Compare 1587 edition: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 EEBO page image 195This ouerthrowe did put the Brytaynes in daunger to haue bene vtterly ouerrunne, what by the Scottes on the one ſide, and the Danes on the other: for as for any ayde to be looked for of the Engliſh men, they had plain anſwere they ſhould haue none, ſith they had ſo vniuſtly broken the league cõcluded with their cõfederates the Scots, to the great hinderance of the proſperous procee|dings of al the inhabiters of this Ile, againſt their common enimies the Danes. Yet the better to e|ſtabliſh the eſtate of their countrey, and in hope of ſome recouerie of their former dammages,Herbert king of Britain ſent Ambaſſadors. they crowned to their king one Herbert (or as ſome co|pies haue Hebert) the brother of the laſt Conſtan|tine, and herewith ſent Ambaſſadours vnto Gre|gorie king of the Scottiſh men to excuſe themſel|ues, in that they had ſo wrongfully attempted the warres againſt him and his people, ſaying all the fault in Conſtantine, who againſt the willes and contrarie to the minds of his ſubiects did take vp|on him that diſhonourable and moſt infortunate enterpriſe. Gregorie hauing heard the meſſage of theſe Ambaſſadors,King Gregory his anſwere. for anſwer declared vnto thẽ, that he vnderſtood wel ynough that the Brytains now ſued for peace vpon no reuerend conſidera|tion they had vnto their othes of couenãt, but only for that they ſaw howe if they ſhoulde purſue the warre ſtill, they were ſure that in the ende they ſhould be like to haue the foyle: & therefore he was fully thus reſolued, not to conclude any peace or truce with ſuch diſloyall people, till they had re|ſigned ouer into his hands the whole poſſeſſion of the Countreys of Cumberland & Weſtmerland,Gregorie re|quired a reſig|nation of Cũ|berlande and Weſtmerland. with aſſurance neuer to pretende any clayme or title vnto thoſe dominions from thenceforth: and herewith for performance of couenants, to render into his hands not only y^e keyes of al the townes, caſtels, and fortreſſes in the ſame countreys, and to auoyde quite their wayes into Wales to other their countrey men there, but alſo to deliuer .lx. noble mens ſonnes and heyres apparant as pled|ges to remain with the Scots. The Ambaſſadors returning home with this meſſage, and reporting it accordingly vnto their king, when all men had ſaid their aduice, in the ende they condiſcended to conclude the peace with the rehearſed conditions preſcribed by the Scottiſh king, ſith they ſawe no better meane to preſerue their nation from preſent deſtruction. And thus deliuering the appoynted number of pledges,Peace was con|cluded. they left the countryes of Cũ|berland and Weſtmerland voyd, ſurrendring in|to the Scottiſh mens hands the poſſeſſions of all the townes, caſtels & fortreſſes, & therewith depar|ted into Northwales, where they placed thẽſelues in the countrey betwixt Conway and the riuer of Dee,

Hũfrey Lluid.

