78 The Scalacronica. 



town, castle and all, and there made his abode. While he was 

 there a Minor Friar, warden of the Friars of Roxburgh, came to 

 him from King John, bringing a letter from him, in which he re- 

 nounced his homage. This had been published by the King and 

 Commons of Scotland. This letter King Edward received and 

 had it legally registered. At the same time the aforesaid Earls of 

 Scotland re-entered England and burned the Priory of Hexham 

 and did great injury to the country. 



The Earl of March, Patrick with the black beard, who 

 alone of all the lords of Scotland remained in obedience to the 

 King of England and was with him at the capture of Berwick, 

 came to him to announce that his wife had found her relations, the 

 enemies of England, in his Castle of Dunbar, who had imprisoned 

 the King's ministers and were holding the castle against him. 

 He prayed the King's aid and proposed to go the same night. 

 The King entrusted to him the Earls of Warenne and Warwick 

 with great supplies by sea and land, and before sunrise he began 

 to besiege the Castle of Dunbar. The Lords of Scotland, who 

 were assembled, heard of the siege, and marched to the place. 

 In the morning they arrived at Spont, between which place and 

 Dunbar they fought with the said English besiegers and were 

 defeated. This w-as the first battle of that war. In the castle 

 were captured the Earls of Menteith, Athole and Ross, and seven 

 Barons, John Comyn the younger, William de St. Clere, Richard 

 Syward the elder, John de Inchmartine, Alexander de Murray, 

 Edniond Comyn of Kilbride, with 29 knights, and 80 esquires. 

 They were sent to prison in various parts of England. The King 

 of Scotland then sent to the King for peace, put himself into his 

 grace, and surrendered to him with his son Edward, whom he 

 offered as a hostage for his good behaviour. Both of them were 

 taken and sent to London, being forbidden to pass beyond 20 

 leagues around the city. King Edward took all the castles of 

 Scotland and rode through the land until he came to Stokforth, 

 and he invested his ministers. On his return he ordered that the 

 stone, upon which tlie Kings of Scotland were wont to be seated 

 at the beginning of their reign, should be carried from the Abbey 

 of Scone. He ordered it to be conveyed to London to be the seat 

 of the priest at the high altar at Westminster. The King sum- 

 moned his Parliament to meet at Berwick, where he received 



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