[1] [2] Oſbert beyng alſo admoniſhed with this miſfortune, thought good to attempt no more the furious rage of the water, but determined by lande to goe vnto Sterlyng, where he vnder|ſtoode he ſhould finde the Brytons, with whome hee might ioyne his power, and paſſe ouer the brydge there, and ſo inuade other of the Scot|tiſhe regions whiche lay there aboute: but at his comming thyther,Ambaſſadours ſew for peace. certaine Scottiſhe Ambaſſa|dours came vnto him to ſue for peace, whiche [figure appears here on page 184] they humbly requyred at his handes in name of the whole realme, beſeechyng him to conſider well the ſtate of the caſe as it ſtoode, and not to truſt to muche on bryttle fortune,Fortune is bryttle. the whiche ſheweth hyr ſelfe neuer ſtable, but common|ly vſeth to call backe againe hyr graunt of pro|ſperous ſucceſſe, where the receyuour hath not ſkill to vſe it moderately, and the vanquiſhed ſeemeth to haue bene ſufficiently corrected: [page 185] As for the Scottes, though it might appeare that their force was greatly abated, and that reſiſtance ſhould little auaile them, yet were they mynded to die in defence of their liberties, rather than to ſubmit themſelues vnto any conditions of vile ſeruitude. The wordes of theſe Ambaſſadors be|ing throughly weyed (though ſome tooke them in greate diſdaine) yet in the ende it was ſuppoſed that after victorie thus had agaynſt the enimies, honourable conditions of peace ought to be pre|ferred before doubtfull warre.