[1] COnſtantine procured friends ſo on eche ſide,Conſtan+tine. that by their meanes bring of high authori|tie in the realme, hee was brought by them vnto Scone, and there crowned king, the .xij. day after Kennethes deceaſſe, in the .xxv. yere after that the ſame Kenneth had begonne his raigne ouer the [page 222] Scottiſh men, and in the yeare of our ſaluation a thouſand iuſt,994. Io. Ma. 1000. H.B. in the which yeare (as is ſayd) ſun|drie vnketh ſightes were ſeene aſwell in Albion, as in other places. The ſea left vpon the ſandes on the coaſtes of Buthquane,Maruellous happes chaun|ced. an infinite multi|tude of fiſhes, the which lying there dead, cauſed ſuche a filthie ſauour, that the ayre being there|with infected, great death of people enſued. The Moone appeared of a bloudie colour,The moone appeared bloudie. to the great terrour of them that behelde it. The Sommer next following corne fayled, and cattell dyed ſo generally,Scarcitie of corne & cattel that if there had not beene more plentie of fiſhe got than was accuſtomed to be, the peo|ple had beene famiſhed in many a place. In Albi|on and alſo Fraunce,It rayned ſtones. it rayned ſtones. But all theſe dreadfull wonders might not withdraw the Scottiſhe men from their wicked vices, where|vnto in thoſe dayes they were wholye gyuen,Preaching was deſpiſed. though there wanted not dyuerſe vertuous men, as wel Biſhops as other, that in theyr Sermons exhorted the people to repent and amende theyr naughtie lyuings: for otherwyſe vndoubtedly ſuch gryſely ſightes and tokens as chaunced in thoſe dayes, menaced ſome great myſchiefe to fall vnto the whole Nation. And ſurely their wordes proued true: for the Scottes continuing in their wilfulneſſe, being ſtubborne hearted one agaynſt another, brought theyr Countrey into daunger of vtter deſtruction.