of the Estates he was by a General Suffrage named Heir Presumptive of the Crown But this was done some Years after The King spent the next Five Years in appeasing the Discords at home in which time there happened Two great Calamities One reached but to a few by an Inundation of Water for the Heavens sent down so much Rain that Lothian seemed to be all a Float yea the force of the Water was such that it carried away Bridges Water-Mills Country Houses with their Owners and Cattle into the Sea it rooted up Trees and almost quite destroyed the Towns which stood near the Banks of Rivers This Misery was seconded by Another namely a grievous Pestilence which consumed many of all Ranks and Ages In the Year 1363. the state of things grew Calmer and then in the Assembly of the Estates the King propounded to the Lords of the Articles That the King of England or else his Son might be sent for into Scotland to undertake the Kingdom if he should chance to Die This he did either by his weariness of War or foreseeing That it would be for the Good of both Kingdoms or as others think because of his Oath which the English had made him to Swear but his Speech was so Unacceptable and Offensive to them all that before every ones Vote could be asked in order they all confusedly cried out upon it as an abominable Propose and it was almost come to That that they who had most freely spoken against it fearing his Displeasure were meditating a Revolt But he understanding their Fears abated his Anger and received them into Favour When he had quieted all things elsewhere yet the Highlanders continued still in Arms and did not only commit Outrages upon one another but also made Havock of the adjacent Countries The King tried all probable Means to bring them to a mutual Concord but being not able to do it his next Plot was To suborn some Crafty Fellows to foment and heighten their Dissensions that so when the feircest of them had destroyed one another the rest might become more Tractable and Pliant The King having performed these Exploits both at home and abroad departed this Life in the Castle of Edinburgh on the Seventh Day of Iune in the Forty Seventh Year of his Age about the Thirty Ninth of his Reign and of our Lord 1370. He was certainly a Man eminent in all kind of Virtue but especially in Justice and Clemency and though he had been exercised with Good and Bad Events alternately yet still his Fortune seemed rather to fail him than his Industry Robert II. The Hundredth King AFter David's Decease the Nobles met together at Linlithgo to Congratulate Robert at the beginning of his Reign who had before been designed King by his Uncle but here the Ambition of William Douglas had almost cast things into a Sedition and Uproar For he demanded the Kingdom as his Hereditary Right in regard he was descended from Baliol and the Cumins's But finding that his Suit was unacceptable to them all and especially to his most intimate Friends as the Two Brothers George and Iohn Dunbars of which one was Earl of Merch and the other of Murray as also to Robert Erskin Governor of the Three well-fortified Castles of Dunbarton Sterling and Edinburgh he desisted and promised to obey Robert as his Liege King and the King to oblige him in a more strict Bond of Friendship espoused his Daughter to Earl William's Son This year the Truce made for Fourteen years was broken by the English There was a great Fair usually kept the Third of the Ideâ— of August whether huge Numbers of both Nations even from very remote Places used to resort thither came the Inhabitants of Merch and it happened that one of Dunbar's Familiar Friends was slain there George according to the Law which was observed among the Borderers sent Heralds to demand the Murderers to be given up to him or else That they would Punish them Themselves but perceiving that Favour did outvy Equity he dissembles the Affront and against the next day appointed for the Fair he secretly prepared a Band of Men and setting upon the Town unexpectedly he slew all the Youngsters burnt the Houses and returned home with a great Booty The English to revenge this Injury did with like Cruelty ravage over all the Lands of Iohn Gordon a Noble Knight and not long after Gordon entred England and took away a great Prey of Men and Cattle but as he was returning home Iohn Lilburn met him with a far greater Force than he had A terrible Fight began betwixt them and Victory seemed a long time to flutter over both Parties with doubtful Wings but at last she inclined to the Scots The Commander of the English Forces was taken Prisoner with many of his Allies and Tenants Henry Percy Earl of Northumberland a Man of a great Spirit being then Lord Warden or Governour of the Eastern Marches or Borders took this Overthrow of his Countrymen in great Disdain and thereupon gathered together a Body of above 7000 Men and encamped at a Village called Duns remarkable for being the Birth Place of Iohn Scotus Sirnamed Subtilis rather than for any thing else There the Countrymen and Shepherds gathered themselves together having no other Arms but such Rattles and Gimcracks wherewith they frighten Stags and other Cattle which do pasture there up and down without any Keeper and so by night they placed themselves on some Risings of the Lamormore Hills which were near to the said Village of Duns The Form of the Gimcrack is This On the top of a long Spear or Pole they fasten some Staves or Hoops of Wood made crooked and bent into a Semicircle all over them they stretched a Skin after the same Form as the Lanterns which the Vulgar Parisians call Falots are made into these Lanterns or Concavities they put small Stones but very hard ones which when they are stirred and tumbled up and down make such a rattling noise as drives away the Beasts and Cattle from the Corn. With these Rattling Instruments they made a mighty Noise on the Hills hanging over Duns wherewith the English Horse were so affrighted that they broke the Headstalls they were tied with and ran up and down the Fields and so were taken by the Countrymen And in the whole Army there was such a Tumultuous Bustle that they cried out Arm Arm and thinking the Enemy had been at their Heels they passed that night without sleep But in the morning perceiving their mistake in regard they had lost many of their Baggage Horses as well as those for Service they retreated six Miles for that Place is so far distant from England on Foot leaving their Baggage behind them almost in the Posture of such as Fly away The same day that Percy retired back from Duns Thomas Musgrave Governor of Berwick had issued out of his Garison
to Rest but presently an Alarming Word was given To your Arms. Whilst the rest were arming themselves the Major Part of the Foot and many of the Horse-Mens Servants making use of that slender Fortification they had bore the Brunt of the English Assault But the Horse had a great Advantage in that they were sensible of the thing before for disputing among themselves how they should entertain the Enemy when he assaulted them for an Assault they expected they saw that a Neighbour Hill would be of great Conveniency to them Thither therefore they Trooped about and whilst the English were assaulting the Passage into the Camp they fell in upon their left Flank and made a great Slaughter but a greater Noise Yet the English having Men enough brought up their Reserves and quickly made good their Ranks again yet that disorder did this good to the Scots That the Fight before the Camp was managed more remisly so that they had Liberty to draw out and Range their Army in order of Battel Whilst these things were doing the Night drew on but it was a short one as it useth to be in Iuly in the Northern Countries especially and the Weather also chanced to be fair so that the Moon shining all Night it was as bright as Day The Fight was maintained Gallantly as between Two Noble Champions who were more solicitous for their Honour than for their Lives Percy endeavoured to redeem his Credit and Douglas to maintain His by a New Atchievement so that there was as much Eagerness on the one side as on the other though their Numbers were unequal and so the Fight continued till it was late at Night And then the Moon began to be Clouded that Friend could not be discerned from Foe whereupon they rested a while to take a little breath and assoon as the Moon brake forth from the Clouds the English pressed hard upon the Scots so that they gave Ground and Douglas his Standard was like to be lost When the Two Patrick Hepburns Father and Son saw this they hastned from the other Wing and brake through the Ranks of their own Soldiers and so pierced to the Front where the main Danger was and there they began so fierce an Assault that they gave and received many Wounds and in fine brought back their Men to their former Ground from whence they had been driven Neither was Douglas content therewith but with his Two Friends and Followers Robert Hart and Simon Glenduning his Kinsman he rushed in amongst the midst of his Enemies and being of a stout Spirit as well as strong Body made a great Slaughter wherever he came His Friends strove earnestly to come up to him yet before they could do so he was mortally Wounded in Three Places and lay upon the Ground Hart lay dead by him having a great many Wounds about him and the Priest who had accompanied him in all his Hazards when he fainted defended his Body from Injury In this Condition Iohn Lindsay and the Two Sinclares Iohn and Walter found him and asked him How he did Very well said he for I am a Dying yet I do not Die like a Sluggard upon my Bed but as almost all my Ancestors have done and I have Three my last Requests to make to you First That you would conceal my Death both from Friends and Foes Secondly That you would not suffer my Standard to be taken down Thirdly That you would Revenge my Death And if you will do this I shall bear the rest more contentedly Whereupon they in the First place covered his Body with a Cloak that it might not be known and then they set up his Standard and cried out as the Custom is A Douglas A Douglas At that Cry there was such a Concourse made and they ran in upon the Enemy with such Alacrity and Courage that they drove him far away from the place of Battel For at the Name of Douglas not the Common Soldiers only but Iohn Earl of Murray came in as thinking things to be there in the greatest Danger For they had before routed that part of the Enemies Army they fought with and taken Percy the Younger who was much Wounded and sent by them into the Camp to be dressed of his Wounds so that the Service being not so hot in other parts of the Army the Duglassians which had run in to the Standard routed the English who were wearied with their Day-toil and Night Fight and in the brunt Henry Percy their General was taken Prisoner When he was lost the rest betook themselves to a confused Flight There were slain of the English in that Battel 1840 about 1000 wounded and 1040 taken Prisoners Of the Scots there were 100 slain and 200 taken Prisoners in regard a Few in pursuit followed a greater Number of their Enemies Iames Lindsay perceiving Matthew Redman Governor of Berwick to be one of the straggling Flyers judging him by the Goodness of his Army to be One of the Principal Commanders made presently after him when he had fled Three Miles his Horse being weary he thought he could not escape by Riding and so he dismounted and ran away on Foot Lindsay did the same At last after some Skirmish betwixt them the Englishman not being so good at that kind of Weapon yielded himself to Lindsay who sent him home having first taken his Oath That he would return in 20 days This was then the Courtesy of the Neighbour Nations towards their Prisoners which to this day is punctually observed amongst the Borderers And if a Man do not return at the Day appointed This is his Punishment In the Meetings which are made for Reparation of mutual Damages he that complains how he was deceived holds up the shape of an Hand or Glove on a long Spear that it may be seen of all That is counted the highest Brand of Infamy upon any Man so that He who hath thus violated his Faith becomes thereby detestable to his own Friends and Kindred to such a degree that no Man of any Quality will eat or drink or talk with him or so much as harbour him in his House Lindsay having dismissed his Prisoner on the forementioned Terms perceived a great Body of Men before him and Trooped up to them he knew them not to be Enemies till he was so near that he could not retreat but was taken Prisoner These were the Forces of the Bishop of Durham who coming late to Newcastle and not being able to overtake Percy not thinking that he would engage till the next Day made an halt to refresh his Men and after they had supped he renewed his March But he had not gone far from the Town before those that run away informed him of the Loss of the Day Whereupon he returned into the Town and advised with his Tenants concerning his Following the Scots The Resolve was That before Day-Break they should all be in Arms and so in the morning
some Months succeeding Sallies were made but of no great Advantage to either side For the Prospect of the Castle being free and open to all Parts gave Opportunity to the Rebels that they would never come to handy-Blows nor yet fall into any Ambush for by a Signal given from an high Place in the Castle they were easily warn'd to retreat in time yet once when all the Horse and Foot issu'd out of the Town to intercept a few of the Royalists and they prest upon them who pretended hastily to fly away When they in the Castle saw the Colours of some Companies start up from a neighbour-Valley presently they sounded a Retreat to them Whereupon the Rebels before they came to the Place of Ambush retreated back in great Fear and their flight was so much the more confus'd because though they were advis'd of their Danger before-hand yet they did not know What or from Whence it was nor could they so much as suspect it Those few Horsemen which before counterfeited to fly away did so press upon their Rear that they caus'd the Foot to break their Ranks and every One ran to the City as fast as ever he could many were wounded and taken and amongst them some Captains and Cornets of Horse Whilst Matters were thus slowly carried on about the City in the Country towards the North there was a great Loss receiv'd upon this Occasion There were two Families of great Power in those Parts The Gordons and the Forbes's The Gordons liv'd in great Concord amongst themselves and by the King's Commission had for many Years presided over the neighbouring Counties and and so increas'd their ancient Power and Authority On the other side the Forbes's were always at Difference and continually weakned one another but neither of them had now for many Years made any Attempt upon the other there being rather a secret Emulation than an open Breach betwixt them In the Family of the Forbes's there was one Arthur a witty and an active Man and who from the beginning of the falling out had always been on the King's side he thought 't was then time for him to set up his own Name and his Families and also to advance the Power of the Party which he followed He first then endeavour'd to reconcile All of his own Family if he could effect that he fear'd not any Power that could be rais'd against him in those Parts when a Day was appointed for that purpose Adam Gordon Brother to the Earl of Huntly by all means endeavour'd to hinder it and therefore giving private Notice to his Friends and Vassals there came a great Number of them to the Place There were Two Troops of the Forbes's in sight but before they could join he set upon One of them and kill'd Arthur presently at his Fall the rest were scatter'd and put to flight some eminent Men were slain many were taken the rest some Days after dar'd not stir for Fear lest those they had taken Prisoners should suffer for it And their Fear was increas'd by the burning of Forbes's House with his Wife great with Child his Children and Servants in it Forbes's Elder Brother who was the Chief of the Sept after his House was taken and plunder'd hardly escapt and came to Court there tho they were somewhat straitned themselves yet there were 200 Foot granted to him and to the Nobles that follow'd his Party and withal Letters were written to the neighbour-Nobility to join with him When they were thus join'd with the rest of the Forbes's and some near Families they thought themselves secure enough from Force but they wanted a Chief Commander over them for the Heads of the Families were most young Men and there was scarce One more eminent than another amongst them So that they being unresolv'd in their Counsels Iohn Keith with 500 Horse went home to his own House which was not far distant Alexander Forbes and his Vassals with 200 Foot march'd to Aberdeen to drive Adam Gordon from thence and to refresh his Men after their March Adam receiving intelligence that his Enemy was advancing with but a small Party draws his Men out of the Town and to make a show of a greater Multitude compell'd the Townsmen to draw forth with them so that there was a sharp Conflict in the Field near the Town The King's Foot out of eagerness to fight followed the Gordonians too far and having no Reserves were repuls'd and put to flight principally by the Archers there were not many of them kill'd because the fight lasted till dark Night but several were taken and amongst them Alexander Forbes himself after he had stoutly defended himself against them a long time This Success in the North did mightily incourage the Rebels to attempt greater Matters Whereupon in a different Part of the Country they resolv'd to attaque Iedburgh a Town as the Country Custom was unfortifi'd but the Inhabitants were very Valiant and some Years before had stoutly resisted the Rebels Thomas Carr of Farnihest and Thomas Scot liv'd near the Town They besides their old Clans which were Numerous enough had associated to them the Three neighbour Countries Liddisdale Ewesdale and Eskdale Places always given to Robbery but then in regard of the Licentiousness of the Civil War they rang'd for Booty uncontrolably even a great way off And besides in Teviotdale it self there were some great Families noted for Robbing and Pillaging either being infected by their Neighbours or because they had been customably used to drive Preys out of their Enemies Country neither did They only come in but some of the neighbouring English in hopes of Booty join'd themselves with them and besides they sent for 120 Musqueteers from Edinburgh select Men out of all the Foot Companies The Iedburgians knew that They were aim'd at and therefore they sent in haste to the Regent to acquaint him with their Danger they only desir'd a few light harnassed Souldiers from him In the mean time they were not wanting to do their best They sent for Walter Carr of Sesford and levy'd a reasonable Number of Souldiers out of the Neighbourhood and fortifi'd their Town as the time would permit Both Parties were also inform'd at the same time that William Ruven was come as far as Driburgh with 120 Horse and Foot Part of which he had brought with him and Part he rais'd in the neighbour-County of Merch. But the Rebels being confident of their Number as being 3000 Men march'd to the Town early in the Morning to prevent the Coming in of their Relief Ruven suspected they would do so and therefore march'd speedily after them and made some Attempts upon their Rear And moreover Walter Carr join'd the Townsmen to his Souldiers and drew forth directly towards the Enemy They seeing This that they might not be enclos'd before and behind too presently retreated to Places of greater Advantage The Robbers or Tories who came in for Hopes of
