SCOTLAND. 



ancle, king Edward of England, fhe feemed firmly feated 

 on the throne; acircumitance fromwhichtheEnglilh monarch 

 was ltd to anticipate great advantages. Having lately fub- 

 jugated Wales, lie formed the plan of marrying his cldelt fon, 

 Edward, to the Scottilh queen, hoping thereby to confoli- 

 date the whole idand into one monarchy. With this view he 

 drew clofer the ties of amity between England and Nor- 

 way, and did all in his power to attach the Scottifh regency 

 and nobles to his intereft. The friendfhip which had of late 

 prevailed between the two nations greatly facilitated the exe- 

 cution of this defign, fo favourable to the happinefs and 

 grandeur of both kingdoms. The ftates of Scotland not 

 only gave a ready ali'ent to the marriage, but agreed that 

 their young fovereign fliould be educated in the court of 

 Edward. Anxious, at the fame time, to enfure the inde- 

 pendence of their country, they took care to ftipulate very 

 equitable conditions before they entrufted themfelves into 

 the hands of fo ambitious a monarch. It was folemnly 

 agreed that they Ihould enjoy all their ancient laws, liberties, 

 and cultoms ; that in cafe their queen (hould die without 

 iffue, the crown of Scotland (hould revert to the next heir, 

 and (hould be inherited by him free and independent ; that 

 the military tenants of the crown fhould never be obliged to 

 leave Scotland, in order to do homage to the fovereign of 

 the united kingdoms, nor the chapters of cathedrals, col- 

 legiate or conventual churches, in order to make eleftions ; 

 that the parliaments fummoned for Scotti(h affairs (hould 

 always be held within the bounds of that kingdom ; and that 

 Edward (hould bind himfelf, under the penalty of 100,000 

 marks, payable to the pope, to obferve all thefe articles. 

 It is not eafy to conceive that two nations could have treated 

 upon terms of greater equality than Scotland and England 

 maintained during the whole courfe of this tranlattion ; 

 and though Edward gave his aflent to the article concerning 

 the future independence of the Scolti(h crown, with a faving 

 of his former rights, this referve gave no alarm to the riobi- 

 lity of Scotland. The marriage treaty was therefore figned 

 at Brigham, on the 1 8th of July 1290, with the cordial con- 

 currence of all parties. 



But this project, fo happily planned, and fo amicably 

 conduded, failed of fuccefs by the fudden demife of the 

 Norwegian princefs, who expired in Orkney, while on her 

 paffage to Scotland, and left a very difmal profpeft to the 

 kingdom. Though for the prefent diforders were prevented 

 by the authority of the regency, the fuccelTion of the crown 

 was now become an objeft of difpute, and the regents could 

 not expeft that a controverfy, which is not ufually decided 

 by reafon and argument, would be peaceably fettled by them, 

 OF even by the ftates of the kingdom, amidil fo many power- 

 ful competitors. As the pofterity of king William became 

 extinft by the death of the Maid of Norway, the right to 

 the throne devolved on the ilTue of David, earl of Hun- 

 tington, brother of William, whofe male line beings alio 

 extinft, left the fuccelfion open to the pofterity of his 

 daughters. 



The earl had three daughters, Margaret, married to Allen, 

 lord of Galloway; Ifabella, wife of Robert Bruce, lord of 

 Annandale ; and Adama, who efpoufed Henry, lord Haftings. 

