Year after his Departure as I said before And the next Year which was 1564 in the Month of Ianuary at a Convention of the Estates held almost on purpose for that very thing his Banishment was remitted and his Goods restored the Queen seconding that Remission with many favourable Words and repeating the many great Services the Earl had done her in her very Infancy she having been delivered out of her Enemies Hand and advanced to her Throne by his Means Afterwards Henry his Son came out of England into Scotland on the 12 th of February having there obtained a Convoy for three Months This Young Man being of an high Linage and very beautiful the Son of her Aunt the Queen of Scots received very courteously and delighting daily in his Society the common Speech was That she would marry him neither was the Nobility against it because they saw many advantages might redound to Britain by that Marriage if it might be made by the Queen of England's Consent Both of them were in an equal Degree of Consanguinity from her and she was so far from being against it that she was willing rather to seem the Author of it and so to lay some Obligation upon her in making the Match besides she thought it for her Advantage to humble
devises all manner of ways to cast the Odium of the Fact when committed upon her Brother Iames and the Earl of Morton for she thought if those Two whose Authority and Esteem was much fear'd and hated by her were taken out of the way all things else would fall in of themselves She was also incited thereunto by Letters from the Pope and from Charles Cardinal of Lorrain For the Summer before having by her Uncle desir'd a Sum of Mony from the Pope for levying an Army to disturb the State of Religion in Britain and the Pope more cunningly but the Cardinal plainly had advis'd her to destroy those who were the greatest Hindrances to the Restitution of Popery and especially Those two Earls by Name if they were once taken off they promised a Mass of Mony for the War Some Inckling hereof the Queen thought was come to the Ears of the Nobility and therefore to clear her self from any Suspicion or the least Inclination to such a thing she shewed them the Letters But these Designs so subtilly laid as they thought were somewhat disturbed by often Messages from Murray's Wife how that she had miscarried and that there were small hopes of her Life This Message was brought him on the Lord's Day as he was going to Sermon whereupon he returned back to the Queen and desired leave of her to be gone she very much urg'd him to stay one day longer to hear certainer News alleging That if he made never so much haste his Coming would do her no good but if her Disease did abate to morrow would be time enough but he was fully bent on his Journy and went his way The Queen had deferr'd the Murder till that Night and would seem to be so jocund and dissolute as to celebrate the Marriage of Sebastian one of her Musick in the very Palace and when the Evening was past in Mirth and Jollity then she went with a numerous Attendance to see her Husband she spent some hours with him and was merrier than formerly often kissing him and giving him a Ring as a Token of her Love After the Queen's Departure the King with the few Servants that were about him recollecting the Proceedings of the Day past amongst some comfortable Speeches given him by the Queen he was much troubled at the remembrance of a few Words for she whether not being able to contain her Joy arising from the Hope that the Murder would be now acted or whether it fell from her by chance cast out a word That David Rize was slain the last Year just about that time This unseasonable mention of his Death tho none of them lik'd it yet because much of the Night was past and the next Morning was design'd for Sports and Pastimes they went speedily to Bed In the mean time Gunpowder was plac'd in the Room below to blow up the House other things were cautiously and craftily enough transacted yet in a small matter they lest a track whereby to be discovered For the Bed in which the Queen us'd sometimes to lie was taken from thence and a worse put in its place as if though they were prodigal enough of their Credit yet they would spare a little Mony In the mean time one Paris a French Man a Partisan in the Conspiracy entred into the King's Bed-Chamber and there stood still yet so that the Queen might see him That was the Sign agreed on betwixt them that all things were in a readiness As soon as she saw Paris as if Sebastian's Marriage came into her Mind she began to blame her self that she had bin so negligent as not to dance that night at the Wedding as 't was agreed and to put the Bride to Bed as the manner is whereupon she presently started up and went home Being returned to the Palace she had a pretty deal of Discourse with Bothwel who being at length dismiss'd went to his Chamber chang'd his Apparel put on a Souldier's Coat and with a few