Chapter V: Part 5

In the xxiiij yer of the raigne of King Edwarde, Ester daie was on the daie of the Annunciation of owre Lady, and on the Wednesdaie in the Ester weke beyng the xxviij day of Marche passed Kynge Edwarde the forenone the Ryver of Twede with v thousand horses coverid and xxx thousand fotemen, and laie that nyght in Scotland at the Priori of Calderstreme; and the Thursdaie at Hatton; and the Fridaie toke the towne of Barwyk upon Twede by force of armes withought tarieng. The Castell was geven up the same daie by the Lorde William Dowglas, whiche was in it and the Kynge in the said Castell all that nyght and his hoste in the towne, everi man in the house that he hath gotten, and the Kynge taried ther almoste a monthe. And on Saint Georges daie the xxiij day of Aprill cam newes to the Kynge that they of Scotland had besegeid the Castell of Dunbarre that longed to the Erle Patrik the whiche holded strongly with the Kynge of England. And on the Mundaie, the Kynge sente his men to areyse the siege, but before thei cam the Castell was geven up the same daie, and the Scottis wer in it when the Englishmen cam to it and did assige it with iij hostes on the Wednesdaie that they cam ther; and the Tuesdaie they that wer within sende owte privyly; and the Thursdaie and Fridaie cam the hoste of the Scottis ner them aboute none[34] to have raysid the siege of the Englisshmen, and when the Englisshmen se them come towarde them, then the Englysshmen ran to the Scottis and discomfite did them and did overcome them, and the chase did dure well x myles of waie untill it was evenyng; and ther died the Lorde Patrik of Greahm, a greate lord, and x thousand and lv by right accompte. And the same Fridaie cam the Kyng from Barwyk to goo to Dunbarre and laie that night at Coldynghm; the Saturdaie at Dunbarre; and the same daie they of the Castell gave over at the Kynges pleasure, and ther was in it therle of Acelelles,[35] the erle of Roos, therle of Monetet, Syr John Comyn of Bedvaasok,[36] the son of Syr Richard Suard, Syr William Saintler,[37] and iiij skore men of armes and vij skore fotemen. Ther taried the Kynge iij daies; the Wednesdaie Ascencion even the Kynge went to Hadyngton; the Sundaie after to Lowedere;[38] the Mundaie to Rokesbrough at the Graie Freres, the Kynge lodgeid ther Tuesdaie at the Castell, and the Kynge taried there xiiij daies. And the xv daie went to Gardeford;[39] the Thursdaie to Wiel;[40] the Fridaie to Castelton; the Sundaie bak ageyn to Wiell; the Mundaie to Gaydeford;[41] the Fridaie to Rokesbrough; the Mondaie after to Lowdere; the Tuesdaie to the Abbey of Neubattaill; the Wednesdaie to Edenbrough the abbey, and caused ther to be set up iij engyns castyng into the Castell day and night; and the v daie thei spake of pees; the viij daie the Kynge went to his bedde to Lunsta,[42] the engyns castyng stille before the castell. The Thursdaie wente to Estrevelyn,[43] and they that were in the castell ran away and left non but the Porter, which did render the keyes: and theder cam therle of Stradern to the pees; and the Kynge taried ther v daies. The Wednesdaie before Saint Johns daie the Kynge passed the Scottish se[44] and laid at Entrearde[145] his castell, the Thursdaie to Saynt Johns,[46] a metely goode towne, and ther abode Fridaie, Satordaie, and Sundaie, which was Saint John Baptist daie; the Mundaie went to Kynge Colowen Castell;[47] the Tuesdaie to Clony[48] castell, and ther abidde v daies; the Munday after to Entrecoit[49] Castell; the Tuesday to Forfar Castell, a good toune; the Friday after to Fernovell;[50] the Saturdaie to Monorous[51] castell and a good toune, and ther abidde Sundaie, Mondaie, and Tuesdaie; and ther cam to hym Kynge John of Scotlande to his mercy, and did render quietly the Realme of Scotlande, as he that had done amys.[52] Also ther cam to merci therle of Marre, therle of Bochan, Syr John Comyn of Badenasshe, and many oder. The Wednesdaie went to Kynge Carden, a faiour manour; the Thursdaie to the mountaigne of Glowberwy;[53] the Wedeninesdaie to a manour in the Dounes[54] amonge the mountaignes; the Saturdaie to the cyte of Dabberden,[55] a faire castell and a good towne upon the see, and taried ther v daies; and thedar was brought the Kynges enemy Syr Thomas Worhme,[56] Sir Hugh Saint John did take and xij with hym. The Fridaie after wente to Kyntorn[57] manner; the Saturdaie to Fyuin[58] Castell; the Sundaie to Banet[59] Castell; the Mundaie to Incolan[60] maner; the Tuesdaie in tentis in Lannoy[61] upon the ryver to Repenathe[62] maner in the counte of Morenue;[63] the Thursdaie to the cite of Deigm,[64] a good Castell and a good towne, and taried ther ij daies; the Sundaie to Rosers[65] Maner. The Kynge sente the same daie Syr John Cantelow, Syr Hugh Spencer and Syr John Hastynges to serche the countrey of Badenasshe, and sente the Bishopp of Dyresym[66] with his people over the mountaynes by another way then he wente hymselfe; the Mundaie he wente into Interkeratche,[67] wher ther was no more then iij houses in a rowe between too mountaignes. The Tuesdaie to Kyndroken[68] castell belongying to the erle of Marre, and ther taried Wednesdaie, Sainte Peturs daie, the first daie of Auguste; on Thursdaie to the hospitall of Kyncarden in the Marnes;[69] the Saturdaie to the citie of Breghem;[70] the Sundaie to the Abbey of Burbro-doche,[71] and it was said that the abbot of that place made the people beleve that there was but women and no men in Englande; the Mundaie to Dunde; the Tuesdaie to Balygernatthe,[72] the redde Castell; the Wednesdaie to Saint John of Perte; the Thursdaie to the Abbey of Loundos,[73] and taried ther the Fridaie, Seynt Lawrence daie. Saterdaie to the Cite of Saint Andrew, a castell and a good towne; the Sundaie to Merkynch, wher as is but the churche and iij houses. Mondaie to the abbey of Donffremelyn,[74] ther as all the moste of the Kynges of Scottes lieth. The Tuesdaie to Strevelyn, and taried ther Wednesdaie owre Lady daie; the Thursdaie to Lansen;[75] the Fridaie to Edenbrough, and ther taried Saturdaie; Sundaie to Hadyngton; Mundaie to Pikelton,[76] by Dunbarre; Tuesdaie at Coldyngham; Wednesdaie at Barwyk; and conquerid and serchid the Kyngdom of Scotland as is aforesaid in xxj wekys withought any more.

