40 ANNALS OF SCOTLAND. 



political fyfbem of Europe, when the death of Alex- 

 ander III. in 1285, wound up that fiourifriing 

 period, and embroiled the two Britifh kingdoms in 

 all the calamities of a fixty years war. 



The population, the commerce, and the refources 

 of Scotland, at the commencement of that de- 

 ftructive period, mull have been very confiderable* 

 The kingdom was fupplied by Genoa, with fhips 

 and arms; and by the Netherlands with arms, 

 {lores, and provifions. 



In the Fcedera, * vol. III. page 771, Edward II. 

 folicits the Earl of Flanders to break off all com- 

 munication 



* In the beginning of the reign of Henry I. king of England, 

 anno noo, the records and regifters of public acts of the crown 

 firil began to be regularly kept. From thefe, Thomas Rymer, 

 Efq. hiltoriographer to queen Anne, publifhed his ^celebrated 

 Fcedera in 20 vols. folio : Confifting of treaties, conventions, 

 letters, grants, &c. between the kings of England, and foreign 

 princes, and ilates ; and alfo, many charters, grants, proclama- 

 tions, &c. of thofe kings, relating to matters with their own 

 lubjects. Tranfcribed fiom the public archives in the Tower of 

 London and the Chapel of the Rolls ; which collection was 

 continued by Mr. Saunderfon, keeper of the faid records. 



Mr. Carte, in a printed advertifement, anno 1 744, relative to 

 his then intended hiftory of England, fays, " That our records 

 began to be kept in the reign of Richard I. (probably he means 

 more generally} when the acts and grants of our kings, under the 

 leal of their Chancery Exchequer, began to be regularly en- 

 rolled and kept in proper repofitories. That the furvey of the 

 lands of the kingdom in doomfday boolt^ and the meriffs accounts for 

 one year of Henry I. and for all the reign, except the firft year, of 

 Henry II, among the rolls, in the Pipe Office, are indeed more 

 antient ; but thefe are not properly acts of our kings ; nor were 

 the acts of other kings in Europe ufually enrolled and entered 

 upon record before that time. In France, before that time, the 

 Chancellor only kept copies of all grants under the great feal, 

 which, at his demife, were delivered over to his fuccelfor ; and 

 the like method was probably obferved in England, and, perhaps, 

 in other parts of Europe. But an accident of our king Richard's 

 furprifing king Philip Auguihis in an ambufh, and feizing of 

 his great feal and the copies of all his grants, made them fall into 

 the method of regiftering in books, and reporting inlecure places, 

 the copies of all grants, &c. And this method feems to have been 

 introduced, at the fame time, into England. " 



The 



