was too late and being ready to breath out his last when they found him some of his dearest Friends Ask him how he did to whom he Answered with marvellous good chear I am well and in a good condition I now Dye as almost all my Ancestors have done in the Bed of Honour some things only I Crave of you my Noble and Dear Friends which I desire to be performed as you Love and Honour me First That my Death be no Discouragement to you Secondly That you Conceal my Death during the time of the Battel both from Friends and Foes Thirdly That you suffer not my Standard to be overthrown And Lastly That you would Avenge my Death These things if you perform I have my desire and in hope thereof I bear all other things and my present Fate with a good heart With these words wherein he shewed himself a Souldier he takes leave of them and they of him and having covered his Body from the sight of the Souldiers they advance his Standard and Charge with the greater Fury crying out A Dowglass A Dowglass the English are forthwith put into great disorder the Earl Percy is taken Prisoner and in the same Charge his Valiant Son too being dangerously wounded some Nineteen hundred English are slain some Fourteen hundred are Prisoners whereof most wounded and to the Scots it was not a dry Victory The next day the Bishop of Durham coming up with some Auxiliaries the English Rally again and resolve to give Battel the Army being again made up Ten Thousand Men the Scots making vertue of necessity there being no possible safety for them to endeavour an Escape resolve to stand to it under the Command of the Earl of Murray The Bishop advancing Murray having first taken an Oath of all the Prisoners that they should remain true Prisoners though their friends should rescue them by strength of Arms is ready to receive him and commandeth the Soldiers to wind their Horns each Soldier having about his Neck an Horn larger than our ordinary Harvest Horns the Noise whereof was so great and the View of the dead Corps slain over Night so terrible that the Hearts of the raw and new raised Soldiers began to fail the Bishop is forced as his Safest course to retreat into their Quarters from whence they came without attempting any thing the Scots are no less glad being sufficiently wasted and weary to look homeward Murray dismisseth Percy the Younger upon his Parole above One Thousand Common Soldiers are set at Liberty the Earl himself and about Four Hundred of the Chief are carried Prisoners into Scotland The Joy the Scots had in this Victory which happen'd July 19. 1390. was wholly swallow'd up in the Death of the dougheir Dowglass a very noble Cavalier indeed whose Body was Interred at Melross with the greatest Evidences of Sorrow that could be Soon after Dyed in Peace the Good and Peaceable King Robert a general Peace being concluded in France England and Scotland for certain Years the Seventy Fourth Year of his Age and Nineteenth of his Reign a good Man and a good King a great Justiciary an Encourager of Vertue a Suppressor of Vice especially of Theft and Robery stedfast in his Word fortunate in his Wars tho' by reason of his Age and Natural Averseness to War he seldom or never Engaged in Person He had two Wives the one Elizabeth Daughter to Sir Adam More by whom he had three Sons John Earl of Carist Robert Earl of Say Alexander Earl of Buchan and Badgenoch the other Enfence Daughter to Hugh Earl of Ross by whom he had two Sons Walter Earl of Straherne and David Earl of Athol and one Daughter Enfence given in Marriage to James Lord Dowglass Son to William Earl of Dowglass THE LIFE OF ROBERT III. JOHN son to King Robert Succeeded his Father and began his Reign Anno 1390. who immediately changed his Name choosing to be called by the Name Robert as an Auspicious Name the former two Roberts Kings of that Nation being men eminent in Vertue and prosperous in Atchievements He came to his Crown in a time free of Wars from abroad but full of Jars at home by the unquiet and ravenous disposition of his Nephew Duncan Son to Alexander Earl of Buchan who having Abased himself to be Captain of a Rebellious Rout of Robers spoyling and plundering divers Places especially in Angus was at last not without some Blood shed Suppressed by the industry of the Earl of Craford Soon after a dangerous fend fell out between two Great and Populous Families in the North for Reducing of whom were sent Thomas Dunbar Earl of Murray and James Earl of Craford who perceiving the great mischief likely to attend their Endeavours of a forcible Reducement contrived a more subtle way to quiet them after a representation made to the Heads of those Clans a part of the danger of their mutual Fewds and of the Kings Wrath against both they Advise them to conclude their Fewds as the Horatii and Cariatii did at Rome by the Choice not of three but of three hundred on each side to Fight Armed with Swords only in the sight of the King and his Nobles whereby the Victor should gain Honour the Vanquished safety from further Punishment and both regain his Majesties Favour whereof they gave them full assurance the Proposition is embraced on both sides