The firste [laste] volume of the chronicles of England, Scotlande, and Irelande conteyning the description and chronicles of England, from the first inhabiting vnto the conquest : the description and chronicles of Scotland, from the first original of the Scottes nation till the yeare of our Lorde 1571 : the description and chronicles of Yrelande, likewise from the first originall of that nation untill the yeare 1571 / faithfully gathered and set forth by Raphaell Holinshed.

Of the maners of the Scottes in these dayes, and their comparison with the behauiour of the old, and such as liued long since with∣in this Iland. Chap. 13. [ 20]

FOrasmuch as diuers noble men haue desi∣red me to shew apart the old maners of the Scots touched in my history, to the end it may be knowen how far our nation in these present dayes are different in their maners & behauiour frō those of our forefathers, & herevnto although I assure my self already y^t the reuealing of these things will procure vnto me the hatred of sun∣dry worthy or renowmed personages (of which few wil yeelde to heare their doings touched, or [ 30] their errours reproued) yet bicause I ow•…•… such duetie & seruice vnto those that haue made this request vnto me, & least I should seeme ingrate not to herken vnto thē in this behalf I haue cō∣descended to the performaunce of their desires, & somuch the rather, for y^t they alledge how it wil be very profitable vnto al readers, but especially such as are not immoderately giuen ouer into their owne affections, nor so wholly drowned in their owne sensuality & pleasures, but vpon [ 40] consideration of wholsome admonition will be very willing to leaue what soeuer offendeth in them. First of al therfore, I will declare what vsages haue ben among our elders both in •…•…me of warre & peace, and by what wisedome & in∣dustrie they haue preuailed so long time against such & so many mighty aduersaries, as first the Brytons, then y^e Saxons, next of al the Danes whiche haue entred into this Iland with huge armies, to spoyle and su•…•…due the same. Further∣more, [ 50] I wil set downe with somuch breuily as I can, how the falling by litle & litle frō the fru∣galitie and customes of their Forefathers, their vertue & force also began in like order to decay. And finally how in these daies either by the cle∣mēcy of our neighbours, or by their delicate ne∣gligence rather than by our owne prowes, wee liue in security, & thereby as it were ouerwhel∣med & wrapped vp in al 〈◊〉〈◊〉, & excesse, wher∣into our want of exercise and martiall prowesse doth marueylously impest vs. Certes I beleue that by this meanes such •••• are of y^e more cou∣ragious sort (& yet reteyning a sauour of the tē∣perantie of theyr elders) will e•…•…ioyce to hea•…•…e their manhoode and great prowes cōmended in this wise, as others of the cō••••ny sect (in seruise maner addicted to gather good, and spende their times in role excesse & riot) se•…•…ing their errours iustly reprehended, & the dishonor gotten thereby openly reuealed, will the rather addresse them∣selues to reformation of their estate, thereby to recouer the auncient renowme of their Forefa∣thers, in answering to their prowes, than pro•…•…e a reproche vnto their successours, thorow their lewde behauiours neuer to be forgotten. This also I protest before al men, that what soeuer I shall speake of the euill maners of our times, I do not meane it vnto all, but •…•…hose only whome blind 〈◊〉〈◊〉 loue, couetousnesse intemperancy, ex∣cesse and abuse of al Goddes good giftes haue so touched, that they des•…•…rue much more to be re∣prehended then I will vouchsafe to attempt in this my 〈◊〉〈◊〉 treatize, therefore if any man shall 〈◊〉〈◊〉 him selfe to be rubbed on the gall •…•…y me. I counsell him that he conceale not his in∣firmity, by 〈◊〉〈◊〉 reuenge on othermē, but e•…•…∣the•…•… 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to procure the remedy in first ac∣knowledging his misdemeanors, whiche is the one and better halfe of his cure.