[33] In the identification of place-names in this passage, I have followed Professor Hume Brown, _Early Travellers in Scotland_, pp. 2-6.

[34] Noon.

[35] The Earl of Atholl.

[36] Badenoch.

[37] Sinclair.

[38] Lauder.

[39] Jedburgh.

[40] Whitekirk.

[41] Jedburgh.

[42] Linlithgow.

[43] Stirling.

[44] The River Forth.

[45] Auchterarder.

[46] Perth.

[47] Kinclavin Castle.

[48] Cluny.

[49] Inverquiech.

[50] Farnell.

[51] Montrose.

[52] Amiss.

[53] Glenbervie.

[54] Durris.

[55] Aberdeen.

[56] Warham.

[57] Kintore.

[58] Fyvie.

[59] Banff.

[60] (Inver) Cullen.

[61] Enzie.

[62] Balvenie.

[63] Moray.

[64] Elgin.

[65] Rothes.

[66] Durham.

[67] Innerquharanche.

[68] Kildrummy.

[69] Mearns.

[70] Brechin.

[71] Aberbrothock (Arbroath).

[72] Baledgarno.

[73] Lindores.

[74] Dunfermline.

[75] Linlithgow.

[76] Pinkerton.

THE SIEGE OF BERWICK (1296).

+Source.+--_Chronicle of Lanercost_ (translated by Sir Herbert Maxwell in the _Scottish Historical Review_, vol. vii., pp. 383-384).

The King solemnly observed the thanksgiving services on Easter Day at his Castle of Wark, and tried to persuade the head men of Berwick to surrender, promising them safety in their persons, security for their possessions, reform of their laws and liberties, pardon for their offences, so that, had they considered their own safety, they would not have slighted the proffered grace. But they, on the contrary, being blinded by their sins, became more scornful, and, while he waited for three days, they gave no reply to so liberal an offer; so that when he came to them on the fourth day, addressing them personally in a friendly manner, they redoubled their insults. For some of them, setting themselves on the heights, ... reviled the King and his people; others fiercely attacked the fleet which lay in the harbour awaiting the King's orders and slew some of the sailors. The women folk, also, bringing fire and straw, endeavoured to burn the ships. The stubbornness of these misguided people being thus manifest, the troops were brought into action, the pride of these traitors was humbled almost without the use of force, and the city was occupied by the enemy. Much booty was seized, and no fewer that fifteen thousand of both sexes perished, some by the sword, others by fire, in the space of a day and a half, and the survivors, including even little children, were sent into perpetual exile. Nevertheless, this most clement Prince exhibited towards the dead that mercy which he had proffered to the living, for I myself beheld an immense number of men told off to bury the bodies of the fallen, all of whom, even those who began to work at the eleventh hour, were to receive as wages a penny apiece at the King's expense.

THE OPPRESSION OF SCOTLAND BY THE ENGLISH (1296).

+Source.+--John Barbour, _The Bruce_, book i., ll. 179-224.

Quhen Schyr Edward, the mychty King,
Had on this wyss done his likyng
Off Jhone the Balleoll, that swa sone
Was all defawtyt and wndone,
To Scotland went he than in hy,[77]
And all the land gan occupy
Sa hale that bath castell and toune
War in-till his possessioune,
Fra Weik[78] anent[79] Orkenay
To Mullyr snwk[80] in Gallaway,
And stuffyt all with Ingliss men.
Schyrreffys and bailyheys maid he then,
And alkyn[81] othir officeris
That for to gowern land afferis[82]
He maid off Inglis nation;
That worthyt[83] than sa rych fellone,[84]
And sa wykkyt and cowatouss,
And swa hawtane and dispitouss,[85]
That Scottis men mycht do na thing
That euir mycht pleyss to thar liking.
Thar wyffis wald thai oft forly,[86]
And thar dochtrys dispitusly:
And gyff ony of thaim thair-at war wrath,
Thai watyt[87] hym wele with gret scaith;[88]
For thai suld fynd sone enchesone[89]
To put hym to destructione.
And gyff that ony man thaim by
Had ony thing that wes worthy,
As horss or hund or othir thing
That war plesand to thar liking,
With rycht or wrang it have wald thai.
And gyf ony wald thaim withsay,[90]
Thai suld swa do, that thai suld tyne[91]
Othir land or lyff, or leyff in pyne.[92]
For thai dempt[93] thaim eftir thair will,
Takand na kep[94] to rycht na skill.[95]
A! quhat[96] thai dempt them felonly.
For gud knychtis that war worthy,
For litill enchesoune or than nane
Thai hangyt be the nekbane.
Als that folk that euir wes fre
And in fredome wount for to be,
Throw thar gret myschance and foly
War tretyt than sa wykkytly
That thair fays[97] thair jugis[98] war.
Quhat wrechitnes may man have mar?

