66 The Scalacronica. 



return. The King made a truce with the Scots from that time 

 forward for thirteen years, and kept himself quite quiet in 

 peace, engaging in no enterprise of honour or prowess. 

 Donald, Earl of Marre, was with the King of England and 

 nourished by him. He had the custody of the Castle of Bristow 

 by the King's entrustment. He surrendered it to the Queen 

 and betook himself to his own country of Scotland (1327). 



In the first year of the reign of Edward, the third after tne 

 Conquest, the Scots committed great injuries at divers times in 

 his land. The Earls of Lancaster and Kent, the Lords of 

 Wake, Ros, Moubray, and Beaumont, and other great barons, 

 with a thousand men-at-arms, were sent to Newcastle-upon- 

 Tyne to strengthen the March. But James de Douglas went 

 four leagues off in front of them, burning and devastating the 

 country in full view of them all. None of them were willing 

 to go against him, so much were they disheartened and so inex- 

 ■perienced were they in war. Soon after that time all the 

 chivalry of England and a great number of aliens were collected. 

 They all marched against the enemy from Scotland, who had 

 again in\-aded the land of England. The young King, with a 

 large army, took the road to Stanhop, w'here he was told that the 

 Scotch enemv were encamped. As he was marching on the 

 scouts came to inform him that the enemy were fleeing, being 

 defeated. But it was not so; for they had done nothing but 

 dislodge and choose a better place to await battle. The leaders 

 of the King's army believed that the scouts had told the truth, 

 and left the road to Stanhop. By the advice of the men of the 

 Marches they hastened to cut off -"he enemy's retreat, thinking 

 that thev were marching in flight to tlieir own country. They 

 rode on a whole summer's day, quite L'6 leagues, and encamjied 

 with all that large army at Hayden Bridge, between Annandale 

 and Tvnedale. There they remained a week, but had no news 

 of the enemy. A proclamation was made through the camp 

 that whoever brought the King reliable news of the whereabouts 

 of the enemy should have 100 pounds' worth of land. Thomas 

 of Rokeby brought the news that they were all quiet at Stanhop, 

 where they had been left. Thomas received the said reward 

 and was made a knight. The King broke up his camp and 

 marched back against them with all 'his large army. In the 



