long interval of peace gave so much security to Mogallus that he degenerated into a tyrant, and was murdered by his nobles. The only instance of his tyranny which is recorded, however, is a law by which it was enacted that the estates of such as were condemned should be forfeited to his exchequer, without any part thereof being allotted to their wives and children; an act which subsists almost in its full force to this day in Great Britain and the best regulated European governments. Mogallus was succeeded by his son Conarus, A. D. 149, who, following his father's bad example, was deposed and died in jail, A. D. 163. His cousin Ethod, or Ethodius I., succeeded him, who proved a good monarch, and was successful in several battles against the Romans, under Victorinus, Trebellus, and Pertinax; yet was treacherously murdered by a harper, in his thirty-third year, A. D. 195. The harper was tortured to death. Satrael, Ethod's brother, succeeded him, but becoming tyrannical he was killed by a courtier, in his fourth year, A. D. 199; and was succeeded by his brother Donald I. In the reign of Antoninus Pius the proprætor Lollius Urbius drove the Scots far to the northward, and repaired the chain of forts built by Agricola, which lay between the Carron on the Frith of Forth and Dunglass on the Clyde. These were joined together by turf walls, and formed a much better defence than the wall of Adrian. However, after Antoninus's death, Commodus having recalled Calpurnius Agricola, an able commander, who kept the Scots in awe, a more dangerous war broke out than had ever been experienced by the Romans in that quarter. The Scots, having passed the wall, put all the Romans they could meet with to the sword: but they were soon repulsed by Ulpius Marcellus, a general of consummate abilities, whom Commodus sent into the islands. In a short time the tyrant also recalled this able commander. After his departure, the Roman discipline in Britain suffered a total relaxation; the soldiery grew mutinous, and great disorders ensued but these were all happily removed by the arrival of Clodius Albinus, a person of great skill and experience in military affairs. His presence for some time restrained the Scots within proper bounds: but, a civil war breaking out between him and Severus, Albinus crossed over to the continent with the greatest part of the Roman forces in Britain; and, meeting his antagonist at Lyons, a dreadful battle ensued, in which Albinus was defeated, and his army cut in pieces. See ROME. The absence of the Roman forces gave encouragement to the Scots to renew their depredations, which they did with such success that this emperor became apprehensive of losing the whole island; on which he determined to go in person and quell these troublesome enemies. The army he now collected was far more numerous than any the Romans had ever sent into Britain; and, being commanded by such an able general as Severus, the Scots must have been very hard pressed. The particulars of this important expedition are very imperfectly related; however, we are assured that Severus lost a vast number of men, it is said not less than 50,000, in his march through Scot

land. Yet he penetrated to the most northern extremity of the island, and obliged the enemy to yield up their arms. On his return, he built a much stronger fortification to secure the frontiers against the enemy than had ever been done before, and which, in some places, coincided with Adrian's wall, but extended farther at each end. But, in the mean time, the Scots provoked by the brutality of the emperor's son Caracalla, whom he had left regent in his absence, again took arms: on which Severus himself took the field, with a design to extirpate the whole nation; for he gave orders to his soldiers not to spare even the child in the mother's belly.' But his death, which happened soon after, put a stop to the execution of his revenge; and his son Caracalla ratified the peace with the Scots. During all these important transactions Scotland was governed by Donald I., who was the first Christian king of this country. He also first coined gold and silver, and died in his 18th year, A. D. 216.

Donald was succeeded by Ethodius II., the son of Ethodius I., who, acting tyrannically, was killed by his guards, A. D. 231. His son Athirco succeeded, and, pursuing similar measures, was deserted by his nobles, and killed himself in his twelfth year, A. D. 242. His successor Nathalocus, behaving also tyrannically, was killed by his nobles in his eleventh year, A. D. 253. He was succeeded by Findocus, the son of Athirco, who proved a good monarch, but was killed at a hunting, by the instigation of his brother Carausius, in his eleventh year, A. D. 264. His other brother Donald II. succeeded, but reigned only one year, being killed in battle by Donald III., lord of the Isles, who usurped the throne, and reigned twelve years, but was killed by Crathilinthus, the son of Findocus, A. D. 277, who proved a good monarch. Mean time his uncle Carausius had acquired great fame by his repeated victories over the Romans, and was elected king of the Britons. See CARAUSIUS and ENGLAND. Crathilinthus died in his twentyfourth year, A. D. 301, and was succeeded by his cousin Fincormachus, a brave and pious prince, who assisted Octavius, king of the Britons, in a successful battle against the Romans, wherein 16,000 Romans were slain, and 15,000 Britons; for which service Westmoreland and Cumberland were ceded to Scotland. He died in his forty-seventh year, A. D. 348, and was succeeded by Romachus nephew of Crathilinthus, who, for his cruelty, was beheaded by the nobles, A. D. 351. Angusian, another nephew, succeeded, and proved a good prince, but was killed in battle, A. D. 354; and succeeded by Fincormachus, a third nephew of Crathilinthus, who reigned well and conquered the Picts, but was treacherously murdered, A. D. 357, by two Picts, who were tortured to death. He was succeeded by his son, Eugene I., under whom the Roman and Pictish forces were united against the Scots. The Picts were commanded by their king, named Hungus, and the Romans by Maximus, who murdered Valentinian III., and afterwards assumed the empire. The allies defeated Eugene in the county of Galloway; but, Maximus being obliged to return southward on account of an insurrection, the Picts were in their

