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
before whereupon they forbad him to enter their Borders but sent him Word That they themselves without his Presence would gather Money for and send Souldiers to the Syrian War and indeed they sent Souldiers under the Command of the Earls of Carick and Athol Two of the Chief Nobility to Lâ—wis King of Franâ—e and to the Pope lest he might think himself altogether disesteemed they sent 1000 Marks of Silver The Year after Henry King of England died and his Son Edward the First succeeded him at whose Coronation Alexander and his Wife were present she returning died soon after yea David the Kings Son and also Alexander being newly Married to the Daughter of the Earl of Flanders followed her a little time after by their continued Funerals Margarite also the Kings Daughter departed this Life who left a Daughter behind her begot by Hangonanus King of Norwey Alexander being thus in a few years deprived both of his Wife and Children too took to Wife Ioleta the Daughter of the Earl of Dreux and within a Year he fell from his Horse and broke his Neck not far from Kinghorn in the Year of our Lord 1285. and the Fourteenth of the Calends of April he lived Forty Five years and Reigned Thirty Seven He was more missed than any King of Scotland had been before him not so much for the eminent Virtues of his Mind and the Accomplishments of his Body as that People foresaw what great Calamities would befal the Kingdom upon his Decease Those wholsome Laws which he made are antiquated by the Negligence of Men and the Length of Time and their Utility is rather celebrated by Report than experienced by Trial. He divided the Kingdom into Four Parts and almost every year he Travelled them all over staying well near Three Months in each of them to do Justice and to hear the complaints of the Poor who had free Access to him all that time Assoon as he went to an Assize or Sessions he Commanded the Prefect or Sheriff of that Precinct to meet him with a select number of Men and also to accompany him at his departure to the end of his Bailywick till the next Precinct where he was Guarded by another like Company By this means he became acquainted with all the Nobility and was as well known to them and the People as he went were not burthen'd with a Troop of Courtiers who are commonly Imperious and given to Avarice where they come He commanded the Magistrates to punish all Idle Persons who followed no Trade nor had any Estates to maintain them for his Opinion was That Idleness was the Source and Fountain of all Wickedness He reduced the Horse-Train of the Nobles when they travelled to a certain number because he thought that the Multitude of Horses which were unfit for War would spend too much Provision And whereas by reason of Unskilfulness in Navigation or else by Mens Avarice in committing themselves rashly to Sea many Shipwracks had happened and the Violence of Pyrates making an Accession thereto the Company of Merchants were almost undone he commanded they should Traffick no more by Sea That Order lasted about an Year but being accounted by many of a publick Prejudice at length so great a Quantity of Foreign Commodities were imported that in Scotland they were never in the Memory of Man more or less cheap In this Case that he might study the good of the Merchants-Company he forbad that any but Merchants should buy what was imported by whole Sale but what every Man wanted he was to buy it at second Hand or by Retail from them The Eighth BOOK ALEXANDER and his whole Lineage besides one 〈◊〉 by his Daughter being extinct a Convention of the Estates was held at Scone to Treat about Creating a new King and setling the State of the Kingdom whither when most of the Nobility were come in the first place they appointed Vicegerents to govern Matters at present so dividing the Provinces That Duncan Mackduff should preside over Fife of which he was Earl Iohn Cumins Earl of Buchan over Buchan William Frazer Archbishop of St. Andrews over that Part of the Kingdom which lay Northward And that Robert Bishop of Glascow Another Iohn Cumins and Iohn Stuart should Govern the Southern Countries and that the Boundary in the midst should be the River Forth Edward King of England knowing that his Sisters 〈◊〉 Daughter of the King of Norway was the only surviving Person of all the Posterity of Alexander and that She was the Lawful Heiress of the Kingdom of Scotland sent Ambassadors into Scotland to desire Her as a Wife for his Son The Embassadors in the Session discoursed much of the publick Utility like to accrue to both Kingdoms by this Marriage neither did they find the Scots averse therefrom For Edward was a Man of great Courage and Power yet he desired to increase it and his Valour highly appeared in the Holy War in his Fathers Life time and after his Death in his subduing of Wales neither were there ever more Endearments passed betwixt the Scots and the English than under the last Kings Yea the Ancient Hatred seemed no way more likely to be abolished than if both Nations on Just and Equal Terms might be united into One. For these Reasons the Marriage was easily assented to other Conditions were also added by the consent of both Parties as That the Scots should use their own Laws and Magistrates until Children were begot out of that Marriage which might Govern the Kingdom or if no such were begot or being born if they dyed before they came to the Crown then the Kingdom of Scotland was to pass to the next Kinsman of the Blood-Royal Matters being thus setled Embassadors were sent into Norway Michael or as others call him David Weems and Michael Scot Two eminent Knights of Fife and much Famed for their Prudence in those days But Margarite for that was the Name of the young Princess dyed before they came thither so that they returned home in a sorrowful posture without their errand By reason of the untimely death of this young Lady a Controversie arose concerning the Kingdom which mightily shook England but almost quite ruined Scotland The Competitors were Men of great Power Iohn Baliol and Robert Bruce of which Baliol had Lands in France Bruce in England but Both of them great Possessions and Allies in Scotland But before I enter upon their Disputes that all things may be more clear to the Reader I must fetch them down a little higher The Three last Kings of Scotland William and the Two Alexanders The Second and the Third and their whole Off-spring being extinct there remained none who could lawfully claim the Kingdom but the Posterity of David Earl of Huntington This David was Brother to King William and Great Uncle to Alexander the Third He Married Maud in England Daughter to the Earl of Chester by whom he had Three
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
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
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
those that rashly went before or that loitered after or that in Plundering straggled too far from their Fellows neither did he suffer them to Stray far from their Colours Edward sought by great Promises to bring him over to his Party but his constant â—one was That he had Devoted his Life to his Country to which it was due and if he could do it no other Service yet he would dye in its Defence There were some Castles yet remaining not surrendred to 〈◊〉 English as Vrchart in Murray which was taken by Storm and all the Defendants put to the Sword whereupon the rest surrendred themselves for fear After these Exploits the English King joyned his Son Edward whom he had left at Perth and by the Accession of his Forces he besieged Sterling which after a Months Siege he took the Garison therein being reduced to the want of all things the Conditions were only Life and Liberty And yet William Oliver against the tenor of his Articles of Surrender was detain'd and sent Prisoner into England When all Scotland was reduced an Assembly of the States was Indicted by Edward to be held at St. Andrews where all out of Fear took an Oath of Allegiance to him except Wallis alone and fearing he should be given up by the Nobility who were much disgusted at him to Edward his Mortal Enemy he retired himself into his old Fastnesses and Lurking holes Edward having appointed Governours and Magistrates over all Scotland returned into England but at his departure he shewed an evident Demonstration of his great Hatred against the Scotish Race for he was not content only with the taking with him all those whom he feared would raise new Seditions but he endeavoured as much as he could to abolish the very Memory of the Nation For he repealed their Old Laws and set up the Ecclesiastical State and Ceremonies according to the Manner of England He caused all Histories Leagues and Ancient Monuments either left by the Romans or erected by the Scots to be destroyed He carried all the Books and all that were Teachers of Learning into England He sent also to London an un-polished Marble Stone wherein it was vulgarly Reported and Believed that the Fate of the Kingdom was contained neither did he leave any thing behind him which either upon the account of its Memory might excite Generous Spirits to the Remembrance of their Ancient Fortune and Condition or indeed which could excite them to any True Greatness of Mind so that having broken their Spirits as he thought as well as their Force and cast them into a servile Dejection he promised himself a perpetual Peace from Scotland At his Return he left Ailmer Valentine as his Regent or Vice-King who was to nip all Seditious Attempts if any did break forth in the very Bud. Yet a new War sprang up against him from whence he little thought There were some of the Prime Nobility in Scotland with Edward as Robert Bruce the Son of him who contended with Baliol for the Kingdom and Iohn Cumins Sirnamed Red from the colour of his Face Cousin German to Iohn Baliol the last King of Scotland Edward called them often to him a-part and put them severally in a vain hope of the Kingdom and so he made use of their Assistance in the Conquering of Scotland But at the last they discovered the Mockery and Cheat so that each of them desired nothing more than a fit Occasion to Revenge the Perfidiousness of that King But in regard they were Corrivals their mutual Suspicion kept them back from Communicating their Counsels one to another At last Cumins perceiving that Matters as managed by Edward were distrastful to Bruce he spake to him and taking his Rise from the Beginning of their Miseries deplored much the lamentable Condition of their Country and greatly inveighed against the Falsâ—ness of Edward withal grievously accusing himself and Bruce too that they had by their Labour and Assistance helped to cast their Country-Men into this Abyss of Misery After this first Discourse they proceeded further and each of them promising Silence they agreed That Bruce should enjoy the Kingdom and Cumins should wave his Right thereto but instead thereof that he should enjoy all those large and fruitful Possessions which Bruce had in Scotland and in a Word that he should be the Second Man in the Kingdom Those Covenants were Writ down Sealed and Sworn betwixt Themselves Hereupon Bruce watching an Opportunity to rise in Arms left his Wife and Children in Scotland and went to the Court in England After his Departure Cumins as 't is reported either repenting himself of his Agreement or else endeavouring fraudulently to remove his Corrival and so obtain an easier Way to the Kingdom betrayed their secret Combination to Edward and in verification thereof he sent him the Covenants signed by them Both. Hereupon Bruce was impleaded as Guilty of High Treason he was forbid to depart the Court and a Privy Guard set over him to inspect his Words and Actions The Kings delay to punish him in a Crime so manifest proceeded from a Desire he had to take his Brethren too before they had heard any bruit of his Execution In the mean time Bruce was informed by the Earl of Mountgomery his Grandfathers old Friend of his sudden Danger who dared not to commit his Advice for his Flight to Writing being discouraged by Bruce his Example but he sent him a pair of Guilt Spurs and some Pieces of Gold as if he had borrowed them of him the day before Robert upon the Receipt of the Gift as Dangers make Men sagacious soon smelt out what his Meaning was so that he sent for a Smith in the Night and commanded him to set on Shoos on Three Horses the backward way that so his Flight might not be traced by the Mark of the Horses Feet and the same Night he and Two other Companions began their Journy and Man and Horse being extreamly tired in Seven days he came to his Castle scituate by Lâ—ch Maban There he joyned David his Brother and Robert Fleming to whom he had scarce declared the Cause of his Flight before he lighted upon a flying Post who was conveighing Letters from Cumins to Edward The Contents were That Robert should speedily be put to Death that there was danger in delay lest a Man so Nobly Descended and so Popular as He adding Boldness to his Wisdom too should raise New Commotions The Perfidiousness of Cumins being thus as well as otherwise plainly detected Robert was inflamed with Anger and rode presently to Dumfreiz where his Adversary Iohn Cumins was in the Franciscans Church whom he confronted with his own Letters which he then shewed him he very impudently denied them to be His but Robert no longer able to bridle his Wrath run him into the Belly with his Dagger and so left him for Dead As he was Mounting his Horse Iames Lindsay and Roger
