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

Alexander the III. The Ninety Fifth King.

ALexander the Third, His Son, was Crowned King at Scone, the same Year, a Child, not past Eight years Old. The Power of all things was mostly in the Faction of the Cumins's. For they turned the Publick Revenue to the Enrichment of themselves,* 1.1 op∣pressed the Poor, and, by false Accusations, cut off some of the No∣bles, who were averse to their humours and desires, and dared to speak freely of the State of the Kingdom; and being Condemned, their Goods were Confiscated, and brought into the Kings Exche∣quer, from whence they (who rather Commanded, than Obeyed, the King) received them back again for their Private Emolument. A Convention of the Estates being held, the chief Matter in agitation, was, to pacify the King of England, lest, in such a troublesome time, he should make any Attempt upon Them; and, to do it more easily, an Affinity was proposed. This Way seemed more commodious to the Anti-Cuminian Party, to undermine their Power, than openly to oppugn it.* 1.2 Whereupon, Embassadors were sent to England, who were kindly received, and munificently rewarded, by that King, who granted them all their Desires.* 1.3 The next Year, which was 1251, both Kings met at York, the 8th of the Calends of * 1.4 D••cember. There, on Christmas day this Alexander was made Knight by the King of England, and, the day after, the Match was concluded betwixt him and Margarite, Henrys Daughter. A Peace was also renewed be∣twixt them, which as long as Henry lived, was inviolably observed. And because Alexander was yet but a Child, and under Age; it was Decreed, by the advice of his Friends, That he should consult his Fa∣ther-in-Law, as a Guardian, in all Matters of Weight: Some of the Prime men, being accused by Virtue of this Decree, secretly with∣drew themselves. When the King returned home, Robert, Abbat of Dumferling, Chancellor of the Kingdom, was accused, because he had Legitimated the Wife of Alane Durward, who was but the Na∣tural, or Base-born, Daughter of Alexander the Second, That so, if the King dyed without Issue, she might come in, as Heiress Upon this Fear, the Chancellor, as soon as ever he returned home, surrendred up the Seal to the Nobles.* 1.5 Gam••lin, afterwards Bishop of St. Andrews, succeeded him in his Office.

The Three next Years, they, who were the Kings Council, did, al∣most every one of them, carry themselves, as Kings; whatever they catched, was their own; so that the poor Commonalty was left destitute, and miserably oppressed. The King of England, being made acquainted therewith, out of his paternal Affection to his Son in Law, came to Werk-Castle, scituate on the Borders of Scotland,* 1.6 and sent for his Son in Law Alexander, and his Nobles, thither. There, by his Advice, many advantageous Alterations were made, especially of those Magistrates, by whose Defaults, Insurrections had been made at home: And also many profitable Statutes were Enacted, for the Future. The King returned to Scotland with his Wife; and having an English Guard to convey him home, he resolved to dwel in the Castle of Edinburgh. Walter Cumins Earl of Monteath kept the Castle, who was disaffected because of the Change of the Publick State, made by the King of England; yet, he was compelled to surrender it, by Pa∣trick Dunbar, with the Assistance of the English Forces. The greatest Part of the Nobility, and of the Ecclesiasticks, were offended, in re∣gard their Power was somewhat abridged, by those New Statutes, which they looked upon as a Yoke imposed upon them by the English, and a Beginning of their Servitude: Yea, they proceeded to that height of Contumacy, that,* 1.7 being Summoned to give a Legal Ac∣count of their Management of Affairs in former times, they made light of the Summons; The same Persons, who were the Principal Actors in disturbing things before, were now the Chief Incouragers to Disobedience. They were generally the Clans of the Cumins's, Walter Earl of Monteath; Alexander, Earl of Buchan; Iohn Earl of Athol; William Earl of Marr, and other Considerable Men of the same Fa∣ction. They dared not to put their Cause on a Legal Tryal, as be∣ing conscious to themselves of the many Wrongs done to the Poor, and meaner Sort, yea, to the King himself, and therefore they re∣solved to out-face Justice, by their Impudent Audacity. For being informed, That the King was but lightly Guarded, and lived securely at Kinross, as in a time of Peace, They immediately gathered a Band of their Vassals about them, Seized him as he was asleep, and carried him to Sterling; and, as if there were no Force in the Case, but they had been rightfully Elected, they discharged and expelled his Servants, took New, and managed all things at their own Will and Pleasure; so that now, the Terror and Consternation was turned upon the Former Counsellors.

