THE FRANCISCAN FRIARY OF JEDBURGH 87 



discipline of tlie Observantines, he joined the Franciscan 

 l)rotherhood at Jedbiu-gh, where he undertook no less a task 

 than the composition in Latin of a chronological compendium 

 of Scottish history from the beginning of the world down to 

 the year 1535, "in the octave of the nativity of the Virgin 

 Mary." '* This ambitious project, to which he gave the descrip- 

 tive title Rota Temporum (The Wheel of Time), he actually 

 completed, but it is doubtful if he himself survived to see its 

 publication at Rome, under the supervision of Bishop John 

 Leslie (who dwelt there 1575-8), with small additions and 

 alterations. Bell undertook this work at the request of George, 

 fourth Lord Seton'® (died 1549), at whose solicitation also Sir 

 Richard Maitland wrote the History of the House of Seton. 

 I have consulted many library catalogues for a reference to 

 Bell's work, without result ; it does not appear to be even 

 in the British Museum or the Bodleian Library. "The book," 

 said Nicolson, Archdeacoji of Carlisle, writing in 1702, "is 

 in my Lord Tarbet's Jibrary." ^' The historian Camden,'® when 

 treating of the Roman Wall of Hadrian, regards Bell as a 

 better authority than Hectoi- Boece, inasmuch as he fjuotes 

 from his work in preference to the Scottish History of the 

 now more widely known writer. 



Having brought his compendium up-to-date. Bell then made 

 iin abridgement of it in English, Avhich he continued down 

 to the year 1536." From the Earl of Cromarty, then lord 

 clerk register. Father Hay procured this work, which began 

 with the words : "In the name of the Blessd Trinity, Our 

 Lady, Saint Francis, and Saint Augustine." "The original," 

 he states in a previous passage — apparenth' referring to the 

 manuscript abridgement, "contains 125 leavs and the Table, 

 which precedes the history and is alphabetical, 12 leavs. 

 There is a list of the Emperors of the East and West, and 

 one of our Scots kings." Unfortunately Father Hav lost the 



'' Hay's Scotia Sacra (MS.), p. 554. 



'^ Spottiswood's Religions Houses (in Keith's Catalogae of Scottish 

 Bishops, 1755), p. 277. 



'^ The Scottish Historical Library. 

 >8 Camden's Britannia (1610), p. 790. 

 '« Hay's Scotia Sacra (MS.), p. 554, 