Changes happening in so long a War had confounded the Right of Mens Possessions he commanded every one to produce and shew By what Title he held his Estate This Matter was equally grievous to the Old Possessors as well as the New Valiant Men thought they enjoyed That by a good Right which they had taken from their Enemies and they took it much amiss That what they had got as the Price of their Military Toil yea of their Blood too should be rent from them in Times of Peace As for the old Owners of Estates seeing there was no one House almost but had suffered in the War They had lost their Deeds by which they held their Lands as well as their other Goods Whereupon they all entred upon a Project valiant in appearance but bold and temerarious in the event For when the King in the Parliament commanded them to produce their Titles every one drew his Sword and cried out We carry our Titles in our Right Hands The King being amazed at this sudden and surprising Spectacle though he took the Matter very heinously yet he stifled his Indignation for the present until a fit Time of Revenge And it was not long before an Occasion was offered him to shew it Divers of the Nobles being conscious to themselves of the Audacity of their late Attempt and fearing to be punished for it conspire together to betray the Kingdom to the English The Fact was discovered to the King and that so plainly that the Letters declaring the Manner Time and Place were intercepted and their Crime made evident Whereupon they were all taken and brought to the King without any Tumult at all raised at their Apprehension And because it was much feared That William Souls Governor of Berwick would deliver up both Town and Castle to the English before the Conspiracy was publickly divulged he made a Journy thither as it were by she by A Convention was made at Perth to try the Prisoners where the Letters were produced and every ones Seal known being convicted of High-Treason by their own Confession they were put to Death The Chief were David Brechin and William Lord Souls of the Nobility also Gilbert Mayler Richard Brown and Iohn Logie besides there were many others of all Orders accused but there being only Suspicion against them they were dismissed The Death of David Brechin only did diversly affect Mens minds for besides that he was the Son of the Kings Sister he was accounted the Prime young man of his Age for all Arts both of Peace and War He had given given evident Proofs of his Valour in Syria in the Holy War He being summoned in by the Popular Conspirators never gave his Consent to the Treason only his Crime was That being made acquainted with so foul a Machination he did not Discover it The Body of Roger Mowbray who dyed before Conviction was Condemned to all kind of Ignominy but the King remitted that Punishment and caused it to be buried Some some few Months before this Process was had the Popes Legates who at the request of the English came to compose the Dissensions betwixt the Kingdoms not being able to do any thing therein lest they might seem to have done nothing for the English in their Legation Excommunicated the Scots and forbad them the Use of Publick Divine Service the Popes Thunderbolts being terrible in Those days Bruce to shew how little he valued the Popes Curses in an unjust Cause gathered an Army and invaded England following the Legate at his Departure almost at his very heels There he made a foul havock with Fire and Sword and came as far as the Cross at Stanmore The English not to suffer so great Ignominy to pass unrevenged levied so numerous an Army that they promised themselves an easy Victory even without Blood Robert thought it dangerous to run the Hazard of All in a Battel against the mighty Army of so great a King but rather he resolved to help out the matter with Policy rather than by Force He drave all the Cattle into the Mountains whither Armies could not but with great Difficulty ascend and all other things of use for an Army he caused either to be reposited in Fortify'd Places or to be wholly spoiled The English who came thither in hopes of a speedy Battel and had not Provisions for a long March when they perceived what Devastation was made in their own Country were inflamed with Anger Hatred and Desire of Revenge and resolved to pierce into the middst of Scotland and to ferret the King out of his boroughs yea and force him to a Fight tho' against his Will For the Greatness of his Forces did encourage him to hope that either he should blot out his former Ignominy by an Eminent Victory or else should recompense his Loss lately received by an enlarged Depopulation With this Resolution he came in all hast to Edinburgh he spared Churches only in his March but the further he was to go the more scarcity he was like to find So that in five days time he was forced to retreat At his return he spoiled all things both Sacred and Prophane He burnt the Monasteries of Driburgh and Mulross and killed those old Monks whom either Weakness or Confidence in their Old Age had caused to stay there As soon as Bruce was informed that Edward was returned for want of Provision and that Diseases did rage in his Army so that he had lost more Men than if he had been overcome in Battel he almost trod upon his Heels with an Army noted more for the Goodness than the Number of Soldiers and came as far as York making grievous havock as he went He had almost taken the King Himself by an unexpected Assault at the Monastery of Biland where Edward in a tumultuary Battel was put to Flight all his Household-stuff Money Bag and Baggage being taken To blot out the Ignominy of this Infamous Flight Andrew Berkley Earl of Carlisle was a while after accused as if he had been bribed to betray the English and so he lost his Life in Punishment for the Cowardize of another Man The next Year a double Embassy was sent One to the Pope to reconcile him to the Scots from whom he had been alienated by the Calumnies of the English and Another to renew the Ancient League with the French They Both easily obtained what they desired For when the Pope understood That the Controversy arose by the Injury and Default of Edward the First who affirmed That the King of Scots ought to obey as a Feudatary the King of England and That the English had nothing to defend their Claim by but old Fables and late Injuries and besides That in Prosperity being Summoned by the Pope they always avoided an equal Decision of Things tho in their Adversity they were always humble suiters to him for his Aid and on the other side the Scots always were willing
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
to bear the Government of a Stranger he return'd back and provided a stately Fleet with great Cost yet no great Benefit because it was against Men who were very well provided both with Land and Sea-Forces At length he set upon their numerous Fleet returning from Dantzic which he took and pillaged and slew the Mariners and burnt the Ships so that he repaid the Enemy for the Loss he receiv'd from them many times over yea he so subdued the Fierceness of their Minds that they desired a Truce for an Hundred Years and obtain'd it He also caus'd a Breed of brave Mares to be brought from as far as Hungary into Scotland whose Race continu'd there for many Years after These Rich Earls Dying without Issue Buchan and Marr their Patrimonial â—nheritances descended Rightfully to the King And moreover he alone injoy'd all the Possessions of the Three Brothers Sons to King Robert the 2d by his last Wife but not without the Grudges of the Nobility who had been accustomed to Largesses that he alone should enjoy all the Prey without sharing any Part of it amongst them Further they conceiv'd another and fresher Cause of Offence That the King had revok'd some Grants made by Robert and Murdo the last Regents as unjust Amongst those Grants There were Two noted ones George Dunbar who was Declared a Publick Enemy was afterwards recall'd by Robert and part of his Estate restor'd to him His Son George succeeded him therein to the Joy of many who were well pleas'd that so Ancient and Noble a Family which had so often deserv'd well of their Country were restor'd to their Ancient Dignity But the King who look'd narrowly and perhaps too pryingly into his Revenue was of Opinion that the Power to restore Incapacities to recal Exiles and to give back their Goods forfeited for Treason and so brought into the King's Exchequer was too great for One that was but a Guardian of another Man's Kingdom and chosen but as a Tutor only to Claim and Use especially since Largesses made in the Minority of Princes by the Old Laws of Scotland might be recalled if not confirm'd by their respective Kings when they came to be of Age. And therefore Iames that he might reduce the Merch-men into his Power without noise in regard they were a Martial People and Borderers upon England detains George with him and sends Letters to the Governour of the Castle of Dunbar Commanding him on receipt thereof he should immediately Surrender it up to William Douglas Earl of Angus and Alexander Hepborn of Hales whom he had sent to receive it Hereupon George complain'd that he was wrongfully dispossest of his Ancient Patrimony for anothers Fault and such a Fault too as was forgiven by him who then had the Supreme Power The King to pacifie him and to proclaim his Clemency amongst the Vulgar bestowed Buchan upon him This Fact of the King 's was variously spoken of as every ones Humour and Disposition led him And moreover there was also another Action which much hastned his End the Beginning whereof is to be fetcht a little higher I said before that King Robert the 2d had Three Sons by his Concubine he had also Two by his Wife Eufemia Walter Earl of Athole and David Earl of Stratherne yet when their Mother the Queen was Dead he Married the Concubine afore-spoken of that so he might by that Marriage Legitimate the Children he had by her and leave them Heirs to the Crown and accordingly at his Death he left the Kingdom to the Eldest of them To the 2d he gave great Wealth and the Regency also The 3d. was made Earl of several Counties In this Matter tho' his other Wif's Children thought themselves wrong'd yet being younger and not so powerful as they they smothered their Anger for the present And besides their Power was somewhat abated by the Death of the Earl of Strathern who left but only one Daughter behind him afterwards Marry'd to Patrick Graham a Noble young Man and one of a potent Family in that Age on whom he begat Meliss Graham His Parents liv'd not long after and the Child after a few Years being yet a Stripling was sent as an Hostage into England till the Money for the King's Ransom was paid But the Earl of Athole tho' every way too weak for the adverse Faction yet never gave over his Project to cut off his Kindred nor cast away his Hopes to recover the Kingdom and because he was inferior in open Force he craftily fomented their Divisions and Discords and invidiously made use of their Dangers to promote his own Ends so that by his Advice that large Family was reduc'd to a few For many were of Opinion that he gave the Counsel to take off David King Robert's Son and Iames had not escap'd him neither unless he had past a good part of his Life in England far from home for he gave Advice to the Earl of Fife that seeing his Brother was a Drone he Himself should seize on the Kingdom When the King lost all his Children and was obnoxious to his Brothers Will and not long after dyed of Grief himself There was only the Regent of the Kingdom with his Children that hindred his hopes in regard he was an active Man of great Wealth Power and Authority and moreover very Popular and full of Children These Considerations did somewhat retard his Counsels but when Robert Dyed of a Natural Death and his Son Iohn was slain in the Battel of Vernevil then he resum'd his former Project with greater earnestness and bent all his Mind and Endeavour how to free Iames and set him at variance with Murdo and his Children And seeing they could not all of them stand safe together which soever of them fell he foresaw that his Hope would be advanced one step higher to the Kingdom And when Iames was returned into his Country he turn'd every Stone to hasten Murdo's Destruction he suborn'd Men fit for the turn to forge Crimes against him and he himself sate Judge upon Him and his Sons And when they were cut off there was only Iames left and one little Son a Child not yet 6 Years old And if he were slain by the Conspiracy of the Nobles he did not doubt but himself who was then the only remaining Branch of the Royal Stock should be advanc'd to the Throne Athole was in these Thoughts Night and Day yet he conceal'd his Secret Purposes and made a great shew of Loyalty to the King in helping to rid his Allies out of the way for that was his only Contrivance that by the Offences of Others he might increase his own Power and diminish his Enemies In the mean time Meliss Graham who as I said before was given in Hostage to the English was depriv'd of Strathern because the King making a diligent Enquiry into his Revenue found that 't was given to his Grandfather by the Mothers-side upon condition That if
Indemnify'd for whatsoever he had done against the King and He and His should march safely off Thus in every Dispute he who is most powerful would seem to be most innocent And not long after Creighton was received into the King's Favour and was made Chancellor again by the general Consent of all but he refrain'd the Court and all Publick Business as much as ever his Office would suffer him to do Douglas having thus rather terrified than overthrown Creighton turn'd the rest of his fury upon the Levingstons But before I come to that Part of my History I will touch upon the Slaughter of some of these Noble Persons for 't would be infinite to name the Deaths of all who were put to Death in those Days Iames Stuart a Noble Knight was slain by Alexander Lisle and Robert Boyd at Kirk-Patrick about Two Miles from Dunbarton neither was their Cruelty satisfy'd with his Death but they endeavour'd to get his Wife also who was then great with Child and almost ready to lye down into their Power In order whereto they sent a Priest to her as in great hast to tell her That all the Roads were full of Horse and Foot and that there was no Way for her to escape the present Danger but to go a Shipboard and fly to Robert Boyd at Dunbarton who had solemnly promis'd to return her safe home The credulous Woman who did not know that Robert was present at the perpetration of the Murder being carried from Cardros into the Castle perceiving that She was circumvented by the Fraud of her Enemies being overcome by the Greatness of her Grief Fear and Indignation brought forth an Abortive Birth which with the Mother Dyed a few hours after About the same time Patrick Hepburn Earl of Hales kept the Castle of Dunbar and had with him Ioan the Wife of Iames the I. who in those tumultuous times had fled thither for refuge Archibald Dunbar thinking this to be a just Cause for a Quarrel set upon Hepburn's Castle in the Night kill'd the Garison Soldiers on the First Onset and took it yet in a few Hours for fear he gave it up to the Earl of Douglas upon condition That He and His should march safely off Not long after Queen Ioan Dyed leaving these Children by her later Husband Iohn Earl of Athole Iames Earl of Buchan and Andrew afterwards Bishop of Murray After She was Dead Hepburn deliver'd up the Castle of Dunbar un-Garison'd and empty to the King In Angus Alexander Earl of Craford put Iohn Lyons to death in the Market-place at Dundee because he had been rais'd up to great Wealth and Honour even to a Match in the Royal Family by his Father yet he prov'd ungrateful and forgot the Courtesies he had received Amidst these Discords the Men of Annandale did vex the adjoyning Countries with all sorts of Calamities The Cause of all these Mischiefs was cast upon the Earl of Douglas who yet did all he could to conceal these Facts of his Clans for he openly Studied nothing more than to afflict the Men of different Parties in regard he was grown to that height of Power that 't was a Capital Offence to question any of his Doings He caus'd Iames Stuart the King's Uncle to fly the Land because he spoke something freely concerning the State of the Kingdom but his Ship being taken by the Flemings he liv'd not long after Now he thought it was high time to attempt the Levingstons whereupon he caus'd Alexander the Head of the Family and his Son Iames and also Robert the King's Treasurer and David to be summon'd to an Assembly at Edinburgh and of his