The ninetéenth of March, died Alexander king of Scotland, by a fall which he caught as he ran a stirring horsse: he left no issue behind him, nor any certeine knowne heire to succéed him, by reason wherof insued great harme to that relme (as in the Scotish historie may more at large appeare.) The manner of whose death (as in Richard Southwell I find it reported) I haue thought good bréeflie to touch, for that in recitall thereof, he somewhat disagréeth from the Scotish historie. There went (saith he) a common speach through Scotland all this yeare, before the kings death, that on the same ninetéenth of March the daie of iudgement should be: wherevpon, as the said king sat at dinner in the castell of Edenburgh, hauing a dish of excellent good lampries before him, he sent part thereof to one of the lords that sat at some other table not far from him, and willed him by the gentleman that bare it, to be merrie, and haue in mind that this was the day of doome. The lord sent him thanks againe, and praied the messenger to tell the king merilie, that if this were the daie of doome, they should rise to iudgement spéedilie with their bellies filled with good meats and drinks. After they had dined, and the night began to draw on, he tooke his horsse, and onlie accompanied with thrée gentlemen, would néeds ride to Kingorne, where the quéene his new wife then laie, and before he could get vnto Innerkenin, it was darke night, so that he tooke there two guides to lead him the waie: but they had not ridden past two miles, but that the guides had quite lost the waie, so that they were driuen to giue their horsses libertie to beat it out themselues. Herewithall the king being seuered from his companie, how he ruled his horsse it is hard to saie, but downe he was throwne, and immediatlie died with the vehement fall which he thus caught, either headlong downe one of the cliffes or otherwise, and thus he came to his end, on a mondaie, being saint Cuthberts euen the ninetéenth of March (as before is noted) after he had reigned six & thirtie yeares and nine moneths, as the same Southwell saieth; who also (contrarie to that which Hector Boetius writeth) affirmeth, that the same daie was so tempestuous with wind, snow, haile and raine, that he and manie other that then liued and felt it, durst not vncouer their faces, in going abroad against the bitter northerne wind, that droue the snow and sléet most vehementlie vpon them. And although that such fowle weather might haue staied him from taking his iournie in that sort, yet he made no accompt thereof, as he that was accustomed to ride as well in fowle weather as faire, and spared neither for tempest, waters, nor craggie rocks, thicke nor thin; for all was one to him, oftentimes taking his iournie in disguised apparell, accompanied onlie with one seruant. But to returne vnto the dooings in England. [Sidenote: An. Reg. 14.] [Sidenote: _Fabian._] [Sidenote: Thomas Piwilesdon a citizen of London.]