Series 1 > History of Greater Britain, as well England as Scotland

JOHN MAJOR’S HISTORY [book hi.
wrested from him, his father’s brother, the sovereignty. Inas¬
much as Saint Cuthbert had appeared to him at the beginning
of the war and promised him that he should be victorious, he
bestowed upon the church of Durham the lands of Coldinghame
Matilda. at Berwick1. This Edgar gave Matilda2, whom our writers
Maud. call Maud, to Henry king of the English in marriage, and
Mary his younger sister to Eustace, count of Boulogne. Edgar,
when he had reigned in peace for the space of nine years, was
buried in Dunfermline close by his father under the high altar.
CHAP. X.—Of Alexander the Fierce, king of the Scots.
On the death of Edgar, in the year of our Lord eleven
Alexander the hundred and seven, Alexander, surnamed 4 the Fierce ’, took
up the reins of government. He was thus called because his
paternal uncle, the earl of Gowry, bestowed upon him at his
baptism the lands of LifF and Invergowry 3. Certain of his train
belonging to Mearns and Murvia, or Moray, made an attempt
upon his life by night, using stratagem therefor; but his chamber
servant let him out by a privy. And since, by God’s help, he
had made good his escape, he founded at Scone a rich monastery
of canons-regular4, endowing the same with the domain of LifF
and Invergowry, and without delay pursued his enemies in their
flight to the northern parts. When he came to that very
rapid river, the Spey, he found that the robber enemy were on
its opposite bank. The king was counselled not to attempt
the ford. But, as soon as he set eyes upon the enemy, he
could not contain his rage, gave the standard into the hands of
1 Coldingham was for a long time a cell to the great monastery of Durham.
Cf. the Rev. J. L. Low’s Durham, in ‘ Diocesan Histories p. 27.
2 The eldest daughter of Malcolm and Margaret was christened ‘ Editha but
she changed her name to Matilda in compliment to her husband’s mother. Cf.
Mr. E. W. Robertson’s Scotland under her early Kings, vol. i. p. 152.
3 Buchanan says Alexander was called ‘ the Fierce ’ from the character of his
exploits. It is Bower, the interpolator of Fordun, who gives the singular reason
reproduced by Major, of which I find no explanation attempted anywhere.
4 Alexander the First re-formed the old Culdee foundation of Scone in 1114 or
n 15, and established in it a colony of canons-regular of the order of St. Augustine,
whom he brought from the church of St. Oswald, at Nastlay near Pontefract.