in his Company pass'd through the Guards into the Town Two other Parties of the Conspirators came several ways to the appointed Place and a few of them entred into the King's Bed-Chamber of which they had the Keys as I said before and whilst he was fast asleep they took him by the Throat and strangled him and one also of his Servants who lay near him When they were slain they carried their Bodies through a little Gate which they had made on purpose in the Walls of the City into a Garden near hand then they set fire to the Gunpowder which blew up the House from the very Foundation and made such a Noise that it shook some of the neighbouring Houses yea those that were sound asleep in the furthest parts of the City were awakened and frighted at the Noise When the Deed was done Bothwel was let out by the Ruins of the City-Walls and so return'd to the Palace through the Guard another way than that he came This was the common Report about the King's Death which held some Days The Queen had sat up that Night to wait for the Event and hearing of the Tumult called together those of the Nobility who were at Court and amongst the rest Bothwel and by their Advice sent out to know What was the matter as if she had been ignorant of all that was done some went to inspect the Body the King had only a linen Shirt on the upper part of his Body the rest of it lay naked his other Apparel and his Shoes lay near him The Common People came in great Multitudes to see him and many Conjectures there were yet they all agreed sorely against Bothwel's Mind That he could never be thrown out of the House by the Force of the Gunpowder for there was no part broken bruis'd or black and blew about his Body which in a Ruin by Gunpowder would have been besides his Apparel lying near him was not sing'd with the Flame or covered with any Ashes so that it could not be thrown thither by any Casualty but plac'd there on purpose by some bodies Hand Bothwel returned home and as if he had been in great Admiration brought the News to the Queen whereupon she went to Bed and lay secure soundly asleep a great part of the next Day In the mean time Reports were spread abroad by the Parricides and carried into the Borders of England before day That the King was Murdered by the design of Murray and Morton yet every Body thought privately within himself That the Queen must needs be the Author of the Murder Neither was the Bishop of St. Andrews free from Suspicion There were shrewd Conjectures against him as the high and cruel Enmities betwixt the Families neither was the Bishop ever well reconciled to the Queen before she design'd that Wickedness in her Mind and of late when he accompanied her to Glasgow he was made acquainted with the utmost of her Projects It increast Mens suspicions of him because at
managed Designs to alter things The Pope was not wanting by his Exhortations and Promises to stir up their Minds already inraged but the Kings were not sufficiently agreed amongst themselves and their Forces were so exhausted that they rather desired a War than were able to make it Besides there was an Emulation betwixt them one could not well bear that the other should have so great an Accession as England if it were conquered to his Dominions Moreover some Disputes arose betwixt Them and their Subjects which diverted their Thoughts from foreign Affairs though the Novelty of a Woman's Reign and she a young Woman too without an Husband gave Encouragement thereto especially since those who were ill affected to her said she was born to Henry the 8 th in an unlawful Marriage and also the former Differences about the Kingdom and about Religion were rather stifled than extinguished yea the Sparks of Discontent did glow in Mens Minds which in a short time were likely to break forth into a great Flame In the mean time the English Papists had made many Attempts but in vain for they were soon quell'd and though their Designs never succeeded yet Foreigners still feeding them only with blooming Hopes not with real Supplies they still persisted in the same resolute Design wanting rather a Commander for their Numbers than Power or Courage to come together The Common People of that Sect had taken a View of all the Nobility and they found none fit enough to whom they might commit their Lives and Fortunes many of the most stirring had been consumed in the Civil Wars many had past over to the other Party some were so old that they were unfit for publick Business or else the Vigor of their Minds as well as the Strength of their Bodies was so debilitated that they desired Peace if it were but a tolerable one There was only one Man who for Courage and Power seemed fit to undertake so great a Business and that was Thomas Howard who though he was of himself inclinable to Quietness yet there were some Causes which moved him to study Innovations For his Father and Grand-father though they had been highly eminent both in War