[77] Haste.

[78] Wick.

[79] Opposite.

[80] Neck.

[81] All kinds of.

[82] Pertains.

[83] Became.

[84] So monstrously rich.

[85] Despiteful.

[86] Lie with.

[87] Plundered.

[88] Hurt.

[89] Excuse.

[90] Gainsay.

[91] Lose.

[92] Misery.

[93] Judged.

[94] Heed.

[95] Reason.

[96] How.

[97] Foes.

[98] Judges.

THE POPE FORBIDS THE TAXATION OF THE CLERGY (1296-1297).

+Source.+--_Walter of Hemingburgh's Chronicle_, vol. ii., pp. 113 _et seqq._ (English Historical Society Publications.)

A.--THE BULL "CLERICIS LAICOS."

Boniface, Bishop, servant of the servants of God, for the perpetual remembrance of this matter. Ancient writings declare the hostility of laymen to clerics in a city, and the experience of these present days confirms it, for laymen, not content with their own, strive to enter a forbidden sphere, and cast off restraint in quest of unlawful power; nor do they prudently remember that jurisdiction over clerics and ecclesiastics and their goods is prohibited to them; on the contrary, they impose heavy burdens on prelates of churches, churches, and the regular and secular clergy, talliage them, ... and compel them to undergo all manner of servitude ...; further, ... some prelates, ... seeking a transitory peace, ... acquiesce in such abuses, without obtaining the authority of the Apostolic See. We, therefore, wishing to prevent such occurrences, by the advice of our brethren, decree by our apostolic authority, that all prelates or clerics, ... who pay or promise to laymen imposts or talliages, a half, a tenth, a twentieth, or a hundredth, of the goods and revenues belonging to themselves and their churches ... without the authority of the same see; likewise all Emperors, Kings, Princes, Dukes, Earls, ... and any others ... who impose, exact, or receive such payments, ... thereby incur the sentence of excommunication.

B.--ITS RECEPTION IN ENGLAND.

On the day after All Saints in the same year, the King held his Parliament at St. Edmund's, where he was granted, on his request, a twelfth by the people, and an eighth by the cities and boroughs; a fifth was demanded from the clergy, but they replied that they were unable to grant anything, and the King to receive anything, without each incurring the sentence of excommunication pronounced in the Bull; a result which they deemed the King did not desire, and which they knew would be injurious to themselves. But this reply did not satisfy the King, so postponement was made to another Parliament to be held at London on the day after S. Hilary, to see if after mature deliberation in the interval they would give a more favourable reply. At length the day came, and when the clergy were assembled, Master Robert of Winchelsea Archbishop of Canterbury, after hearing the advice of the messengers sent from the King, replied as follows: "You know well, my lords, for it is undeniable, that under God Omnipotent we have two lords, one spiritual and one temporal; our spiritual lord is the Pope and our temporal lord the King; and although we owe obedience to each, yet in a greater degree to the spiritual than to the temporal; but with the aim of satisfying both, we permit and desire our special messengers to be sent at our expense to our spiritual lord the Pope, in order that we may have liberty to grant, or, at least, may be informed by him what we are to do; for we believe that our lord the King fears and wishes to avoid the sentence of excommunication pronounced in the Bull, even as we do." To this the King's messengers replied, "Appoint from among yourselves, my lords, men whom you may send to make these proposals to the lord King; for we, knowing that his wrath is roused, fear to tell him of them." When the clergy had done so, the King's anger broke forth, and giving way to furious rage, he declared the Archbishop of Canterbury himself and all the clergy of England outside his guardianship and protection; and ordered that all the lands--even the lands received in gift--of the Church of England should be taken into his own hand. And, as is believed, it miraculously happened that, on the very day on which the King outlawed the clergy, his soldiers were thrown into confusion and defeated, in Gascony, by the French. Even the King's Justiciar, seated at the tribunal, in the place of the King, said, publicly, in the hearing of all who were present: "Do you, who are attorneys of Archbishops, Bishops, Abbots, and Priors, and all other clerics, announce to your masters that for the future they shall receive no justice in the King's Court for anything, even though they suffer the most cruel wrongs; yet justice shall be done on them in the interest of all who complain against them and wish to have redress. Wonderful to tell! common justice, which is granted to the people, is, I know not for what reason, denied to the clergy; so Mother Church, which of old had dominion over her sons, now walks in bondage and servitude."