Our elders although they were right vertu∣ous both i•…•… warre abrode, and at home in peace, were yet neuerthelesse in conuersation & beha∣uiour very temperate, whiche is the fountaine & originall of al vertues. In sleepe they were cō∣petent, in meate & drinke sober, & contēted with such foode as was ready a•…•… hande and prepared with litle cost. Their bread consisted of suche stuffe as grew most readily on y^e ground, with∣out al maner of sifting and bousting, wherby to please the palate, but baked vp as it came frō the mill without any suche curiosity, whiche is a great abasing of the force therof vnto our day∣ly nourishment. The flesh whereon they chief∣ly fed, was either such as they gate by hunting, wherin they tooke great de••••e & which increased not a litle their strength and nimblenesse, or els suche tame ca•…•…tell as they bredde vp at home, wherof •…•…eefe was accompted the principall, as it is yet in our dayes, though after another ma∣ner & fa•…•… discrepant from the vse and custome of other countries. The stickes or young befettes vngelded, we either kill yoūg for veale, or geld, to the end that they may 〈◊〉〈◊〉 afterwarde for tillage •…•…n ea•…•…ng vp of the ground, but the •…•…ow∣calfes and heigh•…•…ers, are neuer killed till they be with Calf, for then are they fattest & most deli∣cious

to the mouth. The common meate of our elders was fish, howbeit not only or somuch for the plenty therof, as for that one landes lay oftē wast and vntilled, bicause of the great warres which they cōmonly had in hand. They breake also their fast early in the morning w^t some slē∣der repast, & so cōtinued without any other diet vntill supper time, in whiche they had but one dish, whereby it came to passe, y^t their stomackes were neuer ouercharged, nor their bones desi∣rous [ 10] of rest thorow the fulnesse of their bellies. At suche time as they determined of set purpose to be mery, they vsed a kinde of Aquavite voyde of al spice, & only consisting of such hearbes and rootes as grew in their owne gardens, otherwise their common drinke was Ale: but in tyme of warre when they were inforced to lie in campe, they contented thēselues with water as rediest for their turnes. Eche souldier also had so much meale as might serue him for a day, whiche he [ 20] made vp in cakes, and baked on the coles, as the Romaines sometimes vsed to do, and the Em∣perour Caracalla himselfe as Herodian hath re∣mēbred. Seldome did they eat any flesh in their tentes, except they gate it frō their aduersaries, such as they had likewise was eaten half rawe, bycause they supposed the iuyce therof so vsed to nourish very abundantly. But fishe was much more plentifull amongst them, especially when they wāted their vsuall prayes, or could not at∣tayne [ 30] vnto them. They brought furthermore from their houses to the field with them, a vessel of butter, cheese, meale, milke, & vineger tempred togither as a shoote ancre against extreme hun∣ger, on whiche they would feede & sucke out the moysture, when other prouision coulde not be gotten. In like maner whensoeuer they had en∣tred into league and amity with their enimies, they would not liue in such security, that therby they would suffer their bodies and forces to de∣generate, [ 40] but they did keepe themselues in their former actiuity and nimblenesse of limmes, ey∣ther with continuall hunting (a game greatly esteemed among our auncestors) or with run∣ning from the hilles to the valeys, or from the valeys to the hilles, or with wrestling, and such kindes of pastime wherby they were neuer idle. Their heads were alwayes shauē, after the ma∣ner of y^e aūcient Spaniardes, with a litle tuft of heare only left on their forepartes, & neuer coue∣red, [ 50] except whē they were troubled w^t sickenesse, by whiche meanes it came to passe that fewe of our nation in olde time was seene to be balde & hearelesse. They went also bare footed, or if they had any shone, they dipped them first in y^e wa∣ter ere they did put thē on, especially in Winter when sharpest weather shewed it self, to the end that y^e soles of their feete (which were wel hard∣ned in Sommer with heate and in winter with cold, might be more strong and able to susteyne great labour and dayly trauaile. Their apparell was not made for brauery & pōpe, but as should seeme best to couer their bodies & serue their ap∣pointed vses, their hosen were shaped also of lin∣nen or wollen, whiche neuer came higher than their knees, their breches were for the most part of hēpe, clokes also they had for winter made of course wooll, but in the sommer time they ware of the finest that coulde be gotten. They slept moreouer eyther vpon the bare floore or pallets of straw, teaching their childrē euen from theyr infancy to eschew ease, & practise the like hard∣nesse: & sith it was a cause of suspitiō of the mo∣thers fidelity towarde hir husbande, to seeke a strange nurse for hir childrē (although hire milke fayled) ech womā wold take intollerable paines to bring vp & nourish hir owne children. They thought them furthermore not to be kindly fo∣stered, except they were so well nourished after their birthes with the milke of theyr brestes, as they were before they were borne with y^e bloud of their owne bellies, nay they feared least they should degenerate & grow out of kinde, except they gaue them sucke themselues, and eschewed strange milke, therfore in labour & painefulnesse they were equall, and neither sexe regarded the heate in sommer or cold in winter, but trauailed barefooted, & in time of warres the mē had their cariages & victuals trussed behinde thē on their horses, or els vpon their owne shulders without refusall of any labour, enioyned vnto them by their Captaines, If it hapned them at any time to be vanquished, they fled with such speede to y^e mountaines, that no horse might ouertake thē & very oft escaped. The violence that was done to any one of them, was reputed cōmon to al & such was their deadly fude conceyued in these cases, that vntil they had requited the like with more extremity, they would neuer be quiet nor let go their displeasure. The noblest & most cou∣ragious Gentleman would soonest desire to be placed in the forewarde, where his vassalage or seruice & manhood should readiliest be seene▪ and such was the friendship of the nobility amongst thēselues, that whylest they contended which of them should be most faithful & frendly to other, they would oft fal out, & quarel one w^t another. Somtimes it hapned y^t their Captaine was be∣set w^t extreme peril, or peraduenture some other of the nobility, in which cases they y^t were of his •…•…ād wold suddenly rush in thorow y^e thickest of their enimies vnto him, & deliuer him, or els 〈◊〉〈◊〉 they could not so do, they would altogither lose their liues with him, thinking it a perpetuall note of reproche to ouerliue their leader. The graues & sepulchres of our noblemen had com∣mōly