Two Fortified Towns on the Tine One nearer Wales which was Carlisle and the other about Fifty Miles lower called Newcastle The English had strongly Garisoned Both of them to hinder the Enemies Passage over the River but the Scots knowing where the River was fordable passed over without any noise and so deceived both the Garisons When the English were come into the Bishoprick of Durham from the Tops of the Hills they might see Fires afar off and then beginning to understand how near their Enemy was they tumultuously cryed Arm Arm as if they were presently to fall to it They drew forth their Army into a Threefold Order of Battel and marched directly to the Place where they saw the Smoak of the Fire the General denouncing a great Penalty on him that without his leave should stir from his Colours Thus they wearied themselves till the Evening and then mark'd out a Place for their Camp in a Wood near a certain River and there they placed their Baggage and Carriages which could not so swiftly follow the Flying Army The next day they marched in the same Order and towards Evening they were forced to abide in their Tents which they had pitched as conveniently as the Place would afford that so the Draught-Horses and the Foot might receive a little Refreshment There the Nobles came to the King and deliberated How they should bring the Scots to a Battel The most Part were of Opinion That the English Foot were never able to overtake the flying Horse of the Scots and if they did yet they could not compel them to Fight but in those Places which they themselves judged most Convenient But because there was such a general Devastation that they could not stay long in an Enemies Country they judged it best to pass over the Tine with all their Forces and to intercept the Enemy in his Return home And besides the Country beyond the Tine was plainer and fitter to draw up an Army in that so the whole Body of the Army might be put upon Service This Opinion was approved and a Command given to refresh Themselves and to do it as silently as ever they could That they might more easily hear the word of Command and the sound of the Trumpets That so leaving the Baggage behind every one should carry a Loaf a piece and as if the next day they were to fight the Enemy they were to await the Event of Fortune so that their Bodies being refreshed from the weariness of the day before a little after Midnight they took up their Arms and in good order begun their March But the Marishes and Hills by which they were to pass quickly made them to break their Ranks and he that could led the Van the Rest followed their Steps and their March was in such Disorder that many Horse and Carriage-Beasts did either stick in the Mud or else did tumble down from steep Places and oft times they cryed To your Arms and then all of them in great Trepidation ran to the Place from whence the Noise and Cry came without any Order at all But when they came to those that led the Van they understood That the Tumult was occasioned by a Multitude of Stags who being rouzed out of the Heath by the Noise of Men and afraid to see them ran up and down in great Confusion amongst the Brigades At last about Evening the Horse but without the Foot came to the Fords of Tine over which the Scots had passed and by which they would return as they hoped and at Sun-set they Forded over the round and slippery Stones which the River roles up and down much incommoding their Horse And besides they were afflicted with another Inconvenience They had few or none of them any Iron Tools to cut down Wood with so that after they had marched Twenty Eight Miles they were fain to lie in their Arms that Night on the bare Ground holding their Horses Bridles in one of their Hands for they could not cut down Wood to make Tents having brought none with them nor Huts nor so much as Stakes to tye their Horses to Early in the Morning assoon as it was light there fell such mighty showres of Rain that even small Brooks were hardly passable by Man or Horse and also they were inform'd by some Country Men which they took That the Neighbouring Country was so Barren and Desolate That no Provision was to be had nearer than Newcastle and Carlisle of which one was Twenty Four the other Thirty Miles off Thither they sent their Draught-Horses and Servants in the mean time they made use of their Swords to cut down Stakes to tye their Horses to and some Shrubs and small Trees to build them Huts with the Leaves whereof they fed their Horses and so that Night they were fain to Fast. Three Days after they that were sent to the Towns returned with some small Provisions which they brought along with them some Sutlers came also with them with Bread and Wine to make a Gain of but it was but little and also not Good yet such as it was the Soldiers were ready to fall out Who should have it first Having thus passed Seven days in great Want and being also much molested with continual Showres so that their Horse-Furniture was wet and their Horses Backs did Ulcerate and they themselves stood many of them Armed Day and Night in their wet Cloaths neither could they make any Fire by reason that the Wood was Green and besides it was wetted by the Rain water The Eighth day they resolved to repass the River at a more commodious Ford Seven miles above the Place where they were but there also the River was swoln by reason of the Showres so that they were much incommoded and some were drowned in their passage As soon as they had landed their Army upon the other side a great Reward was proposed to him Who could bring the first certain Tidings Where the Scots were The Two next Days their March lying thrô desolate places and ruined by late Fires they had Forage enough for their Horses but little Provision for Themselves On the Fourth Day One of the Fifteen young Men who scouted out to bring News where the Scots lay returned back and informed them That the Scots Army was about Three Miles distance from Theirs and that for Eight Days last past They had been as uncertain what became of the English as the Englâ—sh had been what became of Them This he affirmed for Truth as having been taken Prisoner by the Scots and freed without Ransom upon Condition he would go tell his King That they would wait for his Coming in that Place and That they were as willing to Fight as He. Upon the Receipt of this Message the King Commanded the Army to make an Halt that Man and Horse might take some Refreshment and so be ready for the last Encounter and thus in Three Brigades he marched slowly towards the Enemy
what Country so great a Storm would fall and then according to the Enemies Motion they would steer their Couâ—se and as the Scots had done the Autumn before in reference to England so now they would enter into Scotland another Way and repay Loss for Loss In the interim they sent a Spy to inform themselves fully of the Enemies advance who was now so near them for they counted it highly conduceable to their affairs to know not only the Design but even the very last Words Resolves and Actions of their Enemies He that was sent differed nothing in Speech Habit or Armour from the rest and so was easily taken for a Scots Man So that having found out every thing which he desired to know he was going to a Tree where he had tied his Horse to fetch him and so to be gone but he found that some Body had stollen and carried him away before so that he was fain in his Boots Spurs and Riding-Apparel to undertake his Journey on Foot Hereupon the Matter began to be suspected and when he was gone a great way some Horsemen were sent after to bring him back as a Runagate when they came up to him and demanded Who or What he was and Why he went from his Colours in that Fashion he not being able to give a ready Answer they brought him back to the chief Officers of the Army to whom for fear of a greater Punishment he discovered all the designs of the English When the Scots heard this they also changed the Order of their Designs they divided their Army so That the greatest Part of it should march towards Carlisle and that the Kings Two Sons the Earls of Fife and Strathern should command them to whom were joyned Archibald Douglas of Galway and the Earls of Marr and Sutherland The other Part was to enter Northumberland under the Command of Iames Douglas and the Two Brethren Dunbars George and Iohn the One Earl of Murray the Other of Merch. Their Party consisted of 300 Horse and 2000 Foot besides Servants and Attendants on the Horse for every Horseman hath at least one Servant who being lightly armed can run almost as fast as an Horse and when occasion is offered can with his Fellows encounter an Enemy When their Forces were thus divided They who marched towards Cumberland and Carlisle carried all before them by reason of the Numerousness of their Army and met with no Enemy at all But Douglas in the Devastations which he made in the other Circuit had not the same Fortune for he had so ordered the Course of his Expedition as to take great and yet secret Marches and so passing over Tine to pierce as far as Durham before he gave his Army leave to spoil and plunder This he did with such Secrecy and Speed That the English did not know where their Enemies were but by the Smoke of the Fires they had made Percy the Elder was the Greatest man in Northumberland and the adjacent Countrys both for Wealth and Power When the News was brought to him he sends Two of his Sons Henry and Ralph very active Young men Both before to New-Castle commanding the rest to follow them thither His Intent was to stop the Scots in their Retreat and to keep them from returning But they having spoiled the Wealthy County of Durham returned home with a great Prey and repass'd the Tiâ—â— about Three Miles above New-Castle There the Commanders being nobly descended in their own Country as also desirous of Glory and besides lifted up with their present Success such as it was thought it an Inglorious thing in Them to strike terrour only into Rusticks and Plâ—beians if they did not also affright Cities Whereupon they marched to New-Castle and threatning to besiege it they endeavoured by Contumelies and Big Words to draw out the Enemy When they had staid there Two Days and some light Skirmishes with various Success had passed betwixt them There was one Combat which towards the Evening of the Last Day attracted the Eyes of all the Beholders And that was a Duel betwixt the Two Generals for they being in a sort equally matched in respect of Lineage Power Age and Courage had a mind to encounter each other in the Sight of both Armies Hereupon a Challenge was sent and they Both Iames Douglas and Henry Percy entred the Lists and ran at one another with their Spears Percy was unhorsed at first Brush and Douglas got his Spear but he could not touch his Person because the English came in to his Assistance He shook the Spear and cryed out aloud so as he might easily be heard That he would carry That as a Trophy into Scotland So the Combat being ended the Scots kept very diligent Watch in regard they were near a City well-Peopled and full of Enemies The Day after they retired towards Scotland but very slowly as being laden with Booty As their Prey moved leisurely on they themselves assaulted a Neighbour-Castle of the Enemies carried and demolished it and from thence they marched to Otterborn about Three Miles distant from Newcastle There they took Counsel concerning the Rest of their March The Major Part were of Opinion to March towards Carlisle to meet the other Army and so not to Fight singly as was at first agreed but to wait the Conjunction of Both Armies But Douglas was minded to stay Two or Three Days in that Place that so he might make a Real Confutation of the Vaunts of Percy who had boasted That they should never carry his Lance into Scotland In the mean time that they might not be idle they would attaque the Neighbouring Castle This Opinion though it was judged by Many none of the best yet for Douglas his sake they all submitted to it And therefore they fortified their Camp for the present Occasion which on one side was sufficiently guarded by Marishes and and then proceeded on to take the Castle But Percy being of a fierce Nature that he might blot out the Ignominy he had received would have followed him presently upon their Retreat with those Forces which he had about him but the Graver Sort detained him for fear of an Ambush for they did not think it probable that so small a Number of Scots would have appeared before so strong a Town unless they had more Forces near at hand hid in some secret Places That Day and the next they were busie in making Discoveries but finding that there was no Danger of the Greater Army as being far distant from Douglas his Party thereupon Percy immediately with Ten Thousand Fighting Men put himself upon the March without staying for the Bishop of Durham who that very Night was expected with some Forces for he thought he had Force enough to overcome his Enemies who were not half as many as He. When the English came in Sight some of the Scots were at Supper others being wearied at the Taking of the Castle had composed themselves
there were Ten thousand Horse and Foot from the Neighbouring Places a promiscuous multitude which came in They encouraged the Bishop to march the nearest way to the Enemy and to give him Battel alleging That He was so wearied with his yesterdays Fight and so many were wounded and the rest secure by reason of their late Victory that he might obtain an easie Conquest over them The Earl of Murray upon whom the Eyes of all were fixed when Douglas was gone was advertised of his coming by his Scouts whereupon he consulted with his Chief Commanders about the Prisoners To kill them in cold Blood after they had given them Quarter seemed cruel and to save alive a number of Enemies almost equal with their own seemed dangerous The Resolve was That they should all Swear not to stir whilst the Battel was fought and though their Friends might relieve them yet they should continue and own themselves as Prisoners still Upon these Terms they were left in the Camp with a small Guard who were commanded to fall upon them all if any one did stir This Matter thus setled the Scots being full of Courage by reason of their Former Victory marched out with their Army being fortified and secured in the Rear with Marshes and on the Right and Left with Trees which they cut down and moreover the Word of Command was given That as soon as the Enemy drew near every Man should blow his Horn which he carried behind him at his Back which would make such a mighty Noise and Sound as was terrible of it self but being multiplied by the Repercussion and Eccho of the Neighbouring Hills gave forth the Representation of a Greater Force than indeed they were The English had marched very fast and moreover were to fight amongst the dead Bodies of their own Men being astonished at that horrible Noise and also at the Alacrity of their Enemies who stood in good Order over against them and besides having no Skilful Commander over so tumultuary a Body and also the Commander not much confiding on such a Raw Soldiery they presently turned their Colours and marched back as they came In the mean time Lindsay who as I have said was taken Prisoner and left at Newcastle being seen and known by Redman was courteously treated by him and set at Liberty without Ransom The Scots having passed over this sudden Brunt so easily resolved to return home but before they dismissed Ralfe Percy who was much wounded so that he could not endure the Jogging of an Horse and sent him to Newcastle to be healed of his Wounds upon his Promise That as soon as ever he was able to ride he would wait on the Earl of Murray where he pleased to appoint and engaging his Faith thereto as the manner is he departed Seven hundred other Prisoners followed his example and were released on their Parol upon the same Terms Many of the Common Soldiers who were like to be more burdensom than beneficial was dismissed gratis Of the Nobler sort Henry Percy and almost 400 more were detained and carried into Scotland and shortly after upon Payment of a Ransom set upon their Heads they were all set at Liberty so that in that Age as Ennius says Men did not huckster out a War but fought it out as contending mainly for Liberty and Glory Three days after the Bodies of Douglas and the other Great Commanders that fell were carried to Mulross and there magnificently interred When the Tidings of these Matters were brought to the other Army which was wasting Cumberland it disturbed all their Mirth so that the Joy conceived for their good Success was turned into bitter Mourning The Loss of Douglas did so affect all Military Men that not only that Army which followed him but this Other also returned home in Silence and Sadness as if they had not been Conquerors but Conquered The Publick Sentiment was also further increased That he died without Children and in the Flower of his Age and that almost He alone was deprived of the Fruit of the Victory which he had gotten His Estate fell to Archibald Earl of Galway Sirnamed the Austere who also was a brave Cavalier in his days This is that memorable Fight of Otterborn remarkable not only for the Magnanimity and Hardiness of the Commanders and Soldiers therein and their Modesty in Victory but also for the various and changeable event of it That the Conqueror in the highest expectation of his Glory was taken off by Death and could not enjoy the Fruit of his own Labour And the Conquered General though then discomfited and made a Prisoner yet outlived this Battel many years in great Glory and Splendour It was Fought the 12th of the Calends of August in the year of our Lord 1388. By this Victory Matters were more composed and quiet both at home and abroad but in regard the King by Reason of his Age was not fit to manage Business and withal understanding of the Reflection that was made upon him by reason of the late Expedition which was undertaken without him and his eldest Son Iohn was of a slow nature and addicted more to Ease than to difficult Enterprizes he therefore Indicted an Assembly of the Estates and made Robert Earl of Fife Deputy of the Kingdom by the name of Governor yet they who managed that Office before him were usually called Custodes i. e. Keepers When Henry Percy eminent for Stock and Prowess was Prisoner in Scotland the Earl of Merch commonly called Earl Mareschal a Man fiercer in his Words than Actions was put in his Place He undervaluing the Scots Valour in the Fight of Otterborn and also grievously blaming the Cowardize of the English did thereby incur the Hatred of Both Nations And indeed Robert Vice-King of Scotland was so offended at his boasting Insolence That he thought it a just Cause to make an Expedition against him Hereupon he entred the Enemies Country and with Archibald Douglas then Earl of Douglas marches directly towards the Enemy who was reported to stay for him with a great Army when he came near him he gave him opportunity to engage which he declining he sent a Trumpeter to him to desire him to try it out in a plain Field but the Mareschal kept himself in his Fastnesses and Places unaccessible so that Robert after he had shewed his Army some hours to the Enemy sent them forth to pillage in the Neighbourhood and he ransacked those Places especially which the Mareschal was wont to have his Residence in and afterwards he marched them back laden with Booty without any Fight at all This Expedition though undertaken upon slight grounds yet was very pleasing both to the English and the Scots who Both rejoyced to see the vanity of the Man so to be confuted but he to excuse the Matter as often as Mention was made of it did allege That he did it for the Love of his Countrymen as being
long serv'd in France and was commended for his Industry and Valour 'T is said that he out of his Mortal hatred against the Scots had bargain'd with the King of England that what Lands he took from the Scots either by killing or driving away the Inhabitants he and his Posterity after him should enjoy On the other side the Scots hearing of the Preparation of their Enemies were not negligent in gathering Forces on their Part. George Dunbar Earl of Ormond was made Captain General who presently marcht into Annandale whither his Intelligence inform'd him that the Enemy would come And indeed the English had prevented him and entred Scotland before They had past over the Rivers Solway and Annand and pitch'd their Tents by the River Sarc from whence they sent out Parties on every side to pillage but hearing of the coming of the Scots they recall'd them all by Sound of Trumpet and contracted all their Force into One Body As soon as ever they came in sight one of another they fell to it without delay Main commanded the Left Wing of the English and Iohn Penington the Right he had the Welsh the Relicks of the Ancient Britains for his Assistants the Earl himself commanded the Main Battel George Douglas appointed Walter Laird of Craig to fight Main and Maxwel and Iohnston each with their Troops to attack Penington he himself took Care of the Main Body he gave them a short Exhortation to conceive a good Hope of Victory because they had taken up Arms in their own Defence as provoked by the Injuries of their Enemies and that a prosperous Issue must needs attend so just a Cause and if they could abate the Pride of their Enemy by some Notable overthrow they would reap a lasting Fruit of their short Labour The English who abounded in the number of Archers wounded many of the Scots with their Darts at a distance Whereupon Wallace who commanded the Left Wing cryed out aloud so as to be heard of most of his men Why they â—rifled so and Skirmish'd at a distance they should follow him and rush in upon the Enemy hand to hand and then their Valour would truly appear for that was the Fighting fit for Men. Having thus spoken he drew the whole Wing after him And presently with their long Spears wherewith the Scots both Foot and Horse were furnish'd they drove the Enemy back routed and put them to Flight Main perceiving his Wing to give back being more mindful of the just Glory of his former Life than of his present Danger rushes with great Violence upon Wallace that so by his Boldness he might either renew the Fight or else breath out his last in the Glory of some Illustrious Attempt but unwarily Charging he was intercepted from his own Men and with those few that follow'd him was slain When Both Armies heard that he was slain the Scots prest on more chearfully so that the English Army did not stand long as they fled home straggingly and in great haste more were slain in the Pursuit than Fight but the chiefest Slaughter was upon the Banks of the Solway for there the Tide had swollen up the River so that they could not pass About 3000 of the English were slain in this Fight and 600 of the Scots There were many Prisoners taken the Chief were Iohn Penington and Robert Huntington The Earl of Northumberland's Son might have escap'd but whilst he was helping his Father to Horse he himself was taken Prisoner The Booty was greater than had been ever known in any Battel betwixt the Scots and English before For the English trusting to the Number and Goodness of their Soldiers and depending also on the discord of the Scots came on so securely as if it had been to a Shew not to a Fight so great was their Confidence and Undervaluing of their Enemy Wallace was wounded carried home in a Litter and in 3 Months after died of his Wounds Ormond being thus a Conqueror took a view of the Prisoners the chief Commanders he sent Prisoners to the Castle in Loch Maâ—an he himself return'd to Court where every Body went out to meet him and he was received with all kind of Honour The King did highly extol his Military Services but withal advis'd him and his Brother That as they had often given a Proof of their Courage abroad and had defended the State of Scotland by their Labour and Valour even in Perillous Times so at home that they would accustom themselves to a modest Deportment and that they themselves should refrain from Injuring the Poorer sort and also inhibit their Clans from doing it and that they should shew their Puissance and Grandeur which their Ancestors had obtain'd by their many Merits both of King and Subjects rather in restraining of Robbers than in cherishing them that This was the only thing which was wanting to compleat their Praise and make it absolute and if they would do this thing they should certainly find that he would esteem the Honour of the Douglas's and their Family before any thing else whatsoever They answer'd the King submissively and so took their leave and went Joyfully home After this Fight at Sarc as the Borders of Scotland were quieter from the wrongs of their Enemies so when the matter was reported at London it did rather irritate the English than deject them For a Council being call'd about a War with Scotland a new Army was order'd to be rais'd to blot out the former Ignominy Whilst they were all intent hereupon presently Civil Wars arose amongst themselves and a strong Conspiracy of the Commons made against the King took off their Thoughts from a Foreign War so that Embassadors were sent into Scotland to treat of a Peace which were so much the more welcome because their own Affairs were not well settled at home Yet they could not well agree on Terms of Peace but only made a Truce for Three Years and so returned home These things were acted in the Year of Our Lord One Thousand Four Hundred Forty Eight This Publick Joy was soon after increast by a Message sent out of Flanders from the Chancellor who went Ambassador to Charles the Seventh about contracting a Marriage By his endeavours Mary the Daughter of Arnold Duke of Gelderland was betroth'd to Iames she was of the Kingly Race by her Mothers side who was a Sister of the Duke of Burgundy The Year after she came with a great Train of Noble Persons into Scotland and in Iuly was Crowned in the Abby of Holy-Rood-House near Edinburgh This Universal Joy for the Victory for the Peace and for the Marriage was soon disturbed by the Death of Richard Colvill a Man of Note which though perhaps in it self not undeserv'd yet was of very bad Example to the Common-Wealth This Colvil having receiv'd many and great wrongs from one Iohn Afflech a Friend of Douglas's and after many complaints could get no Remedy in Law nor Equity he