and Peace yet in the Storms of an unstable Court they had been so toss'd that their highest Glory was ballanc'd with as great Disgrace His Father was condemn'd for Treason and publickly beheaded and Two Queens his Kinswomen had been also put to Death He in those Difficulties was liberally brought up and so preserved his Family from being quite extinguish'd and blown up In his very Youth he gave a Specimen of great Prudence and in a few Years by the Death of his Wives and by new Marriages he grew so rich that next to the Queen he was the most potent of the English for Wealth and Prudence the rest of the Nobility yielded to him but as for his Skill in Military Matters he had yet given no Proof of his Valor but in the Controversies of Religion he carried himself so swimmingly and ambiguously that tho he favoured Popery in his Heart yet he was such a Fosterer of the contrary Party that Many of them made sure of him in their Thoughts as their Own Amids these things the Queen of Scots was overcome in Battel and fled to England whence she wrote Letters to that Queen concerning the cause of her coming she was bid by her to retire to the House of the Lord Scroop Warden of the Marches till she did consider of her Demands in Council Scroop's Wife was Howard's Sister and by her Means the Treaty of Marriage was secretly begun betwixt the Queen and Howard and the Opportunity seemed to be offered by God himself seeing Howard's third Wife was lately dead and he was then a Widower The Design was concealed as being intrusted but to a few yet 't was whisper'd abroad among the Common People For narrow Spirits cannot conceal great Hopes but Ioy gives them Vent and so they fly abroad The Matter was so far advanc'd That the Fire of a Civil War seemed ready to break out yea some were so confident of Success after they had considered the Strength of the Parties that they thought Howard might easily do what he pleased without using any Force Things were in this Posture when the Scots Nobles had a great Meeting at Perth to hear the Demands of both Queen's both of them having wrote to them The Queen of England's Letters proposed one of these Three Conditions The first was absolute That the Queen might be restored to her Throne and Dignity as formerly But if that could not be granted Then that she might reign jointly with her Son that so she might injoy Princely Honour in Letters and publick Acts in the mean time the Regency should be in the Hands of the present Regent till the King came to the Age of seventeen If neither of those could be obtained then the third Condition was if the Queen could be persuaded to accept of it That she should live privately at home being content with those Honours which saving the Authority and Majesty of the King might be granted to her This last Request was easily assented to if the Queen would accept it But the other Two were peremptorily refused For the better and more incorrupt Part of the Nobility were resolute in this That they neither could nor ought to determine any thing which did diminish the King's Authority especially being lawfully inthron'd but the two former Heads did take off from the King's Honour yea it exposed his Life too being a Pupil unless it could be thought that his Mother who was known to be cruel towards her Husband and was not well affected toward her Son neither being exasperated by her Banishment besides should be no more kind to him than she had been ever before Also the Letters from the exil'd Queen were read wherein she desired That some Judges might be appointed to consider of her Marriage with Bothwel and if 't was found contrary to Law that she might be divorced from him Those Letters did highly incense the King's Party because she wrote her self as Queen and commanded them as Subjects Yea some would not have had them answered at all because they indeavoured to abridg the King of his Power and to instate the Rule in the sole Power of an exil'd Queen but that Part of the Council which was for the Queen alleged that they wondered much why those who had formerly the last Year much desired that she would separate her Cause from Bothwel's now when it was freely offer'd to them should hinder it as eagerly or rather more as they had before earnestly desired it if a Word or two in the Letters did displease them that Fault might easily be amended yea some there were who undertook provided the Matter of the Divorce might be handled in the mean time to procure a Commission from her in what Expressions they themselves would have it On the contrary
