which he had spoken and therefore he committed the whole affair to Goranus his Management he easily persuades Vter not only to make an Alliance but to contract an Affinity too with the Picts giving him Anna who was either his Sister or else his Daughter begotten in lawful Wedlock to Wife I am rather of their Opinion who think she was his Sister as judging that the Mistake arose from hence That Vter had another Natural Daughter called Anna by a Concubine After this League between these Three Kings many Victories were obtained over the Saxons so that the Name of Vter began to be great and formidable all over Britain After all the Commanders of the Saxons were slain and the Power of those that remain'd broken and so things made almost hopeless and desperate among them Vter might have been accounted one of the greatest Kings of his Age unless by one foul and impious Fact he had blurred all his other great Virtues There was one Gorlois a Noble Britton of great Valour and Power when Vter as yet was but a private Man he fell mightily in Love with his Wife named Igerne a very beautiful Woman but her Chastity being a long time a Guard against his Lust at last her Continency was conquered by Merlin an audaciously wicked Man and in this Adulterous course he begat a Son on her Named Arthur Vter his own Lawful Wife being Dead being now freed from Nuptial Bonds and made King and so as he thought free from Law too not being able to bear the absence of Igerne out of Love to her attempted a very Temerarious Project He framed an Accusation against Gorlois besieged his Castle took it slew him Married Igerne and owned Arthur for his own Son Educating him Nobly in hopes of the Kingdom And seeing the Infamy reflecting on him by reason of his Wife could not be concealed that he might somewhat extenuate it they broached a Tale not much unlike That which had been often Acted in Theatres about Iupiter and Alâ—mena viz. That Vter by the Art of Merlin was changed into the shape of Gorlois and so had his first Nights Lodging with Igerne and indeed this Merlin was a Man of that Kidney that he had rather be famous for a Wicked Deed than none at all Arthur thus begot by a stoln Copulation assoon as he grew up appeared so amiable in the Lineaments of his Body and in the Inclinations of his Mind that the Eyes of his Parents and of all his Subjects too were fixed upon him and he gave many Omens of his future Greatness that after his Fathers Death all designed him to be their King And his Father was so much pleased with this Humour of the People that he cherished it by all the Ars he could so that now it was the common Opinion That none but Arthur should be Heir to the Crown Vter died when he had Reigned 17 Years and presently Arthur was set up in his stead though Lothus King of the Picts did much oppose it grievously complaining that his Children for he had Two begotten on Arthur's Aunt who were now of years were deprived of their Kingdom and that a Bastard begotten in Adultery was preferred before them On the other side all the Brittons stood for Arthur and denied that he was to be counted Spurious because Vter Married his Mother at last though it were after his Birth and by that Marriage had treated him as his Legitimate Son and had always accounted him so to be But although they pretended this colour of Right yet that which stood Arthur in most stead was his great Ingenuity and those Specimens of his Virtue which he often shewed yea there was a tacite Impression as it were on the Minds of all Men presaging his future Greatness So that all ran in thick and threefold as we say to his Party in so much that Lothus being born down not only by that Pretence of Right which after that time was always observed in Britanny but by the Affections of the People running another way desisted from his Enterprize in demanding the Kingdom which he did so much the rather do because he was loth to trust his Children for whom That Kingdom was desired to the Brittons who had shewed themselves so averse to Them Besides the Intreaties of his Friends did prevail with him who all alledged That no Kingdom ought to be so dear to him as that for the sake thereof he should joyn in Affinity with Infidels to the overthrow of the Christian Religion who would no more Inviolably keep their League and Alliance with him than they had done before with the Brittons Moreover the Liberal and Promising Disposition of Arthur and the Greatness of his Mind even above his Age did much affect him Insomuch that the League made by former Kings betwixt the Scots Picts and Brittons was again renewed and thereupon so great a Familiarity ensued that Lothus promised to send Galvinus the youngest of his Two Sons unto the British Court as soon as he was old enough to endure Travel Arthur entred upon the Regal Government before he was full Eighteen Years of Age. But as his Courage was above his Age so Success was not wanting to his Daring Spirit for whereas his Father had divided the Kingdom by certain Boundaries with the Saxons and had made Peace with them on Conditions The fair Opportunity offered them by reason of the youthful Age of the King more prevailed with them to break the Peace than the Sanctity of the League to observe it Arthur that he might quench the Fire in the beginning gathered an Army together sooner than any Man