Lives and Fortunes for the good of the Publick but he had slighted their Advice and was wholly govern'd by a few sorry Priests who were Cowardly abroad and Seditious at home for they being exempted from danger themselves did abusively spend the Fruits of other Mens Labours on their own Pleasures This said he is the Fountain from whence Suspicions arise betwixt you and the Nobles which in regard you cannot trust one another is a great hindrance to the publick Service But if you will communicate Counsels with them who will not refuse to spend their Lives in executing what shall be resolved upon I do not despair but we may yet perform as noble Exploits as any of our Ancestors did in Times equally or at least not much less troublesome than the Days we now live in But if by our own Slothfulness we suffer the Enemy to conquer by piece-meal he will quickly force us to a Surrender or a Banishment and which of the Two is more miserable and flagitious can hardly be determined As for us Two I know that I am accused by my Enemies of Treachery and You of Cowardise But if you would do that speedily which you are not able to avoid 't is not a fine-spun Oration but the Field and Dint of Sword shall wipe off both these Criminations The Regent told him that he would be wholly guided by him and the Nobles whereupon a Council was summoned about an Expedition and by their advice a Proclamation was set forth to all the Neighbouring-Countries That all the Nobility therein should with all the speed they could repair to the Regent wheresoever he should be and they the Day after with their present Force which were not above 300 Horse march'd for England There came into them some of the Lothianers and Merch-men but not very many so that when they came to Mulross upon Tweed they resolv'd to stay there till more Force came up to them but the English who were already come as far as Iedburgh being inform'd by their Spies of the Paucity of the Enemy march'd with about 5000 Men out of Iedburgh directly towards Mulross not doubting but that they should surprize the Regent and his Party unawares being but few and they also tyred with their March But the Scots being informed by their Scouts of the coming of the English withdrew themselves unto the next Hills from thence in Safety to behold what Course the Enemy would take The English being thus disappointed of their hope wander'd up and down in the Town and Monastery of Monks which were pillag'd a little before being intent upon what prey they could find and there they staid until break of day Assoon as 't was light they were returning to Iedburgh and the Scots having receiv'd a supply of almost 300 of the Blades of Fife under the Command of Norman Lesly Son to the Earl of Rothes a young Man for all Accomplishments hardly to be match'd again in Scotland grew thereby more incouraged and so with a slow March they retired to the Hills which are about the Town of Ancram There Walter Scot of whom mention is made before an active and prudent Person came in to them with but a few in his Company excusing the Straitness of time and telling them that his whole Party would be speedily with them His advice was that they should send their Horse unto the next Hill and so all of them run equal Hazard on foot and wait for the Enemy on the low ground for he did not doubt but that their Servants carrying up their Horse to the higher ground would make the English believe that they were running away and that would occasion them to hasten their March And accordingly lest the Scots should get off without fighting and be again to be sought out with a great deal of Pains before the Night came the English march'd up to them in three Battalions for they hoped to end the Business with one light Skirmish and because their hopes were such each one exhorted his Fellow to make haste though they had continued their March Night and Day before under their heavy Arms that so by a short Toil they might get long Rest Renown and Glory These Exhortations added to their Courage as much as the Toil of the March abated their Strength so that their two first Battalions fell in amongst the Scots who were prepared for the Onset as into an Ambush yet trusting to their number they stood to their Arms and fought stoutly But two things wisely foreseen were a great help to the Scots for both the Sun was almost at West and darted with his full Beams in the Faces of the Enemy and also the Wind which was somewhat high carried back the Smoke of the Gunpowder upon the Battalions behind insomuch that they could not see their way and besides whilst they were panting by reason of their March it mightily troubled them with its noisom Smell The first Battalion of the English fell back upon the second the second on the third where by their Intermixtures one with another and the pressing of the Scots upon them they all brake their Ranks and were driven back so that all were so full of Fear and Terror that none knew his own Colours or his Captain thus whilst every one provided for his own Safety no Man remembred the publick Danger and Disgrace The Scots followed thick after them so that now there was no more fighting but slaying At Night the Scots were called back to their Colours and taking a View of the slain they lost only two of their own of the English besides Commanders there dyed about 200 Souldiers and amongst them some of Note there were about a thousand Prisoners taken and of them above 80 Gentlemen This Victory happening beyond all Men's Expectation was so much the more acceptable the Fruit of all redounded to the Regent but almost all the Honour to the Douglasses About this time by the Fraud as 't is thought of George Gordon Earl of Huntly a Contention arose in which almost all the Family of the Frasers were extinguish'd There was betwixt Them and Mac Rainald an old Grudg which had been often manifested to the loss of both Parties and Huntly was inwardly fill'd with Indignation that they alone of all the Neighbouring Families refused to come under his Clanship For when the Neighbour Islanders gather'd together what strength they could against the Earl of Argile there was hardly any Man in all that Tract of the Country but bore Arms on one side or other But the matter being composed without Blows as they were returning sever'd from him another way the Mac-Rainalds having notice of it got their Clanships together and set upon them most furiously and the Frasers being fewer in number were overcome and all slain to a Man And thus that numerous Family which had oft so well deserved of their Country had been wholly extinguish'd unless by God's good Providence as we
Discourse In the mean time the Regent had an hot Debate in Council Whether they should stay where they were or else go to the King at Sterlin A great many were of opinion that 't was better to depart and they urg'd Arguments for it as that Hamilton was a Town near them full of People and all the Clanships of that Family lay round about it Besides the Queen had with her 500 Horse and it was reported many more were making towards her from remoter Parts whereas with the Regent there were only a few of his own Friends the rest having ran away to the Queen or gone privately home about their own Affairs as if all things had been quiet and tho the Citizens of Glasgow were faithful enough as being provok'd by the many and great Injuries they had receiv'd from the Hamiltons when in Power yet the Town it self was large not very Populous and every way approachable On the contrary Others reason'd That all depended on the first Beginning of things That his departure would be Dishonourable and look like running away That all Suspicion of fear was then principally to be avoided for they should heighten their Enemies thereby and discourage their Friends On the one side there were the Cuninghams and the Semples potent Families On the other side Lennox the King 's peculiar Patrimony from whence the next Neighbours might presently come in in a few Hours the rest the next or at furthest the Day after In the interim till further Aid came they had strength enough especially being assisted by the Townsmen This advice prevail'd in Council The French Embassador posted betwixt both Parties rather as a Spy than a Peace-maker which yet he pretended to be for perceiving that there was but a small Force at Glasgow at first and an Appearance of a great Multitude at Hamilton he earnestly excited the Queen to put it to a Battel presently The Regent had gathered a party from the Neighbourhood and expected those further off from Merch and Lothian there came in about 600 Horse choice and resolute Men he gave them one day to refresh themselves in and then determined to march out to Hamilton and to engage the Enemy immediately for he believed Delay was dangerous for him and advantagious to the Enemy whom the remote Parts of the Kingdom favour'd most Two days after he was inform'd That about the third Watch the Enemy was drawing together from all places where they quarter'd they trusted to their Number being about 6500 fighting Men and they knew the Regent had scarce 4000 but they resolved to march by Glasgow and to leave the Queen in Dunbarton-Castle and so either to fight or lengthen out the War as they pleased or if the Regent should be so bold as to stop their Passage which they believed he durst not do they would then fight and were confident they should beat Him But he having determined to urge them to fight before as soon as ever he could drew out his Men into the open Field before the Town the way that he thought the Enemy would come and there waited for them in Battel-array for some Hours But when he saw their Troops pass by the other side of the River he presently understood their Design and commanded his Foot to pass over the Bridg and his Horse to ford over the River which they might do it being low Water and so to march to Langside which was a Village by the River Carth where the Enemies were to pass scituated in the Foot of an Hill respecting the South-West on the East and North the Passage was steep but on the other side there was a gentle Descent into a Plain thither they hastned with such Speed that the Royalists had neer possest the Hill before the Enemy who aim'd at the same place understood their Design though they march'd thither by a nearer Cut But the Royalists met with Two Advantages which was a great Discouragement to their Enemies One that Gilespy Cambel Earl of Argyle who commanded in chief fell suddenly down from his Horse sick and by his Fall much delayed the March of his Party The Other that their Forces being plac'd here and there in little Vallies could never see all the Royalists at once whose Paucity as indeed they were not many made the Enemy to despise them and the Disadvantage of the place too At last when the Queen's Forces drew nigh and saw the Ground which they aim'd at possest by the Enemy they went to another little Hill over against them and there divided their Party into two Bodies Their chief Strength they plac'd in the First if they had overthrown their adverse Party there they knew the rest would be dismaid at their Flight and so they should overcome them without Fighting The King's Party also divided themselves into Two Wings Iames Douglas Earl of Morton Robert Semple Alexander Hume Patrick Lindsy each with his Clanship were placed in the Right In the left stood Iohn Earl of Marr Alexander Earl of Glencarn William Earl of Menteith and the Citizens of Glasgow The Musqueteers were in the Village and Gardens below near the high Way Both Armies thus placed in Battel-array The Queens Cannoneers and Foot were driven from their Posts by the King's Forces on the other side the King's Horse being fewer in Number were beat back by the Enemy after they had performed that Service they endeavoured also to break the Battalions of Foot in order whereunto they charg'd directly up the Hill but were beat back by the King's Archers and by some of those who after their Rout had rallied again and joined with the rest of their Body In the mean time the left Wing of the Enemy march'd by the High-way where there was a rising Ground lower down into the Vally where though they were galled by the King's Musqueteers yet passing by those Straits they opened and ranged their Body there 't was that the two Battailions held out a thick Stand of Pikes as a Brest-work before them and fought desperately for half an Hour without giving Ground on either side insomuch that they whose long Pikes were broke threw Daggers Stones Pieces of Pikes or Lances yea whatsoever they could come by into their Enemies Faces But some of the hindermost Ranks of the King's Forces being flying away whether for Fear or Treachery is uncertain no doubt their Flight had much disordered those who stood to it unless the Ranks had been so thick that the formost well knew not what the hindmost did Then they which were in the second Battailion taking notice of the Danger and perceiving no Enemy coming to charge them sent some whole Troops to wheel to the Right and to join with the first whereupon the adverse Party could not bear their Charge but were wholly routed and put to Flight many were so inrag'd with Wrath and Hatred against them that there had been a notable Slaughter in the Pursuit unless the Regent had sent
and the Barbarians were introduc'd into the pleasant Country about the Po whose Avarice and Cruelty spoil'd all Besides who is there of the Inhabitants of Great Britain that hath not heard of the Cruelty of Richard the 3 d King of England against his Brother's Children And with how much Blood was that Parricide expiated If Men that were otherwise prudent did not fear to commit such things against their nearest in Blood excited only by the desire of the Crown What can be expected from him whose Inconstancy is well known to all and whose ill management of the Government hath already cost us so much Blood Whose Family not content with the Murder of this King 's Great Grandfather did always work Treachery against his Grandfather by the Mother's side as long as he liv'd and as for his Grandfather by his Father's side when he could not kill him he drove him poor out of the Kingdom his Father he brought forth as a Sacrifice to be slain his Mother and the Kingdom when they could not enjoy it themselves they sold it to Strangers and after by the Providence of God she was deliver'd from that Bondage they cast her into those Straits wherein she now is What Judgment the Subjects made of these things may appear by this That Men seem'd to themselves deliver'd from the Prison of a most miserable Bondage and to tast the sweetness of Liberty when they sold the Government which they themselves were not able to manage to a Woman-Stranger Upon the hearing of this Oration the Queen told Hamilton That his Demand was unjust and That she would not assist him therein but That she was desir'd by the King's Embassadors not to suffer him to depart in regard he plotted nothing but Sedition till they likewise went themselves which she look'd upon as a just thing and therefore had promis'd them so to do and thereupon she charg'd him not to depart before that time Moreover the banish'd Queen encourag'd her Friends with the hopes of her speedy Return for some Letters of hers were intercepted wherein she advis'd them to seize upon as many Castles and fortified Places as they could and so to disperse the War abroad as far as ever they were able Neither need they fear the noise of a Truce or Accomodation for if Matters were ended that way all the Offences of former times would be cover'd and forgiven under the umbrage of Peace But if it should brake forth into open War the more Garisons they had the greater opportunity would be put into their Hands to hurt the Enemy When the Regent had settled Matters as well as he could in England and had leave to return some Letters were produc'd lately intercepted from the Queen of Scots wherein she complains That she was otherwise treated by the Queen of England than she her self first expected or as was promis'd her and that was done by some Courtiers who were the Cause That she was not sent back with an Army as she affirm'd the Queen of England had promis'd Her but she did hope shortly to obtain a good issue another Way for Messengers often had passed betwixt Her and Howard about a Marriage between them and therefore she wish'd them not to be discouraged but to increase the strength of their Party to make a general Disturbance and by all the Arts they could to hinder the Regent's return into Scotland These Letters being divulg'd did affect People severally The Queen of England took it ill That she was accus'd of breach of Promise as also That the Conditions of the Truce made by her means were not kept and therefore being very angry and inrag'd she remitted much of her ancient Favour to the Scot's Queen and was more inclin'd to Equity than before The English who wish'd well to the Regent were afraid that his Enemies would way-lay him to do him a mischief in his Journy for in the Countries which he was to pass thrô there were either for the most part Papists or else Thieves inhabiting the Borders of both Kingdoms who were all excited to hope for a sudden Change and 't was plain they were dealt with to intercept him in his Return and therefore abundance of the English Courtiers offer'd him their assistance to secure his Passage but he was contented only with his own Retinue and about the 13 th of Ianuary began his Journy But the Queen of England judging it to be for her own Credit and Honour that he should return in Safety had of her own accord written to the Commanders and the Warden of the Marches That when he came to places suspected or noted for Robbery They should take care that he might not be circumvented And they were very careful therein for strong Guards of Horse and Foot were plac'd about the Way so that he came safe to Berwick and the day after which was the 2 d of February he was conducted home to Edinburgh to the great joy of his Friends who in great Numbers were there Assembled His Enemies did hardly believe his coming at first because false Reports had been causelesly spread that he was shut up Prisoner in the Tower of London But when it was certainly known that he was at Edinburgh Those who had beset the High-ways to intercept Passengers let go their Prisoners and slipt away Home So that immediately from a turbulent Tempest there grew a great Calm A few Days after the Nobles of the King's Party had a great Meeting at Sterlin there the Transactions with the Queen of England were opened and highly approv'd by the consent of all there Present About the same time Iames Hamilton chief of his Family came out of England who by a new and unheard of Pretence and Arrogance was adopted as a Father by the Queen of Scots and made Lieutenant of the Kingdom He declar'd his Commission and forbad the People to obey any but Those substituted by him Whereupon the Royalists disburst Sums of Mony to raise Forces and to prepare to fight if need were And accordingly at an appointed Day they met at Glasgow but seeing the Country came not in to Hamilton according to his Expectation by the Mediation of his Friends Terms of Agreement were propounded whereupon Hamilton was commanded to come to Glasgow to acknowledg the King as chief Magistrate If he did That the rest would be easily accorded if he refus'd it was in vain for him to come He by the advice of his Friends that were with him being forsaken by his Clanships and terrifi'd by the near approach of his Enemies Army resolv'd to comply with Necessity and to promise all that was desir'd but when the Forces of the Royalists were disbanded then he would consult his Advantage at leisure When they came to Glasgow a Day was appointed wherein they and their Friends should profess their Allegiance to the King and so recover their old Estates and Honours In the mean time they were to remain