Friends Robert Bruce Iames and Robert Dundasses of these Alexander and the Two Dundasses were sent back to prison to Dunbarton the rest were put to Death of what Crime they were guilty meriting so great a Punishment the Historians of those Times do not mention neither will I interpose my own Conjectures in a business so remote from our Memory only I will relate what I have heard That Iames Levingston when he came to the place of Execution complain'd heavily and expresly of the Inconstancy of Fortune That his Father who was Honour'd with a Power next to the Kings did yet freely give up the invidious Title of Regent and went to his own Estate far from Court and out of his Enemies sight whose Cruelty waâ— never satiated with his Miseries and therefore he was forc'd to take Arms to preserve his Life which he again laid down at the Kings Command if there were any fault in that he had long ago obtain'd his Pardon and since that time he had liv'd remote and free from all suspicion of any Crime of which this was an evident Token That the Nobility thought them innocent and did solicitously deprecate their Punishments and yet notwithstanding the severe Cruelty of their Enemies prevailed more than the former Demerits and good Offices of their Family or than the Kings Pardon obtain'd or than the interceding Supplications of the Nobility And therefore he intreated all who were there present to look upon those lofty Titles of Empire and Dominion to be nothing else but the Glosing Complements of Fortune who then intended to do most Mischief and that they were rather flowry Embelishments for ones Funeral than Safeguards to a Man's Life especially since Bad men can always do more to destroy the Good than the Consent of the Good can do to save them And having thus spoken to the great grief of all the Spectators he submitted his Neck to the Executioner Amidst these Combustions Creighton was sent into France partly to renew the Ancient League and partly to obtain from thence a Royal Bride Douglas took his Absence very well tho' in an Honourable Employment because tho' he was a prudent and potent person yet out of the Relicks of their former discords he was not over-fond of him In this troublesome state of the Kingdom the same Disease which vext others did also infect the Ecclesiastical Order Iames Cameron Bishop of Glasco had himself committed many acts of Cruelty and Avarice upon the Husbandmen of his Diocess which was very large and he had also given Encouragement to Those who were in power to do the like that so when the Owners were unjustly condemn'd their Estates might be Confiscated to him so that he was believ'd to be the Author or the Favourer of all the Mischiefs which were acted abroad 'T is reported that the Man came to an End worthy of his wicked Life The Day before the Nativity of Christ as he was asleep in a Farm of his own about 7 Miles from Glasco he seem'd to hear a loud Voice calling him to the Tribunal of Christ to plead his Cause That sudden Fright wakened him out of his Sleep he call'd up his Servants to bring a Candle and sit down by him he took a Book in his hand and began to read but presently the
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
much the more because he fell not for the perpetration of any new Crime but merely by the Calumnies as 't was thought of Iohn Hepburn the Abbat For he being a Factious Man and eager of Revenge bore an implacable Hatred against Hume because by his Means alone he was disappointed of the Arch-Bishoprick of St. Andrews So that tho he had stifled his old Hatred for a Time yet 't was believ'd he push'd on the Regent who of himself was suspicious enough of and disaffected to the Hume's to the greater Severity against him by telling him how dangerous it would be to the King and all Scotland if he at his going into France should leave so fierce an Enemy alive behind him For what would he not attempt in his Absence who had despised his Authority when present So that the Contumacy of the Man which could not be lenified by Rewards Honours nor by frequent Pardons had need be conquered by the Axe if he would ever keep Scotland in quiet These and such like Insinuations upon pretence of consulting the publick Safety being buzz'd into the Ears of a Man disaffected to them before contributed more to the Destruction of the Hume's in the Judgment of many than any of their Crimes When the Hume's were put to Death Andrew Car obtained the Respite of one Night to provide for his Souls Health but by means of his Friends and especially a French-man his Keeper it was suspected upon the payment of a good Sum of Money down upon the Nail he made his Escape Alexander Hume left three Brothers behind him who all met with various Misfortunes in those Days George for a Murder he had committed lay private as an Exile in England Iohn Abbat of Iedburgh was banished beyond the Tay David the youngest Prior of Coldingham about two Years after the Execution of his Brothers being called forth by Iames Hepburn his Sisters Husband upon pretence of a Conference fell into an Ambush laid purposely for him and was slain being much pityed by all that an innocent young Man of so great hopes should be betrayed so unworthily by one who had little reason so to do When Severities and Punishments had thus ranged over the whole Family of the Hume's at last it fell to their Enemies share and especially to Hepburn's who had been so severe an Exactor of the unjust Punishment of others yet the Destruction of one Family once so powerful brought such a Pannick Fear upon all the rest that Matters were the quieter a great while after The next December the Regent brought the King from Sterlin to Edinburgh and then he desired leave of the Nobility of Scotland to return into France every one almost was against the Motion so that he was forced to stay till late in the Spring and then took Shipping promising speedily to return in case any more than ordinary Commotion should arise which required his Presence For the Government of the Kingdom in his Absence he left the Earls of Angus Arran Argyle and Huntly the Arch-Bishops of St. Andrew's and Glasgoe to whom he added Anthony Darcy a French-man Governour of Dunbar who was injoined to correspond with him and to inform him of all Passages in his Absence And that no Discord might arise out of an ambitious Principle between such Great and Noble Personages by reason of their Parity in the Government he allotted to each of them their several Provinces Darcy the French-man the rest condescending thereunto had the chief Place amongst them Merch and Lothian being appointed to be under his Government The other Provinces were distributed to the rest according to each Man 's particular Conveniency Mean while the Queen about a Year after she had been in England near the end of May returned to Scotland and was attended by her Husband from Berwick But they lived not together so lovingly as before The Regent at his Departure to prevent the budding and growth of Sedition in his Absence had carryed along with him either the Heads of the noblest Families or else their Sons and Kindred upon a pretence of doing them Honour but indeed as Pledges into France And he had sent others of them into different and remote parts of the Kingdom where they had as 't were but a larger Prison He had also placed French Governors in the Castles of Dunbar Dunbarton and Garvy yet a Commotion arose upon a slight occasion whence it was least feared or dreamt of Anthony Darcy had carried it with a great deal of Equity and Prudence in his Government especially in restraining of Robberies The first Tumult in his Province which tended to any thing of a War was made by William Cockburn Uncle to the Lord of Langton he had driven away the Guardians of the young Ward and had seized upon the Castle of Langton relying principally on the power of David Hume of Wederburn whose Sister Cockburn had married Thither Darcy marched with a sufficient Guard but they Within refused to surrender the Castle and moreover David Hume with some few nimble Horse riding up to him upbraided him with the cruel Death of his Kinsman Alexander the French-man partly distrusting his Men and partly confiding in the Swiftness of the Horse he rode upon fled towards Dunbar but his Horse falling under him his Enemy overtook and slew him and set up his Head in an eminent place on Hume-Castle he was slain the 20 th of September in the Year 1517. Whereupon the other Governours had a Meeting and fearing a greater Combustion after this terrible beginning they made the Earl of Arran their President and committed George Douglas Brother to the Earl of Angus upon Suspicion of his being privy to the Murder newly committed Prisoner to Garvy-Castle They also sent to the Regent in France to call him back into Scotland as soon as ever he could About the same time some Seeds of Discord were sown between the Earl of Angus and Andrew Car of Farnihurst by reason of the Jurisdiction over some Lands which did belong to the Earl but Andrew alleged he had Power to keep Courts in them The rest of the Family of the Car's sided with the Earl but the Hamilton's took part with Andrew which they did more out of hate to the Douglas's than for any Justice Car had for his Pretensions so that both Parties provided themselves against the Court-day to run a greater hazard than the matter they strove about was worth And Iohn Somerval a noble and high-spirited young Man of the Douglas's Faction set upon Iames the Natural Son of the Earl of Arran on the Way and slew five of his Retinue putting the rest to flight he also took above thirty of their Horses When an Assembly was summoned to be held at Edinburgh April the 29 th 1520. The Hamiltons alleged that they could not be safe in that City where Archibald Douglas was Governour whereupon Douglas that he might not impede
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
their Expectation they resolved to cut off the hope of lawful Issue by hindring his Marriage what they could although Iohn Duke of Albany when he was Regent seemed to have made sufficient Provision against that Inconvenience for when he renewed the ancient League between the French and Scots at Roan he had inserted one Article that Iames should marry Francis's eldest Daughter But there were two Impediments in the way which almost broke off and cut this League asunder For Francis being freed out of the Hand of the Spaniard by the Industry and Diligence principally of Henry the 8 th had entred into so strict a League with the English that the Scotish League was much intrenched upon thereby and besides the eldest Daughter of Francis was deceas'd a while before and therefore Iames desired Magdalen his next Daughter to Wife and sent Embassadors over to that purpose but her Father excused the matter alleging that his Daughter was of so weak a Constitution of Body that there was little hopes of Children by her no nor hardly any Likelihood of her Life it self for any long time About the same time there was an Affinity treated of with Charles the Emperor by Embassadors and at length the 24 th day of April 1534. The Emperor sent Godscalk Ericus that the matter might be carry'd with greater Secrecy from Toledo in Spain through Ireland to Iames. After he had declared the Commands he had in charge from the Emperor concerning the Wrongs offer'd to his Aunt Catharine and her Daughter by King Henry concerning the calling a general Council concerning the rooting out the Sect of the Lutherans and concerning contracting an Affinity The Emperor by his Letters gave the King his choice of three Marys all of them of his Blood they were Mary Sister to Charles a Widow ever since the Death of her Husband Lewis of Hungary who was slain in Battel by the Turks Mary of Portugal the Daughter of his Sister Leonora and Mary of England his Niece by his Aunt Catharine And because Charles knew that King Iames was more inclinable to this last Match he also shewed a greater Propension thereunto that so he might take off Iames from his valuing of and adhering to the League with Francis and at the same time might set him at ods with Henry Iames made answer that the Marriage with England was indeed in many respects most advantageous if it could be obtained but 't was a Business of uncertain Hope but of great Danger and Toil and would be encumber'd with so many Delays that his single Life he being the last of his Family could hardly bear it and therefore of all Caesar's Neices he told Him that the Daughter of Christiern King of Denmark was most convenient for him who was begotten upon Isabel the Sister of Charles A while after Charles answered this his Demand from Madrid that she was already promised to another and though Caesar by offering Conditions seem'd rather to prolong the matter than really to bring it to pass yet the Treaty was not wholly laid aside Matters being quiet at home Iames resolved to go a Ship-board to take a View of all his Dominions round about and to curb the stubborn Spirits of the Islanders and make them more obedient First he sailed to the Orcades where he quieted all Disorders by apprehending and imprisoning a few of the Nobility he garison'd two Castles there his Own and the Bishops afterwards he visited the rest of the Islands and sent for the chief Men to come to him those that refus'd he seiz'd by force he laid a Tax on them took Hostages and carried away with him those who were most likely to be Incendiaries and clapping some of his own Train into their Castles he sent the leading Men of them some to Edinburgh and some to Dunbar Prisoners For about that time Iohn Duke of Albany had surrendred up Dunbar to the King which till then had been kept by a French Garison In the next Month of August great Severity was used against the Lutherans some were compelled to make a publick Recantation others refusing to appear upon Summons were banished Two were burnt of which one named David Straiton was free enough from Lutheranism but he was accused thereof because he was somewhat refractary in Payment of Tithes to the Collectors of them and so was put to Death only for a supposed Crime In an Assembly which the King caused to be convened at Iedburgh in order to the suppressing of the Robbers thereabouts Walter Scot was condemned of high Treason and sent Prisoner to Edinburgh Castle where he remained as long as the King lived The same Month of August when Francis as I said before had excused his Daughters Marriage on account of her Health but withal had offer'd him any other of the Blood Royal The King sent Embassadors into France Iames Earl of Murray Vice-roy of the Kingdom and William Stuart Bishop of Aberdene those Two went by Sea and Iohn Erskin by Land because he had some Commands to deliver to Henry of England by the way To them be added a Fourth i. e. Robert Reed a good Man and highly prudent There Mary of Bourbon the Daughter of Charles Duke of Vendosme a Lady of the Blood was offer'd to them as a fit Wife for their King Other points were accorded easily enough but the Embassadors fearing that this Marriage would not please their Master would make no Espousal till they had acquainted him therewith In the mean time Henry of England to trouble a matter which was upon the point of concluding in November sent the Bishop of St. Davids into Scotland who brought Iames some English Books containing the Theses's of the Christian Religion desiring Iames to read them and diligently to weigh what was written therein but he gave them to some of his Courtiers who were most addicted to the Sacerdotal Order to inspect They before ever they had scarce look'd on them condemn'd them as Heretical and moreover they highly gratulated the King that he had not polluted his Eye so they phrased it with reading such pestiferous Books This was the cause of their Embassy according to common Vogue yet some say that they brought some other secret Messages to Iames Afterward the same Bishop together with William Howard Brother to the Duke of Norfolk came so unexpectedly to Sterlin that they almost surprized the King before he heard any News of their coming their Errand was that Henry desir'd Iames to appoint a day of Interview wherein they might confer together for he had at that meeting things of high Concernment and of mighty Advantage to both Nations to propound to him In that Message he gave great hope if other matters could be well accorded that he would bestow his Daughter in Marriage upon him and leave him King of all Britain after his Decease and that he might give more credit to his Promises he would make him for the