But this Sedition was allay'd by the Death of Walter Cumins, who was Poysoned, as it is thought, by his Wife, an English Woman; The Suspicion thereof was encreased on her, because, tho' she were Wooed by many Nobles, yet she Married Iohn Russel her Gallant, a Young English Spark; She was accused of Witchcraft too and cast in∣to Prison, but she bought out her Liberty. Russel and his Wife ob∣tained Letters from the Pope, permitting them to commence an Acti∣on of the Case against their Adversaries, for the Wrong done them, before the Popes Legate. But it was to no purpose,* 1.8 because the Scots urged an Ancient Privilege, exempting them from going out of the Kingdom, when they were to plead their Causes.

When the King was of Age, upon the humble Petition of the

Cumins's, he Pardoned, them as if all their offences had been expiated by the Death of Walter. He was induced so to do, (as some say) by reason of the Greatness of their Family; and also, because he feared Foreign Wars, when Matters were so unsetled at home: But that War began not so soon, as Men thought it would.

* 1.9In the Year of Christ 1263. in the Calends of * 1.10 August, Acho, King of Norwey, with a Fleet of 160 Sail, came to Air, a Maritime Town of Coil, where he Landed 20000 Men. The Cause of the War, as he pretended, was, that some Islands, which were promised to his Ancestors by Mackbeth, were not yet put into his Hands, viz. Bote, Aran, and both the Cumbras's, which were never reckoned amongst the Aebudae. But it was enough for him, who sought a pretence for a War, that they were called Islands. Acho took two of the greatest of them, and reduced their Castles, before he could meet with any Opposition; being lifted up by this success, he makes a descent into Cuningham, the next Continent, over against Bote, in that part of it which they call the* 1.11 Largs. There he met with Two Misfortunes, almost at one and the same: First, he was overcome in Fight by Alexander Stuart, the Great Grandfather of him, who, first of that Name, was King of Scotland; and being almost taken by the Mul∣titude of his Enemies, he hardly escaped in great Fear, to his Ships. The other was, That his Ships, being tossed in a mighty Tempest, hardly carried him, with a few of his followers, who escaped, into the Orcades. There were slain in that Battel, Sixteen Thousand of the Norwegians, and Five Thousand of the Scots; some Writers say, that King Alexander himself was in this Fight: Yet, they also make Honourable mention of the Name of this Alexander Stuart. Acho, died of Grief, for the Loss of his Army, and of his Kinsman too, a Valiant Youth,* 1.12 whose Name is not mentioned by Writers.

His Son Magnus, who was lately come to him, perceiving Things in a desperater Posture, than he ever thought they would be brought to; especially, having no hopes of Recruit from home, before the Spring; and also, finding the Minds of the Islanders alienated from him, and that he was forsaken of the Scots too, in Confidence of whose Aid, his Father had undertaken that War; these things con∣sidered, he easily inclined to Terms of Peace: The Spirit of the young Man was quailed, both by the unlucky Fight; and also, by his Fear of the Islanders. For Alexander had then recovered, by sending about some Ships, the Isle of Man, situate almost in the midst between Scotland and Ireland,* 1.13 upon these Conditions, That the King thereof should send in Ten Gallies to the Scots, as oft as there was occasion; and that the Scots should defend him from a Foreign Enemy. When Magnus saw, That the rest of the Islands inclined to follow the Ex∣ample of the Manks-Men; he sent Ambassadors to treat of Peace, which Alexander refused to make, unless the Aebudae were restored; at last, by the diligence of the Commissioners, it was agreed, that the Scots should have the Aebudae;* 1.14 for which, at present, they were to pay 1000 Marks of Silver, and 100 Marks an Year. And more∣over, That Margarite, Alexanders Daughter, being then but Four years old, should Marry Hangonan, the Son of Magnus, assoon as she was fit for Marriage.

