places and also taken truce with France But the army staid so long where they were incamped within 3. miles of Edenbrugh that when they came thither they found nothing but bare walls wherat the coÌ„mon soldiors not a little repined The Scots had caried their goods to the woods mountaines such places of security while the Englishmen in the meane time were greeuouslie afflicted with vehement cold weather and raine that extraordinarily chanced at that season being about the tenth of Aprill and the more because before their comming to Edenbrough they had incamped themselues for their better safetie in a lowe marish ground which killed aboue 500. of their horses for seruice and bred diseases amongst the souldiours Neither had the English Nauie any better successe at this time for the Marriners thorough want of good gouernment ouer-boldly aduenturing to goe on land for the desire of pillage and spoile were in the end encountred by the Scottes and so hotely pursued as that a great number of them were slaine and the rest hardly escaped to their shippes The English Armie was no sooner out of Scotland but that the Earle Dowglasse by his industrie and courage presently recouered all the places of strength in Tiuidale out of the possession of the Englishmen which till then they had hold euer since the battaile besides Dutham All this summer season was spent with continuall roades by the one nation and the other to the small aduantage of either In the meane time messengers were sent to aduertise the Scottes of an abstinence of warre for a season betweene the three nations France England and Scotland which was obserued on all sides The truce ended the Scots tooke by force the castell of Burwicke But the Earle of Northumberland to whom the keepeing therof was committed was thereby so much touched in credit that presently gathering the power of those partes he so egarly assailed the â—â—â—ttes within it as that they were constrained to come to composition with the Earle and so for two thousand markes the Castell was surâ—endred they departed The yeare next following viz. 1385. Monsieur de vian Earle of Valentinois admiral of the fleet was sent by the French King into Scotland with two hundred and fortie ships furnished with men munition all things necessary pertayning to warre theâ— were some two thousand footemen an hundred launces two hundred crosbowes and pay for them for sixe monthes Amongst other presentes which the French king sent to the Noblemen of Scotland he bestowed on king Robert forty compleate aâ—moures to bee disposed at his pleasure The Scottes being thus strengthned prepared forth-with to inuade England The whole army consisted of fiftie thousand men ouer whom the Earle of Fife Sonne to king Robert was made Generall beeing accompained with the Earles Dowglas and Marche and diuerse other of the Scottish Nobility At their first entrie they tooke the Castells of Warke Fourd and Cornâ—â—ll and ouer ran the Country lieing betweene Berwike and 〈…〉 In the meane time king Râ—chard had sent before him the Duke of Lancaster with a conuenient power to restraine them from doing further harme who hearing of the approach of the Englishmen withdrow themselues homeward The King in the meane time making all the hast that possiblie hee could after the Duke entred together into Scotland passing thorow the countries of Mers and Lothian they burned and spoyled all the townes villages and buildings that stood in their way as well religious as other At his comming to Edenbrugh finding the towne empty hee soothe houses on fier which together with the Church of Saint Gyles were consumed to ashes But at the ernest request of the Duke of Lanâ—â—ster Holi-roode house was preserued for the great fauour the Duke had found there during the late commotion in England King Richard hauing remayned about Edenbrugh fiue dayes returned without proffer of battaile or any encounter to speake of Monsieur de vian was very ernest with the Scottish Lords to haue aduentured a battaile but being carried to the toppe of â—o hill fâ—om whence he might discouer the order and puissance of the English armie he changed his mind Herevpon they resolued to inuade England on an other quarter while the Englishmen â—â—oke there pleasure in the â—â—paâ—tes passing â—â—â—â—â—fore ouer the mountayns they entred into Cumberâ—â—â—d assaulted the Citty of Carliel but finding them-selues vnable to preuaile there they turned home-wardes feareing least they should haue beene encountred with the English armie which had falne out accordingly if the King would haue beene aduised by the Duke his vncle But the Earle of Oxford who stood more in the Kings grace had put such a ielosie into his head of the Dukes meaning therein towards him as that he was drawne from liking of that course and soe tooke his way home-ward The Scottes hauing on the other side donne what harme they could returned likewise into Scotland but because the same was not answerable to the domage they receaued King Robert was so much offended with the Frenchmen at whose hands he exspected greater matters as that he sent them home lighter laden then they came by the wayght of all that was worth the takeing from them in part of recompence for the losses sustayned in this iorney which was vnderâ—aken at their earnest sute and entrety Thus they parted not in soe good tearmes as they were entertayned with all at there arriuall into Scotland The Scottish wryters attibute the cause of these iarres and discontentments amongst them to the lasciuious and imperious demeanour of the Frenchmen according to their vsuall manner where-so-euer they serue out of their owne country whereof the common people especially complayned more then of any iniurie offered them by their professed enemies the Englishmen The Scottes within two yeares after vnderstanding what troubles were arising in England thought it a fitt time wherein to bee reuenged for the damages lately sustained Wherfore about the beginning of August there assembled at Iedworth to the number of betweene thirtie and forty thousand Heere they vnderstood by an English espyall whom they tooke that the Earle of Northumberland intended to inuade Scotland on the one side as they did the like here on the other Therfore hauing a sufficient number to make two armies they deuided thâ—â—selues The two yonger brothers the Scottish Kings sonnes with the one part directed their course by the West marches into Cumberland â—â—â—â—ing as farre as Durham At length both these armies hauing in the meane time done what harme they could mette together about ten miles from New-castell and passing thither they besiedged that towne But the Earle of Northumberland who then commanded all those countries hauing had knowledge before of their purpose had sent thither his two sonnes the Lord Nâ—â—â—â— surnamed Hotespurre for his egar manner of riding and his brother Ralphe two 〈◊〉 â—orward Gentlemen These with the forces they carried with them 〈◊〉 those they found there so manfully defended the towne as
skirmishes passed betweene the one party and the other that Forte also was so strictly besâ—â— on all sides that if the peace had not beene the sooner concluded Sir Hugh Willoughby the Captaine thereof must of necessitie haue yeelded thorough the lacke of shot and other necessaries seruing for defence Amongst other articles comprised in this agreement one was that all such Castels Fortifications and strengths held by the Englishmen in any part of the Scottish dominions should be restored to the Scots and that the Forts of Dowglasse Roxbrough Aymoth which the Englishmen had erected in the time of these warres should forth-with be razed and throwne downe to auoide all occasion of new controuersie Mounsier de Mourret was sent into Scotland from the French King to publish this accord betweene the three Nations France England and Scotland which in the beginning of Aprill in the yeare that followed 1550. was in euery point executed accordingly The next month al the strangers made returne homewards two yeares well neere after their first arriuall into Scotland And thus ended for this time the whote war betweene these two neighbor nations which had continued now for the space of 7. yeares together to the exceeding great impouerishment of that kingdom effusion of bloud on both sides For aboue fiftie yeares after there was not any like hostility betweene them For all that passed betwixt the one and the other realme vntill the beginning of the 5. yeare of the raigne of Queene Mary of England who succeeded that pearelesse Prince of most famous memorie King Edward the 6. on the sixt day of Iuly in the yeare 1553 the same was rather to be accouÌ„ted a light breach of the peace then open warre on either side Neither were the broiles betweene them in those two last yeares of her raigne of any great reckoning which grew by occasion of the warre made by King Philip her husband of the French King for he therevpon solicited the Queene Regent of Scotland who about two yeares before obtained that dignity while the CoÌ„missioners of both these nations were busie at Carliel about the renuing of the league to inuade this realme She being willing to gratifie her confederate when the Commissioners had broken vp the treatie of Peace without any conclusion assembled a great Armie where-with comming to Kellsoe in the moneth of October 1557. shee together with Monsieur Doisell and other Frenchmen began to perswade the Scottes to inuade the realme The Scottish Nobility to the end they would seeme some-what to yeeld to her request passing with the army ouer the riuer of Tweed besieged Warke Castell whereat lying for the space of 2. or 3. daies and then hearing of the approach of the Earle of Westmerland Lieutenant of the North after some consultation vpon this point the Scottish lords concluded that for so much as the Englishmen had giuen them no iust cause of quarrell especially in so high a degree and measure of reuenge that the Queene Regent had drawne them thither for the pleasure onely of the French King and the reputation of Monsieur Doisell his agent who in the managing of this affaire had carryed himselfe very loftily therefore I say they concluded to breake vp the siedge and to returne homewards and so this much adoe produced nothing The Queene and her Monsieur tooke the matter very greeuouslie accounting themselues much disgraced here-with but because there was no remedy for the present time they resolued to beare it as paciently as they could hoping a time would come that should make them of more authority amongst them To this end they laboured to hasten the mariage of the yong Queene now come to ripe age for there-by all things should then passe without controulment at the will and appointment of France The Queene Regent returning home-wards left Monsieur Doisell with the French forces at Haymouth where lately before hee had raised a Fortification to counter-garrison the Englishmen in Berwicke Diuerse foot-bands also of Scottishmen were waged by the French King to lye at Kelso Roxbrough and other such places on the Scottish Marches for the defence of the country and the annoyance of the Englishmen as occasion serued Amongst many other roades and aduentures which passed this winter between the one nation the other with variable successe on both sides that between the Earle of Northumberland and Sir Andrew Carre was of most reckoning wherein after doubtfull victory a long time at length the English preuailed the Scottish Captaine and diuerse other being taken prisoners Sir Iohn Foster at this seruice bare himselfe very valiantly for besides that his horse was slaine vnder him hee receiued two dangerous wounds the one thorough his neck the other on his thigh On the foure and twentith day of Aprill the yeare next following viz. 1558. the mariage of Francis the Dolphine with Queene Mary of Scotland was solemnized at Paris with great triumphe and reioycing which afterward brought that flourishing kingdome into danger of an vtter subuersion for her Vncles especially Francis Duke of Guise and the Cardinall of Lorraigne his brother by reason of this marriage bare them-selues so loftily and so egerlie stroue thereby to aduance their house that they turned France vp downe ruling all things at their owne wils and pleasure The summer following sundry out-roads passed betweene the borderers on both sides but with more losse to the Scots then to EnglaÌ„d for besides 2. chiefe leaders of their footmen the Lord Keith sonne to the Earle Marshall and Patricke L. Gray were in those broiles taken prisoners but on the English party Captaine Edrington only Some seruice by sea also was performed by the EnglishmeÌ„ for Sir Iohn Clere being sent with certaine ships of warre to the coast of Scotland comming to the Iles of Orkney and hauing landed some part of his company such a tempest did sodenlie arise that perforce hee was driuen backe to the maine sea where striuing a long time in vaine to recouer the Iland againe hee was forced to leaue them behind him who were thereby all slaine and taken prisoners by the Ilanders But the Earle of Sussex ioyning with Sir Thomas Cotton and Sowthwick his Vice-admirall had better successe in Kniter the Iles of Arraigne and Cumber where they made great spoile and had done much more there-about if by out-ragious stormes and tempests they had not beene hindered Of all the English Gentlemen that serued these last two yeares with charge I know but one liuing at this day namely Thomas Marckham commonly called Blacke-Marckham who lead the band of foot-men of Sir Iohn Marckham his Father As for the warre maintained in Scotland since the happy raigne of our late Soueraigne Lady and Queene the most renowmed and famous Elizabeth who to the exceeding great comfort of all the true Christians of this whole Iland succeeded her deceased Sister on the seauenteenth day of Nouember in the yeare before named the same was from time to time alwayes vnder-taken
intelligence of the Scotish kings inclination to reuolt being then returned into Scotland to the ende hee might sound out the truth hee required his ayde and assistance in his intended warre with France where-vnto hee receiued so doubtfull an answer as that hee was thereby brought into more distrust with the king of England and therefore sending againe into Scotland hee required to haue the custodie of the Castles of Berwicke Edenbrugh and Rockesbrugh deliuered vnto him for the better assurance of his loyaltie during the continuance of the warre with France Heere-vnto the Lords of Scotland tooke vpon them to answer for theyr king would not yet openlie oppose himselfe that they were Free-men borne and therefore would neuer yeeld to that seruitude where-vnto their king had vnaduisedly subiected himselfe that his priuate act how voluntary soeuer could not bind his subiects because without the generall consent of the States of the whole Realme nothing could bee established which concerned the whole bodie of the Common-weale That the League now renewed with France was of fiue hundred yeares continuance which for the conueniencie and necessitie thereof was to bee preferred before the late and lesse profitable amitie and alliance with England And to approue these wordes with their deedes the Townes-men of Berwicke made an assault vpon certaine English Marchants that were at Anchor in the Hauen of whome many were wounded some slaine and the residue forced to flie who at their returne home informed the king thereof He now perceiuing the affection of that Nation towards him purposed forth-with to inuade that realme But in the meane time thereby to conceale his resolution hee sent a solemne Ambassage thither sommoning king Iohn to make his appearance at New-castle within certaine dayes there to show cause why contrary to his faithfull promise hee had entred into league with his enemy the French King of whom he could not receaue so much good as hee was likely to sustaine harme thereby from him and further that it was not possible to serue two maisters of so contrary disposition without offence to the one or other But King Iohn holding himselfe much iniured by king Edward returned vnto him letters of complaint which was all the answer he would affoord him The Armie being assembled and king Edward there-with approching Warke Castell seauen Earles of Scotland namely Bouchan Menteth Stratherne Lennox Roâ— Atholl and Marre with Iohn Cumin the maister of Badenaw hauing gathered together fiue hundred horsemen and ten thousand foote-men in Amandale on Monday in Easter weeke entred into England on that side and passing towards Carleil put all to fire and sword that stood in their way but the towne was so well defended as that they gaue ouer the siege on Thurseday following and returned againe into Scotland The same day king Edward with his armie passed ouer the Riuer Tweede and summoned Berwick offering peace vpon certaine conditions which beeing refused he approched and lodged in the monastery of Caldestrenie his army consisting of foure thousand horse and thirtie thousand footemen He had appointed certaine ships to the number of foure and twenty to scoure the Coast thereabout to cut off accesse to the Towne by sea who vpon some signe giuen them from the army placed on a plaine in battell araie within their view entred the Hauen and offering to land were assayled by the Towns-men While the fraye continued not without some more losse on the English partie the king with his Armie hauing in the meane time passed ouer a ditch cast vppon purpose to haue hindred his approch on that side entred the towne without loosing any man of name saue onely Sir Richard Cornewall But the Scotish writers report otherwise of this exploite That the King dispayring to take the towne by force deuised what might be wrought by policie and therefore fayning to depart raysed the siege causing a rumor to bee spread by certaine Scots his adherents in heart that king Iohn was at hand withall his powre to relieue the Towne This newes beeing brought to Berwicke by such in whome they reposed trust forth-with the Gallants and they of the best account setting open the Gates issued out to meete theyr king King Edward watching the exspected aduantage got betweene them and home and so entred without anie great resistance Howsoeuer it was brought to passe it seemeth by the exceeding great number of Scots then slaine and the small losse or none at all of Englishmen that there was some cunning vsed in the taking of the Towne For at the least seauen thousand of them were thereat slaine beeing the verie choise men of all Lothian and Fife This happened on the thirteth of March in the yeare of our Lord 1296. The King remained there fifteene dayes in which time he fortified the Towne with a ditch cast about it fourescore foote deepe and as much ouer While he stayed here he receiued Letters from king Iohn wherein hee againe complayned of sundry wrongs offered vnto him in regard whereof he renounced all such homage and fealtie by him and his subiects to bee any more acknowledged due vnto him The King hauing heard the letter read commanded his Chancelor to inrole it In the meane time the Scotish Army whereof I haue spoken before diuiding it selfe into two seuerall companies the one part vnder the leading of the Earle of Buquhan entred by Cumberland the other by Riddesdaile burning the villages putting all to sword they met withall in most furious manner and hauing euen glutted themselues with bloud they returned home with all their pillage and bootie The Earle of Dunbar came to Berwicke and submitted himselfe withall hee had vnto the Kings pleasure but in the meane season his Castle by the practise of his wife was rendred vnto the Scottes for the recouery whereof the Earles of Warwicke and Warren with a great power were forthwith sent thither by the king The English-men hauing beseeged the Castle were set vpon by the Scots betweene whome was fought a most bloudie battell but in the end the Englishmen had the victory the number of Scots slaine in fight and flight the chase continuing eight miles were about ten thousand the Noblemen escaped by recouering the castle On the next morning being the eight and twenteeth day of Aprill at the king of Englands comming thither the Castle was forth-with surrendred vnto him wherein were taken prisoners the Earles of Monteith Cassills and Ros sixe Barons namely Iohn Cumin the younger William Sincler Richard Siward the elder Iohn Fitz-geffrey Alexander de Mortaigne Edmond Cumin of Kilbird besides thirty knights and aboue that number of Lairdes and chiefe Gentlemen All these were sent into England bestowed in places of safe keeping From hence the king marched vnto the Castle of Roxbrough which incontinentlie yeelded it selfe the liues saued of all within the same Amongst whom the Lord Steward of Scotland was the principall man After this the King beseeged the strong Castle of Edenbrugh which after fifteene dayes
