SCOTLAND (HISTORY). 



145 



forces of England and Wales to meet him at York, and however, the war between Scotland and England 



marched in person to Scotland with an army which 

 that unhappy country, torn as it was by intestine 

 factions, arising chiefly from a jealousy of the nobility 

 towards Sir William Wallace, could not resist. 

 The Scots were totally defeated at Falkirk (July 

 22, 1298); and Edward proceeded to the extremity 

 of the kingdom, receiving, wherever he came, the 

 submission of the nobles. By the treachery of one 

 of Wallace's friends, that unyielding patriot was be- 

 trayed into his hands; and with a severity unbe- 

 coming Edward's character, was carried to London 

 in chains, and executed in August, 1305. 



Wallace soon had a more successful, though not 

 a more brave successor. Robert de Bruce, grand- 

 son of that Bruce who had been Baliol's rival in the 

 dispute concerning the Scottish crown, formed the 

 design of rescuing the Scots from their present de- 

 graded condition, and placing himself upon the 

 throne. He escaped from Edward, who was ap- 

 prized of his design, and who intended to have 

 seized him. He soon arrived in Scotland; and put 

 to death Cummin, whose treachery had informed th< 

 English monarch of the intended revolt. He in 

 terested the greater part of the nobility in his fa- 

 vour. He made himself master of the greater par 

 of the fortified places in the kingdom ; and had al- 

 most entirely liberated the country from its oppres 

 sors, when he was suddenly attacked by the English 

 forces, defeated, and compelled to take shelter in 

 the Western Islands. Edward, provoked at the 

 frequent revolts of the Scots, marched in person, 

 with an army sufficient to put the whole nation in 

 such a state, that rebellion should belong hopeless. 

 He had proceeded to Carlisle when he suddenly 

 died. 



Before Edward expired, he enjoined his son and 

 successor, Edward II. to prosecute the war with 

 Scotland; but the young king inherited not his 

 father's abilities. Bruce, who had issued from his 

 retreat, and had begun to collect his forces, when 

 Edward I. made his approach, found not a formid- 

 able antagonist in Edward II. The English king, 

 advancing only a short way into Scotland, returned 

 and disbanded his army. Bruce gained several ad- 

 vantages over the troops which had been left to 

 preserve the Scots in subjection. He had succeeded 

 so far in animating his followers, that, not content 

 with having gained into his power the greater part 

 of his own kingdom, he marched into England, and 

 laid waste several of the northern counties. Ed- 

 ward was at length roused from his lethargy, and 

 led into Scotland an army more powerful than had 

 ever invaded that country. He came up to Bruce, 

 near Stirling; when the great and decisive battle of 

 Bannockburn, (June 24, 1314) terminated the ill- 

 founded pretensions of the English, and firmly esta- 

 blished Scottish independency. Bruce was secured 

 on the throne which he had so bravely acquired ; 

 and, after a prosperous reign, he died in 1328. 



On the death of Robert Bruce, his son, David II. 

 was proclaimed king by the greater part of the na- 

 tion. Baliol, however, the son of that Baliol, who, 

 during the reign of Edward I. had disgraced himself 

 by his pusillanimity, formed a party for the purpose 

 of supporting his pretensions to the crown; he was 

 supported by Edward III. a prince of no less illus- 

 trious abilities than his predecessor, Edward I. 

 Many battles were fought, and much cruelty was 

 exercised by both parties. Baliol and Edward were 

 at first successful; but, at length David succeeded 

 in expelling the usurper from his kingdom. Still, 



continued with increasing rancour, till, at length, 

 David was made prisoner at the battle of Durham. 

 After being detained in captivity eleven years, he 

 was liberated for 100,000 merks. Returning to 

 Scotland, he died in 1371, leaving behind him no 

 issue. 



David was succeeded by his nephew, Robert II. 

 the high steward of Scotland, the first of the family 

 of Stuart who sat on the throne. An act was 

 framed securing the crown to him and his heirs. He 

 concluded a treaty with France, in which the nations 

 mutually stipulated to defend each other. In con- 

 sequence of an article of the treaty, Robert recalled 

 such of his subjects as served in the English army; 

 a measure which the English considered as a prelude 

 to hostilities. War was soon commenced, but with- 

 out any considerable advantage to either of the 

 countries, and without producing any material 

 change in their relative situations. Robert II. 

 died in 1390, in the seventy-fifth year of his age 

 and nineteenth of his reign, and was succeeded by 

 his eldest son, John, who, upon his accession, called 

 himself Robert III. 



Scotland at this time was rent by the dissensions 

 of its powerful barons, and the feuds of hostile 

 clans. The earl of March, affronted by the king, 

 fled into England. The English refused to give up 

 the earl, and a war immediately ensued. The south- 

 ern counties of Scotland were ravaged by Percy; 

 and Henry IV. proposed to make an entire con- 

 quest of the country. He marched with a large 

 army. He proceeded as far as Edinburgh ; and had, 

 for some time, laid siege to that fortress, when a 

 conspiracy in England rendered it necessary for him 

 to retire. The latter part of the reign of Robert 

 III. was disturbed by the ambition of the duke of 

 Albany. That nobleman, regardless of justice in 

 his measures, procured the death of the duke of 

 Rothesay, the heir of the crown. Unable to take 

 vengeance on the powerful perpetrator, or even to 

 protect the remaining branches of his family, the 

 monarch designed to send his second son, James, 

 into France, for the purpose of being educated in 

 safety. James was intercepted by the English, and 

 detained a prisoner; an event that so much af- 

 fected his father, that he soon died of grief. This 

 event took place in 1405. 



James being then only eleven years of age, and a 

 captive, the regency devolved on the duke of Al- 

 bany, and the kingdom was the scene of much do- 

 mestic confusion. Many Scotchmen repaired to 

 France, where they entered into the army, and ac- 

 quired much honour by their courage and discipline. 

 The Scottish prince was detained in England nine- 

 teen years; but the excellent education bestowed 

 on him, in some measure compensated for the in- 

 justice of his captivity. At length, when he had 

 attained his thirtieth year, he obtained his liberty; 

 and, returning to his own country, he endeavoured 

 to correct those abuses which had arisen from the 

 prevalence of the feudal system in its rudest form. 

 This attempt was far from being agreeable to his 

 "erocious barons; and the resumption of the crown 

 ands which had been alienated during his captivity, 

 rendered him still more odious. Such, at length, 

 was the resentment of some of his nobles, that in 

 1437, he was, by their followers, assassinated while 

 at supper, in a convent in the neighbourhood of 

 Perth. 



His son and successor, James II. being only seven 

 ears of age, the country was subjected to the mis- 