But Henry de Newark, Bishop-elect of York, the Bishops of Durham, Ely, and Salisbury, and some others, fearing the anger of the King, and imagining some grave danger to be impending, announced that they had in mind to deposit in their churches a fifth part of the ecclesiastical property of the year, for the defence of the Church of England and the warding off of a great crisis, so that they might avoid the King's anger, and yet not incur the sentence pronounced in the Bull. Thus, whatever was deposited by the clergy the treasury took into its possession; by so doing, and under a pretence granting a fifth, these Churchmen obtained the King's protection. But the Archbishop of Canterbury remained steadfast, refused to grant or deposit anything, and chose rather to incur the anger of the King than the sentence of excommunication; wherefore all his goods were seized, his gold and silver vessels, and all his horses; and his friends forsook him, nor was there even anything left for the maintenance of Christ's poor; and it was ordained, under pain of heavy forfeiture to the King, that no one should receive him to lodge within a religious house or elsewhere, heedless of the command of the Apostle, "Receive one another, as Christ also received you"; and he remained an outcast in the house of a simple rector, with only one priest and one clerk, not having in the whole diocese where to lay his head; yet he ordered himself even according to the word of God, begging publicly, ever ready to die for the Church, and everywhere protesting that all who had granted anything to the King or any other lay person, against the will of the lord Pope, had thereby surely incurred the sentence of excommunication.

The friends of Oliver, Bishop of Lincoln, who also had refused to perform the King's will, persuaded the Sheriff of Lincoln to take a fifth part of the Bishop's goods, and then restore him his possessions and lands. All the monasteries of that same episcopate, and of the whole Province of Canterbury, were taken into the King's hand, and by his command wardens were appointed who allowed to the monks the barest necessaries, while everything else was gathered into the Treasury. Whereupon the Abbots and Priors, driven by necessity, approached the King's Court, and redeemed, not their sins, but their own property, by the payment of a fourth. At that time the clergy received no justice, and clerks suffered many injuries. Churchmen were even robbed of their horses on the King's highway, and were unable to obtain justice, till they ransomed themselves and were received back into the royal protection.

THE NOBLES REFUSE TO GO TO GASCONY WITHOUT THE KING (1297).

+Source.+--_Walter of Hemingburgh's Chronicle_, vol. ii., pp. 121 _et seqq._ (English Historical Society Publications.)

On the Festival of S. Matthew the Apostle in the same year, the King, having summoned the magnates of the kingdom without the clergy, held a Parliament at Salisbury, in which he requested some of the nobles to cross to Gascony. When all began to excuse themselves, the King grew angry, and threateningly told some of them that they would either go or that he would bestow their lands on others who were willing to go. At this many of the Barons were offended, and signs of quarrel began to be apparent. The Earl of Hereford (who was High Constable), and the Earl Marshal gave as their excuse that they would willingly perform the duties which devolved on them by hereditary right, by accompanying the King in person. The King once more repeated his request to the Earl Marshal, who replied: "Gladly will I accompany thee, Sir King, preceding thy royal person in the front rank, as is my hereditary right." "But thou wilt also accompany the others without me." "I am not bound, nor is it my will, Sir King, to set out without thee." Thereat, it is said, the King angrily burst forth: "By God, Sir Earl, thou shalt either go, or hang." "By the same oath, Sir King," replied the Earl, "I will neither go nor hang." Then, without making any agreement, he left the council, which was dissolved for that occasion. Very soon the Earl of Hereford and the Earl Marshal, gathering round them many Barons, and choosing more than thirty bannerets, had collected a great host, to the number of fifteen hundred horsemen armed for battle; and the King began to be afraid, though he concealed his fear. Then the rebels, going to their own estates, refused to allow the King's officials to take wool or hides or to make any unusual exaction, or to extort anything from those unwilling to give; they even forbade the officials entrance to their estates, on pain of loss of life and limb, and occupied themselves in preparations for resistance.

The King, in this same year, abiding by his resolve, ordered all who owed him service, and all others who held from anyone twenty pounds worth of land within the kingdom of England, to be at London on the Feast of S. Peter ad Vincula, with horses and arms, prepared to cross with him without delay or excuse.... The Earl of Hereford and the Earl Marshal, who had seceded from the King, when they did not fulfil their obligations, were dismissed from their offices, and the offices given by the King to others, who would do his will. The Earls, much incensed thereat, especially since they were supporting not so much their own cause as that of the commonalty as a whole, informed the mediators, who were passing between them and the King, that not only they themselves, but the whole commonalty of the land, were oppressed beyond all bounds by unjust exactions, talliages and prises, and especially by the non-observance of the liberties of the Great Charter; and when they saw that the King's attitude was unyielding ... they sent messengers to him ... to say that if he would confirm the Charter of Liberties and redress certain abuses, they were all ready to follow him to life or death....

When the lord King was at Portsmouth almost ready to cross (to Flanders), the Earls sent messengers to him to seek to know his will regarding the aforesaid proposals. And the King answered: "My full council is not here with me, ... and without it I cannot reply to your demands. But go, tell them that sent you, that if they are willing to come with me, they will do me a great pleasure; if they are not, I beg of them not to do injury to me or, at least, to the kingdom."... Then the aforesaid Earls, with certain Barons their accomplices, returning to London, forbade the King's Chancellor and his Barons of the Exchequer to collect the eighth penny of which the King had obtained a grant from the people, or the fifth from the clergy, or any other exaction or levy. And they besought the Londoners, as friends and brethren, to assist them to gain the liberties of the Great Charter, and to take measures for the recovery of their lost rights, and their preservation, when recovered; and lest they should afterwards be charged with unlawful robbery or extortion, the aforesaid Earls caused it to be publicly proclaimed that no one of their followers was to take anything, however small, from anyone, without paying the just price, and this under pain of losing the right hand, or even the head, should the seriousness of the crime so require. Then they returned to their own lands, doing no hurt or damage to anyone.

WILLIAM WALLACE (1297).

+Source.+--_The Book of Pluscarden_, pp. 117 _et seqq._ (_Historians of Scotland_, vol. x.)