acknowleding to hold that Realme of him his heires and successors for euer At this meeting Balliol freelie gaue to king Edward the Castells and townes of Berwike Roxbrugh Peplies Dunfries Hadingtone and Gedworthe with the forestes of Silkerke and Etherike so as all the premises should bee thence-forth cleerelie seperated from the Crowne of Scotland and annexed to the Crowne of England all this was then firmely ratified and assured by oth writing and witnesse in the yeare 1334. King Edward being departed homewards Balliol was still set on worke by them of the Brusian faction in whose hands still remayned sundry strong Castells and fortifications as Dunbritanie Lochleuin Keldromie Vrquhart and the stronge pile of Lowdone so that as oportunitie serued one or other still reuolted from his obedience but at the approach of King Edward the next winter who was alwaies ready to relieue him in his extremities the country was well appeased and so committed to the keeping of Dauid Cumine Earle of Atholl while Balliol in the meane time accompanied the king into England This Earle was so egerly pursued shortly after their departure by the aduerse party that in the end hee was forced to reuolt from the English VVherevpon new sturres begā againe to arise especially thorough the prouocation of the Earle of Murrey and Robert Steward the principall men of the Brusian side For the suppressing hereof king Edward made his third voyage into Scotland the Summer following in the yeare 1335. His nauy at this time also for in his former iorneys thither hee was euer as well prouided by sea as by land consisted of some hundred and fifty saile well replenished with men munition and victualls By land he was accompanied with Balliol and his brother the Earle of Cornewall diuerse great Lords attending vpon them Being entred into Scotland they deuided themselues sometimes into two sometimes into three seuerall companies in which manner they passed at their pleasure without resistance aswell beyond the Scottish fourth as on this side the same In the meane time the Earle of Athol repaired to the king submitting himselfe againe to his obedience by whose example diuers other did the like but this Earle was shortly after slaine at the siedge of the Castell of Keldromie At the approach of winter king Edward with-drew himselfe to Newcastel where hee kept the feast of the Natiuity of our Lord. Immediatly after the Epiphany hee prepared to haue passed againe into Scotland especially to take reuenge for the death of the Earle of Atholl but in the meane time a truce was taken by mediation of the French king and the Pope which indured till the twenty seauenth of March 1336. In the meane season a Parliament was appointed to be held at London wherein a finall accord betweene the two nations should haue beene treated of and the kingdome of Scotland established Where the right which these two Scottish kings pretended should haue appeared most forcible VVhile this good course was intended and fully agreed vpon on all sides the Lord Maurice de Murrey slewe Sir Geffery de Ros a Scottish knight and Sheriffe of Aire and Leuarke one of Balliol his partakers because in time of warre hee had before slaine his brother By reason of this presumptious part and the frowardnesse of the Scottes on both sides still seeking reuenge one of the other this treatie tooke no effect The next Sommer about VVhitsontide the king sent an army into Scotland vnder the conduct of Balliol and diuers English Lords who finding the towne of Saint Iohns defaced by the enemies not able of themselues to hold it caused the same to be fortified at the charge of sixe of the next monasteries vnto it King Edward about this time was at a Parliament holden at Northamptone where leauing his Lordes and the rest to treate of such matters as were propounded amongst them hee posted into the North partes coming to Berwike from thence with a slender attendance hee arriued at Saint Iohns towne before any man there had heard of his intention Here hee found Balliol and the rest of his companie From hence the King passed forwards with some part of his army as farre as Elgen in Murrey-land thence to Inuernesse much further into Scotland then euer the King his grandfather had done before In the meane time the Earle of Cornewall with the power of Yorkeshire and Northumberland men and the Lord Anthony Lucie with those of Westmerland Comberland entred into Scotland wasted and spoyled the VVest partes as Carrick and others which obayed not Balliol The Lord Dowglasse by coasting the Englishmen did his best to hinder their course At length this armie hauing done what harme it could was sent home with great prey and bootie but the Earle of Cornewall with his owne people came thorow to Saint Iohns towne where he found the king returned from beyond the Mountaines Here some of the Scotish writers charge the King to haue slaine this Earle his brother for committing ouer great cruelty vpō the desolate Scottes in this his last iorney especially against the men of Religion it may be that the King was touched with a Christian compassion ouer the pore afflicted cōmonalty who cōmonly smart most for the obstinacy of the mightier mē But for any violence vsed by the king towards his brother it is so far from any colour of truth that euen the better sort of their own writers haue suppressed that report as a vaine and meere forgery For it wel appeareth by our own writers that this Earle died there of a natural disease his body was brought to England interred at Westminster with all solemnity therto belonging The king wholy spent these 2. last years in establishing of Balliol in the kingdō of Scotland because he was desirous to make all sure on that side whilest he followed his wars in France wheron now hee began to set al his thoughts At his departure out of Scotland some-what before the natiuity of our Lord Balliol withal his partakers bound themselues by an especial law that whensoeuer he his heires and successors kings of Eng. should make war either at home or abroad they their heires shold at their own charge for one whole yeare furnish him with 3. hundred horse-men one thousand foot-men wel apointed for seruice Shortly after the kings returne home war was proclaimed with France and all things forth-with were in preparing for that iorneye The next yeare the warre in Scotland proceeded with equall losse and disaduantage on both sides towards the end of the same yeare the king sent thyther an army of some twenty thousand men vnder the leading of the new created Earles of Salisbury Glocester and Derbie and of as many Barrones Percy Neuille and Stafford These besiedged the castell of Dumbar but to their small aduantage and lesse credit For hauing continewed the siedge about twenty weekes vnder the colour of a truce before it was distressed they gaue it ouer being more desirous to
that the Scottes being ten thousand choise men taken out of the whole army to giue the assault were beaten backe not without losse of many of their men Amongst other feats of â—rmes done at this assault for it deserued not the â—ime of a seidge it fell out that as the Englishmen defended the barriers without the gate the Dowglasse chaunced to be matched hand to hand with the Lord Henry and by force pulled his staffe from him where-vpon in his returne hoisting it vp on high hee cried out that hee would carrie the same for his glorie into Scotland with which conquest being as it seemed for the time satisfied the next day the whole armie departed home-wardes as farre as Otterbourne about eight myles from New-castle The two Percies the next morning with more courage then discretion being as yet ouer few to incounter the enemie issued out of the towne with such speed as that they were vpon the Scottes before they were departed from their lodgings neuerthelesse vpon some knowledge giuen them of the approach of the Englishmen they were ready to receaue theÌ„ at all assaies The fight continued very hote on both sides for the space of so much of the day as remayned after their meeting and for the most part of the night following by moone-shine The EnglishmeÌ„ caused the Scottes to giue ground and withall won their standard This being perceiued Patrike Hepbourne togither with his Sonne and such forces as were vnder his charge from out of the one side and the doughtie Dowglas from another quarter with his men so proudly assailed the Englishmen as beeing not able to make resistance they were forced in the end to yeelde or saue themselues by flight This battaile was fought in the yeare 1388. The number of the Englishmen slaine as Hector Boetius reporteth were fiue hundred not without some slaughter also of the Scottes amongst whome the Earle Dowglas was of principall account hauing receiued manie mortall wounds The two Percies were taken prisoners in fight with some other of good reckoning But manie more were taken in their flight for the Scottes pursued them so egarlie in the chase as that two hundred of themselues aduenturing ouer farre were taken prisoners by the Englishmen But Buchanan doth otherwise report this iorney Viz. That after the Scottes had diuided themselues into two companies they met not againe till after the battaile of Otterbourne also that the Earle Dowglas both at the same battaile and also before at the assault of New-castell had not in his armie aboue three thousand men of all sortes whereas the two Percies brought with them to Otterbourne ten thousand choise men But herein he doth not onely disagree from the other Scottish writers but also from himselfe For saith he when the two armies parted it was agreed vpon amongst them that neither of them should attempt to encounter the Englishmen vntill both the armies were met againe each of them consisting as some report of fifteene thousand men a peece And therfore it is most vnlikely that Dowglas contrary to his former appointment against al sence would aduenture to assault Newcastell with so few as hee speaketh of or willinglie abide the comming of the Percies against the liking of the greater number of his owne people as hee reporteth It is therefore more probable that when the two Scottish armies were met againe according to their appointment the Earle Dowglas to whose onelie direction the rest referred themselues making choise of the most able men amongst them sent the residewe home-wards with such spoyle as they had gotten in this iorney vnder the conduct of the Earle of Fife and his brother the rather because the King their Father was neither acquainted with this preparation into England as beeing more inclined to peace then to warre neither knewe hee that his Sonnes were amongst them Amongst others that had the Englishmen in chase after this last conflict it fell out that Iames Lindsey a Scot hauing the aduantage of weapon and armour tooke Mathew Redman the Gouernour of Berwike prisoner whoe was presentlie dismissed vppon his oath that within twenty daies after hee would yeeld him selfe prisoner againe vnto him Iames Lindsey immediatelie returned towardes his companie which as hee tooke it he had soone after in sight But when hee was come so neare that it auayled not to retire he found them to bee a band of Englishmen attending the Bishoppe of Durham For the Bishoppe beeing come to New-castle to ioyne with the Percies according to a former appointment vnderstanding that they were the same daie gone to seeke the enemie made but small hast after them supposing by reason of their weake attendance that they would attempt nothing before his comming to their succour the next morning but in their passage that night towardes Otterburne the Bishoppe vnderstood by those that had escaped by flight that the Englishmen had alreadie fought with the Scottes and were discomfeited wherevpon returning backe againe to the towne hee incountred Lindesey thus alone When Captaine Redman had espied his late acquaintance Iames Lindsey brought to New-castell as a captiue with all curtisie hee intertayned him and vpon euen hands the one redeemed the others lybertie In like manner vpon the returne of of the Scottes home-wards the younger brother of the Percies because by reason of his wounds hee was not able to take so great iorneyes obtayned libertie to returne to Newcastell for his speedier recouerie promising that when hee should bee better able to trauell hee would at any time beeing called thereto yeeld his bodie againe Vpon the same condition saith Buchanane were sixe hundred more at that time set at lybertie to go whether they would This custome hath beene still continewed amongst the borderers of either Nation wherein if any man brake his faithfull promise the party victorer at the next day of truce signifieth the others default which is reputed so great a disgrace vnto his Captaine as that his owne alliaunce and friends will for the same cast him off for euer The next yeare while the commissioners of the three Nations England France Scotland were busied about a treatie of a permanent peace the Scottes were so well fleshed with their booty gotten the last iorney as that they entred againe into Northumberland burning and spoileing that Countrie on euerie side Against thâ—se was the Lord Thomas Mowbraie Earle of Notingham sent with fiue hundred speares but hee preuailed little or nothing against them The Scottish Nobility tasted such sweetnesse in these two last roades into England as that they were vnwilling though their king was not against it to yeeld consent to any conclusion of peace wishing nothing more then the continewance of warre betweene England and France because they fared the better by it but the matter was so ernestly labored by the Frenchmen that with much adoe they accepted of peace which was againe renewed after the death of king Robert of Scotland the yeare following Viz. 1390. And
that hee had no reason to yeeld there-vnto till such time as recompence was made for the harme his subiects had sustained on the borders In the meane season he had also prepared an army of some twenty thousand men and committed the same to the conduct of the Duke of Norfolke accoÌ„panied with the Earles of Shrewsbery Darby Cumberland Surrey Hertford Angus Rutland and diuerse other Lords and Gentlemen of the North. King Iames hauing knowledge of this preparation entreated to haue all differences and complaints on both sides put to order and so taken vp VVherevpon the King caused his army to stay about Yorke appointing the Duke the Lord priuy seale and others to enter into conference with the Scottish Ambassodours and if possiblie they could to end all controuersies wherby to auoide the effusion of much bloud But when the Commissioners for England perceiued that the Scottes sought onely to detract time whereby to put of the warre for that yeare winter now approaching they breake of the treaty and hauing assembled the whole armie there-with entred into Scotland the twentith day of October in the yeare 1542. During there abode there diuerse townes and villages were burned and spoiled and hauing continued that course as long as their victualls held out the armie returned to Berwicke the nine and twentith daie of the same month without resistance or show of enemie although King Iames had then in readinesse as it is sayd an armie of thirtie thousand men incamped at Fallamure but foureteene miles within Scotland But whether it was that they waited some aduantage or that the Scottish Nobility were not so forward which is pretended as their King would haue had them nothing was attempted against England vntill the foure and twentith day of Nouember following by which time the Duke was well on his way towards London For then king Iames went him selfe vnto the VVest marches of Scotland where he appointed the Lord Maxwell his warden togither with the Earles of Cassels and Glencorne and certaine other Lords there with him to inuade England on that side This army consisting of fifteene thousand men passed ouer the water of Eske and burnt certaine houses of the Greues on the verie border Herevpon Thomas bastard Dacres and Iacke of Musgraue with an hundred light horses made towards the enemie hauing a while before sent to Sir Thomas Wharton Lord warden of those Marches to make all the hast hee could after them By that time these two valiant Captaines had begun the skirmish the Lord Wharton with some three hundred horse more were come within viewe of the Scottish host who supposing that the Duke or some other of the English Lords was turned backe againe with the whole armie otherwise they imagined those few would neuer haue aduentured so desperatly to set vpon them were with the suddenesse of this vnexpected flight put into such a Panick feare that forth-with committing themselues to flight as fast as their legges could carrie them or their horses vnder them they were pursued and taken without any resistance Amongst whom these following were the principal men The Earles of Cassels and Glencorne the Lord Maxwel the Lord Flemming the Lo. Sommerwel the Lord Oliphant the Lord Gray Sir Oliuer Sinclere the kings minion Iohn Rosse of Gragie Robert Aesken Sonne to the Lord Aesken the Lord Maxwells two brothers and aboue two hundred men of name more Of the common souliers not so few as eight hundred so as some one Englishman had three or foure prisoners to his share The Scottes lost at this blowe without anie bloud-shed on either partie twentie peeces of Ordinance foure Cart-loades of speares and tenne pauilions Thus wee see that the King of Heauen and Earth can and will daunt the corrage of man when it seemeth good vnto him to the end we should acknowledge him to be the only giuer of all victory The Scottish writers attribute the bad successe of their armie at this meeting to the vnaduised course which King Iames tooke in appointing a meane Gentleman Sir Oliuer Sinclere his Lieutenant grnerall ouer the same For vpon the hearing of the Kings Commission openlie reade the whole armie was so â—â—ch ofâ—ended â—â—d â—roâ—led thereat that it â—â—â—oght 〈…〉 confusion amongst them which beeing obserued of the Englishmen though they were but a handfull in comparison of the enemies power yet they were there-with so much incoraged that they aduentured manfully vpon them and put them al thereby to flight This discomfeiture chaunced vnto the Scottes at Solloway Mosse in the latter end of Noueâ—ber following and was the most admirable â—ictory that euer was had ouer them to bee wholy referred to the immediat hand of God howsoeuer they would excuse it King Iames being now at Garlanâ—rocke vpon the borders was â—â—ruelously perplexed aâ— tâ—â—â—ewes herof in so much as being ouer-come with an extreame malâ—ncholy passion he neuer after held vp his head but still languished till death had fully seized vpon him on the twentith day of December following In the meane season one and twenty of the chiefe prisoners were conuaied to London committed to the Towre the 19. day of the same month where hauing â—omâ—ined two daies they were carried thorow the streets to Westminster two and two togither in a â—anck Eight of them being Noblemen were apparelled at the Kings charge with new gownes of black damask furd with black â—â—â—ie â—oâ—tes of black â—elâ—eâ— and dublets of satteâ— else whatsoâ—uer belonged therto Then they wâ—re brought before the Counsel sitting at the Star-chamber where the Lord Chancellour rebuked them openly for their misdemeanour towards the King and Realme declaring that his Maiesty had good cause to make warre vpon them First for their dissimulation in all their treaties of peace Then for keeping his subiects in durance without redemption contrary to the ancient lawes of the Marches And lastly for inuading his dominions without open defiance or iust cause giuen on his Maiesties part Neuerthelesse that his Maiestie more regarding his honour then his Royall power was contented to render good for euill and curtisie for vnkindnesse For whereas hee might by lawe of armes as they knewe well enough shut them vp in close prison hee was contented that they should bee committed to the custodie of the Nobles of his land that were thought meet to take that charge vpon them according to their owne seuerall estates and degrees Then beeing dismissed thence they were forth-with bestowed with one Noble man or other accordingly of whom they had such curtious intertainment as that they themselues confessed they neuer liued more pleasantly at any time before On the twentith of December newes was brought to the Court of the Scottish Kings death King Henry and his Counsell conceiuing herevpon that a good meane was offred whereby without warre the two Realmes might be vnited intimated their meaning to the Scottish Lords who seeming very willing therein to gratifie the King were brought to the Court in Christ-masse