their Country The Earl of Sussex their General besieged Hume-Castle where the Owner of it had laid up much Provision and all the Neighbourhood had brought in their best Goods to that Fort as into a Place of Safety It was valiantly defended by the Garison within and the English the next day after were about to raise the Siege when lo Letters were brought to the Garison-Souldiers written a while before by Alexander Owner of the Castle which disturbed all their Measures For therein he commanded them to obey the Orders of William Drury an English Knight and to do what he commanded them without any Dispute Drury acquainted Sussex herewith whereupon the Castle was surrendred and plundered and Sussex placing a Garison of English therein with a great Booty returned to Berwick Thus Hume who was so far from being afraid of the English that rather he thought them his very Friends as knowing that Drury and Sussex Both did secretly favour Howard's Affairs did almost undo himself by his own Credulity for at last being forsaken of all his Friends and Kindred who were mostly Royalists he came with One or Two in his Company to Edinburgh and shut up himself as a Recluse in the Castle there On the other Side of the Borders Scroop an English Commander entred Annandale and ransack'd the Lands of one Iohnston who also had made Incursions into England but Iohnston himself with a few of his Companions being well acquainted with the Passes of the Country made a Shift to escape from the Horse that pursued him Iohn Maxwel who had gathered together 3000 Men out of the Neighbourhood yet durst not adventure to come in to his Aid but only stood upon his own Guard A while after the English that were at Berwick having received Hostages and thinking that Matters would have been carried with Fidelity towards them sent in 300 Horse and a 1000 Foot under the Command of Drury against the common Enemy Upon the Bruit of their March the Hamiltonians went to Glasgow resolving to demolish the Castle of the Arch-bishop there that it might not be a Receptacle to the Earl of Lennox then returned out of England and so that Country be made the Seat of War They knew that it was kept but by a few raw Souldiers that the Governor was absent and that it was unprovided of Necessaries so that they thought to surprize it by their sudden Approach for they flew into the Town in such Haste that they shut out a good part of the Garison-Souldiers from entring the Castle but being disappointed of their Hope they began to batter and storm violently and were as valiantly repulsed for the Garison Souldiers which were but 24 did so warmly receive them for several Days that they slew more of the Assailants than they themselves were and the rest they beat off sorely wounded of their Own they lost but one Man and none of the rest received so much as a Wound But the Hamiltonians hearing that the English were already at Edinburgh and that Iohn Erskin was come to Sterlin with a Design speedily to relieve the Castle though they had received some additional Force even from the remote Parts of the Kingdom yet toward Evening they raised their Seige and in great fear pack'd away Hamilton and Argyle himself posted into Argyle's Country Huntly went home over the almost impassable Mountains the rest shifted for themselves and ran several Ways to save their Lives But the English two Days after they came to Edinburgh went to Glasgow and in their Passage through Clydsdale they wasted all the Lands of the Hamiltons and any others that had consented to the Death of the Regent as also of those who had harbour'd the English Fugitives and drove great Preys from them making havock in all the Country when the Engines to beat down the Castle that was scituated near a Village called Hamilton were bringing to Sterlin Drury who privately favoured the English Rebels had almost rendred the whole Expedition fruitless for he was so far from quieting the English who mutinied because their Pay was not paid them at the Day whereupon they threatned immediately to lay down their Arms That 't was thought by many he himself was the Author of the Mutiny But the Souldiers were appeased upon the receiving their Pay down upon the nail and the great Guns being planted and playing against it the Castle was surrendred in a few Hours Amongst the Booty some there were that knew the Apparel and other Houshold-stuff of King Iames the 5 th that the Owner of the Castle when he resign'd up his Regency had so solemnly sworn he had none of The Castle was left half demolish'd and the Town together with the stately Mansion of the Hamiltons therein the wild common Souldiers burnt to the Ground against the Will of their Commanders Whereupon the Army march'd back the English to Berwick and the Scots each to their own home Drury interceded for the Garison that they should march away in Safety who being dismiss'd took Robert Semple Prisoner the chief of his Family out of the House of his Son-in-Law who was quietly returning home as if the Service had been ended which Passage greatly increas'd the Suspicion on Drury These Matters were scarce finish'd before Petcarn return'd from his Embassy out of England and brought this Answer That the Queen wonder'd they never made her acquainted with the â—tate of their Affairs till now four Months after the Death of the Regent and by reason of this delay she was uncertain in her Hopes concerning them In the mean time that she had been often solicited by the Importunity of the French and Spanish Embassadors in the Name of their Kings and that she was even tired out with the daily complaints of the Scots Queen that she had promis'd them Audience but upon Condition that the Queen of Scots should write to her Party for a Cessation of Arms till the Conference was ended That those Innovations which they had attempted by their publick Edicts they should revoke by other Edicts contrary to the former and so suffer things to stand as they were when the Regent was slain That the English Exiles should be given up without fraud and if upon the Conference Matters were accorded betwixt them Hostages and other Pledges should be given on Both sides for the faithful performance of Agreements Upon these Conditions a Conference was promised and having oblig'd her self in such Circumstances she could not join with them in their Design in making a new Regent lest she might seem to condemn their Queen without hearing Her But in general she said That she had a great Affection for them and their Affairs In the mean time She desir'd that they would abstain from Arms and from making a Regent and she would take care that such a small delay should be no damage to them This Answer being reported to the Scots did variously affect them On the one hand the
Presumptuous Confidence in descending to debate her Cause after that Fashion and therefore say's the Queen seeing they are so averse from the Way of Concord which I propose I will detain you no longer but if she hereafter repent of her present Sentiment of which I have some hope and take the Course chalkt out by me I do not doubt but you for your part will perform your Duty Thus we were lovingly and kindly Dismist and the 8 th Day of April began our Journy towards our own Country This Account was given at Sterlin by the Embassadors before the Convention of the Estates Whereupon the Care and Diligence of the Embassadors were unanimously approv'd Other Matters they referr'd to the first of May a Parliament being summon'd against that time In the mean time both Parties bestir themselves one to promote the other to hinder the Assembling thereof The wisest Senators were of opinion That the Queen of England would never let the Scot's Queen depart as foreseeing how dangerous her Deliverance would be to all Britain In the interim Mention was made by some of demanding the Scot's King as an Hostage for his Mother rather in hopes to hinder a Concord than to establish it for she was well assur'd that the Scots would never yield to it but there were some potent Men in her Council who did secretly favour the Duke of Norfolk's Faction These were desirous that the Queen of Scots should be deliver'd and thereby the adverse Faction might in tract of time be broken and diminish'd that so they might obtain that Point from her by Necessity which they saw they could not otherwise do neither did they doubt but the Matter would come to that Pass if the Râ—bels were assisted with Mony and other Furniture for War from France and the Royalists had their Eye only on the Queen of England who had at the beginning largely promis'd them upon understanding the flagitious Act of the Queen that she would take a special care of the King and Kingdom of Scotland Neither could the French King well compass his Designs He was willing the Scot's Queen should be deliver'd but not that the King should be put into English Hands and hearing how strong the Norfolk Faction was which was all for Innovations he did not despair but that the Scot's Queen might in time escape out of Prison privately or be deliver'd by his Means Thus stood the State of Britain at that time Morton having given a laudable Account of his Embassy to the Convention at Sterlin return'd to his own House about 4 Miles from Edinburgh he had a Company of 100 Foot and a few Horse to guard his House and to defenâ— himself if the Townsmen should attempt to make any Excursion till more Forces might come in In the mean time the Queen's Faction were Masters of the Town and set Guards in all convenient Places and levell'd all their Designs to exclude the Regent and to hinder the Parliament which was Indicted to be held at Edinburgh Whereupon Morton was commanded by the Regent with 20 Horse and about 70 Foot for the rest had Passes to go abroad for Forage to march to Leith who was to make a publick Proclamation there for they had garison'd Edinburgh already That no Man should assist the Rebels by Land or Sea either with Provision Arms or any other warlike Furniture they that did so were to undergo the same Punishment with them They knowing themselves to be inferior to the Town-Souldiers sent their Foot another Way about which was cover'd by an Hill from the Sight of the City commonly call'd Arthur's Seat and the Horse past near the Walls and Gates of the City not a Man of the Enemy stiring out When they had done what they were commanded to do at Leith they had not the same Fortune at their Return for the Foot refus'd to march back the same Way that they came but return'd against the will of the Horse near the Gates of the City and so pass'd with them under the Walls with an intent to try what Metal themselves were made of and their Enemies too when lo on a sudden a Sally was made out against them from Two of the Gates At first they fought Manfully so that the Oppidans were driven back in disorder into the Town with no great loss 't is true yet it easily appear'd that they were Inferior in Valour though Superior in Number The Regent having nothing in readiness to assault the Town and having no time neither by reason of the sudden Sitting of the Parliament to bring any great Guns thither thought it better to desist from Force and to hold the Parliament without the Gate of Edinburgh For that City being stretch'd out mostly in Length they who first compassed it with a Wall left a great Part of it in the Suburbs yet so that the Inhabitants of that Part had the full priviledg of Citizens as well as those within the Walls There the Convention was held for the Lawyers gave their Opinions That 't was no great Matter in what Part soever of the City it met In this Parliament These were declar'd Traitors viz. The chief of Them who held out the Castle especially those who out of Consciousness of their guilt of the King 's and Regent's Murders had avoided Tryal The Rebels being thus condemn'd by an Act of Parliament The Judgment of which Court is of very great Authority lest the Commonalty which ordinarily is at the beck of the Nobility should be alienated from them They also of the Number which they had there made up a Convention such as it was Few appear'd there who had any lawful right to Vote and of them some came not into the Assembly at all some presented themselves but as Spectators only abstaining from all Judiciary Actings so that they having neither a just Number of Voices nor were they assembled either in due Time or according to ancient Custom yet that they might make shew of a lawful sufficient Number Two Bishops and some Others which were absent a thing never heard of before sent in their Votes in writing at hap-hazard as being doubtful of the Event of that Assembly At this time the Castle continually plaid with great Guns upon the Place where the Nobles were Assembled and though the Bullets often fell amongst crouds of People yet they neither hurt nor kill'd so much as one Man There were but few condemn'd in either Convention and both Parties appointed another Convention to be held in August one at Sterlin the other at Edinburgh When the Assembly was dismist neither Party issued out one upon other so that there was a kind of Truce between them Thereupon the greatest part of the Souldiers that were with Morton being press'd Men slipt away to their own homes They who kept the Town knew That Morton had but a small Party for his Guard and being willing also to cry quits for their former
ignominious Repulse they sent out 220 Musqueteers and a 100 Horse they carried two Brass Field-Pieces along with them intending either to burn the Town of Dalkeith where Morton then was or if That succeeded not to frighten the Enemy and keep him within the Town and if they could thus put him into a Fright they intended to make their Braggs thereof all over the Country They shewed themselves well accoutred on an Hill over against Dalkeith Whereupon they at Dalkeith being alarm'd cry'd presently Arm Arm. The Mortonians drew out immediately being 200 Foot and about 60 Horse and mounted a little an opposite Hill and then again descending into the Vally and Plain they stood over against them ready to fight Some Archers picquered and skirmished on both Sides and there was a light Onset but the Rebels who expected to find their Enemies unprepared being disappointed of their Hope march'd back in as entire a Body as they could to recover the City and thus some pressing upon Others in the Eagerness of their Retreat they came to Cragmiller-Castle scituate almost in the Mid-way between Edinburgh and Dalkeith There a few of Morton's Foot which past by the Castle privately on the other side rose from their Ambush and assaulted the Enemies Body in the strait Passage of the Way which was between them and so disorder'd their Ranks and put them to Flight They who kept Garison in the Castle of Edinburgh perceiving from the higher Ground that their Men were flying toward them sent out 80 Horse and 30 Foot to relieve them with this Supply they charg'd again and the King's Horse being fewer in Number by half and not able to indure the brunt fled back in as much haste as they had pursued before The Foot was in a manner useless on both sides because of a great Shower that fell suddenly from the Clouds In the Pursuit of the Mortonians there were but Two slain more were wounded and about 26 taken Prisoners Of the Rebels there were more slain but fewer Prisoners taken But one Accident did almost equal the Loss of both Parties They which came from Edinburgh brought with them a Barrel of Gun-powder and as the Souldiers in haste and carelesly went to take out some Powder a Spark of Fire light into it and blew it up insomuch that the Horse which carried it Iames Melvil the Commander of the Foot and many other Souldiers were so scorch'd and burnt that the most Part of them in a few Days after died Whilst these things were acting about Edinburgh Victory inclining to neither Side one Troop of the Scots who some Years before had serv'd in Denmark under Michael Weems a noble virtuous and learn'd young Man return'd into their own Country and offer'd their Service to the King against the Desires of the Townsmen who would willingly have drawn them over to their Party They had a little Time allow'd them to visit their Friends and coming together at the Day appointed they were imform'd That some Ships were mann'd out by the Rebels to intercept them Morton himself was aware of the Plot and therefore taking what Force he could on a sudden make without acquainting any Body with his Design he came so hastily to Leith that he had almost catch'd them before they went a Ship-bord sixteen of the Loiterers who did not make such haste to lanch out their Boat he took Prisoners on the Shore The next Day he provided Ships either to follow them he could not do it sooner because of the Tide or to intercept them in their Return The Regent also was made acquainted with it the same Night who speedily gathering some Tumultuary Force hastned to the left Shore of the Fort to set upon the Rebels when they landed But the Speed of the Danish Souldiers rendred those Endeavours needless for the greatest Part of them got aboard a large Vessel and so past safely over The rest who were in a smaller Skiff were taken not far from Leith and being about twenty six were brought Prisoners to the Castle After this Action the Regent returned to Sterlin Morton being overladen with Labour and Watching and troubled with the Cholick too fell sick at Leith Drury the English-Man who had transacted for a Truce between the Factions for so many Days could finally effect nothing for the Regent would yield to no other Terms but that the Places which were seized on during the former Truce should be restored When Drury was about to depart the Rebels as 't were in Testimony of Respect and Complement to him drew forth all the Strength that ever they could make supposing That whilst Morton was sick they should either put their Enemies into a terrible Fright who were inferior in Number to themselves or else if they durst fight with the Force they had without their General they might do some considerable Execution upon them toward the ending of the War Morton being imform'd hereof by his Guard of Horse rose presently out of his Bed and buckles on his Armor and brings up all his Men into a Neighbour-hill where he kept them ready for the Onset about 400 Paces from the Enemy Drury rode between both Armies and earnestly desired both to return home and not to brake off all Hope of Accommodation by over-rash and hasty Counsels Whereupon they both agreed to retreat only the Dispute was who should turn about their Colours first Drury endeavoured to compound this Difference also and desired of Both that when he standing in the middle between both Armies gave a Sign they should Both retreat in one and the same Moment Morton was willing but the Rebels threatned That unless he retreated first of his own Accord they would beat him shamefully out of the Field and indeed they could hardly be kept from advancing their Bodies toward him When Morton heard this Answer he supposed he had satisfied Drury and the English whom at this time he was unwilling to offend but would rather have them Witnesses of his Moderation whereupon he presently drew forth against the Enemy first the Horse made a brisk Charge and routed the Enemies Wings the Foot attempted to charge but were routed also when the Gate of the next Street being narrow could not admit so many at once in their thick and hasty Flight many were there slain many trodden under Foot many taken none making any Resistance but only a Party of Foot who having the Advantage of the next Church-yard rallied again and yet at the first Charge were a second time put to Flight Their Flight into the City was so confused that the Guard left the Gates and all fled into the Castle so that if the Enemy that pursued had not been intent on the Prey they might have entred also the Town Pell-mell with them as being unguarded About 50 of the Rebels were slain and about 150 taken Alexander Hume had a slight Wound with a Fall from his Horse and was taken Gawen
the former King And a while after many other Persons as they did excel in Virtue or in Wealth were circumvented by him by one wile or other and so unjustly brought to their Ends. At last to free himself from the Fears of a Successor he took up a Resolution to destroy Corbredus Galdus his Kinsman with his Brothers who were Royally Educated in hopes of the Kingdom The Charge of this Assassination was committed to Cormoracus one of his Privado's He being laden with many Gifts but more Promises was sent away to perpetrate the Villany but attempting it with less Caution than such a Butchery required he was taken in the very Fact by some of Galdus his Train with a naked Fauchion in his Hand being Arraigned and put to the Torture he confessed the Author and the designed order of the whole Conspiracy and so was executed immediately When this wicked Plot was divulged abroad there was a general Combination of almost all sorts of People against the King insomuch that having slain many of those who were Panders to his Lust as they could be found at last they endeavoured to make their way to the King himself the Source and Fountain of their Mischief In the mean time Conanus one of the Kings Parasites a Man meanly descended but highly Respected and Trusted by his Master levied some Troops and had the Confidence to send them forth against the Nobles but being forsaken of his Men he was taken and Hang'd The Commons having now got Galdus for their General found out Dardanus who was privately lurking to secure himself while they were apprehending of him he endeavour'd to lay violent Hands on himself but being prevented he was brought to Galdus and immediately put to Death his Head was carried up and down in Mockery and his Body thrown into a Jakes after he had Reigned Four years Corbred II The Twenty First King COrbred the Second Sirnamed Galdus succeeded him a Prince equally dear to Lords and Commons both upon the account and early proof of his own personal Virtue and promising Ingenuity as for the Memory of his worthy Father Some imagin that he was That Galgacus who is mentioned by Tacitus and that he was Sirnamed Galdus by the Scots because he had been educated amongst the Britains For the Scots according to their Ancient Custom call all Strangers Galds or Galls as the Germans call them Wals as I shewed largely before After he had undertook the Government he increased the great Hopes which had been pre-conceived of him For making an Expedition into the Islands of Sky and Lewis he quelled the Seditions lately raised there and suffered to come to an head by the negligence of Dardanus and that with a due and prudent mixture of Mercy and Severity He slew the Captains of those Banditti and enforced the rest for fear of punishment either voluntarily to banish themselves or else to return to their former rural Employments He as I believe was the First of the Scotish Kings that ever advanced his Ensigns against the Romans who had by little and little propagated their Empire even to the very Borders For Petitius Cerealis first broke the Forces of the Brigantes and his Successor Iulius Frontinus conquered the Silures 'T is very probable that the Scots and Picts sent Aid to those Nations who were situate not far from their Borders Iulius Agricola succeeded the former Generals who having overcome the Ordovâ—ces and reduced the Island Man when he was come to the narrowest part of Britain thinking that it was not far to the end of the Island he was encouraged to the Conquest of it all And therefore in the Third Year of his Generalship he overcame and plundered the neighboring Countries of the Scots and Picts until he came to the River Tay And thô his Army was much distressed by Tempest yet he had time to build Forts in all places convenient for Defence by which means he defeated the Designs of his Enemies and withal brake their Force For before the Adverse party being Men inured to hardship what they lost in the Summer would many times recover in Winter when the Roman Legions were dispersed into Winter Quarters And somtimes they would assault and take their Enemies Castles and Garisons being not sufficiently fortified But at that time by the cunningness of Agrippa in Building his Forts and by his skill in making them defensible and withal by relieving them with his Forces every Year Their Arts were deluded In the Fourth Year of his Government perceiving that the Firths of Forth and of Clyd were severed but by a small Tract of Land having fortified that Place with Garisons he spoiled the Countries bending to the Irish Sea In his Fifth Year he sent a Fleet to Sea and made descents in many places and plundred the Maritime Coasts fortifying those that looked towards Ireland with Garisons not only for that present occasion but also that he might from thence more easily transport an Army to that Country By this prudence of Agricola the Scots and Picts being shut up in a narrow Angle and secluded from any commerce with the Britains prepared themselves for the last shock and rancounter Neither was Agricola less careful but commanding his Navy to fetch a compass about to discover the utmost parts of the Island he led his Army beyond the Forth and drew towards the Caledonians There their Enemies being ready as in a desperate Case to run their last hazard assaulted some of the Roman Garisons which struck such a Terror into them that some of the Romans as fearing either the Number of their Enemies or their Obstinacy by reason of their desperation gave their advice to retreat with their Army into a place of greater safety But their General being resolved to Fight when he was informed that the Enemy approached him in three distinct Brigades he also drew towards them having divided his Army into Three Squadrons also which Project was almost his total Ruin For his Enemies understanding his Design did with their whole Army assault one of his Legions by night and having killed the Sentinels had almost taken his whole Camp But being prevented by the coming in of other Legions after they had fought desperately till Day light at length being put to flight they returned into the Mountains and Woods Those things were acted about the Eighth Year of his Expeditions Both Parties prepare themselves as for their last Encounter against the next Spring The Romans as judging that the Victory would put an end to the War And their Enemies looking upon their All to be at stake and that they were about to fight for their Liberty Lives and for whatsover is to be accounted Dear and Sacred amongst Men Hereupon judging that in former Battels they were overcome by Stratagem rather than by Valour they betook themselves to the higher Grounds and at the foot of Mount Grampius waited for the coming of the Romans There