could imagine and being assisted with Auxiliaries from the Scots and Picts he overthrew the Enemy in Two great Battels compelling them to pay Tribute and to receive Laws from him With the same eagerness and speed he took London the Metropolis of the Saxons Kingdom and having setled things there he marched his Army directly towards York But the report of Auxiliary Forces coming out of Germany and the approach of Winter compelled him to raise his Siege from thence But the next Summer after as soon as ever he came before York he had it immediately surrendred to him his unexpected Success the Year before had struck such a Terrour into the Minds of Men. He took up his Winter-Quarters there whither there resorted to him the prime Persons of the Neighbourhood and of his Subjects where they spent the later end of December in Mirth Jollity Drinking and the Vices which proceed therefrom so that the Representations of the old Heathenish Feasts dedicated to Saturn were here again revived but the Number of the Days they lasted were doubled and amongst the Wealthier sort trebled during which time they count it almost a Sin to treat of any serious Matter Gifts are sent mutually from and to one another Frequent Invitations and Feastings pass between Friends and Domestick Offenders are not punished Our Countrymen call this Feast
thereupon He nevertheless persisted in his slothful kind of Life which gave opportunity to the Remainders of the Picts as if an hopeful Alarm had been given them even from the very bottom of Despair to address themselves to Osbreth and Ella Two of the most potent and prevalent Kings of the English for then England was divided into many Kingdoms They bewail'd their misfortune to them and craved earnestly their Assistance promising That they and all their Posterity would become Feudataries to the English in case they obtained the Victory over the Scots which they prejudg'd would be an easy one by reason of the slothful Nature of Donald The English were easily persuaded and having setled things at home they led out their Army into Merch from whence they sent Heralds to Donaldus requiring that the Lands which the Scots had forceably taken away from the Picts their Friends and Allies might be restored which unless he would do they would not neglect their old Confederates who had now also newly cast themselves upon them Donaldus by the advice of the Estates which in this time of imminent Danger he had thô unwillingly convened Levied an Army and met with the Enemy at Iedd a River of Teviotdale where he joyned Battel and overthrew Osbreth enforcing him to fly to the next Mountains From thence he marched on by Tweed unto the Sea side recovered Berwick which had been taken by the English and again deserted by them upon the ill news of the success of the Battel where he took all the Ships riding in the Mouth of the River and seized upon all the Enemies Provisions therein There he got an opportunity to renew his interrupted Pleasures and as if his Enemies had been wholly overthrown he drowned himself in all kind of Voluptuousness Whereupon the English who in the last Fight were rather scatter'd than subdued understanding by their Spies the Carelesness and Security of the Scots gathered together what Force they could out of the Neighborhood and by night set upon the Scots who were laden with Wine and fast asleep making a great slaughter amongst them but they took the King who was between sleeping and waking Prisoner From thence they followed the Course of their Victory and to make their Ravage more compleat they divided their Army into Two Parts and so marched into the Enemies Country Part of them when they came to the Forth got Vessels and essayed to pass over by Water into Fife but a great Number of them were Shipwrackt and drowned and the rest by the violence of the Storm were forced back to the Shore where they embarked from whence marching to Sterling and joyning with the rest of their Army they pass over the Forth on a Bridge The Scots after their flight gathered themselves into a Body thereabouts having the bare show rather than the strength of an Army and sent Ambassadors to the English for Peace which they did not refuse because their strength was weakened by the unsuccessful Battel of Iedd and also by their own Shipwrack The English propounded hard Conditions yet such as the present State of Affairs made to seem tolerable As that The Scots should yield up all the Land which was within the Wall of Severus That their Bounds should be beneath Sterling the Forth beneath Dunbarton the Clyd and between the Two Rivers the Wall of Severus Amidst such hard Terms of Peace yet this happened as joyous so unexpected to the Scots That no mention was made concerning the Reduction of the Picts For the English and Britains divided the Lands surrendred up betwixt them the River being a Boundary betwixt them both There are some who think the Money yet called Sterling was then Coined there The Lands being thus divided the Picts who thought to recover their own being eluded of their hopes passed over to the Cimbrians and Scandians i. e. as we now speak to Denmark and Norway Those few of them that staid in England were all put to death by them upon pretence that they would attempt Innovations by their soliciting of Forein Aid Donaldus after he had made Peace upon