AFTER the death of K. Alexander the 3d, the kingdome was without a King 6 zeires and 9 mounthes, as it was fortold by ane old proficey:
Principe magnifico tellus viduata, vacabit
Annis bis tribus, mensibus atque nouem.
Zet the estaits of the kingdome, till all contrawerted tytills wer discussed, did make choysse of 6 protectors or gouernours, viz. South the riuer of Forth, wer chosen to gouerne,
Robert, Bis: of Glasgow,
Johne Comyne,
James, Grate Steuarte of Scotland;
and the gouernours be northe of the riuer of Forthe, wer
William Fraser, Bis: of St Andrewes,
Duncane, Earle of Fyffe,
Johne Comyne, Earle of Buchan.
And this same zeire, after the parliament dissolued, one o’the gouernors departed this lyffe, viz. Duncane, Earl of Fyffe; in quhosse place wes elected the Bischope of Dunkelden, in a parliament holdin at Perthe, the 15 day after Pasche. Grate wer the disputts in this parliament anent the successione to the croune; the maine disput being anent the more waliditie of tytill of the Bruce or Balioll; the maniest woyces went with the Bruce, in respecte that Robert Bruce wes the first borne heire maill, and a degree neirer the croune then was Johne Balioll, altho borne of the second daughter of Dauid, Earle of Huntingtone, brother to Malcolme the 4. and William, Kinges of Scotland. After longe and muche debait, (as said is,) the parliament concludid in this, that since the contrauersey was so intricat betuix thir tuo pryme pretenders, and the arguments one both syds so grate and waightey; and that the pretenders dayly incressed in number, that did absolutly submitt the determinatione and decisione of that contrawersey to Eduard, King of England: and to that effecte, the parliament made choysse of the Bis: of Brechin, the Abbot off Jedwood, and Sr Geoffrey Moubray, quhome they sent ambassadors to King Eduard of England, to know hes determinatione; quho tooke ther iorney from Scotland to Gasconey in France, quher then K. Eduard was.
1287.
In Ao 1287, Pope Honorius the Thrid depairts this lyffe, at Rome, the 5 day of the mounth of Apryle; and to him succidit, in the pontificall chaire, Jerome of Picenna, general of order of St Francis, and Cardinall Prænestin. After his electione, he was called Pope Nicolaus the 4.
1288.
About the begining of the mounthe of Februarij, 1288, Lescus, King of Polonia, depairts this mortall lyffe issewles; and that kingdome wanted a King for diuersse zeirs, wntill that Præmislaws was crouned King.
1289.
This zeire, 1289, Elphis, Sultan of Ægypte and Babylone, takes from the Christians, Tyrus, Sydon, Tripolis, and Ptolemais; and the Christians for the most pairt fleeing from thesse places to the Iyland of Cyprus, wer all drouned in the sea.
1290.
Now to begin with the zeire of oure redemptione 1290, quherin deyed the father of furies, Ertugutes or Orthrogull, (as some wretts him,) father of Ottoman, the first King of the Turkes, and the ground stone of the Othoman empyre, the plauge and scourge of all that bearis the name of Christiane.
1291.
In Ao 1291, deyes Rodolphe, the Roman Emperoure, the 15 day of Julay, aged 73 zeires and 5 moniths, and in the 18 zeire of his rainge, and wes interrid at Spires, His funerall ceremonies performed, the electors meitt and choysse for Roman Emperour, Adolphe, Earle of Nassaw, quho was solemley crouned this zeire at Aixe.
1292.
After a world of bussines and tormyles, quherin the stait of Scotland was plunged and tossed in by a polliticke and ambitious judge, to quhosse determinatione they, in a parliament at Perth, had foulisly submitted that wich only belonged to them properly to judge offe; at last K. Eduard of England, for hes ouen priuat ends, to the grate detriment of the Scotts comonweill, aganist all law and equitey, decerrnes in fauor of Johne Balioll, quho was accordingly solemly crouned at Scone, the last day of Nouember in Ao 1292, not without the contrair protestatione of maney of eache estait present; the gratest being absent.
1293.
In Marche, 1293, Humbert, Dolphine of Viennois, invests himselue in a mounkishe habitt, and altogider quyting the world, reteirs to a solitarey cell, leauing his estait to his sone.
This same zeire, lykwayes, Egidius Romanus published hes booke, of the Gouerniment of Princes, quherwith thesse tymes was muche takin.
1294.