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
the Power of her Kinswoman by this condescending Marriage that it might not swell beyond what was safe and fit for Neighbours But when all was concluded on there fell out a Business which retarded all and turn'd every thing as it were upside down to make it plain I must fetch the Original Story a little higher There was one David Rize born at Turein in Savoy his Father being honest but poor got a mean Livelihood for himself and Family by teaching the Elements of Musick and having no other Patrimony to leave his Children he made them all of both Sexes skilful Musicians David was one of them who being in the prime of his Youth and having a sweet Voice was by his Skill in Musick erected to the hope of a better Fortune he went to Nice to the Court of the Duke of Savoy which Place that Duke had newly obtained but meeting with no Entertainment there answerable to his hopes contriving every way how to relieve himself in his Penury he light upon Morettius who by the Dukes Command was then preparing for a Voyage to Scotland him he followed into Scotland but Morettius being a Man of no great Estate and looking upon his Service as unnecessary and useless he resolved to stay in Scotland and try his Fortune there especially because he had heard that the Queen was delighted in Musick and was not ignorant of the Grounds of it her self Whereupon to make way to her Presence he first dealt with her Musicians of which many were French to admit him into their Society which they did and having plaid his part once or twice was lik'd very well whereupon he was made one of their Set and Company and he so complied with the Queen's Humour that partly by flattering her and partly by undermining others he grew into high Favour with her and into the extream Hate of his Fellows neither was he content with this favourable blast of Fortune but he despised his Equals too and by sundry Criminations worm'd them out of their Places then he rose higher and began to treat about Matters of State and by degrees was made Secretary and by that means had opportunity of private Converse with the Queen apart from others The sudden advance of this Man from a low and almost beggerly Estate to such a Power Wealth and Dignity afforded Matter of Discourse to the People His Fortune was above his Virtue and his Arrogance Contempt of his Equals and Contention with his Superiours were above his Fortune This Vanity and Madness of the Man was much increas'd and nourish'd by the Flattery of the Nobility who sought his Friendship courted him admir'd his Judgment walk'd before his Lodgings observing his Ingress and Egress But Murray alone who had no Dissimulation in his Heart was so far from fauning on him that he gave him many a sour look which troubled the Queen as much as David himself But he on the other side to uphold himself in his Station against the Hatred of the Nobles did apply himself with great Adulation to the young Gentleman who was to be the Queen's Husband so that he came to be so familiar with him as to be admitted to his Chamber and Bed-side and to secret Conference with him where he persuaded him out of his unwary Credulity and Forwardness to compass his Desires that he was the chief occasion to make the Queen to cast her Eye upon him Besides he cast in Seeds of Discord betwixt him and Murray every day as knowing that if he were removed he should pass the residue of his Life without Affront or Disturbance There was now much talk abroad not only of the Queen's Marriage with Henry and his secret recourse to her but also of the too great Familiarity betwixt her and David Rize Murray who by his plain downright advice to his Sister got nothing but her Hatred resolved to leave the Court that so he might not be thought the Author of what was acted there And the Queen was willing enough that so severe a Supervisor of her Actions should withdraw especially in a Season whilst she was strengthning the contrary Faction For she recall'd those which were banish'd Bothwel from France George Gordon Earl of Sutherland from Flanders the other George Gordon Son to the Earl of Huntly she delivered out of Prison and restored to his former Place and Dignity When Bothwel was return'd from France Murray accuses him of the Treasonable Practices he had lately committed against him Some of those Noble-Men and Gentlemen who were his Familiars in France were Witnesses against him The Matter was clear foul and heinous A Day was appointed for the Trial but the Queen first dealt earnestly with her Brother to desist from the Prosecution which he refused judging his Credit to be much at stake which way soever the balance did incline in the Case What did the Queen do next but wrote Letters to many of the Nobility not to appear at the time appointed and as Alexander Earl of Glencarn Murrays intimate Friend was passing by Sterlin she sent for him out of the way to her yet all good Men were so well agreed in the Case that Bothwel being precondemn'd in his own Conscience and moved with the general detestation of the wicked Attempt durst not abide the Trial. This favour of the People to Murray did so inrage the Queen's Mind against him that she hastned his long before design'd End and the Manner to accomplish it was This Murray was to be sent for to Perth where the Queen was with a few Attendants there Darnly was to discourse him and in the Conference they all knew he would speak his mind freely and then a Quarrel would arise upon which David Rize was to give him the first blow then the rest were to Wound him to Death Murray was made acquainted with this Conspiracy by his Friends at Court yet come what would he resolved to go but as he was on his Journy being again advis'd by Patrick Ruven he turned aside to his Mother's house near Loch Levin and being troubled with a Lask excused himself and staid there Thither some of his Friends came to visit him upon which a Report was presently spread that he staid there to intercept the Queen and Darnly in their Return to Edinburgh whereupon Horsemen were sent out but they discovered no Men in Arms or sign of any Force yet the Queen made such haste and was so fearful in this Journy as if some great Danger had been at hand The Marriage was now at hand and a great part of the Nobility call'd together at Sterlin That so the Queen might countenance her Will and Pleasure with some pretence of Publick Consent Most of those they sent for were such as they knew would easily give their Assent or else that durst not oppose Many of those so congregated assented to the Motion Provided always that no Alteration should be made in the then establish'd Religion but
Accused had committed no such heinous Offence and besides they foresaw the Danger that would insue About the same time the Queen of England sent her a very large and obliging Letter full of prudent Advice in reference to the present Estate of Scotland endeavouring to incline her Kinswoman from a wrathful to a reconcilable Temper The Nobility knew that such Letters were come and they guess'd at What the Contents were and thereupon the Queen counterfeited a civiller Respect to them than ordinary and began to read them in the presence of many of them when she was in the middle David stood up and bid her Read no more she had read enough she should stop that Carriage of his seemed to them rather arrogant than new for they knew how imperiously he had carried it towards her heretofore yea and sometimes he would reprove her more sharply than her own Husband ever durst do At that time the Cause of the Banish'd was hotly disputed in the Parliament-House some to gratify the Queen would have the Punishment due to Traitors to be pass'd upon them others contended that they had done nothing worthy to be so severely treated In the mean time David went about to all of them one by one to feel their pulses what each ones Vote would be concerning the Exiles if he was chosen Speaker by the rest of the Convention he told them plainly the Queen was resolved to have them condemn'd and 't was in vain for any of them to contend against it and besides he would be sure to incur the Queen's Displeasure thereby His Design in this was partly to confound the weaker Spirits betwixt Hope and Fear and partly to exclude the more resolv'd out of the number of the Judges select or Lords of the Articles or at least that the major Part might be of such a Gizard as would please the Queen This audacious Improbity of so mean a Fellow was fear'd by some and hated by all Whereupon the King by his Father's Advice sent for Iames Douglas and Patrick Lindsy his Kinsmen one by the Father the other by the Mother's side they advise with Patrick Ruven an able Man both for Advice and Execution but he was so weakned with a lasting Disease that for some Months he could not rise out of his Bed however they were willing to trust him amongst some few others in a matter of so great Concernment both by reason of his great Prudence and also because his Children were Cousin-Germans to the King The King was told by them what a great Error he had committed before in suffering his Kinsmen and Friends to be driven from Court in favour of such a base Rascal as Rize yea he himself did in effect thrust them out from the Court with his own Hands and so had advanced such a contemptible Mushroom that now he himself was despised by him they had also much other Discourse concerning the State of the Publick The King was quickly brought to acknowledg his Fault and to promise to act nothing for the future without the Consent of the Nobility But those wise and experienc'd Counsellors thought it not safe to trust the verbal Promises of an Uxorious young Man as believing that he might in time be enticed by his Wife to deny this Capitulation to their certain Ruin and therefore they drew up the Heads of their Contract in Writing to which he willingly and forwardly subscribed The Heads were For the establishing Religion as 't was provided for at the Queen's Return to Scotland To reduce the Persons lately banished because their Country could not well want their Service To destroy David for as long as he was alive the King could not maintain his Dignity nor the Nobility be in Safety They all set their Hands to this Schedule wherein the King professing himself the Author of the Homicide they resolved presently to attempt the Fact both to prevent the Condemnation of the absent Nobles and also lest Delay might discover their Design And therefore when the Queen was at Supper in a narrow private Room the Earl of Argyle's Wife and David sitting with her as they were wont and there were but a few Attendants for the Room would not hold many Iames Douglas Earl of Morton with a great number of his Friends were walking in an outward Chamber their faithful Friends and Vassals were commanded to stay below in the Yard to quiet the Tumult if any should be The King comes out of his own Chamber which was below the Queen's and goes up to her by a narrow pair of Stairs which were open to none but himself Patrick Ruven follow'd him arm'd with but four or five Companions at most they entred into the Closet where they were at Supper and the Queen being something mov'd at that unusual Appearance of arm'd Men and also perceiving Ruven in an uncouth posture and lean by reason of his late Disease and yet in his Armour asked him What was the matter for the Spectators thought that his Feaver had disturb'd his Head and put him besides himself He commanded David to rise and come forth for the Place he sat in was not fit for him the Queen presently rose and sought to defend him by the interposal of her Body but the King took her in his Arms and bid her to be of good chear they would do her no hurt only the Death of that Villain was resolved on they haled David out into the next then into the outer Chamber there those that waited with Douglas made an end of him with many Wounds which was against the Mind of all those who conspired his Death for they resolved to hang him up publickly as knowing it would be a grateful Spectacle to all the People There went a constant Report that one Iohn Damiot a French Priest counted a Conjurer told David once or twice that now he had feather'd his Nest he should be gone and withdraw himself from the Envy of the Nobles who would be too hard for him And that he should answer The Scots were greater Threatners than Fighters he was also told a little before his Death that he should take heed of a Bastard to which he replied That as long as he lived no Bastard should have so much Power in Scotland as that he need fear it for he thought his Danger was predicted from Murray but the Prophecy was either fulfill'd or eluded by Douglas's giving him his first Blow who was the base-begotten Son to the Earl of Angus after he had began then every one rush'd in to strike him either to revenge their own particular Grief or the publick Concern Hereupon a Tumult arose all over the House and the Earls of Huntly Athol and Bothwel who were at Supper in another part of the Palace were rushing out but they were kept within their Chamber by those who guarded the Courts below and had no harm done them Ruven went out of that Privy-room into the Queen's Bed-Chamber where