turn defeated by the Scots. Next year, however, Maximus marched against the Scots; who, being now reduced to extremity, brought into the field not only all the men capable of bearing arms, but the women also. In this engagement the Picts would have been utterly defeated, had they not been supported by the Romans; but Eugene being killed, with the greatest part of his nobility, the Scots were defeated; and so well did the conquerors improve their victory, that their antagonists were at last totally driven out of the country. Some of them took refuge in the Æbudæ Islands, and some in Scandinavia, but most of them fled to Ireland, whence they made frequent descents upon Scotland.

The Picts were at first highly pleased with the victory they had gained over their antagonists; but being commanded to adopt the laws of the Romans, and to choose no king who was not sent them from Rome, they began to repent of their having contributed to the expulsion of the Scots; and in the year 404, when Aistulphus king of the Goths sent over a body of exiled Scots to Britain, under Fergus, the son of Erthus, and grandson of Ethodius, brother of Eugene I., the Picts immediately joined them against the common enemy. The consequence was, that the Britons were pushed to the last extremity; and the Romans being obliged, by the inundation of northern barbarians who poured in upon them, to recal their forces from Britain, the inhabitants were reduced to a most miserable situation. In the time of Fergus II. they were obliged to give up all the country which lies north of Adrian's wall. Fergus II. is celebrated as not only a brave but a pious prince: but, though often successful against the Romans, he was at last killed in battle by them, in his sixteenth year, A. D. 420. His son Eugene II. succeeded him, and imitated his virtues. He obtained several victories over the Romans and their British allies. In his reign Graham, the founder of the family of that name, who was of the blood royal, and whose daughter was married to Fergus II., performed many brave exploits, and destroyed part of Antoninus's Wall, thence called Graham's Dike. In the seventh year of Eugene the Romaus were expelled out of Scotland, after a bloody battle; and soon after left the island. Eugene died in his thirty-first year, A. D. 451, and was succeeded by Dongard his brother. It was in Eugene's reign that the Britons were reduced so low, that they were obliged to write that remarkable letter to Rome entitled the groans of the Britous.' This, however, not being attended with success, the Britons were obliged to call in the Saxons to their assistance. By these new allies the Scots were defeated in a great battle, and their king Dongard drowned in the Humber, A. D. 457, which put a stop for some time to these incursions. Hitherto we have seen the Scots very formidable enemies to the southern Britons. But, when the Saxons became the enemies of the Britons, the Scots joined in a strict alliance with the latter; neither does it appear that this league was ever dissolved, though the united efforts of the Scots and Britons were not sufficient to preserve the independency of the latter.