870

out of the which they expulſed the Engliſhe men (that were then in poſſeſſion therof) and ther|with they erected a kingdom ther, which they na|med Stradcluyd, mainteyning warres againſt y^e Engliſhmen many yeres after. K. Gregorie ha|uing thus enlarged his kingdome, aſſembled his nobles at Car [...]eil, wher he reſolued with their ad|uice to follow ſuch good fortune as by Gods pro|uidence dayly chaunced vnto them. Whervpon it was agreed,The pollicy of the Scottes to haue taken Yorke. that they ſhould go firſt vnto Yorke to conquer that citie, whileſt the Engliſh men in Kent were occupied with the Danes that were come thither, ſo as neither the one nation nor the other could attend to make any attempt to hinder the Scottiſh mens enterpriſe.K. Alured ſent Ambaſſadours vnto king Gregorie. But in the meane time came Ambaſſadors vnto Gregorie frõ king Alured to congratulate his proſperous ſucceſſe a|gainſt his enimies y^e Danes & other. Theſe Am|baſſadors alſo willed to haue the auncient league betwixt Engliſhmen & Scottes renued, by which meanes both their powers might ioine togither a|gainſt their common enimies, when they ſhould attempt any wrongfull inuaſion.Peace confir|med. This requeſt was granted, ſo that ſhortly thervpon peace was eſtabliſhed betwixt thoſe princes & their people, w^t confirmation of the olde league, wherevnto were added theſe articles: that y^e Scots ſhould enioy the poſſeſſion of Northũberland without any claime to be made to the ſame by the Engliſh men: if the Danes chaunced to inuade either of their domi|nions,New conditi|ons of peace. the warre ſhould be accounted as common to them both.No paſſage to be graunted vnto the eni|mie. Neither ſhould the Scots graunt paſſage to any enimy of the Engliſhmen through Scotlãd, neither the Engliſh men ſuffer y^e Scot|tiſh mens enimies to paſſe through England. If any Engliſh men did rob or ſteale any thing out of Scotlande that ſhoulde not breake the league,Puniſhment of robbers but the offenders with the recepters ſhould be de|liuered to the Scottiſh magiſtrats to be puniſhed according to the qualitie of the offence, & the lyke ſhould be obſerued by the Scottes towardes the Engliſhmẽ. Thus things being quieted with the Engliſhmen, as Gregory was about to lay ar|mor aſide,Galloway in|uaded by the Iriſh men. word came to him of new trouble forth of Galloway, by reaſon of an inuaſion made by the Iriſhmen into that coũtrey. For the Iriſhmẽ hauing knowledge that the inhabitants of Gallo|way had ſpoyled two ſhips of Dublin arryuing on their coaſt, ſent ouer a great power of men, the which landing in Galloway, made great ſlaugh|ter of the people on ech ſide. K. Gregory being ad|uertiſed hereof, ſtreyght wayes made towardes them, but they hauing knowledge of his cõming, drewe to their ſhippes with a great pray of goodes and cattels, and returned therewith immediately back into their own countrey. Herevpon Gregory without delay got togither his ſhips and folowed the enimies with all his army, & landing in Ire|land, put the nobles of that realme in great feare, who as then were in contention togither whiche of them ſhoulde haue the gouernment, by reaſon EEBO page image 196 theyr king was lately deade, and had left a ſonne behinde him being but a childe in yeares, to ſuc|ceede him in his throne. Some therefore of the wiſer ſort, and ſuch as tendred the wealth of their countrey, went earneſtly about to agree the par|ties, but when they ſaw that woulde not be, they did ſo much yet,A truce was ta|ken betwixt the two parties that a truce was taken betwixt them for a while, leaſt fighting ſtill amongeſt themſelues, they ſhoulde put theyr Countrey in daunger to be ouerrunne of the Scottes: agaynſt whom when they had agreed vpon the foreſayde truce,The two Iriſh men gather their powers. eyther of the factions rayſed a power, one Bren being generall of the one, and Cornelius of the other: for theſe two princes were heades of the parties betwixt whom the controuerſie for the gouernment of the Realme reſted, and therevpon by conſent of the reſidue had the leading of all them that were of their faction. Theſe two Cap|taynes with their armies encamped themſelues vpon the banke of the Ryuer Bane, vnder the Mountaine called Fute: theyr campes beeing ſe|uered by a ſmall diſtance the one from the other, in ſuch a ſtrong place,Two armies one neare the other. that it was not poſſible for the enimies to approche them withoute manifeſt daunger to caſt away themſelues. Their chiefe purpoſe was to prolong the tyme here in thys place,The Iriſh mẽs practiſe. till they had farniſhed the Scottiſh armie, and then to deale with them at theyr pleaſure. But the induſtrious prouiſion of Gregorie paſ|ſed the polityke deuiſe of the Iriſhe men: for hee had commaunded that euerie one of thoſe Scot|tiſh men which paſſed the Seas with him,The Scottes had made pro|uiſion of vy|tayles afore hande. ſhould puruey hymſelfe of vytayles, according to the cuſtome of the Countrey, for fiftie dayes ſpace, as of breade, cheeſe, butter, larde, and powdred biefe: as for drinke they knewe they ſhoulde not neede to care, ſithe they were ſure to finde water ynough in euery place where they chaunced to come: for as yet fithie & ſeruile glutonie had not ſoftened nor inured with wanton delicacie the warlike natures of the Scottiſh people. In the ende Gregorie hauing for certaine dayes reſted himſelf and his men, & deuiſing in the meane time which way he might beſt endomage the enimies. At length concluded to ſende in the night ſeaſon two thouſande of his ſouldiers vp to the ridge of the forenamed mountaine called Fute,The kings de|uiſe. throughe the thicke buſhes and woods wherewith the ſame was couered, to the ende that getting to the top of that hill, right ouer where the Iriſh campes lay, they might in the morning (at what time Gre|gorie with the reſt of the armie went about to aſ|ſayle hys enimyes) tumble downe ſtones from the browes of the Hill vpon them, thereby ey|ther to deſtroy great numbers of them, either elſe to conſtraine them to come forth of their ſtrength into the plaine fields, and ſo to fight with them in a place indifferent.Kenneth Cul|lan. Kenneth Cullan the Thane of Carrick tooke vppon him to haue the conduct of them that ſhoulde goe aboute this enterpriſe, who conueying hys bande ouer the water of Bane, and ſo vp on the backe ſide of the Moun|tayne,King Gregory aſſayled the Iriſhmen. in the morning when their fellowes fell in hande to aſſayle the Iriſhe campe where Bren lodged, they tumbled ſuche plentie of mightie ſtones downe vpon the Iriſhe men, that aboue a [figure appears here on page 196] thouſande of them beeing ſlaine, all the reſidue were forced to forſake their grounde, and to flee in maner withoute anye ſtroke ſtryken. The Scottes that were ſent to purſue them,The Iriſh are purſued. tooke a great number of them priſoners, and ſlue but a fewe, hauing before hande ſuche commaunde|ment from their Prince.