so many Obeliskes & spires pitched about them, as the deceased had killed enimies before time in y^e fielde: if any souldier had ben found in the fielde without his flint & tinder boxe, or had walked or gone vp & downe with his sworde at his side, and not naked in his hād, for then vsed they light armor for y^e most part, he was terri∣bly scourged: but he that solde or morgaged his weapon, was forthwith cut frō his company & banished as an exile: he that fled or went frō the [ 10] battayle without leaue of his Capitayne, was slayne wheresoeuer he was mette afterward, without any iudgement or sentence, and all his goodes cōfiscated to the Prince: Their light ar∣mour in those dayes consisted of the launce, the bow, the long sword which hanged at the side of y^e owner, & therto a buckler, but afterward hea∣uier armour came into generall vsage. In these dayes also the womē of our country were of no lesse courage than the men, for al stout maydēs [ 20] & wiues (if they were not with childe) marched so wel into the field as did the men, & so soone as the army did set forward, they slew the first li∣uing creature y^t they foūd, in whose bloud they not onely bathed their swordes, but also tasted thereof with their mo•…•…thes, with no lesse religiō & assurance conceyued, than if they had already bene sure of some notable & fortunate victory: when they saw their owne bloud run frō them in the fight, they wexed neuer a whit astonnied [ 30] with the matter, but rather doubling their cou∣rages, with more egernesse they assailed their e∣nimies. This also is to be noted of thē, that they neuer sought any victory by treason, falshed or sleight, as thinking it a great reproch to winne the fielde any otherwise than by mere manhood, prowesse, & playne dealing. When they went foorth vnto the warres, eche one went with the King of his owne cost (except the hyred soldier) which custome is yet in vse. If any were trou∣bled [ 40] with the falling Euyll, or Lepre, or fallen frantike, or otherwise out of his wits, they were diligētly sought out: & least those diseases should passe further by infectuous generatiō vnto their issue & posterity, they gelded the mē. But y^e wo∣mē were secluded into some odde place farre off from the cōpany of men, where if she afterward hapned to be gotten with childe, both she & the infant were runne thorow with a launce: glut∣tons & raueners, drōkardes, & egregious deuou∣ters [ 50] of victualles, were punished also by death, first being permitted to deuour so much as they listed, & thē drowned in one fresh riuer or other.