not being able to stand he sat down and called for something to drink Whereupon the Queen fell upon him with such Words as her present Grief and Fury suggested to her calling him a Perfidious Traitor and ask'd him How he durst be so bold as to speak to her sitting whereas she her self stood he excus'd it as not done out of Pride but Weakness of Body but advis'd her That in managing the Affairs of the Kingdom she would rather consult the Nobility who had a Concern in the Publick than vagrant Rascals who could give no Pledg for their Faithfulness and who had nothing to lose either in Estate or Credit neither was the Fact then committed without a Precedent That Scotland was a Kingdom bounded by Laws and was never wont to be govern'd by the Will and Pleasure of one Man but by the Rule of the Law and the Consent of the Nobility and if any former King had done otherwise he had smarted severely for it Neither were the Scots at present so far degenerated from their Ancestors as to bear not only the Government but even the Servitude of a Stranger who was scarce worthy to be their Slave The Queen was more inraged at this Speech than before Whereupon they departed having plac'd Guards in all convenient Places that no Tumult might arise In the mean time the News was carried all over the Town and as every ones Disposition was right or wrong they took Arms and went to the Palace There the King shewed himself to them out of a Window and told the Multitude That He and the Queen were safe and there was no cause for their tumultuous Assembly What was done was by his Command and what that was they should know in time and therefore at present every one should go to his own House Upon which Command they withdrew except some few that staid to keep Guard The next day in the Morning the Nobles that return'd from England offer'd themselves to the Trial in the Town-hall being ready to plead their Cause for That was the day appointed but no body appearing against them they there openly protested That it was not their Fault for they were ready to submit to a Legal Trial and so every one return'd to his own Lodging The Queen sent for her Brother and after a long Conference with him she gave him hopes That ever after she would commit her self to the Nobles Hereupon the Guards were slackn'd though many thought this her Clemency did presage no Good to the Publick for she gathered together the Souldiers of her old Guard and went through a back Gate by Night with George Seton who attended with 200 Horse first to his Castle then to Dunbar she carried also the King along with her who for fear of his Life was forc'd to obey There she gathered a Force together and pretending a Reconcilement to those who were lately returned from Banishment she turn'd her Fury upon the Murderers of David but they yeilding to the time shifted for themselves and so having settled Matters she return'd to her old Disposition First of all she caus'd David's Body which was buried before the Door of a Neighbour-Church to be removed in the Night and to be plac'd in the Sepulchre of the late King and his Children Which gave occasion to illfavour'd Reports being amongst a few others a bad thing for what greater Confession of Adultery with him could she well make than as far as she was able to equal such an obscure Fellow who was neither liberally brought up nor had deserved well of the Publick in his last Funerals with her Father and Brothers and to increase the Indignity of the thing she put the Varlet almost into the Arms of Magdalene Vallois late Queen As for her Husband she threatned him and obliquely in her Discourses scoff'd at him doing her Endeavour to take away all Power from him and to render him as contemptible as she could At this time the Process was very severe against David's Murderers many of the Accus'd were banish'd some to one place some to another some were fin'd some but the most innocent and therefore secure put to Death for the prime Contrivers of the Fact were fled some to England others to the High-lands Those who were but the least suspected to have an hand in it had their Offices and Employments taken from them and bestow'd upon their Enemies And a Proclamation was made by an Herald in such a publick Sorrow not without Laughter That no Man should say The King was a Partaker in or so much as privy to David's Slaughter This Commotion being a little settled after the 15 th of April the Earl of Argyle and Murray were receiv'd into Favour and she her self drawing near the time of her Delivery retired into Edinburgh Castle and on the 19 th day of Iune a little after nine a Clock at Night was brought to Bed of a Son afterwards called Iames the Sixth The Eighteenth BOOK THE Queen after her Delivery receiv'd all other Visitants with Kindness enough suitable to the occasion of a publick Joy but when her Husband came she and her Attendants did so comport themselves both in Speech and Countenance as if they were afraid of nothing more than that he should not understand that his Presence was disdainful and his Company unacceptable to them all but on the contrary Bothwel alone was the Man he managed all Affairs The Queen was so inclined to him that she would have it understood no Suit would be obtained from her but by his Mediation And as if she were afraid her Favours to him were but mean and not sufficiently known on a certain day she took one or two with her and went down to the Haven called New-Haven and her Attendants not knowing whither she intended she went aboard a small Vessel prepared there for her William and Edmond Blacater Edward Robertson and Thomas Dickson all Bothwels Creatures and Pirates of known Rapacity had fitted the Ship before with this Guard of Robbers to the great Admiration of all good Men she ventur'd to Sea taking none of her honest Servants along with her She landed at Alloway a Castle of the Earl of Marrs where she so demeaned her self for some time as if she had forgot not only the Dignity of a Queen but even the Modesty of a Matron The King when he heard of the Queen 's sudden Departure followed her as fast as he could by Land his Design and Hopes were to be with her and to injoy mutual Society as Man and Wife but He as an importunate Disturber of her Pleasures was bid go back whence he came and had hardly time allow'd him for his Servants to refresh themselves A few days after the Queen return'd to Edinburgh and because it seems she would avoid the Croud of People she went not to her own Palace but to the House of a private Man in the Vicinage From thence she
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
that time he had retir'd to the House of his Brother the Earl of Arran which was near to the House where the King was slain Whereas before he always us'd to live in some Eminent part of the City where he might conveniently receive Visits and curry Favour with the People by Feasting them and besides Lights were seen in his House and a Watch all the Night from the upper part of the City and when the design'd Powder-Clap was then the Lights were put out and his Vassals many of whom watch'd in their Arms were forbidden to go out of Doors But the true Story of the matter of Fact which broke out after some Months gave occasion to People to look upon those things as certain Indications which before were but Suspicions only When the Murder was committed presently Messengers were sent into England who were to Report That the King of Scots was cruelly Murdered by his Subjects by the contrivance especially of Murray and Morton The News was presently brought to Court which so inflam'd all the English to the hatred of the whole Nation that for some days no Scots Man durst walk abroad without Danger of his Life and tho many Letters past to and fro discovering the secret Contrivances of the Design yet they could hardly be appeas'd The King's Body having been left a while as a Spectacle to be gaz'd upon and a great Concourse of People continually stockt thither the Queen order'd That it should be laid on a Form or Bier turn'd upside down and brought by Porters into the Palace There she her Self viewed the Body the fairest of that Age and yet her Countenance discover'd not the secrets of her Mind neither one way or other The Nobles there present Decreed that a Royal and Magnificent Funeral should be made for him But the Queen caus'd him to be carry'd forth by Bearers in the Night to be buried in no manner of State and that which increas'd the Indignity the more was that his Grave was made near David Rizes as if she design'd to Sacrifice the Life of her Husband to the Ghost of that filthy Varlet There were Two Prodigies hapning at that time which are worth the while to relate One of them a little preceded the Murder it was This One Iames Londin a Gentleman of Fife having been long Sick of a Feaver the day before the King was kill'd about Noon lifted up himself a little out of his Bed and as if he had been astonish'd cry'd out to those that stood by him with a loud Voice to go help the King for the Parricides was just now Murdering him and a while after he call'd out with a mournful Tone Now 't is too late to help he is already Slain and he himself lived not long after he had utter'd those Words The Other did accompany the Murder it self Three of the familiar Friends of the Earl of Athol's the King's Cousin Men of Reputation for Valour and Estate had their Lodgings not far from the King 's when they were asleep about Midnight there was a certain Man seem'd to come to Dugal Stuart who lay next the Wall and to draw his Hand gently over his Beard and Cheek so to awake him saying Arise they are off'ring Violence to us He presently awak'd and considering the Apparition within himself Another of them cries out presently in the same Bed Who kicks me Dugal answer'd perhaps 't is a Cat which us'd to walk about in the Night whereupon the 3 d which was not yet awake rose presently out of his Bed and was going to run away demanding Who it was that had given him a box on the Ear as soon as he had spoken it one seem'd to go out of the House by the Door not without some Noise Whilst they were descanting on what they had heard and seen The noise of the King's House that was blown up drove them all into a great Fright He that took the Murder most heinously was Iohn Stuart Earl of Athol as for other Reasons so because he was the chief Maker of the Match between the Queen and him The Night after the Murder arm'd Guards watch'd the Palace at Night as in such sudden Consternations is usual and they hearing the outside Wall of the Earl of Athols Lodging make a Noise or Crack as if some were gently digging at the Foundation they rais'd the Family which went no more to Bed that Night The day after the Earl went into the Town and a little after that went home for fear of his Life The Earl of Murray at his return to Court from St. Andrews was not without danger neither for arm'd Men walkt about his House at Night but he not being well and his Servants thereupon using to watch with him all Night the Villains could not attempt any thing privately against him and openly they durst not At length Bothwel who would willingly have been freed from such a trouble resolved to perform the wicked Fact with his own Hands And therefore about Midnight he askt his Domesticks how Murray did They told him he was grievously troubled with the Gout What said he if we should go see him and presently he rose up and was hastening to his House As he was going he was inform'd by his Domesticks that he was gone to his Brother Roberts to be at more Freedom and Ease out of the Noise of the Court whereupon he held his Peace stood still grieving that he had lost so fair an Opportunity and so return'd home The Queen mean while look'd very demurely and dissembling great Sorrow thought That way to reconcile the People to her but that speeded as ill with her as the rest of the Conspiracy For whereas it was the Custom time out of Mind for Queens after their Husbands Death to abstain several Days not only from the sight of Men but even from seeing the Light she indeed personated a fain'd Grief but her Joy did so exceed it that thô the Doors were shut yet the Windows were open and casting off her mourning Weeds in 4 days she could well enough bear the sight of the Sun and Air And before 12 days were over her Mind was harden'd against the talks of the People and she went to Seton about 7 Miles from the Town Bothwel never departing from her side there her Carriage was such that she seemed somewhat chang'd in the Apparel of her Body but nothing at all in the habit of her Mind The Place was full of the Nobility and she went daily abroad to the accustom'd Sports thô some of them were not so fit for the Female Sex But the coming of Mr. D'Crocke a French-Man who had often before been Embassador in Scotland did somewhat disturb their Measures for he telling them how infamous the Matter was amongst Strangers they returned to Edinburgh But Seton I perceive had so many Conveniencies that th◠with the further hazard of her Credit she must needs return thither again There
it was done in Contempt of the Blood Royal and a Bastard set up in his Room but if the Honour were restor'd to him in a very short Time all Domestick Tumults would be quieted and the Queen even without Blood would recover her Crown and Dignity again Whereunto the King's Embassadors answer'd That Hamilton desir'd a Thing not only contrary to the Lavvs and Customs of their Ancestors but if the consideration of the Law vvere omitted yet 't was very unjust in it self for our Ancestors said they by reason of the Slaughters of their Princes by their Kindred for 1300 Years ago did vvholly change the Method of their Assemblies in making a King For as before in the Family of Fergus our first King after the King's Death it was not the next of Blood but he that was most fit was chosen King by Suffrage So Kenneth the 3 d that he might take away all Plots against Princes by those of their Blood and also might prevent the cruel and bloody Emulations of their Kindred amongst themselves made this Decree of Succession that now is for the next of Blood to inherit And Men by Experience finding that in so great an Inconstancy of Fortune 't was scarce possible but that sometimes the Right of Chief Magistracy should fall on a Child or else on one unable to govern therefore they decreed That he who preceded others in Power and Wisdom should undergo the Administration of the Government in the mean time and our Ancestors observing this Course for almost 600 Years have transmitted down a Kingdom safe to us Thus when Robert Bruce died there succeeded Regents chosen by most Voices Thomas Randolf Earl of Murray Donald Earl of Marr Andrew Murray Iohn Randolf Robert Stuart sometimes particular Persons sometimes more than one were chosen by our publick Conventions to that Office So when Iames the Second was a Child Alexander Levingston was appointed his Governour who was no way related to that King in Blood no nor a Noble Man neither but a Knight only more eminent for his Wisdom than his Family And if any say That was for want of some of the King's Line the Excuse will not hold for at that very time there was Iohn Kennedy chief of his Family his Nephew by the Sister of Iames the First a Man both wise and virtuous there were also his Uncles Iames Kennedy Archbishop of St. Andrews the eminentest Person for Virtue in the whole Kingdom and also his Brothers the Son of the King's Aunt Douglas Earl of Angus Archibald also Earl