The same year, that renowned champion William Wallace, the terror of the English, the son of a noble knight of the same name, rose in Scotland. He was very tall of stature, of great bodily strength, pleasant and merry of countenance, of kindly seeming to all his friends, but terrible to his foes, bounteous in gifts, most righteous in judgment. Being a true Scot, he loathed the English nation and their ways; and at the outset of his rebellion against the English nation, he slew the Sheriff of Lanark and many others with him. From that time there were gathered unto him all who were bitter in spirit and weighed down by the burden of most wretched thraldom under the unbearable domination of the English nation. He became their leader and one of the Wardens of Scotland; for he was a man of wonderful courage and daring, of knightly origin. His brother, Sir Andrew Wallace, was girded with the belt of knighthood, and was a very distinguished and gallant knight; and his patrimony is still in the possession of his descendants. He himself, however, overthrew the English on all sides and was always successful against them, so that by force and by dint of his prowess he in a short time brought all the magnates of Scotland under his control, whether they would or no; and, when all had thus been gained over, he held out manfully, and devoted himself with all his might to storming the stronger castles and bringing under the sway and dominion of the Scots the strongholds where the English were in power, for his aim was ever skilfully to overthrow and undo the English, always sagaciously casting about to compass by tact and cunning all he was unable to achieve by force and the strong hand. In all his doings, and in the carrying out of every undertaking, he would exhort his comrades always to have the cause of the freedom of Scotland before their eyes in battle, and to charge in its name. He also told them off by fives, appointing one to have command and maintain discipline over four under him, and another over ten, and so with each of them; and he gave instructions that whoever would not obey his superiors in the ordering of the battle should be summarily put to death; and so on up to twenty-five and fifty and a hundred in their several ranks.... At length the renown of William Wallace's name was so spread about that the noise of the damage done by him to the natives of England reached the ears of the King of England, who sent into Scotland a large force of men-at-arms, with his Treasurer, Hugh Cressingham, to curb the daring of this William Wallace. On hearing this, William Wallace, who was then engaged on the siege of Dundee Castle, entrusted it to the burgesses, and, mustering his forces, set himself without much ado to oppose the aforesaid Treasurer with all haste. He accordingly engaged him at Stirling Bridge on the 11th of September, 1297, and made great havoc among his train. Sir Hugh was killed there, and the remnant of his army who escaped were put to flight, and returned to England; many were drowned in the rout. So the said William happily gained the victory; and here the noble Andrew Murray fell by the sword, with a few others of Scottish birth. After this, however, William Wallace returned to the siege of Dundee Castle, and brought that place under his sway; and, finding there much treasure of the King of England, he generously distributed it among his companions in arms. Thereupon so great fear and trembling fell upon the enemy, that some of the wardens of castles left their castles and fled from the fortified places, while others, after sacking the castles, demolished the strongest towers and withdrew to their own country. Now from lack of grain there was a great dearth before the autumn, on account of which the General gave orders that the army should make its way into England and live there at the expense of the enemy, so as to save their own provisions and keep them for the winter. The aforesaid William Wallace likewise appointed that a gallows should be set up in every domain, so that all under orders to fight, if absent or flying from battle at a critical time without leave or reasonable cause, might be hanged thereon without mercy. When these matters had been settled and completed, he made his way towards England, and overran and ravaged the whole of Northumberland as far as Newcastle; thus he wintered in England at the expense of the enemy, and saved his country's substance; and he got home again safely with much riches and honour....

During the time of his rule the Kingdom of Scotland prospered wonderfully in happiness and in manifold ways; everyone dwelt in safety with his own, and agriculture began to thrive everywhere. In spite, however, of all his good deeds and deserts in the interests of the state and the independence of the crown, certain sons of wickedness and imps of the devil conspired and devised mischief against him, framing lies and backbiting him behind his back while speaking him fair to his face and meditating treachery, saying within their hearts, "We will not have this man reign over us." But the lower orders and the populace were exceedingly fond of him, as were also a good many of the older and wiser of the great men of the kingdom. For God of His loving-kindness sent this leader to snatch them from the snare of the fowler; and, whereas the whole of Scotland was unable at that time to defend herself, he, supported by the help of God and aided by the assistance of S. Andrew and S. Cuthbert, did his best to free her from the chain of perpetual slavery, and strove to exalt her with uplifted arm. So the death of the guileless lamb was devised by those envious haters of the happiness of mankind; and hard upon his death there followed struggles, the shipwreck of the clergy of Scotland, the ruin of the people, the downfall of the kingdom, and the destruction of the state.

THE CONFIRMATION OF THE CHARTERS (1297).

+Source.+--_Walter of Hemingburgh's Chronicle_, vol. ii., pp. 147-151. (English Historical Society Publications.)

