[MR] Wilipedia: Events in Scotland

[Garth Groff via Atlantia]

Noble Friends, Especially Fellow Scots:

Two important historical events happened on this date in Scotland.

On this date in 1306 Robert the Bruce and Sir John Comyn came to blows 
during a parley in the Greyfriars Church in Dumfries. Bruce and Comyn 
were both Guardians of Scotland, both had a claim on the Scottish 
throne, and both had been rivals in the power struggles during the 
Scottish wars of Independence. Both were playing a dangerous loyalty 
game with the English king Edward I. Apparently seeing a opening for 
himself, Comyn leaked information about Bruce's loyalty to Edward. So 
the two Scots met in the church, supposedly to settle their differences. 
Bruce confronted Comyn over his betrayal to Edward, and daggers were 
drawn. Who drew first is unknown, but Comyn ended up bleeding his life 
away before the altar. Bruce emerged from the church and said to his 
followers, "I have just slain the Red Comyn." Some of his knights ran 
into the church, and found Comyn seriously wounded, but still alive. So 
they finished the job. Now Bruce was facing excommunication, as well as 
Edward's wrath, so had nothing to lose. On 25 March, Bruce had himself 
crowned King of the Scots and began his open war against the English 
invaders, leading to his huge victory at Bannockburn in 1514. Here is a 
Wikipedia biography of Robert the Bruce: 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_the_Bruce . Here is more on John 
Comyn: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_III_Comyn,_Lord_of_Badenoch .

Also on 10 February 1567, Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, was found dead 
outside his house at Kirk 'o Field near Edinburgh. Darnely was the 
husband of Mary Queen of Scots. Their marriage was on the rocks in a big 
way. Darnely and others had murdered David Rizzio, the Queens secretary 
and possible lover. They invaded the Queen's chamber with daggers drawn 
and stabbed Rizzio 56 times before the Queens very eyes. Darnely's own 
death was extremely suspicious. His house was blown up, but he and his 
valet were found strangled some distance from the building. Queen's 
revenge? Maybe. Here's more on Darnley: 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Stuart,_Lord_Darnley , and more on 
the Darnley's death at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirk_o%27_Field . 
There's also a page on poor Rizzio himself: 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Rizzio .

We Scots sure love our dirks! No wonder the English way we're "dagger 
happy".

Yours Aye,


Lord Mungo Napier, That Crazy Scot