About this time, the King of England, being infested with Civil War, had Five Thousand Scots sent him for his Assistance, under the Command of R••bert Bruce, and Alexander Cumins, whom the English Writers call Iohn,* 1.15 the greatest part of them were slain in Fight; and Cumins, with the Engl••sh King himself, and his Son, and a great part of the English Nobility, of the Kings Party, were taken Prisoners.

Moreover, the Scots King was much troubled at the Arrogance of the Priests and Monks in his Kingdom; who, being enriched by former Kings, began to grow wanton in a continued Peace: Yea, they endeavoured to be equal, if not superior, to the Nobility, whom they excelled in Wealth. The young Nobility, repining at it, and taking it in great disdain, used them coursly; whereupon▪ complaints were made, by them, to the King; who, imagining, either that their Wrongs were not so great, as they represented them; or else, that they suffered them deservedly, neglected their pretended Grie∣vances; whereupon they Excommunicated All, but the King,* 1.16 and in great Wrath, determined to go to Rome. But the King, remem∣bring, what great Commotions, Thomas Becket, the prime promo∣ter of Ecclesiastical Ambition, had lately made in England, called them back from their Journy, and caused the Nobility to satisfie, not only their Avarice, but even their Arrogance, too: And indeed, they were the more inclinable to an Accord with the King, because he had lately undertaken the Patronage of the Ecclesiastical Orders, against the Avarice of the Romanists: For a little before, Ottobon, the Popes Legate, was come into England, to appease the Civil Dis∣cords, but not being able to effect the thing he came for, he omitted the publick Care, and studied his own private Gain and Lucre; he Indicted an Ecclesiastical Assembly of the English,* 1.17 Procters from Scotland being also called thereunto; in the mean time, he endea∣voured to exact Four Marks of Silver, from every Parish in Scot∣land, and Six from all Cathedrals, for the Expence of Procurations. This Contribution, or Tax, was scarce refused, when News was brought, That another Legate was arrived in England, intending also for Scot∣land, on pretence to gather up Money, for the Holy War; and be∣sides that procurable by Indulgences, and other Lime-Twigs,* 1.18 to catch Money, he endeavoured to wrest from all Bishops, Abbats, and Parish Priests (as judging them to be immediately under Papal Ju∣risdiction) the Tenth part of their yearly Revenues; that so, Ed∣ward and Edmond, Sons to the King of England, might go more No∣bly and Numerously attended to the War in Syria. The Scots judged this Tax to be very grievous and unjust, especially, because the Eng∣lish seemed to be so forward to have it granted, as if Scotland were not sui Iuris, or, an absolute Kingdom, but Dependent on Eng∣land. Moreover, they were afraid, lest the Legat should riotously mispend the Money, designed for the War, as was done some Years before; whereupon, they forbad him to enter their Borders,* 1.19 but sent him Word, That they themselves, without his Presence, would gather Money for, and send Souldiers to▪ the Syrian War; and in∣deed, they sent Souldiers, under the Command of the Earls of Ca∣rick and Athol, Two of the Chief Nobility, to L••wis King of Fran••e▪

and to the Pope, lest he might think himself altogether disesteemed, they sent 1000 Marks of Silver.

The Year after, Henry, King of England, died, and his Son Ed∣ward the First succeeded him; at whose Coronation, Alexander and his Wife were present; she returning, died soon after; yea, Da∣vid the Kings Son, and also Alexander, being newly Married to the Daughter of the Earl of Flanders, followed her a little time af∣ter, by their continued Funerals; Margarite also, the Kings Daugh∣ter departed this Life; who left a Daughter behind her, begot by Han∣gonanus, King of Norwey. Alexander being thus, in a few years, deprived both of his Wife and Children too,* 1.20 took to Wife Ioleta, the Daughter of the Earl of * 1.21 Dreux; and within a Year, he fell from his Horse, and broke his Neck, not far from Kinghorn in the Year of our Lord 1285. and the Fourteenth of the * 1.22 Calends of April, he lived Forty Five years, and Reigned Thirty Seven.

