Skene (ed.), Chronicles of the Picts, Chronicles of the Scots (1867) — Latin text, unedited OCR

recto.

XVIII.

¹ Fol. 31. Andrew, which is interpreted according to the Hebrew etymology “beautiful” or “answering” — in the Greek tongue, “manly,” from “man” — the brother of the blessed Apostle Peter, and his co-heir in grace; according to John the Evangelist the first apostle chosen by Christ Jesus our Lord, but according to Matthew and Mark, the second. He received by lot of preaching the northern nations, the Scythians and the Picts, and lastly the Achaeans and the very city named Patras. In which also he was hung upon a cross on the second of the Kalends of December [30 November], and there he died; and in which his bones were kept until the time of Constantine the Great, son of Helena, and of his sons Constantine with Constans — a space of about 270 years. In whose reign they were taken up from there by the Constantinopolitans, by a wondrous and famous leading, and translated to Constantinople, and there laid up with great glory and the highest honour; and they remained ever until the time of Theodosius, the Christian emperor — a space of about 110 years.

² Then, by divine instinct, the King of the Picts, named

^ A word here erased.

³ Ungus son of Urguist, rising up with a great army, slaughtering with the most cruel devastation the British nations inhabiting the right side of his island, at last reached the plain of Merc. There he wintered. At that time almost all the nations of the whole island, coming with one consent, surrounded him, wishing to destroy him utterly with his army. Now on another day it happened to the aforementioned king, with seven companions most dear to him, to walk abroad, and a divine light shone round about them, and falling prone upon their faces, unable to bear it, they fell to the ground; and see, a voice was heard from heaven: “Ungus, Ungus, hear me, the Apostle of Christ, Andrew by name, who am sent to defend you and to keep you; but see the sign of the cross of Christ, which stands in the air, and let it go forward against your enemies. Nevertheless offer the tenth part of your inheritance, a portion and an alms, to almighty God and in honour of his Saint Andrew.” On the third day moreover, warned by the divine voice, he divided his army into twelve companies; and the sign of the cross went before each part, and a divine light shone from the head of each sign. Then, being made victors, they gave thanks to almighty God and to Saint Andrew the Apostle. And coming home safe, they wished to offer the tenth part of their inheritance to God and to the venerable Apostle Saint Andrew, fulfilling what is written, “Give alms, and all things are clean to you.” But they were uncertain in what place they should specially appoint the royal city, tributary to God, to Saint Andrew the Apostle.

⁴ Then, having taken counsel, fasting two, three, or four days and begging the mercy of almighty God, one of the keepers of the body of Saint Andrew the Apostle at Constantinople was warned and instructed by a divine vision and revelation, saying: “Go forth from your land and from your kindred and from your house, and go into the land which I shall show you.” Then he came, an angel accompanying him and guarding his way, and prosperously arrived at the top of the king’s mount, that is, Rigmund.

⁵ Now at the same hour at which, wearied, he sat there with his seven companions, a divine light shone round the King of the Picts

⁶ coming with his army to a special place which is called Kartenan; and not bearing the brightness they fell upon their faces, and the lame and the blind, seven in number, were healed; and one blind from birth was illuminated, and from there saw the place full of the visitation of angels, and then cried with a loud voice, saying, “I see a place full of the visitation of angels.” Finally, by God’s ordinance, the King came with his army to the place which the Lord had shown to that blind man who had been illuminated.

⁷ Now Regulus the monk, a pilgrim from the city of Constantinople, met the king with the relics of Saint Andrew the Apostle which he had brought with him here, at the gate which is called Matha, that is, Mordurus; the citizens and the strangers greeted one another, and pitched their tents where the king’s hall now is. King Ungus gave this place and this city to almighty God and to Saint Andrew the Apostle, with this freedom ever, that it should be the head and mother of all the churches which are in the kingdom of the Picts. To this city come the palm-bearing pilgrims from Jerusalem — Romans, Greeks, Armenians, Germans, Alamans, Saxons, Danes, Gauls, French, English, Britons; men and women, rich and poor, sound of body and sick; the lame, the blind; the weak are borne here on horses and in waggons, and through God’s mercies, to the honour and glory of his supreme Apostle Saint Andrew, are most speedily cured. Miracles and signs and innumerable wonders the Lord wrought here through his holy Apostle Andrew, works and shall work, which cannot here be written.

⁸ Now Regulus the abbot and monk, with his dear companions, lived in that place in the monastic life, serving God day and night in holiness and righteousness all the days of his life; whose bodies rest here. This Regulus held the third part of all Scotland in his hand and power, and ordained and distributed it through abbacies. That land indeed favoured the Picts, the Scots, the Danes, the Norwegians, and the rest who had come to ravage the island, by its situation and its pleasantness; and if ever there was need of refuge, it always afforded them a safe retreat, and they withdrew within it as into their own camp.