Scottish Text Society publications > Third series > Mar Lodge translation of the history of Scotland by Hector Boece

LIBER PRIMUS
43
and cruell and mycht nocht suffir abone game ane strangeare to
regnne ; nowthir suffering marrois nor superiouris without
pare fynale distructioun ; Scottis suld neuer in Ireland be
peciabill, quharethrow gif in haisty mancr pai war nocht mett,
all Scottis nacioun suld amang game haue ane trublouft life
and myschevouft end. To Metell, the cuwing of ambassiatouris
was mare thankfull that fra his freyndlie pepill thay wer
send and desirit na thing bot commoun weill. Quharefore,
nocM refusing pare postulacioun, thinking it pertenit na left
to pe lawde of Span3eartis pan pe weill of Scottis, gif he mycht
deliuer his freyndis fra molestacioun of pare felloun vndantit
nychtbouris, with ane power of gudelie men he send in Ireland
40 his thre sonnys, Hermon, Ptholome and Hybert, quhare,
nocht without hard fechting, putting pe aid inhabitantis to
discumfitoure and making the Scottis peciable, Ptho[lo]me and
Hybert remanit to governe the pepill, and to mak vther
polecye in the cuntre of newe, thare eldest broder Hermon
retumyng to Span3e. Ffra thyne mony jeris the pepill had
prosperite, the domynacion being transferrit in ony persoun
quham ge pepill wald cheift, and parewith war strenthis and
cieteis beildit. Ceremonis and lawis (as pat tyme sufferit) to
instruct the pepill in gude maneris and dyvyne service in
pare maner, was institute, baith public and private; preistis
for sacrifice and offering of incenft in pe auld sorte of Egipcianis
war create, and sua to pe pepill grewe baith substance and
strenth. Bot as pe courft is of manly estate, prosper fortoun
50 oftymes to men generis wikkit inclinacioun, that gif pai haue
na were of nyc/ztbouris at hame amang pameself, mare cruelly
pan ony wylde beistis pai invaid vtheris. Twa divisions at
anys war movit, amang quhilkfs was contentacioun quha suld
governe the cuntre. And pe mater was nocht fer fra appering
skaith, quhen ane noble man namyt Thanay, of all pe pepill
Fo. in.
The auld in¬
habitantis of
Ireland mye/it
iioc'At suffer
ane stranger
to regnne
abone game
Metellius send
his thre sonnis
Hermone,
i’tholome and
Hybert with
ane greit army
to Irland quha
disconfiting
ge auld in¬
habitantis
maid ge
S;-otU's
peciable
Ptholome
and Hybert
remanit in
Ireland to
governe ge
pepill
m.l.t. 37b
Thair eldest
brother re-
turnit to
Spane
Prosperitie
in Irland
mony ^eiris
and domina-
tioun in ony
persoun trans-
ferit, strenthis
and citeis
biggit
Ceremonyis
and lawis
Preistis eftir
ge auld sort
of Egiptianis
Tua diuisionis
raiB anent
ge governing
of ge cuntrie