The zeire 1294, being the 3d zeire of the raing of the Emperour Adolphe, one the 7 of Julay, Peiter Moron, Abbot of St. Bennet, was elected Pope, by the name Celestine the 5, one not fitt for affaires. He willingly reseigned the Papacey, the 13 day of December this same zeire; and in his place, the 24 day of the said mounithe, Cardinall Caietan was elected Pope, by the name of Boniface the 8.
1295.
In Ao 1295, is throughe the world famous, in respecte this is the zeire, by Stumphius, said to be it quherein the Heluetians layed the first fundatione of ther Republicke; and begud, of hard bred mountaniers, peice and pice, to wrest themselues out of the tallons of the German Eagle.
This zeire, Sanctius the 4, King of Casteill, departs this lyffe, leuing a sone, aged 4 zeirs, named Ferdinand, to succeid him, with quhom our Kinge, Dauid the 2d, entred in leaugue.
1296.
Touards the end of the mounth of Marche, 1296, Johne Comyne, Lord of Strathbolgie, baslie and traiterously, contrairey to hes faithe, deliuered King Johne to Eduard, King of England, at the castle of Montrois in Angus, in the fourte zeire of K. Johnes rainge.
1297.
In the zeire 1297, Sr William Wallace, knight, in a parliament haldin at Perth, was, by the estaits of the realme, made Protecter of the kingdome. He defait the Englisch at Streweling bridge, and reganed the castell of Coupare.
This zeire, in parliament haldin at Scone, quhill Eduard of England was bussied in France, ther was 12 protectors chossen for defence of the kingdome; amongest wich was Johne Comyne, Earle of Buchan, one by the said parl: made generall of the Scotts armey, and sent immediatly to infest the Englische borders.
In the monthe of May this zeire, also, comes Eduard of England to the border, with a grate armey. After a conflicte with the Scotts, quherin Sr Patrick Grhame was killed, the rest fled to Dumbar castle, wich K. Eduard furthwith besedged; bot the 4 day it was traiterously randred to him by Richard Suarde, a basse and willanous wretche, the keiper of it; and in it wer takin and instantly killed, contraire the tyrants faithe giuen, amongest quhom wer, William, Earle of Ross, and the Earle of Mentethe, with aboue 70 knights and men of qualitey, forby comon shouldiers.
1298.
In Ao 1298, was foughtin the memorable batell of Faulkirke, in Linlithgowshyre, betuix William Wallace, knight, generall of the Scotts armey, and K. Eduard, surnamed Longeshankes, the tyrant of England, quherin Duncane, Earle of Fyffe, and Sr Johne Steuarte, with ther haill followers, were almost all killed.
This same zeire, Sr William Wallace, the Protector, beseidged the castell of Dundie in Angus, and tooke the same, the last of September, and put all the Englishe therein to the suord; and vpone the nixt day, being the first of Nouember, he ranccountred the Englishe armey one Crageymure, commandit by Sr Heu Cresinghame, with quhome he fought a werey grate batell, and killed aboue 4000 Englishe, with ther generall, Cresinghame, Non of the Scotts deyed that day of note, saue only Sr Androw Murray, quho was therafter Gouernour of Scotland, and did soundly reuenge hes fathers death vpone the Englishe. One this batell, I find that Arnold Blare, chaplain to Wallace, hath left ws, in his diarrey, thesse mounkishe werses:-
Ex quo cor validum Scoti sumpsere monente
Willielmo Vallace, et eos guerrare docente,
Vt quos captiuos tenent gens Anglica viuos,
Ad proprium Scoti fecerunt cito reuerti;
Insuper et regem fecerunt regnare Johanem
Inde regno proprio, quod si vellet alieno
Rege seruire, possunt sua iura perire.
Hinc tricenteno milleno ter minus uno
Annorum domini dicentur vincere Scoti
Anglos infestos, quos reddunt funere mœstos,
Vt pons testatur vbi bellum grande notatur.
This zeire, the Protector, with his armey, invads England, and with fyre and suord destroyes at Northumberland, and chases the Englishe armey ouer the riuer of Teies, and so returnes with a grate spoyle.
This same zeire, also, in the mounthe of Junij, the batell of Black Ironsyde, in Fyffeshyre, wes fought betuix Sr William Vallace, the Protector, and Amyer de Vallence, Earle of Pembrocke, generall of the Englishe armey; in wich batell the Englishe wer totally routted and ouerthrouen. Sr Duncane Balfour, Shriffe of Fyffe, wes killed, and Sr Johne Grhame was hurte, only of the Scotts of quality.
