The history of Scotland written in Latin by George Buchanan ; faithfully rendered into English.

Alexander II. The Ninety Fourth King.

WIlliam was succeeded by Alexander, his Son, begot on Emer∣gard, who was Kinswoman to the King of England, and Daughter to the Earl of Beaumont. He was but Sixteen years of age when he began to Reign; entring upon the Government in troublesom Times, he composed and setled things more prudently, than could be expected from one of his years. First of all, he In∣dicted a Publick Convention of the Estates, and therein, by a Decree he confirmed all the Acts of his Father, that good and prudent Prince. His first Expedition was into England, not out of any private Am∣bition, but to bridle the Tyranny of Iohn; and it was then said, that he was sent for in by the Ecclesiasticks of that Kingdom. He left Norham, upon certain Conditions, when he had begun to besiege it; and piercing further into the Kingdom, he carried it very severely a∣gainst all the Royalists. Upon his Return home, Iohn invaded Scotland, quickly after. He made a mighty Devastation in Dunbar, Hadington, and all the Neighbouring Parts of Lothian; and, to spread the War and Ruin further, he determined to return another Way. Alexander, being very desirous to decide it by a Battel, pitcht his Tents between the Pentland Hills, and the River Eske, which way, as it was bruited, he would return; but Iohn, to avoid fighting, marched along by the Sea, and burnt the Monastery of Coldingham, he also took and burnt Berwick, which was then but meanly fortified. As he thus marched hastily back, Alexander followed him as fast as he could, and, making great havock all over Northumberland, came as far as Richmond: But Iohn, by speedy marches having retreated into the heart of England, Alexander returned by Westmorland, and laid all waste to the very Gates of Carlisle; The City it self he took by Force, and Fortified it. The next year, Lewis, the Son of Philip, King of France, was sent for, by those who favoured the Ecclesiastical Faction, to London, that so, he, upon the Proscription of Iohn, might possess the Kingdom; and so was King Alexander of Scotland too, who came to aid his Old Friend. But Iohn, being forsaken by his Subjects, and assaulted also by Foreign Arms, upon the Payment of a great Sum of Money at present, and the Promise of a perpetual Pension; and moreover, transferring the Right of the Kingdom of England to the Pope; so that the Kings of England, for the future, were to be His Feudataries, was received into Favour. So that he obtained Letters from Rome by Cardinal Galo, a Man of known Avarice, wherein the Scots and French were, with great Threats, forbid to meddle with a People, which were Tributaries to the Holy See.

Upon this sudden Change of things, Lewis returned into France, and Alexander into Scotland; but his return home was not so quiet, as his entrance into England was; For the English, pressing upon the Rear of his retiring Army, took many of the Stragglers, Prisoners. And besides, Iohn had broken down all the Bridges on the Trent, and had fastned sharp Pikes, or Palisadoes, in all its Fords, removing away all Ships and Boats, so that it seemed to be so great an Impedi∣ment

unto him, that he could not avoid it, but must certainly be de∣stroyed. In the mean time, Iohn was poysoned by an English Monk at Newark, a Town seated on the Trent, and being carried in a Litter, died in two days. That Casualty opened the way for Al••x∣ander's March. Then, blaming and punishing his Men for their for∣mer Carelessness, he marched on more circumspectly, but not with∣out the great Damage of those, through whose Countrys he passed: For whatsoever could be driven away, or carried, he took with him, and so returned home with a great Booty. Galo, the Popes Legat, when he had setled Henry, the Son of Iohn, in the Throne, mulct the Nobles of England in a great Sum of Money, and then received them into Favour. And to give them some Recompence for their Loss, by the like Calamity of their Enemies; he Excommunicates Lewis of France, and Alexander of Scotland, in hopes to obtain some Prey from them, also. The Scots were Interdicted all Divine Offices; for he imagined, that his Thundring Curses would prevail more amongst the simple Vulgar, than with the Kings. But at last, Peace was made between the Two Kings; the Scots were to restore Carlisle, and the English, Berwick; and the Ancient Bounds at Kings-Cross were to be observed by them Both. Alexander and his Subjects were re∣leased from their Censures by the English Bishops, who were Autho∣rized thereunto. Hereupon Galo was much enraged, That so great a Prey should be taken out of his Hands, so that he turned his Anger on the Bishops, and the rest of the Clergy of Scotland, as his own Peculiar, with whom Kings had nothing to do. He summoned them to appear at Alnwick, Whither when they came, the more fearful ap∣peased his Wrath with Money; the more resolute were Cited to Rome. But they, having also received many Letters from some of the English Bishops and Abbats, directed to the Pope, concerning the sordid Spirit of the Ambassador or Legat, made grievous Complaints against him, calling him the Firebrand of all mischief, because he studied not the Pub∣lick Good, but his own Avarice, and did chaffer for, and sell, Peace and War amongst Princes, at his own pleasure. Galo▪ not being able to ac∣quit himself of the Crimes laid to his charge, was Fined by the Pope in the Loss of the Money he had got; which was to be divided a∣mongst his Accusers. Hereupon, they returned home, loaden with large Promises, but with empty Purses. A few years after, Henry of England, being now grown Ripe both in Years and Judgment, came to York; there he agreed with Alexander, in the presence of Pandulphus, the Popes Legat, to take Ioan, Henry's Sister, to Wife, by whom yet, because of her untimely Death, he had no Children.