his Return was Honourably received partly out of Respect to his Ancestors and partly in hopes of his Repentance But he persevering in his wonted Slothfulness the Nobles fearing that so filthy and sluggish a Person who would neither hearken to the Counsels of his Friends nor be reclaimed by his own Calamities would lose that part of the Kingdom which remained cast him into Prison where either for Grief in having his Pleasure restrained or for Fear to be made a Publick Spectacle of Scorn he laid violent hands on himself in the Sixth Year of his Reign Others report that This Donaldus performed many Noble Exploits both at home and abroad and that he dyed a natural death at Scone in the Year of our Lord 858. Constantinus II. The Seventy First King COnstantinus the Son of Kennethus undertook the Kingdom after him at Scone he was a Prince of a great Spirit and highly Valorous He was desirous to obliterate the Ignominy received under Donaldus and to enlarge his Kingdom unto the Bounds left by his Father but he was otherwise advised by his Nobles because the greatest part of the Soldiery were slain under Donaldus and the remainder was grown so Corrupt that it was not fit to put Arms into their hands And thereupon the King first bent his care to amend the Publick Discipline and so he reduced the Order of Priests to their Ancient Parsimony by severe Laws in regard they had left off Preaching and had given up themselves to Luxury Hunting Hawking and to Courtly-Pomp He caused the Young Soldiers who were effeminated with Pleasures to lye on the Ground and to Eat but once a day Drunkards he punished with Death He forbad all sports but those who served to harden both Body and Mind for the Wars By these Laws the Soldiery of the Kingdom were reduced to a better pass And presently upon a certain Islander named Evenus whom he himself had made Governour of Loch-Abyr a Man of an unquiet Spirit and Ambitious of Dominion rose up in Arms who knowing That the Youthful Fry of Soldiers could not well bear the Severity of these New Laws First gathered together a small Number and then a greater complaining of the present State of Things And when he found his Discourse was acceptable to them he easily persuaded them to conspire for the Destruction of Constantine But being more active than cautelous in gathering strength to their Faction they were betrayed by some of their Own and slain before they knew any Forces were gathered together against them Evenus the head of the Conspiracy was hanged About this time it was That the Danes then the most Potent and Flourishing Nation amongst the Germans were solicited by the Picts against the Scots and also by one Buernus or as others write Verna whose Wife Osbreth had forceably
with contrary Winds at Sea was Shipwracked and cast ashore and being brought to the King he and all his underwent their most deserved punishments They who brought him to the King were liberally rewarded his Castle was burnt and all that were therein were slain And the Body of Duffus was honourably interred amongst his Ancestors As these things did highly ingratiate Culenus to those who were good so the remaining part of his Life did accumulate so much Odium on him as never any King before him ever laboured under For whether induced by his own Nature or urged for fear of Danger as he would have it thought he suffered the severity of the Discipline used under Indulfus and Duffus to grow cold and remiss and permitted the younger Tribe being given up to unseasonable Debauchery and Foreign Delights to run into those Licentious practices which were forbid by the Laws till at last they broke forth into open Violence and Robbery And when he saw the greatest part of the young Nobility addicted to those Vices he also immerged himself in the same so that he abstained not from vitiating Noble Matrons and even Religious Nuns which in that Age on the account of their Chastity were had in great Veneration no nor from his own Sisters or Daughters neither nay he kept Troops of other Harlots hired by his Panders in his Court as in a Brothel-house When he was admonished and put in mind of these things by Wise and Prudent Persons on the behalfe of the young Nobility he answered That something was to be indulged to their Age and as for himself thô he confessed That some things were amiss yet he was forced out of fear to tolerate them For I remember said he what great Calamity the unseasonable Severity of the former King brought not only on himself but on the whole Kingdom also That the Nobility were the Stay and Prop of the Throne That it was not true that the Martial Spirits of Men were always broken by this free kind of Life or made low and abject nor That the Thoughts of Arms were so neglected by them in Peace as if they expected That there would never be any more War at all 'T is true proceeded he The Luxury of Youthful Age is so far to be restrained that it proceed not too far that so the good Seed of Ingenuity might not be choaked as it were by overmuch jollity in the very bud yet it is not wholly to be abridged or taken away lest the Seeds of Virtue should be plucked up together with it When the Nobles heard this his Defensatory Plea and perceiving they could do no good upon him by their Persuasions but rather create trouble to themselves if they should use the same liberty of