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You can read this book here in pdf - Electric Scotland

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366 SCOTTISH ANNALS<br />

and for the honour of the k<strong>in</strong>g of England, and by his command,<br />

to wit to be allied to him by mediation of a matrimonial<br />

alliance, and not to reply to him about so difficult a question.<br />

For he had not held full deliberation or suitable counsel<br />

concern<strong>in</strong>g <strong>this</strong> with his chief men, as so difficult a matter<br />

demanded.<br />

And when the lord k<strong>in</strong>g heard <strong>this</strong> he refused to becloud<br />

with any commotion so placid a festival, or to distress a k<strong>in</strong>g<br />

so young, and his younger spouse, especially as he had come<br />

when summoned as with the greatest joy to wed his daughter ;<br />

but dissembled everyth<strong>in</strong>g, pass<strong>in</strong>g it over for the time <strong>in</strong><br />

silence.<br />

Concern<strong>in</strong>g the right of the earl marshal on <strong>this</strong> occasion.<br />

And <strong>in</strong> <strong>this</strong> novitiate and wedd<strong>in</strong>g the earl marshal l<br />

urgently demanded his right<br />

and ancestral custom to be<br />

granted him, namely the k<strong>in</strong>g of <strong>Scotland</strong>'s palfrey, which<br />

he claimed as by right should be given to him to be saddled ;<br />

not for a price or for greed, but for the ancient custom <strong>in</strong><br />

similar cases, lest it should be lost <strong>in</strong> his time through his<br />

remissness.<br />

And he was answered that the k<strong>in</strong>g of <strong>Scotland</strong> lay under<br />

no such exaction, because if it pleased him he could even<br />

receive arms from any catholic pr<strong>in</strong>ce or from any one of his<br />

nobles : but he chose to be presented with the belt of knighthood<br />

by the k<strong>in</strong>g of England rather than by any other, through<br />

reverence and honour for so great a pr<strong>in</strong>ce, his lord and<br />

neighbour, and so great a father-<strong>in</strong>-law.<br />

And thus by the lord k<strong>in</strong>g's commands all strife disappeared<br />

entirely from the feast.<br />

Of the nuptial banquet.<br />

So the k<strong>in</strong>gs and their magnates and households feasted<br />

pleasantly together, and passed the days of Christmastide<br />

with the greatest joy.<br />

And if I should expound more fully the abound<strong>in</strong>g diver-<br />

sity of the banquets, the variety of changed robes, the pleasure<br />

of the applauders of jesters, the great numbers of those at<br />

table together, the extravagant narrative would arouse derision<br />

<strong>in</strong> the ears and m<strong>in</strong>ds of those who were not t<strong>here</strong>.<br />

But that by apt comparison the rest may be understood<br />

from one th<strong>in</strong>g, <strong>in</strong> that banquet by the archbishop's gift<br />

more than sixty pasture cows supplied one first and universal<br />

course.<br />

They feasted all <strong>in</strong> turn now with <strong>this</strong>, now with the other<br />

1<br />

Roger Bigod ; cf. <strong>in</strong>fra, s.a. 1253.

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