"His breast, like those of his ancestors, has ever been the best bulwark of Scotland." "Then woe betide us if he should turn his back to the enemy," said the incorrigible Rothsay.
"Dare you impeach the courage of Douglas ?" replied the King, extremely chafed.
"No man dare question the Earl's courage," said Rothsay, "it is as certain as his pride; but his luck may be something doubted." "By St.Andrew, David," exclaimed his father, "thou art like a screech owl, every word thou sayest betokens strife and calamity." "I am silent, father," answered the youth.
"And what news of our Highland disturbances ?" continued the King, addressing the prior.
"I trust they have assumed a favourable aspect," answered the clergyman.
"The fire which threatened the whole country is likely to be drenched out by the blood of some forty or fifty kerne; for the two great confederacies have agreed, by solemn indenture of arms, to decided their quarrel with such weapons as your Highness may name, and in your royal presence, in such place as shall be appointed, on the 30th of March next to come, being Palm Sunday; the number of combatants being limited to thirty on each side; and the fight to be maintained to extremity, since they affectionately make humble suit and petition to your Majesty that you will parentally condescend to waive for the day your royal privilege of interrupting the combat, by flinging down of truncheon or crying of 'Ho!' until the battle shall be utterly fought to an end." "The wild savages!" exclaimed the King, "would they limit our best and dearest royal privilege, that of putting a stop to strife, and crying truce to battle?
Will they remove the only motive which could bring me to the butcherly spectacle of their combat?
Would they fight like men, or like their own mountain wolves ?" "My lord," said Albany, "the Earl of Crawford and I had presumed, without consulting you, to ratify that preliminary, for the adoption of which we saw much and pressing reason." "How! the Earl of Crawford!" said the King.

"Methinks he is a young counsellor on such grave occurrents." "He is," replied Albany, "notwithstanding his early years, of such esteem among his Highland neighbours, that I could have done little with them but for his aid and influence." "Hear this, young Rothsay!" said the King reproachfully to his heir.
"I pity Crawford, sire," replied the Prince.

"He has too early lost a father whose counsels would have better become such a season as this." The King turned next towards Albany with a look of triumph, at the filial affection which his son displayed in his reply.
Albany proceeded without emotion.

"It is not the life of these Highlandmen, but their death, which is to be profitable to this commonwealth of Scotland; and truly it seemed to the Earl of Crawford and myself most desirable that the combat should be a strife of extermination." "Marry," said the Prince, "if such be the juvenile policy of Lindsay, he will be a merciful ruler some ten or twelve years hence! Out upon a boy that is hard of heart before he has hair upon his lip! Better he had contented himself with fighting cocks on Fastern's Even than laying schemes for massacring men on Palm Sunday, as if he were backing a Welsh main, where all must fight to death." "Rothsay is right, Albany," said the King: "it were unlike a Christian monarch to give way in this point.

I cannot consent to see men battle until they are all hewn down like cattle in the shambles.