Furthermore, as iustice in time of warre was cōmonly driuē to perke, so in daies of peace our countreymen that offended, were oft seuerely punished & with inconuenient rigor. For they wel considered that after their people should re∣turne and come home againe from the warres, they would be giuē to so many enormities, that the same theyr excesse should hardly be rest lay∣ned but by extreeme seuerity: suche also was theyr nature, that so soone as they knew them∣selues guilty of any offence committed agaynst the estate or cōmon wealth, that first attempt was to set discord amongst the Pictes & Prin∣ces of the realme, neuerthelesse when they are gently intreated, & with commons moderation, they are found to be very t•…•…actable, & pliant vn∣to reason: in priuate bargaines & contractes they are so willing to giue euery man his owne, that they will yeelde the more. And so farre is it growne into a some euē in these our dayes, that except there be some s•…•…plusage aboue the bare couenaunt, they will breake of and not go forwarde with the bargayne. They vsed at the first the rites and maners of the Egyptians frō whence they came, & in al their priuate affayres they vsed not to write with common letters as other nations did, but rather with Cyphers and figures of creatures made in maner of letters as their Epitaphes vpon their tombes & sepultures remayning amōgst vs do hitherto declare. Ne∣uerthelesse in our times this Hietoglyphical ma∣ner of writing (I wote not by what meanes) is perished & lost, and yet they haue certaine letters propre vnto thēselues, which were sometime in cōmon vse: but among such as retaine the aun∣cient spech, they haue their aspiratiōs, dipthōgs, & pronunciation better than any other. The cō∣mon sorte are not in vre withall, but onely they which inhabite in the higher part of the coūtry, & sith they haue their language, more eloquent and apt than others, they are called Poetes, they make also Poetes w^t great solemnity & honour, being borne out therein by the authority of the Prince. Beside y^e skil also of many other artes & sciences, whose rules & Methodes are turned into y^e sayd language, are giuē by tradition frō theyr elders, they chiefly excel in Phisick, wherin they go far beyond many other, who learning of thē y^e natures & qualitie of such hearbes as grow in those quarters, do heale al maner of diseases euē by their only applicatiō. Certes there is no regiō in y^e whole world so barrē & vnfruteful, through distaūce frō the Sunne, but by y^e prouidence of God all maner of necessaries for the sustentatiō of mankind dwelling there, are to be had therin, if y^e inhabitants were such as had any skil how to vse y^e same in order. Neuerthelesse our elders which dwelled continually vpō the Marches of England, learned y^e Saxon toung through cō∣tinuall trade of marchandize and hazard of the warres, long since, whereby it came to passe that we neglected our owne language, and our owne maners, and thereto bothe our auncient

order in writing and speakyng is vtterly left among vs, that inhabite neare vnto thē, wheras contrary wise those that dwell in the moūtaines reteyne still their auncient speach & letters, & al∣most all their olde rites, wherevnto in time past their Forefathers haue bene accustomed. One thing hereof also may euidently be seene (for an example) in their boates whiche they call Car∣rockes, for being made of Osiers & couered with Bull hides, they vse to passe & repasse with them [ 10] ouer their riuers & waters in catching of Sal∣mons, & when they haue done, they beare them on their backes vnto what place soeuer it plea∣seth them. But we will now leaue the maners of our auncient friendes, & intreate of our later countreymen. In processe of time therfore, and chiefly aboute the dayes of Malcolme Cammor, our maners began greatly to chaunge & alter. For when our neighbours the Brytons began, after they were subdued by the Romaynes, to [ 20] waxe idle & slouthful, and there vpon driuen out of their countrey into Wales by their enimies the Saxōs, we began to haue alliāce (by proxi∣mity of the Romaines) with Englishmē, espe∣cially after the subuersion of the Pictes, & tho∣row our dayly trades & cōuersation with them, to learne also their maners, & therewithall their lāguage as I haue sayd alredy. Hereby shortly after it came also to passe, that the temperaunce and vertue of our auncestors grew to be iudged [ 30] worthy of small estimation amongst vs, not∣withstanding that a certayne idle desire of our former renowne did still remayne within vs.