Francis Hothome Sir Iohn Massie Sir Leonard Beckwith Sir Thomas Cokanie Sir Peter Freshwell Sir Richard Egerton Sir Anthonie Neuille Sir Iohn Neuille Sir William Radcliffe Sir George Bowes Sir Vrian Breretone Sir William Breretone Sir Roger Breretone Sir Edward Warren Sir Brian Leytone Sir Robert Worseley Sir Thomas Talbot Sir Hugh Caluerley Sir Iohn Clere. Sir Richard Holland Sir Thomas Venables Sir Iohn Connestable Sir Edmund Trafford Sir Iohn Athertone Sir Richard Cholmeley Sir Philip Egerton Sir Hugh Willobie Sir Thomas Connestable Sir William Woodhouse Sir Edmund Sauage Sir Thomas Gerard. 11. May. 1544. Mathew Earle of Lennox being now wrought out of fauour with the French king by the practise of the Queene Mother and the Cardinall thought Scotland no safe place for him therefore to make himselfe the more able to resist the malice of his enimies at home he made meanes to be entertained of the King of England Taking therfore the sea with some other Noblemen of his country he arriued at Westchester about Midsōmer folowing From thence hauing first made his way to the King he repaired to the Court where being well entertained he maried shortly after the Lady Margaret Dowglas daughter and heire to the Earle of Angus by Queene Margaret of Scotland king Henries sister who thervpon endowed his Neece with an estate of inheritāce of certaine lands to the yearly valewe of seauenteene hundred markes of rent of assisse which to this day are called Lennox Lands From this coople descended two sonnes Henry Steward Lord Dernley the eldest was Father to Iames the sixt that now reigneth Mathew the other Brother married Elizabeth Candish Daughter to the Countesse of Shrewsbury the most famous builder of a woman in the world by whom he had onely issue the Lady Arbella a beautifull plant trayned vp as I heare by the Countesse her grand-mother in all commendable qualities and exercises of vertue and piety King Iames in regard of his iust title and claime to these lands receiueth of the Queenes maiesty that now is an yearely pension The Earle of Lennox being desirous to show his good will to do the King some acceptable seruice obtayning certaine bands of Englishmen entred into Scotland but he found not that constancy in his Country-men that he expected and therefore was inforced to returne without atchieuing his principal purpose though his labour was not all-togither lost for he raised and tooke diuerse Castells as that in the I le of Arraine belonging to the Gouernor the Castell of Rossey in the I le of Bute from whence the royall family of the Stewards Kings of Scotland now for the space of two hūdred and thirty yeares tooke their beginning Though King Henry at this time also maintayned sharpe war with France neuerthelesse hee ceased not to take the oportunity offred him thorow the ciuill dissention amongst the Scotish Nobility making continual roads forreis into their Countries About the midst of February following Sir Ralph Eeuers Lord warden of the middle Marches entred Scotland with foure thousand English Irish assured Scots passing to Iedworth without any resistance He vnderstood there that the gouerner with the Earle of Angus were lately come to the Abbay Melrosse about 8. miles distant frō thence purposing therto attēd the repaire of their forces hastning thetherward Sir Ralph therefore about mid night marching from thence hoped vpon the sudden to take them at some great aduantage beeing as yet ouer fewe to make resistance But the Scottes hauing knowledge by their Espialls of his approach though some-what to late forsooke their lodgings before they had good wills to arise leauing bag baggage behind thē in all hast they withdrew thēselues to the next mountaines frō thence to obserue the behauior of the English who finding the place abandoned tooke the spoile of al they foūd in the towne Abbay vtterly defacing the Monumēts of th' Douglasses greatly to the displeasure of the Earle of Angus his linage and so returned back towards Iedworth by this time the nūber of the Scots was wel increased by the repaire of Norman Lisle Sonne to the Earle of Rothsey a young Gentleman of good expectation and of Walter Scot with such troopes as accompanied thē thither in so much as the Gouerner was encoraged to giue the Englishmen battaile before they should reach Iedworth but because they trusted not altogither to their strength it was deuised that the maine battaile of the Scottes should lie closely in a vallie to receiue the Englishmen at vnawares which tooke effect accordingly For the Scottes sending all their horses with their keepers and those that might best be spared to the top of the hil vnder which they were embattailed the Englishmen were trained within their danger which beeing perceiued by these Scots that came on their side who were some 7. or 8. hundred they presently fel of and ioyned with the enemy The Englishmen neuerthelesse stuck to it till a great number of thē were slaine the rest beeing ouerweried with that daies and the last nights trauell betooke themselues to flight The middle battaile seeing their fellowes thus discomfeited they also turned and brake into the reereward in such confused manner as thereby the whole army was put out of order no man knowing whom to follow for his Captaine The Scottes in the meane time taking the aduantage of the winde and the Sunne were vpon them before they could well discerne what they were In this confusion euery man sought to saue himselfe whereof insued a great slaughter with very small losse on the other side Besids Sir Rafe Euers the Lord of Ogle and Sir Brian Layton who were chiefe Commanders diuers other gentlemen were slaine in the whole number of two hundred a thousand were taken prisoners well nere of whom some foure score were men of qualitie and speciall note Though the benefit of this victory fell to the Gouernor the glory thereof redownded to the Dowglasses King Henry was much greeued for the gentleman Sir Rafe Euers whose seruice had bene such in these late warrs with the Scottes that he had brought the more part of all those that inhabited within twenty miles of the borders of Eng. vnto the obedience of King Henry who now were the chiefe cause of his destruction in maner as you haue heard This yeare the French King sent Mongomery into Scotland with foure thousand Frenchmen of whome fiue hundred were lances these ioyning with the Scottes to the number of fifteene thousand in the whole came to the borders encamping ouer against Warke Castle from whence passing ouer the riuer euery other day they entred into the English marches and returned backe againe at night with such booties as they got In this manner hauing praied vpon the inhabetants fiue or sixe miles compasse for the space of a weeke to gether vnderstanding that the Earle of Hertford lieutenant ouer the North parts had taken such order for the defence of those countries that it auailed not to
A HISTORIE CONtayning the VVarres Treaties Marriages and other occurrents betweene England and Scotland from King William the Conqueror vntill the happy Vnion of them both in our gratious King IAMES With a briefe declaration of the first Inhabitants of this Island And what seuerall Nations haue sithence setled them-selues therein one after an other INNOCENTER SAPERE Imprinted at London by G. Eld. 1607. TO THE PRINCE MOST sweete Prince giue mee leaue to salute you Plinie in his Preface to his naturall historie reseruing the title of Great to your royall Father as Plinie the worlds Historifier saluted â—itus whome the Senate and People called Orbis amorem and Delicias humani generis This Booke at first intended to do you honour coÌ„meth now to beg some honour of you Intended to do you honour by reuiuing and bringing to fresh memorie the many leagues and happy mariages betweene the two kingdomes of this Iland to worke a better conceit of either to other then I found in most men for the more easie harty receiuing in the fulnesse of time of your excellent house the common bloud of both nations to raigne ouer vs but that we might readily and ioyfully imbrace that which many ages had sought none found Shame and confusion to the ingratis and now was gratis offered vnto vs. But while I vvas framing this vvorke to this end the vnexpected time preuented my designes and let me see hovv farre Gods vvisdome and goodnesse exceeds poore mens mistie cogitations and deuises filling our soules vvith comfort by the generall applause of all men for the most happy issue of so dangerous an alteration in our state Since which time my Booke hath lien neglected as needlesse to the world his end attained and date expired Yet for as much as some of my friends doe censure mee for suppressing that which may do some good seruice though not the great principally intended when it is now entring the view of men it commeth first to beg this honour of you to grace the frontispice with your most Gratious name and sheild it with your patronage And since by your Princely and powrefull aspect without deminution of his super-eminent Maiestie whence you deriue it you resemble the Sunne in the firmanent which receaueth light from none the Creator excepted but giueth light and life to all inferiour bodies vouchsafe the beames of your fauour vpon it to illustrate the obscuritie of the Author and the meanesse of the worke So shall my heart be more inflamed if yet that be possible with your loue and my booke more welcome to all mens reading I rest euer to be commanded by your Highnesse EDWARD AYSOV To the Reader I Haue here curteous reader vndertaken to set downe in a continued discourse whatsoeuer hath passed betweene England Scotland from the last Conquest vntill the decease of our late Soueraigne neuer to be forgotten the renowned Elizabeth My trauel consisteth wholy in this that I haue reduced into an entire History a true report of things passed which al other writers before me as farre as I know haue deliuered onely by partes and peece-meales whereby you may with more delight and facility conceiue and digest the coherence of the whole and withall carrie the matter the better in memory The chiefe principal reason which mooued mee to take this taske vpon me I shall not neede to speake of in this place hauing touched it before in my Epistle to the Prince and made it so apparent throughout my whole Booke as that the reader may decerne it running For though the right and title of King Iames was pregnant enough and euen palpable to euery valgar capacitie Neuerthelesse what reason the best affected to the same had to forecast some perill in his Maiesties accesse and passage vnto it the sequell hath declared But it pleased the Lord our good God the disposer of mens wills and affections so to worke in the heartes of our graue and most prudent Senate as by them he brought that to passe within the tearme of very few howers which if the aduersaries vnto our happinesse had had their wils would not in so many monthes nay happily yeares haue bin attained vnto For did they not by proclaiming his Maiesty in tempore oportuno without delay preuent the malice of those two raging Buls not of Bashan but of Typical BabiloÌ„ Reuel 18. that is to say Rome whose pestiferous breath might otherwise haue poisoned and infected we know not how many male-contents and seditious Romanistes Against the former King Dauid alone complained Psal 22. but of the latter how many Kings Emperors shal we read of that haue bin fronted and foyled many brought downe to their knees others laid groueling on their faces some thrust out of their KingdoÌ„es some gored euen vnto death Psal 28. But O Lord saue thy people giue thy blessing vnto thine inheritance c. An other reason ayming at the same end was this That wheras the Chronicles of both Nations containe matter of reproach and disgrace one against the other I haue had an especiall care to carry my selfe so indifferently betweene them as I hope neither of both shall haue iust cause to take offence therat So as in that respect if any at all may be admitted which none J thinke will oppugne then shall this of mine haue priueledge before all other that J know Since wee al now happily become Subiects vnto one most gratious Soueraigne let vs value one the others vertues at one and the same price and setting apart all partialitie detraction and vaine glory let vs deuide the true honour and glorie attayned on both sides indiffereÌ„tly betweene vs. Are we not all for the most part the broode and off-spring of the same parents the auntient English Saxons what preheminence then shall wee giue to the one Nation aboue the other Admit the Englishmen haue beene victorious in more battailes haue entred more often and passed further in Hostile manner into the others Countries and dominions and haue gotten greater booties both by Land and Sea what then is not this our Nation farre more populous and plentifull of all store of prouision and complements pertayning to warre Whereof then shall wee boast These vauntes are therefore full of vanitie Let vs now contende who shall giue more sincere and acceptable praise and thankes to the Almighty who in loue to both hath now at length made vs of two discording Nations one peaceable people vnder one Prince not by conquest the mother of confusion but by an happy seede and off-spring proceeding from the successe of marriage his holy ordinance Whereby the memory of all fore-passed displeasures and vnkindnesse is buried in perpetual obliuion Many haue longed laboured to worke this blessed Vnion How many lost their liues in the ouer vehement pursute of the intended marriage betweene King Edward the sixt and Mary the late Queene of Scottes the successe whereof if it had beene
for abrogating the ancient lawes and customes of the land hee established others such as either he had brought out of Normandie or that he thought more fitte for the present gouerment of the English nation And further taking from the Englishmen their lands and possessions hee bestowed them on his followers and partakers in his conquest at his owne will and pleasure Herevpon as also by manie other extremities dayly offered more and more to all degrees and estates the great men especially who thorow the greatnesse of their mindes could worst indure so many indignities conuaied them-selues out of the realme some into one country some into another hoping to finde such fauour with forraigne Princes as with their helpe they might happily one day finde meanes to bee restored againe to their former estates and dignities in their natiue Countrie Amongst these Edgar Atheling whom this businesse concerned more then any of the rest purposing to haue sailed into Germanie to his friends and alliance there together with his mother and two sisters was by contrary windes as the Lord would haue it driuen into Scotland where they were curteously intertained of Malcolme surnamed Cammore the King of that Countrie the rather because they were of the bloud and linage of King Edward the Confessor by whose especiall meanes he had beene established in his Kingdome Shortly after in respect no doubt of the possibilitie wherein shee stood to come by the Crowne of England after her brother King Malcolme tooke to wife the Lady Marguerit the elder sister This marriage was solemnized about Easter next following in the yeare 1067. King William hearing what had passed in Scotland and fearing lest this alliance might worke him some displeasure for Edgar had many well-willers in England forth-with sent an Harold of Armes to King Malcolme for the deliuery of him which if it would not be granted then he should denounce open warre against him Answer was here-unto made that hee held it a very vniust thing yea a very wicked part for him to deliuer Edgar into his hands that onely for feare of the losse of his life was forced to flie out off England beeing of that innocent carriage and demeanor towards the King his Maister that euen his greatest aduersaries could no way touche him with the least suspition of disloyaltie Further that he was now bound besides the respect of ordinary humanitie in this case by more straight bands of neere alliance to tender his estate So as King Malcome was no whit terrified with these threats still intertaining Edgar his friends that dayly repaired into Scotland by whom King Malcome being incouraged tooke the oportunitie that was offered For whilest King William was occupied in pursuing the English Rebels he with his armie entred into England wasting and spoiling the countries of Theisdale and Cleueland and the lands of Saint Cutbert with diuers other in those parts For the suppressing of whom King William sent Gospatrike whom he had lately before made Earle of Northumberland in the place of Syward that tooke part against him with the Scottes and Englishmen their adherents Entring into those parts he made the like spoile as was before made by the Scottes so as those countries were grieuouslie afflicted on both sides But yet their miseries had no end for Gospatricke was no sooner returned but the Scots entring those countries againe exceeding their former cruelty vpon the poore inhabitance King William to giue end to these extremities hauing assembled a mighty armie in his owne person entred into Scotland about the middest of August pursuing the English rebels and their partakers into Galloway but they being not disposed to abide his approach fled vnto the Mountaines wherefore giuing them ouer hee turned his forces into Lothiane where he vnderstood that king Malcome was incamped with all his whole powre purposing to make a conquest of Scotland also But when these two puissant armies were euen ready to assaile one the other the Scottish king distrusting his strength and fearing the fortune of the Conqueror sent an Harrald of Armes to enter into treatie of a firme peace betweene the two Nations wherevnto king William was drawne at the length on these conditions First that king Malcome should doe homage vnto the king of England for the realme of Scotland On the other side that king William should pardon all those Englishmē which then tooke part with Malcome against him Further to auoide all occasion of quarrell that happily might afterwards arise about the limits bounds of the two kingdoms it was agreed vpon that a crosse of stone should be erected in Steenmore which tooke that name of the nature of the soile which was very stonie bearing the Armes and Image of the king of England on the South-side thereof and on the contrary-side the armes and Image likewise of the king of Scotland which while it stood for many yeares after was called the crosse of the kings Thus were they accorded and thence-forth continued in friendship while they liued together King William in his returne tooke the Earledome of Northumberland from Gospatricke on whom he had lately bestowed the same and gaue it to Waltheof the sonne of Siward deceased that held it in the right of Alfred his wife the daughter heire of Aldread some-time Earle of that Prouince Waltheof was in that fauour with the king that shortly after he gaue him to wife the lady Iudith his neece daughter to Lambert Earle of Leux with all the lands belonging to the honor of Huntington whereby he became Earle of Northumberland Huntington Notwithstanding these especial fauours Waltheof not long after entred into a conspiracy against the king which although he disclosed before it brake out into open warre king William was so highly offended thereat that he caused him to be beheaded not without some note of cruelty hauing reuealed the whole practise and submitted himselfe to the kings mercy Edgar Atheling returning out of Scotland obteined the kings fauour was highly aduanced but to auoid further danger in which case a Prince cannot be too circumspect he was not admitted without leaue to depart the Court while he liued King William the Conqueror being deceased in the 20. 1087. yeare of his raigne about 14. yeares after the former conclusion of peace whether it was to reuenge the death of Earle Waltheof his cousine germaine executed as before you haue heard or whether he was drawn on by an ambitious humor to inlarge his dominions or as some haue rather thought prouoked therevnto by some vnkindnes offred by K. Williā Rufus who succeeded his father here whatsoeuer the cause was King Malcolme taking the oportunitie while the King and his elder brother Robert Duke of Normandie were at some variance about the Crowne entred with his Armie into Northumberland preying vpon the inhabitants as farre as Chester in the street The King of England sent such forces against him as that entring into Scotland they tooke the Castell of Anwicke putting
