The Scalacronica. 63 



building-stone and wood for the construction of a castle, which 

 he wished to fortify. All of them came to execute his order. 

 But the Thane of Murref, who aimed at becoming their sovereign, 

 saw that the Thane of Fyffe's waggon was not there. He 

 demanded to know whose waggon was wanting. They told him 

 it was the Thane of Fyffe's. "Look!" said he, "fetch him 

 and make his own neck fit to bear what his oxen ought to draw." 

 The Thane of Fyffe, being indignant at this command, went off 

 into Cumberland, where the rightful Lords were being maintained. 

 He did not find that they were as yet endued with the wish, 

 courage, or power to make their claim at once. Their bastard 

 brother, Malcolm, who was already grown up, asked the Thane if 

 he were willing to go and help him to become King. He 

 assented and went with him. By his aid Malcolm became King, 

 and destroyed all who opposed him. He granted to this Earl 

 Macduff, who had thus aided him, the franchise of the Clan 

 Macduff, a privilege exempting from the common law. No 

 descendant of his line was to bear punishment for any offence, 

 provided that he paid a small sum of money as a fine. Malcolm, 

 who married Margaret, changed the title of Thane into that of 

 Earl. 



The same chronicles state that Malcolm put his brothers into 

 prison in the Castle of Jedworth, because they would not recog- 

 nise his right to the Throne. One of them he beheaded, and 

 the other he blinded. The one who was blinded begot a daughter 

 of a laundry woman, who would not allow him to have any food 

 until he married her. The aforesaid King Malcolm gave this 

 daughter to one of the sons of the Count of Comynge in France, 

 who was dwelling with him, and who asked the King for the said 

 maiden. One day as the King was riding at Roul, near Jed- 

 worth, the said maiden, who was in company with other peasants, 

 cried to the King: "Good uncle, do me justice; for I am thy 

 brother's daughter!" "See!" said he, "come forward." The 

 handsome young man saw her, and at the request of his aforesaid 

 brother, the King gave her to the Count of Comynge, with the 

 land on which he was riding. Thus the Comyns became Scots. 



Marksweyn and Cospatric, with many other great men of 

 Northumberland, fearing the Conqueror's severity, when manv 

 fled from the country, went off to Scotland, with Edgar, son of 



