1.7. The description of Louthian, Striue|ling, Menteth, Calidon wood, Bouge|wall, Gareoth, with the notable ci|ties, castels, and flouds thereof. The seuenth Chapter.

The description of Louthian, Striue|ling, Menteth, Calidon wood, Bouge|wall, Gareoth, with the notable ci|ties, castels, and flouds thereof. The seuenth Chapter.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 _ON the south of the Forth lieth Louthian, so called of Lothe or Loth, one of the kings of the Picts, it was sometime named Pictland; but now it is parcell of the Scotish kingdome, & there|to for bountie of soile is not inferiour to anie region of Scotland. In Louthian are manie abbeies, castels and townes, as Hadin|ton, Dunbar, Northberw [...] and Leith: but Eden|burgh passeth them all, as well in policie of regi|ment as in forme of building and wisedome, and riches of the inhabitants: therein also is the castell of Maidens, remembred by the most renowmed au|thors, & also the kings chiefe palace, the which tri|pleth the renowme of the foresaid citie. Not farre from thence moreouer is a certeine oilie spring, which riseth out of the ground in such abundance, that the more is caried from thence, the more is re|stored: and the people are persuaded hereof, that it is verie medicinable against all cankers and skalls.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 Not farre from the mouth of Forth is the castell of Dunbar, which by naturall situation and indu|strie of man, is now become one of the cheefe holds in Albion. It was sometimes the principall house apperteining to the earles of March: and there hard by is a towne of the same name, wherin is a rich ab|beie or colledge of canons founded by those earles. Next vnto Louthian lieth Mers, whereof I haue spoken alreadie, but we will now go vp higher in|to the land. Neerest vnto Mers therefore lieth Te|uidale, and aboue it is Twedale: next vnto Twe|dale is Druisdale, Walcopdale, Douglassedale, and Cliddisdale, and all these are such names as the riuers haue that run along their bottoms. The prin|cipall towne of Cliddisdale is Glasco the archbi|shops sée, wherein is a notable church erected in the honor of saint Mongow, and builded with great magnificence. In Glasco also is a noble vniuersi|tie, where the liberall arts and sciences are verie ze|louslie taught.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 In this region moreouer is a verie rich mine of gold, and another of azure, the commoditie of which later is reaped with small trauell. There are some|times found diuers pretious stones also, as rubies and diamonds. Certes this mine was disclosed in the time of Iames the fourth, who would no doubt haue brought it to full perfection, if he had longer li|ued, whereas now little profit redoundeth thereby to the commonwealth, bicause it is either vtterlie neglected, or not very much regarded. North of Glas|co lieth Menteith, and Striueling shire, bordering vpon Argile and Lennox. In Striueling shire is the towne of Striueling, and aboue it is the castell of Striueling, which was sometime called the dolorous mounteine. At this towne also began the great Ca|lidon wood, which ran through Menteith and Stra|therne, to Atholl and Lochquhaber, as Ptolome wri|teth in his first table.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 In this wood were somtime white buls with shackt heares and curled manes like fierce lions, otherwise they were like vnto the [...]ame, neuerthelesse so wild and sauage, that they would neuer be made famili|ar, nor tast of any hearbe or grasse that mans hand had once touched, after manie daies. Being taken also by the industrie of man (which was very hard to doo) they would refuse all sustenance, & starue them|selues to death. Assoone as any did inuade them, they would rush vpon him with great violence, and beare him to the earth; as for dogs, nets, or any kind of weapon they feared not, neither cared for any ma|ner of engine.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 It is said that Robert Bruze after his coronation did hunt one of these buls in the foresaid wood, be|ing accompanied but with a small traine, in which voiage he escaped narowlie with his life. For after the beast felt himselfe sore wounded by the hunters, he rushed vpon the king, who hauing now no wea|pon left in his hand wherewith to defend himselfe, he had suerlie perished if rescue had not come: howbeit in this distresse one came running vnto him, who o|uerthrew the bull by plaine force, and held him down till the hunters came that killed him outright. For this valiant act also the king indued the aforesaid partie with great possessions, and his linage is to this daie called of the Turnebuls, bicause he ouer|turned the beast, and saued the kings life, by such great prowesse and manhood. Certes the flesh of these beasts were reputed in old time as a most de|licate EEBO page image 14 food, and onlie meate for the nobilitie, notwith|standing that it be verie full of sinews and gristries, whereat some delicat féeders doo often take offense. In times past also they were bred in many places of the Calidon, but now they be all consumed by the gluttonie of the inhabitants, so that none of them are left, but onlie in Comerland.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 On the east side of Menteith lieth Stratherne, & bordereth also vpon Fife. Through the vallies like|wise of this region runneth the water of Ern, that falleth into Tay. This is moreouer worthie to be no|ted, that not foure miles from the confluence of Ern and Tay, there is a stone of small quantitie, and yet of great woonder, for in what place soeuer it be laid, it will not be remooued from thence by manuall prac|tise, art, or engine, & yet one man may so soone moue it as an hundred. On the other side of Tay beyond Angus and Gowray lieth Stermond, a region plen|tifullie indued both with grasse and corne. Not farre from Stermond is Athole, wherein are manie noble vallies and riuers full of fish, as pikes, lamperns, &c. The soile there also is so bountifull, that it yéeldeth corne in maner without any tillage. There is like|wise therein a towne called Lud, whose féelds are so plentious, that (if they be well tilled and dressed) they will yéeld great store of barlie without any sowing of seed. Howbeit, as this is in that part of the regi|on often verified, so in other there is a contrarious disposition to be found in the earth, which turneth wheat soone into good and perfect rie, the like wherof I heare to be not far from Luke, & in the countries thereabouts.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 West of Buchquhane and Bocne lieth Bostge|well and Gareoth, very plentifull soiles both for grasse and corne. In Gareoth also is an hill called Doundore, that is to saie, the golden mounteine: for the shéepe that féed thereon are yellow, and their téeth of the same hew, resembling burnished gold. Their flesh moreouer is red as it were tinged with saffron, and so is their wooll much after the same ma|ner. There is furthermore in the same region, an heape of stones lieng togither in maner of a crown which yéeld a sound when one of them is stricken as if it were a bell. Some are of the opinion, that one idoll temple or other stood heretofore in that place, while the Scotish nation was addicted to the wor|shipping of diuels. Many other regions are in Scot|land, as Bradalbane, Strabraun, and Badzenoth, with diuers small territories and flouds, howbeit they are not so notable as those which we haue alrea|die touched, and therefore I thinke it but follie to deale any further with them.