[figure appears here on page 217]

Compare 1587 edition: 1 2 3 4 5 6 They of Angus prouoked herewith, reſted not long but aſſembling themſelues togither in|uaded the Countrey of Mernes,They of Mernes requit their iniuries. where making great ſlaughter on eche ſide, they left the Coun|trey voyde almoſt both of men and cattell. Thus did the people of thoſe two Countreys purſue the warre one agaynſt another a certaine time, with dayly incurſions and waſtings of eyther others countreys, in ſuch cruel wiſe, that it was thought the one of them muſt needes ſhortly come vnto vtter deſtruction, if ſpeedie remedie were not the ſooner prouided. The king being informed of this EEBO page image 218 miſchiefe and great trouble which was fallen out through ſedition amongſt thoſe his ſubiects,The king made a pro|clamation by an Heralde. hee made proclamation by an Herauld, that thoſe of Angus and Mernes whom he vnderſtoode to be culpable,The culpable ſhould appeare at Scone. ſhoulde appeare within .xv. dayes after at Scone, there to make anſwere afore appoyn|ted Iudges, to ſuch things as might be layde to their charge, vpon paine of death to euery one that made default. When the day of appearance came, there were but fewe that did appeare.The faulty mẽ ran away. The moſt part of them doubting to bee puniſhed for theyr offences with Cruthlint their Captaine, fled out of y^e Mernes,The king was ſore off [...]nded there with. taking with them their wiues, theyr children and all theyr goodes. The king beeing ſore moued herewith, perceyued how readie the Scottiſhe people was by nature vnto rebellion, when they were gently vſed: and againe howe they obeyed the Magiſtrates beſt when they were reſtreyned from their wilde outragious doings by due puniſhment and execution of iuſtice. He conſidered therefore that if hee did not cauſe thoſe ſeditious rebelles whiche had thus diſobeyed hys commaundements to bee puniſhed according to the order of the lawes,The king min+ded to puniſhe the diſobedi|ent rebels. he ſhoulde haue the whole realme ſhortly diſquieted with ciuill warre & open rebellion. Wherevpon with all ſpeede hee cauſed earneſt purſuyt to be made after Cruthlint and the reſidue of the offenders,Cruthlint ta|ken with ma|ny more. the whiche at length being taken in Lochquhabir, were brought vnto a Caſtel in Gowrie called Dounſinnã, where after iudgement pronounced agaynſt them,He is executed with certaine others. Cruth|lint firſt, and then other the chiefeſt ſtyrrers on eyther ſyde were put to execution, the commons for that it was thought they followed their ſupe|riors [figure appears here on page 218] agaynſt their willes, were pardoned and li|cenced to depart to their houſes.The king was worthily com|mended for his iuſtice. For this equitie ſhewed in miniſtring iuſtice by the king, hee was greatly prayſed, loued, and dread of all his ſub|iects, ſo that great quietneſſe folowed in the whole ſtate of the common wealth, greatly to the ad|uauncement therof, and ſo continued til the .xxij. yeare of this Kenneths raigne. At what time the blinde loue he bare to his owne iſſue,King Kenneth poyſoned his couſin Mal|colme. cauſed hym to procure a detectable fact, in making away one of his neareſt kinneſmen. This was Malcolme the ſonne of king Duffe, created in the beginning of Kenneths raigne Prince of Cumberlande, by reaſon whereof he ought to haue ſucceeded in rule of the kingdome after Kenneths death, whereat the ſame Kenneth grieuing not a little, for that thereby his ſonnes ſhoulde be kept from enioying the crowne, found meanes to poyſon him. But though the Phiſitions vnderſtanding by ſuch e|uidẽt ſignes as appeared in his bodie,The king was not ſuſpected of this fact. that he was poyſoned in deed, yet ſuch was the opinion which men had of the kings honor and intregritie, that no ſuſpition at all was conceyued that it ſhoulde be his deed. The cloked loue alſo whiche he had ſhewed towards him at all times, and to ſodaine commaundement giuen by him vppon the firſt newes of his death,The poiſoning of Malcolme is brought in|to ſuſpition. that his funerals ſhould be ce|lebrated in euery Church and Chappell for his ſoule, and againe the teares which he ſhed for him in all places where any mention chaunced to bee made of the loſſe which the realme had ſuſteyned by the death of ſo worthie a prince, made men no|thing miſtruſtful of y^e matter, till at lẽgth ſome of the nobles perceyuing the outward ſorow (which he made) to paſſe the true griefe of the heart, be|gan to gather ſome ſuſpitiõ, that al was not wel: but yet bycauſe no certaintie appeared, they kept their thoughtes to themſelues.Ambaſſadours came frõ king Edwarde. About the ſame time came Ambaſſadors forth of Englande from king Edwarde the ſonne of Edgar (which after through treaſon of his ſtepmother Eſculda, was made a Martyr) requyring that ſithe Malcolme the Prince of Cumberlande was deceaſſed, it might pleaſe the king with y^e ſtates of the realme EEBO page image 219 to chooſe ſome other in his place,He required a [...] Prince to [...] elected. who doing hys homage vnto the king of England according