of St. John's Town Mounts raised and Galleries made for the accommodation of the Spectators the Combatants are chosen and on the day appointed together with a multitude of beholders all of them appear on the place only one through fear privately withdrew himself this putteth some delay to the Encounter the one party looking upon it as a dishonour to Fight with the other wanting one of their Number the other Party not finding one who would Engage himself to make up their Number desire one of the Three Hundred to be put aside but of all that Number not one could be induced to withdraw accounting it an indelible disgrace to be shuffled out of such a choice Company of Valorous men at last an ordinary Tradesman tendereth his Service desiring no greater Reward than one single piece of Gold in hand as an honourable badge of his Valour and an Annuity of a small Sum for Life should he survive the Conflict his Demands are soon granted and immediately beginneth the Conflict with as much Fury as the height of Wrath the insatiable desire of honour and the fear of shame more than death could produce to the horrour and amazement of the Spectators whose hearts trembled within them to see as indeed it was an horrid Sight to behold such a rueful Sight of Furious men butchering one another and observed it was by all that of all the Combatants none shewed more shall I call it Valour than the Tradesman did who had the good Fate to survive that dismal day and on the Conquering side too whereof only ten besides himself out-lived that hour to
Dowglas Earl of Angus Heads of a contrary Faction Oppose her great Justling between the two Factions even unto Blood had not the Wisdom of the Bishops interposed In fine It was agreed that two of each Faction should be intrusted with the Tuition of the young King and the Government of the whole Kingdom of the Queens Faction were James Groham and Robert Boid then Lord Chancellor of the other Robert Earl of Orkney and John Kennedy chief of that Clan To these were added the Bishops of Glasco and Dunkell Men of great Learning and Integrity the Queen her self only permitted to have some inspection into the King's Education without medling in the publick Administration The younger Children are wholly committed to her Tuiton which were Alexander Duke of Albany John Earl of Marre and two Daughters These things happily Established in Parliament Audience is given to the English Ambassadors their business was for Peace and accordingly a Peace for Fifteen Years is concluded Next Year after the Queen Mother dieth Alexander the King's Brother returning from France is taken Prisoner by the English The Scots complaining of it as a breach of Peace the Child is immediately set at Liberty Things now quiet abroad new Stirs arise at home by the restless and rebellious Spirit of Donald Lord of the Isles who falleth down into the lower Countries with an Army surpriseth Ennerness and Proclaimeth himself King of the Isles and advanceth into Athol with a very powerful Army The Earl of Athol not prepared to oppose so great a Power flyeth to the Sanctuary of St. Brigit never at any time Violated before by the most barbarous of Men The rich Booty of the place was of more price to that barbarous Raven than the esteem of its Sanctity he barbarously entereth into the Sanctuary taking the Earl and his Lady and divers others Prisoners putteth most of the Priests to the Sword and having Pillaged what he could sets the Sacred place on Fire and making much hast home with his Booty the wrath of God pursueth him his Ships are cast away his Men most of them drowned himself reserved to a greater Judgment runneth Mad and remaineth so in a great height to his dying-day Such of his Fellows as escaped the present Judgment are stricken with such Inward Horrour that they voluntarily performed Penance with very great expressions of Remorse going Bare-footed in Sackcloath to the place they so much Contemned satisfying to the utmost of their power for the Expiation of their Offence This Storm over a Calm continued for a Season but all is soon overclouded by the malignant Spirit of Ambition and Envy The Boids labour to get all into their hands to which end Thomas Brother to the Lord Boyd appointed to Instruct the King in Martial Discipline and Exercises endeavoureth by evil Counsel to Alienate his Majesty's affections from all those Nobles to whose Tuition he was committed and watching his opportunity the King following his Sport with a small Retinue nigh Luilithquo is forcibly snatched out of the hands of Kennedie Earl Casles by the foresaid Thomas not without some Violence offered to the Person of the old Earl And now begins the Devil of Deadly Fewd to work the Boydes bring the King to Edenburgh Kennedie and divers others repair to their several homes watching opportunity of revenge the Boyds observing the Nobility to keep from Court procure a Parliament to be called in which Robert the Chief of the Boydes upon his bended knees complaineth of the hard Construction put upon the King's remove from Linligtheuo beseeching his Majesty to declare his sense and pleasure in that