Note 678 — Chapter VIII · THE SCOTTISH CHURCH.

1093 Fothadh Ardepscop Albain in Christo quievit.—An. Ult. The legend of St. Andrew says, speaking of the title Episcopus Scottorum, ‘Sic quippe ab antiquo episcopi Sancti Andreæ dicti sunt et in scriptis tam antiquis quam modernis invenientur dicti Summi Archiepiscopi sive Summi episcopi Scotorum, Unde et conscribi fecit in theca Evangelii Fothet episcopus, maxime vir authoritatis, versus istos—

‘Hanc Evangelii thecam construxit aviti

Fothet qui Scotis Summus Episcopus est.’

Bower altered the expression ‘Summus Episcopus’ to ‘Primus Episcopus,’ and applied it to the first Fothad, whom he made first bishop, though in the revised edition of the Scotichronicon in the Cupar MS., he corrects his mistake. Wyntoun takes the same view, but ‘Summus Episcopus’ is the exact equivalent in Latin of the Irish Ard epscop, and there is no doubt that the last Fothad is the bishop meant. The Gospel he so carefully protected may have been a gift from Queen Margaret.