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.

Now for the matter it selfe, touching the effusion of bloud, wherewith a mill might well haue béene dri|uen for two daies space; Hector Boe [...]us, pag. 29 [...] [...] impress. P [...]|sij [...] à Iacob [...] Puys, 1574 Hector Boetius his owne words are these; Riui sanguinis toto oppido adeo fluxere, vt cumaestu decurrente min [...]r aqua quàm ad molendina cir|cumagenda fuerit, adiuuante aquam sanguine aliqua circum|agi sponte coeperint. Which place, Bellenden hath inter|preted after this manner; So lamentabl' slauhter wes throw all the parts of the toun, that ane mill might ha [...]f gaue two daies ithandlie be stremis of blude. Now examine Graftons words by Bellenden, and Bellendens by Boetius (besides that, marke what Grafton annexeth to the report of this slaugh|ter, who saith that he will not inforce the credit ther|of vpon any man, but counteth it a Scotish lie rather EEBO page image 299 than a matter of truth) and then conclude according to equitie, that Grafton is altogither excusable and fautlesse, and Buchanans curious & furious challenge reproueable. But admit Grafton had fetcht his re|port from Boetius, as he had it from Bellenden; see|meth it a lie or an vnlikelihood, that the bloud gush|ing out of the bodies of 25000, or (as Hector Boetius saith) 7000, would not increase to a streame suffici|ent & able to driue a mill or two about, without any water intermingled therwithall? The Latine copie hath Riui sanguinis, riuers of bloud, noting by the word the abundance and also the streaming course of the same, which was able with the violent current there|of to beare awaie the verie bodies of the slaine. To conclude this matter, & to set our Englishman by the truth, and let the Scot go with his lieng toong, which I would he had had the modestie to haue tempered, & to haue proffered a practise of that which himselfe pa|raphrasticallie preacheth and teacheth others to ob|serue, saieng;

(Linguae obseraui claustra fraeno, pertinax

In paraph. su|per psal. 39. Obmutui silentio,

Ac temerè ne quid os mali profunderet,

Verbis bonis clausi exitum.)

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 And now to the storie. K. Edward remaind at Ber|wike 15 daies,K. Edward fortifieth Berwike. & caused a ditch to be cast about the towne of 80 foot in breadth, & of the like in depth. In the meane time,A scotish frier sent to king Edward. about the beginning of Aprill, the warden and reader of the frier minors of Rockes|borough called Adam Blunt, came vnto him with letters of complaint from king Iohn, for the wrongs doone and offered vnto him and his realme, as well in claiming an vniust superioritie, and constreining him to doo homage by vndue and wrongfull meanes, as also by inuading his townes,The Scotish king renoun|ceth his ho|mage and fe|altie vnto the king of En|gland. slaieng and robbing his subiects: for the which causes he testified by the same letters, that he renounced all such homage and fealtie for him and his subiects, as he, or any of them owght for any lands holden within England. The king hearing the letters red, receiued the resignation of the homage, and commanded his chancellor, that the letter might be registred in perpetuall memorie of the thing.