While such deeds were being wrought by the perfidious race of the Scots, those of the King's council who were with his son, seeing that great danger threatened not only the King in distant parts but the whole realm of England, urged the King's son, who was residing at London within the city walls for fear of rebellion, to request and require the Earl Marshal and the Earl of Hereford, who, as has been explained, had revolted from his father, to join him, in peace and love. So he sent letters, asking them to come to the Parliament which he was holding in the stead of his father at London on the tenth day of October. They acceded to the request of their new ruler and future Prince, and came on that day, though not defenceless, for they brought with them fifteen hundred horsemen and a great number of chosen foot-soldiers; they then refused to enter the city gates until they were allowed to station their own guards at each gate, in case, entering without weapons, they should be shut in like sheep in a fold. When this was granted them, they entered, and after much debate and deliberation, by the mediation of the venerable father, Master Robert of Winchelsea, Archbishop of Canterbury, of blessed memory, there was no other form of agreement than that the lord King himself should grant and confirm Magna Carta with certain additional articles, and the Charter of the Forest; and that he should promise to seek or exact in the future no aid or task from the clergy or people without the goodwill and assent of the Barons; and that he should set aside all bitterness against them and their associates. Finally, an agreement was drawn up in writing as follows:

I. Edward, by the grace of God, King of England, Lord of Ireland, and Duke of Aquitaine, to all who shall see or hear these present letters, greeting. Know that we, for the honour of God and of Holy Church, and for the good of our whole kingdom, have granted for ourselves and our heirs, that the Great Charter of Liberties and the Charter of the Forest, which were made by common assent of the whole realm, in the time of King Henry our father, shall be observed in every point without change. And we wish that these same charters be sent under our seal to our justices, both justices of the forest and others, and to all sheriffs of counties and to all our other officials, and to all our cities throughout the land, together with our writs, in which they shall be enjoined to publish the aforesaid charters, and to tell the people that we have granted them to be held in every point; and that our justices, sheriffs, mayors, and other officials who administer the law of the land under and through us, shall allow these charters in all their points in pleas before them and in judgments--that is to say, the Great Charter of Liberties as Common Law; and the Charter of the Forest according to the Assize of the Forest, for the betterment of our people.

II. And we wish that if any judgments be given henceforth against the provisions of the aforesaid charters, by justices and other officials of ours who hold pleas before them contrary to any point contained in the charters, they shall be undone and held as nought.

III. And we wish that these same charters under our seal be sent to the cathedral churches throughout our kingdom, and remain there; and that they be twice a year read before the people.

IV. And Archbishops and Bishops shall pronounce the sentence of great excommunication against all those who shall come against the aforesaid charters in act, in deed, or in counsel, or shall infringe or oppose them in any way; and such sentences shall be pronounced and published twice a year by the aforesaid prelates. And should the same prelates, or any of them, be negligent in making the aforesaid denunciation, they shall, as is fitting, be reproved by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York for the time being, and compelled to publish the denunciation in the form aforesaid.

V. And because the people in our kingdom fear lest the aids and tasks, which they have hitherto given us for our wars and our needs, of their own grant and their own free will, in whatever manner they have been made, may become a fixed service for them and their heirs, should they at some time be found in the rolls, and likewise prises that have been taken throughout the kingdom by our officials in our own name, we have granted for ourselves and our heirs, that we shall not turn into a custom such aids, tasks, and prises, for anything that may be done or hereafter found in the rolls or in any other manner.

VI. We have also granted, for ourselves and our heirs, to the Archbishops, Bishops, Abbots, Priors, and other people of Holy Church, as also to the Earls and Barons and the commonalty of the whole realm, that never for any need shall we take in our kingdom such manner of aids, tasks, and prises, except by common consent of the whole kingdom and to the common profit thereof, save the ancient aids and prises due and accustomed.

VII. And forasmuch as the greater part of the commonalty of the realm feel themselves sore grieved by the maletote of wool, that is to say, a tax of forty shillings on each sack, and have begged us to release the same, we have fully released it in answer to their request; and we have granted that we shall never take it nor any other, without their common assent and their good will; saving to us and to our heirs the custom on wool, skins, and leather, before granted by the commonalty of the realm aforesaid.

In witness whereof we have issued these letters patent. Witness Edward our son at London, on the tenth day of October, in the twenty-fifth year of our reign.

And be it remembered that this same charter in the same terms, word for word, was sealed in Flanders, under the great seal of the King, at Ghent, on the fifth day of November, in the twenty-fifth year of the reign of our aforesaid lord the King, and sent to England.

THE BATTLE OF FALKIRK (1298).

+Source.+--_Walter of Hemingburgh's Chronicle_, vol. ii., pp. 177-181. (English Historical Society Publications.)

Soon after, when severe famine was attacking the camp,[99] and the King had decided to return to Edinburgh in order to get provisions by way of the North Sea, and then advance against the Scots from another direction, two Earls--the Earl Patrick and the Earl of Angus--came at dawn on the day preceding the Festival of Mary Magdalene to the Bishop of Durham, and took him with them to the King. They introduced into the King's presence a young spy, who said, "Hail, O King"; and the King replied, "Hail to thee"; then the spy continued: "My lord King, the army of the Scots, your foes, is only six short leagues away from you, near Falkirk, in the Forest of Selkirk. Hearing that you are preparing to return to Edinburgh, they have decided to fall on your camp this evening, or at least to attack and despoil your outposts." "There is indeed a God," said the King, "who has hitherto delivered me from all danger; it will not be necessary for them to follow me, for I shall proceed against them even this day." Immediately he gave orders for all to arm, but did not announce whither he intended to go. Clad in full armour, he mounted his horse in front of the army and exhorted them all to take up their arms; then he spoke in person to the sellers of wares, enjoining them to pack their bundles and follow him without fear. Finally, when all was ready, about the third hour, the King left Kirkliston, and directed his march towards the place which goes by the name of Falkirk. And all wondered that he had changed his intentions, and caused the army to advance slowly and dispersedly without any haste.

