[1] This yeare, Robert Bruce, Anno Reg. 34. 1306 contriuing waies how to make himselfe king of Scotland, the nine & twen|tith day of Ianuarie,Iohn lord Comin slaine by Robert Bruce. slue the lord Iohn Comin at Dunfrice, whilest the kings iustices were sitting in iudgement within the castell there, and vpon the day [page 314] of the Annunciation of our ladie, caused himselfe to be crowned king of Scotland at Scone, where the countesse of Boughan, that was secretlie departed from hir husband the earle of Boughan, and had ta|ken with hir all his great horsses,The countesse of Boughan set the crowne on Robert Bruce his head. was readie to set the crowne vpon R. Bruces head, in absence of hir brother the earle of Fife, to whom (being in England) soiourning at his manor of Whitwike in Leicester|shire, that office of right apperteined. This countesse being afterwards taken the same yeare by the Eng|lishmen,She is taken. where other would haue had hir put to death, the king would not grant thervnto, but commanded that she should be put in a cage made of wood,Hir punish|ment. which was set vpon the walles of the castell of Berwike, that all such as passed by might behold hir; too slender a punishment for so great an offense. But the king counted it no honour to be seuere against that sex whom nature tendereth, though malefactors, and ther|fore was content with a mild correction tending ra|ther to some shame than smart, to recompense hir of|fense, whereby she procured against hir selfe no lesse reproch than she susteined, agréeable to the old saieng.

Saepe suum proprium fecit puer ipse flagellum