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II. HISTORY OF SCOTLAND TO THE REIGN OF KENNETH II.-A series of nonarchs followed, of whom little is recorded. Dongard was succeeded by his brother Constantine I., who, becoming tyrannical, was killed by one of his nobles, whose daughter he had ravished: A. D. 479, in his twenty-second year. Congal I. the son of Dongard succeeded him, who conquered the Britons in a bloody battle, wherein 20,000 Britons, with Guythel prince of Wales, were slain. He had afterwards some other battles with the Britons and Saxons, wherein little was gained by either party. He died in his twentysecond year, A. D. 501, and was succeeded by his brother Conranus, who also carried on a war against the Saxons, and, along with the Picts, assisted first king Ambrosius, and afterwards the celebrated king Arthur against them with considerable success. This excellent monarch, however, after all his victories, was murdered by traitors in his own chamber, A. D. 335, in his thirty-fourth year. Conranus was succeeded by Eugene III., whose reign was uncommonly peaceable. He died in his twenty-third year, A. D. 558, and was succeeded by his brother Congal II., who was a pious prince, and died in his eleventh year, A. D. 569. His brother Kinnatel succeeded, and reigned well the short time he lived, which was only one year. was succeeded by Aidanus, the son of Conranus, who joined the Britons against the Saxons. He died in the thirty-fifth year of his age, A. D. 605; and was succeeded by Kenneth I., the son of Congal II., who only reigned one year, and was succeeded by Eugene IV., the son of Aidanus, in 606. He reigned in peace, instituted good laws, and died in his fifteenth year, A. D. 621. He was succeeded by his son Ferquhard I., who, being a vicious tyrant, was deposed by his nobles, and put in prison, where he killed himself, in his eleventh year, A. D. 632. His son Donald IV. succeeded him, and proved a pious and peaceable monarch, but was unfortunately drowned in Loch Ta, while fishing, in his fourteenth year, A. D. 646. He was succeeded by his brother Ferquhard II., who was infamous for his avarice; and died in his eighteenth year, A. D. 664, by the bite of a wolf. Malduinus, the son of Donald IV., succeeded, and was esteemed a pious and just sovereign; but his queen, becoming jealous of him, strangled him in bed, in the twentieth year of his reign, A. D. 684; for which she and her accomplices in the murder were burnt. Eugene V., Malduin's brother, succeeded him, and proved a valiant monarch. He obtained a great victory over Edfred, king of Northumberland, who was killed with 10,000 Saxons, and their ally Bredius king of the Picts fled. Eugene died in his fourth year, A. D. 688. Eugene VI., the son of Ferquhard II., succeeded him, and maintained the character of a religious and peaceable monarch. He only reigned nine years, dying in 697. Amberkeleth, the son of Aidan, succeeded, but was killed in battle by an arrow, in his second year. He was succeeded by his brother Eugene VII., who made peace with Garnard, king of the Picts, who married his daughter Spontana; but she was murdered the year following, in bed, by

two assassins, who had intended to kill her husband. Eugene endowed several churches, and died in his sixteenth year, A. D. 715. Murdach, the son of Amberkeleth, succeeded, and cultivated peace so successfully that he got all differences settled during his reign, among the Britons, Scots, Picts, and Saxons. He also built Whithorn. The venerable Bede flourished in his time. See BEDA. Murdach died in his sixteenth year, and was succeeded by Etsinus, or Ethwin, the son of Eugene VII. A. D. 730, who had a peaceable and prosperous reign of thirtyone years. Eugene VIII., the son of Murdach, succeeded him, A. D. 761, and began his reign with an act of justice, by executing Donald lord of the Isles, and the earl of Galloway, for their crimes; but soon after degenerated so greatly himself, that his nobles conspired against and killed him, in the third year of his reign. Fergus III., the son of Etsinus, succeeded Eugene in 764, and married Ethiolia, daughter of the king of the Picts; but, in the third year of his reign, neglecting her for other women, she murdered him; and his servants being taken up on suspicion, she came into the court, confessed the murder, and stabbed herself. Fergus III. was succeeded by Solvathius, the son of Eugene VIII. in 767; who married a daughter of the king of the Britons, and preserved his kingdom in peace and prosperity for twenty years, when he died of the gout. He was succeeded by the celebrated Achaius, the son of Ethwin, in 787; who, after quelling some insurrections in Scotland and Ireland, entered into a treaty of perpetual amity with Charles the Great, king of France, and emperor of Germany, which treaty continued to be observed inviolably between the two nations, till the accession of James VI. to the throne of England. Achaius strengthened this alliance still farther, by marrying a daughter of Charlemagne, and by sending his brother William, with several noblemen, and 4000 troops, to assist Charles in his various wars, wherein they acquired great honor, upon which our ancient historians expatiate very largely; and inform us that, along with these troops, Achaius sent two learned clerks, John and Clement, who gave the Parisians their first taste for learning, and laid the foundation of the University of Paris; and they add that John was afterwards sent to Pavia, to establish learning in Italy.

