Edward I. at Sweetheart Abbey. 319 



the King, in an assembly of a great number of earls, barons, and 

 other knights of his army in attendance on my said lord the 

 King, having read aloud your foresaid mandate transmitted to 

 me, I presented to the same the letter of your holy paternity 

 directed to my foresaid lord the King, having obtained the 

 authority of the same. My lord the King himself received this 

 letter respectfully, and caused it to be read publicly in the 

 presence of all, and to be clearly explained in the French 

 tongue. When this had been patiently heard by each and all, I 

 encouraged myself, and urged in every way I could and knew, 

 that he would obey respectfully in all things your exhortations 

 in regard to what was set forth in the said letter. Afterwards 

 I withdrew from him with my clergy at his command, while he 

 deliberated on these things with his said chief men. At last 

 he recalled me and answered me in the presence of the same, 

 through an intermediary, in the following wise : ' My lord 

 archbishop, you have made on the part of our superior and 

 reverend father, the lord the Pope, a certain admonition touching 

 the state and law of the kingdom of Scotland ; but because the 

 custom of the kingdom of England is that in matters touching 

 the state of the same kingdom the counsel of all is required, 

 whom the matter touches, and the present business of the king- 

 dom of Scotland touches the state and law of the kingdom of 

 England, and there are many bishops, earls, barons, and other 

 chief men of the kingdom absent, who are not and have not 

 been in this army, whom the said business touches, in whose 

 absence it will not be possible to answer our said most high 

 father or you finally; on this account our lord the King intends, 

 upon the matters contained in the letter of the said father, as 

 far as he shall be able conveniently, to consult in a body those 

 who are absent as well as those who are now present, and to 

 treat with the same with greater deliberation and to send a 

 reply to the same most high Pontiff through his own ambas- 

 sadors upon these things concerning the common counsel of the 

 same.' This same answer indeed thus made in his presence 

 and in his name my lord the King ratified and also expressly 

 approved." 