business whether he or any of his had therein offended his Highness the young King what through the fear of their Power and afraid of their flattering words with which they had seasoned him declareth that What they did was good Service done deserving rather a Reward than any Punishment this Declaration was Recorded in the Books of Parliament and an instrument to this effect given the Lord Boyd under the Broad-Seal and the same day he is declared Vice-Roy until his Majesty should happily arrive at the age of One and Twenty and as an addition to all his Greatness Mary the King 's eldest Sister is given in Marriage to Thomas Son to the said Robert Lord Boyd And now such Foundations being laid they promise themselves security in this great Pomp and Prosperity But behold the vanity of the World the envy of the People the emulation of the Peers and the alienation of the King's mind suddenly overthrow all About this time the Lord Chancellor is sent to Denmark to demand Margaret Daughter to the Danish King in Marriage to James King of Scotland he safely arrived is honourably entertained and the Marriage immediately concluded Denmark's Interest in Shitland and Orkney given in lieu of her Dower The happy Issue of this Embassage being signified to the King an Ambassadour with a Train of young Noble Men and Gentlemen is appointed to be sent over into Denmark to attend the young Queen into Scotland the young Lord Boyd Earl of Aran and now Brother in Law to the King is on all hands thought the fittest Man for this Service the young Lord accepts of his Honourable Imployment and with a very stately Train sets Sail about the end of August no sooner is he gone than a Parliament is called to Assemble November 22d in which the Boydes are all accused of High-Treason Robert the Chief flyeth into England Alexander his Brother appeareth and Pleadeth for himself is adjudged Guilty Condemned and Beheaded the Treason charged on both was Violence offered to the King's Person when they forcibly pulled him out of the Arms of the old Earl of Kennedy Miclinlithquo Behold the Uncertainty of humane Judgments the same Fact declared Good Service in one Parliament is in another judged High-Treason The next Spring the Danish Fleet arriveth with the young Queen after her Reception with very great expressions of Joy the Marriage is Solemnized in a great Concourse of the Nobility The Lord Boyd hearing of the Disasters of his Family dares not Land to partake of this Solemnity but goeth a solitary Man beyond the Seas and is entertained by the Duke of Burgundy by whom he was Honoured above all others for his gallant Service in War but in Scotland another account is made of him where he is declared Traitor and his Lands confiscated and to add to his Calamity the King recalleth His Sister Married to the Earl and being encouraged by some of the Nobility with hopes of a Reconciliation between the King and her Lord by her presence to intercede over she comes in obedience to the King's Command being arrived a Divorce from her Husband is presently propounded in order whereunto publick Summons are given at his House in Kilmernock and at the chief Sea-ports in the Kingdom requiring his return within Sixty days according to the Law which he not performing not daring indeed to perform
Cassils Rothus and Cumberland three of the Clergy the Arch-Bishop of Glascow the Bishop of Orkney the Pryor of St. Andrews two of the Commons the Provost of Edenburgh and the Provost of Montross are sent they safely arrive and are honourably entertained at the French Court the Marriage solemnized April 24. 1558. in great State in the Church of Nostra Dama in Paris the Scotch Commissioners the chief days of the Solemnity being past prepare to return to their own Countrey abundantly satisfied not so much by beholding the incredible Magnificence of the French Entertainment as by observing the admired deportment of their most Gracious and Illustrious Queen Before their departure an unhappy dash of Discontent was given the Chancellor of France is sent to them to move That the Crown of Scotland may be sent over into France for Coronation of the Dauphine after the custom and manner of the Kings of Scotland The Commissioners refuse the motion and soon after take their Leave of the Court and return home In their return the Earl of Cassils the Earl of Rothus the Bishop of Orkney and the Lord Cumberland depart this Life And now began the great Stirs touching Reformation of Religion which we shall briefly touch Certain Lords assisted by some Knights and Gentlemen who afterwards were termed the Lords of the Congregation knowing the Heart-burnings of the People occasioned by the Death of George Wisheart and Walter Mill both lately Burnt for Religion send privately their Scrolls all the Kingdom over to receive the Subscriptions of all who favoured the Reformation of Religion which being done Propositions are sent to the Queen Regent by the hands of Sir James Sandelands Lord Caulder viz. That all Popish Priests be forthwith removed and Godly Ministers chosen by the People established in their places and that all publick Prayers may be