[1] [2] [3] Gregorie weying with himſelfe how neceſſa|rie this friendſhip ſhould be,King Gregory his conſidera|tion. not onely to the pub|like weale of all the whole lande of Albion, but alſo of the good ſuretie and aduauncement of Chriſtes religion, whereof the Danes were grie|uous aduerſaries (for this hee thought, that if Scottes, Engliſh men,A peace con|cluded, and landes ſur|rendred to the Scottes. and Brytaines did ioyne in one, and knit themſelues togither in ayding ech other, there was no nation in the world that they needed to feare) he conſented vnto the requeſt of the Brytaines, and ſo accepting their offer, he had all thoſe regions which apperteyned ſometime to the Scottes, and were nowe in poſſeſſion of the Brytaynes, ſurrendered into his handes, and ſo by this meanes were the Scottiſhe confines en|larged and extended vnto their auncient limittes and former boundes. This diſſention and va|riance being ceaſſed after this maner, greatly re|ioyced the mindes of all the inhabitantes of thys Ile, but contrariwiſe, the Danes looked for no|thing more than preſent deſtruction to enſue vn|to them, if this amitie ſhould continue any while amõgſt their enimies, wherfore they practiſed ſũ|drie meanes to breake the amitie thus remayning betwixt their aduerſaries, Scottes, Engliſh men, and Brytaynes, wherein they needed not great|ly to trauayle, for within a ſhort tyme after the concluſion of the ſame league, the proſperous ſucceſſe of the Engliſh men, whiche for a ſeaſon had folowed them vnder the conduct and gouern|ment of their king Alured againſt the Danes, oc|caſioned the Brytaynes alſo (hauing nowe no further feare of the Daniſhe puiſſance,The Brytaines repent them of the league made with the Scottes.) to repent themſelues of the league, whiche they had lately made with the Scottes, in ſo muche that Con|ſtantine whome a little before they had receyued to bee theyr king after the deceaſ [...]e of his father, rayſed a power, and with the ſame entered into Annandale, to recouer that Countrey out of the Scottiſhe mens handes: but hearing in the ende that Gregorie was comming with a great army to ſuccour his ſubiectes, whome the ſayde Bry|taynes on eche ſide had ſore afflicted, they began to drawe backe towardes Cumberlande wyth theyr bootie, thinking there to bee in ſafetie vntill a time more conuenient. But king Gregorie coaſting the Countrey,The Scottes ouerthrow the Brytaynes. met with them at Loch|maben, and there gaue them battaile, wherein when Conſtantine perceyued how his people be|gan to ſhrinke backe, as a man hauing more re|garde to his honour than to the ſuretie of his life, he ruſhed forth into the formoſt preaſe, there to ſuccour and relieue his Standardes, but beeing compaſſed about amongeſt a great companie of his enimies,Conſtantine is ſlaine. his chaunce was there to bee ſlaine with a number of the chiefeſt Lordes of all the Brytiſh nation. The other multitude ſeeing the day to goe thus agaynſt them, fled to ſaue theyr liues, leauing the victorie ſo to the Scottes.