The Parliament Graâ—ity neither Party fully but chuse Regents of which the Queens Friends are an equal Number with the rest A Truce with England for 1â— Years The Queen Mothers Death Intestine Commotions in Scotland By Alan of Loâ—n And Donald the Islander * Or Redshanks Donald takes the Earl of Athol Prisoner pillages and burns St. Brides Church He is Shipwrackâ—d and theâ—eupon falâ—s distrâ—cted Iames Kennedy his commendation The Boyds câ—eep into Favour at Court Alexander Boyd abuses Kennedy The Boyds carry the King to Edinburgh Whereupon the Kennedies depart from the Court Boyd's Sarcasm to Iohn Kennedy Kennedy's Death and Character * Patrick Graham Elected Bishop of St. Andrews in the room of Iames Kennedy and Confirmed by the Pope But the Boyds obstruct his Admission Scots Bishops freed from the Jurisdiction of the Arch-Bishop of York by the Popes Decree The Boyds strengthen their Faction and procure Pardon for their Misâ—aâ—iageâ— by Publick Instruments to which the King assents Robert Boyd made Regent Thomas Boyd Marries the Kings Eldest Sister The Greatness of the Boyds occasions their Ruin James by his Ambassadors desires Margarite Daughter of the King of Denmark for a Wife The King of Denmark resigns up the Orcades and Scheâ—land to the Scots as a Dowry Thomas Boyd sent Ambassador to bring the new Queen from Norwey The Boyds undermined in the absence of Thomas Robert Boyd flies into England Alexander Boyd Beheaded A Critical or Ambiguous Pardon Thomas Boyd declared a publick Enemy in his â—bsence Who thereupon retires into Burgundy King Iames Married to Margarite of Norwey * A Town on the River Irwyn in Cuningham Thomas Boyd's Wife divorced fâ—om him and Married to Iames Hamilton Boyd's Death Bishops anciently chosen by their Canons and Abbats by their Monks Bâ—t King Iames assumes the naming of 〈◊〉 to himseâ—â— Which Patrick Grahâ—m laboâ—rs to withstand But the Court-brokers â—ppose him The Story of William Sivez and his worming of Graham out of the Archbishopâ—ick of St. Andrews Patrick Graham Excommunicated and his Rents gathered into the Kings Exchequer Situate upon the Head of Monks-Moor Five Miles North of Falkland 〈…〉 of his Bâ—shoprick imprisoned till 〈◊〉 Death and hiâ— Adversary Sivez succeeds him A Town four Miles above Queens-Ferry in Fife Iohn the Islander rises in Arms but quickly submits himself Iames Kennedy built a vast Ship which is rifled by the English but upon a Peace made by Embassadors he receives satisfaction Embassadors to Charles of Burgundy who soon after was slain at Nants by the Switzers One Andrews an Astrologer and Physician foretels K. Iames's Death K. Iames degenerates into Tyranny Iohn the Kings Brotheâ— put to Death And Aâ—exander impriâ—oned But he makeâ— his Escape to Dunbar and then to France Dunbar Castle deserted and taken by the Scots Peace between the Scots and English wherein it was agreed That Cecily Edwards Daughter should Marry Iames's Young Son But the Peace is soon broken and an Army Marches into England * In Lauderdale Douglasses Oration to the Nobles in the Camp against the King's Evil Counsellors Cockran and the Rest of the Evil Counsellors dragg'd out by an Incensed Army to their Deaths Their Crimes Objected were Brass-Money Coyned Their Aliâ—nating the King's Heart from the Nobility with 〈◊〉 Incouraging of him in Magical Aâ—ts and Exciting him to Cruelty against his own Flesh and Blood The Scots Army disbanded An English Army under the Duke of Glocester and Alexander the Kings Brother enters Scotland The Sâ—ots Nobâ—â—â—ty raise an Army Yet mediate a Peace by their Agents Reparties between both Armies * Near Hadington in 〈◊〉 Lothian Alexander is reconciled to the King returns into his own Country and is made Regent Beâ—wick Castâ—e surrendered to the Engâ—ish The intended Marriage be Iames's Son and Edward's Daughter Null'd and the Dowry repaid Alexander disgusted condemned and flees to England Creighton condemned with the Reasons why Edward of England dies and his Brother Richard made first Protector and then King A Scuffle in Scotland On the North-side of Fife upon the Riveâ— Tay. A Truce between Richard of England and the Scots Richard of England 〈◊〉 and Henry the 7 th 〈◊〉 him Dunbar-Castle surrendred to the Scots A Truce between the English and Scots for 7 Years The Death of the Queen of Scots and of Alexander the King's Brother who left Two Sons behind them The King again addicts himself to Evil Counsellors Iohn Ramsy c. The King labours to cajole some of the Nobles by Honors He discovers his Design against the Nobles to Douglas Who dissuades him from such Cruelty The Nobles Arm against the King and chuse the Kings Son for their General A Temporary Agreement The Nobles insist on the Kings resigning of the Crown The King sends Embassadors for Foreign Aid A Battel between the King and the Nobles where the King is slain The Character of james III And of the Foreign Princes his Contemporaries Wood's Constancy to King Iames the 3 d. On the North-side of Forth 2 Miles below Sterlin Andrew Wood reconciled to K. Iames the 4 th He fights the English Fleet overthrows them Some of the Scots Nobility combine against the new King's Party But are overthrown * Off the Point of Fife The manner of the Fight between Andr. Wood and the English Admiral Wood's second Victory