 Margaret, the eldeft of the fifters, left one daughter, De- 

 vergilda, married to John Baliol, by whom (he had a fon of 

 the lame name, one of the prefent claimants. Ifabella, the 

 fecond, bore a lor, Robert Bruce, who was now alive, and alfo 

 urged his pretenfions ; Adama, the third, left a fon, John 

 Haftings, who contended that the kingdom of Scotland, hke 

 other inheritances, ought to be divided equally among the 

 three daughters of the earl of Huntington, and that he had 

 a right to a third of it, us reprefenting his mother. BaLol 



and Bruce united againft Haftings in maintaining the indivi- 

 Ability of the kingdom, but each of them fupported by 

 plaufible arguments the preference of his own title. This 

 occalioneda long and complicated inveftigation and difpute, 

 Edward of England was appointed umpire, and he pro- 

 nounced in favour of Baliol ; but as he treated him in many 

 refpefts as a vaftal, impofing upon him the moft degrading 

 fervices, Bahol was foon incited to refift his pretenfions, 

 and the two kingdoms were thus involved m a war, which 

 terminated in the conqueft of Scotland. Edward, having 

 fettled the government, and, as he thought, enfurcd tran- 

 quillity, returned to the fouth, carrying with him the (lone 

 chair in which the Scottifh kings were feated during the ce- 

 remony of coronation. Baliol was fent a prifoner to the 

 Tower of London, where he remained two years, and was 

 only liberated upon the condition of refiding upon the con- 

 tinent during the remainder of his life. At this period 

 William Wallace, one of the greatell heroes of which the 

 annals of hillory can boall, appeared as the vindicator of his 

 country's freedom. Beginning with fmall attempts, in 

 which he was always fuccefsful, he gradually proceeded to 

 more momentous enterprifes, and difcovered equal caution 

 ill fecuring his followers, and valour in annoying the enemy. 

 His intimate knowledge of the country enabled him, when 

 purfued, to enfure a retreat among the moralFes, in the foreits, 

 or the mountains. At times he difperfed his aflbciates in 

 one place, and collefting them again in fome diftant quarter, 

 furprifed and routed t!ie Englilh before they had any idea of 

 his approach. Every day was marked by fome daring ex- 

 ploit, which increafed his influence and means. At length 

 he refolved to ftrike a decifive blow, by attacking Ormefby at 

 Scone. The jufticiary, apprized of his intentions, fled 

 haftily into England, and was followed by all his colleagues 

 in office, an event which g^ve a new character to the efforts 

 of Wallace. Many of the principal barons, and particu- 

 larly fir William Douglas, now openly countenanced his 

 party, and the nation at large prepared to defend, by an 

 united effort, that hberty, which they had fo unexpeftedly 

 recovered. 



In the mean time, the carl of Surrey liaving muftered an 

 army of 40,000 men, haftened to fupprefs an infurreftion, 

 which had become formidable in a great meafure from his 

 own negligence. After traverfing Annandale, he marched 

 along the weftern coaft to Irvine, where he found the Scots 

 encamped, and fufficiently formidable by their numbers to 

 have punifhed his temerity, if diftruft and difunion had not 

 weakened their ranks. Fortunately for him, however, the 

 jealoufies of the nobles were ftill ftronger than their 

 patriotifm, and many of them auguring no advantage from 

 refiftance, fubmitted to the Enghfh, and received pardon. 

 Others, who had not fo unequivocally declared them.felves, 

 likewife joined the oppreflors of their country. Wallace 

 alone remained inexorable to bribe or threat ; but thus de- 

 ferted, he was unable to give battle to the governor, and 

 therefore marched to the northward, with the intention of 

 prolonging the war, and of turning to his advantage the 

 mountainous diftricls of the Highlands. When Warrene 

 arrived at Stirling, the Scottilh hero lay encamped at Cam- 

 bufkenneth, on the oppofite fide of the Forth ; the Englifh 

 commander again endavourcd to negociate, but Wallace re- 

 plied, that his objeft was not to treat, but to fet Scotland 

 free. This bold language being conftrued by the Englifh 

 as a defiance, they demanded to be led againlt the enemy. 

 Warrene hefitated, but Crellingham urged an immediate 

 attack, and his counfels prevailed. The Englifh began to 

 pafs the bridge that feparatcd the two armies, but before 

 half of them had reached the oppofite fide, they were at- 

 tacked 



