[1] [figure appears here on page 311] BVt now touchyng the Bruce: af|ter hee hadde ſlayne the Cu|myn (as before is mencioned) he purchaſed an abſolutiõ from Rome for that acte,Abſolution from Rome. & to ye end he might then through authoritie obtaine ſome ayde to reſiſt ye puiſſance of his aduerſarie K. Ed|ward,Robert Bruce is crowned king of Scot|land, the firſte of that name. [figure appears here on page 311] he went by ſupport of frends vnto Scone, & there cauſed himſelf to be crowned king, on the 27. day of Marche, though he had no great nũber that tooke his parte in the beginning, as ſhortely after well appered. For when he ſhould aſſemble an armie againſt a power of Engliſhmen that were ſent againſt him by K. Edward, immedi|atly vpon knowledge had of his attemptes, hee was not able to get togither any ſufficiẽt num|ber to reſiſte his aduerſaries, though with thoſe few which came vnto him, he thought to try the chaunce of batayle, and ſo encountryng wyth Odomare de Valence lieutenant of the engliſh armye at Meffene the .xix. daye of Iune,Io. Maior. King Roberte is diſcomfited at Meffene. in the yeare .1306. he was ther put to flight: and though the ſlaughter was not great, yet for that it was iudged to be an euill ſigne to haue ſuche infortu|nate lucke vpon his entring into the aſtate, the peoples fauour ſhranke greatly from him.