conquered, so long as there was any hope of success. Edward I. Wallace, it is true, was guilty of savage cruelty, and A.D. 1305. his brutality to those whom he overcame, on many occasions, cannot, I fear, be doubted. But the acts of Edward himself might have made him look at the deeds of Wallace with less severity; he was powerful, and might have pardoned. Vain, however, Wallace's was this savage punishment; the mangled remains death useof the dead hero appealed to his countrymen more means of eloquently than his persevering courage when alive, the Scotch. and within six months of the death of Wallace, Scotland was once more free.

repressing

returns to

England.

Edward returned to England in the autumn after Edward the capture of Stirling, and kept his Christmas at Lincoln with great joy and magnificence. His victory over the Scots, it may well be supposed, was the subject of much rejoicing. For fifteen years had Edward been at war with Scotland, and at length he was its master.

directs his

to refor

England.

England had suffered much, from the absence of the King, and from the constant state of war in which the country had been kept. On his return, Edward Edward found that justice was administered with great attention negligence and partiality; that the magistrates were mation of bribed, and the rich screened from the law, while the abuses in poor were exposed to the oppression and tyranny of the great." To remedy these evils, the King Trayleissued a special commission, called a Commission of Trayle-baston, to inquire into them, and to take means for the restoration of justice. The origin of the name, given to the Commission, is difficult to determine: some suppose it to be derived from two French words, meaning to draw the staff, because a staff of justice was given to the Commissioners;

baston.

Edward I. others derive it from an instrument used in those days A.D. 1305. by shoemakers, which was called a Trayle-baston,76 and with which they used to beat their apprentices and thus punish them summarily for their faults, and that the Commission was thus called, on account of the speedy justice it was enjoined to administer. In his determination to administer justice, without respect of persons, Edward did not spare his own The Prince, misled by one of his favourites, one Piers Gaveston, whose evil advice was the source of much mischief when the Prince became King, had broken into the park of the Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry at Chester, and killed his deer. For this offence the King ordered him to be imprisoned.

Piers
Gaveston.

Edward gets abso

lution from his oath as

to the forests.

Scotland again revolts with Bruce as leader.

son.

This

The King's love of justice, however, did not prevent his again trying to shake himself free from his promises about the forests. A new Pope, Clement the Fifth, having succeeded to the Papal chair, Edward did not hesitate to avail himself of the opportunity, to obtain absolution from his oath relative to them. caused great dissatisfaction, which the King attempted to quell, by issuing writs to prevent, for the future, the oppressions of which the officers of the forests had been guilty. But he did not order the destruction of the new forests, as he had often promised.

On reaching London, Edward made plans for the government of his new kingdom, but early in the following year Scotland was again in arms.

The leader of the present insurrection was Robert Bruce, grandson of the Bruce who was one of the competitors for the throne. He had, as I have before stated, been a wavering defender of his country, sometimes submitting to Edward, and sometimes fighting for his country's freedom. But still he was

23b

Bruce and

of a noble generous nature, brave as a lion, patient Edward I.
and enduring, and beloved by all who came in contact A.D. 1305.
with him. A quarrel, long smouldering, but at Quarrel
length fiercely burning, with one who, after Baliol's between
resignation, considered he had a rightful claim to the Comyn.
Scottish throne, decided his course. John Comyn,
commonly called the Red Comyn, was Baliol's
nephew (his father, the Black Comyn, having mar-
ried Marjory, Baliol's sister), and had therefore a
better claim to the throne than Bruce; and whilst
Bruce had been constantly wavering between ambition
on one side and efforts to retain Edward's good will
on the other, Comyn had struggled till the last for the
liberty of his country. After the fatal battle of
Stirling, Bruce went to Edward's court in London,
but at the same time, he entered into a secret
league with the Bishop of St. Andrews, the object
of which was the restoration of the freedom of
Scotland, and his own possession of the Crown. This
league became known to Comyn, who was not slow
to avail himself of so good an opportunity of
destroying his rival. He betrayed the plot to
Edward; but the King, wishing to unravel the whole
conspiracy, delayed accusing Bruce, until he was
certain as to all the circumstances. In the mean-
time Bruce received warning that he was betrayed,
and so, without a moment's delay, he took horse, and,
accompanied by a few friends, fled to Scotland. On
the borders he met a messenger hastening to England.
His looks were suspicious, and Bruce ordered him to
be searched. Letters from Comyn to the King were
found upon him, informing him of Bruce's plans.
Bruce hastened on to his Castle of Lochmaben, which
he reached on the fifth day after his sudden flight,

Bruce murders Comyn.

Edward L. having thus ridden on horseback (the only mode of A.D. 1305. travelling in those days) about 400 miles in five days. Bruce and Comyn met at Dumfries, where they both had to attend a court of the English justiciars. Bruce, burning with anger, requested Comyn to meet him in the convent of the Minorite Friars, and Comyn, ignorant that Bruce had discovered his treachery, agreed. High words soon began, and Bruce charged Comyn with treachery. “You lie,” said Comyn, when Bruce drew forth his dagger and (Thursday, stabbed him. Covered with the blood of his rival, Feb. 10.) he rushed into the street, shouting "To horse!" Two

A.D. 1306.

Bruce now determines

of Scot

land.

of his followers, Lindsay and Kirkpatrick, asked Bruce what had happened. "I doubt," said Bruce, "I have slain the Comyn." "Do you doubt?" said Kirkpatrick fiercely, "I'll make sure," and, rushing in, he finished the bloody deed. The English justiciars, who were holding their court in a hall in the castle, thought their lives were in danger, and barricaded the door; but the building was set on fire and the judges surrendered.

There was now no course left to Bruce, but to to be King proceed in his attempt to obtain the Crown. Edward was made aware of his intentions, and would pursue him to the death; he had committed a heavy crime, under circumstances of special enormity-he had murdered a man before the high altar. The die was cast, and he resolved to become a king or perish in the attempt. He gathered together a small band of friends, and among the first who joined him was Sir James Douglas, son of that Douglas who had been the friend of Wallace. He determined to be at once crowned King of Scotland, believing that the possession of the Crown would give him great power.

crowned

The ceremony took place at Scone on March 27th, Edward I. and that he was able so quickly to secure possession A.D. 1306. of the Scottish throne, shows how ripe Scotland was Bruce for revolt from the English. After his coronation, he made a progress through Scotland, seizing many of March 27, the castles and towns of which the English had obtained possession.

Edward received the news of this formidable revolution in Scotch affairs at Winchester, whither he had gone after making a tour of pleasure through Dorset and Hampshire. Although now nearly sixty-five years of age, and hardly able from his corpulence to mount on horseback, or to lead his armies in person, he at once prepared for a seventh invasion of Scotland; but he was obliged to intrust its command to others.

on

A.D. 1306.

invade

for the

time.

This was the age of chivalry, and in order to give Edward greater spirit to the intended expedition, he availed prepares to himself of its imposing ceremonies. He announced Scotland his intention of knighting his eldest son, and pro- seventh claimed that all the young esquires, who had a right Imposing to claim the honour of knighthood, should forth- ceremony of knightwith appear at Westminster to receive that honour hood. with his son; after which they were all to take part in the expedition to Scotland. On the day appointed, 300 young men, the flower of England, 300 youths crowded before the King's palace. The space being in the too small, it was arranged that the ceremony should Temple take place in the Temple Gardens, where the apple trees were cut down to give sufficient room. There they pitched their tents, and the King distributed among them the scarlet cloth, fine linen and embroidered belts made use of on such occasions. Clothed in these, they kept their vigil and watched

Ꮓ

knighted

Gardens.