Furthermore as men not walking in y^e right pathe, we begā to follow also the vaine shadow of the Germaine honor & titles of nobility, and boasting of the same after the English maner, it fell out ere long, that where as he in times past was accompted only honorable, which excelled othermen not in ritches and possessions, but in [ 40] prowesse and manhoode, now he would be takē most glorious that wēt loden with most titles, whereof it came to passe, that some were named Dukes, some Erles, some Lords, some Barōs, in which vain puffes they fixed al their felicity. Before time the noble men of Scotlād were of one condition, and called by the name Thanes, so much in Latine as Questores regij, gatherers of y^e kings duties, in English: and this denomi∣nation was giuen vnto them after their desert & [ 50] merite. But how far we in these present dayes are swarued from the vertues and temperaunce of our elders, I beleeue there is no man so elo∣quent, nor indued with such vtterance, as that he is able sufficiently to expresse. For whereas they gaue their mindes to doughtinesse, we ap∣ply our selues to dronkennesse: they had plenty with sufficiency, we haue inordinate excesse w^t superfluity: they were temperate 〈…〉〈…〉 and so is the case •…•…ow altered with 〈…〉〈…〉 which can deuoure & drinke most, 〈…〉〈…〉 m•…•…n and most honest companion, and therein hath no peere if he can once find y^e vaine, though with his great trauaile to pu•…•…ury himself of the plentifullest number of newe fine and delicate dishes, and best prouoke his stomacke to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the greatest quantitie of them, though he 〈◊〉〈◊〉 make due digestiō of it. B•…•…ing thus drow•••• in our delicate gluttony, it is a world to sée, ho•…•… we stuffe our selues both day and night, neuer ceasing to ingorge and poure in, till our bellies •…•…e so full that we must needes depart. Certes it is not supposed me•…•…te that we should now con∣tent our selues with breakefast and supper only as our elders haue done before vs, nor inough that we haue added our dinners vnto their a∣foresayd meales, but we must haue thereto our beuerages and 〈◊〉〈◊〉, suppers, so that small 〈◊〉〈◊〉 is spaced wherein to occupy one selues vnto a∣ny godly excercise, sith almost the whole day & night do fearcely suffice for the f•…•…lling of our paunches. We haue also our m•…•…rcha••••••, whose charge is not to looke out, and bring 〈◊〉〈◊〉 suche things as necessarily appertaine to the ••••nte∣nance of our liues, but vnto the furniture 〈◊〉〈◊〉 kitchen, and these search al the secrete 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of our forrestes for •…•…enison, of the ayre for soules, & of the sea for fishe, for wine also they trauayle not onely into Fraunce, whose wi•…•…es do 〈◊〉〈◊〉 grow into cōtempt, but also into Spaine, Ita∣ly and Greece: nay Afrike is not boyde of our factours, no nor Asia, and only for fine and deli∣cate wines if they may be had for money. In like sorte they gad ouer all the world for sweete and pleasant spices, & drugges (prouoke is vnto all lust and licentiousnesse of behauiour) as men that aduenture their owne liues to bring home poyson and destruction vnto their countreymē, as if the minde were not already sufficiently he∣reft of hir im•…•…ge of the Diuinity, but must yet more be clogged & ouerladen with such a •…•…an∣ked case, therwithall to be extinguished 〈…〉〈…〉 whiche already dwelleth or is buried rather •••• such an vgly sepulchre. The body likewyse be∣ing oppressed with such an heape of superfluous foode, although otherwise it be indued with a•…•… excellent nature, cannot be able to execute his office, nor keepe it selfe vpright, but must needes yeelde as ouercome, & to be torne in peeces and rent with sundry maladies.