as it was couenãted by the league, might be a meant to confyrme the ſame league betwixt the two na|tions for the aduoyding of all occaſions of breach thereof that otherwiſe happely might enſue. [...]en|neth at the ſame time helde a councell at Scout,The king herd a [...] meſſage [...] his purpoſe where hauing hearde the requeſt of theſe Ambaſ|ſadours, in preſence of all his nobles, he anſwered that hee was glad to vnderſtande that king Ed|warde was ſo carefull for maintenance of loue and amitie betwixt his ſubiectes and the Scot|tiſhmen, according to the articles of the auncient league in times paſt concluded betwixt them, the ratification whereof for his part, he likewiſe moſt erneſtly deſired, & therfore in rendring moſt har [...]e thankes vnto him for his gentle aduertiſement, he purpoſed by the aduiſe of his nobles and the o|ther eſtates of his realme as then there aſſembled, to elect a new Prince of Cumberlande, without any further delay: and therupon required the Am|baſſadour to be preſent on the morrowe to heare what he was whom the Nobles ſhould [...]ns to be preferred vnto that dignitie. The Ambaſſa|dours hereupon departing forth of the Counſell chamber,The king re|queſted that the crowne might come by inheritance were conueyed to their lodging by di|uerſe of the nobilitie that were appoynted to keepe them companie. Then Kenneth with a long o|ration went about to perſwade the Peeres and o|ther the eſtates of the realme there (as I ſayd) aſ|ſembled, [figure appears here on page 219] to alter the cuſtome and auncient order vſed by their elders in chooſing of him that ſhould ſucceede in gouernance of the realme, after the de|ceaſſe of him that was in poſſeſſion. He vſed ſo many reaſons as was poſſible for him to deuiſe in that behalfe, therby to enduce them to his purpoſe, whiche was to haue an acte eſtabliſhed for the crowne to go by ſucceſſion, only to this ende that one of his ſonnes mighte enioy the ſame imme|diately after his deceaſſe.A fit oration for his purpoſe. He declared alſo what diſcõmodities, ſeditions, and great incõueniences had growne, in that the crown had gone in times paſt by election: for though it was ordeyned at the firſt that it ſhoulde ſo doe vpon a good intent and great conſideration, yet in proceſſe of time proufe and experience had ſhewed,He had roome ynough to walk in, to ga|ther proues and reaſons to perſwade this matter, it be|ing good of it ſelfe. that more hin|derance happened vnto the common wealth ther|by (beſide the daunger euer enſuing incidently vn|to ſuch iſſue as the king left behind him) than pro|fite, if the ſundry murthers, occaſions of ciuill diſ|corde and other wicked practiſes were throughly weyed and conſidered, the ſumme whereof he re|cited from poynt to point, and ſo in the ende with great inſtance beſought them that ſo pernicious a cuſtome might be aboliſhed and taken away, to the great benefite of the whole ſtate of the realme, ſpecially ſith in all realmes commonly the order was, that the ſonne ſhould without any contra|diction ſucceede the father in the heritage of the crowne and kingly eſtate.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 2 The king had no ſooner made an ende of his long oration,The Peeres of the realme did willingly graunt to his requeſt. which he handled after the pithieſt ſort he coulde, but that diuerſe of the noble men which were there amongſt other, being made pri|uie to the matter aforehande, mocioned meanes to haue Malcolme the ſonne of Kenneth created Prince of Cumberlande, that hee might ſo haue an entrance to the crowne after the deceaſſe of his father. This motion by and by was in many of their mouthes, whiche Kenneth perceyuing, re|quyred of the moſt auncient Peeres whom they would name to be Prince of Cumberlande, that there might be a meane to radifie and cõfirme the league betwixt the Scottes and Engliſhe men. Cõſtantine the ſonne of king Cullen, and Grime the nephew of king Duffe by his brother Mogal, howbeit by the force of y^e former law they might by good reaſon haue looked to haue had the prefer|ment EEBO page image 220 themſelues, yet perceyuing it was in vaine to denie that which would be had by violence (al|though they ſhould neuer ſo much ſtand agaynſt it) being firſt demaunded of the Heralde what they thought,The Heralde required Con|ſtantine hys voice firſt. they anſwered (notwithſtanding agaynſte theyr myndes in deede,) that the king might order all things as ſhould ſtande with his pleaſure,Conſtantine his ſaying. appoynting whome he thought moſte meeteſt to be Prince of Cumberlande, and to ab|rogate the auncient lawe of creating the kings in deuiſing newe ordinances for the ſame, as ſhould ſeeme vnto him & thoſe of his counſel moſt requiſite and neceſſarie.The multitude well pleaſed, crie Malcolm. The multitude then fol|lowing their ſentence, cryed with lowde and vn|diſcrete voyces, to haue Malcolme the ſonne of king Kenneth created Prince of Cumberlande. And thus the ſame Malcolme (though as yet vn|derage was by the voyces of the people ordeyned Prince of Cumberlande, in place of the other Malcolme ſonne to king Duffe.