There goeth a fond forged tale,A tale. that this king Dauid being in the Caſtel of Edenburgh on the holy Rood day in Harueſt, otherwiſe called the Exaltation of the croſſe, it chaũced that through excyting of certaine yong Lordes and Gentle|men, after he had beene at Churche, hee tooke his Horſe and rode foorth into the next wooddes to hunt the Harte, for in thoſe dayes all that countrey was full of Woods and waſt grounds, repleniſhed with Deare and wilde beaſtes,The Countrey about Eden|burgh in olde time full of Wood. ſmall tyllage as then beeing vſed in any part of the Realme, for all the people in maner were giuen to breeding of Caſtell, more than to any other trade of liuing.
The king therefore being paſſed through the dale or valley whiche lyeth plaine Eaſt from the ſayde Caſtell (where nowe ſtandeth EEBO page image 264 the Cannogate) the Houndes were caſt off,Cannogate. and great noyſe rayſed what with their opening and blaſt of hornes, that all the wilde beaſtes were ſoone on foot for dread thereof, and diuerſe of them [figure appears here on page 264] ſtreyght had in chaſe. And nowe was the King come to the foote of the hyll, and all his nobles ſe|uered here and there from him, when ſodenly ap|peared to his ſight the faireſt Hart that euer man ſet eye vpon: The dynne or noyſe of this Hart comming towardes the king with his ful courſe, made the kings horſe ſo afrayde, that he was not able to ſtay him with the reigne, but that he ran quite away with him, through thicke and thin, the Hart ſtill following ſo faſt and with ſuche violence, that at length hee bare both horſe and man to the grounde: And as the king caſt backe his handes betwixt the tyndes of this Hart,A croſſe fal|ling into the kings handes. to defende himſelfe from hurt, there ſlipped a croſſe into his handes after a myraculous ſort, and im|mediately therewith the Hart ruſhed away with great violence, and could neuer after be ſeene.