side they all with one full consent and voyce pronounced Iohn Balioll the true and vndoubted heire to the Crowne of Scotland King Edward allowing their verdit gaue sentence accordingly Whervpon he was forthwith proclaimed king of Scotland on condition that if hee did not gouerne his kingdome with equitie iustice then vpon iust complaint thereof the king of England might put to his helping hand by some good meanes to procure reformation as he was bound therevnto by his right of Superioritie which in him was anciently inuested Further hee awarded out his writtes of deliuery of seisme at the sute of Balliol vnto the Bishops aforesaid and to Iohn Lord Cumin Iames Lord Steward and Brian Fitz-alline wardens of Scotland commanding them to deliuer vnto Iohn Balliol the full seisme and possession of that land sauing the relieues and other payments due to him of the issues and profits of the same vnto the day of the date of that writ being the xix of Nouember in the twentith yeare of the raigne of King Edward Anno Domi. 1291. also an other writte was likewise directed the same day to such as had the keeping of the Castels in forme following Edwardus dei gratia Rex Angliae c. Edward by the grace of God King of England Lord of Ireland Duke of Aquitaine and Superiour Lord of the realme of Scotland To his welbeloued and faithfull seruant Peter Burdet Constable of the Castell of Berwicke sendeth greeting Whereas Iohn Balliol in Parliament lately holden at Berwick vpon Tweede came before vs and demanded the sayd realme of Scotland to be adiudged to him by vs and seisme of the same to bee to him deliuered as next heire to Margaret Daughter to the King of Norway Lady of Scotland by right of succession wee hauing heard and vnderstood the same petitions and reasons beeing diligently weyed and examined wee finde the sayde Iohn Balliol to bee next heyre to the Crowne of Scotland Where-vpon wee haue deliuered vnto him seisme and possession thereof Wee therefore command you that you deliuer vp vnto the sayd Iohn Balliol or to his Atturneys that shall bring with them these our Letters the seisme of the sayd Castell of Berwicke with all the appurtenances together with all other things to you deliuered by Indenture in manner as you receaued the same with the custodie of the sayd Castell to you committed and this without delay Witnesse our selfe at Berwicke vpon Tweede the nineteenth day of Nouember in the 20. yeare of our raigne In the same forme were writtes directed to all the keepers of the other Castels and manors belonging to the crowne of Scotland and being then in their custodie to whom K. Edward had before granted the same Then also in the presence of the new king and the nobles of Scotland the new seale which had bin before committed by King Edward to the gouernors of the realme of ScotlaÌ„d during the time of vacancie was broken and put vp to be reserued in the treasurie of the King of England in token of his superiority and the trust committed vnto him for the ending of this controuersie The next day the Scotish king did fealtie in the Castle of Norham vnto king Edward for his kingdome in manner following This heare you my Lord Edward King of England Soueraigne Lord of the Realme of Scotland That I Iohn Balliol king of Scotland which I hold and claime to hold of you shall be faithful and loyall and owe faith and loyaltie vnto you I shall beare of life and member and of earthly honour against all people and lawfully I shall acknowledge and doe the seruices which I ought to doe to you for the Realme of Scotland aforesaid So God mee helpe And for more testimonie hereof hee caused letters patents to bee sealed deliuered to King Edward in the presence of the Bishoppes of S. Andrewes and Glasco and of diuers others of the Nobilitie of both Nations This done King Edward appointed the bishop of Durham and the Lord Iohn S Iohn to attend Balliol into Scotland and to put him into the corporall possession of the Land which was performed accordingly For on S. Andrewes day following he was crowned at Scone in the Marble chaire in the Abbey the solemnities ended he returned backe to New-castle vpon Tine where king Edward kept his Christmasse that yeare and there vpon Saint Stephens daye the Scotish king did homage to king Edward in manner following My Lord Lord Edward king of England Superior Lord of Scotland I Iohn de Balliol king of Scotland doe acknowledge mee to bee your Liegeman of the Realme of Scotland with all the apurtenances and whatsoeuer belongeth thereto The which kingdome I hold and ought of right to claime to hold by inheritance of you and your heyres kings of England And I shall beare faith and loyaltie to you and to your heyres kings of England of life of member and earthly honour against all men which may liue and die The two kings hauing spent some time there together with much ioy and reuell tooke their leaues one of the other and parted in great kindnes Thus was this controuersie decided and taken vp which had continued from the death of Alexander the last king before him vnto this mans coronation sixe yeares and eight monthes nowe within that tearme of months ended by king Edward to the exceeding great benefit of that nation had not their inconstancie immediatlie afterwards bereaued them thereof and turned the good which they might haue gained therby well nere to their vtter coÌ„fusion as in the History following shall appeare The next yeare afâ—er that king Balliol was thus established in his kingdome a controuersie arose concerning titlâ— of Land betweene Macduffe Earle of Fife who in the time of the interraigne was one of the sixe to whom the gouernment of the Realme was committed and the familie of the Abernethes men of good place also one of these kild the Earle whose brother making complaint thereof to his king was not only little regarded therein but vpon the hearing of the matter in controuersie hee gaue iudgement against him Macduffes brother hauing lost both his land and found the King ouer-slow in taking reuenge for the iniury offered his familie appealed to the king of England where-vpon king Balliol was called to London to answer to the others accusatioÌ„ The two kings sitting together in Parlament the Plaintife propounded his coÌ„plaint The Scotish king beeing the partie defendant was intreated to remoue according to the order obserued in such cases into an inferiour place to answer and to plead for himselfe for it is not the manner of that most honourable asseÌ„bly to admit counsell on either side This disgrace saith Buchanan first moued king Balliol to breake off friendship with England for the warre beeing euen then in that Parliament renewed with France he was thereby the more easily drawne to enter into league and alliance with that Nation King Edward hauing had secret
Earles he gaue Earledomes to Barons Baronies and to others according to their degrees About the beginning of the next yeare he returned to London He was no sooner out off Scotland with his army but presently there was a new Viceroy set vp one of the Cumines who began to raise new stirs there amongst some other they tooke the Castle of Striueling But vnderstanding that king Edward was gathering new forces wherewith to enter into Scotland againe they began to consult what was best to be done not only for the preuēting of his presēt approch but especially for the recouery of the kingdome which was now in great danger by cōquest to be annexed to the Crowne of Engl In the end they resolued with all speed to procure an abstinence from war to the intent that in the meane season the might labor Pope Boniface to take vpon him the protection of the realme of Scotland thereby to auoid shake off al maner of subiection to the king of England for the Pope had lately before so far preuailed alreadie with king Edward as that at his intreaty Iohn Balliol was committed to the custodie of the Bishop of Cambray who vndertooke in the Popes behalfe that his liberty should not preiudice the quiet estate of either nation Engl or Scotland According to this their resolution the lords of Scotl procured Philip de Valois the French king to effect this their desired truce which was granted for eleuen months to Whitsontide following beeing the more easilie cōpassed by him by reasō king Edward had lately before married his sister Hereupon for this time the army was dissolued being euen ready to haue entred into Scotlād In the meane time the Scotish lords sent Ambassadors to Rome presēting to the Pope a grieuous complaint of the proceedings of king Edward That hee was fully bent to make a conquest of their country vnlesse it would please his Holines by the vertue of his prerogatiue in such cases to cōpound order all differences as wel amongst thēselues as also betweene the king of Engl and them at his will and pleasure wherunto they would willingly submit themselues The Pope gaue eare to their petition hoping to gaine somthing by the bargaine for with him no peny no Pater noster And first he began to quarrel with king Edward because he would not at his intreatie restore vnto Edward Balliol those landes in England which descended vpon him by the death of Iohn Balliol his father now latelie deceassed Then he forbad him from thence-forth to make war with the Scots because they had submitted themselues to the protection of the Sea Apostolicall in whose power it now only rested to dispose of their kingdome as seemed best to the same And by way of preuention he further declared that al such homage fealtie as the kings of Scotland in former times had done to the kings of England was onely for Tiuidale Penreth and such other Lands as they held within England and not for the realme of Scotland as hee would haue it Lastly whereas the kings of Scotland had some-times serued the kings of England in their warres both at home and abroade and had bin sondry times present at their coronations al this proceeded of their voluntary accord and especial fauor towards them by reason of their neerenesse in bloud and not as he tooke it of any duty binding them thereto King Edward in his answere herevnto proued by euident reasons that the right of Superiority and command ouer the realme of Scotland did iustlie belong vnto him and that the allegations made to the contrarie were vaine and frivolous Besides the kings letters the Nobility also of the realme being now assēbled in Parliament at Lincolne ioyned in the framing of an other letter answering in the name of the three estates vnto that poynt of the Popes pretended right to intermeddle in the cause betweene the king their maister and the Lords of Scotland that it was neuer before knowne that the kings of England had answered or of right ought to answere for any thing they clamed before any iudge ecclesiasticall or seculer yea though the king would therevnto yeald yet wold they neuer giue their consentes vnto it seeing it would so much preiudice his dignity royall and the ancient customes and priuileges of the realme This letter bare date the twelft of February in the yeare of grace 1301. and was signed vnder the hands and seales of these Noblemen whose names follow viz. Iohn Earle Warren Thomas Earle of Lancaster Ralfe de Monthermer Earle of Glocester Herford Humfrey de Bohum Earle of Hereford and Essex and Constable of England Roger Bigod Earle of Norfolke Marshall of England Guie Earle of Warwick Richard Earle of Arundel Audomar de valence lord of Monterney Henry de Lancaster Lord of Monmouth Iohn de Hastings Lord of Bergeuenny Henry de Percy Lord of Topeliffe Edmond de Mortimer Lord of Wigmor Robert fitzwater Lord of Woodham Iohn de Saint Iohn Lord of Hannake Hugh de veer Lord of Swanestampe William de Brewse Lord of Gower Robert de Mounthault Lord of Hewarden Robert de Tateshal Lord of Wokeham Reignald de Grey Lord of Ruthin Henry de Gray Lord of Codnore Hugh Bardalfe Lord of Wormegaie Robert de Clifforde Chatellaine of Appleby Peter de Malow Lord of Mulgreene Philip Lord of Kine Robert Fitz Roger Lord of Claueringes Ioh. de Mohun Lo. of Dunester Almerick de S. Amonde Lord of Widehay Williā de Ferrers Lo. of Groby Alaine de Zouche Lo. of Asby Theobalde de Vernon Lo. of Webbeley Tho. de Furniuall Lo. of Schefield Tho. de Moulton Lo. of Egremont William Latimer Lo. of Corbie Tho. Lord Berkeley Foulke Fitzwarren Lo. of Mitingham Iohn Lo. Seagraue Edmond de Enicourt Lo. of Thurgerton Peter Corbet Lord of Cans William de Cantelow Lord of Rauensthorpe Iohn de Beauchampe Lo. of Hacchie Roger de Mortimere Lo. of Penkethlin Iohn Fitz Reinald Lord of Blenleuenie Ralfe de Neuell Lord of Rabie Brian Fitz-Alaine Lo. of Bedale William Marshall Lord of Heugham Walter Lo. Huntercombe Williā Martin Lo. of Camies Henrie de Thies Lord of Chilton Roger de Ware Lo. of Isefield Iohn de Riuers Lo. of Augre Iohn de Lancaster Lo. of Grisedale Robert Fitz-Paine Lo of Lumnier Henry Tregoz Lord of Garings Robert Pipard Lo. of Lomford Walter Lord Faucomberg Roger le Strange Lord of Ellesmere Iohn le Strange Lo. of Cuokin Tho. de Chances Lo. of Norton Water de Beauchampe lor. of Alecester Rich. Talbot lor. of Eccleswell Iohn Butetourt lord of Mendesham Iohn Eugain lor. of Colum Hugh de Poynes lor. of Corneualet Adam lord of Welles Simond lord Montacute Iohn lord Sulle Iohn de Moells lord of Candeburie Edmond Baron Stafford Iohn Louell lord of Hackings Edmond lor. of Elchimhonocks Ralfe Fitz-William lo. of Grimthope Robert de Scales lor. of Neusells William Tuchet lo. of Lewenhales Iohn Abadan lor. of Deuerstone Iohn de Hatterings lor. of Graston Robert
Lewarde lor. of Whitehall Nicholas de Seagraue lo. of Stowe Walter de Tey lor. of Stonegraue Iohn de Lisle lor. of Wodtō Eustace Lord Hacchie Gilbert de Peche Lord of Corby William Painell Lord Trachington Roger de Albo Monasterio Foulke le Strange Lord of Corsham Henrie de Pinckney Lord of Wedon Iohn de Hodelestone Lord of Aneys Iohn de Huntingfield Lord of Bradingham Hugh Fitz-Henry Lord of Rauēswath Iohn Daleton Lord of Sporle Nicholas de Carry Lord of Mulessord Thomas lord de la Roche Walter de Muncie Lord of Thorntone Iohn Fitz-Marmaduke lord of Horden Iohn lord of Kingston Robert Hastings the Father lord of Chebessey Raphe lord Grendon William lord Leiborne Iohn de Greslock lord of Morpeith Mathew fitz-Iohn lord of Stokenham Nic de Neuell lord of Wherlton and Iohn Paniell lord of Ateley foure score and foureteene Barons The truce expired the King passed with his armie into Scotland about Midsomer following where he remained all that summer and the next winter he kept his Christmasse at Lithcoe where he lost many of his great horses the season not seruing to make sufficient prouision for the keeping of them there The Scots in the meane time hauing laboured the French king to that end obteined another truce till Hallontide next whervpon the King returned into England Neither ceased they still to perswade the Pope to vndertake the defence of their country but hee vpon the receipt of the former letters out of England began to waxe colde in the matter and the rather because beeing now falne out with the French king he hoped to procure king Edward to make war vpon him offring to take his part in the quarel but neither his holines nor hipocrisie preuailed therein When this latter truce was come to an end the king sent the Lord Iohn Seagraue into Scotland accompanied with Ralfe Comfrey and a competent power to keepe the country quiet to recouer the Castle of Sterling The English Army entring into Lothian seuered it selfe into three companies foure miles distant one from the other to the end they might be the more plētifully serued of victualls The enemie taking the aduantage of this manner of marching sodenlie in the morning set vpon the foremost cōpanie lead by the Lord Seagraue and made such slaughter as fewe or none escaped with life When knowledge was brought backe to theyr fellowes that followed them next in order the Lord Neuell that had the leading thereof with certaine horse-men came vpon the spurres and rescued the Lord Seagraue who otherwise had bin taken or slaine Ralfe Comfrey after this misfortune not holding it conuenient to attempt any further interprise at that time beeing much ouermatched with number and strength returned with the residue into England This ouerthrow was giuen the Englishmen at Rosting within fiue miles of Edenborugh the 24. day of February in the yeare 1302. King Edward was not a little moued with the losse of these men and therefore hauing gathered a puissant armie about Midsomer following hee made his last iourney into Scotland purposing to bring the same wholy to his obedience At his approach the enemy being not able to make head against him gaue way on euery side flying to the Mountaines and other places vnaccessible so as the king in manner without any resistance passed thorow the land euen vnto Cathnesse the furthest part of Scotland Many of them perceiuing how farre vnable they were to with-stand his forces submitted them-selues on condition they might inioy againe their possessions which the King had giuen to his followers the Lords of England they redeeming the same of them at some reasonable rate where-vnto the King consented In his returne he caused the Castle of Sterling to be besiedged but he himselfe lay at Dumfermling the greater part of the next Winter whether the Queene his Wife hauing remained a long time at Tinmouthe came at length vnto him The siege hauing continued three moneths the Castell was surrendred the liues of them that kept it onely reserued Before his departure the King caused all the Scottish Nobilitie to repaire to Saint Andrewes Towne where they tooke a new oath of their allegiance vnto him Such as hee held suspected hee carried with him into England togeather with diuers monuments and antiquities amongst which the Marble Stone of Stone Abbay wherein the Kings of that realme accustomed to sitte at the time of their Coronation was of speciall account It remaineth at this day at Westminster not farre from the place where hee lyeth intombed This Stone hath such a fatall destinie following it as the Scottes then beleeued as that where-so-euer it should bee found ouer that Countrey should a Scotish man raigne in how short time this may come to passe no man knoweth The King at his departure committing the gouernment of Scotland to the Lord Iohn Sea-graue returned into England hoping that now hee had made an end of his warres there and brought the whole realme into a peaceable estate vnder his obedience but it did not so fall out For about this time dyed Robert Bruse Earle of Carrike who stood for the crowne of Scotland against Balliol the last King Wherevpon Robert Bruse his sonne began to cast about by what meanes hee might now attaine the fame But whether hee were set on worke by the Lord Cumin to the end hee might bee so much the neerer vnto it himselfe for hee was descended from Mary the other Daughter of Allaine Lord of Gallowaye and so after the extirpation of the two families of the Balliols and the Bruses was next to the Crowne or whether it proceeded from himselfe hauing so good title there-vnto without acquainting the other with his meaning he was no sooner entred into the plot but was discouered by the Lord Cumin which being made knowne vnto him he thought himselfe in no safety in England and therefore by secret flight passing into Scotland hee set vpon Cumin at vnawares who otherwise had beene ouer-strong for him and so dispatched him out of the way Then hee caused himselfe forthwith to bee crowned King of Scotland by the Countesse of Bougham in the absence of her brother the Earle of Fife then in England at his Mannor of Whitwicke in Leicestershire to whom that office by inheritance appertained This Lady was afterwardes for her punishment for this offence put into a Cage of wood which being placed on the walls of the Castell of Edenborough was for a while made a gazing stock to the passengers by it Immediatly vpon the newes of the coronation of Bruse the King sent an army into Scotland vnder the conduct of the Earle of Pembrooke his Lieutenant there the Lord Henry Percie and the Lord Robert Clifford here-with to resist the new attempts of the Scottes vnder their new King Bruse in the meane time knowing against whom hee was to contend sought by all meanes to make himselfe as strong as possibly he could therfore ranging the coasts vp downe he
assembled some fewe small forces where-with â—e approched the towne S. Iohns purposing there first to make trial of his fortunes but the Earle of Pembrooke by chance had first entred the towne with some 300. horse-men besides foote-men Bruse sent him word that he was come thither to fight with him and all his partakers if hee would come forth The Earle answered hee would rest that day being the Sabaoth but on the next morning he would accept of his chalenge Bruse herevpon with-drew his armie a mile backe againe from the towne meaning to be-take himselfe and his people that night to their rest but he was disquieted sooner then he looked for the Earle issuing out of the towne a little before night about the beginning of the Calends of August assailed them so sodenly as that he had slaine a great numbee before they could get armour and weapons for their defence so as after a little resistance the Scots with their new king were put to flight The Earle following the chase pursued them vnto Kenter and vnderstanding that Bruse was entred a Castle ther-about he besieged presently tooke the same wherin he found his wife his brother Nigell with some others but Bruse him-selfe was fled vnto the mountaines these he sent presently to Berwicke This Lady was the daughter of the Earle of Vlster in Ireland who had lately before sent ouer vnto K. Edward two of his sonnes to remaine in England for pledges of their fathers fidelity for whose sake she found great fauor Shortly after was the castle of Lachdore takeÌ„ by th' English-men in it Christopher Seton that had married the sister of Bruse by birth hee was an English-man and had before slaine a Knight of England in some bad manner for the which fact especially he was by the kings coÌ„mandement executed at Dunfries where the same was committed the like execution was also made at Berwicke vpon Nigell Bruse and the rest of his companions But the Earle of Atholl who was also taken about the same time was remoued to London where he was beheaded and his head set on a pole ouer London-bridge Though Bruse in the meane season was put to many hard shifts wandring in desert places like a forelorne man not-with-standing hee would not giue ouer so good a cause but after a little breathing began a fresh to bestur him so as what by entreaty threats he gathered some few troops of horsmen about him and whilest hee was thus occupied himselfe in one place he sent two of his brothers the one a Knight the other a priest into other parts of the country to procure what aide they could But as they were thus busied they were both taken condemned of treason and for the same executed These misfortunes stil following one in the necke of another little or nothing allaied the thirst of a kingdom for he knew his cause was iust and that howsoeuer his sinnes had deserued especially the murther he committed at the very entrance into this actioÌ„ yet should he die if it came to that in a good quarel Hauing therefore happily reconciled himselfe to God whom 〈◊〉 had therein greeuouslie offended with 〈…〉 courage hee fully resolued to pursue his 〈…〉 Beeing now some what better strengthned with the aide of the Ilanders hee incouâ—â—â—â— the Earle of Pembrooke and put him to 〈…〉 like hap shortly after hee had against the Earle of Glocester These small hartnings did incourage Bruse to attempt greater aduentures so as within short time he recouered diuers Castels but being not able to man them hee cast them downe to the ground King Edward