afe. 75 



of the question to the judgment of King Edward. For 

 such a measure they had many precedents. The 

 English king and his barons, in the preceding reign, had 

 endeavoured to settle their differences by a reference 

 to the King of France, and the integrity of that monarch 

 had prevented any of the bad effects which might other- 

 wise have ensued. The kings of France and Arragon, 

 and afterwards other princes, had appealed in like 

 manner to Edward's arbitration, and he had acquitted 

 himself with honour in his decisions. The parlia- 

 ment of Scotland, therefore, wishing if possible to pre- 

 vent the misery attendant on civil discord, and allured 

 by the great reputation of the English monarch, as well 

 as by the amicable correspondence which had existed 

 between the kingdoms, agreed in making a reference to 

 Edward. Men of probity were chosen as deputies, and 

 among these, Frazer, Bishop of St. Andrews, left his 

 quiet home on the plains of Fife, at a short distance from 

 the German ocean, to undertake a long and perilous ex- 

 pedition to the English court. They remembered that 

 her monarch would have stood in the relationship of a 

 father to their young queen, they had heard much 

 concerning his integrity and honour, and how he had 

 kept peace in France and Arragon, and they flattered 

 themselves that he would now interfere in the affairs 

 of a sister kingdom, with such authority as none of 

 the competitors would dare to withstand. 



Hope revived in Scotland, and many fondly trusted 



E 2 



