Of mariage, of hie or law degrie
So gude it wes ane weddit man to be.
This ilk Malcome, as that my author sais,
Ane virgin clene he leuit all his dais,
Without corruptione ay of his bodie frie;
Richt clene he wes in puir virginitie.
And for that caus Arnald this nobill man
Persuadit him in all thing that he can,
Be the consent and counsall of the laue,
Of his bodie successioun for to haif,
To tak ane princes that micht be his peir.
Sayand far moir than I will say 30w heir,
That he had sene in mony sindrie storie,
Quhilk I haif nocht this tyme into memorie:
And thocht I hed, I think it litill speid
Now to my purpois forder to proceid.
Quhen he had said befoir thame all in plane,
Than king Malcome sic ansuer maid agane.
Sayand, sen he discretioun had thairtill,
For to decerne betuix gude and ill,
His mynd wes ay, and zit, he said, suld be,
For to leif chest in puir verginitie.
Sen Christ, he said, as the scripture dois mene,
Ane virgin wes, and of ane virgin clene
Wes borne in, and alss virginitie
Heir in this tyme gritlie commendit he,
"Thairfoir," he said, "I think for to fulfill
"As I haif said, quha lykis weill or ill."
Quhen this ansuer wes hard with euerie man
Into the tyme that present wes thair than,
Tha said no moir, or dreid it suld him greve,
Bot laulie than ilk man hes tane his leve,
That present war that tyme les and moir,
Syne went all hame quhair tha come fra befoir.
Sone efter this Malcolme ane litill we,
Of Sanct Androis the kirk foundit he;
Translatit it fra secular preistis syne
To channonis regularis of Sanct Augustyne;
And of Cowper the abba in tha dais
Foundit and feft, as that my author sais.
This being done this worthie nobill king,
Into the tuelt zeir efter of his ring,
And of oure Lord ane thousand zeir also,
Ane hundreth sextie and fyve zeiris mo,
Throw soir seiknes quhilk persit hes his hart,
His blissit saull did fra the bodie depart.
The quhilk bodie into Drumfermling,
With all honour pertenit to ane king,
Ingrauit wes than in ane sepulture;
With mad murning than to the erd him buir.
HOW WILLIAME, BRUTHER TO KING MALCOLME,
WES CROWNIT KING EFTER HIM, AND OF
HIS COMPERANCE BEFOIR KING HENRIE OF
INGLAND TUEICHING NORTHUMBERLAND.
Williame his bruther, efter his deceis,
Ane plesand prince that all tyme louit peice,
With ane consent of euerie lord ilkone,
Wes crownit king vpone the marbell stone.
Ane man he wes, alss far as I haif feill,
In all his tyme ay for the commoun weill;
So full of justice and of equitie,
Thairfoir the Lyoun callit than wes he.
Sone efter he ressauit had the croun,
Ane herald syne he send to Lundoun toun,
To king Henrie, asking him to restoir
Northumberland with fredome les and moir,
Quhilk he befoir without proces of lawis,
Fra Malcolme tuke but ony quhy or caus,
Quhairfoir he aucht it to restoir agane.
Quhen this wes said, king [Henrie] than rycht plane
Sic ansuer maid as I sall schaw 30w heir:
Bad him that tyme in Lundoun to compeir
Befoir himself withoutin ony demand,
For Huntlyngtoun and also Cumberland
Obediens thairfoir to mak him to,
Siclyke befoir as wont wes for till do.
That beand done he suld weill wnderstand
Anent the richtis of Northumberland,
All clame or richt that he culd haif thairtill,
That ressoun war, he suld thame all fulfill.
Quhen this ansuer to king Williame wes tald,
Without dilay no langar leind he wald;
With mony nobill that wes of renoun,
Befoir king Henrie into Lundoun toun,
Comperit hes richt haistelie and sone,
And did till him that aucht for to be done
For Huntlyntoun and als for Cumberland;
Desyrand syne at him Northumberland,
As he that had richt just titill thairtill,
As promittit wes be him for to fulfill.
This ilk king Henrie that tyme for ane trane,
To king Williame sic ansuer maid agane,
Sayand tha war in congregatione
Of his lordis annexit to the croun;
And sen sic thing with thair consent and will
Wes wrocht, he said, he mycht do nocht thairtill,
Without it war with all thair haill consent,
Agane retreittit in the parliament.
Thair he said sone, quhen efter that he ma,
Tha suld convene togidder on ane da,
Quhen he had lasar as fast as he mycht,
Quhair he suld haif all that he aucht of rycht.
He micht nocht tarie in that tyme for-thi
His purpois wes to pas in Normondy,
For greit mater thair that he had till do,
Requyring him for to pas with him to.
HOW KING WILLIAME PASSIT IN NORMONDY, AND
PUNEIST MEN MURDERARIS AND WICKIT LE-
VARIS QUHEN HE COME HAME IN SCOTLAND,
AND OF GREIT WEIRIS AND SKAITH IN
NORTHUMBERLAND ON BAITH THE SYIDIS BE
INGLISMEN AND SCOTTISMEN.
This king Williame that micht him nocht ganestand,
Into the tyme quhairfoir at his command
In Normondy he passit with him hidder,
Thir tua kingis with greit triumph togidder;
And thair ane lang tyme that tha did remane,
But ony word of hame cuming agane,
Na to king Williame nothing les no moir
Wes done of all promist wes maid befoir.
Quhairfoir king Williame efter on ane da,
His leif he tuke for to pas his wa;
Suppois it wes with greit difficultie,
3it neuirtheles sic leif that tyme gat he.
Sone efter syne, without stop or ganestand,
Baith haill and feir come hame into Scotland,
Quhair mony theif and revar in the tyme,
Of throt-cutteris and all sic cursit cryme,
And murderaris of leill men be the way,
Abundant wer into that samin day.
This king Williame greit diligence hes done,
Quhill all sic cryme he clengit hes full sone;
Or he wald sober in that tyme and ceis,
He maid all Scotland for to leif in peice.
As ze haif hard all thing so beand done,
To king Henrie he send agane full sone,
Askand at him, siclike as of befoir,
Northumberland agane to him restoir,
Be his promit schort quhile befoir ago.
This king Henrie quhen he considderit so,
Than force it wes to fulfill his desyre,
Or to sustene greit malice and his yre
In plane battell, quhilk he wes laith till do,
Thairfoir sic ansuer hes he maid him to;
That he agane resigne sould in his hand
Alhaill the boundis of Northumberland,
That his foirgudschir king Malcome Canmoir
In his possessione brukit of befoir.
The quhilk king Williame glaidlie did ressaue,
Sayand the richt that he had to the laue,
That be no way for that he wald remit,
Schortlie that tyme he did him weill to wit.
This ilk king Henrie syne efter richt sone
Repentit hes that he sic thing had done;
With secreit counsall thairfoir than he wrocht,
For to perturb king Williame and he mocht,
Perswadit hes richt mony wer duelland
Within his boundis of Northumberland,
Vpone the Scottis on thair bordour syde,
Ilk da be da in plane heirschip to ryde;
And tak all guidis tha mycht les and moir,
And neuir ane stirk agane thame to restoir.
All this wes done in to the samin effect,
To caus king Williame trewis for to brek,
That he micht fynd ane just titill belyve,
Of all the landis him for to depryve.
Sone efter syne in previe and in plane,
Tuke mekill gude and nothing come agane;
And for na wardane other les and moir,
Of all that gude wald nocht agane restoir;
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