hauing knowledge of these his proceedings in Scotland by his letters directed into certaine countries fittest for that seruice gaue commandement that as many as were able to vse a weapon should within three weekes after Midsomer attend him at Carliel But before the appointed time was come the king fell sicke there from whence being remoued to Brough on the sand he departed out of this life in the 35. yeare of his raigne An. 1307. By the death of King Edward the state of the affaires betweene these two Nations was much altered for his sonne and successour king Edward the second being now not about â—â—ree and twentie yeares olde was giuen after the manner of youth more to follow his plâ—â—sures then the cares and trauels of 〈…〉 And therefore neglecting his businesse 〈…〉 gaue fitte opportunitie to his 〈…〉 and little 〈◊〉 off the 〈…〉 which his father by his valiancie had brought them So as while this youthfull King sought nothing more then to spend his time in voluptuous pleasure riotous excesse making such his familiers and chiefe minions about him as best fitted his humor Bruse on the other side wholy indeuored by all possible meanes how to restore his country to her former liberty and quiet estate now wel nere brought to the brinke of an vnrecouerable downfal And by his good fore-sight and singuler manhood hee so much preuailed as that in the space of three or foure yeares he recouered his kingdom for hauing bin much inured with hardnesse trauel together with his long experience in managing the affaires of state as well in time of peace as of war he had no small aduantage thereby of the other The father dying not aboue a weeke before his intended iorney once againe into ScotlaÌ„d the king his sonne finding all things in so good readines was aduised to make triall with these forces that were then come to Carleil what intertainment hee should finde at the Scotishmens hands Being come to Dumfries hee summoned the Scotish Nobility to repaire thither vnto him where diuers of them acknowledged their allegiance homage But here he could not now tary being hasted homewards to make preparation for his iorney into France where shortly after he maried the Lady Isabell daughter to K. Philip surnamed the faire At his departure he committed the wardenship of Scotland to Iohn de Britaine whom withal he created Earle of Richmond Amongst all the Scotish Lordes that tooke part with England none was so great an enemy to Bruse as the Lord Iohn Cumin Earle of Buquhan for the murther committed vpon his Ancestor as before you haue heard now therefore to bee reuenged as also to show his forwardnesse to performe some acceptable seruice for the King of England hee gathered such forces English and Scotish as hee could make and there-with approched his enemie Bruse beeing yet barely recouered of a late sicknesse vpon a boun-courage incountred him at a straite and in the end discomfited his armie making great slaughter of his men This victorie did so reuiue Bruse his feeble and languishing spirits as that from thence forward hee still preuailed in all his interprises So as following his good fortune in short time he reduced the conntries of Anguile and Galloway vnder his obedience King Edward not well brooking these daily losses raised a mightie powre wherewith about the middest of August
atchieue any fortunate interprise against the Scots As though all that nation could not afford his fellowe That hee was the very Atlas and supporter of their happy estate True it is that the deceassed king had reason to commit more trust to him then to anie other of whose loyalty and sufficiencie he had not the like tryall But it followeth not thereof that if king Edward could dispatch him out off the waie there had beene none left to haue resisted his attempts against that nation But admit he was the man they make him it is well knowne that King Edward being then not much aboue eighteene yeares old was not only ouer yong to contriue such a practise but was then still directed by his Mother Queene Isabel so consequently by Mortimer Earle of March her chiefe Counsellor both so great fauourers and maintainers of the peace with Scotland as that hee lost his life shortlie after for the same It is further affirmed That this Monke stealing secretlie out off Scotland assured the King that the Gouernor could not possiblie liue beyond a prefixed day in which time the poyson was to worke his effect and that King Edward presuming thereof gathered a mightie and puissant armie wherewith comming to the borders hee purposed to inuade Scotland had he not knowne when he came thyther that the gouernour was not only lyuing but ready in armes to haue resisted his approach Now of all this preparation and iourney there is not one word to be found amongst all our Croniclers But to the contrarie it appeareth that besideÌ„s the coÌ„firmation of the former peace vpon the admittance of this Earle to the Regency the sommer next before his death was so vnseasonable as that it caused a great dearth in England all the yeare following so as it was impossible to make prouision for such an army neither could those more Northen partes afford it of their owne store For it is sayd that in some places of the realme especiallie North-wards by reason of the coldnesse of that climate wheate was not gathered into the barne till hallontide nor pease vntill the ende of Nouember Moreouer King Edward wâ—s in France well neere all the month of Aprill next before the gouernours death and after his returne thence hee had so little meaning to make preparation of warre as that hee held solemne iustes and turney at Dert-forde which exercises hee renewed againe at London in September following How can all this agree with the surmised preparation of warre with Scotland at that time Now to the last poynt touching the burning of this Monke whereof some of them for the vnlike-lihood-haue not spoken it is incredible that a religious man a deuout Monke as they were then accounted should bee either murthered or executed for not keeping promise in the performance of an vnlawfull and vnchristian act But where when on whome or by whome was this vnusuall execution made to no one of these interrogatories doth any man answere saue that hee was a Monke or begging Frier For they will not vouchsafe to giue him other name though hee had beene a long time verie familier in the gouernors house These bee therefore great slaunders farre vnbeseeming the reputation of him that not long sence hath made no conscience to report the most part of this fable for a truth This yeare Roger Mortimer Earle of March was attaynted of high treason and executed for the same on Saint Andrewes eauen Amongst other matters where-with hee was charged hee was found giltie of secrete practise with the Scottes at Stanhope-parke whereby they escaped as is aforesaid and that hee receiued there of the Lord Iames Dowglas a great summe of money for the good seruice done by him at that time and to bee still continewed towardes that Nation whilest his authoritie should stand them insteede Hereby also afterwardes hee brought to passe that vnaduised peace with the Scottes at Northampton as is before declared About this time Edward Balliol thorough the perswasion of Laurence Twine a Scotish fugitiue came ouer out off France where hee had alwayes liued before to intreat the King of England to assist him in the recouery of his right to the Crowne of Scotland which was giuen by a ward vnto Iohn Balliol by king Edward the first promising withall that if it were his good hap to attaine it he would acknowledge to hold the same in manner as his Grand-father held it of the others Grand-father But before this motion was made to the king of England Balliol sought the fauour of the Lord Henry Beumont a Frenchman borne that had maried the daughter and heyre of the Earle Buquhan and likewise of the Lord William Cumine the lord Dauid of Strabouee Earle of Atholl and the lord Geffrey de Mowbraie These and some others that were banished the Realme of Scotland by the late King Robert le Bruse now liued in England hauing in hope of preferment ioyned heartes handes with Balliol in this quarell obtained this fauour of king Edward that as many of his subiects as of themselues were willing to assist them in this enterprise should haue good leaue to follow them therein For though the young king of Scots had beene affianced vnto king Edwards sister who in respect of that alliance should not haue beene easilie drawne into this action neuerthelesse he held himselfe so mâ—ch disgraced and absued in his minority by the deceitful practise of Mortimer that nothing now pleased him that together with that mariage was then yeelded vnto at that dishonorable composition made with the Scottish king at Northampton as before you haue heard Neither was that contract of marriage so firme but if either partie misliked thereof when they should come to lawfull age of consent the same might safely bee dissolued Edward Balliol hauing now assembled by the helpe of the other two Scottish Lordes his confederates some foure hundred horse and about two thousand Archers and other footemen tooke shipping at Rauen-spurne in Holdernesse from thence directing his course North-ward hee entred into the Scottish fourth and arriued neere to the towne Kingorne on the first daie of August where being incountred by Alexander Seaton hee slew him in the field together with the greater number of his people and put the residewe to flight This good beeginning put such corage into these venterous companions in armes fighting for no lesse then a kingdome that with in some fewe daies after their forces beeing now increased to the number of about ten thousand one and other they attempted to assaile the Earle of Muerry then Regent of Scotland by night where hee laie incamped in the middest of his armie the same beeing ouer great otherwise to bee delt withall and tooke him on such a sodaine that they put him to flight making great slaughter vpon his people The next day the fight was renewed on both sides but in the ende the victory fell to Balliol This battaile was fought at Dueplin on the
thirteenth day of the same mōth wherein was slaine nowe and the night before besides the Regent himselfe Robert Bruse Earle of Carricke William Haie Constable and Robert Keithe Marshall of Scotland with diuerse other Lords and Leardes of good account in the whole to the number of aboue fiue thousand Hereupon diuerse of the Scottish Nobility submytting themselues to Balliol hee was forthwith proclamed and on the 25. day of this present month of August crowned King of Scotland in the yeare of our Lord GOD 1332. This his fortunate successe hauing within lesse then a month attayned a Kingdome greatlie daunted the aduerse partie who presently thereupon conuaied the young king together with his wife for their more safty into France hoping that by the helpe of Philip the French king his fathers especiall friend while he liued he should one day inioy his kingdome which for the present was thus vsurped by his aduersarie To which end his fauoreres in the meane time neuer ceased to oppose themselues against Balliol in so much as in December following they droue him out of Scotland forceing him to with-drawe himselfe into Westmerland where hee was honorablie entertayned of the Lord Clifford in requitall whereof hee promised that when hee was once established in his Kingdome hee would giue him Dowglasse-daile in as ample manner as his Ancestour had the same of the gift of King Edward the first which afterwardes hee performed accordinglie Balliol hauing renewed his forces in England about the beginning of the next yeare though King Edward would not openlie shewe himselfe a partie therein layed siedge to the towne of Berwike at which time the Brusian Scottes entred into Gelsland by the West Marches wasting the Countrie where they passed along The King of England being aduertised therof-thought himselfe sufficiently discharged there by of his promise passed aforetime to young Bruse but hee might better haue pleaded his nonage at the making thereof and therefore tooke it to bee nowe lawfull enough openlie to aide his Cousin Balliol in the recouerie of his pretended title to the Crowne of Scotland It is not to bee doubted but King Edward would not in this case haue preferred Balliol before Bruse who besides that hee had married his Sister was also in bloud nearer vnto him then the other had hee not hoped as it came to passe to take vp the controuersie betweene them to his owne aduantage Hauing therefore assembled a strong army hee came therewith to the siedge of Berwicke together with his brother Iohn of Eltham Earle of Cornewall and gaue assault to the same both by Land and sea The towne after it had beene besiedged about three monthes was not able longer to hold out which beeing well knowne to Archibald Dowglasse the new elected gouernour and head of the Brusian faction hee approched the assailants with all the power hee could make resoluing with himselfe against the aduice of the better experienced to try it out by dint of sword with out any more stay Being come within the view both of his friends and foes he imbattayled his army in three companies on a hill directly ouer against the English host which had the like aduantage of ground also After some pause the armies on both sides descended one towards the other At the first incounter the Englishmen of purpose giuing ground the Scottes pursued them so egarlie as that by recouering their former aduantage they did beate them downe-right before them so that what in fight and slight the slaughter was very great For besides their generall three valiant Gentlemen the Sonnes of Walter Steward Vncles to him that succeeded the Brusian linage in Scotland the Earles of Rosse Southerland and Carrike Andrewe Iames and Simon Frasier all well neere of the better sort to the number of aboue foure hundred were slaine in the battaile but of the common souldiers not so fewe as fourteene thousand This bloudie battaile was fought at Halidon hill besides Berwike on Mary Magdalines day in the yeare of our Lord 1333. Immediatly vpon this ouerthrowe Alexander Seaton and Patrike Dumbar despayring of any succour yeelded vp the towne and Castle to king Edward life and goods only reserued and binding themselues by oth thence-forth to become his true subiects Patrike Dūbar was further inioyned to re-edifie the Castell of Dumbar at his owne charge hauing latelie before throwne it downe because hee was vnable to defend it against the Englishmen readie to assault the same VVhat credit is here to be giuen to Hector Boetius charging King Edward to haue vniustlie executed two Sonnes of Sir Alexander Seatons the one a pleadge the other a prisonner because hee would not yeelde vp the towne at the approach of the gouernour I leaue it to the consideration of the indifferent reader For mine owne part I cannot but hold him much suspected his report alone carrying so little showe of truth for as it seemeth by the Scottish Cronicle Patrike Dumbar had as great a commaunde in Berwike as the other whose consent alone could not haue effected King Edwards desire so as hee might haue laied the fault vpon his companion and fellowe Comissioner in the gouernment of the towne and thereby haue iustly excused himselfe neither surely would hee haue brooked so great an iniurie at the kings hands much lesse euer haue acknowledged and continewed his sworne allegiance vnto him if hee had had the least sparke of that spirit wherewith Buchanan feyneth his wife to be possessed vpon that occasion The King of England after this his first and fortunate battaile in Scotland leauing sufficient forces behinde him with the Lord Richard Tailbote wherwith to aide Balliol in the pursute of this warre returned home-wards Balliol being thus strengthned passed at his pleasure thorough Scotland placing Englishmen and others his partakers in garrison in the greater number of the Castells fortresses of that Realme and in a Parliament called at Perthe in September following hee was further confirmed King of Scotland diuerse of the Scottish Nobility there assembled binding themselues by othes to continew his loyall and faithfull subiects Hereat hee repealed all such actes and graunts which Robert Bruse late King of Scotland had ratified for the disposing of the Lands and possessions of sundry Scottish Lords at his pleasure which were now restored to their former possessors acknowledging their allegiance and homages vnto him for the same After the purification of the Virgine Mary King Edward repayred to Yorke where Balliol by appoyntment should haue met him to haue don homage and fealty vnto him but because he feared to be surprised in his passage by his aduersaries hee sent his excuse by the Lord Henry Beumont and the Lord William de Montaigne The king therefore passing further Northwards held his VVhitsontide at Newcastell vpon Tine with great royaltie whether the Scottish king repayred and there did homage vnto king Edward for the Realme of Scotland and also sweare fealtie vnto him as to the superior Lord ouer the same
continewed till king Ricâ—â—â—d was deposed by his vnkinde cousine Henrie Plantagenet Sonne to Iohn of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster in the yeare of our Lord 1399. But immediatlie after the coronation of king Henrie the fourth while Sir Thomas Gray Captaine of Warke Castell was at the Parliament certaine Scottes assaulted and tooke it by force but either dispayring to keepe it or not dareing to auowe what they had done the truce still continewing they leaft it defaced and ruinated Howsoeuer they excused this their rough beginning it seemed by that which followed that they had no great respect to the obseruance of peace which had hitherto continewed vnuiolated for the tearme of ten yeares but was shortlie after broken by them againe vpon this occasion George of Dumbar Earle of the Marches of Scotland had betrothed his Daughter to the King his Maisters Sonne and heire the Father not only consenting therevnto but also receauing a good part of the marriage monie This King was named Iohn but because the former two kings of England and France so called had such bad successe hee tooke vpon him the name of Robert The Earle Dowglas taking indignation that any other of that Nation should bee herein preferred before him and complayning that the consent of the States was to much neglected in not beeing made acquainted with a matter of that importance as appertayned therevnto offred a Daughter of his owne with a greater portion Hereof king Robert accepted and forth-with made vp the marriage Dumbar complayning of this wronge demaunded the monie his king had receiued but hee could not receiue so much as a kinde answere of him This double iniury done him by the Dowglas both the losse of his monie and which hee esteemed farre more of the kinges fauour did not a little trouble him Therefore hauing no other meanes to bee hereof reuenged hee leaft both Court and Country and repayring into England complayned himselfe vnto Henrie the Earle of Northumberland of whome he hoped to be relieued In the meane time the Earle Dowglas seized on the Castell of Dunbar in the King his Maisters name which was committed to the custodie of Robert Matland at the Earle of March his departure into England Northumberland aduised him to returne into Scotland and to make tryall if happily some other course might preuaile with his King for the saluing of these his discontentments But comming to Dunbar the Earle Dowglas hauing fortified the Castell would not admit him entrance answering that hee kept it to the vse of the King who had sent him thither to that end The other Earle seeing his greatest enemie so much to triumph ouer him could not brooke it but without making further meanes to the King at whose hands he ought especially to haue fought for remedy hee together with his wife children and allies returned againe into England informing the Earle of Northumberland of all the displeasures done vnto him by his aduersary the Dowglas and withall desired him seeing he could not otherwise preuaile to aide him in the recouerie of his possessions by force sithence by force they were kept against him Herevpon followed some stirres by the rising of the borderers on both sides who ioyning then forces together did the Dowglas all the mischiefe they could King Robert not a little moued here-with did write to king Henry that vnlesse he would deliuer into his hands the fugitiue Earle he would take it for a breach of the truce and proceed against him accordingly What answer soeuer king Henrie made here-vnto it deserued not so bitter a reprehension as wher-with Buchanan doth check him Impudency is a foule fault in a priuate man much more in a Prince I hold him of a very froward temper that in his writings cannot afford a King his good words although they show sometimes dislike of their actions King Robert vpon the returne of his messenger caused open warre to be proclaimed and Sir William Logon a Scottish Knight was forth-with sent to the Sea of purpose to sett on the English fleete that was then fishing on the coast of Scotland about Aberden But hee was incountred with certaine ships of Lin and by them taken prisoner The Fisher-men vnderstanding what was intended against them entring into some of the Iles of Orkney carried away with them whatsoeuer was worth their labour and set the rest on fire King Henry perceiuing what was to be looked for out of Scotland thought it good in the beginning either to draw the Scots to peace or to resist their malice before further mischiefe should insue therof And therfore hauing a great armie hee there-with entred into Scotland about the middest of August being the eleuenth month from his coronation From Hadington he passed to Leeth vsing much clemencie in all places where he came especially to the houses of religion Where-vpon diuers Castels Houlds willingly submitted themselues vnto him Comming to Edenbrough he besiedged the Castle Hither Robert Duke of Albanie gouernour of Scotland vnder the King his brother who by reason of his impotencie could not trauell in his person sent an Harald of Armes vnto king Henry promising to giue him battaile within sixe dayes at the furthest if hee would stay so long The King accepting the offer gaue the messenger for his good newes a chaine of gold and a Sattin gowne at his departure But neither at the end of sixe or sixteene dayes heard he any more of the Gouernours comming The Scottish writers attribute this dishonorable dealing to the Dukes ambition whom it would not haue troubled though the Castle had beene taken together with the young Prince of Scotland in the same that thereby hee might haue beene in so much the more hope of the crowne him-selfe after which it was thought he greatly thirsted But on the other side they highly extoll the singular moderation of King Henry who by this his gentle inuasion seemed rather desirous to allure them to peace then to afflict them with the calamities alwayes accompaning warre Winter approaching the King brake vp the siedge and returned home without any shew of resistance greatly to the Gouernours reproach neither shewing him-selfe desirous of warre nor willing to offer conditions of peace how apparent tokens soeuer was showed by king Henry of his readinesse to haue accepted thereof After some little harme done the next Summer by the borderers on both sides Patrike Hepburne with some greater powre entred further into England and hauing gotten a good bootie and therwithall returning home-wards hee was ouer-taken by the Englishmen at Nesbet in the Meirs where their Captaine together with the greater number of his people well neere the very flowre of all the Lothian youth were beaten downe and slaine in fight Amongst those that were taken prisoners Iohn and William Cockburne Robert Lawder Iohn and Thomas Haliburton were the men of best account This ouer-throw was giuen the Scottes on the xxii day of Iune in the yeare 1401. The Earle Archibald Dowglas sonne to the other
