That samin tyme I hard my author sa,
Ane Hieland clerk, cled in ane rob of gra,
Befoir the king with mony benge and bek,
He salust him on to that samin effecc,
Fra Gathelus all his genelogie
Onto him self he countit gre be gre.
Thair names now I like nocht to rehers,
So cummersum tha ar to put in verss.
Into that tyme, becaus he wes so zing
To gyde and governe sick ane famous ring,
Or dreid his zouthheid suld occasioun be
Till mony one fra justice for to fle,
For that same caus tha chesit in that tyde,
That wysast war to governe and to gyde,
Four agit lordis baith sicker and suir,
Syne gaif to thame the haill gyding and cuir,
With haill consent thair of thame all ilkone.
The quhilk till do thir four in hand hes tone;
Quhair present war that tyme, bayth les and moir,
As the war brocht ben richt into the queir,
Fornent the toume quhair that king Malcolme la,
Hir husband wes, as ze haif hard me sa,
So suddane havie in the tyme tha grew,
Of waill wicht men quhair that thair wes anew,
The starkast man that wes amang thame thair 45,940
Doucht nocht ane fit thame ford ward for to bair.
In magir thame ilkone wes thair that tyde,
The banis still into that place did byde,
As tha stude all to wonder of that thing,
Ane agit monk that tyme said to the king,
"Schir, I beleif this is the caus and quhy,
"Hir husbandis graue that scho will nocht go by,
Quhill his banis be borne ben befoir; "Into his lyfe scho did him sic honoir, "Siclike in hevin thairof haif e no weir, "With sic honour as scho wes wont do heir, "My counsall is," thus said he, "for the nanis, "Now and ze pleis for to tak vp his banis, "And in the queir befoir hiris beir thame ben, "Gif this be trew or nocht than ze ma ken." And so tha did richt suddantlie and sone; Sanct Margaretis banis syne quhen that wes done, The leist ane cheild wes scantlie ten zeir ald,
Mycht haif borne thame to quhat place that he wald.
Ben in the queir his banis than tha brocht,
In ane ferter of fyne siluer weill wrocht
Inclosit thame, as my author did sa,
Quhair tha remane thair still onto this da.
Sone efter syne throw wisdome and curage,
Quhen that the king come to perfytar age,
He tuke greit curage justice to exerce;
So wes thair than my author did rehers,
Into the Month ane erle of richt ill fame,
That Walter Cuming callit wes to name,
The erle of Buchane and mony vther mo,
As of Athoill and Strabogie also;
Thir four lordis hecht Cuming to surname,
Quhilk of befoir thocht nother syn nor schame
To mak oppressioun dalie of the puir,
The king being in 3outhheid wnder cuir,
The samin tyme that I haif said 3ow heir,
Befoir the king for tha wald nocht compeir,
Quhen tha war callit ansuer for to mak
For thair faltis of quhome befoir I spak,
Becaus tha schew thame self giltie in sic thing, 45,980
Declarit war than rebellis to the king.
Thir foure lordis syne efter on ane nycht,
Richt quietlie with greit power and mycht,
Out of Kynros that tyme tha tuke the king,
At thair plesour syne hed him to Striuiling.
Syne euirilk da be thair auctoritie,
Haiffand the king in thair captiuitie,
Richt greit injure, the langar ay the moir,
Tha wrocht siclike as tha war wont befoir.
Of that surname, as my author recordis,
Into Scotland thair wes rycht mony lordis
Into that tyme, of greit power and michtis,
Forouttin thame als tua and threttie knychtis.
Of thair attyre I list no langar tell;
Tak tent and heir quhat efterwart befell.
This Walter Cuming, of quhome befoir I schew,
Ane wyfe he had wes nother traist no trew,
That louit better nor hir awin lord
Ane Inglisman, my author dois record;
For that same caus, gif I suld schaw the richt, 46,000
Hir awin lord scho poysonit on ane nicht.
Quhen that wes done in Ingland syne scho fled,
And all the gold and trasour that scho hed,
And jowellis als, withoutin ony demand,
That tyme with hir scho tuke into Ingland.
To all the laif quhen that this thing wes kend,
How that this lord maid sic vnhappie end,
That principall wes of thame all that tyme,
And caus also of thair vnhap and cryme,
Tha come and pat thame in the kingis will,
To quhat punitioun he wald put thame till.
Throw intercessioun than of vther lordis,
This humbill king, as my authour recordis,
Thir thre lordis and all the laif that tyme
Remittit hes of thair offence and cryme.
This samin tyme that ze heir me resume,
Completit wes and ordanit into Rome
Of Corpuscristie the solempnitie,
Nixt hand the feist than of the Trinitie,
Quhilk to be said vpoun the Thurisday;
Sic seruice ilk zeir siclike [zit].we say.
That samin tyme, as my author did wret,
The quhit habite of freiris Carmelet
Come first in Scotland, syne efter on cace
In Tulelum wes biggit thair first place
Be ane that tyme wes bischop of Dunkell.
Also that tyme, I hard my author tell,
The cors of Peblis funde wes in tha dais
Be ane quhit monk, as that my author sais,
Duelt in Melross neirhand that samin place.
Quhair it wes fund tha fand that tyme of cace
Of alabast ane prettie pig of stone,
And in that pig war banis mony one
Weill wynd in silk richt courtlie for the nanis;
Can no man tell zit weill quha aucht tha banis. 46,035 In that same place quhair that the cors wes fund,
King Alexander biggit on that grund
Ane fair tempill of poleist stone and lyme;
Syne foundit it into the samin tyme
Of quhit freiris of the Trinitie,
Quhilk habite zit remanis thair to se.
Efter all this than, schortlie to conclude,
This nobill king with mony men of gude,
Passit to 3ork than for the samin quhy,
Quhair that he met that tyme with king
Henry,
With all his lordis that tyme les and moir,
For to fulfill that maid wes of befoir,
To Alexander beand within age,
King Henreis dochter into mariage,
That samin tyme he weddit to his quene
Margaret his dochter plesand and amene.
To me to tell this tyme war ouir grit tarie
The fantasie and eik the ferie farye,
The greit triumph, the sporting and the play,
The singing, dansing, that wes euerilk day,
The sumptuous cheir and cost of euerie thing,
Wes maid that tyme at mariage of our king;
Thairfoir as now I lat sic thing go by.
Quhen all wes done, at nobill king Henry
King Alexander tuke his leif till go
Hame with his quene, with mony lordis mo;
With honour, gloir, and greit triumph betuene,
Come hame in Scotland with Margaret his quene.
All beand done as I haif said 30w heir,
Sone efter syne into the secund zeir,
Thir tua kingis with mekle pomp and pryde
Convenit baith than at the bordour syde,
And commouit of mony sindrie thingis
Concernand honour onto baith thir kingis.
At Wark Castell quhair at the tryst wes set,
Thir tua kingis togidder thair tha met,
And talkit thair in mony sindrie townis,
Of commoun weill concerning baith the rowmes.
Of Alexander all that office buir,
Quhilk had of him the gouernance and cuir,
War changit all for mony sindrie thingis,
At the devyss and counsall of thir kingis;
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