of Douglas was not excluded from the King's Line but in Power was almost equal to him to be sure he was superiour to all others yet none ever complain'd of the Injustice of our Assemblies in so doing And not long after Iames the Third had four Tutors or Guardians assign'd him not taken on the account of Alliance but chosen by Vote And of late Iohn Duke of Albany was sent for by the Nobility out of France to govern Scotland in the Minority of Iames the 4 th and when he came he was setled in the Regency by a publick Statute enacted in a Convention of the Estates which was not done on the account of Proximity in Blood for he had Alexander an elder Brother one perhaps inferiour to him yet far more virtuous than Iames Hamilton who for a season affected that Dignity But in the Absence of Iames the Fifth Robert his Uncle manag'd the Kingdom I pray by what Right Was he assum'd into that Office for Propinquity of Blood No Was he elected by the People No nor that neither How was he then created I 'le tell you how When King Robert the Third was neither in Body nor Mind fit to manage the Kingly Office he set up Robert his Brother in his stead and commended his Children to his Care David his eldest Son he starv'd to Death Iames the younger had been also slain unless he had saved his Life by Flight And being thus setled in the Possession of the Government his Brother dying for Grief he kept it without the Consent of the People in Parliament and deliver'd it down by Hand to his Son Mordacus How Robert the King that died last stood affected towards his Brother is very plain for as when he was a dying he abominated and curs'd him as the Executioner of his Children so certainly if he had been alive and in Health he would not have designed him Guardian to his Children We are so put in mind of that time wherein after the Death of Iames the Fifth he himself was made Regent as if any thing at all was legally acted since that time When Cardinal Beton endeavoured by Fraud to invade the chief Magistracy he crept into the vacant Office rather out of Peoples Hatred to Beton than Love to Him being got into it he ruled with great Cruelty and Avarice and not many years ago he sold that Magistracy which he got by Force and the Queen too then committed to his Care therein was manifested what Affection the People bare to him when they preferred the Government of a Woman-Stranger before that bitter Slavery they suffer'd under him You see then I suppose how this Request of Hamilton's is contrary to the Laws of our Country and the Institutions of our Ancestors yea so contrary that for want of Arguments to maintain it he bolsters it up only with Lies And if there were any Custom of this kind all Men see how unjust it is For what can be more unequal than to commit the innocent and weak Age of the Prince to his Care who either daily expects or wishes for the Death of his Pupil All whose Family hath born and doth bear great and lasting Enmity with the Family of the King that now reigns What Safeguard can there be here in Nearness of Blood against ancient Hatred griping Avarice and the precipitate Force of forestalled Tyranny Laodice Queen of the Cappadocians is reported to have slain her Sons as they came to Age thus buying out or as it were redeeming a small Stay in the Government with the innocent Blood of her own Children If a Mother destroy'd the Fruit of her own Womb only to reign a little longer What shall we think will old Enemies attempt or rather What will they not attempt being inflam'd to Cruelty by the Stings of Avarice against a Child who is the only Remora to their Hopes of the Kingdom And if this Example seem old obscure and far-fetch'd I will add some more Illustrious Ones nearer hand Who is ignorant of what was lately acted how that Galeacius Sforza was slain by his Uncle Lewis though he was of Age and married and the Son-in-Law too of a most powerful Prince Who doth not know the Calamities that followed upon that cruel Parricide The brave fertile Country of Italy was almost made a Wilderness thereby The Family of the Sforza's from whence so many valiant Men proceeded was extinguish'd
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
Embassador into France 376 Croke the French Embassador dislikes the Queen's Marriage with Bothwel 199 He mediates a Peace 208 209 Crowling Isle 28 Cruelty an Example thereof 329 Culbrenin Isle 25 Culdees a kind of Monks 18 125 Worshippers of God 18 Culen King of Scots an incestuous Person 184 185 He is slain by a Strumpet 187 Cull 196 Culross whence so called 170 Cumbra Isles the greater and the lesser 25 Cumbri and Cumri 75 Cumins their Faction powerful 240 Cumins overthrows Gilespy 239 Cumins John overthrown by Bruce 264 Cumins William poisoned by his Wife 241 Cuningham 14 Cuningham's overcome by the Hamiltons 85 Cup of St. Magnus see Magnus Curia a Parish-Church 26 Curry a Merchaâ—t an Instrument in surprizing Edinburghâ—â—stle â—â—stle 299 Cutberectus 161 D DAal what it signifies in Old Scotish 100 Dalkeith 13 Dalreudini why the Scots so called 100 Danes enter England 71 Invade Scotland 174 Fight a bloody Battel with the English 178 Turn Christians ibid. Land in Scotland 182 Are overthrown ibid. Danish Fleet lands again in Scotland 190 Stupified by an inebriating Drink and overcome by the Scots 209 Swear never to return to invade Scotland any more 210 Dangers make Men sagacious 26 Dardanus King of Scots 108 His cruel Reign and violent Death ibid. David I. King of Scots 212 Profuse towards Monasteries 223 Maintains the Cause of Maud his Kinswoman against Stephen of England 224 Accuses him of Perjury ibid. Makes two Accords with Stephen 225 226 Henry Heir of England made Knight by him 226 Loses his hopeful Son yet comforts himself and his Nobles in a Christian Discourse thereupon 226 He erects new Bishopricks 223 His extraordinary Character for Piety and Virtue 227 David King William's Brother accompanies Richard of England to the Holy War 235 He is shipwrack'd and taken Prisoner yet at last returns ibid. David II. anointed King of Scotland 282 Sent into France when he was a Child 286 Returns to Scotland 300 Taken Prisoner in a Fight by the English 302 Ransomed 304 His Death and Character 305 306 David Cumins appointed Ruler over Scotland by the English 293 He and Douglas disagree 294 Forced to take an Oath to Bruce ibid. Makes large Promises to Edward of Enggland 295 Follows the good Success of the English ibid. Left by the English King as Regent of Scotland where his Army is overthrown and he himself slain 296 David the Son of Robert III imprisoned and starved to Death by his Vncle who was his Governour 328 329 David Beton the Cardinal 73 Chosen Regent by a pretended Will but the Fraud being discovered he is displaced and imprisoned 75 He endeavours to avert the imminent Ruin of Popery 76 He chouzes Lennox with vain Hopes of marrying the Queen 80 He grieves to be deprived of a rich Morsel which he had swallowed in his Hopes 81 He is sharply reproved by Montgomery 91 His Cruelty against Protestants 93 He espouses his Daughter to the Earl of Craford's Son 97 He is slain in his Castle with the manner thereof 98 His foul Character 99 David Douglas with his Brother William beheaded 370 David Hamilton defends the Cause of the Gospel 93 David Panater or Painter Bishop of Ross made an Abbat by the King of France 113 David Rize a Musician his Story 171 He persuades the Queen to cut off the Scotish Nobility 177 His Court-Preferments Familiarity with the Queen of Scots violent Death and Burial 179 to 183 David Spence slain 282 David Straiton or Straton burnt for a Lutheran 63 Death better than a miserable Life 12 d ee a River in England 13 Three of that Name in Scotland 14 70 Deidonum i. e. Dundee 18 Deiri Who 159 Delators or Informers appointed by Evenus 13 Denmark the King thereof bargains with the Embassador of Scotland to quit his Right to the Islands about Scotland 413 Derivative Words shew the Affinity of a Language 6â— Dessius General of the French Forces in Scotland 106 Called home by the King of France 110 Descants on the Law about Hereditary Succession of the Crown 205 Descants on over-severe Executions of Criminals 358 Deucaledonian Sea What 21 Diana's Oracle counterfeited by a Monk 44 45 Dicaledones rather to be read Duncaledones in Marcellinus 56 Dioclesian a supposed King of Syria 41 Dionethus gives himself forth to be King of the Brittons 136 Dion quoted concerning Britain 90 91 118 Dona River 20 Donachs or Duncans Bay 22 Donald I. King of Scots 117 He first received the Christian Religion ibid. Donald II. 122 Overthrown by Donald the Islander and dies ibid. Donald Brother of Malcolm III. yields up the Possession of the Islands to the King of Norwey 23 Donald III. 123 Reigns Tyrannically and is slain by Crathilinthus ibid. Donald IV. or Donebald sends Christian Doctors into England and interprets pious Sermons to the People himself 159 Donald V. Brother of Kenneth 172 Reigns licentiously and is put in Prison 173 Donald VI. Son of Constantine II. 178 Donald VII or Duncan 204 Donald Murderer of King Duffus taken and executed 185 Donald Bane calls himself King of the Aebudae 164 He is slain ibid. Donald VIII or Banus 220 He promises the Islands to Magnus King of Norwey ibid. Donald of Athol 154 Donald Baloc overthrows Alexander and Alan Stuarts 343 He is taken in Ireland and his Head is sent to the King 344 Donald Lord of the Aebudae rises in Arms 333 With the Earl of Ross and Douglas he figâ—â—s with the King's Forces ibid. He is left by his Wife 391 Sends Agents to make his Peace with the King 392 After the King's Death he plays Rex again 408 He takes the Earl of Athol Prisoner and burns St. Bride's Church ibid. He is shipwrack'd and fals distracted 409 Donald Monro commended 22 He travelled over the Islands of Scotland and described them 31 Dongal King of Scots 168 He is drowned ibid. Dongard King of Scots 144 Opposes the Pelagian Heresy 145 Dornadilla King of Scots 98 Dorstologus slain 166 Dorus flies for fear of Nathalocus 120 Dovallus kils King Nothatus 99 He himself is slain in Battel 100 Douglas River 14 Douglas Dale 140 Douglas made Duke of Turein 336 Douglas slain by the Moors 280 Douglas William takes Dundalk in Ireland 314 Douglas William pardoned 301 Douglas breaks in upon the English Army 278 Douglasses their Power intolerable 372 377 Their Power broken 53 Drinach Isle 25 Drix 60 Druides Who 56 Drumalbin 17 Drummilaw Sands 209 Drunkenness punished with Death 174 Druskins King of the Picts and all his Nobility slain 169 Drury intercedes for Peace between the Parties in Scotland 278 Duffa or Dow Isle 25 Duffus King of Scots 181 Witchcraft practised upon his Body 183 He is slain 184 Dukes when the Name first brought into Scotland 325 Duke of York overthrown and slain by the Queen of England 396 Dulcitius in Britain 89 Dunacus and Domnacus 68 Dunbar whence so called 13 14 Its Siege raised 297 Fortified by Alexander against the King but deserted by
to revenge the Cardinal's Death 101 Lewis Isle 30 Many Whales taken there 32 Lewis XI espouses Margarite the King of Scots's Daughter 340 He lays the Foundation of Tyranny 434 Lewis de Galais Embassador from France to the Queen's Party 254 Liddisdale so called from the River Lidal 13 140 Liguria 11 Lilborn worsted by the Scots 306 Linga Isle 30 37 Lingaia Isle 39 Lindil Isle 29 Linlithgo 30 Lindsay's and Ogilby's Fight 373 The Lindsays prevail 374 Lismore Isle 25 Loch-Abyr 19 20 Loch-Aw 17 Loch-Brien 31 Loch-Earn ibid. Loch-Fin 17 Loch-Ger ibid. Loch-Long ibid. Loch-Lomund ibid. Loch-Loubrun 21 Loch-Louch 20 Loch-Maban 300 The Castle in it taken by the Scots 309 Loch-Ness 20 Whose Water never freezeth ibid. Loch-Ryan 14 Loch-Spey 140 Loch-Tee 20 Lochindores Castle 296 Locrine Son of Brute 42 Loegria an old Name for England ibid. Lollius Urbicus in Britain 113 London anciently called Augusta 89 Longay Isle 25 Lords of the Articles who 305 Lorn County 17 Lothian so called from Lothus King of the Picts 13 Lothus King of the Picts 13 He joins with the Scots against the Saxons 148 Complains that his Sons were deprived of the Kingdom of Britain ibid. He is commended ibid. Lox or Lossy River 20 Luctacus King of Scots a flagitious Person 111 He is slain ibid. Lud or Lloyd allows that by Prudania is meant Britain 2 He is refuted 71 72 73 77 78 79 80 Luing Isle 25 Lunga Isle 25 27 Luparia or Wolf Isle 25 Lupicianus in Britain 88 89 Luss River 14 Lusitania why Portugal so called as some say 47 Lust a Punishment to it self 186 Lutherans persecuted 63 67 91 Mackbeth's Son slain by Malcolm 215 Luxury accompanies Peace 143 M MAalmori Isle 26 Macalpine Laws 70 Macdonald rises in Arms but is overthrown and kils himself 207 208 Mackbeth King of Scots his Character 208 His Dream 210 211 He flies 214 Macdonald his cruel Fact to a Woman retaliated on himself 343 344 Macduff ill resents Mackbeth 212 He stirs up Malcolm against him ibid. Three Priviledges granted him by Malcolm 215 The first Earl of Fife 214 He complains against Baliol to Edward of England 250 Macklan executed by Douglas 384 Maenavia Isle 24 See Man Magistrates have Power over Mens Bodies but not over their Consciences 127 Magna or Megala Isle 29 Magnus his carousing Goblet â—4 Magnus King of Norwey seizes on the Islands 221 Makes Peace with the Scots 242 Magus Towns so ending 68 69 Maiatae who 26 Mainland see Pomona Main an English Commander against the Scots slain in Fight 3â—9 Main Son of Fergus 97 King of Scots 98 Makul a Criminal abstains from Food 236 Maldon not in Scotland 16 Maldwin King of Scots 160 A Plague in his Time over Europe ibid. He is strangled by his Wife 1â—â— Malgo a Britain ibid. Malcolm Fleming executed by the Douglasses 37â— Malcolm I. 18â— Sits in Courts of Iudgment himself ibid. He is slain ibid. Malcolm II. Competitor with Constantino for the Crown 197 Confirms the Law for Succession 2â—â— Overthrown by the Danes 2â—1 Afterwards overthrows them in several Battels 202 His Murderers drowned 2â—4 Malcolm III. brings in foreign Titles of Honour into Scotland 214 He recovers the Kingdom from Mackbeth ib. Quâ—ls Conspiracies made against him 215 217 His Vow to St. Andrew 218 He erects new Bishopricks and makes wholesome suâ—pâ—uary Laws ibid. Builds the Cathedrals of Durham and Dunfermling 219 Is slain by the English with his Son Edward ibid. His Queen and other Female Relations very pious 218 Malcolm IV. takes a Feâ—datary Oath to Henry of England 227 He accompanies him into France 229 Is despoiled by him of Part of his Patrimony in Englâ—nd ibid. Is persuaded by the Scots to marry but gives them a negative Answer 231 Man Isle its several Names 24 Marcelâ—inâ—â— quoted and corrected 56 Marble Stone on which the Scots Kings were crowned 171 Maâ—ble white Mountains of it in Sutherland 21 Marchetâ— Mulierum what the Scots call so 219 Margaritâ—â— or St. Margarite's Port 35 Margarite Creighton who 428 Margarite Queen of England delivers her Husband Edward by Force of Arms 397 She flies into Scotland and thence into France ibid. Margarite Sister to Edward of England Wife to Charles of Burgundy endeavours to raise Commotions in