The Holinshed Project

Holinshed Project Home

The Texts
1587

Previous | Next

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 The lord protector and others of the councell, considering now in what sort they had got foothold in Scotland,1548 Anno Reg. 2. by reason of such peeces as they had taken and fortified within the realme, did deuise for the more suertie of those places, which they had alreadie got, and the better to bring the rest of the countrie vnto reason, to haue some holds also more within the land, and therefore first they caused a fort to be builded at Lowder,

Lowder for|tified.

Sir Hugh Willoughbie.

where sir Hugh Willoughbie was appointed capteine with a conuenient garri|son of soldiers to kéepe it. Beside this, it was thought expedient to fortifie the towne of Hadington, where|vpon the lord Greie lieutenant of the north parts, with sir Thomas Palmer, and sir Thomas Hol|croft, were appointed to go thither with a conuenient number of men of warre & pioners to sée that towne fensed with trenches, rampiers, and bulworks, as should séeme to his lordship necessarie and behooue|full; who therefore entring into Scotland the eigh|téenth of Aprill, passed forth to Hadington,Hadington fortified by the lord Greie. where he began to fortifie, and there remained to sée the worke brought to some perfection. During his abode there, diuerse exploits were both valiantlie attempted and luckilie atchiued by his martiall conduct and politike direction, as occasions offred might moue him, which I would gladlie haue set downe at large, if I could haue come to the true vnderstanding thereof; but sith I cannot get the same, in such full manner as I haue wished, that yet which I haue learned by true report (as I take it) I haue thought good to impart to the reader.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 The eight and twentith of Maie, his lordship wan the castell of Yester,Yester castell woone. after he had beaten it right sore with terrible batterie of canon shot for the time it lasted, and therewith hauing made a reasonable breach for the soldiers to enter, they within yéelded with condition to haue their liues saued: which the lord Greie was contented to grant to them all, Vlpian Ful|well in the flower of fame. one onelie excepted, who during the siege vttered vn|séemelie words of the king, abusing his maiesties name with vile and most opprobrious termes. They all comming foorth of the castell in their shirts, hum|bled themselues to my lord Greie (as became them) and vpon strait examination who should be the rai|ler that was excepted out of the pardon, it was knowne to be one Newton a Scot:Newton and Hamilton [...] Scotish gen|tlemen accuse each other. but he to saue himselfe, put it to one Hamilton, and so these two gentlemen accusing one an other, the truth could not be decided otherwise than by a combat, which they required, and my lord Greie therevnto assented, and pronounced iudgement so to haue it tried: which he did the rather, bicause all men doo séeme resolute in the triall of truth (as in a verie good cause) by losse of life to gaine an endlesse name; as one saith:

Mors spernenda viris vt fama perennis alatur.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 EEBO page image 993At the appointed time they entered the lists, set vp for that purpose in the market place of Hading|ton, without other apparell sauing their doublets and hosen, weaponed with sword, buckler and dag|ger. At the first entrie into the lists, Hamilton kneeling downe, [...] them. made his hartie praier to God, that it might please him to giue victorie vnto the truth, with solemne protestation that he neuer vttred anie such words of king Edward of England, as his ad|uersarie charged him with. On the other side New|ton being troubled (as it séemed) with his false accu|sation, argued vnto the beholders his guiltie con|science. Now were the sticklers in a readinesse, and the combattors with their weapons drawne fell to it, so that betwixt them were striken six or seuen blowes right lustilie. But Hamilton being verie fierce and egre, vpon trust of his innocencie, con|streined Newton to giue ground almost to the end of the lists; and if he had driuen him to the end in déed, then by the law of armes he had woone the victorie. Newton perceiuing himselfe to be almost at point to be thus ouercome, stept forwards againe, and gaue Hamilton such a gash on the leg, that he was not able longer to stand, but fell therewith downe to the ground,Hamilton vanquished and slaine. and then Newton falling on him, incon|tinentlie slue him with a dagger.

Previous | Next