G. Buchanan rer. Scotic. lib. 8. pag. 243, prope finem.
¶ But before I passe ouer this slaughter, so lamentable and woonderfull, I haue bethought my selfe of a promised apologie for and in the behalfe of Richard Grafton, mentioned before in the reigne of Henrie the second, page 194 where I shewed how vnaduisedlie and with vnséemelie modestie for a man of learning, George Buchanan the Scot dooth shoot his bolts at the said Grafton, as now by occasion of the matter conuenientlie occurrent shall be shewed. The said Grafton in his large volume of English chronicles, falling vpon the affaires betwéene king Edward the first, and Iohn Balioll king of Scotland, among other things there remembred, maketh report that in the said battell of Berwike, the slaughter was so great, that a mill might well haue béene driuen by the space of two daies, with the streames of bloud which at that time ouerranne the ground. At which words George Buchanan giueth a snatch, emboldened so to doo, bicause the said Grafton referreth this record to Hector Boetius in his fourtéenth booke and second chapter.
Iesu, how the Scot taketh vp the Englishman for halting in his allegation, first for the chapter, conuincing him that Hector Boetius diuided not his booke into chapters, and therefore, where is the second chapter, sith the whole fourtéen booke is a continued discourse without distinction by chapters? Secondlie the said Grafton hath the checke, for setting a lie aflote, Buchanan flatlie affirming that Hector Boetius hath no such matter once mentioned in his annales. Touching the first fault, wherewith the Scot chargeth the Englishman, this is note-worthie, that it should séeme to anie man of meane iudgement, that Buchanan of a prepensed malice and purposed wilfulnesse hath sharpened his stile in this nipping sort against Grafton. For sith it was Graftons meaning to record the truth, so farre foorth as he was warranted by the auerment of writers; why should he be cast in the téeth with Effrænis maledicendi libido, or dishonestlie termed Indoctus & impudenter mendax? Which opprobrious epithets, if they were deserued by an vntrue report of the author; then should Buchanan haue sharpened his toong against Belenden his countriman, the translator of Hector Boetius into their mother toong, from whom Grafton hath deriued his words; sense for sense vnmangled (as he found the same written.)
Now who knoweth not that Bellenden distinguished Hectors annales into chapters, vpon whose authoritie Grafton relieng, and citing his authoritie according to the quotation of his diuision, whie should he rather than Bellenden be barked at, who is the principall in this controuersie? Againe, it could not be hidden from Buchanan, that Bellenden had distributed Boetius into chapters; considering that they were σύγχρονοι, both liuing in the reigne of Iames the fift of that name king of Scots: so that it might haue pleased him to haue tried Grafton by the Scotish Boetius, and so to haue béene resolued for the second chapter of the fouretéenth booke, according to the archdeacon of Murries translation.
Hector Boetius, pag. 294, lib. impress. Parisijs à Iacobo du Puys, 1574.
Now for the matter itselfe, touching the effusion of bloud, wherewith a mill might well haue béene driuen for two daies space; Hector Boetius his owne words are these; Riui sanguinis toto oppido adeo fluxere, vt cum æstu decurrente minor aqua quàm ad molendina circumagenda fuerit, adiuuante aquam sanguine aliqua circumagi sponte cœperint. Which place, Bellenden hath interpreted after this manner; So lamentabl' slaughter wes throw all the parts of the toun, that ane mill might haif gane two daies ithandlie be stremis of blude. Now examine Graftons words by Bellenden, and Bellendens by Boetius (besides that, marke what Grafton annexeth to the report of this slaughter, who saith that he will not inforce the credit therof vpon any man, but counteth it a Scotish lie rather than a matter of truth) and then conclude according to equitie, that Grafton is altogither excusable and fautlesse, and Buchanans curious & furious challenge reproueable. But admit Grafton had fetcht his report from Boetius, as he had it from Bellenden; séemeth it a lie or an vnlikelihood, that the bloud gushing out of the bodies of 25000, or (as Hector Boetius saith) 7000, would not increase to a streame sufficient & able to driue a mill or two about, without any water intermingled therwithall. The Latine copie hath Riui sanguinis, riuers of bloud, noting by the word the abundance and also the streaming course of the same, which was able with the violent current thereof to beare awaie the verie bodies of the slaine. To conclude this matter, & to set our Englishman by the truth, and let the Scot go with his lieng toong, which I would he had had the modestie to haue tempered, & to haue proffered a practise of that which himselfe paraphrasticallie preacheth and teacheth others to obserue, saieng;
In paraph. super psal. 39.
(Linguæ obseraui claustra fræno, pertinax
Obmutui silentio,
Ac temerè ne quid os mali profunderet,
Verbis bonis clausi exitum.)
K. Edward fortifieth Berwike.
A scotish frier sent to king Edward.