Compare 1587 edition: 1 2 3 4 5 [figure appears here on page 211] AFter that the bodie of King Culene was once cõueyed vn|to Colmekill,Ken|neth. & there buried amongſt his el|ders, the nobles & great peeres aſſembled togi|ther at Scone, where they proclaimed Ken|neth the ſonne of Mal|colme the firſte, & bro|ther EEBO page image 212 vnto Duffe, king of the realme. In the be|ginning of his reygne,Ill life is re|formed. he had inough to do to re|duce the people from theyr wilde & ſauage kinde of life (into the whiche they were fallen through the negligent gouernment of his predeceſſour) vnto theyr former trade of ciuill demeanour. For the nature of the Scottiſhmen is, that firſte the nobles, and thẽ all the reſidue of the people tranſ|forme themſelues vnto the vſage of their prince: therefore did Kenneth in his owne trade of li|uing ſhewe an enſample of chaſtitie,King Kenneth was of a ver|tuous liuing. ſobrietie, li|beralitie, and modeſtie, miſuſing himſelfe in no kinde of vice, but refrayning himſelfe from the ſame: hee baniſhed all ſuche kinde of perſons as might prouoke eyther him or other vnto any lewde or wanton pleaſures.He loued ſtraungers. He mainteyned a|mitie aſwell with ſtraungers as with his owne people, puniſhing moſt rigorouſly all ſuche as ſought to moue ſeditiõ by any maner of meane.He abhorred ſlouth. He tooke buſie care in cauſing the people to a|uoyde ſlouth, and to applie themſelues in ho|neſt exerciſes, iudging as the truth is, that to be the way to aduaunce the common wealth from decay to a floriſhing ſtate. Thus when he had ſomewhat reformed the miſorders of his ſub|iectes,He did puniſh offendours. he endeuored himſelfe by all meanes hee coulde deuiſe to puniſhe offendours againſt the lawes and wholeſome ordinances of the realme, and to purge all his dominions of theeues, rob|bers, and other ſuche as went aboute to diſquiet common peace.A ſeſsion kept at Laynrick, or Lanerk. At Lanerk, a towne in Kyle, was a ſeſſions appointed to be kept for execution of iuſtice, where certaine offendours were ſum|moned to appeare: but at their comming thither, perceyuing that ſuch manifeſt proofes would be brought againſt them of ſuche crimes as they had committed, that they were not able to ex|cuſe the ſame, through perſwaſion of diuers no|ble men vnto whom they were a kinne, they fled ſecretely theyr wayes,The giltie ran away. ſome into the Weſterne Iſles, and ſome into other places, where they thought moſt expediẽt for ſafegard of their liues.The king diſ|ſimuled with theſe doings. The king perceyuing that through the diſloyall meanes of the lordes his purpoſe was ſo hindered that he might not miniſter iuſtice according to the inſtitution of his lawes, he diſſembled his wrath for a time, & licenced euery man to depart to theyr houſes, his trayne onely excepted.The king wẽt to viſite Saint Ninian. Then went he into Galloway to viſite Saint Ninian for performance of his vowe, which he had made ſo to do.The king cõ|ſulted how to call the tranſ|greſſours vnto iudgement. Here he inuented (by conference which he had with ſome of his pryuie counſell a deuiſe, whereby he might fetche againe the offendours vnto iudgement: but this was kepte cloſe till the yeare following, for doubte leaſt if thoſe lordes whiche bare them good will had come to any incklyng thereof, they woulde by vttring it haue diſapoynted his purpoſe. At length, after a yeare was paſſed,An aſſemblie had at Scone. he appoynted all the Lordes & No|bles of his realme to aſſemble at Scone, as though it had bene to haue cõmuned about ſome weightie affayres touching the ſtate of the realme. The night then before they ſhould come togither into the counſell chamber,Armed men layd in way [...]