The king aduancing forwards with his armie, came to the borders, and
entring into Scotland, passed thorough Mers and Louthian, wasting and
spoiling all the townes, houses and villages in his waie. The abbeies
of Melros, Driburgh, and Newbottell were burnt, and those moonks and
other people that were found in the same were slaine. At his comming
to Edenburgh, he found all the people fled out of the towne, but the
houses and buildings he consumed with fire, togither with the church
of saint Giles. At the humble sute of his vncle the duke of Lancaster,
Holie rood house was preserued from hurt, for that the same duke in
time of the rebellion of the commons here in England, was lodged in
that house, and found much gentlenesse and fréendship in the abbat
and conuent; so that he could doo no lesse than requite them with
kindnesse, at whose hands he found kindnesse; for we are bound in
conscience to tender them by whome we haue béene benefited (vnlesse we
will be counted vnciuill, according to the old adage)
Arbor honoretur cuius nos vmbra tuetur.
[Sidenote: The French admerall persuadeth the Scots to fight with the
English host.