Manuscript: Faustina B. IX

orationes procurare dignemini, ut presentes angustias cum futuris omnibus
incommodis in omni mansuetudine ⁊ pacientia tolleremus. Speramus quidem
quod tota presens aduersitas nobis in prosperitatem commutabitur, et quicquid pati
mur amaritudinis in dulcedinem conuertetur. Vos igitur quem
dominus de tanta procellarum uoragine sicut uidetur eripuit sollicitudi
nem geratis ⁊ diligenciam qualiter ordinis obseruetur integri
tas. Dompnus legatus Anglie ⁊ archiepiscopus Rothomagensis qui primo re
manserunt aput Pisam nunc de nouo ad alios prelatos sunt trans
lati de precepto imperatoris. Bisuntinus archiepiscopus submersus est in mari.
Abbas Fiscanensis qui erat in galea cum domino Bisuntino captus est uiuus.
Et omnes prelati Hispanie euaserunt. Ita quod dominus imperator non habet in car
cere suo exceptis tribus legatis nisi tres archiepiscopos ⁊ sex episcopos. De
abbatibus uero ⁊ procuratoribus ad presens non loquimur. ¶Walenses qui ⁊ reli
quie Britonum qui a diebus Bruti qui primus eorum princeps erat principem super se de gen
te sua habuerunt, sub quo ⁊ per quem suas causas terminabant, modo coguntur
usque Londonias properare ibique ad arbitrium Anglorum eas determinare. Vnde
constat quod secundum propheciam Merlini rubeus draco id est Britones languet
in extremitate stagni scilicet insule oppressus ab albo dracone per quem
Angli designantur. Obiit Cristiana Corbet uxor Guilelmi filii comitis,
et in capitulo de Melros sepelitur. Obiit Gregorius papa xio kalendas Septembris
Cui successit Celestinus circa festum Omnium Sanctorum qui sedit per quindecim dies, ⁊ sic diem
clausit extremum. Post cuius obitum papalis sedes remansit uacua
pace ecclesia turbata.

Eodem anno natus est primogenitus domini Alexandri regis Sco
cie apud Rokesburch in die1 translationis Sancti Cuthberti pridie2 nonas
Septembris feria iiiia Dictusque est Alexander. Natus est autem anno etatis
patris sui xliiiio incipiente, ⁊ regni sui xxviio pene finito. Iohannes
de Macheswel apud Melros sepelitur. Episcopus Willelmus Ergadiensis in mare sub
mergitur.

Anno domini moccoxliio Obiit magister Petrus de Alinton’ archidiaconus
de Teuidal, ⁊ magister Reginaldus de Irewin ei successit. Obiit magister
Rogerus cognomento Niger episcopus Londonie. Obiit dompnus Hugo

Notes

1 JRD: Written over an erasure.
2 JRD: Written over an erasure.
prayers made for us, so that we might bear our present anguishes, as well as all future troubles, in all meekness and patience. We indeed hope that all our present adversity will be changed for us into good-fortune, and that whatever bitterness we may suffer will be turned into sweetness. You therefore, whom the Lord has snatched from so great an abyss of storms (as it seems), should be careful and diligent how the integrity of the order should be observed. My lord the legate of England and the archbishop of Rouen who at first were left at Pisa have recently been transferred, at the emperor’s instruction, to be with the other prelates. The archbishop of Besançon was drowned in the sea. The abbot of Fécamp, who was in a galley with my lord of Besançon, was captured alive. All the prelates of Spain escaped. So that the lord emperor does not hold [anyone] in his prison, except the three legates, and only the archbishops and six bishops. Of abbots and provosts, at present we do not speak. ¶The Welsh, who are also the remnant of the Britons, who have had a prince of their own race set over them since the days of Brutus (who was their first prince), under whom and by whom they would decide their own causes, are now constrained to make haste to London and there determine those causes at the judgement of the English. For this reason it is certain that according to the prophecy of Merlin, ‘the Red Dragon’ (that is, the Britons), ‘languishes at the end of the pool’ (that is, of the island), ‘suffering oppression by the White Dragon’ (by which the English are indicated). Christiana Corbet, the wife of William fitz Count, died, and is buried in the chapter-house at Melrose. Pope Gregory died on 22 August. Celestine succeeded him around the feast of All Saints. He sat for 15 days, and so ended his last day. After his death, the peace of the Church being disturbed, the pope’s seat remained empty.

In the same year, the first-born son of the lord Alexander, king of Scotland, was born at Roxburgh, on the day of the Translation of St Cuthbert, on 4 September, being a Wednesday. And he was called Alexander. And he was born at the beginning of the 44th year of his father’s age, and nearly the end of the 27th of his reign. John of Maxwell is buried at Melrose. Bishop William of Argyll is drowned in the sea.

In the 1242nd year of the Lord, Master Peter of Alington, the archdeacon of Tweeddale, died; and Master Reginald of Irvine succeeded him. Master Roger, surnamed Niger, the bishop of London, died. Dom Hugh

Notes