When they had come to a moor nigh to Linlithgow, they spent the night there, resting on the ground, with their shields for pillows and their weapons for couches. The horses, which had tasted nothing but hard iron, were picketed each near his master; after they had halted for some time, and the night was about half-way over, it happened that the King's war-horse, which was guarded somewhat carelessly by a small boy, in stamping its foot, struck the sleeping King. So soon as the news spread that the King was hurt, someone raised the cries of "treachery" and "the enemy are upon us." Whereupon they got themselves ready and were eager for battle. But when the true version of the incident became known, that the King was but slightly hurt, they felt pity for him, and the excitement vanished. Then the King rose immediately, and they set out and passed through the town of Linlithgow at the dawn of the day. When they raised their eyes and looked at the hill opposite, they saw on its crest a number of spearmen. Believing them to be the army of the Scots, they hastened to ascend the slopes of the hill in battle array, but when they reached the top, found none. On this spot a tent was pitched, and the King and the Bishop heard the Mass of the Magdalene (the Magdalene being the saint of the day). While the celebration was taking place, and it was light enough for them to see one another, our men saw the Scots at a distance arranging their lines and preparing for battle. They had drawn up all their men in four circular bodies on the hard ground of a slope near Falkirk. These circles were composed of spearmen, with their spears pointing upwards; they were joined one to another, and stood with their faces turned towards the circumference of the circles. Between the circles were spaces, occupied by archers; in the extreme rear were the cavalry. When, on the conclusion of Mass, the King was informed of what could be seen, he hesitated, and proposed that they should pitch their tents until horses and men had broken their fast, for they had not partaken of food from the third hour of the previous day. But his men answered: "It is not safe here, O King, for between the two armies there is only a small stream." "And what of that?" asked the King. "Let us advance in the name of the Lord," replied they, "for the field is ours and the victory is ours." "So let it be," said the King, "in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost."

Immediately the leaders of the front rank--the Earl Marshal, the Earl of Hereford, and the Earl of Lincoln--advanced straight towards the enemy, not knowing that there was a morass in the intervening ground. When they saw it, they made a detour round it on the west side, and so were delayed in their arrival; but the second rank, that of the Bishop of Durham, composed of thirty-six chosen veterans, knowing that the morass was in their way, struck out to the east to avoid it. As they hastened at full speed in order to be the first to engage, the Bishop commanded them to await the approach of the King's third line. Ralph Basset, of Drayton, a valiant soldier, answered him: "It is not your part, my lord Bishop, to give us our fighting orders at this moment when you ought to be engaged in celebrating Mass. Go, if you wish to celebrate Mass, for this day we shall all act as befits soldiers." They hastened on, and soon after engaged the first circle of the Scots; then the aforesaid Earls came up from the other side with the first rank. As soon as our men approached, the Scots cavalry fled without striking a blow, a few only remaining to give orders to the foot-soldiers, who were drawn up in circles called "schiltrons." Among them was the brother of the Seneschal of Scotland, who, when he was directing the bowmen of the Forest of Selkirk, fell by chance from his horse, and was slain among the bowmen, who surrounded him and died with him. They were men of comely build and commanding stature. When the bowmen were thus cut down, our men proceeded to attack the Scots spearmen, who, as we have said, were stationed in circles, with sloping spears, after the manner of a closely-planted wood. And while our horsemen could not advance for the number of spears, those of the enemy on the outside struck at and pierced several with their spears. But our foot-soldiers shot at them with arrows, and then, securing a quantity of round stones, of which there was abundance near, stoned them. So, when many had been slain and the others confounded, the remainder of the outer ring were thrown back on the others, and our horsemen broke in and swept the field.

There fell of the Scots on that day, besides an unknown number who were drowned and about twenty horsemen, 50,000 foot-soldiers. The army of the Scots, according to the report given by prisoners, numbered about 1,000 horsemen, and about 300,000 foot-soldiers. But the Lord preserved our men, and no man of note fell in the whole battle save only the Master of the Knights of the Temple, who was caught in a morass and slain while he pursued the fugitives.

[99] The English army was at this time encamped at Kirkliston, in Linlithgowshire, about eight miles west of Edinburgh.

SCOTLAND AFTER FALKIRK (1298-1303).

+Source.+--_The Book of Pluscarden_, pp. 168 _et seqq._ (_Historians of Scotland_, vol. x.)

After the battle lost (by the Scots) at Falkirk, the King of England did not for the nonce personally come north of the Firth of Forth; but he sent a very large force, which ravaged the whole land of Fife and all the adjacent lands of the town of Perth, and killed great numbers of the inhabitants of those lands; and when this force came back, the said King and his men went home again with immense booty. This, no doubt, was God's doing; for if then, or after the engagement at Dunbar and the capture of King John, he had tarried in the country, he would, as is believed, either have subdued to his sway the whole land of Scotland and its inhabitants, or have laid it waste, all but the water and the stones. As, however, he was very busy elsewhere, he could not attend to everything at one and the same time. So he and his men went back, after appointing administrators, officers, and wardens of the castles in Scotland, in the parts, namely, beyond the Forth, which part of the country was then fully under his dominion, with the exception of a few outlaws of the nation of the true Scots, who lived in the woods and were lurking in caves in rocks and glens, and who, on account of the slaughter and losses they had inflicted on both English and Anglicised Scots, durst not appear openly in the sight of the people. But at this time John Comyn, the Chief Warden of Scotland, and his son, and Simon Fraser, called Fresail, warlike men, stalwart, and endowed with every virtue, together with their partisans and followers, day and night lay in wait for the aforesaid officers, bailiffs, and wardens of castles of the King of England, and greatly harassed the aforesaid English, as also the Anglicised Scots, as above stated; and for four years or more they kept harrying one another with mutual slaughter and divers scourges and torments....