by the commons of England to the kings gratious consideration ouer his due demerites for his good seruice done in the Realme returned into Scotland and was restored to his former dignitie and possessions there The Scottes thought themselues not sufficientlie reuenged for the markets that Sir Robert Vmfreuille lately made of their goods in England and therefore in the yeare following Patrike Dumbar second Sonne to the Earle of March with an hundred men well apoynted for the purpose came earelie one morning some-what before day to Fast Castell and entring into the same tooke the Captaine thereof prisoner who by daily out-roades greatlie indamaged the Countrie next adioyning About the same time Gawin Dumbar an other Sonne of the sayd Earle togither with William Dowglas brake downe the bridge of Roxbrughe and set the towne on fire but durst not attempt the taking of the Castell Sir Robert Vmfreuille hauing by this time vttered all his merchandice by the measure of his mens long-bowes for the worth of so manie yardes thought it now high time to make a new aduenture and therefore in the yeare 1410. Hee entred the Furth with tenne talle shippes of warre where lying for the space of a fort-night togither hee some-times landed on the one side and some-times on the other carying still with him manie good booties not-with-standing that the Gouernour and the Earle Dowglas were both readie to resist him Hee burned the Galliot of Scotland a Shippe of greatest account with manie other smaller vesselles lying then at the Blacknesse ouer against Leeth At his returne into England hee brought with him foureteene good shippes with many commodities as cloathes both wollen and linnen pitch tarre woad flowre meale wheate and rie making as good pennie-worthes thereof as hee did before as long as his store-house had anie thing leaft in it But not satisfied here-with hee togither with his Nephewe young Gilbert Vmfreuille Earle of Angius but more commonlie called Lord of Kinne entred the same yeare once againe into Scotland by land and spoiled the greater part of Tyuidale Thus it appeareth that at this time there was no peace betweene the two Nations or else it was little respected on both sides For manie yeares after there was little doeing beetweene them But now approached the ende of this Noble Prince who deceasing in the fourth-teenth yeare of his raigne in the yeare of our Lord 1412. leaft the Crowne vnto his Sonne Henry Prince of Wailles that was no lesse inheritour to his heroycall vertues then to the same In the second yeare of his raigne it was propounded in Parliament whether it were more meete to beginne with the conquest of France wherevnto hee pretended a iust title or first to reduce Scotland to their former obedience for it was resolued that the one or other should forth-with be taken in hand After long debate and consultation vpon this point it was concluded that the warre should be commenced against the mightier enimie for if France were once subdued the Scottes were easily tamed so that now they were at good leisure either to bee lookers on or actors on which side it pleased them Neuerthelesse whether it were that their Gouernour would not willingly incur King Henries displeasure fearing least if he had stirred hee would haue thrust him out of place by sending the young King home or whether that nation doubted that by that occasion the king would haue beene prouoked to set in foote for himselfe vnder colour of the defence of the your Prince his title or else whatsoeuer it was that moued them therevnto the Scottes made no great adoe during his raigne though they were yet once againe prouoked by Vmfreuille who being put in trust at the Kings passage ouer into France to gard the frontiers on that side fought with them at Gedering with three hundred Archers and seauen score men of armes where after long fight he slue aboue three score of them and tooke three hundred prisonere in chase which was continued twelue miles and then returned to Roxbrough Castle whereof hee was Captaine This conflict was on Mary Magdalines day in the yeare 1414. Three yeares after the Scottes made some show of a purpose they had to performe some great exploit but vpon the approach of the English armie they with-drew them-selues homeward without doing any great hurt But although they ceased from further annoyance here yet being entertained by the Dolphine in France they opposed themselues there against the Englishmen The Scottish writers report that seauen thousand of them passed ouer together vnder the conduct of Iohn Earle of Buchquhan sonne to their Gouernour accompanied with Archibald Dowglas and diuers other of good place Vnto these men they do attribute the victory ouer the Englishmen at the battaile of Baugie fought on Easter-euen in the yeare 1421. where the Duke of Clarence the Kings brother giuing too much credit to a Lumbard vnaduisedly set vpon the Frenchmen and Scottes and was slaine together with diuerse other Noblemen of England in the whole to the number of some two thousand Of the aduerse party were also slaine aboue twelue hundred the best men of warre amongst them So as they had no great cause to boast of the victorie how glorious so euer they make the same affirming that for their good seruice at this time the Dolphin bestowed great honours and offices vpon them The Scotts being thus animated against King Henry at his next iourney into France and the last he made he tooke with him the Prince of Scotland to trie if happily they would be therby wone either to his party or at least moued to returne home againe But they so little regarded the matter that being demanded why they would fight against their owne King they answered That they would not acknowledge any dutie to him who as yet liued vnder the obedience of an other Herewith saith Buchanan King Henry was so much displeased that at the taking of Meaux in Bury he caused 20. Scots to be executed whom hee found there because they had armed them-selues against their owne King But I see not how it can be so for the souldiours seeing themselues vnable to make resistance abandoned the towne and with-drawing their forces into the market place fortified the same which being afterwards surrendred vpon composition the liues of poore men onely were excepted namely bastard Vauren the Captaine of the towne the Baily two Burgesses all which vpon good consideration were immediatly executed and no other When this most victorious Prince had so wonderfully preuailed in his intended conquest of France as that within the terme of fiue or sixe yeares hee had brought the better part thereof vnder his obedience it pleased the almighty God the disposer of kingdoms to take him from those earthly honours to the fruition I hope of that endlesse and incomparable glory prepared for them that are his from the Prince to the Peasant He dyed in France in the 9. yeare of his raigne 1422. Hee
appointed for seruice which not long before had beene prepared as was giuen out to transport the king into Siria against the infidelles This nauy should haue beene presented vnto the French Queene for a speciall fauor towâ—â—ds her onely â—ut the same â—â—d so bad successâ—ur the passage aâ— that neither shee or her husband had any benefit by them In the meane season complaint waâ— made to king Henry that two Scottish ships to whom king Iames had graunted letters of mart against the Portâ—â—galls had greatlie molested the English Marchants and other passingers along the Coast For redresse hereof Sir Edmond Howard Lord Admirall of England and the Lord Thomas Sonne and heire to the Earle of Surrey were presentlie sent forth with two shippes of warre who behaued themselues in â—uch sort that within a month after they â—â—ought them both to Black-wall Andrewe â—arton Captaine ouer them died of the hurtes 〈◊〉 receiued in fight they that remained aliue wâ—re all pardoned and sent home King Iames tooke this matter so heynouslie that wryting thereof to King Henrie he charged him with breach of the league wherevnto this answere was returned That the execution of Iustice vpon pirates such as his people at sea were waâ— neuer held violation of amitie that hee shoâ—â—â— fauour enough in pardoning those that esâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 danger of fight Yet for his better saâ—â—â—◠〈…〉 would presently send commâ—â—â—â—â—â—ts to the borâ—â—â— to treat of this and of othâ—â—â—â—â—â—â—ders in 〈◊〉 partes The Scotâ—â—◠〈◊〉 the meane season 〈◊〉 â—ot 〈◊〉 inâ—â—â—â—ng the English marches but still to their losse For aâ— one conflict two hundred of them were taken prisoners and many more slaine This blowe so much prouoked King Iames that refusing to commit the deciding of these quarrels to anie Commissioners he purposed with himselfe to take reuenge when oportunity better serued And therefore when King Henry was passed ouer into France and had besiedged the towne of Turwin King Iames sent ouer vnto him Lion king at armes his principall Herald with letters of defiance to this effect First hee complained that no restitution was yet made for the damages his subiects had lately sustayned both by land and sea Secondly that bastard Heron with his complices who in the raigne of the King his Father at a meeting for the execution of iustice had treacherously slaine Robert Car his warden were not punished according to their deserts That Andrewe Barton was slaine by his commandement That his wiues legacy was vniustlie detained And though hee could haue borne all these iniuries yet he might not indure the extreame wrongs offerd by him to his ancient allies and friends the French King and the Duke of Gelders into whose lands and territories he was now entred not-with-standing he had earnestlie intreated him to the contrarie and â—â—â—ll hostile manner prosecuted the destruction of them thâ—â—â— subiects and countries In consideration of which dealings towardes his owne person and those Pâ—â—nces so neerely conioyned with hâ—â— in amitie hee held himselfe bound by dutiâ—â— hiâ— alliance with them to reliâ—ue their estates by all the good meanes that lay in his powre And this hee would forth-with put in execution vnâ—â—sse he ceased further to molest them This letter was dated at Edenbrough the sixe and twentith day of Iuly and sealed with his owne Signet where-vnto king Henrie made answer as followeth Right excellent high and mightie Prince we haue receiued your writing by your Herald Lyon this bearer wherein after rehearsall and accumulation of many surmised iniuries greeues and damages done by vs and our subiects to you and yours the specialties whereof were superfluous to rehearse remembring that to them and euery of them reasonable answer founded vpon lawe and conscience hath here-to-fore bin made to you and your counsell Yee not onely require vs to desist from further inuasion and vtter destruction of your brother and cousin the French king but also certifie vs that you will take part in defence of the same king vnlesse wee presently yeeld to your request All which tendeth wholy to the bâ—each of the perpetuall peace passed concluded and sworne-vnto by vs both Howbeit if neither the loue and dread of God nighnesse of bloud honour of the world lawe nor reason could haue preuailed with you we suppose you would neuer 〈◊〉 so farre proceedâ—â— against vs especially in our absence Herein the Pope and al Princes Christened may well note in you dishonorable dealing in that you haue waited to take the aduantage of mine absence whereof we neede no other proofe and approbation then your owne letters heretofore sent vs while we were within our Realme wherin you neuer made mention of taking part with our enemy the French King but passed the time with vs till after our departure thence But now happily supposing that we bee destitute of defence against your inuasion beeing so farre from home you haue vpon that aduantage vttered the old rancoure of your stomake which you haue hitherto kept secret Neuerthelesse wee remembring the brittlenesse of your promise and suspecting though not wholie beleeuing so much vnstedfastnesse in you thought it expedient to put our Realme in redinesse against whatsoeuer your interprises trusting that by the fauour of God and the assistance of our confederates and allies we shal be able to maintaine our right against the malice of you and your adherentes And we hope in time conuenient to remember our friends and requite you 〈◊〉 our enemies which by such vnnaturall demeanour haue giuen sufficient cause to the disinheriting 〈◊〉 and your posterity for 〈…〉 â—â—ssibility that you haue to the 〈…〉 which you are now ready to inuade The 〈…〉 lately showed vâ—â—â— the King of Nauar 〈◊〉 for assisting the French king was set besides his â—â—ngdoâ—â— may be a warning vnto you Finallie as tâ—â—ching your request that I would desist from further attempting against our enemie the French King wee knowe you are no competent iudge nor of authoritie to inforce vs therevnto Wherefore wee purpose God willing with the aide and assistance of our confederates and allies to prosecute the warre we haue hitherto prosperouslie proceeded in Giuen vnder our signet in our Campe before Tirwin the twelft daie of August This letter was deliuered to the Scottish Herald who immediatlie departed there-with into Flanders there to haue taken shippe for Scotland But for want of readie passage hee arriued not there till the King his Maister was slaine in the field For King Iames with his army hauing paâ—â—ed ouer the water of Tweed the two and twenteth daie of the sayd month of August lodged thâ— fiâ—st night neere the riuer of Tinsell and the â—â—xt daie laied siedge to Norham Castell which was easilie gotten thorough want of loyaltie or discression in him that kept it King Iâ—â—es hauing taken his pleasure in those partes â—or the space of eighteene daies the Earle of Surrey Liâ—â—â—â—â—ant Generall in the Kings absence ouer the North-partes of the Realme had in the meane-time giuen order
further charged to warne thee not to vse the acquaintance companie or counsell of women for if thou doe otherwise it will turne to thy losse and dishonour This being said hee with-drew him-selfe backe againe into the prease When seruice was ended the king inquired earnestly for him but hee could no where bee found neither could any of the standers by of whom diuerse did narowlie obserue him meaning afterwards to haue questioned further with him feele or perceiue how or when hee passed from them Queene Margaret after the death of her husband challenged the protection of the realme as the king by his last Will and Testament disposed the same so long as shee continued a widow Being therein established first of all she wrote to king Henry her brother intreating him not onely to cease from pursuing warre further vpon Scotland beeing euen then at warre with it selfe but also to bee a defence vnto her and the infant her sonne not much aboue a yeare old against all such as happily would oppose thēselues against her Here-vnto King Henry answered that with the peaceable hee would haue peace but to the froward seditious he would be an enemy Not long after Queene Margaret hauing maried Archibald Dowglas the prime and choise man amongst all the Scotish nobility the realme began to be deuided into two mighty factions They of the Dowglassian party would haue the gouernmēt continued in the Queene because thereby the realme should still haue peace with England which at that season was a point very necessarily to be respected The aduerse party of whom the Lord Hume was the principall man pretending an ancient custome in that case importuned the election of Iohn Duke of Albanie sonne to the former Duke Alexander This gentleman for the most part had liued before in France and was wholy deuoted to the seruice of King Francis who to bind him the faster vnto him had dealt very honorably with him at his departure into Scotland Immediatly vpon his arriuall great dissention arose betwixt him and others of the Scottish Nobility but especially the Lord Hume who as before I haue touched was the chiefe meane of his preferment to that place Queene Margaret much fearing the issue hereof together with her husband and some other of that faction for her more safely repaired into England During her abode there she was deliuered at Herbottle of a Daughter the Lady Margaret Dowglas grand-mother to King Iames the sixt now king by his father as her brother King Iames the fift was his grand-father by his mother So as his Father and Mother were the children of brother and sister namely of Iames the fift and this Lady Margret his halfe sister But the new Regent the Duke of Albanie so excused himselfe by Ambassage to the king of England in that point that within a yeare after the Queene returned into Scotland honorably attended and richly appointed of all things fit for her estate The Earle Dowglas her husband who in the meane season had obtained the Regents fauour receiued her at Berwicke and from thence did accompanie her home All quarrels in the meane time being well appeased in Scotland the Regent passed ouer into France committing the yong Prince together with the gouernment of the realme in his absence to certaine of the Nobilitie but aboue all the rest hee reposed most trust in a Frenchman named Anthonie Darcie Captaine of the Castell of Dunbarre whom he ioyned in commission with the Scottish Lords to the end he might giue him intelligence of all their proceedings in his absence It was this mans hap soone after to be slaine by the Scots for more despite to haue his head stroken off and set vpon Hume Castell to the view of all that passed by This outrage was cōmitted the twelfe of September in the yeare 1517. which gaue beginning to some new broiles amongst them During the absence of the Duke the Dowglassian faction bare greatest sway for the continuance whereof king Henry laboured the French King to keepe the Duke still with him neuer-the-lesse by reason of some trouble likely to arise betweene France England the Regent returned into Scotland about fiue yeares after his departure thence with a purpose to abate the ouer-great powre of the Dowglas Immediatly herevpō Gawen Dowglas Bishop of Dunkell a very reuerend man came into England informed the king how great an aduersary the Regent was to his whole family and that he alone had taken on him the custody of the yong king the sequell whereof hee much feared This Bishop died shortly after at London was buried in the Sauoy church King Henry vpon this complaint sent Clarentius king at Armes into Scotland to admonish the Duke to auoide the country according to the Articles agreed vpon the summer before in the last truce takē with the French king for the king held it very vnreasonable and inconuenient to admit him sole Gardian ouer the yong Prince that was next heire after him to the Crowne least happily by such opportunity he might be tempted to cōmit the like vnnatural cruelty which some haue done in the like case both in England Scotlād That therfore the king his maister said Clarentius had great reason to prouide for the safty of his nephew wherof hee could no way bee better assured then by keeping him from that place and authority in Scotland But of all these threats the Regent seemed to make light account Now began the French king to quarrell againe with king Henry before the truce was fully expired where-vpon all the Frenchmen and Scots that then inhabited in London and other places of the realme were put to their fines and a strong Nauie was forth-with sent to the Sea vnder the conduct of Sir William Fitz-Williams Vice-admirall and seauen other were at the same time sent also against Scotland the which entring into the Furth set fire on diuerse Scottish ships and so returned with their prisoners into England The same yeare the Lord Rosse and the Lord Dacres of the North who were appointed to keepe the borders entred also with their forces into Scotland and burnt the towne of Kelsoe besides many other villages ouer-threw sundry holdes and piles of stone and then returned home with their booties The Regent being here-with prouoked to reuenge raised a great powre where-with approaching the Marches he fully purposed to inuade England But whether it were that hee thought himselfe ouer-weake to incounter the English armie that was comming on apace vnder the conduct of the Earle of Shrewsburie or that hee stood not well assured of some of his owne company which was more likely he was well contented to harken vnto peace so that a truce was taken for some few monthes and then with no little staine to his reputation he turned back-againe In October following the Duke passed ouer againe into France promising his fauorites that if a peace were not in the meane time concluded with England hee would