over the English A strange Monster K. Iames the 4 th his first Parliament ‖ A Castle lying 4 miles South off Fâ—râ—ar in Angus * The Commendation of Iames the 4 th His Clemency His sorrowful Resentment for his Fathers Death Peter Warbeck some call him Perkin comes into Scotland His Story * A Town in Flanders standing on the Bank of the Sâ—â—â—ld †A Gallo-Belgick People possessing 〈◊〉 Warbeck set up by Margaret Dutchess of Burgundy Warbeck's feigned Harangue of himself The Scots Council cajol'd by Warbeck K. Iames marries Katherine Gordon his Kinswoman to Warbeck and assists him with an Army against England K. Iames begins to smell out Warbeck's Cheat. Henry of England prepares an Army against Scotland An Insurrection in England prevents K. Henry's Design against Scotland at that time K. Iames invades England but to little purpose * In the Mers on the River Aye a mile above Aymouth An Embassador form Spain to England Who mediates a Peace between Scotland and England * The chief Town in Tividale standing on the West of the River Ied Warbeck dismist out of Scotland Taken and hanged in England A War like to arise on a small Occasion betwixt England Scotland but accommodated by Fox Bp. of Durham * Mulross in Tiviot-dale on a bare Promonâ—ory on Tweed side three Miles below its confluence with Gala. A Conference between King Iames and R. Fox Bp of Durham concerning the Marriage of King Henry's Daughter Margaret to Iames. Which took Effect A vast Ship built by King Iames. Wardship a Badg of Slavery Recognition what Wardship disused K. Iames's resolution 〈…〉 Ierusalem The execution of it
his vast Mind which was always hankering after Supremacy and Height was not content with this Honour which was the greatest he could be advanced to under the King but by his Temerity he gave the State new Occasions of Suspicion For he undertook a Journy very privately into England and after his Address to that King he told him that the cause of his coming was That his Estate though Claimed by him was not yet restor'd But this seem'd to Iames a light and no way probable cause of his Journey and therefore the King conceiv'd a greater Suspicion in his Mind which before was not well Reconcil'd against him neither did he conceal his Anger as supposing that there was a deeper Design hid under that his Discourse with the English King Douglas having now an offended King to deal with fled presently to his wonted Refuge the Kings known Clemency and cast himself at his Feet The Queen also and many of the Nobles interceded for him and after a Solemn Oath that for the future he would never act any thing which might justly offend the King his Fault was forgiven only he was deprived of his Office Whereupon the Earl of the Orcades and William Creighton who had always remained Loyal were advanc'd again to sit at the Helm Douglas was very angry with all the Courtiers for this Disgrace for so he interpreted it but he was most of all incens'd against William Creighton for he thought that 't was by his Prudence that all his Projects were disappointed and therefore he was resolv'd to dispatch him out of the World either by some Treachery or if that succeeded not by any other way whatsoever And that he might do it with the less Odium he suborn'd one of his Friends to Witness that he heard Creighton say That Scotland would never be 〈◊〉 quiet so long as any of the Family of the Douglas 's were left alive and that the safety of the King and Kingdom the Concord of the Estates and the Publick Peace did depend upon the Death of that one Man For he being of a Turbulent Nature and supported by many and great Assinities and Irreconcileable by any Offices of Respect and Advancements to Honour 't were better to have him taken out of the way that so the publick Peace might be confirm'd and settled This Tale when nois'd abroad and believed by many by reason of the Probability thereof rais'd up a great deal of Ill-Will against Creighton Douglas being inform'd by his Spies when he was to depart from Edinburgh lays an Ambush for him late in the Night as secretly as he could and when he and his Train came to it the liers in wait set upon them with a great shout they who were first assaulted were so astonisht at the suddenness of the Danger that they could not lift up an Hand to defend themselves But William being a Man of great Courage and Conduct assoon as he had a little recover'd himself from his Fright slew the first Man that Assaulted him and Wounded another and so he and his Attendants brake through the midst of their Enemies having only received some Wounds He fled to Creighton Castle and there staid some days to cure his Wounds and soon after he got a great Number of his Friends and Tenants about him and in great silence came to Edinburgh His speed did so prevent the Noise of his coming that he had almost surpriz'd his Enemy unawares Douglas being thus freed from an unlook'd for Danger either out of Fear