From that time, there was Peace between Both Kings as long as they lived. There he also solemnly Promised and Swore before the same Pandulphus, That he would bestow the Two Sisters of Alexander in Honourable Marriages according to their Dignity, as his Father had promised, before. But one of them returned home unmarried, one only being bestowed in Marriage. The next Year, viz. 1220, the Cardinal of St. Giles, came into England, to fish for Money for the Holy War; and accordingly having scraped together a great Sum, in both Kingdoms, which, by his Impostures, he had gulled Persons, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 credulous, of, he Luxuriously spent it in his Journy; so that he

came empty to Rome, falsely alleging, That he was robbed by Thieves in the way. Another Legat presently succeeded him; but Men, having been twice cheated by Roman Fraud, by a Publick Decree, forbad him to set his foot on Land. Alexander was busied to suppress Vices at home, which sprung up by the Licentiousness of War, and he travelled over the whole Kingdom, with his Queen, to do Justice, whilest Gilespy, a Rossian, spoiled Ross, and the Neighbour Counties; for, passing over the River Ness, he took and burnt the Town of En∣verness; He cruelly slew all those, that refused to obey him. Iohn Cumin, Earl of Buchan was sent against him, who took him and his two Sons, as they were shifting up and down, and changing their Quarters, to secure themselves; and cut off their Heads, and so sent them to the King. About this time, the Caithnesians entred by night into the Bedchamber of Adam their Bishop, and there killed a Monk, who was his usual Companion, (for he had been, before, Abbat of Mulross) and one of his Bedchamber; as for the Bishop himself, they grievously wounded him, and dragging him into the Kitchen, there they burnt him and the House he was in. The Cause of their great Cruelty, was, (as 'tis reported) because the Bishop was more severe than in former times, in exacting his Tithes. The Offenders were diligently sought out, and most severely punished; The Earl of Caithnes, though he were not present at the Fact, yet was somewhat suspected, but afterward being brought privately to the King in the Christmas Holy-days, which the Scots call Saturnalia, he humbly begg'd Pardon of the King, and obtained it.

About this time, Alane, of Galway, the powerfullest Man in Scot∣land, departed this Life. He left Three Daughters behind him, of whom I shall speak hereafter. Thomas, his Bastard Son, despising their Age and Sex, sets up for himself, as Lord of the Family, and, not contented herewith, he gathers 10000 Men together, kills all that oppose him, and drives Booties, far and near, from all the Neigh∣bouring-Countries. At last, the King sent an Army against him, who slew 5000 of the Rebels with their General. The same year, Alexander, with his Wife, went for England, to allay the Tumults, as much as he could, raised against Henry, and to reconcile him to the Nobility. Whilest he was busie about this, at York, his Wife went with the Queen of England, a Pilgrimage to Canterbury, but at her return, she fell sick, died, and was buried at London. Not long af∣ter her Death, the King being Childless, Married Mary, the Daugh∣ter of Ingelram, Earl of Coucy in France, in the year of Christ 1239, by whom he had Alexander, who succeeded his Father in the King∣dom. Two years after, viz. in 1242, whilst the King was hasten∣ing to England, to visit that King, newly returned from France, and refreshed himself a while at Hadington, in Lothian, with Horse-Races; the Lodging or Inn of Patrick of Gallway, Earl of Athol, was set on Fire, wherein he, and two of his Servants, were burnt; the Fire speading it self a great way further. It was not thought to have casually happened, because of the Noted Fewds between Pa∣trick, and the Family of the Bizets. And though, William, the Chief of that Family, was at Forfar, above 60 Miles from Hading∣ton, the same night, that the Fire happened, as the Queen could

testify in his behalf; yet, because the adverse Party, being the Kin∣dred of Patrick, pleaded, That many of his Servants and Tenants were seen at Hadington at that time, William was Summoned to ap∣pear; He came to Edinburgh at the day prefixed, but, not daring to stand to his Tryal, because of the Potency of his Adversaries, which were the Cumins's, he would have Tryed the matter in a Duel; but That being not accepted, he, and some of his Sept banished them∣selves into Ireland, where he left a Noble Family of his Name and House. There was also another Seditious Tumult in Argyle, Raised by Sumerled Son of the former Sumerled, but he was soon suppressed by Patrick Dunbar, and, submitting to the Kings Mercy, obtained Pardon for all his past Offences. The King, not long after, fell sick, and died in the 51 Year of his Age; the 35 of his Reign; and of our Lord, 1249.

Notes

• A Maritime Town in Nor∣mandy 〈◊〉〈◊〉 France.
• Alexander enters England with an Army.
• Iohn enters Scotland.
• Alexander takes Carlisle▪
• King Iohn agrees with the Pope, and be∣comes his Feu∣datary.
• Cardinal Galo▪ Ava••iti••••••.
• King Iohn Poysoned.
• Others say, at 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Abby near Bost••n in Lin∣colnshire.
• The Scots Excommuni∣cated.
• A Stone-Cross erected in S••anmo••e in Cumberl••nd, as a Boundary between the Two King∣doms, of Eng∣land and S••ot∣land.
• Cardinal 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ill Cha∣racter.
• Pandulphus the Popes Le∣gat, a Witness of the Peace between the Two Kings.
• Roman Fraud.
• C••min o∣verthrow•• Gilesp••, a Free-••oo••er.
• The 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of the ••a••th∣nessmen a∣gainst their Bishop punish∣ed.
• Saturnalia.
• Thomas, the Natural Son of Alan of Galway over∣thrown.
• Alexander and his Queen Visit King Henry.
• His Queen dies at London.
• He marries to a French Lady.
• Biz•••• offers to clear himself by a Duel. He flys to Ireland.
• Sumerled over∣thrown in Argyle.