A.D. 1090.] CHARACTER OF MALCOLM. 361 was once told him, that one of his chief nobles had made an agreement with his enemies to kill him : the king ordered the accuser to be silent, and said nothing himself until the arrival of the traitor, who was at that time absent. The nobleman soon after came to court with a large retinue, meditating treason against the king, who commanded his hunters with their dogs to attend him early the next morning. At the appointed time all were in attendance, and set out to hunt. The king, arriving at a level spot of ground, surrounded on all sides by a dense wood, retained the traitor with himself alone, whilst the others followed the dogs and the chase. When they were all out of sight, the king said to him, "Yo u and I are now here alone, armed alike, and mounted on equally good ho ses ; there is no one to see us or to hear, or to assist either of us. If, then, you have the courage, do what you intend, on this spot, and make your words good to my.enemies, with whom you are in league. If you wish to kill me, where will you have so good, so secret, and so fair a chance ?— If, however, you meant to poison me, you should have left that for the women to do. If you meant to murder me in my bed, a girl from the streets might do that as well as you. If, however, you meant to stab me with a concealed weapon, that is the act of an assassin and not of a knight.—Act, then, as a man and as a true knight—fight me on equal terms, and, traitor though you are, your conduct will be only disloyal, but not cowardly and disgraceful." The knight, hearing these words from the king, was struck dumb, fell from his horse to the ground, and throwing away his arms, fell on his knees before the king. " Be not afraid," continued the king, " I shall do you no harm." The knight professed, with the most solemn oaths, that he would be faithful to the king for the future ; and they both then returned at their leisure to the rest of the party, who knew nothing of what had happened. Of the first introduction of monks at Tynemouth. About this time, Robert de Mowbray, earl of Northumberland, inspired from above, wished to rebuild the church of St. Oswin, at Tynemouth, which had long been desolate, and to place some monks there to serve God and the martyr