In the year 1303 the King of England entered Scotland with a very large force, which he had brought with him from both England and Wales, Gascony, Ireland, and Savoy--the Count of which was there in person, as well as the Prince of Wales--both by land and by sea, ... with the deliberate design of peacefully settling in that land of Scotland altogether and subduing it for ever, or, on the other hand, entirely sweeping away its inhabitants and leaving the said land a waste. The King, therefore, scouring the whole country over hill and dale as far as Lochindorb,[100] received oaths of fealty and homage from all the inhabitants, and himself personally brought the northern parts under his dominion. Then, after appointing his royal officials and officers in the towns and castles, the King went about exploring the country, and brought it all under his allegiance and dominion; and he remained at Dunfermline to spend the winter, and no one in all Scotland hindered him, or brought force to bear against him; but he rested in peace until Candlemas. In this year Edward of Carnarvon, then Prince of Wales, spent some time in the town of Perth, and during the whole of this time food was so plentiful and abundant in Scotland that a laggen[101] of good beer sold commonly for twopence, and a laggen, Scottish measure, of good wine for eightpence. The same year, after the whole people of Scotland had made its submission to the King of England, John Comyn, then Head Warden, and all the magnates of Scotland, except that noble leader William Wallace, and his partisans and followers, were little by little brought by the aforesaid King to make their submission and swear allegiance to him, giving up to him the towns, castles, and all the strongholds but Stirling Castle and its garrison....

Just after the Easter Festival, the said King Edward besieged Stirling Castle for three months without a break; and he ordered the whole of the lead of the monastery of St. Andrews to be stripped off and carried to Stirling aforesaid for the construction of the engines for the siege. At length, however, the warden of the said castle, William Oliphant by name, surrendered the castle to him, under a certain condition in writing and under seal. But, notwithstanding his promise, the King, on taking the castle, belied his word and broke through the condition by taking the said William Oliphant, the warden of the said castle, in bonds with him to London, and consigning him to a fearful dungeon. The same year also, when he had taken castles, towns and all the other strongholds, and the whole of the leading lords of the realm had made their submission to him, and the whole of the castles and towns formerly destroyed had been rebuilt, and there was no one but William Wallace alone who remained faithful to the King of Scotland; and after he had appointed wardens and officers of his own there, and all and sundry of the Scottish nation had taken the oaths of fealty and homage, the said King, together with the Prince of Wales and their armies, went back to England, leaving, however, one Chief Warden as his lieutenant to put down and chastise any outbreaks by any of the rest, both Scottish and English; and he never afterwards showed his face in Scotland. After his departure, the English nation lorded it in every part of Scotland, harassing the Scots in many and manifold ways, and ruthlessly doing them to death with wrongs, massacres, and stripes, under the awful yoke of slavery.

[100] Near Elgin.

[101] Probably in about seven quarts.

ROBERT THE BRUCE CROWNED KING OF SCOTLAND (1306).

+Source.+--_Nicholas Trivet's Annals_, pp. 407-408. (English Historical Society Publications.)

In the same year, on the twenty-ninth day of January, Robert the Bruce, aspiring to the kingdom of Scotland, sacrilegiously slew the noble John Comyn, who had refused to abet his treacherous rebellion, in the church of the Minorite Brethren at Dumfries, in the castle of which town the King's justices were then sitting. Thereafter, on the Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin, he had himself solemnly crowned King in the abbey of Canons Regular at Scone. The wife of the Earl of Buchan secretly departed from her husband, taking all his war-horses with her, and hastened to Scone to place the diadem on the head of the new King; for her brother, the Earl of Fife, on whom devolved the duty by hereditary right, was then absent in England. This Countess was captured in the same year by the English, but, when some of them wished to put her to death, the King interfered; instead, he confined her in a wooden cage on the wall of the Castle of Berwick, so that she might be seen by the passers-by.

DEATH OF EDWARD THE FIRST (1307).

+Source.+--_Walter of Hemingburgh's Chronicle_, vol. ii., pp. 266-267. (English Historical Society Publications.)

When the evil intents of the new King (Robert the Bruce) became known, our King sent to the nobles of the land ordering them to come to Carlisle, ready for war, a fortnight after the blessed John the Baptist's day. In the interval, because the King was afflicted with severe dysentery, and none had speech with him save with his attendants, it was noised abroad among the people that the King was dead. Edward, hearing this, ordered everything to be prepared for his journey to Scotland, and moved his camp almost two miles from Carlisle on the third day of July--a Monday; on the Tuesday he rode almost two miles; on the fourth day of the week he rested, but on the Thursday he proceeded to Burgh-on-Sands, and there he proposed to remain over the following day. It was his habit and custom almost every day to remain in bed until the ninth hour; but on the Friday, when he was being raised up by his attendants to partake of food, he expired in their arms. The King departed from this world on the day of the translation of S. Thomas, Archbishop and martyr; his servants concealed the death of the King until his son and the nobles of the kingdom should come, and many were imprisoned for proclaiming it. When the Prince his son and the other nobles arrived, they decreed that the King's body should be removed with all honour to the south by his Treasurer, the Bishop of Chester, and all his household, and should remain in the church of the monks of Waltham until some definite policy should be adopted regarding Scotland, and there should be leisure to arrange for sepulture; and this was done.

EPITAPH OF EDWARD I.

HIC JACET EDWARDUS PRIMUS, MALLEUS SCOTORUM. PACTUM SERVA.

(Here lies Edward the First, the Hammer of the Scots. Keep troth.)

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