Speech to him in their Rejoynders they withdrew themselves from the Court fearing lest they should be compelled to be Witnesses yea Partakers also of these facinorous Practices the sight and hearing whereof they did detest and abhor The King being freed from such troublesom Interposers gave up himself wholly to Wine and Women He proposed Rewards to those who could invent any new kind of Pleasure thô never so sordid and detestable His Court was filled Night and Day with wanton Songs and the Huzza's of Drunkards So that Intemperance and Impudence were as much praised by him as Modesty and Chastity are wont to be esteemed by Good and Pious Princes Those Evils which thô allowed or connived at by the Law in other Men yet are acted by Them in Secret were here openly committed without Shame The young Nobility being thus Effeminated by Pleasure and a Multitude of Parasites and Flatterers with them extol the King to the Skies as if he were the very First of their Kings who had joyned Splendor and Magnificence with Authority as tempering the Severity of his Government with Lenity and easing the burdens of Care and Labour by some Relaxation of Spirit and Allowance of Delight Now to continue these Luxuriant courses there was need of great Expence and therefore the wealthier sort were Fined upon fained Accusations and the Plebeians were suffered to be preyed upon and harassed with all sorts of servile Offices He that was not pleased with the present state of things was accounted a barbarous Country-Clown or if he seemed to be of an higher Spirit than ordinary he was presently accused by a company of Informers as if he studied Innovation in the State After 3 Years were spent in this flagitious Liberty when Men were silent out of Fear or Sâ—oth Luxury began to be a punishment to itself For when the King's Strength was exhausted by immoderate Lust and his Body had contracted Deformity by excessive Banquetings those Diseases followed which are wont to be Companions of such Vices so that there remained nought but a rotten Carkass fit for nothing but to â—ear the Punishment of his former mispent Life The King being thus disabled for all Functions of Life the strength both of his Body and Mind being enervated and weakened by Intemperance and his Courtiers also following the same practices some Aâ—â—â—â—cious Fellows being encouraged by hopes of Prey and Impunity committed publick Robberies and Murders regarding neither the Plebeians as being Men of poor Servile Spirits nor the Courtiers as Persons enfeebled by Luxurious wickedness Hereupon the founder Part of the Nobility being encompassed with a double mischief and therefore enforced to look to the Main called an Assembly of the States at Scone The King also was willed to be there That he might consult in common with the rest in such a dangerous Juncture of Affairs for the Publick Safety He being inwardly struck at this Summons and as it were awakned from his drowzy Sloth began to advise with his Confederates What a Man in such streights were best to do And thô he knew not how to make any Resistance nor yet how to fly away and thô his Mind also presaged no good to him yet he resolved to go to the Assembly And as miserable Men are wont to flatter themselves in Adversity so he did not altogether Despair That he either out of Pity or out of Respect to his Fathers Memory should procure some Favour that he might not be suddenly cast down from so great a Dignity to an Abyss of Misery In his Journy to Scone having a Train big enough but unarmed and dispirited about him he was slain at a Neighbour Village called Methvin by the Thane or Sheriff of that Country because he had forceably vitiated his Daughter When his Death was made known thô all Men were well pleased to be freed from such a Monster with less trouble than they supposed they should yet the Perpetration of the Fact by Roharans or Rodardus the Thane was very much disliked by all People He Reigned as the former King did 4 Years and 6 Months Kennethus III. The Eightieth King KENNETHVS the Brother of Duffus and Third of that Name succeeded
the 26th of August 1482. the Castle of Berwick should be surrendred up to the English and a Truce was made for a few Months till they could have more time to Treat of a Peace Thus Berwick was lost after it had been enjoy'd by the Scots 21 Years since they last recovered it Then the Duke of Glocester having made a prosperous Expedition return'd in Triumph Home Edward by the Advice of his Council judg'd it more for the advantage of England to nullifie the Marriage for he fear'd that the Intestine Discords of the Scots were so great that possibly the Issue of Iames might lose the Crown and if Alexander were made King be hoped to have a Constant and Faithful Ally of him in regard of the great Kindness he had receiv'd at his Hands Hereupon an Herauld was sent to Edinburgh to renounce the Affinity and to demand the Repayment of the Dowry when he had declar'd his Errand publickly on the Twenty Fifth of October the Scots obtained a Day for the Payment thereof and restor'd it to a Penny and withal they sent some to convoy the Herald as far as Berwick Alexander that he might extinguish the Remainders of the Old Hatred of his Brother against him and so obtain new Favour by a new Courtesie brought him out of the Castle and restor'd him to the