bring the next Sommer such a warlike crewe of Frenchmen and Germanes as that he should not stand in neede of such of his owne Country-men as were so backe-ward in his former enterprice vpon the borders In the meane season King Henry thought it no policy to ouerslip so fit oportunity because he well perceiued that whatsoeuer was outwardly pretended the Regent meant him no good So soone therefore as the truce was expired the warre was renewed to the exceeding great damage of that Nation For Thomas Earle of Surrey high Admirall of England the Marquesse Dorset and his brothers with a competent power entring into Scotland ouerthrewe the Castells of Wederburne West Nesgate and Black-acre burned neere fortie townes and villages in which manner wasting the Scottish Marches from one side to the other without any resistance they returned home with the losse of verie fewe or no men at all the Scottes onelie shewed them-selues in troopes a far of watching if they could haue espied any aduantage This seruice was thus performed the Sommer following in the yeare 1523. But the army was no sooner dissolued but the Scots waiting the opportunity made continewal roades into Northumberland to the great anoiance of the inhabitants Wherefore the Earle of Surrey was forth-with sent back againe who entring into Scotland with some six thousand men by the dry marches cast downe certaine Castells piles and small holdes til he came thorowe the dales to Iedworth wherein laie a great garrison of the Scottes who at the first entertained them with a hot skermish but in the end they were put to flight and the Town Castell and Abbaie were taken and spoiled After three daies abode there the Earle returned into England on the twentith day of September following About this time the Lord Dacres tooke also by force the Castell of Ferniherst The Duke of Albanie intending now to returne into Scotland had intelligence giuen him that all the portes on the Coast of France were watched by the Englishmen to intrappe him in his passage wherefore hee bestowed his shippes so couertly here and there in small companies to auoide all suspition of any purpose hee had to stirre that yeare as that therevpon the English fleete which had attended and waited his comming forth vntill the middest of August brake vp and bestowed themselues in conuenient portes against the next spring The Duke then watching the opportunity and readily gathering togither his dispersed shippes to the number of some fiftie saile imbarked his men of warre being three thousand pikes and an hundred launces and about the second equinoctiall arriued on the VVest part of Scotland about the same season that Iedworth was burned by the English as is a fore-sayd in whose companie was Richard de la Poole that had beene banished out of England Immediatlie after his returne hee assembled the Scottish Lordes at Edenbrugh declaring to them the great loue the French King bare to them and there Country that he esteemed their miseries his owne and would be alwaies readie to assist them against the Englishmen enemies to them both That for the present he had brought with him men money and munition to bee doing withall so as nothing now wanted but willing mindes and manly corages in themselues In the ende it was concluded that an army should forth-with be gathered and the eight and twentith day of October next was set downe for their meeting at Dowglas dale The Scottes being there assembled at the day prefixed the army marched frō thence to Caldestreame vpon Tweed where conuaying their artillary ouer the water on the last day of the same month they layed siedge to Warke Castell which was manfully defended by Sir William Lisle Captaine of the same The assayliants so well bestirred themselues that on the first daie they won the vttermost ward for two daies after they continewed the battery when hauing made the breach assaultable they entred by maine force the second ward The Captaine hauing already lost many of his men and perceauing it little auailed to defend the walles against the great ordinance vpon a present resolution issued out with his people that remained aliue and with such furie repulsed the enemy that beating them from the walles and pursuing them to the water he slewe a great number besides those that were drowned and died afterwards of their hurtes in the whole to the number of three hundred which for the most part were Frenchmen The Earle of Surrey comming with a great power to rescue this Castell found the enemie remooued to the further side of the riuer wherefore hauing no commission to passe the English marches he staied there In the meane time the Queene sent into England to entreat her brother the King to yeeld to an abstinence of warre hoping in that time to worke some good agreement betweene the two Nations wherevnto the King consenting the armie brake vp and the Earle returned to the Court. In the beginning of the next Sommer anno 1524. The Scottes beganne againe to bee busie both on the East and VVest marches so as for three monthes sundrie bickrings passed beetweene the one and other partie but still they came by the worse in so much that in the end they were willing enough to encline to peace wherevpon truce was taken againe till the feast of Saint Andrewes next In the meane season great cōsultation was had amongst the Lords of Scotland whether it were more fit to contineue the warre or to giue it ouer Many of them held it an vnreasonable thing that for the pleasure only of the French King the Realme should sustaine any more damage by contineuing so needlesse a warre and that the Duke was much to blame in yeelding so farre to the seditious humor of France Therefore they wished that the young King now growne past a Child might at the least beare some sway in the gouernment of the Realme The Duke perceiuing how the game went sawe it little auailed to striue against the streame and therefore in September following taking his leaue of the young King he passed ouer into France now the third time since he was made Regent It is sayd that at his departure hee did instantly intreate the Nobility to admit no peace with England till his returne againe which he promised should be not long after but in both his desire was vnsatisfied for he neuer came more into Scotland neither cōtinewed the war as he wished Shortly after the Earle Dowglas that had beene banished before by the Regent as I haue said and had hitherto remained in France obtained leaue of King Henrie to passe safely thorowe England into his owne Country This fauor was redily graunted being one that was alwaies opposite to the French faction Queene Margaret now bearing the greatest sway in Scotland sought by all meanes how to make firme friendship with her brother of England to breake the necke of the amity with France which had of late brought so many miseries vpon her Sonnes
sister Queene of England also was borne aboue a yeare before and with-all to make him thereby the Monarch ouer the whole Island if hee dyed with-out issue male And to the end hee should giue the more trust and credit to these his promises hee said more-ouer that hee would forth-with intitle him Duke of Yorke and his Vicar Generall ouer the whole realme of England King Iames as he had great reason so to do intertained these offers with great thankfulnesse appointing a time when he would meete the King his Vncle and so with many courtisies dismissed the Ambassadors All this notwithstanding he was so exceedingly laboured by his Prelates that they drew him quite from that resolution vpon this occasion A little before this Ambassage King Henry had sent the foresaid Bishop into Scotland with certaine English pamphlets concerning reformation of religion which being presented vnto his nephew with request that he would aduisedly read them ouer hee gaue them presently to some about him to keepe that were especiall fauorers of the Clergie and the religion of those times who had scantly turned ouer the first leafe but with open mouth they condemned those bookes for most impious hereticall libels telling the king they were glad from their hearts that he had not stained his eies with the very view of such pestiferous and damnable doctrine And for an infallible proofe of this their censure vpon those bookes it fell out about the same time that the Pope had sent a messenger into Scotland requiring king Iames to ioyne with him against the king of England whom hee had already adiudged an Heretike a Scismaticke and a wedlock-breaker for hee and Queene Katherine some-times his Brothers wife for the vnlawfulnesse thereof were then lawfully parted And further this Nuncio declared that for these heynous offences the Pope had depriued him of his kingdome which he bestowed for in such cases hee hath beene alwaies very liberall vnto Iames and other popish Princes his obedient sonnes Thus by the subtile practise of the Priests who to vphold their reputation in the world still buzzed in their kings eares that his Vncle sought nothing more by this his desired conference with him but to withdraw him from the profession of that ancient and Catholique religion wherein their Fathers and fore-elders had liued so many hundred yeares together in great happinesse and felicitie and withall being of him-selfe religiously giuen according to the knowledge of those ignorant times hee was the more easilie disswaded from this promised meeting Though King Henry had cause to take this part vnkindly at the others hands neuer-the-lesse hee was contented to put it vp imputing the fault to them especially that eyther of ignorance or vpon respect of their perticuler good neglected the benefit that might haue followed heereof vnto the weale publique of the whole Iland King Henry to shew how little hee was mooued with this manner of dealing bestowed on his Nephew the yeare following the Garter and according to the ceremonies thereto belonging he was installed at Windsor by his procurator the Lord Erskin Within the compasse of the other seauen yeares remaining of my former account king Iames had marryed two wiues out of France The former was the Lady Magdaline eldest Daughter to king Francis with whom hauing beene maried halfe a yeare shee deceased within little more then a moneth after her arriuall in Scotland The second was Daughter to the Duke of Guise and widdow to the Duke of Longeuille lately deceased Within a yeare after this latter mariage Queene Margaret his mother departed this life hauing first seene a young Prince her grand-child borne into the world but neither hee nor a second sonne liued to succeed their father in the kingdome King Henry knowing how much his Nephew was continually wrought to breake off friendship with him or at the least to vse the same for his owne aduantage onely was much affraide that happily hee might at length bee seduced and therefore was very desirous to haue conference with him and to establish the league that hitherto had continued betweene them To this end he once againe sent into Scotland to entreate him to meete him at Yorke where hee would communicate such matter with him as tended greatly to the good of both realmes This message thus deliuered by the Lord Thomas Howard King Iames and diuerse of his Nobilitie seemed willing enough to yeeld their consents to this iourney But contrariwise the Prelates mightily opposed them-selues against it Amongst other things they alleadged that King Henry went about which touched their free hold to perswade their King to take that course in Scotland which hee had done at home in his owne kingdome namely to expell the Pope to vsurpe his authoritie ouer the Church to dissolue religious houses and to seize vpon their lands and reuenues But rather then hee should bee drawne to vse any such vnlawfull meanes where-with to supplye his present wants they freely offered to giue him yearely out of their owne reuenues thirtie thousand Crownes and if that would not serue his turne they would vnder-take to aduantage him an hundred thousand more yearely out of the lands and possessions of them that were already falne from their due obedience to the sea of Rome These faire promises preuailed so much with King Iames that this meeting was also auoyded But with-all an Ambassadour was immediatly sent into England as well to excuse the King as to require that Commissioners might bee appointed of either partie to meete for the ordering of some controuersies then depending betweene the two Nations which was granted and performed accordingly on King Henries part Neuer-the-lesse when after sundry iniuries still offered by the Scottes the King of England had once or twice yeelded to all reasonable conditions and yet not-with-standing perceiued how little from time to time they were regarded at the length being not able to indure so many indignities he resolued to end all controuersies by open warre But first to the end it might appeare to the world how vnwillingly he was prouoked vnto it before hee would take armes against his neere kinsman hee caused a pamphlet to bee published in Print declaring what mooued or rather compelled him therevnto wherein hee charged King Iames especially with deepe dissimulation his words tasting of Honey but his deeds of Worme-wood After a serious complaint whereof he descendeth or rather ascendeth to a supposed title of Superioritie continued in a lineall succession of the Kings of England ouer that nation from Edward the first sonne to Alured king of England for aboue sixe hundred yeares together but hereof I haue spoken enough before This done a Nauie was sent to the Sea to take all such Scottish ships as fell into their walke of which they brought into the Portes of England eight and twentie fraught with many good commodities The Scottish King here-vpon sent into England to demand restitution seeing no warre was as yet proclaimed But king Henry answered
holie daies where they were lodged feasted and entertained most louingly There as of themselues they motioned a mariage betweene Prince Edward the Kings Sonne now little more then fiue yeares olde and their young Queene that was borne some fiue or sixe daies before the death of the King her Father promising withall to do there best to bring the same to passe King Henrie gaue them great thankes for their forwardnesse therein and was not onelie contented to set them freelie at libertie but also bestowed large presentes on euery man according to his degree On New-yeares daie they departed from London home-wardes and dined at Enfield where they sawe the young Prince of whome they seemed greatlie to reioyce both in speach and countinance From thence they kept on their iorney till they came into the North-partes where the Duke of Suffolke the Kings Lieutenant staied for their comming with whome they remained till such pledges were come out of Scotland as was before couenanted they should leaue behind them VVith them went also the Earle of Angus who togither with his brother Sir George Dowglas had allowance for their maintenance of King Henrie while they remained in England after their exile the space of fifeteene yeares The Scottish King while hee liued had labored the deliuerance of the Earle who now vpon his returne home was made one of the priuie Counsell amongst other of the Lordes that had beene lately prisoners here by the Earle of Araine Gouernour of the young Queene and of the Realme and next heire to the Crowne according to the custome of that Countrie Shortly after Sir Robert Bowes and some other English prisoners were deliuered by their bandes after the manner of the Marches In March following Sir Ralfe Sadler who died a graue CouÌ„sellor in the raigne of Queene Elizabeth being sent Ambassadour into Scotland came thither some-what before the Parliament His errand was to perswade the Gouernor to giue his consent with the other Lords to the mariage propounded lately by them and that withall a firme peace might be concluded vpon betweene the two Nations These pointes were long debated but in conclusion after that Dauid Beaton Cardinall and Archbishop of â—â—â—nt Andrewes the French factor was remoâ—â—ed from the assemblie generallie yeelded â—nto and confirmed And further pleadges were promised to be sent into England for the better assurance thereof The Ambassador staying still behind to see euerie thing performed according to promise on the behalfe of the Scottish Lordes the Earle of Glencorne Sir George Dowglas Sir William Hamiltone Sir Iames Leirmonth and the Secretarie were sent into England as well to confirme as to report what had beene established by act of Parliament concerning the marriage intended with England These men remained here from the ende of March till the ende of Iulie following in which time the marriage betweene Prince Edward of England and the infant of Scotland was fullie confirmed by wrytings enterchangablie signed and sealed and a peace concluded for ten yeares These things thus passed in the yeare of Lord 1543. The Scottish Marchantes were not a little glad after their long restraint of their free libertie of trafique wherevpon they presently dispatched their shippes to the sea so as in short time neuer a port well-neere in England was without some of them to the exceeding great ioye of both Realmes But this calme lasted not long for now beganne France after their olde fashion to â—â—â—rre vp certaine seditious and dispightfull spâ—â—â—ts which like vnto the curssed spirits of thâ—â—yre breathed out tempestious and boisterous blastes where-with to darken and disturbe the former Sun-shine and quiet season For before the yeares ende thorough the practize of the Cardinall Iohn Hamiltone brother to the Gouernour and Dauid Paynter which two last men of most dissolute conuersation came lately out of France for that purpose the Scottes were so wonderfully wrought that both the Gouernour himselfe and all they that had so lately before vowed themselues and there seruice to King Henry were now againe become wholy French for these reasons First by this mariage it would come to passe as they obiectted that the Scottish Nobolity should grow into contempt being far inferiour in wealth and possessions to the Lords of England and further remoued by habitation from the Kings presence who no doubt would make the most firtill and commdious part of England Southwards the place of his residence ordinarily But that which more nearely touched them was the eminent daunger wherein to Religion would be thereby brought the preseruation whereof they were bound to prefer before either lands or liues that the state whereinto England was persently falne might be a sufficient warning vnto them who already were but ouer much inclined that way for about that time the Gouener had incoraged Frier Guillan openly to preach against Immages and foolish ceremonies giuing liberty that who would might reade the bible in English which about three yeares before was openly read in very Church in England and was the very bane and breake necke of Popery thorowe out the whole Iland As for their promisse made to King Henry they were persuaded ther was no cause why they should sticke at that seeing it was lately decreed in the Counsell of Constance that no couenant or promise how constantly soeuer made ought to bee kept with an heretike such as the Pope had already iudged him to bee The Earle of Casseles onely continued constant though he was attempted both by faire meanes and foule to the contrary for hee hauing two brothers his pleadges in England protested that he would neuer redeeme ether his liberty or life with the losse of them wherefore at his returne into England the King much commended the young gentlemans resolution and in acquitall therfore set both him his brothers at liberty King Henry could not brooke this manner of dealing but resoluing to be fully reuenged he first caused all the shippes of Scotland whereof there were good store to be presently staid till his pleasure was further knowne then proclaming open war he forthwith made preparation to inuade Scotland by land and sea The Queene Mother the regent and the Cardinall beeing all like affected solicited King Francis to minister aide against England But the monie that that was thereupon sent them and deliuered to the Earle of Lenox to bee imployed to that end was by him detayned by reason of some iarres then amongst them-selues which brought him out of fauour with the French King who before had vsed him as a speciall instrument on his side King Henry in the meane season hauing not beene slow in his businesse thought good neuer-the-lesse to make triall whether vpon better aduisements the Scottes would yeelde to some reasonable conditions wherefore he sent his letters to Edenbrough fraught with many iust complaints and bitter threats but all preuailed not wher-vpon proceeding in his former courfe and hauing furnished his Nauie with all things needfull he committed the charge therof to
