[1] Malcolme thus hauing purchaſed reſte from further troubles of warre, gouerned the realme a certain time after in good order of iuſtice, & cau|ſed a booke to be ſet forth,The boke cal|led Regia maieſtas. called Regian maieſta|tem, conteyning the lawes & ordinances, wherby the realme ſhoulde be gouerned: and aſſigning foorth in the ſame what [...]es alſo ſhould be giuen vnto the Chauncellour, Secretarie, Conſtable, Merſhall, Chamberlayne, Iuſtice, Treaſorer, Regiſter, Comptroller, & other the officers of his houſe. Such princely doings and noble vertues were found in this Malcolme for a ſeaſon, that if the ſame had continued with him in his later [figure appears here on page 238] age, there had neuer reygned any king in Scot|land, that might haue bene thought to haue paſ|ſed him in woorthy fame: neuertheleſſe his excel|lent qualities were ſtayned at length by that re|prochfull vice of vile auarice.

Malcolme waxeth auari|tions.

Couetouſneſſe and age arri|uing togither.

For as it oftẽtimes happeneth, couetouſneſſe and age layde holde on him bothe at once. He then beganne to repent in that he had bene ſo liberall in giuing away his landes to his Barones, and to recouer the ſame agayne, hee ſurmiſed fayned mater by vntrue ſuggeſtions agaynſt diuers of the chiefeſt No|bles, putting ſome to death and baniſhing other, that he might by this meanes enioy theyr lands and goodes as confiſcate to the crowne for theyr ſuppoſed offences.Malcolmes crueltie to purchas riches.