the design could wholly extirpate the old Heathenish Rites and Ceremonies But the Expedition of Severus the Emperor falling out in his time did mightily disturb all his Measures both Publick and Private For Severus being very skilful in Military Affairs brought so many Forces into Britain in hopes to conquer the whole Island as never any Roman General had done before him There were also other Causes for this Expedition of his as the corrupt Life of his Sons by reason of the Vices reigning in Rome and the Effeminacy of his Army occasioned by sloath and lying still To remedy these mischiefs he thought it best to put them upon Action Upon his Arrival the private Tumults which were about to break forth were suppressed and the Scots and Picts leaving the Counties near the Enemy retreated to Places of greater safety and more difficult Access Severus that he might once for all put an end to the British Wars led his Army through all the waste places deserted by their Inhabitants against the Caledonians Though his Enemy did not dare to give him Battel in the Field he was much incommoded by the Coldness of the Country and underwent a great deal of Trouble to cut down Woods to level Hills and to throw vast heaps of Earth into the Marish Grounds and also to erect Bridges over Rivers to make a passage for his Army In the mean time the Enemy despairing of success if they should Fight so great a Multitude in a pitch'd Battel did here and there leave Herds of their Cattle on purpose as a Prey to them that so they might stop the Romans who in hopes of such Booties were inticed to stray far from their Camp And indeed the Romans besides those that being thus dispersed were taken in the Ambushes laid for them were also much prejudiced by continual Rains and being wearied with long Marches and so not able to follow were in many places slain by their own Fellows that so they might not fall alive into the Hands of their Enemies Yet notwithstanding though they had lost 50000 of their Souldiers as Dion writes they did not desist from their Enterprize till they had pierced even to the End and extream Bounds of the Island As for Severus himself though he was Sick during this whole Expedition and thereupon was fain to be carried in a covered Horse-Litter yet by his incredible Obstinacy and Perseverance he made his Enemies to accept of Conditions of Peace and to yield up to him no small part of their Country He built a Wall as a Mound to the Roman Empire between the Fiâ—ths of Forth and Clyd where Agricola before him had also determined to bound their Province That Wall where it toucheth the River Carron had a Garison thereon so situate and the Ways and Passages so laid out that it was like a small City which some of our Country-Men though mistakingly do think to be Maldon But it is more probable that This was the City which Bede calls Guidi A few years before the Writing hereof some footsteps of Trenches Walls and Streets did appear neither yet are all the Walls so demolished but that they discover themselves visibly in many places and when the Earth is a little digg'd up square Stones are quarried out which the owners of the Neighbouring Countries use in Building their Houses Yea sometimes Stones with Inscriptions on them are found which shew that it was a Roman Pile of Building Those Words of Aelius Spartianus do shew the Grandeur of this Structure He strengthened Britain says he with a Wall drawn Cross-ways or Thwart the Island from Sea to Sea which is the greatest Ornament of his Empire By which Words he seems to intimate That it was not a Trench as Bede would have it but a Wall especially since he gives such a Commendation to a Work which is shorter by half than Adrian's Wall Yea this Fortificatiâ—n where it is least distant yet is Eighty Miles off from the Wall of Adrian There are also other Indications of that Peace if I mistake not For a little below that â—arison of which I have spoken there is a round Edifice on the opposite side of the River Carron made of square Stones heaped on one another without Lime or Mortar 'T is no bigger than a small Pidgeon-House the Top of it is open but the other Parts are whole save that the upper Lintel of the Door wherein the Name of the Builder and Work is thought to have been inscribed was taken away by Edward the First King of England who did also invidiously deface all the rest of the old Scotish Monuments as much as ever he could some think and have Written accordingly that That Structure was the Temple of Claudius Casar But my Conjecture is rather That it was the Temple of the Heathen God Terminus There were also on the left Bank of the same River two Hillocks or Barrows of Earth raised as it sufficiently appears by the Hands of Men. A great part of the lesser one which inclines more to the West is swept away by the Washing and Over-Flowings of the River the Neighbouring Inhabitants call them yet Duni Pacis So that Peace being again procured by this Division of the Island and all Matters being in a sort accommodated Donaldus departed this Life having Reigned One and Twenty years Ethodius II. The Twenty Eighth King ETHODIVS the Second Son of the former Ethodius was substituted in his Room a Man almost stupid This is certain he was of a more languid and soft Disposition than was fit to have the Government of such a Feirce and Warlike People conferred upon him which being taken notice of the Nobles in a Convention bore that Reverence to the Progeny of King Fergus that they left the Name of King to Ethodius as sloathful as he was but yet not guilty of any Notorious Wickedness but set Deputies over all the Provinces to administer Justice therein whose Moderation and Equity did so regulate Matters that Scotland was never in a quieter State For they did not only punish Offenders but also made the immoderate Covetousness of the King to be no burden to the People This King in the Twenty first year of his Reign was slain in a Tumult of his own Officers Athirco The Twenty Ninth King ATHIRCO his Son manifesting greater Ingenuity than is usually found in such an Youthful Age was therefore made King For by his Manly Exercises in Riding throwing the Dart and vying with his young Courtiers in Feats of Arms as also by his Bounty and Courteous Demeanor he won to himself the Love of all But his Vices increasing with his Age by his profound Avarice Peevishness Luxury and Sloath he so alienated the Minds of Good Men from him that the more the Sons were delighted with his Nefarious Practices the more their Fathers were offended thereat At last a Conspiracy of the Nobles was formed against him occasioned by one Nathalocus a Nobleman whose
to hear the Complaints of the Poor and as much as he could he would not suffer the Great men to oppress Them But as these Virtues did endear him to the Good so they lessen'd his Authority amongst the Lovers of Sedition so that his Clemency to the Former occasioned the Rage of wicked men against him The beginning of lessening and despising his Government hapned in Loch-Abyr upon the account of one Bancho Thane of that Country a strict Lover of impartial Justice some ill Men not enduring his Severity in Punishments made a Conspiracy against him Plundered him of his Goods and drove him away being wounded and almost dead As soon as ever his Wounds permitted him to endure the jogging of his body he took a Journy and complained to the King the King sent a publick Officer to do Justice upon the Offenders but he was grievously affronted and afterwards slain by them so great Security did they fancy to themselves by reason of the Lenity but as they interpreted it Sloth of a good King The chief of the Faction which raised the Rebellion was named Mac-duald who despairing of Pardon prepares himself for an open War He called in the Islanders to his assistance who were always prone to Sedition and also the forwardest of the Irish in hopes of Prey He told them That under an effeminate and slothful King who was fitter to rule Monks than Warriors there was no fear of Punishment but there might be great hopes of Advantage and that he did not doubt but the Scots who were as it were fettered with the Chains of a Long Peace under the former King when an Alarm was sounded to the War would come in to recover their Ancient Liberty These Exhortations were seconded with a successfull beginning which much heartned the Party There was one Malcolm of the Prime Nobility sent by the King against them with some Forces but his Army was presently overthrown by them and he himself being taken Prisoner had his head cut off by them The King being troubled at this Overthrow called a Council together to consult of what was fit to be done Some were very slow in delivering their Opinions but Mackbeth Kinsman to the King laid the blame of the Misfortune on the Sluggâ—shness of former times withal promising that if the Command or Generalship were bestowed on him and Bancho who was well acquainted with that Country he would quickly subdue all and quiet things This Mackbeth was of a sharp Wit and of a very lofty Spirit and if Moderation had accompanied it he had been worthy of a Command tho' an eminent one But in punishing Offenders he was so severe that having no respect to the Laws he seemed soon likely to degenerate into Cruelty When the chief Command of the Army was conferred upon him many were so terrified that casting aside their Hopes whch they had conceived by reason of the Kings Slothful Temper they hid themselves in Holes and Corners The Islanders and the Irish their Flight being stopp'd were driven into great Despair and in a fierce Fight were every one of them slain Macduala himself with a few others flying into a Neighbour Castle being past all hopes of Pardon redeemed Himself and His from the Opprobriousness of his Enemies by a voluntary death Mâ—ckbeth not content with that punishment cut off his Head and sent it to the King at Perth and hung up the rest of his Body for all to behold in a conspicuous place Those of the Red-shanks which he took he caused to be hanged This Domestick Sedition being appeased a far greater Terror succeeded and seized on him occasioned by the Danes For Sueno the powerful King of the Danes dying left Three Kingdoms to his Three Sons England to Harold Norway to Sueno and Denmark to Canutus Harold dying soon after Canutus succeeded him in the Realm of Scotland Sueno or Swain King of Norway being Emulous of his Brothers Glory crossed the Seas with a great Navy and Landed in Fifâ— upon the Bruit of his coming Machbeth was sent to Levy an Army Bancho the other General staying in the Interim with the King Duncanus or Donald as if he had been rouzed from a fit of Sluggishness was forced to go meet the Enemy They fought near Culross with such obstinate Courage that as One Party was scarce able to fly so the Other had no heart to pursue The Scots who look'd upon themselves as overcome rather by the Incommodiousness of the Place than by the Valour of their Enemies retreated to Perth and there staid with the Relicts of their conquered Forces waiting for the Motions of the Enemy Swain thinking That if he pressed eagerly on them all Scotland would speedily be his Own made towards Perth with all his Forces to besiege Duncan his Ships he sent about by the Tay to meet him there Duncan tho' he much confided in the present Posture of Affairs because Mackbeth was very near him with a new supply of Force yet being counselled by Bancho to piece out his Force by Stratagem he sent Messengers one to Mackbeth to desire him to stop where he was and another to Swain to treat about the Surrender of the Town The Scots desired That upon the Surrender They and Theirs might have Liberty to depart in safety Swain supposing their Request proceeded from the very bottom of Despair would hear of nothing but surrendring at Mercy upon this he sent other Messengers with unlimited Instructions and a Command to delay time in making Conditions who to ingratiate themselves the more told the Norvâ—gians That whilst the Conditions of Peace were propounding and setling their King would send abundance of Provisions into their Camp as knowing That they were not over-plentiful in Victuals That Gift was acceptable to the Norvegians not so much on the account of the Scots Bounty or their own Penury as that they thought it was a Sign their Spirits were cowed out and quite broken Whereupon a great deal of Bread and Wine was sent both Wine pressed out of the Grape and also strong Drink made of Barly-Malt mixed with the â—uice of a Poysonous Herb whereof abundance grows in Scotland called Somniferous Night-shade The Stalk of it is above two Fâ—ot Long and in its upper part spreads into Branches the Leaves are broadish acuminated on the outside and faintly Green The Berrys are great and of a Black Colour when they are ripe which proceed out of the Stalk under the bottom of the Leaves Their Taste is sweetish and almost insipid It hath a very small seed as little as the Grains of a Fig. The Virtue of the Fruit Root and especially of the Seed is Soporiferous and will make men mad if they be taken in too great Quantities With this Herb all the Provision was infected and they that carried it to prevent all suspition of Fraud tasted of it before and invited the Danes to drink huge Draughts thereof
Assoon as they came in fight one of another the Scots had so divided their Men into Three Batailions upon an Hill that the Rocks and Precipices thereof secured them on the Right and Left from whence they might cast down Stones on the Enemy if they endeavoured to come up to them At the Foot of the Hill the English had a rapid Torrent to pass so full of Great and Round Stones that they could not Ford over to their Enemy or if they had so done they could not Retreat without certain Ruin The English perceiving that they could not come at the Enemy but with great disadvantage pitched their Tents and sent an Herald at Arms to the Scots advising them to come down into the Champion Country to Fight for Glory and Empire by true Valour in an open Plain The Scots answered That they would Fight for no bodies pleasure but their own That they marched into England to revenge the Injuries they had received if they had done any thing which did offend them they had free Liberty to take their own Revenge As for Themselves they resolved to abide There as long as they pleased and if their Enemy did attaque them at his Peril be it The next Three Days their Camps being near and Parties placed at the Fords some slight Skirmishes passed betwixt them the Fourth Day assoon as it was Light the Watch brought Word That the Scots had forsaken the Hill on which they were whereupon Scouts were sent out to bring certain News and to follow them if they had Retreated who brought word That the Scots had pitched their Tents on another Hill by the same River much more convenient for them than the First where they had a Wood which secured their Ingress and Egress The English who hoped that they should Famish the Scots who avoided Fighting in a Foreign Soil being frustrated of their Expectation followed them and pitched their Tents on an opposite Hill After they had abode there some Days it was observed That they grew more Negligent than formerly in their Night-watches either because they undervalued the Scots because of their Paucity or else because they meditated nothing but Flight Douglas took hold of the Opportunity to attempt something and passing over the River with 200 Select Horse he entred the Enemies Camp where he saw it was but slenderly Guarded He had almost pierced to the King 's own Tent where cutting off the Cords the Alarm being taken he killed near 300 English in his Retreat and brought his Men safely off After this no Memorable Action happened save that the English instructed by their own Loss placed more careful Watches in convenient Places At last it was told them by a Scot whom they had taken Prisoner That there was a Proclamation in that Camp That at the Third Watch all should be ready to follow Douglas whither-soever he should lead them This Relation struck such a Terror into the Englâ—sh That dividing their Army into Three Batailions at a moderate Distance one from another they stood all that Night in their Arms and their Servants held their Horses Bridled Sadled and ready prepared for whatever should happen in their Camp And moreover they placed strong Guards at all the Fords of the River At last towards Day Two Scots Trumpeters were brought to the King who told him That the Scots were Commanded to returned home and if the English had a mind to revenge the Loss they had sustained they must Follow them Hereupon the English called a Council of War where it was resolved That it was better to march back with the Army at present than to follow such flying Stragglers to the great vexation both of Horse and Man considering they had lost more Men in this Expedition by Famine and Sickness than might have fallen in a Set-Battel When their Retreat was resolved upon many of the English either in hopes of Prey which might be left behind in their hasty Retreat or else desirous to understand something of their Enemies Affairs went into their Camp where they found about Five Hundred Deer and especially Stags already killed of which sort the English keep many not only their Kings but even many private Persons also and also great Budgets made of raw Skins in which they boiled their Meat and about Ten Thousand Snapsacks Moreover there were Two English Men whose Legs were broken but they were yet alive All these things being Evidences of great Hardiness and Poverty did confirm the goodness of their Advice who were for marching the Army back This Year Walter Stuart and Queen Elizabeth died one the Son in Law the other Wife to the King Besides the Castles of Alnewick and Norham were besieged by the Scots but without Success Preys were also driven out of Northumberland In March Ambassadors came from England to treat of a perpetual Peace and a Truce was made for Three Years The next Year which was 1328. the English held a Parliament at Northampton the Eighth of the Calends of Iuly wherein all the Orders of Estates agreed to a Peace with the Scots upon these Terms That the English should renounce all Right which they or their Ancestors pretended to have to the Crown of Scotland and That they should leave That Kingdom as Free as it was at the Death of Alexander the Third and That they should be Subject to no External Yoke of Servitude and on the other side the Scots were to surrender up all the Lands they sometimes held in England as Feudataries That Cumberland and Northumberland as far as Stanmore should be Boundaries to the Scots That David the Son of Robert should take to Wife Ioan the Sister of Henry That the English should faithfully return all Pacts Bonds and Writings or any other Monuments of Subjection into the Hands of the Scots and should disanul them for the future That the Scots for the Damage which they had lately done the English King and for the Lands which his Father and Grandfather had given to his Favourites in Scotland should pay him Thirty thousand Marks of Silver Both Kings had their proper Reasons why they consented so easily to these Conditions The English King having wasted his Treasure and having been put to an Ignominious Flight and thereby lessened in the Eyes of his own Subjects as well as of his Enemies thereupon was afraid That some Domestick Sedition would arise and then a Warlike Enemy pufft up with his late Success should come on his Flank and thereby mightily endamage his Kingdom And Robert being broken with Old Age Toil and Diseases for a little before his death he fell into a Leprosy having also been long exercised with the events of both Fortunes good and bad resolved if he could to give up himself to his Ease and not only so but to provide for the Tranquillity of his Heirs in regard of their infirm and tender Age. And therefore having settled Peace abroad he turned himself wholly