In Agust, this zeire, the Protector, accompanied with Sr Alexander Scrymgeour, constable of Dundie, with 500 resolute shouldiours, seuerly punished the foolishe Gallouidians, that had partied the Englishe and Cumyns aganist ther auen countrey; and in ther returne south, they, by night, brunt 300 Englishe in the barnes of Aire.
1299.
In the begining of the zeire 1299, the Protector ouerthrew the English in three grate conflicts, neir Perth, broke the bridge, so that the Englishe in ther flight wer maney of them drouned in the riuer Tay, with ther commander, Sr Johne Vidringtone.
In the mounthe of Maij, this same zeire, the Protector, Sr William Vallace, demitted hes gouerniment; in quhosse place was elected Johne Comyne, the zounger, to be Gouernour, quho did carey himselue noblie and walliantly in defence of hes countrey, till after the batell of Roslyne, at wich tyme he made basly defectione to the Englishe, and suore fealty to the tyrant, King Eduard. Vpone quhosse defectione, Sr Jhone Soulis, Lord of Liddisdaill, was made Gouernour.
1300.
In the zeire 1300, Johne Comyne, the Gouernour, defait the Englishe armey 2 seuerall tymes; and this same zeir K. Eduard sent a grate armey to Fyffe, and miserably wastit the same. The Gouernour sent Sr Johne Fraser with 4000 men in ther reire, quho often cut them shorte, and in Junij, in a betell neir the castell of Lindors, assisted by Sr William Wallace, ouerthrew them quyte, and killed ther generall, Sr Johne Pseworth. This battell is called Dillecarrew field, quherin 3000 Englishe wer killed, and 500 takin prissoners; the Scotts lost not aboue 300, in respecte the woods and passages of the montans and quagmyres were weill knowen to them, only Sr Johne Syntone, Sr Thomas Lochore, and Sr Johne Balfour, Shriffe of Fyffe, wer woundit and hurte.
1301.
In Ao 1301, the Gouernor did relieue the castle of Lochleuin, besedged by the Englishe, and tooke from them the castells of Lochindore, Kennuay, and Polduffe, in Fyffe.
1302.
In the zeire 1302, the Gouernour and Sr Johne Frasser, with 8000 weill armed walliant men, rancountred 30000 Englishe, one Simon and Judes day, neir Roslyne, betuix quhom ther was a creuell batell foughtin, quherin the Scotts obteined ane absolute wictorey, leuing 12000 of ther enmeyes dead vpone the place; the persuit lasted 16 myles, euen almost to Bigare west, in wich persuite maney of the Englishe fell lykwayes. In memorey of wich batell, Arnold, the chaplaine, hes left us thesse rymes:
Anno milleno trecentenoque secundo,
Lucente die festum recolente Mathiæ,
In Roslyne campo noua gratia luxit ab alto:
Nempe Johanem duce Scottorum Comynense,
Anglis confusis, cesit victoria Scotis.
1304.
This zeire, 1304, Robert Bruce beholding the calamities and oppressions quherwith the Englishe plowed the natione with; out in a deepe sence and commiseratione of his awen people, assumes courage, and concludes a band of confederacy, offensiue and defensiue, with Johne the Read Comyne, Lord of Coumernald.
1305.
In Ao 1305, Robert Bruce hauing escaped the trappes and snares of the Englishe tyrant, by the treacherey of Johne the Read Comyne, cam to Lochmaben, and from thence, accompanied with James Lindesay, and Roger Kilpatricke, went to Drumfreis, the 13 of Februarij, and in the churche ther hauing meitt with Johne Comyne, did accusse him of his wicked and perfidious dealling and treacherey touards him, in reweilling the band of confederacey betuix them, contrair hes faith, begude to denay; bot Robert, impatient, stabid him in the brest, with his cousin, Sr Robert Comyne, quhom James Lindesay, and Roger Kilpatricke, did quickly dispatche.
This same zeire, the 7 of September, Sr William Vallace, sometyme Gouernour of Scotland, was fraudulently, not suspecting aney gyle, betrayed and takin by Sr Johne Menteith at Glasgow, and deliuered to the creuell and inhumaine tyrant of England, King Eduard the 1, by quhom he was caried to London, and ther execut and dismembred most inhumanly, and that for the defence of hes auen natiue countrey.
