¶But before I passe ouer this slaughter, so lamenta|ble and woonderfull, Abraham Fleming. I haue bethought my selfe of a promised apologie for and in the behalfe of Richard Grafton, mentioned before in the reigne of Henrie the second, page 112. col. 1. where I shewed how vn|aduisedlie and with vnseemelie modestie for a man of learning, George Buchanan the Scot dooth shoot his bolts at the said Grafton, as now by occasion of the matter conuenientlie occurrent shall be shewed. The said Grafton in his large volume of English chroni|cles, falling vpon the affaires betwéene king Ed|ward the first, and Iohn Balioll king of Scotland, among other things there remembred, R. Grafton, pag. 176. maketh re|port that in the said battell of Berwike, the slaugh|ter was so great, that a mill might well haue béene driuen by the space of two daies, with the streames of bloud which at that time ouerranne the ground. At which words George Buchanan giueth a snatch, G. Buchanan rer. Scotic. [...] 8. pag. 243. [...] finem em|boldened so to doo, bicause the said Grafton referreth this record to Hector Boetius in his fourteenth booke and second chapter.

Iesu, how the Scot taketh vp the Englishman for halting in his allegation, first for the chapter, con|uincing him that Hector Boetius diuided not his booke into chapters, and therefore, where is the second chapter, sith the whole fourteenth booke is a continued discourse without distinction by chapters? Secondlie the said Grafton hath the checke, for setting a lie a|flote, Buchanan flatlie affirming that Hector Boetius hath no such matter once mentioned in his annales, Touching the first fault, wherewith the Scot char|geth the Englishman, this is note-worthie, that it should seeme to anie man of meane iudgement, that Buchanan of a prepensed malice and purposed wilfulnesse hath sharpened his stile in this nipping sort against Grafton. For sith it was Graftons mea|ning to record the truth, so farre foorth as he was warranted by the auerment of writers; why should he be cast in the teeth with Effraenis maledicendi libido, or dishonestlie termed Indoctus & impudenter mendax? Which opprobrious epithets, if they were deserued by an vntrue report of the author; then should Bucha|nan haue sharpened his toong against Belenden his countriman, the translator of Hector Boetius into their mother toong, from whome Grafton hath deri|ued his words; sense for sense vnmangled (as he found the same written.)

Now who knoweth not that Bellenden distingui|shed Hectors annales into chapters, vpon whose au|thoritie Grafton relieng, and citing his authoritie ac|cording to the quotation of his diuision, whie should he rather than Bellenden be barked at, who is the principall in this controuersie? Againe, it could not be hidden from Buchanan, that Bellenden had distri|buted Boerius into chapters; considering that they were [...], both liuing in the reigne of Iames the fift of that name king of Scots: so that it might haue pleased him to haue tried Grafton by the Sco|tish Boetius, and so to haue beene resolued for the se|cond chapter of the fouretéenth booke, according to the archdeacon of Murreis translation.