made to him he now thought it seasonable to Declare Himself King That Advice was safer to him because the greatest part of the Slaughter had fallen upon the Families adjoyning to Perth For there were slain in the Battel besides the Regent Robert Keith with a great number of his Kindred and Tenants There fell Eighty of the Family of the Lindseys and amongst them Alexander the chief of the Sept. The Name of the Hays would have been quite extinguished in this Fight if William the Chief of the Family had not left his Wife big with Child behind him Moreover Thomas Randolfe Robert Bruce Murdo Earl of Monteath William Sinclare Bishop of the Caledonians and Duncan Macduff Earl of Fife made Prisoners by him and being thus in such a desperate Posture were enforced to take an Oath of Obedience to him Baliol The Eighty Ninth King HEreupon Baliol trusting to his present Fortune went to the Neighbouring Abby of Scone and there entred upon the Kingdom in the Year of our Lord 1332. the Eighth of the Calends of September By this Wound and Loss the Power of David Bruce was much weakened in Scotland yet his Friends not broken in their Spirits by this Calamity took care to secure him from the danger of War he not being yet fit to manage the Government and therefore they sent him and his Wife to his Fathers Friend Philip King of France to be there out of Harms way In the mean time they prepare themselves for all hazards being resolved to Dye Honourably or else to restore their Country to its former State And First of all they set up Andrew Murray an Eminent Person Son of the Sister of Robert Bruce as Regent in the place of Duncan then they sent Messengers into all parts of the Kingdom partly to confirm and fix their old Friends and partly to spur up the more Remiss to Thoughts of Revenging their wrongs The â—irst who took Arms as being excited by their Grief for the loss of their Parents and Kindred at Duplin were Robert Keith Iames and Simon Frazer who about the Autumnal Aequinox besieged Perth the Siege lasted longer than they expected yet in Three Months they took it Macduff Earl of Fife who held the Town for Baliol was sent Prisoner with his Wife and Children to Kildrum a Castle in Marr Andrew Murray of Tullibardin who discovered the Ford over the River Earn to the English was put to death The Black Bock of Pasley says That the Walls of the Town were demolished which seems more probable to me than that it should be made a Garison as others write especially in so great a want of Faithful Friends and Soldiers At the same time Baliol was at Annandale very busie in receiving the Homage of the Nobles who were so much surprized and astonished at the suddain Mutation of Things That even Alexander Bruce Lord of Carrick and Galway despairing of the Retrieve of his Kinsman David's Affairs came in to him After this prosperous Success he despised his Enemy and grew more negligent and regardless of him When the Regent heard thereof by his Spyes he sent Archibald Douglas Brother to Iames who was lost in Spain That if there were any Opportunity for Action he should lay hold upon it He took with him William Douglas Earl of Liddisdale Iohn Randolfe the Son of Thomas and Simon Frazer with a Thousand Horse and so came to Maufet where having sent out Scouts to see that the Coast was clear he marched in the Night and set upon Baliol as he was asleep and put his Army into so great a Fright and Consternation that Baliol himself half Naked was fain to get upon an Horse neither Bridled nor Sadled and so fled away many of his Intimate Friends were slain Alexander Bruce was taken Prisoner and obtained his Pardon by the means of his Kinsman Iohn Randolfe Henry Baliol got great Credit that day by his Valour amongst both Parties who in so confused a Flight defended some of his Men whom their persuers pressed upon he wounded many and killed some of his Enemies and at last was slain Fighting valiantly There fell also the Chief of the English Faction Iohn Mowbray Walter Cumins and Richard Kirke These Things were acted the Eighth of the Calends of Ianuary in the Year 1332. The Brucian Party were somewhat relieved by these Successes so that they came in great Numbers to Andrew Murray the Regent to consult about the main Chance They made no doubt but that Baliol fought the Kingdom not for himself but for the English by whom he was guided and influenced in every thing Wherefore they resolved to Declare the King of England their Enemy and accordingly they prepared all things necessary for the War with great Diligence as against a very powerful Enemy They made the Garison of Berwick very strong for they thought the English would Assault That first They made Alexander Seton a worthy Knight Governour of the Town and Patrick Dunbar of the Castle and the adjoyning Precincts William Douglas Earl of Liddisdale whose Valour and Prudence was highly commended in those Times was sent into Annandale to defend the Western Coasts Andrew Murray went to Roxburgh where Baliol kept himself Thus their several Governments being distributed at home Iohn Randolfe was sent into France to visit David and to make an Address to Philip of France informing him of the State of Scotland and desiring some Aid from him against the Common Enemy Murray at his coming to Roxburgh had a sharp encounter with Baliol at a Bridge without the City and whilst he pressed too eagerly after the English who were retreating over the Bridge into the Town he was intercepted from his Men and taken Prisoner whereby a Victory almost quite obtained slipt out of his hands At the same time in a contrary Province William Douglas of Liddisdale in a Fight with the English was wounded and made Prisoner whose Disaster so troubled his Men that they also were put to flight This Inconstancy and Variableness of Fortune divided Scotland again into Two Factions even as Love Hatred Hope Fear or each Man 's private Concern inclined him The King of England presuming That by reason of these Dissensions he had a fit opportunity to seize upon Scotland received Baliol into his Protection for he was too weak to support himself by his own Strength and took an Oath of Obedience from him yea nothing regarding his Right of Affinity with Bruce nor reverencing the Sanctity of Leagues nor the Religion of an Oath so that he might satisfie his immoderate Ambition he at once denounced and also made War on the Scots at that time destitute of a King and also at variance amongst themselves And to give a colourable Pretence of Justice to his War he sent Embassadors to demand Berwick which Town his Father and Grandfather had held many Years and he presently followed with an Army
Merchandizing some for Religion leaving his Camp and the Wall but slenderly Guarded for they thought themselves secure from the Enemy in regard they knew that none of the opposite Faction were in all the Neighbouring parts except those few which were shut up in the Castle but the Besieged being made acquainted with the absence of Sterlin and the weakness of his Camp assoon as the Evening came shipt that Furniture which they had before prepared to peirce through the Wall and whilst the Watch was a Sleep made many Holes in it in several Places The Water having gotten some small Passages widened the Orifices of them by degrees and at last brake forth with such a Violence that it tumbled down All that was before it it overflow'd all the Plains and carried away with it Tents Huts Men half a Sleep and Horses with a mighty rushing Noise into the Sea And they which were in the Ships running in with a great shout upon the affrightned Soldiers added a second terrour to the first so that upon such a double surprize every Man minded nothing but how to save himself Thus shifting away they fled as every Man could and left the Prey to their Enemy Alan at his leasure carried into the Castle not only the spoils of their Camp but Provisions also prepared for a long Siege Moreover in another Sally made against the Guards which were at Kinross there was as happy Success the Guards were routed and taken and the Siege raised About the same time that these things were acting in Fife the English entred Scotland with great Forces both by Sea and Land When the Ships came into the Forth their Admiral struck upon the Rocks and the rest were grievously turmoiled so that they returned home with greater Loss than Booty But the Land-Forces pierced as far as Glasgoe where Edward called a Council of his own Faction and finding That there was neither General nor Army on foot of the contrary Party he thought his presence was no longer necessary so that he returned into England taking Baliol with him whom he somewhat distrusted and leaving David Cumins Earl of Athole to Command in Scotland He first of all seizes upon the large Estates of all the Stuarts which contained Bote Arran the Lands of Renfrow and a great part of Kyle and Cuningham He confirms Alan Lisle Chief Justice of Bote which some call Sheriff others Seneschal and also commanded the Neighbouring Countreys to obey him Then he himself marched into another part of the Country where he reduced the Provinces of Buchan and Murray and though he were now grown almost beyond the rate of a Private Man yet he sent forth all his Proclamations and publick Edicts in the Name of both Kings Edward and Baliol. At that time there was not a Man in Scotland that durst profess That Bruce was King only waggish Boys would sometimes do it as it were in sport and pastime yet Robert Stuart who then lay hid in Dunbarton judging that something might be attempted in the absence of Cumins made the Cambels a Powerful Family in Argyle acquainted with his Proposal Calen the Chief of them met him at Dunnoon a Castle in Coval with about 400 Men and presently surprizes it At the Noise whereof the Islanders of Bote who were divided but by a narrow Sea generally rise and hasten to their old Masters Alan gathered what united Force he could to stop their march whereupon the poor People being for the most part unarmed and who had assembled rather in a fit of Passion than by any solid Advice being struck with a Panick Fear ran to the next Hill where they found a great Company of Stones which they threw down like Showres of Hail-stones upon their Enemies who in contempt of their paucity rashly adventured to assault them the greatest Part of them were thus rudely treated before they came to Blows but as they retreated they so pressed upon them that the Valiantest of their Enemies with Alan Lislâ— himself were slain and Iohn Gilbert Governor of the Castle of Bote taken Prisoner so that they armed many of their own Men with the Spoils of the slain This not unbloody Victory was followed with the Surrender of the Castle of Bote. When the Rumour of these Things was spread abroad Thomas Bruce Earl of Carrick with his Neighbours and Allies out of Kyle and Cuningham as also William Carruder of Annandale who always had withstood the Government of the English with his Friends and Kinsmen crept out of his Hole and came in to Stuart And besides Iohn Randal Earl of Murray being returned out of France gave some hopes of Foreign Assistance whereupon being encouraged in their Minds to higher Attempts they made up an Army by the Assistance of Godfrey Ross Sheriff of Air and in a short time drew all Carick Kyle and Cuningham to their Party Also the Renfroans came to their old Masters the Stuarts uninvited The Vassals of Andrew Murray following their Example drew in the rest of Clydsdale part willingly and part against their Wills into their Cause Their Confidence being increased by these happy Beginnings that there might be some Representation of a Publick State among them they called together the Chief of their Party and made Two Regents viz. Robert Stuart though a Young Man yet One who in these lesser Expeditions had given a great Pledge of his Good-will towards his Country and Iohn Randolfe a Person worthy of his Father and Brother Both Eminent Patriots Randolfe being sent with a strong Party into the Northern Countrys there flocked in to him all those who were weary of the Heavy Yoke of the English So that David Cumins being amazed at this Inclination and Change of Mens Minds fled into Loch Abyr whither he followed him and driving up into a Nook and being also in great want of Provisions he forced him to yield but upon his Swearing Fealty to Bruce he dismissed him and withal gave so much Credit to his Promises that at his Departure he made him his Deputy and indeed afterwards he was not backward in Bruce his Cause In the mean time Randolfe returning into Lothian joined his old Friend William Douglas who being released and newly come out of England did revenge the Noisomness of his long Imprisonment with a great slaughter of his Enemies Andrew Murray returned also who was taken Prisoner at Roxburgh so that there being Commanders enough the Regent Indicted an Assembly at Perth to be held in the Calends of April where when Abundance of the Nobility met together they were not able to effect any thing by reason of the Great Feud betwixt William Douglas and David Cumins The Cause whereof was pretended to be That Cumins was the Occasion why Douglas was not sooner released by the English Stuart favoured Cumins but almost all the rest Douglas Moreover Cumins alleged That he came with a more than ordinary Train unto the Assembly by reason of
a Friendly Patriot for he not only forgave the Earl the many grievous Injuries he had done him but further commended his Suit and spake in his Favour to the King for he foresaw as it after hapned That by this Accession the Kings Party would be strengthen'd and his Enemies weaken'd daily for the future in regard many were likely to follow the Example of this Great Man And besides the King thinking that his former Fierceness was tam'd and that he was really penitent for what he had done was not hard to be intreated but gave him his Pardon restor'd him to his former Estate and Honour only advis'd him for the future to keep within the Bounds of his Duty And indeed Craford being thus ingag'd by the Lenity and Facileness of the King did afterwards endeavour to perform him all the Service he possibly could he followed him with his Forces in his March to the furthest Parts of the Kingdom and having setled Things there for the present he entertained him nobly at his House in his return and when he march'd to make a full end of the Civil War he promis'd him all the Force he could make and indeed the whole course of his Life was so chang'd that laying down his former Savageness he liv'd courteously and in Complaisance with the Neighbouring Nobility so that his Death which followed soon after brought the greater Grief to the King and to all the People The King thus weakning Douglas's Party by degrees his remaining Hopes were from England if possibly he might obtain Aid from thence Hereupon he sent Hamilton to London who brought him back Word that the King of England would undertake a War against Scotland on no other Terms but that Douglas must submit himself and all his Concerns to that King and acknowledge himself a Subject of England So that his Hopes thence were cut off and on the Other side the King of Scotland prest hard upon him by his Edicts Proscriptions and Arms yea by all the Miseries which accompany Rebellious Insurrections So that Hamilton advis'd the Earl not to suffer the King to nim away his Forces by piece-meal and by catching a Part to weaken and in time overthrow the Whole he should rather march out with his Army trust Fortune put it to a Battel there to dye Valiantly or conquer Honourably This Resolution said he is worthy of the name of the Douglassâ—s and the only Way to end the present Miseries Being alarum'd with this Speech he gather'd as great an Army as he could of his Friends and Dependants and marched out to raise the Siege of the Castle of Abercorn for the King after he had demolish'd many Castles of the Douglasses had at last besieged That It was a very strong Hold seâ—tuate almost in the Mid-way between Sterlin and Edinburgh When Douglas came so near that he saw and was seen by the Enemy his Friends advis'd him to push at all and either to make himself renown'd by some Eminent Victory or by a Noble Death to free himself from Reproach and Misery but when all his Party were ready for the Onset he daunted all their Spirits by his own Delay for he retreated with his Army again into his Camp and determin'd to draw and eke out the War at length His Commanders dislik'd his Design and Hamilton not enduring his Cowardize and despairing of the Success of his Arms that very Night revolted to the Kings Party Upon this his Defection the King gave him his Pardon but not putting any great Confidence in him because of his Subtilty he sent him Prisoner to Rosseline a Castle belonging to the Earl of the Orcades but afterwards by the Mediation of his Friends he was releas'd and receiv'd into Favour and that unbloody Victory ascribed to him as the main Occasion thereof The rest of the Douglassians follow'd Hamilton's Example and slipt away from him every one whither he thought most convenient for himself so that at length the Castle after much Loss on both sides was taken the Garison put to the Sword and after 't was half demolished it was left as a Monument of the Victory Douglas being thus deserted by almost all his Friends with a few of his Familiars fled into England from thence not long after he made an Inrode with a smal Party into Annandale which was then possest by the Kings Garisons but being worsted in a Skirmish He and his Brother Iohn escap'd Archibald Earl of Murray was slain George was much wounded and taken Prisoner and after his Wounds were cur'd was brought to the King and put to Death In an Assembly of the Estates held at Edinburgh in the Nones of Iune in the Year 1455. Iames Iohn and Beatrix all Douglasses were again proscrib'd The Publick Acts do make Beatrix their Mother which seems not very probable to me unless perhaps they might be called her Sons by Adoption Earl Iames having thus lost his Brothers being deserted by his Friends and distrusting the English that he might leave no Stone unturn'd apply'd himself to Donald King of the Aebudae a man bad enough in his own Nature They met at Dunstafnage where he easily persuaded him to joyn with him in the War whereupon they committed great Outrages on the Kings Provinces near adjoyning without distinction either of Age or Sex there was nothing spar'd which could be violated by Fire or Sword the like Cruelty was us'd in Argyle and Arran and then being laden with Booty he return'd home and afterward having wasted Loch-Abyr and Murray he turn'd to Innerness he took the Castle pillag'd and burnt the Town Neither were the English quiet all this while but watching their Opportunity they made Incursions into Merch where they slew some men of Note who endeavoured to oppose their furious Ravaging and so returned home without Loss but full of Plunder from that opulent Country The next Year after Beatrix Wife to the former Earl of Douglas and also living for some years with Iames his Brother as his Wife came in to the King She laid all the Fault of her former Miscarriages upon Iames that she being a Woman and helpless was inforc'd to that Wicked Marriage but at the first Opportunity as soon as Iames was absent she was fled from that Servitude that now she laid her self and all her Concerns at the Kings Feet and whatever Order he should please to make concerning her or her Estate she would willingly obey it The King receiv'd her into his Protection gave her an Estate in Balvany and Married her to his Brother the Earl of Athole by the same Mother The Wife of Donald the Islander followed her Example she was the Daughter of Iames Levingston and was Married to Donald by her Grandfather the Regent by the persuasion also of the King that so He might a little soften the rugged disposition of the man and keep him firm to the Kings Party But then her Kinsman being restor'd to