Shame or Both when he saw the Power of the Adverse Faction to increase with the good liking of the People endeavour'd also to strengthen his own Party as much as ever he could and therefore he joins himself in League with the Earls of Craford and Ross which were the most Noted and Potent Families in Scotland next to the Douglas's a mutual Oath was entred into betwixt them That each of them should be aiding and assisting to the Friends and Confederates one of another And in Confidence of this Combination they slighted the Forces of their opposite Faction yea and the Kings too The King took this in great Indignation and besides he had other fresh Causes of Provocation against him which hastned his Destruction Iohn Herris a Knight of a Noble Family in Galway being averse from the ill Practices of the Douglas's ordinarily kept himself within the Walls of his own House but the Annandians were sent in upon him which did him much mischief he often complain'd hereof to Douglas but in vain so that at length he determin'd to revenge himself and to repel Force by Force And accordingly he gather'd a Company of his Friends together and entring Annandale he and all his Followers were there taken Prisoners by those Bandity and being brought to Douglas he hang'd him up as a Thief though the King had earnestly interceded for him by his Letters That matter seem'd very hainous as indeed it was so that Speeches were given out That Douglas by evil Practices did endeavour and that not obscurely to make his Way to the Crown for-now there was nothing else remaining which could satisfie his vast and aspiring Mind Which Suspicion was soon after increast by another Fact which he committed as foul as the former There was a certain Family of the Macklan's in Galway one of the best and chiefest there The prime Person of that Family had slain one of Douglas his Attendants from whom he had received continual Wrongs and Affronts whereupon he and his Brother were by Douglas cast into Prison The King being made acquainted with it was very much importun'd by the Friends of the Prisoners not to suffer so Noble and otherwise a very honest Man to be hal'd forth not to a Legal Tryal but to an undoubted Destruction the same Man being both his Capital Enemy and his Judge too and that it was not his present Crimes which did prejudice him so much as that he had always been of the Honest or Royal Party Hereupon the King sent Macklan's Uncle a worthy Knight and Kin also to Douglas to Command him to send the Pris'ner to Court that the Matter might be Tryed there in due course of Law The Earl receiv'd Gray very courteously but in the mean time he caused Execution to be done upon the Pris'ner and intreated Gray to excuse him to the King as if it had been done by his Officers without his Knowledge But he perceiving how manifestly he was deluded was in such a Rage that he told Douglas That from that Day forward he would renounce all Alliance Friendship or any other Obligation to him and was resolv'd to be his perpetual Enemy and do him all the Mischief he could when the news hereof was brought to Court the Fact seem'd so unworthy to all that heard it that Speeches were openly scatter'd That now Douglas did exceed the bounds of a Subject and plainly carry'd himself as a King For
to what other purpose else did his Combinations with the Earls of Craford Ross Murray and Ormond tend And moreover his private Discourse with the King of England his putting Good Men to Death and his allow'd Licentiousness in pillaging the People were Indications of the same Design Now Innocency was accounted Cowardize and Loyalty to the King punish'd as Perfidiousness that the Enemys of the Common-wealth grew insolent by the overmuch Indulgence of the King That 't was time for him now to take the Reins of Government into his own Hand and to act as a King himself and then it would appear who were his Friends and who were his Enemies or if he did not dare to do it openly by reason of the Powerfulness of some Men yet by some private way or other he should punish Treachery but if he were so fearful as not to do so neither what remain'd but that they who had hitherto been constant in their Loyalty to him should now at length provide for themselves These Discourses thô the Life of the Douglas's and the Credulity of the King prone to Suspicion did confirm to be true Yet the King out of his innate Clemency or else having before laid his Design seâ—ds for Douglas to Court He being conscious of so many mischievous pranks he had plaid and calling to remembrance how often he had been pardon'd and withal understanding how distastful his new League with Craford was to the King tho' he put great confidence in the King's Clemency yet being more inclin'd to Fear refus'd to come alleging that he had many powerful Enemies at Court and some of them had lately lain in wait to take away his Life Hereupon to remove this his Fear many of the