your good call to remembrance that your last king a Prince of much excellencie had three children But did not the Lord God as if it were to shew that it was his will and pleasure the long continued warre betweene the two nations should take end and they become vnâ—ted and made one people take away the two male-babes placed a sunder both within the space of foure and twenty houres leauing but one maiden child your Princesse when the most wise and victorious Prince late our King Henry the eight in other of his marriages not very fortunate had by his most lawfull wife the vertuous Queene Iane his other two former wiues then being dead and neuer any question made of the lawfulnesse of that mariage nor after her death any motion of other wife though the King liued eight yeares after a Prince of so high expectation the true and vndoubted heire to the crowne of England and his Maiesties onely male issue left behind him to succeed him if nothing else had beene done what can any wise or any Christian man that thinketh the world is gouerned by Gods prouidence and not by fortune otherwise take it but that it was the Lords will it should be so to the end that these two realmes should bee ioyned in mariage and there-by to make a godly firme and most friendly vnitie betweene them if any man looke to bee confirmed herein by miracle obserue and marke all the possibilities of the natures of the two kings the children first had the doubtfull chance least both of them should haue had a sonne or both daughters or not of meete ages with other circumstances of the one partie or the other which hath not chanced in eight hundred yeares before it must of necessitie be reckoned an extraordinarie course if not a miracle But be it as it may bee what more certaintie can bee had of Gods working and will in this case then the consideration of the former recited occurrents doth minister call you them prouidences or meere chances if you shall be still afflicted May not the Lord say vnto you I of mine infinite mercie and loue to your Nation had prouided an vndoubted heire and a Prince to the one and a like heire and a Princesse to the other to bee ioyned together in my holy ordinance and by the law of Nature and Nations to haue made an vnitie and peace there-by betweene the one realme and the other but you refusing the offered oportunitie haue made choise of dissention rather then of vnitie of discord then of agreement of warre then peace of hatred and malice then of loue and charitie If you then smart for it whom can you blame but your owne bad choise But because some of you who oppose your selues here-vnto cannot but confesse Gods prouidence herein for the vniting of both realmes yet may neuer-the-lesse here-after obiect as before you haue done our fault herein is that we seeke not equality nor the mariage but a conquest that wee would not bee friends and fellowes but Lordes ouer you Although our proclamation and priuate letters at the last warres doe sufficiently declare the contrary yet here we protest to you and all Christian people that it is the Kings minde by our aduise and counsell not to winne and subdue by force but to conciliate by milde course not to spoile and kill but to saue keepe not to disseuer and diuorce but to ioyne in mariage both Prince and people to make of one Iland one kingdome vnited in loue amitie concord peace and Christian charitie If you refuse and reiect this kindnesse therby compell vs to vse armes who shall bee giltie of the bloud-shed who causeth battailes burning of houses and other extremities and mischiefes that acompany warre can it bee denied but that we haue the great seale of Scotland granted by generall consent in your Parliament for a testimonie against you What was wanting tending to the assurance of the mariage saue onely yeares and so liking and consent betweene the parties them-selues what end can you looke for by still opposing your selues against our honest purpose and Christian indeuor but such successe as you haue already assaied we offer loue equallity amity we ouer-come in war and offer peace we win holds with-hold our hands from conquest we get still in your land and offer you our owne what can be more offred proffered then intercourse of marchandise interchange of mariages the abolishing of all such our lawes as might bee impediments to our mutuall amity Wee haue offred not onely to leaue and giue ouer the name title right or chalenge of Superioritie but also to relinquish the long continued name of our Nation and the glory of any victorie if â—ny we haue had or should haue of you and to take vp againe with you the ancient name of Britaines because nothing should be left on our partie vn-offered nothing of your party vn-refused whereby you might be inexcusable What face hath this of conquest we goe not about to disinherite your Queene but to giue her issue if she haue any a greater inheritance What better defence can you wish in her nonage then to haue England your patron and protector neither seeke we to abrogate or change your lawes and customes but rather to establish them and redresse your oppressions These vaine feares are put into your heads by them who in truth respect more their priuate aduantage and present estimation then the good of the whole land both present and future Now in this tumult of disorder while your realme is tossed vp and downe with the waues and surges of warre they thinke they cannot be espied but looke on them with the eies of sound iudgment and then you shall easilie perceiue their drift Consider in what state you stand to keepe your Queene vnmaried were very dishonorable to marrie her within your realme cannot extinguish the title wee pretend to the Crowne of Scotland and what dissention enuie grudge and malice that shall breed amongst you is easily perceiued But you will â—â—â—tow her out of the Realme to a mighty Prince Our title standeth where it was you become subiect to foraigne power to them of a strange land and differing language vs you haue your enemies euen at your elbowes your succors farre of not passable at all times Be not wee now in the heart of your Realme possesse we not a good part therof Do not many of your owne Nation take our part mooued therevnto by the equity of our demande But you will bring in a foraigne power to expulse vs and all our partakers Beware what you doe Learne to bee wise by other mens harmes Consider how dangerous a point it is to call to your aide a Nation of greater power then your selues VVere not our predecessors the Britaines expulsed by the Saxons vpon that aduantage How did the French thrust out the Gaules How came the Turke by all Grecia and now of late by
Hungaria but by beeing brought in and entertayned for their aide and succour Did not the Gothes by like meanes get all Italie and the Lombardes one part thereof now called Lombardie VVhat better successe looke you for Needie souldiers hauing their weapons in their handes and knowing you cannot inioye your owne without them what will they not commaunde what will they not vsurpe and what will they thinke that you dare doe against them Such aide wil be your confusion the victorie so had your seruitude what is then to bee thought of the losse sustained at their hands The strangers and mercinarie souldiers will oppresse you within our power and forces without were it not then much better to auoide all these mischiefes by an happie mariage with our King to end all warre and contention by so honorableâ— peace Holdeth not the Emperor Spaine and Burgundy by right of mariage How hath the French King Britaine now lately annexed to that Crowne but by title of marriage How haue all the Princes of the world happily peaceablie made of two kingdomes one of seuerall signiories one of sundrie Nations euer before at warre one with the other or else in doubtfull peace one well gouerned kingdome rule and dominion but by that Godly most commendable and honorable composition of mariage There be only two means to worke good agreement where two Nations pretend title one to the other either by force of armes or by marriage of these you hate the one namelie conquest and neuerthelesse refuse the other You will not haue peace you reiect alliance what then remaineth but violence and happily conquest whether you will or no which we feare wil be lesse damage and dishonour vnto you then the entertainment of a foraigne power ouer-mighty to bee remoued by you when you are wearie of their companie To conclude wee declare and protest that although we are compelled for the time for the furtherance of our honest and Christian purpose and for the defence of such amongst you as fauor the same to keepe houlds and to build fortifications in the Realme Neuerthelesse his Maiesties minde and pleasure is with our aduice and Counsell that if faire meanes may preuaile not to vse extremities if you will imbrace amitie to leaue armes for wee desire loue vnitie concord peace and equalitie Let neither your Gouernor nor your Church-men nor any other feede you with faire words and thereby bring you into the snare from whence they cannot deliuer you againe They will happilie prouide for themselues some pensions out of an other Realme but who shall prouide pensions for the rest They will send you souldiers to keepe your houlds but who shall force them to restore them againe You shal be well prouided of munition armor and weapons but there-with they wil be readie to cut your owne throates Now on the other side if we two being made by this mariage one People one Nation and one Monarchie hauing the sea for a wall mutuall loue for a garrison and God for our defense what should we be affraide of who can hurt vs whie are you not as willing as wee bee to knit this fast knot of amitie with vs. If the honour of so Noble a Monarchy doth not mooue you herevnto let the remembrance of your former losses feare you to attempt that thing which shall displease almighty GOD increase your trouble wast your goodes and desolate your Country VVe craue but your promised Queene your offred vnity the coniunctioÌ„ of both nations which God himselfe of his infinite clemency and tender loue towards both hath offred vnto vs both and in a manner prouoked vs both vnto it whose calling wee acknowledge and will pursue the effecting of the same by all good means VVhere-with if wee shall not preuaile then must wee bee inforced to chastice the obstinate and froward amongst you with the angry Angels of God fire and sword VVherfore we once againe require and exhort you al who loue your Country and beare true hearts to your Queene and Mistresse regard your honours hold your faith and promise with vs which shall bring so great a benefit vnto you As many of you as shal fauor and further this our interprice bee hee Lord or Leard Gentleman or other wee will friendly intertaine him on our party reward his seruice to his best contentment And for a more sure proofe of our good meaning herein knowe you that the King by our aduice and Counsell hath granted and by these presents doth grant that from hence-forth all manner of Marchantes and other of your Nation who shall enter their names with one of the Wardens of our marches and there professe to take part with vs in this our iust and Godly intention may to his owne pofit and all such as bee of the same affection with vs without any let enter into any port creeke and hauen of England and there vse their traffique buie and sell bring in the commodities of Scotland and carrie forth the commodities of England as freelie and with the same and none other custome or paiments then the Kings naturall subiects do vsually now pay purposing also vpon the good successe of this our offer further to gratifie the fauorers of our enterprise according to the measure of euery mans merit All this the Kings highnesse by our aduice and Counsell hath willed to be declared in wryting vnto you giuen in commandement vnto vs and his Lieutenants VVardens Rulers other head Officers Ministers and subiects to see done and executed according to the true purport effect and meaning thereof Fare you well Diuers of the Scottish Nobility mooued hereby to a due consideration of the present Estate of their Country notwithstanding that the French succors were already ariued did not feare in a publique assembly wherin the cause was solemnly debated amongst them to declare what reasons moued them to hold it more profitable honorable to accept of the alliance league offred them by the Counsell of England then to 〈…〉 of thâ— hands of the FrenchmeÌ„ But the aâ—uerse partâ—y being the stronger for besides that aâ— the Papists wel-nere were of that faction thâ— French king had promised great rewards and preferments â—o the principal men amongst theÌ„ on the gouernoâ— himself he had bestowed a yearly pention of 12000. crownes and a charge of an hundred lances the rest were ouer-ruled and this point firmely concluded that the young Queene shold be forth-with sent into France to be affianced vnto the Dolphine which was afterwards effected accordingly The French army arriued on the 19. day of this present month of Iune câ—â—sisting of some 6000. in the whole Viz. 3000. footmen Germaines conducted by the Râ—â—â—graue 2000. French and 1000. others of sundry Nations hors-men ouer whom Monsieur Dâ—ssâ— was appointed general accompanied with oâ—heâ—â—xpert Captaines namely Dandelâ—â— â—alleâ— â—n Daâ—seâ— â—â—â—tâ—o Stroâ—â—y an Italian Nicholas Villegaignon Captaine of the Gallies and Monsieur Dâ—â—d Commissary ouer the artilery These togitheâ—
conduct to passe thorowe her kingdome but will presently take order they shal be transported by her nauie into France If you make light reckning hereof wee call God and man to witnesse that wee haue not armed our selues vpon malice or stomacke but are vnwillinglie and of meere necessitie inforced to aduenture vpon extreame remidies least otherwise wee suffer the common-weale our selues and all our posteritie to bee cast downe headlong into an irrecouerable deapth of infinite calamities Neither yet shall anie daunger whatsoeuer though presentlie we sustaine much euill and more is like to fall on vs cause vs to depart from our dueties to our Queene or to resist the King her husband in anie thing which shall not manifestlie tend to the eminent daunger and destruction of our selues our posterities and ancient liberties But most gratious Prince wee doe humblie againe beseech you that weighing the equitie of our request and foreseeing what euill maie ensue of VVarre and howe necessary a thing Peace shall bee to the mis-affected estate of this your daughters kingdome it would not displease you to confirme your will to our iust petition which if you do you shall not onlie leaue to all Nations an acceptable memorie of the moderate carriage of your selfe in place of gouernment but thereby also giue tranquillitie and rest to the greatest part of Christendome Farewell At Dalkeith the fourth daie of Aprill Anno. 1560. These last wordes in the shutting vp of the letter were spoken I take it of the present estate of Scotland touching Religion For nowe had the better part of the Nobility taken vpon them the defence of the Preachers of the Gospell wherevpon they were named the Lords of the Congregation And this was the principall occasion of these broiles betwixt the Queene Regent who would haue maintained poperie and those of the Nobility How honorable and Christian a part was it then of the Queene of England to interpose her selfe into so iust a quarrell as is the defence of the most ancient apostolicall and vndoubted Religion and how much shall that Nation bee for euer bound vnto her Maiestie for so inestimable a benefit as thereby it hath hitherto happily enioyed What answere the Queene made to the Lords I find not but still one or other labored by all possible meanes to worke a reconciliation but al was in vaine for the Queene would not yeeld to the sending away of the French forces on which point the Lords stood stiflie At the approach of the army to Lieth on the sixt daie of Aprill the Frenchmen to the number of thirteene hundred issuing out of the towne tooke possession of a little Knole called the Halkes-hill thereby to preuent the Englishmen from incamping there but at length the enemy with the losse of some seauen score men was beaten backe to the very gates of the towne Diuerse Englishmen were also slaine and many more hurt but if it had beene knowne what aduantage was offred by the French their whole power it was thought might therby haue beene vtterly ouerthrowne VVhile the Lord Graie was at Muskelbrough on his way thitherward he sent Sir Iames Croft and Sir George Howard vnto the Queene to intreat an abstinence of warre for foure and twenty houres that in the meane time he might make knowne vnto her the cause of his comming in that manner and further that vpon some conditions hee would accept of peace The Queene consenting herevnto sent an Harauld to Lieth to giue knowledge thereof but whether the fault was in the messinger or in the Frenchmen the English armie was inforced to the fight after which hee refused any more parliance But proceeded to the siedge of Lieth which was no lesse valiantly assailed by the English then by the aduerse partie it was defended During which an accident happned in the towne that more indangered and damnified the enemie in one night then the assiliantes had done before in twentie For on the last day of Aprill about two hours before Sun-set a sodaine fire arose in the towne which beeing increased by an outragious winde then aloft continued till the next morning hauing consumed a great part of the buildings and amongst the rest certaine common Garners and Store-houses wherein was great prouision of corne and victualls Neither were the Englishmen slowe in pursuing the aduantage thereof For by remouing their great Ordinance on that side the towne they beat backe those which labored to quench the fire and entring the ditches tooke the height of the wall and so egarly assaulted the breaches that had not the Frenchmen fore-seene the danger they were falne into and continewally applied their businesse and stood to it manfully on euery quarter that nightes worke as it was thought would haue ended the warre for that time The siedge continued neere sixe weekes longer in which time many lost their liues on both sides At one assault which was the sharpest of all the rest an eight score Englishmen were slaine outright and not so few maymed and hurt But still thorow the especiall care and good fore-sight of the Duke of Northfolke then appointed to remaine in the North-partes for the direction of this seruice their wants whatsoeuer were from time to time supplied The French King vnderstanding into what distresse the towne was brought for the Frenchmen were now worne ouerweried with continuall watching warding sent two Ambassadors into England County Randon and Monluc Bishop of Valence to treat with the Queene for a peace with Scotland his wiues kingdome For hee held it an indgnity to seeke it at his subiects handes the Scottish Lords Her Maiesty being not vnwilling to accept of any reasonable conditions so as the French might be remoued was content to associate vnto them Maister Secretary Cecill afterwards Lord Burley and high Treasurer of England whilest he liued mine honorable good Lord and Maister and Doctor Wutton deane of Canterbury and Yorke These passing togither into Scotland after some three weekeâ— trauell concluded a peace on the eight day of Iuly following which was immediatly proclaimed at Lieth in these words The most mighty Princesse Elizabeth by the grace of God Queene of England France Ireland defender of the faith c. And the most Christian King Francis and Marie by the same grace of God King and Queene of France and Scotland haue accorded vpon a reconciliation peace and amity to be inuiolably kept betweene them their subiectes kingdomes and Countries And therefore in their names it is streitly commanded to all manner of persones borne vnder their obedience or being in their seruice to forbeare all hostility either by sea or land and to keepe good peace each with other from this time forwards as they wil answere there-vnto at their vttermost perills The most materiall articles were these that all the Frenchmen should depart the Realme with bagge and bagage within the tearme of twentie daies next following And because they wanted at that present shippes enough to receiue so great a