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

CHAP. X.]
OF GREATER BRITAIN
349
yet more were sorely wounded. Of the southerners six hundred
only lost their lives, of whom some were gentlemen, William
Abernethy eldest-born and heir to the lord Saltoun, George
Ogilvy heir to the lord of that name, James Skrymgeour,
Alexander of Irvin, Robert Malvile, Thomas Muref, knights ;
James Luval, Alexander Stirling, with other gentlemen of
lesser fame. But inasmuch as very few escaped without a
wound, and the fight lasted long, it is reckoned as hot and
fierce.
In the same year the university of Saint Andrews had its Foundation of
beginning. I marvel much at the negligence of the Scots ™Andrew.0f
prelates, who were content up to that time to go without a
university in the kingdom.
In the year fourteen hundred and fifteen the earl of North- Murdachis
umberland restored Murdach Stewart, the regent’s son, to Scot- fatherwithout a
land, without exacting a ransom. This was done in return ransoin-
for the good service of the regent, who during the English
invasion had treated the earl’s grandson kindly, and caused
him to be educated as if he had been his own son.
In the year fourteen hundred and nineteen died Robert, The death of
duke of Albany, earl of Menteith, and guardian of Scotland, Albany, and a
after he had for eighteen years governed the kingdom. A just esthnateof him
man he was, and one who bent all his strength to the task of
ruling wisely. Yet is he no way worthy to be placed by the
side of Thomas Randolph, guardian of Scotland. But it is to
be wondered at that he did not labour in behalf of the son of
his brother, the rightful heir of Scotland, so that in his own
day he might have seen the sceptre in the hands of the rightful
king. For had he worked with vigour and success to compass
this end, I should extol him yet more. Perhaps you will tell
me : His son, lord Murdach, was a grown man, and, failing his
nephew James, the rightful heir; and it might have been
better for the kingdom that James should tarry for a time in
England than that his return should involve the payment by
his kingdom of an enormous sum of money. For all that, I
say that the regent might have aimed to bring about a mar¬
riage, so that the dowry might have gone to pay the ransom
that was needed.