Assassination of the Red Comyn. 265 



manding their lives and a safe departure from the country. 

 This he granted them. When this had been done, certain ill- 

 disposed ones told him that the Lord John Comyn was still 

 alive, for the friars had carried him within the vestibule of the 

 altar, in order to administer to him medical treatment and that 

 he might confess his sins. When he had confessed them, and 

 was truly penitent, by the command of the tyrant he was dragged 

 out of the vestibule and killed on the steps of the greater altar, 

 so that his blood touched the table of the altar, and even the 

 altar itself." 



Note. — Walter is wrong in calling Bruce the 5th son of 

 the claimant of the throne. He was his grandson. — E. J. C. 



Note. — There are eight MSS. existing of this very valuable 

 history. The best is in the College of Arms, London ; four are 

 in the British Museum, two at Cambridge, and one at Oxford. 

 In all of them the name of the author is given as Walter of 

 Hemingburgh. He is so called by Leland, but Bale calls him 

 Hemingford, and his mistake has been generally followed 

 since. Tanner and Hearne were aware of Bale's error. The 

 MS. in the College of Arms has been edited by Hans Claude 

 Hamilton at the cost of the College. Walter Hemingburgh was 

 a canon of the Priory of Gisborough, in the East Riding of York. 

 He was employed by Edward I. to visit many of the priories in 

 Scotland to consult records. Being a friar himself he wouhJ 

 be likely to receive an account from the Dumfries friars of an 

 e\-ent that horrified the religious world and drew down the 

 reprobation of the Pope. It must be remembered that the year 

 began on the 25th March then, and so what Walter calls loth 

 February, 1305, was really what we call 1306. The ist of 

 January was adopted as the commencement of the year by 

 Scotland in 1600, but bv England not till 1752. 



E. J. C. 



II. — The Weather of 1902. By Rev. W. Andson. 



The highest reading of the year was recorded on the 31st 

 January, during the prevalence of a northerly type of weather, 

 and amounted to 30.981 in., which, when reduced to 32 deg. of 

 temperature and sea level, would give a reading of 31.018 in., 

 and was followed by a reading almost equally high on the ist 