. he cauſed by ſome of his faythfull miniſters, a ſorte of armed men to be layde cloſe in a ſecrete place, with cõ|maundement giuen to their capitaine, that in no wiſe he ſhould ſtirre with his bande till the nexte day, that all the Lordes were aſſembled togi|ther, and then without delay to execute that whiche ſhould be giuen him in cõmaundement.The king and Lordes fitting, the armed mẽ ſtept forth. On the morow after the nobles cõming togither into the counſell chamber, they had no ſooner ta|kẽ their places, euery one according to his degree about the king, but y^t the armed men before mẽ|cioned came ruſhing into the houſe, placing thẽ|ſelues round about them that were ſet according to the order preſcribed by former appointmẽt. [figure appears here on page 212] EEBO page image 213 The Lordes with this preſent ſight being much amazed, beheld one an other but durſt not ſpeake a worde.The king put|teth the lord [...] out of doubt. Then the king perceyuing their feare began to declare vnto thẽ the whole cauſe of his calling them to counſell at that time, & why he had appointed thoſe armed mẽ to be there atten|dant.An oration made by the king. The effect of his oration there made vnto thẽ was, that he had not cauſed thoſe armed mẽ to come into the chãber for any harme, ment to|wardes any of their perſons, but only for the pu|blike preſeruation of the realme. For aſmuch as they knew,A reherſall of al enormities. there was one kinde of people muche noyſome vnto the cõmon wealth, being cõfede|rate as it were togither by one conſent to exerciſe al ſortes of miſchief & oppreſſiõ againſt the poore people, as to robbe, ſpoyle, & take from them all y^t they had, to vaniſh their wiues, maides, & daugh|ters, and ſome times to brenne theyr houſes: the which licencious libertie in ſuch wicked perſons, through want of due puniſhment in the dayes of king Culene, what daunger it had brought vnto the whole ſtate of the Scottiſhe cõmon wealth there was none but might wel vnderſtãd it. For ſith it was ſo that y^e Lordes & other high eſtates liued by the trauaile of the commons, then if the ſame commons ſhoulde in any wiſe decay, the Lordes & ſuch other high eſtates could in no wiſe proſper: for if the labourer through iniurie of the robber were forced to giue ouer his labour, where ſhould the Lord or Gentleman haue wherevpon to liue? ſo that thoſe whiche robbed the huſband|man, robbed alſo the Lorde and gentleman: and they that ſought to mainteyne ſuche loytering perſons as vſed to robbe the poore man, went a|bout the deſtruction both of king, lord & gentle|man, yea and finally of the vniuerſall ſtate of the whole cõmon wealth. Therfore he that loued the cõmon wealth would not ſeeke onely to defende the cõmons from ſuch iniuries as theeues & rob|bers dayly offred thẽ, but alſo would helpe to [...]e [...] iuſt execution done vpon the ſame theeues & rob|bers, according to y^e laudable lawes & cuſtomes of the lande. The laſte yeare (ſayde he) you your ſelfes remember (I thinke) how I purpoſed by your helpe and counſell to haue proceeded by or|der of the lawes againſt all enimies and pertur|bers of the peace.Lainrike, or Lanerke. At Laynrike was the day ap|pointed for they to haue appeared, but there was not one of them that would come in, but con|temptuouſly diſobeying our cõmaundemẽt kept them away by whoſe counſel I know not. But I haue bene enformed by ſome howe diuers of you fauouring thoſe rebelles, by reaſon they were of your lynage, were of counſell with them in withdrawing themſelues ſo from iudgement. The oftẽ ſending of meſſengers betwixt them & you, well neare perſwaded vs to thinke that this reporte was true. But yet notwithſtanding I haue put away all ſuche ſiniſter ſuſpicion out of my heade, wiſhing you (as I truſte you bee) voyde of all ſuche diſſimulation. And nowe I requyre you not as fautours of the rebelles, but as defendours of the common wealth, though happely ſomewhat ſlacke heretofore in diſcharge of your dueties, to ſhew your ſelues ſuch in hel|ping to apprehende the offenders, as y^t the world may perceyue you to haue made full ſatiſfaction for your fault & errour, if before in you there were any. In the end he was playne with them, & told them flatly that they ſhould aſſure thẽſelues, to haue thoſe armed mẽ which they ſaw there pre|ſent, to be continually attendant about thẽ, til he might haue all the rebelles at commaundement.