A. D. 1316.

islands was completely adverse for doubling the Mull, or cape of Cantire; and he may have apprehended the possibility of succours arriving from England to Lorn, if the expedition were delayed in waiting for a favourable wind.

In the course of this successful expedition, John of Lorn was made prisoner. He was first committed to custody in Dumbarton castle; whence he was removed to the castle of Lochleven, where he died *. Walter Stewart, the son-in-law of Robert, is said to have accompanied him in this expedition†. Though not expressly mentioned, it is probable that the lordship of the isles was conferred upon him; as, during the reigns of his descendents to the present day, the heirs apparent to the Scots throne have always borne this lordship among their titles. Barbour adds, that Robert remained a considerable time in the western isles, occupied

"At hunting, gamyng, and at glé‡.

Barb. XV. 305-310.

† Id. ib. note, vol. iii. p. 14. addition from the printed

A. D. 1316.

About this time, the Princess Marjory, whom the king her father liad bestowed in marriage 2 March. on the High Stewart of Scotland, bore a son, Robert, who mounted the throne of Scotland fifty-five years afterwards, on the death of his uncle David. This joyful event, by which a male heir was promised to the Scots throne, was soon changed to mourning; as Marjory died almost immediately afterwards *.

Such is the simple relation of Fordun, without the mention of any circumstances relative to the birth of the young Stewart, or the death of the princess, to induce a supposition of any thing extraordinary in regard to either event. But tradition has contrived to embellish the story, with a complication of wonderful additional particulars, thus related by Crawford, in his History of Renfrewshire. "At this place, in the lands of Knox, there is a high cross standing, but no inscription is legible. Tradition hath handed down, that it was erected on this occasion. Marjory Bruce, daughter of the renowned Robert I. and wife of Walter, Great Stewart of Scotland, at that time Lord of Renfrewshire, while hunting at

A. D. 1316. 2 March.

this place, was thrown from her horse, suffered a dislocation of the vertebrae of her neck, and died on the spot. She being pregnant, fell in labour of King Robert II. The child or fætus was a Caesar. The operation being peformed by an unskilful hand, his eye was touched by the instrument, and could not be cured; from which he was called King Blearie. This, according to historians, fell out in the year 1317*."

On this extraordinary, absurd, and ill told traditionary story, in which even the date of the year is mistaken, Lord Hailes has given a formal dissertation. Though the subject be certainly of little importance, yet, as every thing from his pen, relative to the history of Scotland is interesting, it has been deemed proper to insert the substance in this place †.

"It is an opinion generally received, that Marjory the daughter of Robert I. while big with child, was thrown from her horse, and killed, between Paisley and the castle of Renfrew, on Shrove Tuesday, 2d March 1315-6; and that her child was brought into the world by the Caesarean operation." After reciting the particulars of the traditionary story from

Crawford, he thus proceeds: "I cannot discover the origin of this story. Fordun*, the author of the Excerpta e Chronicis Scotiaet, and John Major ‡, relate the birth of Robert Stewart, afterwards king of Scotland by the name of Robert II. but they mention nothing of any extraordinary circumstances attending his birth. Barbour, who wrote in the reign of Robert II. and Winton, who wrote soon after the death of Robert III. are silent as to the events related by Crawford, and so also are Bellenden, Lesley, and Bucha

nan."

"Boece not only omits any mention of this story, but speaks in a strain inconsistent with it. His words are "Mortua, eisdem tempori" bus Marjora, Roberti filia, relicto filio, adhuc

puero, Roberto Stewart §." Nearly about the same time died Marjory, the daughter of Robert, leaving a son, Robert Stewart, yet a child. If Boece had imagined that Marjory lost her life in this manner, he never would have said that she died leaving a son yet a child."

A. D. 1316. 2 March,

D2

A. D. 1316. 2 March.

"It is said, in confirmation of the vulgar tradition, that, by the unskilfulness of the surgeon who performed the Caesarean operation, the infant received a wound in the eye, and that hence Robert II. was stiled Blear-eye. That Robert II. when advanced in years, had a remarkable inflammation in one of his eyes, is certain. Froissart, who visited his court, speaks thus: "King Robert of Scotland had one eye turned up, or tucked up, and red, resembling sanders wood *." The words of Froissart are corrupted, but their sense is sufficiently intelligible. In those times, rouge come sendal, red like sanders wood, was a common phrase for exceedingly red. But surely this affords no presumption that Robert II. received a wound in his eye when he was entering the world, or that the inflammation was occasioned by that accident. A man bred up in war as he was, might have had his eye hurt without the unskilfulness of a surgeon."

"The chief argument in favour of the popular tradition, arises from the circumstance of a cross, or pillar, having been erected on the spot where the Princess Marjory is supFosed to have died. That pillar has been re

Froiss. II. 169.