2.90 SCOTLAND. 



the English : for while the Danes were erecting a monarchy in Eng- 

 land, they were everywhere overthrown in Scotland by bloody battles, 

 and at last driven out of the kingdom. The Saxon and Danish mo- 

 narchs, who then governed England, were not more successful against 

 the Scots, who maintained their freedom and independency, notomy 

 against foreigners, but against their own kings, when they thought 

 them endangered. The feudal law was introduced among them by 

 Malcolm II. 



Malcolm III, commonly called Malcolm Canmore, from two Gaelic 

 words which signify a large head, but most probably from his great 

 capacity, was the eighty-sixth king of Scotland, from Fergus I, the 

 supposed founder of the monarchy ; the forty-seventh from its re- 

 storer, Fergus II ; and the twenty-second from Kenneth III, who 

 conquered the kingdom of the Picts. Every reader who is acquaint- 

 ed with the tragedy of Macbeth, as written by the inimitable S'uak- 

 speare, who keeps close to the facts delivered by historians, can be no 

 stranger to the fate of Malcolm's father, and his own history, previous 

 to his mounting the throne in the year 105 7. He was a wise and 

 magnanimous prince, and in no respect inferior to his cotemporary the 

 Norman conqueror, with whom he was often at war. He married 

 Margaret, daughter to Edward, surnamed the Outlaw, son to Edmund 

 Ironside, king of England. By the death of her brother, Eugar 

 Atheling, the Saxon right to the crown of England devolved upon the 

 posterity of that princess, who was one of the wisest and worthiest 

 women of the age ; and her daughter Maud was accordingly married 

 to Henry I, of England. Malcolm, after a glorious reign, was killed, 

 with his son, treacherously, it is said, at the siege of Alnwick, by the 

 besieged. 



Malcolm III, was succeeded by his brother Donald VII, and he 

 was dethroned by Duncan II, whose legitimacy was disputed. They 

 were succeeded by Edgar, the son of Malcolm III, who was a wise 

 and valiant prince ; he was succeeded by Alexander I, and, upon his 

 death, David I, mounted the throne. 



David was one of the greatest princes of that age, whether we re- 

 gard him as a man, a warrior, or a legislator. To him Henry II, the 

 mightiest prince of his age, owed his crown; and his possessions in 

 England, joined to the kingdom of Scotland, placed David's power 

 nearly on an equality with that of England. The code of laws drawn 

 \ip by him, do his memory immortal honour. They are said to have 

 been compiled under his inspection, by learned men, whom he assem- 

 bled from all parts of Europe, in his magnificent abbey of Melross. 

 He was succeeded by his grandson, Malcolm IV, and he by William, 

 surnamed from his valour, The Lion. William's son, Alexander II, 

 was succeeded, in 1249, by Alexander III, who was a good king. He 

 married, first, Margaret, daughter to Henry III, of England, by whom 

 he had Alexander, the prince who married the earl of Flanders's 

 daughter ; David ; and Margaret, who married Hangowan, or, as 

 some call him, Eric, son to Magnus IV, king of Norway, who bore to 

 him a daughter named Margaret, commonly called the Maiden of 

 Norway : in whom king William's whole posterity failed ; and the 

 crown of Scotland returned to the descendants of David, earl of Hun- 

 tingdon, brother to king Malcolm IV, and king William. 



This detail has been given, because it is connected with great 

 events. Upon the death of Alexander III, John Baliol, who was great 

 grandson to David, earl of Huntingdon, by his eldest daughter Mar- 



