72 The Scalacronica. 



of England. He had voluntarily subjected himself to him by 

 doing him homage as the high Lord of Scotland. By such a 

 condition he became his man in making his claim, when there 

 was a dispute for the realm between the said John de Balliol, 

 Robert de Bruys, the grandfather of that Robert who claimed 

 to be King of Scotland, and John de Hastings. John de Balliol 

 had afterwards repudiated his homage by the agency of two 

 Jacobins with a drawn sword, who declared that he held nothing 

 of the King of England. Therefore the •decision of the King 

 wa.s — a new situation, a new war. Edward de Balliol gave to 

 the King of England the town of Berewik and five counties, the 

 sheriffdoms of Berwewik, Roxburgh, Edinburgh, Peblis, and 

 Dunfres. He agreed to do him homage for the rest of Scotland ; 

 and the King promised to support and maintain him and replace 

 him in his estate. As the King desired arms and honours and 

 his Council was eager to engage in war these conditions were 

 soon agreed to, and rather from a wish to reconquer the prize 

 from those through whom they had lost it. Some of the pri\-ate 

 councillors of the King went with Edward de Balliol, who in 

 the second Aveek of Lent assaulted the town of Berewyk by sea 

 and land, and shortly before Whitsuntide the King of England 

 himself came thither and assailed the town. But as they could 

 not take the said town they rearranged their forces better in 

 order to assault it again. At the same time those within the 

 town spoke of conditions, saying that if they were not relieved 

 before a certain day they would surrender it ; and for this they 

 gave hostages as a pledge. Before the time specified the whole 

 force of Scotland, so great a multitude that it was mar\'ellous, 

 crossed the water of Twede at the dawn of day at Yarford and 

 appeared before Berewik, on the English side of the Twede, in 

 full view of the King and his army ; and they placed men and 

 victuals in the town. They remained the whole day and night; 

 and on the morroAv at an early hour they decamped and moved 

 through the King's land in Northumberland, bummg and 

 de^'astating the country in full view of the English armv. These 

 men having departed in this manner, the King's Council at the 

 siege demanded the surrender of the town, according to the 

 stipulations, the term for its relief having passed. Those within 

 the town saw that they had been relieved both with men and 

 victuals. So they chose new guardians of the town, knights 



I 

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