Genealogie of the Sainteclaires of Rosslyn

SAINTECLAIRES OF ROSSLYN. 13
goe help the Scots. The Abbot entertained them kindly, and rifeing in
the morning next day to villt the guefts, and finding none in the cloifter,
but the beds remaining untouched, he merveiled greatly, and who they
fhould be he could not imagine, except they were angells. It is alfo re-
corded, that the fame day the victory was obtained, a Knight in glitter-
ing armour came rideing through Aberdeen, fignifieing the great vi&ory
of the Scots, and one on horfeback crofled Penthland Firth, which divid-
eth Orkney from the reft of the land, whom they fuppofed to be Saint
Magnus of Orkney, some time King ; but let us omitt futch things. Not
long after this victory, King Robert went over into Ireland to help his
brother, leaveing no great guard to the borders ; which the Southerns
hearing, they refolved to come to Scotland by fea, becaufe they thought
themfelves better experienced in the feas than the Scotts, and inftructing
a navy, they failed up Forth, deftroying all parts where they came with
fire and fword, the rumor of which coming to the Earle of Fife, he came
with 500 men to the place where he thought they were, thinking therby
to catch fome difperfed from the reft, but fieing the number of his ene-
mies farre to exceed, he retired a little, being afraid ; but William Saint-
clair, the fecond fone of Sir William, comeing to his aid with fixty well
appointed gentlemen, was greatly offended att his timerity, defireing him
to follow and put his truft in God, committing all the reft to him, which
he, with all his company, did ; receaveing courage through his perfuafive
exhortations, and fieing their enimies 1 company noways in ordre, though
greater in number, they came upon them and flew five hundred of them ;
the reft, fieing that, fled, every one to their fhips neareft, till att length
one of their fhips perifhed before their eyes, and all that were therin,
through the great multitude of people that fled thereto. The King have-
ing had knowledge of this, ever after called William Saintclair his biftiop,
and when he was returned from Ireland, and his countrey free from
King Edward's tyranny, he began to take pleafure in paftimes, as
hunting and hawking. So upon a time he appointed a great hunting