After this Achaius reigned in peace, and died of age, in the thirty-second year of his reign; leaving one son, named Alpinus, by his second queen Fergusia, sister of Hungus, king of the Picts; which connexion afterwards proved the foundation of the Scottish king's claim upon the Pictish crown. Meantime Congal II., nephew of Achaius, succeeded him, according to the Scottish rule, A. D. 819. He died in the fifth year of his short but peaceful reign; and was succeeded by Dongal, the son of Solvathius, in 824. Meantime a horrible scene of murder and incest was acted in the royal family of the Picts. Dorstologus, their king, was murdered by his brother Eganus, who married his brother's widow Brenna, who soon after murdered him in his bed to avenge the death of her first husband. The

murder of these two princes gave rise to the next remarkable event in the history of Scotland, viz. the war with the Picts. The occasion of the quarrel was, that Dongal king of Scotland claimed, in the name of prince Alpinus, by a former embassy, a right to the Pictish throne; which, however, was rejected by the Picts: upon which both parties had recourse to arms; but, when every thing was ready for the campaign, Dongal was drowned in crossing the river Spey, in the seventh year of his reign, A. D. 731. At this time the dominions of the Scots comprehended the western islands, together with the counties of Argyle, Knapdale, Kyle, Kintyre, Lochaber, and a part of Breadalbane; while the Picts possessed all the rest of Scotland, and part of Northumberland; so that the Picts seem to have been by much the most powerful people of the two. However the Scots appear to have been superior in military skill; for Alpin, the successor of Dongal, having engaged the Pictish army near Forfar, after an obstinate engagement defeated them, and killed their king, though not without the loss of a great number of his own men. The Picts chose Brudus, the son of their former king, to succeed him; but soon after deposed and put him to death on account of his stupidity and indolence. His brother Kenneth shared the same fate on account of his cowardice; till at last another Brudus, a brave and spirited prince, ascended the throne. Having raised a powerful army, he began with offering terms of peace to the Scots; which, however, Alpin rejected, and insisted upon a total surrender of his crown. Brudus on this endeavoured to procure the assistance of Edwin king of Northumberland. Edwin accepted the money; but, pretending to be engaged in other wars, he refused the assistance which he had promised. Brudus, not dismayed by this disappointment, marched resolutely against his enemies; and the two armies came to an engagement near Dundee. The superior skill of the Scots in military affairs was about to have decided the victory in their favor, when Brudus used the following stratagem to preserve his army from destruction :-He caused all his attendants, and even the women who attended his army, to assemble and show themselves at a distance, as a powerful reinforcement coming to the Picts. This struck the Scots with such a panic that all the efforts of Alpin could not recover them; and they were accordingly defeated with great slaughter. Alpin himself was taken prisoner, and soon after beheaded by order of the conqueror. This execution happened at a place now called Pit-alpy, but in former times Bas-Alpin, which in the Gaelic language signifies the death of Alpin; or, as Monipenny has it, Pas-Alpin, i. e. the head of Alpin. His head was afterwards stuck upon a pole, and exposed on a wall.

Alpin was succeeded by his son Kenneth II., A. D. 834, who, being a brave and enterprising prince, resolved to take a most severe revenge for his father's death. The Scots, however, were so dispirited by their late defeat that they were exceedingly averse to any renewal of the war; while, on the other hand, the Picts were so much elated, that they made a law, by which

it became death for any man to propose peace with the Scots, whom they resolved to exterminate; and some of the nobility were expelled the council on account of their opposition to this law. The consequence was that civil dissensions took place among them, and a bloody battle was fought between the opposite parties before the Scots had thought of making any farther resistance. By these distractions Brudus, who had in vain endeavoured to appease them, was so much affected that he died of grief, and was succeeded by his brother Drusken. The new prince also failed in his endeavours to accommodate the civil differences; so that the Scots, by gaining so much respite, at last began to recover their courage; and some of them, having ventured into the Pictish territories, carried off Alpin's head from Abernethy, the capital of their dominious. In the mean time Kenneth gained over the nobility to his side by the following stratagem; which, however ridiculous, is not incredible, if we consider the superstition of that age. Having invited them to an entertainment, the king introduced into the hall where they slept a person clothed in a robe made of the skins of fishes, which made such a luminons appearance in the dark that he was mistaken for an angel or some supernatural messenger. To add to their terror he denounced, through a speakingtrumpet, the most terrible judgments if war was not immediately declared against the Picts, the murderers of the late king. In consequence of this celestial admonition war was immediately renewed with great vigor. The Picts were not deficient in their preparations, and had now procured some assistance from England. The first battle was fought near Stirling; where the Picts, being deserted by their English auxiliaries, were utterly defeated. Drusken escaped by the swiftness of his horse, and a few days after made application to Kenneth for a cessation of hostilities; but, as the Scottish monarch demanded a surrender of all the Pictish dominions, the treaty was instantly broken off. Kenneth pursued his good fortune, and conquered the counties of Mearns, Angus, and Fife; but, as he marched against Stirling, he received intelligence that these counties had again revolted, and cut off all the garrisons which he had left, and that Drusken was at the head of a considerable army in these parts. On this Kenneth hastened to oppose him, and a negociation again took place. The result was still unfavorable. Kenneth insisted on an absolute surrender of the counties of Fife, Mearns, and Angus; which being refused, both parties prepared for a decisive battle. The engagement was very bloody and desperate, the Picts fighting like men in despair. Drusken renewed the battle seven times, but at last was entirely defeated and killed, and the counties in dispute became the immediate property of the conqueror. Kenneth did not fail to improve his victory by reducing the rest of the Pictish territories; which he is said to have done with the greatest cruelty, and even to have totally exterminated the inhabitants. The capital, called Camelon (supposed to have been Abernethy), held out four months; but was at last taken by surprise, and every living creature destroyed.

