Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 4 Manie were apprehended and had to the racke, but yet could none be found that would confesse it. Suspicious persons are [...]cked. The quéene was void of all suspicion, as she that had béene taken for a woman at all times of great tem|perancie. But yet, when she heard that a num|ber of innocent persons were tormented without de|sert, sore lamenting (as should appeare) their misera|ble case, she came hastilie into the iudgement hall, and getting hir aloft vpon the bench, there, in the pre|sence The quéene confessed the [...]urther. of all the companie, she had these or the like words vnto the whole assemblie.
I know not (good people) I know not what god mooueth me, or what diuine reuengement vexeth mée with sundrie thoughts and cogitations; that of all this day and morning preceding, I haue had neither rest in bo|die nor mind. And verelie when I heard that cer|teine guiltlesse persons were cruellie tormented here in your presence; had not wrath giuen place, partlie vnto modestie, whereof I must confesse there is left but a small portion in me. I had foorthwith rid my selfe out of the way. The kings death was mine act. Conscience constreineth me (setting apart mine owne safegard) to confesse the truth, least the guiltlesse should wrongfullie perish: therfore vnder|stand ye for truth, that none of them whom ye haue examined are priuie to the offense. I verelie am she, that with these wicked hands haue strangled this night last past Ferguse, about whose death I sée you in trouble, moued so to doo with two as sharpe pricks as may re [...] in a woman, to wit, impatient forbea|ring of carnall lust, & irefull wrath. Ferguse by his continuall vsing of concubines, kept from me the due debt that the husband oweth to the wife: wherevpon when there was no hope to reconcile him with often aduertisements, vehement force of anger rising in my hart, droue me to doo so wicked a déed. I thought rather therefore to dispatch the adulterer, than (being destitute of my husband, & defrauded of all quéenelie honor) to liue still subiect to the perpetuall iniuries of such lewd women as he kept & vsed in my stead. She giueth hir owne sentence. Loose yée therefore those that be accused of the kings death, & as for me ye shall not néed to procéed against me as guiltie of the crime by order of law: for I that was so bold to commit so heinous an act, will accor|dingly doo execution vpon my selfe euen here incon|tinentlie in presence of you all: what honor is due to the dead, looke you to that.¶ Hauing thus made an end of hir tale, she plucked forth a knife which she had The quéene taketh execu| [...] of her self. hid vnder hir gowne, and stroke hirselfe to the heart with the same, falling dead vpon it downe to the ground. All such as were present woondered greatlie at hir stout and hardie stomach, speaking diuerslie thereof, as some in praise, and some in dispraise of these hir monstruous dooings. The bodie of Fer|guse was caried foorth to the Ile of Colmekill, and there buried in the third yéere after his entring into the gouernement, and in the yéere of our Lord 769. 767. H. B. The quéens corps was not buried in sacred ground, for that she slue hirselfe.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 SOluathius the sonne of Eugenius the eight, was Solua|thius. Soluathius admitted king of Scotland. admitted to the rule of the Scotish estate next af|ter the death of [...]erguse: a prince suerlie borne to the accomplishment of high enterprises, if through hap of froward destinie he had not béene hindered. For in the third yéere of his reigne he began to bée vexed extréemelie with the gout, which ingendered by cold in lieng abroad in hunting; and so continu|ing Soluathius an impotent man. with him during his life, staied him from manie woorthie exercises, as well in peace at home, as a|broad in time of warres. Thus he being in maner impotent & lame of his lims, there were some com|motions and misorders the more boldly attempted: and first amongst them of the out Iles. For Bane A rebellion. Makedonald proclamed, king of the Iles. Makedonald, gouernor by the kings appointment of the Iland called Tire, got all the castels and for|tresses of the Iles into his owne hands, & strengthe|ned with a rout of vnrulie and mischefous youthfull persons, tooke possession of all the said Iles, causing himselfe to be proclamed king of the same.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 Not contented herewith, he gathered a number of ships togither, wherein transporting himselfe with a great armie ouer into Lorne and Cantire, made He inuadeth Lorne and Cantire. A power from the king is sent against him. great waste and spoile of those countries, till Duth|quhall gouernor of Athole, and Culane of Argile, be|ing sent with a chosen power from the king to de|fend the countrie, chanced to incounter with him, and putting him with his people vnto flight, chased them to such a streict, as where there was no way to get foorth, saue onlie that by which they entered. This place is in Lorne, with a streict passage to enter into it: but when yeare within it, the same is verie large and broad, inuironed about with craggie moun|teins, chained togither with a continuall ridge, a déepe riuer compassing them in beneath in the bot|tome, with such steepe & sidelong banks, that there is no way to passe foorth of the same, but by that through which ye must enter into it. The said Bane with his folks being entred at vnwares into such a streict, and perceiuing there was no way to issue foorth, but by the same where he entred, he returned backe thi|ther, and finding the passage closed from him by his [...]es, he was in a woonderfull maze, not know|ing what shift to make to escape. Finallie, falling to counsell with the chiefest of his armie vpon the dan|ger present, and so continuing for the space of two daies without anie conclusion auailable, on the third day driuen of necessitie through hunger, they requi|red of their enimies to be receiued as yéelded men vpon what conditions they would prescribe, onelie hauing their liues assured. But when this would not be granted, in the euening tide they rushed foorth vp|on their enimies, to trie if by force they might haue passed through them. But such was their hap, that there they died euerie mothers son: for so had Duth|quhall & Culane commanded, to the end that other rebels might take example by such their wilfull and rebellious outrage.