Difficulty first of all the new King endeavoured to reconcile the Naval Forces to himself lest when he was absent in the further parts of the Kingdom to settle Matters there they should make some stir or at least should make an entrance for the English to penetrate far into the Land and so spoil the Mid-land Countries Whereupon when the old King's Death was now publickly divulged abroad the new One thought that Andrew Wood would now be more flexible and therefore he sent for him giving him the publick Faith for his Security When he was ashoar he told him what a great Dishonour Loss and publick Shame it was to the whole Nation that a few English Ships should in despite of them ride under their very Noses and thereupon he drew over Andrew to his Party and set him forth in good Equipage against the English Many did advise him that he would sail an equal number of Ships at least against the Enemy whose Vessels were more and bigger than his No says he I 'le have only my own Two And as soon as the Wind served he made directly toward the English who rode before Dunbar He fought them bravely took and brought them all into Leith and presented their Commanders to the King Andrew was liberally rewarded by the King and his skill in Sea-fight with the singular Valour of his Souldiers and Seamen was highly magnified And yet there were not wanting some of those sort of Creatures who do always admire the Atchievments of Kings whatsoever they be and if they be Great yet they view them in a multiplying Glass who foretold that this Victory did but presage a greater Mean while the adverse part of the Nobility sent Messages into all parts of the Kingdom to persuade the Countrey to rise and not to endure the present state of Things nor to suffer so many valiant Men to be illuded by such publick Parricides who had murdered one King and held Another in Bondage yea who accused the Defenders of the King's Life as Traitors whereas they who were indeed violaters of all divine and human Laws gave out themselves to be the only Assertors of the Rights of their Country and Maintainers of its Liberty Amongst whom the King himself was not a Freeman in regard he was enforced by them to take Arms against his Father and his King too and after he was impiously slain then to prosecute by a nefarious War those who were his Father's Friends and Defenders of his Life Many such Discourses they spread abroad amongst the Vulgar and to excite a greater Flame of Indignation and Hate Alexander Forbes Chief of a Noble Family carried the King's Shirt upon a Spear all over bloody and torn with the Marks of the Wounds he received through Aberdeen and all the chief Towns of the adjacent Country and as if it had been by a publick Proclamation he excited all Men by the Voice of an Herauld to rise in Arms to revenge so nefarious a Fact And Matthew Stewart Earl of Lennox a Man of great Wealth and Power and who by an honest kind of popularity was equally dear to high and low was as active in the Countries on this side the Forth for he raised up the Earls that were his Neighbours and with a good Force endeavoured to pass over the Bridge at Sterlin to join his Associates but that Bridg being possessed by the King's Forces he sought to pass over at a Ford not far from the Rise of the River at the Foot of Mount Grampias His Design was discovered to Iohn Drummond by Alexander Mac-alpin his Vassal who had joined himself to the Enemy by whom also Information was given that all things were secure and ill-guarded in the Enemies Camp that every one stragled up and down as they pleased that they had no Watch set in convenient places nor used any Military Discipline at all Hereupon Drummond with some Courtiers and a few Volunteers who purposely came in to assist him set upon them as they were asleep many were killed in their sleep the rest run headlong away without their Arms and so returned from whence they came many were taken Prisoners but by their Friends that knew them a great part of them were dismissed they only were severely dealt with who had either written or spoke more contumeliously than others The Joy for this Victory was encreased by the News of another at the same time wherein Andrew Wood had prevailed in a Sea-fight against Stephen Bull. For Edward King of England hearing that five of his Ships were taken by two of the Scots and those much lesser also than his was willing to blot out the Infamy of the Thing and yet could find out no just pretence for a War yet he called his ablest Sea-Commanders together he offered them what Ships and Warlike Furniture they pleased and so he persuaded them to revenge the Ignominy cast on the English Name promising them great Rewards if they could bring Wood to him alive or dead But when those that knew the Valour of the Man and his prosperous Successes made some delay in the Case Stephen Bull a Knight of known Courage undertook the Expedition and Opportunity seemed to favour his Design because he knew that Wood was shortly to return out of Flanders and he thought it would be a matter of no great difficulty to attaque him unawares in his Passage thereupon he chose out three Ships of the Royal Navy and equipped them well in all points and so stood for the Isle of May an Island uninhabited in the Bay of Forth choosing that place for the conveniency of it because in every side of the Island there is safe riding and Harbour for Ships and there the Sea also grows so narrow that no little Vessel could pass by without being discovered Whilst he rode there he continually kept some of his skilfullest Mariners abroad in Fisher-boats to watch and to discover to him his Enemies Ships he had not rode at Anchor there many days when lo Wood's Ships appeared with full Sail making towards him Bull knew them and presently weighed Anchor and as Victor already in his Mind he prepared himself for the Fight Wood staid no longer but till his Men had armed themselves and so made up to him Thus did these two valiant Commanders engage as if they had had the Courage of mighty Armies and they fought so obstinately till the Night parted the Fray the Victory inclining to neither side The next Morning each of them incouraged their Party and with renewed Strength went to it again they cast Iron Hooks called Grapling Irons into one anothers Ships and so fought hand to hand as if they had been at a Land Fight and that with so great eagerness that neither of them took notice of the falling back of the Tide till they came to the heaps of Sand at the mouth of the River Tay there the Water being shallower the great Ships of the English
to march forward against the Enemy and so to slight the common Danger as well as to overlook their own Concerns at Home yet they were afraid the Scots would not be obedient to Command in an Enemies Country great heed therefore was to be taken lest by Emulation Envy or late Disgusts some notable Affront or shameful Loss might be received The Regent perceiving it in vain to oppose was fain to yield yet that he might not seem to have acted a Pageantry only with such vast Preparations in marching his Army as far as the Solway he suborned a fit Person who used to traffick into England to acquaint Dacres then Lord Warden of the English Marches that some good might be done if he did treat with Iohn the Regent He willingly hearkned to the Proposal because he was unprovided for Defence never imagining that the Scots would have made an Irruption into England on that side nor indeed scarce believing that they would have made any such Attempt at all Whereupon he sent an Herauld of Arms and had a Passport to come and go with safety into the Camp The next Day Thomas Dacres and Thomas Musgrave with about twenty more brave Cavaliers came to the Regent's Tent where they had private Discourse together all alone each having their Interpreters Dacres being taken unprovided was not averse from a Peace and the Regent not being able to effect any thing without the Consent of his Army clapt up a Truce and thus an hopeful Introduction to a Peace was made and so they parted Those of the Scots who were the greatest Hinderances of the Action to avert the blame from themselves spread abroad Reports that Dacres had bought a Peace from the Regent for a Sum of Money of which Part was in Hand paid the rest promised but never paid Thus they endeavoured to disparage the Conference amongst the Vulgar The Regent went again on the 25 th of October into France but promised to return before August the First next ensuing yet he kept not his Day because he was informed that the English had a Fleet to intercept his Passage however he sent 500 Foot in the Month of Iune both to incourage the Scots and also as an Earnest of his speedy return they never saw the Face of an Enemy in all their Voyage till they came near the Isle of May which is scituate in the Firth of Forth there they fell among the English Ships who lay in wait in those Straits to stop their Passage There they had a sharp Fight and the French boarded their Enemies Ships but with the loss of their Admiral When he was slain the Sea-men would not obey the Captains of the Foot and the Land-Souldiers being ignorant of Sea-Affairs could not command the Mariners so that after a great slaughter of the English they could scarce be forced back into their own Ships In the absence of the Regent Thomas Howard Earl of Surry was sent with ten thousand Men and a great many Voluntiers into Scotland His Advantage was that the Scots were at Discord amongst themselves their chief Magistrates were absent and they were under no certain Command so that he march'd over Merch and Teviotdale and took the Castles of both Shires to the great loss of the Nobles yea and of the Commons too who used upon sudden Invasions to secure themselves and their Goods in those Forts But Scotland did then labour with such intestine Discords that no Man thought his Neighbours Calamity did at all belong to him the English march'd up and down for several Months where they listed without any Opposition and when at length they retreated the adjacent Scots endeavoured in some sort to revenge themselves for their Losses received and thereupon daily Incursions were made by them into Northumberland and great Booties gained from thence so that Howard was sent against them a second time who took Iedburgh a Town unfortified as the Scots Custom is but it cost him some toil and loss of Men. Whilst these Things were acting in Teviotdale the Horses of the English Army were so terrified in the Night 't is not known upon what occasion that about 500 of them broke their Bridles running up and down the Camp and overturning all that were in the way some of the Soldiers they trampled down and trod upon and then ran out into the open Field as if they had been mad and so became a Prey to such of the Country Scots as could take them up Hereupon there was a great Consternation in the whole Camp all crying out Arm Arm neither could the Tumult be appeased till the next Morning Three days after the English without making any further Attempt disbanded their Army and returned Home The Duke of Albany knowing that all the Ports on the French Shore were way-laid by the English to intercept him in his Return being inferior in Strength resolv'd to piece it out by Stratagem whereupon he kept not his Navy together in any one Port but so dispersed them into several Harbours here one Ship there another that there was no appearance at all of any Warlike Preparation And besides he quartered his Soldiers in the Inland-Country that no Body could imagin he designed to ship them so that the Admiral of the English Fleet who waited to disturb his Passage till the 13 th of August was weary to rove up and down in the Sea any longer to no purpose and understanding by his Spies that there was neither Fleet nor Army on all the French Coasts he withdrew his Fleet as supposing Iohn would not wag till the next Spring The Duke of Albany being informed of the Departure of the English presently drew together his Navy of 50 Ships aboard of which were 3000 Foot and an 100 Curiasiers and so after the Autumnal Aequinox he set sail from France and by the 24 th of September made the Isle of Arran in Scotland which hapned to be the same day wherein the English burnt Iedburgh I shew'd before how miserable the State of Affairs in Scotland was the last Summer The Nobles were at variance one with another the English wasted all the Countries near them they were Masters of the Sea and thereby all hopes of Foreign Aid were cut off The Design of the Enemy herein was to take down the Pride of the Scot and by Sufferings to incline him to a Pacification neither were those Scots that were adverse to the French Faction less addicted thereto for they earnestly desired a perpetual Peace with England of which Faction the Queen was the Chief For when Hume was taken off Douglas pack'd away and the other Nobles were judg'd rather fit to follow than to lead in the Management of Matters all those that were not Favourers of the French Interest applyed themselves to the Queen She on the other side to gratify her Brother and also to draw the Power into her own Hands dissembled her private Ambition and exhorted
this Action there fell so great and sudden a Terror upon the Cause of the Reformed which did mightily disturb them for the present and also cut off all hopes of Success for the future For the Regent partly by Threats and partly by Promises had wrought off many who had given in their Names to the Reformers from the Faction of the Nobles and besides their Camp was full of Spies who discovered both their Words and Actions yea those which they thought were concern'd to be kept most secret to the Regent and when Balfure's Servant was taken carrying Letters to Leith the Suspicion lighted on a great many and the Fear diffus'd it self over the whole Body And moreover the Mercenary Souldiers mutinied because they had not their Pay down upon the Nail and if any one indeavoured to appease them he was grievously threatned by them But Men did less admire the Sedition of such Men who had neither Religion nor Honesty than they did the Imbecillity and Faintheartedness of the Duke of Castle-herault who was so amazed at the Fear of his Neighbours that his Terror discouraged the Minds of many Those who were most couragious endeavoured to apply Remedies to these Miseries and their first Consultation was to appease the Mercenaries And seeing the Nobles which remained could not make up a Sum sufficient to quiet and pay them some declining through Covetousness others pleading Inability at last they agreed to melt down all their Silver-Plate and when the Say-masters were ready to assist therein the Mints or Stamps I know not by whose Fraud were taken away The only ground of Hope was from England which was adjudg'd too slow At last they resolved to try the Fidelity of their private Friends and thereupon they sent Iohn Cockburn of Ormiston to Sir Ralph Sadler and Sir Iames Croft two Knights of known Valour who at that time were Officers at Berwick to obtain of them a small Sum of Mony to serve their present Occasion This their Design though they kept it as private as they could was yet discovered to the Regent who commanded the Earl of Bothwel to waylay him in his Return He though in a few days before he had taken a solemn Oath that he would not prejudice the Cause of the Nobles in the least yea though he had given them hopes that he would join himself to their Party yet nevertheless lay in Ambush for Ormiston assaulted him unawares wounded and took him Prisoner and so became Master of all the Mony that he brought When the noise of this Exploit was brought to Edinburgh it alarm'd the Earl of Arran and Iames Stuart and almost all the Horse to draw out not so much for desire of Revenge as to free Ormiston if he were alive or at least to put a stop to their March that he might not be convey'd to the Regent But Bothwel having notice thereof by a Spy prevented their coming by his Flight The same Day the Governour of Dundee with the Towns-men thereof and a few Volunteers marched towards Leith and placed their Ordnance on an adjoining Hill The French who were informed by their Scouts that almost all the Enemies Horse were absent drew forth some Troops to cut off those few Foot whose Paucity they saw The Dundeans stood a while in hope of Relief but in regard those few Mercenaries which followed them turned their backs almost at the first Charge they also retired leaving their Guns behind them until at length a Noise was raised in the Rear that the French were gone another way towards the Gates of the City to seize them and so to keep them out upon this bruit there was such an universal Perturbation that every one shifted for himself the best he could and whilst each Man endeavour'd to save one the Weak were trodden under foot by the Strong so every body look'd to his own Particular and there was no Provision made in common for them all The Papists on this Emergency crept out of their lurking Holes and did openly reproach them Insomuch that they who ever pretended great Zeal for the Reformatition began partly to withdraw themselves secretly and partly they consulted how to desert the whole business On the 5 th Day of November when News were brought that the French were march'd out to intercept some Provisions coming towards Edinburgh besides the Disagreement of the Reformed amongst themselves the Mercenaries could scarce be got out of the Town to oppose them The Earl of Arran and Iames Stuart and their Friends went out first against them with whom there joined many worthy and valiant Persons They charged the French more fiercely than prudently so that they were near upon the point to have been shut out from Edinburgh and so to have paid for their Rashness For the Marishes on the one side and the adjacent Wall of an Orchard left them but a narrow space for their March and That also open to the French Musketeers so that they were trodden under foot partly by their own Men and partly by the Enemies Horse In this Trepidation they had been all certainly cut off unless the Commanders leaping from their Horses had put themselves into equal Danger with the rest some of the common Souldiers seeing this stopp'd for Shame amongst whom was Alexander Haliburton a Captain a stout young Man and very forward in the Cause of Religion he was grievously wounded taken Prisoner and soon after died of his Wounds After this Conflict in which there fell about twenty five many withdrew themselves and others were upon the point of Desperation but the Earl of Arran and Iames Stuart promised to continue their Endeavours if but a small Company of them would keep together when all in a manner refused so to do the next Consultation was to leave the City and as the Nobles had decreed in the second Watch they began their March and the Day after came to Sterlin There Iohn Knox made an excellent Sermon to them wherein he erected the Minds of many into an assur'd hope of a speedy Deliverance out of these Distresses Here it was agreed upon in a Convention that because the French were continualally strengthen'd and increas'd with new Supplies they also would strengthen their Party by foreign Aid and in order thereunto William Maitland was sent into England a young Man of great Prudence and Learning he was to inform the Queen what eminent Danger would accrue to England if the French were suffer'd to fortify Places and plant Garisons in Scotland in regard they sought the Destruction not of Religion only but of Laws and Liberties too and if the Scots were overcome by Force or Fraud yea if they were reduced to Servitude by unjust Conditions they would have an easier step to infringe the Power of the English The English after a long Debate of the Matter at length gave some hopes of Assistance Whereupon the Noblemen who were the Assertors of Liberty divided themselves into two
and seeing God the Framer of the Universe had indulged Them with a Kingly Government it was just for them to honour and obey their Kings and to yield all Observance and Obedience to them That Peace Concord and Friendship with all Men as much as possible are most acceptable to God and quench or at least lessen the Thirst of shedding human Blood which Wickedness God especially detests That they increase the Riches of All in general and render a People more formidable to their Enemies That Justice is the Preserver of the Publick Safety of which the chief Part now to be made use of is The Punishment of Offenders Seeing that Treason is most hateful to every lawful Government its Abettors to what part of the Earth soever they retreated should have neither Mercy Favour nor Indulgence shewed them Thus far Randolph whose Advice seemed both pious wholsom and reasonable But because none was yet chosen Regent he could not have any certain Answer and therefore was put off till the first of May. Last of all William and Robert Douglas Brothers by the Mother's Side to the late murdered Regent petition'd That the villanous Death of their Brother suffer'd upon no Private but the Common-wealth's Account should be revenged Herein the Opinions were various although all agreed That the Murderers were to be punished Some thought fit That a Day should be set for those suspected of the Murder to appear and many of their Names were given in Others were of Opinion That Court-Days were not to be waited for against those who were now in Arms to maintain by Force that Fact which they had wickedly committed And that it was fit not only to take up Arms forthwith against them but likewise against all those who were sentenced by the last Parliament To this Opinion the Knights of Shires were most inclined yet they could not obtain their Purpose by the dissuasion chiefly of Athol who said They ought to expect a more numerous Assembly of Nobles and of Morton who thought That should they join more Crimes together the Revenge of the Regent's Death would miscarry and a Civil War break out because all those who dreaded the Peace would join with the Murderers Therefore that their Crimes should be separated and Affairs if possible acted by Law and nothing innovated before the first of May which was the Day appointed for their Meeting And so that Session was dissolved most part of the People condemning this Delay of the Nobility because said they all things are acted as the King's Enemies please who had occasion'd these Delays purposely that in length of Time the Odium of the Murder might diminish and the opposite Faction that while gain Strength This Opinion of the Peoples was confirmed not only by some preceding Accidents but also by very many which followed For presently when the Regent's Murder was yet hardly divulged Iames Hamilton upon a Mortgage of his Lands procures Mony of Iohn Somerval of Camnethen which together with another Sum borrowed of his Friends he sent to his Complices to hire Souldiers with having warned them before to be ready for all Essays because of the sudden Alteration which had happen'd upon their having rid themselves of their capital Enemy And after that the Queen's Party ceased not to have Meetings in many and distant Places About the 15 th of February almost all the Chiefs of the Rebellious Faction met together at Glasgow whence Argyle and Boyd wrote to Morton That they because as yet they knew not Who were the Actors in or privy to the Regent's Murder would willingly communicate their Counsel with the rest of the Nobility as well for the Discovery as Punishment of that Murder but that they would not come to Edinburgh but if the King's Party would be persuaded to meet them at Linlithgo at Falkirk or at Sterlin they would without Delay come thither This Business being communicated to Maitland by Morton for so the Letter requested came to nothing About the same time Thomas Car wrote to his Father-in-Law the Governour of the Castle from Linlithgo That if the Queen of England would be prevailed withal to lay by her Resentment of the late Incursions he would endeavour that for the future the Borders should be quieted and kept in due Order but that if she should refuse these Offers he would continue in the Design he had begun not doubting but that his honest Country-men who yet retained their Fealty to their Queen would join with him and that the French Auxiliaries would speedily come also About the third of March the Hamiltons with Argyle and Boyd met at Linlithgo but the killing of one common Souldier begetting a Tumult disturbed all their Counsels which made the Archbishop of St. Andrews carry home the Hamiltons with him The rest of the Rebels chiefly Huntly Athol Crawford Ogilby also of those on this side Forth Hume Seton and Maitland met at Edinburgh in which City Morton was accompanied but with few till the Earls of Glencarn and Marr with their Followers came to him About the fourth of March the Heads of the Factions met to consult about the Main but this Consultation went but slowly on by reason of Argyle's Absâ—nce whose Power and Authority was then very great Huntly goes to him undertaking to persuade him to join with the rest of the Faction but returns without Success by the Treachery of Maitland as most Men thought who desired to drill on Affairs that amidst the Confusions of the Kingdom he might have the fitter Opportunity for Innovations Argyle also in all his Undertakings had another Impediment which hindred That his Power was not now so great as it was found to be formerly which was That though he himself was a most eager Favourer of the Queen's Cause yet his Friends and Clients no nor his very Brother could not be prevailed with to follow him against the King The Night following a sudden Terror without any apparent Cause did so seize upon all the Factious that they watch'd in their Armour till it was Day-light and in the Morning they as fearfully departed from Edinburgh All the Time of this Convention the chief Thing controverted was By what Authority the Scots might at that time choose a Regent Some according to the Queen's Letters-Patents by which she had designed Eight of the Nobility that out of them one or more as should be thought fit might be nominated as Tutors to her Son would have one of that number placed at the Helm Others were of Opinion That those Letters were now useless since that a Regent was already chosen according to their Appointment and that all Thoughts of them should be laid aside as being not made to be always in Force but for that one Juncture of Time only Some there were who would have the whole Affair deferred until the General Convention of the Nobility but These were mostly of Maitland's Faction which expected That a great Distraction in Affairs