This was followed by the reduction of the Maiden Castle, now that of Edinburgh; which was abandoned by the garrison, who fled to Northumberland. After the reduction of these important places the rest of the country made no great resistance, and Kenneth became master of the whole kingdom of Scotland in the present extent of the word.

III. HISTORY OF SCOTLAND FROM THE CONQUEST OF THE PICTS UNTIL THE DEATH OF ALEXANDER III.-Besides this war with the Picts, Kenneth is said to have been successful against the Saxons, though of these wars we have very little account. Having reigned ten years in peace after his subjugation of the Picts, and composed a code of laws for the good of his people, Kenneth died of a fistula, at Fort Teviot, near Duplin, in Perthshire, A. D. 854. Before his time the seat of the Scottish government had been in Argyleshire; but he removed it to Scone, by transferring thither the famous black stone, supposed to be the palladium of Scotland, and which was afterwards carried off by Edward I. of England, and lodged in Westminster Abbey. Kenneth II., surnamed the Great by some historians, was succeeded by his brother Donald V., who is represented as a man of the worst character; so that the remaining Picts, who had fled out of Scotland were encouraged to apply to the Saxons for assistance, promising to make Scotland tributary to the Saxon power after it should be conquered. This proposal was accepted, and the confederates invaded Scotland with a powerful army, and took the town of Berwick; however, they were soon after defeated by Donald, who took also their ships and provisions. This capture proved their ruin; for, some of the ships being loaded with wine, the Scots indulged themselves so much with that liquor that they became incapable of defending themselves; the consequence of this was that the confederates, rallying their troops, attacked them in that state of intoxication. The Scots were defeated with excessive slaughter; 20,000 of them lay dead on the spot, the king and his principal nobility were taken prisoners, and all the country from the Tweed to the Forth became the property of the conquerors. Still, however, the conquerors were unable to pursue their victory farther, and a peace was concluded, on condition that the Saxons should be masters of all the conquered country. Thus the Forth and Clyde became the southern boundaries of the Scottish dominions. It was agreed that the Forth should from that time forward be called the Scots Sea; and it was made capital for any Scotchman to set his foot on English ground. They were to erect no forts near the English confines, to pay an annual tribute of £1000, and to give up sixty of the sons of their chief nobility as hostages. A mint was erected by the Saxon prince named Osbreth, at Stirling; and a cross raised on the bridge of that place, with the following inscription, implying that this place was the boundary between Scotland and England:

Arma hic stant Bruti stant Scoti sub hac cruce tuti. Anglos a Scotis separat crux ista remotis :