England 6 Margarite Daughter of Henry VII marries James IV. 14 The first Female Regent in Scotland 29 After her Husband's Death she marries Archibald Dougâ—as ibid. She flies with her Husband into England 34 But returns 37 Displeased with her Husband ibid. Persuades the Scots to break with the French 42 But opposed therein by the French Faction 43 Marianus Scotus 180 Mariners to offend them dangerous to Passengers 286 Marr and Mâ—arn Counties whence so called 19 170 Martha Countess of Carick falls in Love with Robert Bruce and marries him 247 Martiqâ—â—â— the Earl of it comes â—â—to Scotland with his 〈◊〉 148 Mary Wife of 〈◊〉 II. her manly Spirit 394 Mary of Guise Widow of the Duke of Longuevil marries James IV. 67 By degrees she dispossesseth the Regent 112 113 Takes upon her the Ensigns of the Government 113 114 Imposes new Taxes 117 Changes ancient Affability into Arrogance 127 Persecutes the Reformed and is perfidious 130 1â—1 Makâ—s a Truce with the Reformed 134 The Administration of the Government taken from her by Proclamation 139 She dies in the Castle of Edinburgh 146 Her Disposition and Character 147 Mary Queen of Scots born 71 Begins her Reign ibid. Henry of England desires her for his Son's Wife 75 She is sent into France 107 From whence that Kingâ— sends Letters desiring her a Wife for his Son 120 Embassadors sent thither for that purpose of which some die there 121 122 She marries the Dolphin 121 When Mary of England died she carried her self as the next Heir and assumed the Royal Arms of that Kingdom 127 When her Husband died she resolves to return into Scotland 151 Her subtil Answer to a cunning Cardinal 153 She lays the Foundation of Tyranny 196 Designs a Guard for her Body ibid. Her unbecoming Familiarity with David Rize 172 She marries Henry Stuart 175 She punishes David's Homicides 183 Her strange Proclamation about Rize's Death ibid. She brings forth James VI. ibid. She is willing by all means to be rid of her Husband 183 184 185 A joculary Process against her Husband's Murderers 193 She marries Bothwel 199 The French Embassador and the Scotish Nobles dislike her Marriage ibid. She frames an Association against the Nobles 204 And they Another against her 205 Earl of Murray leaves Scotland in Discontent ibid. Besieged with Bothwel at Borthwick and escapes in Man's Apparel 206 Surrenders her self Prisoner 209 210 Proved guilty of her Husband's Death by Letters 211 Hamilton designs her Deliverance 216 She escapes 218 Is overthrown by the Nobles and 〈◊〉 for England 221 She endeavours by Balfure to raise Tumults in Scotland 226 Designs to marry Howard of England 233 23â— Continued in the Lord Scroop's House 239
to be Richard 332 Richard Duke of Gloucester marches with an Army against Scotland 426 Takes Berwick 427 Made Protector of England 428 Casts his Brother's two Sons into Prison and sets up himself King 428 Slain by Henry VII 429 Is very Tyrannical in his Government 434 Richard Duke of York brings King Edward Prisoner to London 396 Slain by the Queen ibid. Richard Colvil put to Death by Douglas 380 Richard Fox Bishop of Durham a very prudent Man mediates for Peace between the two Nations 12 13 An Instrument of James his Marriage with Margarite of England 14 Richard Grafton an English Writer blamed 252 Rins of Galway 14 Rinard Isle 26 Ridhead see Red Promontory Roadilla Monastery 31 Robbers punished 183 189 48 57 Robert Bruce his Genealogy 246 His magnanimous Answer to the King of England 250 Begins his Reign 261 Is overthrown and flies in disguise to save his Life ibid. His Wife imprisoned and his two Brothers put to Death by the English 261 262 He baffles Cumins ibid. Carried sick into his Army 264 Causes Edward of England to retreat ibid. Invades England takes Perth Edinburgh c. 265 Overthrows the English at Bannock near Sterlin 267 Robert the Son of Robert Bruce conspires with John Cumins against England 259 260 Is crowned King 261 Overcomes Edward II. in Battel 267 The Nobles conspire against him 271 Robert II. King of Scots 306 Marries Elizabeth More 307 The Dispute betwixt his Legitimate and his Natural Children occasions great Troubles 350 He invades England 311 His Death and Character 322 Robert III. before called John succeeds his Father 323 His Generals cause the Islanders to destroy one another 324 He makes the first Dukes in Scotland 325 He imprecates God's Iudgments on his Brother and the other Murderers of his Son David 330 He dies with Abstinence and Grief for the Captivity of his Son James in England 331 His Brother Robert made Regent after his Death 331 Robert Boyd kils James Stuart 374 Made Guardian to the King 409 Created Regent 412 Flies into England and dies there 414 Robert Boyd deserts the Reformed and revolts to the Queen 218 Robert Britain hath great Command at Court 56 Robert Cockerane of a Tradesman made a Courtier 420 Taken by Douglas and committed to Prison 424 425 Robert Cuningham of the Family of the Lennoxes opposes Bothwel 195 Robert Douglas desires that the Death of 〈◊〉 Brother Murray might be revenged 249 Robert Earl of Fife 315 Starves to Death David the King's Son 328 Robert Graham a great Enemy to King James 355 Conspires against him 357 Seizes him with his own Hands for which he is executed 358 Robert Maxwel 71 Coming to reconcile Differences is imprisoned by Hamilton 82 Robert the Son of Robert Maxwel taken Prisoner by the English 91 Robert Earl of the Orcades made one of the King's Guardians 407 Robert Petcarn sent Embassador into England 242 Queen Elizabeth's Answer to his Embassy 257 Robert Read sent Embassador into France 63 Poisoned there 122 Robert Semple kils Creighton 111 Bruce's Grand-son by his Daughter rises in Arms for Bruce 293 Made Regent 294 Taken by Baliol and swears Fealty to the King of England 286 Sought for to be slain 292 Roch Isle 26 Roffa for Raufchestria i. e. Rochester 8 Romachus King of Scots 125 Roman Generals in Britain 84 c. Roman Fraud 239 Roman Legates Pick-pockets 243 418 The Jews Apes 381 Romans their memorable Fact in Britain before their Departure 138 Rona Isle 32 Ronanus his Spade ibid. Rolland a Carpenter discovers a Treachery against Robert Bruce 268 Rolland's Valour he overcomes Gilcolumb 246 247 Rose white Badg of the York Faction 7 Ross and its Etymology 21 139 170 Rothsay Castle 25 Rotti Isle 37 Rous-oy 36 Round Isle 26 Roxburgh Town taken 393 Its Castle taken 394 Royalists overthrown in the North 283 Ruby a French Lawyer in Scotland his Character 147 Rudana Isle 27 Rum Isle 28 It abounds with Eggs of Sea-Fowl ibid. Ruven had the Mayoralty of Perth taken from him by the Cardinal 92 S SAcred or Cleirach Isle 31 Sacred Sanctuary 25 Saga Isles the Great and the Small 30 Saliar Verses not easy to be understood 44 Salii who 44 Salisbury Earl commands the English in Scotland 297 Taken Prisoner 300 Salmon Fishing Aberdene famous for it 19 Sanachies who 39 Sancterr Isle 37 Sanda Isle 25 Scandians who 200 Satrael King of Scots 117 Slain ibid. Saturnals old Feasts retained 239 Saxe or Rock Isle 26 Saxons kill the English Nobles by Treachery 70 Overcome by the Normans 71 Worsted by Picts Scots and Brittons 149 Cruel in Wars 146 Not faithful in Peace 148 Their Fight with three Kings 148 149 Scalpe Isle 28 30 Scarba Isle 25 Schan Castle 31 Schanny Isle 25 27 Schetland Isles 36 The Nature of their Inhabitants 37 The greatest of them called Pomona ibid. Sclata or Sleach Isle 25 Scoff sharp given to Bothwel by a Tradesman 194 Schools publick erected by James 345 Scorpions i. e. Cross-bows 311 Scotland how divided 13 Where narrowest 20 Had anciently learned Monks 169 Scots their fabulous Original 46 47 Scots and Picts unite against the Romans 134 Scots and Brittons overthrown by the Saxons 157 Scots Monks unjustly banished out of England 160 Scots and Brittons unite against Picts and Saxons 146 Scots Monks preach the Gospel in Germany 165 Scots have hard Terms of Peace imposed upon them by the English 173 Scots Bishops freed from the Iurisdiction of the English 234 411 Scots have an ancient Priviledg not to be cited to Rome 241 Scots excommunicated by their Ecclesiasticks 243 Excommunicated again but absolved 272 273 Scots join with the French against England 253 Scots receive a great Overthrow from Edward of England at Falkirk 256 Obtain a Truce from him ibid. Rise in Arms again and overthrow the English at Rosline 258 Scots make a League with the French 273 When their first Alliance with France began 165 Scots of Jerna and Scots of Albion 52 Scots overthrown by Maximus the Roman General and banished out of their Country 124 March into England but retreat again 91 Scots Nobles some rise against James IV. but are quelled 3 Scots Nobles anciently had Skill in Chirurgery 28 Scots complain of the French Breach of Faith by their Embassadors 60 Scots Prisoners released at London 74 Scotish Parliament demolishes all Monasteries 152 Scotish Crown ordered to be sent to the Dolphin of France 126 Scotish Kings anciently travelled over their Kingdoms themselves to administer Iustice 123 Scoto-Brigantes in Claudian to be read for Scuta-Brigantes 76 Scroop an English General in Scotland 256 Sea-Calves 29 Sea-Monks an ill boding Fish 175 Security dangerous in War 172 173 Seditions perillous 141 309 Secla or Seil Isle 25 Seneciones who 39 Seuna Isle 30 Severn River 13 Severus his Wall 8 148 His Expedition against the Brittons 117 118 Seuna or Suin Isle 25 30 Servanus 145 Shevi Isle 30 Sheep fair yet wild in Hirta Isle 30 Their Fat good
English Camp and does Execution The English Army Retreats Cruelty to Prisoners Iune 24. A Peace concluded between the Scots and English with the Conditions thereof Bâ—â—ce's last Will and Testament His Three Advices to his Successors wâ—th the Reasons upon which they were grounded 〈◊〉 Bruce's Vow to assist in the Holy War recommended to Douglas to perform Bruce would have his Heart buried at Ierusalem Douglas in his Voyage to Ierusalem assists the Spaniards against the Moors and was there slain Bruce his high Encomiâ—ms Iuly 9 th Randolf made Regent or Guardian November 24. * Situate near the Irish Sea He executes a Murderer though he had the Popes Pardon A notable Law made by the Regent to prevent Theiving The Collusive Cheat of a Country Man punished Stâ—ict Laws made by the Regent * In Tâ—vâ—otdaâ—â— A Monk Poysons Randolf with a slow-working-dose Edward marches for Scotland Edward punishes the Monk because his Poyson did not kill Randolf as soon as he said it would Edward retreats Iuly 20. Randolf's death and Character Duncan Earl of Marr made Guardian in Randolfs Place August 2. Iuly 31. Edward Baliol appears on the Scots Coast. * The Story of Twine or Tuenam Loresâ—n He stirs up Edward Baliol then in France to invade Scotland Edward Baliol Lands in Scotland * A Burgh on the North side of Firthâ—n â—n Fife over against Lâ—â—th in â—othâ—an August 〈◊〉 He overthrows Alexander Seaton In Strathernâ— And afterwards beats the Regent Himself making great slaughter of his men and himself being also slain Edward Baliol Declared King Aug. 25. K. David Bruce in his Minority to secure him sent to France Murray made Regent by K. David's Party A Castle standing on the North Bank of the River Ear in Strathern Built on the side of the River Don. Perth Walls demolished A County in the South of Scotland not far from Northumberland A Town in the head of Annandale near the source of the River Annan Baliol like to be surprized by Archibald Douglas Dec. 25. The Brucianâ— prevail against the Baliolans and Declare War against England The Brucian Nobles divide the Provinces they were to Govern And Declare War against Franâ—â— The King of England espouses Baliol's Cause and invaded Scotland His Pretensions for the War He claims Berwick The Scots Answer to the 〈◊〉 The English besieges Berwick * Apâ—iâ— 13. A Capitulation with the English about the surrender of Bâ—rwick Iuly the 30. Archibald Doâ—â—las made Regent by 〈◊〉 Party He makes inroads into England And comâ—â— near the Eâ—â—lish Army 〈◊〉 Berwiâ—â— Alexander Seatons Sons threatned to be put to Death unless he surrendred Berwick His Wife incourages him to part with his Children rather than the Town Alexanders Children put to Death by a Sâ—mmum jus as some think The Scots overthrown near Berwick Bâ—â—wick Surrendred to the English Edward pufft up with hiâ— Success refuses to hear foreign Ambassadors who were sent to mediate â— Peace Dissensions between the English in Scotland occasion a War * Now demolished The Nobles Bandy against Baliol. And Baliol against them Iohn Sterlin besieges the Castle at Loch-Leven * A Veteri poâ—â—e But the Governor beats him off and raises the Siege Edward enters Scotland again but retreatâ— and 〈…〉 with him to 〈…〉 General in Scotland Robert Stuart and Calen Cambel rise in Arms for Bruce and make Prosperous Beginnings Robert Stuart and Iohn Randolf made Regents in behalf of David Bruce In Teviotdale April 1. A Fewd between Douglas and Cumins Edward invades Scotland * 〈…〉 of the 〈◊〉 Provinces The Gueldrians Auxiliaries to the English overthrown by Randolfe Randolf taken Prisoner Cumin's large Promises to Edward Perth taken by Edward Edward 〈◊〉 to England Cumins left Regent by him in Scotland In Marr. * On the side of the River Don in Marr. Cumin's Army overthrown and himself slain Murray made Regent The English again enter Scotland Standing on a Rock in the Sea And upon their Retreat leave Edâ— Baâ—iol their General A strong Castle in Buchan Mâ—rray's prosperous Succeâ—sâ—s 〈◊〉 Cruelty Salisbury and Aruâ—del Command some English in Scotland Monfort slain by Preston A piece of Savage Inhumanity Talbot overthrown by Keâ—th Dunbar resâ—ved and the Siege raised Murray the Regent dyes Stuart made Regent His prosperous Beginnings He Saâ—lâ— over to David then in France At his return he Levies an Army Bullock turns to the Scots Perth taken by the Scots so is Sterlin And Edinburgh Castle by Stratagem Aâ—ex Ramsays House the School of War His Expedition into England He harasses Northumberland And takes Roxburgh * The Earl of Salisbury taken Prisoner by the Scots as some say * It is 3 Miles in Compass Three Governors of the Borders The English driven out of all Scotland except Berwick * Iuly 2. K. David returns to Scotland Edward enters Scotland with a great Army Embassadors from Scotland obtain a Pacification Iune 1. The Scots Nobles stock in to David A Town in Teviotdale Ramsay taken and starved to Death by Douglas Bullock put to Death Douglas pardoned David makes several Expeditions into England A Truce for two Years betwixt the Scots and English Calais besieged by the English See p. 4. Note i. David at the solicitation of the French enters England with an Army Where he receives a great overthrow and is taken Prisoner by Iohn Capland Upon which the English regain a great part of Scotland A strong Pass on the Sea shore in that Bourn which divides East-Lothian from the Meâ—â—s A Plague in Scotland Bloody Feude Douglas prevails against the English Iohn of France persuades the Scots to make no Peace with the English but by his Consent The English waste Lothian Norham burnt by the Scots The English drawn into an Ambush Berwick Town taken by the Scots but not the Castle Edward enters Scotland Baliol Surrenders the Kingdom to him Edward retreats upon which the Scots recover some of their Losses Edward overthrows â—ohn of France in Aquitaâ—n and hath two Kings his Prisoners at one time 〈◊〉 Bruce â—â—eased upon pâ—ying a great Ransom wherein the Pope assists the Sâ—â—ts David settles the Succession first on Alexander and then on Robert Stuart Great Inundations of Water endammage Lothian A Grievous Pestilence Eight Prudent Persons chosen out of all the Orders to prepare Matters for that High Court Davids unacceptable Propositions to the Scots Davids Policy to subvert the Islanders His Death and Character William's Son Marries Eufemia the Kings Daughter August 11. New Discordâ— betwixt the Scots and English Lilburn overthrown A Town in the Merss six Miles Northwest from Berwick Iohn Scotus born at Duns Percy enters Scotland They run from the Scots Sea to 〈◊〉 and divide 〈◊〉 from Lothian Percâ—'s Horse are affrighted with rattling Instruments and 〈◊〉 The 〈…〉 Robert upon his Queens decease Marries Elizabeth More by whom he had Children before whom he prefers to great 〈◊〉 Edward the Third dies and his Grandchild Richard the Second succeeds him Ambassadors from Charles