Necessity of the time requir'd them to steer their Counsels so as they might be pleasing to the Queen of England And on the other they knew of what Concernment it was to the Publick That one chief Magistrate should be set up to whom all Complaints might be made and for want of creating One some Months already past the Enemy had improv'd the delay to gather Forces to make new Courts of Justice daily to set forth new Edicts and to usurp all the Offices of a King On the other side the Royalists were dejected and a Multitude without one certain Person whom to obey could not be long kept in Obedience After the Embassadors Return News came That there was a new Insurrection in England and that in London the Popes Bull was fastned on the Church Doors to exhort the English partly to cast off the unjust Yoke of the Queen's Government and partly to return to the Popish Religion and it was thought that the Hand of the Queen of Scots was in all This. These things tho kept private yet came to be known by Letters from the Earl of Sussex and also the same Thomas Randolph had in presence confirm'd it yet they could hardly be restrain'd from chusing a Regent But at last a middle Way prevail'd That they might have an appearance of a chief Magistrate to set up an Inferior Regent or Deputy-Governour to continue till the 12 th of Iuly in which time they might be further inform'd of the Queen of England's Mind they judg'd That she was not averse from their Undertaking especially upon This ground That she had put it into the Articles of Capitulation That the Rebels should give up all the exil'd English If that were done they might easily understand that the Spirits of all the Papists about England were alienated from the Queen of Scots If it were denied then the Conference or Treaty would break off and the Suspicions which made the Commonalty averse would daily increase For they saw that other things would not easily be agreed upon when a greater Danger was imminent over the English than the Scots upon the Deliverance of their Queen and if other things were accorded yet the Queen of England would never let her go without giving Hostages neither was she able to give any such who could make a sufficient Warranty These Considerations gave them some Encouragement so that they proceeded to create Matthew Stuart Earl of Lennox the King's Grandfather to be Vice-Gerent for the time Whilst this new Vice-Roy by the advice of his Council was busied in rectifying things which had been disorder'd in the late Tumults Letters came opportunely from the Queen of England Iuly the 10 th wherein she spake much of her Affection to the King and Kingdom of Scotland and freely offer'd them her Assistance withal she deprecated the naming of a Regent which was a Title invidious of it self and of no good Example to them only if they ask'd her Advice she thought none was to be preferr'd to that high Office before the King's Grandfather none being of greater Faithfulness to the King yet a Pupil and who now for the same Reasons was made Deputy-Governour of the Kingdom These Letters incourag'd them by the joint Suffrages of all the Estates of a Vice-Roy to make him Regent Assoon as ever he was created Regent and had taken an Oath according to Custom to observe the Laws and Customs of his Country First of all he commanded that All which were able to bear Arms should appear at Linlithgo August the 2 d to hinder the Convention which the Seditious had there Indicted in the Name of the Queen then he himself summon'd a Parliament in the Name of the King to be held the 10 th day of October he also sent to the Governour of the Castle of Edinburgh who as yet pretended great Friendship to the King's Party tho his Words and Actions did very much disagree to send him some Brass-Guns Carriages and other Apparatus for the managing of them This he did rather to try them than in hopes to obtain his desires He promis'd very fair at first but when the Day was coming on that the Parliament was to Meet when he was desir'd to perform his Promise he peremptorily refus'd alleging That his Service should be always ready to make up an Agreement between but not to shed the Blood of his Country-Men Nevertheless the Regent came at the Day appointed to Linlithgo with 5000 arm'd Men in his Company but hearing that the Enemy did not stir only that Huntly had placed 160 Souldiers at Brechin and had sent out an Order commanding the Brechinians to get in Provision for some Thousands of Men by the 2 d of August The Garison there plac'd by him did rob not only the Inhabitants but all Travellers also when they were wearied with their Journy Whereupon the Regent by the advice of his Council resolv'd to march thither and to seize on the Place which would be of great advantage to him before Huntly's coming and if occasion were offer'd there to fight him before his Partners came up with their Force and so to overthrow that Party of Musqueteers which was All he had and by that means he might catch some of the Leaders of the Faction as the Earl of Crawford Iames Ogilby and Iames Balfure who he heard were there Whereupon he commanded Patrick Lindsy and William Ruven chief Officers and Iames Haliburton Governour of Dundee to take what Souldiers they could raise at Dundee and St. Iohnstons and to make haste thither to prevent the News of their coming They made all the speed that ever they were able the next Night horsing their Foot for greater Expedition yet as they drew near the Place they march'd slowly that they might get some Refreshment before they charg'd the Enemy so that the Alarum was taken at Brechin that the Enemy was a coming whereupon Ogilby and Balfure who chanc'd to be there got the Souldiers presently together and incouraging them as well as they could for the time They told them that They and Huntly would return again in 3 Days and so they got an Horseback and made haste away over the Mountains The Souldiers that were left catch'd up what was next at hand and about 20 of them got to the Tower of a Church that was near The rest fled into the House of the Earl of Marr which was seated on a Hill near thereto it was like a Castle and commanded the Town Iames Douglas Earl of Morton with 800 Horse went a further March about and came not in till the Day after The Regent sent home the Lennoxians and the Renfroans to guard their own Country if Argyle should attempt any thing against it But he himself in 3 Days overtook those whom he had sent before to Brechin At the noise of his coming the neighbour Nobility came in so that now he muster'd 7000 Men effective Whereupon they who were in the Church Tower
plunder seeing the Town fortifi'd and the Royalists ready for the Encounter return'd the nearest Way they could to their Own-homes and the Rebels with their Vassals and a Company of Foot retreat to Hawick never thinking that the Enemy would in the least attempt any thing against them there and their Hopes were increas'd by the Winter-season which was sharper than ordinary by reason of a great Quantity of Snow lately fallen which cover'd all the Ground But Ruven intended to make use of the Opportunity and in the third Watch drew out his Party and march'd so speedily towards Hawick that he was in a Mile of it before the Enemy took the Alarum They at Hawick were so amaz'd that there was no room for Counsel left but Foot and Horse were immediately drawn out and following the Current of the next River endeavour'd to retreat to a Place of more Safety But the Swiftness of their Pursuers prevented them the Horse knew the Country and made a shift to escape but the Foot were left for a Prey they possest themselves of a small Wood on a Rock near the River there they were surrounded by the Horse and not adventuring to stay till the Foot came up they all surrendred themselves at Mercy But seeing that other Dangers were to be prevented and they could not be carried up and down in so sharp a Winter having past their Words to return at an appointed Day and leaving some Hostages to that purpose they were sent home without their Arms When they were discharged Kircade made sleeveless Pretences to elude their Promises and so hinder'd them from returning at the time appointed The rest of the Winter and the following Spring was wholly spent in light Skirmishes wherein Few fell but more of the Rebels than Royalists For the Rebels when they saw an Advantage would draw out on the Hills near the City and before they had scarce begun a skirmish would retire sometimes again in to the City In the interim frequent Embassies came from England to reconcile the Factions but without effect For the Queen of England tho she most favour'd the King's Party yet she was willing so to make Peace as to ingage both Parties to her but the French were wholly inclin'd to the Queen's Cause and therefore by large Promises hindred Peace and advis'd to continue the War Some Mony they sent at present not enough to do the Business but only to feed Hope and a great Part of what was sent was still nibbled away by those that brought it In the mean time light Skirmishes past for some Months betwixt the Parties but not at all contributing to the main Chance Neither were other Parts of the Kingdom free from Plunderings and Firings Adam Gordon gather'd a Party and entring Angus besieg'd Douglas's House of Glembervy and finding that himself was absent they miserably Burnt and Destroy'd all that he left behind which struck such a Fear into those of Dundee that they call'd in the Garisons from the adjoining Parts of Fife to their Assistance they were Enemies to the Gordonians as having been highly Faithful continually to the King's Cause About this time Blackness was betray'd by the Governor thereof to the Hamiltons 'T is a Castle that hinders commerce betwixt Leith and Sterlin The Regent broke down all the Mills about Edinburgh he also garison'd all the Noble Men's Houses about it and stopt all Passages into the City many Prisoners were taken on both sides Archibald Douglas one of Morton's familiar Friends was apprehended on Suspicion which was increas'd upon him by the Baseness of his former Life and also by some Letters found about him yea even after he was taken entercourse of Letters past betwixt him and the Enemy which evidenc'd that he had assisted the Rebels by Advice and Action too as having transmitted to them both Mony and Arms. THE END An ALPHABETICAL TABLE of the Principal Matters contained in the foregoing HISTORY NB. FOR the Reader 's Ease and Conveniency in the speedy finding out of the Quotations in the following Table as also in the Catalogue of the Scotish Kings preceding this History he is desired to take notice That whereas a new Alphabet and Folio doth begin at the later Part of this History viz. at Book 13. and so continues to the End all the Quotations marked between Parentheses's do belong to the Folio's and Pages of the said later Part only The rest do all belong to the former Part. A Page ABercorn-Castle 22 Aberdeen 19 Famous for Salmon-Fishing ibid. Aberdone ibid. Aberbrothock or Abrinca ibid. Abernethy wherein was the old Palace of the Picts Kings 16 18 Abria or Abyr a Country or Shire the Etymology thereof 19 Abridic or Erisbach-Isle 25 Abthane an old Name of Magistracy and Dignity amongst the Scots See Thane 187 206 Achaius King of Scotland 164 He makes a defensive War against the Irish ibid. The First of the Scotish Kings that ever made a League with France 165 Achnar-Isle 26 Acho King of Norwey lands in Air with a great Fleet 241 Is overthrown and dies of Grief ibid. Achmode-Isles See Aebudae Adams Isle 30 Adamannus 161 Adam Huntly taken Prisoner by the Earl of Murray 170 Ado Viennensis quoted and corrected 87 Adrian passes out of France into Britain 112 His Wall ibid. Adrian the Pope's Legate in England 433 Advatici Who 10 Aebudae Islands 22 Their Number ibid. Aelius Pertinax in Britain 117 Aelius Spartianus quoted 118 Aemodae Isles the same with Aebudae Aeneia 18 170 Air 14 Aestions spake the British Language 50 They inhabited Prussia 77 Aetius the Britains crave Aid of him 93 Afulla Isle 31 Agnes Keith Daughter of the Earl of Merch married to James Earl of Murray 161 Agathyrsi painted their Bodies 53 Aidan King of Scots invested in that Dignity by Columb 155 Ailmer Edward of England's General overthrows Bruce 12 61 Air County 20 Alan of Lorn keeps his Brother Prisoner 407 408 He is imprisoned himself ibid. Albanact Son of Brute from him the Scots called Albani 42 Albinick the Scots so called 11 Albium or Albion Isle retains the Name of Britanny 1 More Islands than one anciently so called ibid. It s Etymology 11 12 Album or White the Name of Height as well as of Colour whence many Words are derived as Albingaunum Albula Albici Albini c. 11 Alcluyth 92 Alexander I. King of Scots 221 222 Why Sirnamed Acer ibid. His Iustice to a poor Woman 222 He is relieved by Hermites ibid. Alexander II. 237 Enters England and takes Carlile ibid. He and his Queen visit Henry of England 239 His Queen dies at London 239 He marries a French Lady ibid. Alexander III. 240 The Nobles combine against him 241 He hath an Interview with Henry of England 240 Is made Knight by him and espouses Margarite his Daughter ibid. Assists the King of England 243 He and his Queen present at the Coronation of King Edward I. He marries Joleta a French Lady 244 He forbids
Head sent to the K. from Ireland The King reforms Publick Manners He also rectifies Weights and Measures His Queen brings forth Twins Doâ—glaâ— and Kennedy released from Prison He reforms the Ecclesiasticaâ— Estate Which was Wofully degenerated and corrupted He Erects Publick Schools and is present himself at their Disputations Parish Priests and Begging Friers the Causes of the Decay of Ecclesiastical Discipline with the Manner how King Iames aims to prefer only Worthy Persons to Benefices and Church Preferments He invites Tradesmen out of Flanders Luxury and Prodigality the trust of Idleness Robert and Murdo affect the Throne Murdo and his Sons put to Death The 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 and his Exploits Exceptions taken against Iames. A Castle standing upon the Tâ—ne 3 Miles below Hadington The Dispute between Robert's Legitimate and Natural Children occasion great Troubles The Earl of Athol's Ambition A Town of Normandy in France Plots against Iames. Upon the Account of Wardships c. Embassadors from France and England to Scotland The Scots joyn with the French against England Iames Marries his Daugâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 oâ— France and sends her thither A Stately City on the Lâ—â—r The English Writers imputing Perfidiousness to Iames are blamed by this Author and their Reflections upon him Wiped off In Champaign in France A Fight between the Sâ—â—ts and Engâ—ish Iames enters England but retires upon notice of a Conspiracy formed against him by his own Kindred K. Iames Cruelly Assassinated His Death highly lamented with his Laudable Character Earl of 〈◊〉 and other of Iames's Murderers Tortured and Executed Descants upon such severe Executions Marchâ—7 â—7 Alexander Levingston made Regent William Creigton made Chancellor Douglas labours to imbroil things The Râ—gent and Chancellor disâ—gree The Queen by Policie get the Kings Person out of the Chancellors Power * Situate below â—anton Bridge on the Ti ne in 〈◊〉 Lothian The Chancellor highly accused And besieged in Edinburgh Castle The Chancellor craves Aid of Douglas But receives an affronting Answer from him Whereupon he agrees with the Regent And sâ—rrenâ—ers up Edinburgh Castle September 29. Lying on the River 〈◊〉 in Cuningham Iuly 9. Deadly â—ewds The 〈◊〉 of Archibaâ—d Dougâ—as With the Profuseness of his young Heir * Or Lâ—ther a great and ancient Family in Lothian The Queen with her Husband Iames Stuart and others committed to Prison August 2. August 31. But she is Releast again The Aebudians ravage the Continent A Two years Pestilence in Scotland The Râ—gent and Câ—â—â—cellor again Disagree The Chancellor surprâ—zes the Kings Person The Regent being out-Witted by the Chancellor inwardly frets And Meditates a Reconciliation with him His Condescending Haâ—angue to the Chancellor A New Knot of Amity between the Regent and the Chancellor The Miseries of the Commons Occasioned Principally by the Earl of Douglas Where he and his Brother David were slain William Douglas Marries Beatrix his Uncles Daughter The high 〈◊〉 oâ— Thieves Dunbarton Castle twice surprized King Iames being of Age enters on the Government Douglas throws himself at the Kings Feet acknowledges his Offences is Pardoned and Received into Favour The Regent and Chancellor lay down their Offices Douglas by his Power at Court summons them to Appear They excusing themselves are declared publick Enemies * Oâ— Forester In Mid-Lothian two 〈◊〉 West of Edinburgh A Town on the River 〈◊〉 West-Lothian A Castle standing on a Rock lying near the Firth of Forâ—h above Abercorn Creighton late Chancelor defends himself by force Douglas incensed against Creighton's Friends The Clans of the Lindsys and Ogilbys Fight Ian. 24. The Lindsys prevail Iuly 15. Creighton received into Favour and is made Chancellor again Deadly Fewds betwixt particular Persons and Families An Abby in Lennâ—x A Castle standing upon Tine near Hardington Douglas attempts the Levingstons of whom Iames is put to Death c. Creighton sent Embassador to France The Bishop of Glasco frightned by a Voice from Heaven for his wicked Life which does him to Death Iames Kennedy retires from a Corrupt Court Dunbar E. of Murray Dies and Archibald Douglas succeed◠〈◊〉 A Barony â—â—ing on the 〈◊〉 Spey The immoderate Power of the Douglas's eâ—poses them to Envy The Miserable Estate of the Commons under Douglas Mutual Incursions betwixt the Scots and English Or Saâ—s The English overthrown by the Scots A Truce between the Scots and English Iames Married to Mary of Gelderland Colvil put to Death by Douglas Douglas goes vain-gloriously in a year oâ— Iubilee to Rome In his absence his Enemies sue him and 〈◊〉 Damages for wrongâ— received Which are answered out of his Estate Douglas at his return from Rome received into Favour And made Regent Douglas gives Iames new occasion of Suspicion Douglas design against Creighton's Life 〈◊〉 deâ—ends himself 〈…〉 Douglas joyns with Craford and Ross. He provokes the King In the Case of Herris And Macklan Douglas on safe Conduct comes to Court Where the King Stabs him with his own Hand Mâ—rch 27. Whereupon the rest of the 〈◊〉 rise in Arms. The Douglasâ—â— proclaimed publick Enemies Iames Douglas Marries his Brothers Wife A Famine and Pestilence in Scotland Douglas persuaded to a Reconciliation with the King Which he refuses Craford forsakes Douglas and is pardoned by the King Douglas applys to England for Aid but in vain Hâ—milton 〈◊〉 Douglas * Standing upon Nâ—â—th-Esk in Mid-Lâ—thiâ—n 4 Miles above Daâ—keith Iune 5. Douglas joyns with the Enlish and then with Donald the Islander Douglas's Wife forsakes him and 〈◊〉 to the King Lying on the River Spâ—â— So doth Donald's Wiâ—e too In Mid-Lothian Thornton put to death for Murder The death of Will. Creightoâ— A Party of English worâ—â—ed in Scotland Donald the Islander submits to the King The English Nobles crave Aid of Iames against Henry their King He marches to their Assistance but is diverted by a Counteâ—feit Leâ—at from Rome Iames takes Roxborough Town And besieges the Castle Where he is casually slain The Queen shews Herself a virago immediately after her Husbands Death Roxburgh Castle Surrendred and Demolisht Iames II. his Character Iames III. begins his Reign about 7 years of Age. Henry of Enggland taken Prisoner by the Duke of York York overthrown by the Queen So is Warwick The Queen overthrown and flies witâ— her Husband into Scotland Berwick surrendred to the Scots by King Henry Henry's Queen sues for Foreign Aid * Or Renny Which having obtained 〈◊〉 enters Scotland and England again Holy-Isle seven miles South-East of Berwick on the Coast of Northumberland Henry's Army overthrown at Hexham Alnwick Castle besieged and Douglas's gallantry in bringing off the Garison Henry of England taken Prisoner and his Queen 〈◊〉 Disputes in the Assembly of Estates about the Regency Which the Queen claimâ— But Kennedy and Douglas oppose A Truce for a Month betwixt the Parties The Commonalty dislike the Queens Regency The Queens Plea for the Regency Kennedys Grave and Prolix Oration in Answer thereunto Queen of Palmira a City in Syria now called Faid