After the conclusion of this treaty, so humiliating

to the Scots, the Picts, finding that their interest had been entirely neglected, fled to Norway, while those who remained in England were massacred. Donald shared the common fate of unfortunate princes, being dethroned and shut up in prison, where he killed himself, in 858. But the character of Donald, and the whole account of these transactions, rests on the credit of a single author, namely Boece; for other writers represent Donald as a hero, and successful in his wars; but the obscurity in which the whole of this period of Scottish history is involved renders it impossible to determine these matters. Donald V. was succeeded by his nephew Constantine II., the son of Kenneth II., in whose reign Scotland was first invaded by the Danes, who proved such formidable enemies to the English. This invasion was occasioned by some exiled Picts who fled to Denmark, where they prevailed upon the king of that country to send his two brothers, Hunger and Hubba, to recover the Pictish dominions from Constantine. These princes landed on the coast of Fife, where they committed the most horrid barbarities, not sparing even the ecclesiastics who had taken refuge in the island of May at the mouth of the Forth. Constantine defeated one of the Danish armies commanded by Hubba, near the water of Leven; but was himself defeated and taken prisoner by Hungar, who caused him to be beheaded at a place since called the Devil's Cave, in 874. This unfortunate action cost the Scots 10,000 men; but the Danes seem not to have purchased their victory very easily, as they were obliged immediately afterwards to abandon their conquests, and retire to their own country. How ever the Danish monuments that are still to be seen in Fife leave no room to doubt that many bloody scenes had been acted here between the Scots and Danes besides that above mentioned. Constantine II. was succeeded by his brother Eth, or his son, as Monipenny styles him, surnamed the Swift-footed, from his agility. Being devoted to luxury, his nobles took him and put him in prison, where he died the third day after of melancholy, in the second year of his reign, A. D. 876. He was succeeded by Gregory the son of Dongal, contemporary with Alfred of England, and both princes deservedly acquired the surname of Great. The Danes at their departure had left the Picts in possession of Fife. Against them Gregory immediately marched, and quickly drove them into the north of England, where their confederates were already masters of Northumberland and York. In their way thither they threw a garrison into the town of Berwick; but this was presently reduced by Gregory, who put to the sword all the Danes, but spared the lives of the Picts. From Berwick Gregory pursued the Danes into Northumberland, where he defeated them, and passed the winter in Berwick. He then marched against the Cumbrians, who, being mostly Picts, were in alliance with the Danes. Them he easily overcame, and obliged to yield up all the lands they had formerly possessed belonging to the Scots, at the same time that he agreed to protect them from the Danes. In a short time, however, Constantine the king of the Cumbrians violated the

convention he had made, and invaded Annandale; but was defeated and killed by Gregory near Lochmaben. After this victory Gregory reduced the counties of Cumberland and Westmoreland, which, it is said, were ceded to him by Alfred the Great; and indeed the situation of Alfred's affairs at this time renders such a cession probable. Gregory next engaged in a war with the Irish, to support Donach, an Irish prince, against two rebellious noblemen. The Irish were the first aggressors, and invaded Galloway; but, being repulsed with great loss, Gregory went over to Ireland in person, where the two chieftains, who had been enemies to each other before, now joined their forces to oppose the common enemy. The first engagement proved fatal to one of their chiefs named Brian, who was killed with a great number of his followers. After this victory Gregory reduced Dundalk and Drogheda. On his way to Dublin he was opposed by a chieftain named Corneil, who shared the fate of his confederate, being also killed, and his army entirely defeated. Gregory then became guardian to the young prince whom he came to assist, appointed a regency, and obliged them to swear that they would never admit into the country either a Dane or an Englishman without his consent. Having then placed garrisons in the strongest fortresses, he returned to Scotland, where he built the city of Aberdeen; and died in 894, at his castle of Dundore in the Garioch, in the eighteenth year of his reign.

Gregory was succeeded by Donald VI. the son of Constantine II., who imitated the virtues of his predecessor. The Scottish historians unanimously agree that Northumberland was at that time in the hands of their countrymen ; while the English as unanimously affirm that it was subject to the Danes, who paid homage to Alfred. Be this as it will, however, Donald continued to live on good terms with the English monarch, and sent him a body of forces, who proved of considerable advantage to him in his wars with the Danes. The clans of the Murrays and Rosses having invaded each other, and commenced a bloody civil war, Donald came upon them with a great army, and punished the ringleaders in 903. He died at Forres in 905. He was succeeded by Constantine III., the son of Eth, who married a daughter of the prince of Wales; he also entered into an alliance with the Danes against the English. The reason of this confederacy was that the English monarch, Edward the Elder, finding the Scots in possession of the northern counties of England, made such extravagant demands upon Constantine obliged him to ally with the Danes to preserve his dominions in security. However, the league subsisted only for two years, after which the Danes found it more for their advantage to resume their ancient friendship with the English. Constantine afterwards appointed the presumptive heir to the Scottish crown, Malcolm, or according to some Eugene, the son of the late king Donald VI., prince of the southern counties, on condition of his defending them against the attacks of the English. The young prince had soon an opportunity of exerting his valor: but, not behaving with the requisite caution, he

as