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 coeperint. 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; [Sidenote: _In paraph. super psal. 39._] (Linguæ obseraui claustra fræno, pertinax Obmutui silentio, Ac temerè ne quid os mali profunderet, Verbis bonis clausi exitum.) [Sidenote: K. Edward fortifieth Berwike.] [Sidenote: A scotish frier sent to king Edward.] [Sidenote: The Scotish king renounceth his homage and fealtie vnto the king of England.]