said in the Vulgar Tongue The Popish Bishops though much inraged yet make a motion and a fair offer to refer all to publick Dispute the Lords of the Congregation refuse all Dispute whilst the Popish Bishops are their Judges The Bishops make a second Tender That if the Mass Invocation of Saints Prayers for the Dead were continued in due esteem together with the belief of Purgatory that then it should de lawful for them to use the Scottish Tongue in their publick Prayers and Ministration of Baptism and the Lord's Supper This is likewise rejected by the Lords of the Congregation who peremptorily adhere to their first Proposals requiring the Queen Regent to hearken thereunto Her Majesty yields to them That it shall be lawful for them to use their Vulgar Tongue in their publick Prayers provided all other Rights be duly observed and none of their Preachers appear in the Pulpits of Edenburgh They of the Congregation finding themselves discountenanced and unsatisfied send John Ariskin of Dunne a well learned Man to Solicit the Parliament in their behalf but with no success In May following another Parliament is called at Sterlin thither Commissioners are sent viz. Alexander Cuningham Earl of Glencarne and Sir Hugh Camphell Provost of Aire to pacific the Queen Regent provok'd by some Popular Tumults and to pray that nothing might be denied through the occasion of the said Tumults which was formerly granted to them The Queen Regent in much wrath threameth the Banishment of their Ministers as main Incendiaries The Commissioners urge the remembrance and performance of her Promises which she resusing they peremptory threaten and protest to renounce all Obedience to her beseeching her in time to consider what Mischiefs were like to ensue thereupon In the interim the Ministers of the Congregation get into the Pulpits at St. John's Town A Messenger is dispatched to Patrick Ruthuen Provost of the place to Suppress them and the Stirs made by them the Provost refuseth the Service A Messenger is likewise sent to Dundee to demand the Person of Paul Messan a Popular Preacher who privately withdraweth and escapeth A General Proclamation is likewise made requiring the Celebration of Easter after the accustomed manner The whole Ministers of the Congregation disobey who are therefore cited to Sterlin May the 10th to answer their Contempt for countenancing of whom a great Confluence rush thither from all parts of the Kingdom The Queen Regent calls to her Areskin of Dunne a Popular Man and Requests him to persuade the Multitude to return peaceably to their several homes assuring him that nothing should be done against any of their Sect by his means some return more stay whereby the Queen is highly provoked such of the Ministers as were Summoned and appeared not are Banished to no purpose John Knox Preacheth at St. Johnston and inflameth all the Multitude forthwith brake down the Altar and all the Images in the Church do violence to the Person of the Priest then attending to say Mass into immediately after they rush into the Monasteries of the Franciscans and Dominioans and by assistance of the Souldiery then and there in Arms they spoil and plunder and in two days lay all those stately Buildings level to to the ground at Cowper of Fyfe they do the very like The Queen Regent being informed of all these detestable Outrages sendeth to the Earls of Arguile Hammilton and Athol to attend her with all their Retainers which they forthwith did and advance to St. Johnston May the 18. the Queen perceiving their Forces both greater and more resolute to Fight than her own dispatcheth Commissioners viz. the Earl of Arguile and James Stuart Bastard Son to the late King who remained with the Regent on purpose to discover all her Counsels and Resolutions to that Adverse Faction to the Lords of the Congregation to treat with them for Accommodation Alexander Cunningham and John Areskin above-named are appointed by the Lords to treat with them Articles are agreed upon that the Forces on both sides should be Disbanded The Queen and the Nobility with her enter the Town for their refreshment during their pleasure without Damage to be done by any the French not to approach within Three Miles of the Town all other matters of Difference referr'd to the next Parliament The Armies accordingly dismissed the Queen Regent and those of the Nobility with her are received into the Towns Arguile with James Stuart abovenamed withdraw to St. Andrews The Queen Regent jealous of them and seeing no hopes of a lasting Peace setleth new Magistrates and having restored the Mass leaves a Garrison at St. Johnston's and returns to Sterlin from thence sends threatning Letters to Arguile and James Stuart to return to her but all in vain they now both publiquely joyn with whom they were before in private ingaged to the Lords of the Congregation New Forces are levied on both sides those of the Congregation assemble in great numbers Vowing the Destruction of the Adverse Party enter St. Andrews having Defaced the Church at Carell plunder spoil and level to the ground the two Monasteries of the Dominicans and Franciscans the