THE BUIK OF THE CRONICLIS OF SCOTLAND.
How MALCOLME EFTER THE DECEIS OF KING
DAUID WAS CROWNIT KING, AND OF HIS
PRUDENCE AND CHEST LYFE, AND OF GREIT
DARTH AND HUNGAR THAT FELL IN SCOT-
LAND, AND HOW THE ERLE OF ANGUS FAUCHT
WITH SYMMERLEID, LORD OF ARGYLE, QUHA
TYNT THE FEILD AND FLED.
Efter the deid of gude Dauid the king,
The sone of Henrie, Malcome richt benyng,
Prevenit wes as ze haif hard be deid,
Succeidit syne into king Dauidis steid,
Ane prettie cheild of threttene zeiris of age.
Thocht he wes 3oung he wes of hie curage,
As efterwart rycht weill sic thing did preve;
Quhairfoir ilk man of him had gude beleif,
Thocht he that tyme wes bot so 3oung ane cheild,
Throw greit vertu quhen that he come to eild,
As weill appeirit be his hie prudence,
That he suld preue ane nobill king and prince.
And so it wes syne as my author sais,
Ane clene virgin he leuit all his dais,
Without corruptioun into thocht or deid,
Gif all be suith in my author I reid.
In his first zeir, as ze sall wnderstand,
Sic darth and hungar wes ouir all Scotland,
For falt of fude richt mony man and wyffe,
Baith 3oung and ald, that tyme loissit the lyfe,
And mony one, that had aneuch befoir,
To pouertie wes put for euir moir.
The samin tyme now that ze heir me reid,
Lord of Argyle wes callit Symmerleid,
Knawand the king so far wes within 3outh,
And he him self inclynit wes till stouth,
To reif and slauchter and to all mischeif,
In cumpany with mony commoun theif,
Of all the baronis la him neir about
Greit heirschip maid, with mony cry and schout;
And mony one into the tyme he slew,
That schupe himself or guidis to reskew.
The lord of Angus of richt nobill fame,
That Gillecristus wes callit to his name,
With mony berne that wes baith bald and wicht,
Buskit for battell all in armour bricht,
This king Malcome hes furneist for till go,
But ony baid, with mony vtheris mo,
Quhilk gaif ane feild syne to this Symmerleid,
Quhair mony berne richt baldlie tha gart bleid.
Tua thousand men of his that da tha slew,
And he himself than wist of na reskew,
Bot the few folk [that] in the tyme he hed,
To saue him self than into Irland fled.
And so he hapnit throw sic chance and cace,
Ontane or slane to chaip out of that place.
The king of Ingland Stevin that tyme wes deid;
Henrie the secund rang into his steid,
The emprice sone, befoir as I 3ow schew.
Of this triumph quhen that he hard and knew
That king Malcolme of his fais wan,
So prysit wes with euerie wyfe and man,
And so greit honour of him that tha spak,
Traistand thairof sic curage he suld tak,
Now into zouthheid quhen he wes ane cheild,
That efterwart syne quhen he come to eild,
For Huntlyngtoun and eik Northumberland,
And Cumbria, as ze sall wnderstand,
No homage mak nor zit till him obey,
Bot dalie hald him in greit sturt and pley.
Thairfoir that tyme to king Malcome he send
In haist ane herald, quhilk till him did wend,
Commandand him, as I sall schaw 30w heir,
In Lundoun toun befoir him to compeir
Richt haistelie, without ony demand,
For Huntlyngtoun and als Northumberland
Obedience thairfoir to maik him till;
And wald he nocht, in magir of his will,
Tha landis all that he sould lois for euir;
Cheis him, he said, quhilk of thame he had leuer.
This king Malcome that wes so young ane
Quhilk scantlie than wes fourtene zeir of eild,
Suppois he wes of the imperiall blude,
And naturallie inclynit ay to gude,
Gentill and meik, large and liberall,
3it neuirtheles his wisdome wes bot small. Semdill or nocht is sene, sa Christ me saue,
Sa 30ung ane man greit wisdome for to haue.
Wisdome requyris dalie diligence,
With greit ingyne and lang experience,
Considderance, with greit subtillitie,
Quhilk in zouthheid nocht kyndlie is to be.
Lib. 13, f. 198b.
Col. 1.
So wes this Malcome of Scotland that wes king,
Without wisdome, of zeiris wes so zing,
Siclike also as oft hapnis to be,
His counsall all than wer alss young as he.
So is the natuir baith of puir and ryik,
As wysmen sayis, ay lyke drawis to lyke.
And so did he this Malcolme that wes king,
Applyit him to men that war ouir zing.
Throw sic counsall as I haif said 3ow heir,
In Lundoun toun that tyme he did compeir,
Quhair that he micht, but ony skaith or blame,
Be commoun law remanit weill at hame;
For-quhy this Henrie as I schew befoir,
And als king Stevin, all clames les and moir
Of Huntlyngtoun and als Northumberland,
Frelie gaif ouir vnto king Dauidis hand:
3it neuirtheles for perrell of moir pley,
That causit him that tyme for till obey.
Befoir king Henrie into Lundoun toun,
Comperit hes with protestatioun,
That his presens so far wes within aige,
Suld no wa hurt the richt and priuilege
That he and his had to Northumberland,
To Huntlyngtoun and also Cumberland,
And for na det that he mycht at him craif,
Bot for kyndnes that he thair presens gaif.
HOW KING MALCOLME PASSIT WITH KING HENRIE
IN FRANCE, AGANIS LODOVICK, AND SEIGIT
THE TOUN OF TOLLOS, AND HOW THE SCOTTIS
LORDIS WAR DISCONTENTIT AND EFTER MISIT,
AND OF THE WEIRIS THAT FELL BETUIX KING
HENRIE OF INGLAND AND KING MALCOLME
OF SCOTLAND, FOR THE RESKEW OF NORTH-
That samin tyme it hapnit vpone chance,
This ilk king Henrie passit into France,
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