aist solempnitie
and reverence, comperit afore him mony young and insolent baronis of
Scotland, richt desirus to haif sum plesur and solace, be chace of
hundis in the said forest. At this time wes with the king ane man of
singulare and devoit life, namit Alkwine, channon eftir the ordour of
Sanct Augustine, quhilk well lang time confessoure, afore, to King David
in Ingland, the time that he wes Erle of Huntingtoun and Northumbirland.
This religious man dissuadit the king, be mony reasonis, to pas to this
huntis; and allegit the day wes so solempne, be reverence of the haly
croce, that he suld gif him erar, for that day, to contemplation, than
ony othir exersition. Nochtheles, his dissuasion is litill avalit; for
the king wes finallie so provokit, be inoportune solicitatioun of his
baronis, that he past, nochtwithstanding the solempnite of this day, to
his hountis. At last, quhen he wes cumin throw the vail that lyis to the
gret eist fra the said castell, quhare now lyis the Canongait, the staik
past throw the wod with sic noyis and din of rachis and bugillis, that
all the bestis were rasit fra thair dennis. Now wes the king cumin to
the fute of the crag, and all his nobilis severit, heir and thair, fra
him, at thair game and solace; quhen suddenlie apperit to his sicht the
fairist hart that evir wes sene afore with levand creature. The noyis
and din of this hart rinnand, as apperit, with awful and braid tindis,
maid the kingis hors so effrayit, that na renzeis micht hald him, bot
ran, perforce, ouir mire and mossis, away with the king. Nochtheles, the
hart followit so fast, that he dang baith the king and his hors to the
ground. Than the king kest abak his handis betwix the tindis of this
hart, to haif savit him fra the strak thairof; and the haly croce slaid,
incontinent, in his handis. The hart fled away with gret violence, and
evanist in the same place quhare now springis the Rude Well. The pepil
richt affrayitly, returnit to him out of all partis of the wod, to
comfort him efter his trubill; and fell on kneis, devotly adoring the
haly croce; for it was not cumin but sum hevinly providence, as weill
apperis; for thair is na man can schaw of quhat mater it is of, metal
or tre. Sone eftir, the king returnit to his castell; and in the nicht
following, he was admonist, be ane vision in his sleip, to big ane abbay
of channonis regular in the same place quhare he gat the croce. Als sone
as he was awalkinnit, he schew his vis