Hereof also it commeth to passe that our coūtreymen trauayling into the colder regions are now a dayes cōtrary to their former vsage taken sometime with feuers, whereby their in∣wards partes do burne & parch as it were with continuall fire, the onely cause whereof we may

ascribe vnto those hoate spices and drugges which are brought vnto vs from the hoate coū∣treys. Others of them are so swollen & growen full of humors, that they are often taken soden∣ly and die of vehemēt apoplexies, and although here & there one or two recouer for a litle while, yet are they but dead people reuiuing agayne, leading the rest of their liues like shadowes, and walking aboute as if they were buried already. Our youth also following these vnhappy steps [ 10] of theyr parentes, giue themselues wholy to iust & licentiousnesse, hauing all vertue and know∣ledge in contempt, and eschewing the same as a Pestilence and subuersion of their pleasures, wherevnto they apply themselues as vnto the most excellent trade. But sithence they are now inured and as it were haunted with these vices, when tyme doth come of seruice and that our countrey shall stand in neede of manhood, these will be becomen so esseminate, that they muste [ 20] now ride on horsebacke as cladde in heauy ar∣mour, for on foote they cannot go by reason of their fatnesse whiche choketh vp their vitall for∣ces, neyther be able to performe any thing at all in comparison of the soueraigne manhoode and prowesse of theyr elders. So soone also as they returne home, bicause their possessions are not otherwise able to nourishe them vp in pleasure and pampering of their m•…•…wes, they must fall to couetous and greedy practizes, thereby to en∣riche [ 30] themselues, or els proue strong theeues, or finally sowers of dissention and discord among the Noble men, thereby to pray some commo∣ditie. Certes these and other vices followyng them necessarily, proceede generally from none other fountayne than voluptuous life & intem∣perancy, the whiche if we would refrayne, there is no regiō vnder the Sunne that would proue more wholesome, lesse subiect to Pestilence, nor more commodious and profitable for the sustē∣tation [ 40] of hir people. Certes I dispayre not of the redresse of these things, but still hope that in shorte tyme these corrupted maners of my coū∣treymen will be turned into a better frame, wee are not yet become impudent, neyther altogi∣ther haue cast of vnshamefastnesse, sithe that in a great many some remaynder of our auncient sobernesse and manhoode doth yet appeare, and thereto newnesse of lyfe with feruent deuotion increase euery day, through the working of the [ 50] zeale of our Christian religion in vs. This al∣so will I adde, without offence I trust vnto o∣ther nations, that there was neuer people more stedfast to my knowlege in the Christian faith, nor more constant in theyr faithfull promises, than the Scots haue bene sithence their first be∣ginning: and for a conclusion I will say more, not onely for their prayse, but also in exhorting them vnto perseuerance, that as our people now liuing do passe their auncestors in sumptuous & curious attyre, so they are more nette and fine in their houses, better giuen to learning, & m•…•…ch more magnificent in buylding and decking of theyr Churches. God graunt them also to re∣turne to their former frugality, and that with speede. Amen.

Hethirto haue I translated Hectors descri∣ption of Scotland out of the Scottish into the English toung, being not a litle ayded therein by the Latine, frō whence somtime the transla∣tor swarueth not a litle, as I haue done also frō him, now and then following the Latine, and now and then gathering such sence out of both as most did stande with my purposed breuity. Now will I set downe the description of an Auncient Pict, as I haue gathered it out of He∣rodian & other, and then I will giue ouer not only to wryte more at this present, but for euer hereafter of any Historicall matters, sith I see that this honest kind of recreation is denied me, and all time spent about the same in these dayes vtterly condemned, as vayne and sauouring of negligence, and Heathenish impiety.

Notes

• When they do make any.