the Fifth to Scotland to sâ—iâ— them up to War against England Berwick Castle surprised by Ramsay but regain'd by Percy Iames the First Earl of Douglas enters England with an Army * In Cumberland A Pestilence in Scotland Talbet overthrown in Scotland A Truce between the Scots and English for three Years Quatuor nummos Angâ—â—coâ— A Rising of the Commons in England at the Instigation of Iohn Baâ— a Priest Lancaster the English Embassador in Scotland denied entrance into Berwick Loch-Maban Castle taken by the Scots unbar surprizes the Governor of Roxburg Lancaster enters Scotland He favours the Edinburgers But is put to a Retreat Douglas prevails in Scotland he dyes and his Son William succeeds him A Truce made for a Year between French English and Scots which the French were to acquaint the Scots with The English enter Scotland before Notice is given them of a Truce made Some Scots Nobles also invade England before the Truce is Proclaimed Richard II. enter'd Scotland with an Army Whereupon the Scots enter England They both return home The French and Scots quarrel â—bout the Bears Skin before he was catcht French Soldiers more licentious than Scots or English which occasions a disgust betwixt them The French Army leaves Scotland but their General is retain'd to satisfy damages Nov. 1. Will. Douglas sails into Ireland And takes Dundalk * A Town on the North side of the Nith a Mile about Drumlanerick in Nithisdale * A Sea Town in the County of Louth and Province of Vlster in Ireland And returns from thence The Scots enter England 〈◊〉 Against the mind of Robert and his Son Aug. â— An English Spy in the Scots Army discovered The Scots Army divide themselves to attack England Douglas in Northumberland encountred by Percy A Duel between Earl Douglas and Earl Percy The Scots march to Otterborn A terrible Fight between the Scots and English under Percy and Douglas Hart slain And Douglas mortally Wounded His Three last dying Requests Ralfe Pâ—rcy 〈…〉 The English overthrown Lindsay takes Redman Prisoner and releases him on his Parol Courtesy to Prisoners The ancient punishment of Prisoners not returning upon their Parol The Bishop of Durham comes too late to Assist Percy The Bishops Forces terrified with the Sound of Horns and Retreat Lindsay's Kindness to Redman requited by him Ralfe Percy released on his Parol Henry Percy Ransomed Douglas buried at Mulross Both the Scots Armies lament Dougâ—aâ— Iuly 21. Robert Earl of Fife made Governor of Scotland Earl Marshal vaunts over the Scots Whereupon Robert enters England and returns with a great Booty A Peace between France and England Robert assents thereto on his own Head * Lying on the River Irwin Apr. 19. Roberts Death and Character Alexander Earl of Buchan burns Elgin Church William Douglas slain at Dantzick by the procurement of Clifford of England * Or Prussias A noted Maâ—t Town of great Trade on the Wesseâ— acknowledge the King of Poland for Protector August 1â— Robert the Third his Name changed from Iohn Duncan Stuart rises in Arms but is suppressed A notable Policy to divide the Islanders and make them Instruments to destroy one another which takes effect accordingly Dukes First made in Scotland E. Douglas refuses that Title Richard the Second of England resigns his Crown and Hen. the Fourth succeeds him Difference in Scotland occasioned by the Marriage of the King's Son Dunbar joyns with Percy and infests Scotland Standing upon Tine 3 Miles below Hadington The Death of Archibald Douglas August 13. Henry of England Enters Scotland Carries it Moderately And Retreats * A Castle over against Holy-Isle in Northumberland The Scots overthrown by Percy and Dunbar at Homeldon May. 7. Coâ—â—â—aw-Castle besieged by the English but they raise the Siege themselves Arch Bishop Traâ—â—e an observer of Ancient Discipline David after his Mothers decease le ts loose the reins to Licentiousness David most cruelly starved to Death by his Uncle Robert Scituate at the North bottom of Locâ—-Lomond near the Centre of Fife The Governor of Faâ—kâ—and's cruelty to his own Daughter Douglas joyne with Percy against the K. of England Having Performed valiantly in a fight he is taken Prisoner and after ransomed Robert accused for Davids Death Undergoes a partial Tryal and is Acquitted King Robert imprecates God's judgment on the Murderers of his Son Iames the K. Son for security sent into France but Landing in England is detained There Dispute 〈◊〉 King 〈…〉 concerning the Detention oâ— Diâ—mission oâ— Iames. Iames well Educated in England yet his Captivity breaks his Fathers Heart April 1. Robert's Death and Character Robert his Brother made Regent Percy overthrown and flies to Scotland Henry of England invades Scotland Dunbar returns to Scotland Percy betrayed by Rokesby his pretended Friend and put to Death A Supposititious Prince Standing on a Rock above the Firth of Forth near St. Ebâ—s Head in the Merss A County lying on 〈◊〉 River Stâ—aâ—-Bogy 40 〈…〉 Aâ—â—rdeen * In Murray A Cruel Fight between Donald and the Governour The Erection of St. Andrews University March 21. Henry the 4 th Dyes and Henry the 5 thâ—â—â—â—ceeds â—â—â—â—ceeds 〈◊〉 Percys Posterity restored to their Dignity Council of Constance send Ambassadors to Scotland so doth Peter Lune Anti-Pope The King of France distracted Divisions in France A County of France lying on the River Carus The French King craves Aid of the Scots which is sent him under the Command of the Earl of Buchan The Scots Auxiliaries Land in France Is overthrowâ— by them And slain Buchan made Lord High Constable of France September 3. Robert dies and his Son Murdo made Governor of Scotland Buchan returns to Scotland but is recalled to France Douglas made Duke of Turein Earl of Bedford sent by Henry into France who carries with him Iames I. King of Scotland A Chief Town of the County oâ— Bâ—â—e in France situated near the Matrona A Town in or near Normandy A Chief Town of the County oâ— Bâ—â—e in France situated near the Matrona A Town in or near Normandy A large Country about Orleanâ— on the 〈◊〉 The Scâ—ts overthrown in Fâ—ance 〈…〉 English and their Chief 〈…〉 Reflections on some English Writers Fond Indulgence to Children justly punished in a Father The Scots send for King Iames the First out of England Who returns upon a Ransom May 27. April 20. 〈…〉 Scotlâ—nd â—bout 〈…〉 The King remits one halfe of his Ransom-Tax Several Scots Nobles imprisoned Others 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 Murdo brought to his Trial. The Ancient manner of Trying Nobles in Scotland Murdo c. found Guilty and Beheaded Embassadors from France to Scotland about Peace and a Marriage K. Iames the First his prosperous Beginnings Free 〈◊〉 punished by the King Alexander the Islander â—iseâ— in Armâ— But is suppressed * Easter And submits to the Kings Mercy Donald Bâ—lâ—ck makes an Insurrection But is quelled Tories fall out among themselves Mackdonald a Free-booter His Cruelty to a Woman Retaliated on himself and his Followers Donald's
and the Earl of Northumberland meet to settle Matters betwixt the Borderers * April 15. †In Teviotdale Iohn Armstrong with many of his Followers hanged ‖ The strange and seemingly miraculous Fast of one Iohn Scot for many weeks together with his Story Thomas Doughty a great Cheat. Fifteen Judges with Salary appointed to decide Controversal Matters in Scotland But quickly disused * The English make War upon Scotland †Upon the River Esk. ‖ The French Ambassador mediates a Peace between the English and Scotish Kings * Iames transacts with the French King and afterwards with the Emperour about a Match †Which the Hamiltons labour to hinder ‖ The chief City of Normandy * Three Maries offered by Charles the Emperor to King Iames out of which to chuse a Consort †King Iames visits the Orcades and other Isles of Scotland ‖ Lutherans severely dealt with * Mary of Bourbon offered by Francis as a Wife to Iames. †Henry of England sends Controversal Books of Divinity to Iames by his Ambassadors ‖ Ambassadors sent by Henry to Iames desiring an Interview which was agreed to Tho afterwards disappointed upon several pretences * Henry takes the disappointment of the Interview in great disdain King Iames sails over into France And marries Magdalene that King's Daughter Who died sooâ— after Mourning-garments when and upon what occasion first used in Scotland Ambassadors sent over into France to fetch Mary of the House of Guise Earl of Bothwel banished Iohn Forbes condemn'd for Treason 'T was thought unjustly The Lady Ioan Douglas c. accused for conspiring to poison the King For which she suffers Death being burnt alive * Mary of the House of Guise arrives in Scotland and is married to K. Iames. †In the East-corner of Fife ‖ Troubles in Scotland about Religion * George Buchanan the Author of this History imprisoned for the same cause but makes his Escape †Queen Mary brings forth a Son and the next year another * Ambassadors from England to desire an Interview at York Which the Faction of the Ecclesiasticks prevent ‖ Iames Hamilton set up for a Judge against Lutherans But prevented from executing his Commission Imprisoned Tried Condemned and put to Death King Iames presaging Dream * His two Sons depart this Life Henry of England being affronted about the Interview prepares War against Iames And sends an Army against him commanded by Howard his General The Nobility of Scotland refuse to fight against England which moves Iames's Passion against them * Standing upon the Tweed 14 Miles above Berwick K. Iames sends an Army into England Which is defeated The overthrow of his Army breaks his Heart K. Iames the 5 th his Character Cardinal Beton suborns a false Will of King Iames therein nominating himself with three Assessors to he Vice-gerenâ—s of the Kingdom Hamilton opposes the Cardinal Scotish Prisoners and Exile released and dismissed at London and the Reason why * The Cardinal's Cheat discovered and thereupon Iames Hamilton Earl of Arran chosen Regent †Sir Ralph Sadler sent Ambassador to Scotland to treat about a Match for the young Queen with King Henry's Son But is affronted by the Cardinal and his Faction upon colourable pretences The Decree of the Council of Constance forbids Faith to be kept with Hereticks as the Reformed are by them called †Kennedy Earl of Cassills his just Resolution to return like another Regulus into England to redeem his Hostages highly praised and rewarded by Henry of England ‖ Matthew Stuart Earl of Lennox sent for out of France into Scotland to ballance the Hamiltons * Kirk-Liston lying on the North-side of the River Annand that divides Middle and West-Lothian An Agreement made between Hamilton and Lennox The Regent recants his Opinions as to the Reform'd Religion Lennox was promised to marry the Queen but afterwards illuded by her and the Cardinal Upon which he retires and rises up in Arms and from Glascow marches to Leith But was forc'd to capitulate with the Regent at present Henry of England makes War upon Scotland Burns Edinburgh c. and retreats Lennox labours to justify himself to the French King against the Calumnies of the Queen and Cardinal * Or Grampius Glasgow Castle taken from Lennox by the Regent Lennox and Cuningham worsted by Hamilton Lennox flyes into England where he marries Margaret Douglas The English enter Scotland with an Army and garison Coldingham The Regent raises an Army but retreats shamefully The vain boast of Evers and Laiton two English Cavaleers The Regent by the advice of Angus raises a party to oppose the English In Teviotdale * The English being overconfident are worsted principally by thâ— Valour of Norman Lesley and Walter Scot. * The Family of the Frasers almost like to be quite extinguish'd †The French assists the Scots with some small Force * Hadington a Town in East Lothian twelve Miles South of Edinburgh The Scots march'd into England with an Army But again retreat Lutherans cruelly punish'd The ignorant Priests thoughâ— the Book of the New Testament was written by Martin Luther * Or Ruthven ‖ Kinfans is two Miles East of Perth on the North of Tay. The History of Wiseheart's Persecution by Cardinal â—eton and his Ecclesiasticks ‖ The Cardinal desires a criminal Judg against George Wiseheart But David Hamilton of Preston a Village in East Lothian persuades the Regent noâ— to grant one †The Regent not satisfied to proceed against George Whereupon the Cardinal proceeds against him by his own Authority Wiseheart's pious and Christian Leportment before his Death Wiseheart's Prophecy at his death concerning the Cardinal's Fall The Martyrdom of George Wiseheart The foul Character of Cardinal Beton Norman Lesly with a few Partisans surprises the Castle of S. Andrews and kills Cardinal Beton accord-to Wistheart's Prophecy before-mentioned Those that slew the Cardinal â— thosummoned yet refuse to appear * November 5. The Murderers of the Cardinal not reclaimed by the preaching of Iohn Knox. The English invade Scotland †A small River in Ewsdale The Regent marches against the English ‖ Or Lang-hope lying near the Conduence of the Rivers Esk and Ewes in Ewsdale * St. Ebbs Head on the Mouth of the Forth in Merss St. Andrews Castle taken by the Regent with the Assistance of the French The English enter Scotland and repulse the Regent's Forces †Two Miles East of Musselborough in East-Lothian The English send Letters to the Scots persuasory to Peace Which being rejected by the Regent He gives them Baâ—â—el But receives a great Overthrow †Brockty standing on a Rock on the Aâ—gus-side of Tay 2 Miles below Dundee The English retreat out of Scotland The English again enter Scotland And overtrow a Party of Scots commanded by Iames Douglas 〈◊〉 of Franceâ—ends â—ends Aid to the Scots The Queen of Scotland sails into France Hume and Fascastle garison'd by the English are surprized by the Scots ‖ Standing on the Firth of