Death of Comyn. 303 



Additional Note. 



I have consulted the Chronicle of John of Fordun, who is 

 recognised by all historical students as the best authority on this 

 period of the History of Scotland from the Scottish point of 

 view. He was a friar of Aberdeen, and wrote about eighty 

 years after the death of Comyn. He is believed to have 

 been acquainted with John Barbour, Archdeacon of Aberdeen, 

 the author of "The Bruce." Fordun's account does not seem 

 to throw much discredit on that of Hemingburgh. It must be 

 remembered that eighty years intervened between him and his 

 P^nglish predecessor, and that there is absolutely no contempo- 

 rary record by a Scotsman. On referring to the Dictionary of 

 National Biography I see that Sheriff Aeneas Mackay thinks 

 that the account given by Hemingburgh is probably the most 

 to be depended upon. 



Translation of Extract from John of Fordun's Chronicle 

 OF THE Scottish Nation. 



" In the same year, after the aforesaid Robert had returned 

 home from the King of England, no less marvellously than by 

 di\ine grace, a day is agreed upon between him and the afore- 

 said John to meet together at Dumfries ; and both parties pro- 

 ceed to the aforesaid place. John Comyn is upbraided for his 

 treachery and troth belied. He forthwith replies, 'You lie.' 

 A mortal wound is inflicted upon the evil-speaker in the church 

 of the Friars, and the wounded man is laid behind the altar by 

 the friars. He is asked by those who stand around him 

 whether he can live. He straightway himself answers, ' I can.' 

 His foes hearing this give him a second wound ; and thus on the 

 loth of February he is withdrawn from this light." 



Since writing the above I have been looking into Barbour's 

 "Bruce," and I think that his account should accompany that 

 of Fordun. Everyone knows that John Barbour is next to 

 Geoffrey Chaucer, the greatest of old English authors. His 

 "Bruce " is the Epic of Scotland, written for the glorification of 

 the national hero. It was published in 1375, about ten years 

 before Fordun's Chronicle. I have extracted from the poem 

 what is said about the death of Comyn: — 



