The Power ivhich Enabled and Suggested the Production 315 



The church in the twelfth century was not insular or national, be- 

 longing to one race or one kingdom : it claimed an universal sovereignty 

 over all nations. For this reason no doubt the pohtical frontier wliich 

 marked off the Enghsh from the Scottish kingdom was scarcely 

 recognized at the outset among the benevolent landowners who first 

 endowed religious institutions in this part of the country. But apart 

 from rehgious considerations there was a community of feeHng as well 

 as an identity of aim among the people on both sides of the national 

 boundary. By ties of property, intermarriage and old associations, 

 the inhabitants of ancient Cumbria remained practically one people 

 for a long period after they had become politically separated. The 

 needs of the church knew no political barriers. Rehgious houses in Scot- 

 land received grants from the lords of Cumberland after the severance 

 of the diocese from Scottish rule. National prejudice did not hinder 

 Scottish laymen from extending their benevolence to institutions on 

 the English side of the Border. . . . The favors conferred on Scottish 

 monasteries by Cumberland landowners were reciprocated from the 

 other side. On the western border alone many instances might be given 

 Avherein the great lords of Annandale and ClaUoway were equally con- 

 siderate to English institutions. No small portion of the endowments 

 of the abbey of Holmcultram was situated in Galloway and on the 

 northern shore of the Solway. The family of Brus, the owners of the 

 great fief of Annandale, were among the foremost benefactors of the 

 priory of Gisburn in Yorkshire. The priory of Lanercost had rent 

 charges in Dumfries. It is true that family ties or national sentiment 

 had much to do with several of these endowments. One might expect 

 that the abbey of Holmcultram should possess strong claims upon 

 Scottish liberaUty, seeing that it was of Scottish foundation and the 

 only institution left in the district as a relic of the Scottish occupation. 

 Making due allowance for considerations of this sort, we should not 

 forget the strong international sentiment which pervaded the people 

 of both kingdoms.! 



2. A POWER WHICH COULD MAKE ITSELF RESPECTED 



IN A RUDE AGE, AND ONE MAKING APPEAL TO VARIOUS 



NATIONALITIES 



As to the power wielded by David, this was due to his royal 

 descent, since he was not only rightful heir to the Scottish crown, 

 but was at least, in the estimation of many, one of the rightful 

 heirs to the crown of England through his mother Margaret, a lineal 

 descendant of King Alfred, and sister of the last Saxon king of 

 England ; to his close alliance with the new royal house of England, 



! Victoria Hist. Gumb. 2. 14, 15. On the connection between CarUsle and 

 Holyrood, see ibid. 2. 15. 



(103) 