He was more missed, than any King of Scotland had been before him, not so much for the eminent Virtues of his Mind, and the Ac∣complishments of his Body; as, that People foresaw, what great Ca∣lamities would befal the Kingdom,* 1.23 upon his Decease. Those whol∣some Laws, which he made are antiquated by the Negligence of Men, and the Length of Time, and their Utility is rather celebrated by Re∣port, than experienced by Trial. He divided the Kingdom into Four Parts, and, almost every year, he Travelled them all over, staying well near Three Months in each of them, to do Justice; and to hear the complaints of the Poor, who had free Access to him, all that time. Assoon as he went to an Assize or Sessions, he Commanded the Prefect, or Sheriff, of that Precinct, to meet him with a select number of Men, and also to accompany him at his departure to the end of his Bailywick, till the next Precinct, where he was Guarded by another like Company. By this means, he became acquainted with all the Nobility, and was as well known to them; and the People, as he went, were not burthen'd with a Troop of Courtiers, who are commonly Imperious, and given to Avarice, where they come.* 1.24 He commanded the Magistrates to punish all Idle Persons, who followed no Trade, nor had any Estates to maintain them; for his Opinion was, That Idleness was the Source and Fountain of all Wick∣edness. He reduced the Horse-Train of the Nobles, when they tra∣velled, to a certain number; because, he thought, that the Multitude of Horses, which were unfit for War, would spend too much Provi∣sion. And whereas, by reason of Unskilfulness in Navigation; or else, by Mens Avarice, in committing themselves rashly to Sea, many Shipwracks had happened; and, the Violence of Pyrates making an Accession thereto, the Company of Merchants were almost undone, he commanded they should Traffick no more by Sea. That Order lasted about an Year; but being accounted by many, of a publick Prejudice, at length, so great a Quantity of Foreign Commodities were imported, that, in Scotland, they were never in the Memory of Man, more, or less cheap: In this Case, that he might study the good of the Merchants-Company, he forbad, that any but Mer∣chants should buy what was imported, by whole Sale; but what every Man wanted, he was to buy it at second Hand, or by Retail, from them.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The Cumins's 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the Roast in 〈◊〉〈◊〉, which disgusts the opposite Faction.
• * 1.2

  An Embassy to England.
• * 1.3

  An Interview between the Two Kings. November 24.
• * 1.4

  Alexander of Scotland made Knight by the K. of England. A Contract of Marriage be∣tween Him & Margaret, Henry's Daugh∣ter.
• * 1.5

  The Chancel∣••o•• of Scotland 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.6

  Work Castle standing 〈…〉〈…〉 above 〈…〉〈…〉 side.
• * 1.7

  A Sedition of the Nobles against Alex∣ander.
• * 1.8

  An Ancient Privilege of the Scots, not to be cite•• to R••me.
• * 1.9

  August 1.
• * 1.10

  Acho King of Norwey, lands with an Army in Scotland.
• * 1.11

  A Town in Cuningham, standing on the Clyde. But is over∣thrown by Alexander Stuart.
• * 1.12

  And dies of Grief.
• * 1.13

  Isle of Man recovered by the Scots.
• * 1.14

  Magnus, Acho's Son, makes Peace with Alexan∣der.
• * 1.15

  〈1 paragraph〉〈1 paragraph〉
• * 1.16

  〈1 paragraph〉〈1 paragraph〉
• * 1.17

  Ottobon the Popes Le∣g••••e.
• * 1.18

  Another Le∣gate, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Rome.
• * 1.19

  〈1 paragraph〉〈1 paragraph〉
• * 1.20

  A Town in France.
• * 1.21

  A Borough over against Leith in Lo∣thian.
• * 1.22

  March the 19th.
• * 1.23

  Alexanders Death, and Commendable Character.
• * 1.24

  Idle Persons punished.