Snippet: 296 of 700 (1587, Volume 5, p. 69) Compare 1577 edition:
1
2 The witch
confulting with hir spirits, declared in the end how it should come shortlie to passe, that
The witches answere. the king should be murthered, not by his open eni|mies, but
by the hands of one of his most familiar friends, in whome he had reposed an especiall trust. The messenger
demanding by whose hands that should be? Euen by thme saith she, as it shall be well knowen within these sew
daies. The gentleman hearing these words, railed against hir verie bitter|lie, bidding hir go like an old
witch; for he trusted to sée hir burnt before he should commit so villanous a déed, And departing from hir,
he went by and by to signifie what answere he had receiued; but before he
What happe|ned by giuing credit to the woords of a witch. came where the king
lay, his mind was altered, so that what for doubt on the one side, that if he should declare the trueth as
it was told him, the king might happilie conceiue some great suspicion, that it should follow by his means
as she had declared, and there|vpon put him to death first; and for feare on the o|ther side, that if he
kéepe it secret, it might happen to be reuealed by some other, and then he to run in as much danger of life
as before; he determined with himselfe to worke the surest way, and so comming to the king, he was led aside
by him into his priuie chamber, where all other being cõmanded to auoid, he declared how he had sped; and
then falling foorth|with vpon Natholocus, with his dagger he slue him Natholocus
murthered. outright, and threw his bodie into a priuie; and af|terwards getting out by a backe
doore, and taking his horsse which he had there readie, he fled with all spéed vnto the campe of the
conspirators, and was the first that brought news vnto them of this act thus by him atchiued. This chanced
in the yeare of 252. H. B. our Lord 280, & in the eleuenth yeare after the
first entring of Natholocus into the estate.
Snippet: 297 of 700 (1587, Volume 5, p. 69) Compare 1577 edition:
1 After
Natholocus was thus dispatched, the péeres The lords of the realme as|semble togi|ther to
chuse a new king. assembled togither to ordeine one for gouernement of the realme, where in the
end it was amongest them concluded, that the sonnes of Athirco should be sent for into Pictland, and
Findocke receiued for king. The Morauian that slue Natholocus was The sonnes of Athirco
are sent for, and the eldest of them named Findocke cho|sen to reigne. appointed to fetch them,
who (according to his com|mission) comming into Pictland, conueied them right honorablie into Argile, where
Findocke being alreadie chosen king, was placed on the stone of marble, with all the ceremonies in that case
apper|teining.
Snippet: 298 of 700 (1587, Volume 5, p. 69) Compare 1577 edition:
1
2 THis Findocke
was in the flower of his age, of
Findocke. Findocke his noble quali|ties and ver|tuous disposi|tion. person most
beautifull, cleane made, & of a good|lie stature; wherewith were ioined most excellent gifts of the
mind, not so much desirous to séeme as to be vertuous in déed. He was courteous, méeke, & full of
affabilitie, studieng alwaies to win friend|ship and loue, rather by gentlenesse, than by feare and menacing
words. The leagues with the Bri|tains, Findocke ob|serueth the leagues con|firmed of
for|mer times with his neighbors. Those of the out Iles in|uade the coun|tries of Rosse and Murrey land.
Findocke ma|keth a iournie into the Iles, to subdue the rebels. Picts and Romans he firmelie
obserued. But as peace with forraine enimies breedeth oftentimes ciuill discord at home, so came it then to
passe with him at this present: for one Donald of the Iles, a noble man borne, came ouer with an armie into
Rosse and Murrey land, fetching from thence a great spoile and bootie, not without great slaughter of such
as inforced themselues for to resist him. The occasion as he pretended was to reuenge the death of
Natholocus. But Findocke vnderstanding his dooings, prepared an armie with ships, and sailed ouer with the
same into the Ile of Ila, where in|countring with Donald and other his enimies, he vanquished and chased
them egerlie, without retur|ning once backe, till either the sword or the sea had made an end of them
all.