Family records of the Bruces and the Cumyns

42 MALCOLM THE MAIDEN.
in 1 148 — "That, if he became King of England, David and his heirs should
possess, without reserve, all the lands between Tyne and Tweed " — now inti-
mated that he expected the restoration of all the fiefs in the north of England
which had been held by David in the name of the Empress-Queen.
1 157. Malcolm met Henry at Chester, and resigned the three northern counties,
with the castles of Carlisle, Bamborough, and Newcastle-upon-Tyne, receiving
from Henry the investment of the honour of Huntingdon and a promise of
knighthood. This he went to receive at Carlisle next year, but was disappointed,
and induced to accompany Henry to France in 1159, when the coveted cere-
mony was performed at Tours, after which the young king returned home.
His subjects were much discontented with what appeared to be rendering
feudal servitude to the English king for what David and his son had held for
twenty years without any such requirement. Malcolm acknowledged himself
vassal to the crown of England for " the county of Lothian." This was the
ancient Bernicia ; and Malcolm did homage for it as part of England, not as
any part of Scotland.
Simon of Durham, the Pope's legate, says : —
" Pervenit apud fluvium Tuedam, qui Northumberland et Lodium determinat,
in loco qui Rothesburchi vocatur." A great conspiracy was set on foot during
Malcolm's absence in France, so that his golden spurs had nearly cost him his
1 160. crown. Malcolm was holding his court at Perth, when the conspirators sud-
denly surrounded the city, intending to secure the person of the king, and either
dictate their own terms to him or place his brother William on the throne. The
young king, however, promptly assumed the offensive, and drove the rebels
from the field.
It is not exactly known who these conspirators were, except that " Ferquhard
Earl of Strathearn " was at their head, and with him were five other " maister
men."
Malcolm M'Heth was liberated from his imprisonment in Roxburgh Castle
in 1 157, and was probably one of them.
The king immediately assembled an army under " Gilchrist," his brother-in-
law, Earl of Angus (and called by Sir J. Dalrymple Earl of Menteith also),
and Walter, the High Steward, and followed the rebels into Galloway, deter-
mined to crush the insurrection at its source. — Hoveden, A.D. 1160.
Malcolm was twice baffled in his attempts to penetrate into that wild district,
but the third time he was successful ; and Fergus, reduced to submission, retired
1 161. to the monastery of Holyrood, where he died next year.
1 164. Somerled, Prince of Argyle and the Isles, invaded Scotland, accompanied by
his grandson's (Wimund's) children — see King David's reign — claiming to be