free Possession of his Kingdom But the memory of old Offences prevail'd more with his Proud Huffing Spirit than This of his late Courtesie Moreover besides the Kings own Jealousies there were Those who did daily calumniate him and buzz into the Kings Ear his too great Popularity as if now 't was very Evident that he affected the Kingdom he being advis'd by his Friends that Mischief was hatching against him at Court fled privately into England and gave up the Castle of Dunbar to Edward In his absence he was Condemn'd The Crimes objected against him were First That he had often sent Messengers into England and then that he had retir'd thither himself without obtaining a Pass-port from the King and that there he joined in Counsel against his Country and his Kings Life All the other of his Partizans were pardon'd and amongst the rest William Creighton who was accus'd not only to have been an Abettor of his designs against his Country but also the chief Author and Instigator of him thereunto But after he had obtain'd Pardon for what was past he was again accus'd that he did incourage Alexander by his Advice and Counsel after he was Condemned frequent Letters passing between them by the means of Thomas Dickson a Priest and that he had caus'd his Castle of Creighton to be Fortified against the King and commanded the Garison Soldiers not to surrender it up to the King's Forces Hereupon he was summoned to appear the 13th Day of February in the Year 1484. but he not appearing was outlawed and his Goods Confiscate These were the Causes of his Punishment mentioned in our publick Records But 't is thought that the Hatred the King had conceiv'd against him upon a private Occasion did him the most Mischief of all It was this William had a very beautiful Wife of the Noble Family of the Dunbars when her Husband found that the King had had the use of her Body he undertook a Project which was rash enough in it self but yet not unproper for a Mind sick of Love and also provok'd by such an Injury as his was for he himself lay with the King 's young Sister a beautiful Woman but ill spoken of for her too great Familiarity with her Brother and on her he begot Margarite Creighton who died not long since In the interim Creighton's Wife died at his own House and the King's Sister whom as I said the King had vitiated was so much in Love with William that she seem'd sometimes to be out of her Wits for him The King partly by the Mediation of William's Friends and partly being mindful of the Wrong he himself had done him of the like sort and being willing also to cover the Infamy of his Sister under a pretext of Marriage permitted William to return Home again to Court upon Condition that he would Marry her William was persuaded by his Friends and for want of better Counsel especially since Richard of England was dead came to Eâ—verness where he had Conference with the King not long before Both their Deaths and great Hopes were there given of his Return His Sepulchre is yet there to be seen These things were done at several times but I have put them together that so the Thread of my History might not be discontinued and broken off Let us now return to what was omitted before Edward of England died in the Month of April next after Dunbar was delivered to him in the Year 1483. leaving his Brother Richard Guardian to his Sons He was first content with the Name of Protector and under that Title Govern'd England for two Months but afterwards having by several Practises engaged a great part of the Nobility and Commonalty to his side he put his Brothers Two Sons in Prison the Queen and her Two Daughters being forced to retire into a Sanctuary near London but the next Iune he took upon him the Name and Ornaments of a King Alexander of Albany and Iames Douglas being willing to try how their Countrymen stood affected towards them came with 500 select Horse to Loch-Maban on Maudlins-day because a great Fair used that day to be there held There a Skirmish began between the Parties with inraged Minds on Both sides and the Success was various as Aid came in out of the Neighbouring District either to This or That Party They fought from Noon till Night and the issue was doubtful but at last the Victory inclined to the Scots though it were a Bloody one as having lost many of their Men Douglass was there taken Prisoner and sent away by the King to the Monastery of Lindors Alexander was set on a Horse and escap'd but staid not in England long after that In the mean time many Incursions were made to the greater Loss of the English than Benefit of the Scots Richard was uncertain of the Event of things at home and withal fear'd his Enemy abroad for many of the English did favour the Earl of Richmond who was then an Exile in France and had sent for him over to undertake the Kingdom so that Richard was mightily troubled neither was he less vext with the Guilt of his own Wickedness and because he saw he could not quell Domestick Seditions as soon as he hoped therefore he thought it best to Oblige Foreigners by any Conditions whatsoever that so by their Authority and Power he might be safer at home and more formidable to his Enemies For this cause he sent Embassadors into Scotland to make Peace or at least a Truce for some years there he found all things more facile than he could have hoped for For Iames