Nobles about the King sent him a Schedule with their Hands and Seals to it promising upon Oath that if the King himself should meditate any thing against his Life yet they would dismiss him in safety so that Douglas encourag'd by the King's Clemency and by the Publick Faith testify'd by the Subscriptions of so many Noble Persons with a Train of Followers came to Sterlin where he was courteously Treated by the King and invited into the Castle After Supper with great hilarity was ended the King took him aside into his Bed-chamber with but a few of his Confidents he did not so much as admit Those to whom he was wont to communicate his most secret Counsels There he ript up from the very beginning the Loyalty and Valour of his Ancestors and his own Indulgence towards their Family and especially towards himself who having committed many hainous Offences either by the Greenness of his Years or by the Persuasions of wicked Men he had freely pardon'd always hoping that either by his courteous Clemency toward him or else by the Maturity of his Age he would be Reform'd and as yet says he I despair not but it may be so and if you repent of what you have impiously committed the door of my Clemency shall never be shut against you This last League proceeded he with Craford and Ross as it is not Creditable for you so it is ignominious to me and therefore tho' I take it much amiss that you entred into it yet I put it into your Power and as yet give you liberty to cancel and break it off which tho' by my Prerogative I may command yet I had rather by fair means persuade you so to do that seeing all Mens Eyes are upon you you may avert all cause of Suspicion with greater Diligence Douglas answer'd submissively enough to all other Points but when he came to the Mention of the League he was somewhat perplext and did not clearly declare what he would do but that he would advise with his Associats neither did he see any Cause why the King at present should tye him to a Breach of it seeing there was nothing contain'd therein which might justly offend him The King either having resolv'd upon the Fact before or eâ—se provok'd by his contumacious Answer as the Courtiers say replyed If thou wilt not break it I will and immediately struck his Dagger into his Brâ—ast Those that stood at the Door hearing the Noise rusht in and destroy'd him quite with many Wounds Some say that next after the King Patrick Grey of whom mention was made before struck him into the Head with a Bill and the rest that came in to shew their Duty to the King every one gave him a Blow He was slain in the Month of February in the Year 1452. according to the Roman Account He had then 4 Brothers in Sterlin whom a great number of the Nobility had accompany'd thither they as soon as â—ver they heard of what was done ran in great amazement to theâ—â— Arms as in such suddain Hurly-burlies it uses to happen and filled the Town with Noise and Clamour but when the Tumult was appeas'd by the Nobles they were Commanded to go each Man to his respective Lodging The next Day they met to consult and First of all Iames was call'd Earl in the room of his Brother who was slain he mightily inveigh'd against the Perfidiousness of the King and the Courtiers and advises to Besiege the Castle with what Force they then had and with all speed to Levy more and so to pull out those Men out of their lurking holes who were valiant only to commit perfidious Mischiefs whilst they were yet in some Fear and Trepidation for the Guilt of their Offence The Company commended the Piety of Iames and the Couragiousness of his Spirit but were averse from his advice to a Siege because they were not prepar'd with any Materials for so great an Enterprize so that they all departed home and after Consultation with the Chief of their Friends the 6th of the Calends of April they return'd again and tyed a Cord to an Horse Tail on which they fastned the Schedule of the King and Nobles promising the Publick Faith to Douglas for his Security This they drew through the Streets abstaining from no manner of Reproach either against the King or Council when they came to the Market-place they Proclaim'd the King and Those that were with him Truce-breakers Perjur'd Persons and Enemies to all Good Men. Moreover they were angry with the Town tho' that had committed no Offence and after they had pillaged it they sent Iames Hamilton back to Burn it yea their Fury continued for some Days so that they rang'd all over the Country and made Havock of the Lands of all those who were Loyal to the King they besieg'd the Castle of Dalkeith and took an Oath not to depart from it till they had taken it for they were very Angry with Iohn the Owner of it because he and the Earl of Angus had separated themselves from the Counsels of the rest of the Douglasses The Siege lasted longer than they expected for Patrick Cockburn Commander of the Garison made a strenuous Resistance against all