Compare 1577 edition: 1 But whilest he was thus busilie occupied about the same, there were certeine Scots, which sore dis|dained The head of king Alpine is stolne, and solemnlie bu|ried with the bodie. to vnderstand that the head of their late king should remaine vnburied, in such reprochfull sort a|mongst their enimies. Wherevpon hauing perfect knowledge of the Pictish toong, they feined them|selues to be merchantmen of that countrie, & com|ming vnto Camelon, watched their time, till they found meanes in the night season to steale to the wals, and secretlie taking awaie the head, escaped with the same home into their owne countrie.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 This act of theirs was not a little commended: and so now the head of king Alpine being recoue|red, was closed in a ledden coffin, and Kenneth him|selfe, hauing in his companie a great number of his nobles, went with it ouer into Colmekill, where he buried it in the abbeie, amongst the sepultures of his elders, togither with the residue of the bodie in verie solemne wise, as apperteined. And further, those per|sons that had put their liues in aduenture to fetch the same head from the wals of Camelon, were by Kenneth rewarded with rich gifts and lands in per|petuitie, to remaine to them and to their heires for e|uer. After this, Kenneth deuising for the suertie of his Kenneth for|tified the realme. subiects, furnished all the holds and castels on the frontiers of his enimies with men and munition, according as he thought expedient: and moreouer tooke order, that all the youth of the realme should be in a readinesse vpon an houres warning, to go foorth against the Picts, if they attempted anie new inua|sions.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 But the Scotish lords had no great lust to take a|nie enterprise in hand e [...]soones against the Picts, re|membring how infortunatelie they had sped the last time: so that for the space of thrée yéeres there was no great exploit atchiued, saue certeine roads and incursions, which both the nations continuallie vsed to make one vpon an other, as time and occasion ser|ued. At length king Kenneth being verie desirous Kenneth cal|led his nobles to reuenge his fathers death. to be reuenged of the Picts, for the death of his father king Alpine, and other iniuries by them doone and attempted against the Scotish nation, in the fourth yéere of his reigne, he assembled the peeres and chie|fest nobles of his realme, trusting to persuade them to aid him in all such enterprises as he ment to take in hand against the Picts, whome he purposed to pursue with open warres, till he had them at his pleasure. But calling his lords and peeres thus as|sembled on a day before him, and going earnestlie a|bout to mooue them to the warres, he could stir them no more to his purpose, than if he had beene in hand to haue counselled them vnto that which in no wise had apperteined vnto their duties: which their lacke of stomach, Kenneth perceiuing, he began to deuise a pretie shift, whereby to induce them to his accord.