History of Scotland
Our ongoing history of Scotland that chronicles the events in Scotland over the past million years with a special focus on the last thousand as you might expect. We have also digitised a copy of Patrick Tytler's History of Scotland which is an eccentric but wonderfully written history of the the mediaeval years in Scotland. The project of chronicling Scotland's history is ongoing, as is the process of organising and structuring and linking the pages together.
Letter of the barons and community of England to the Pope
On the meeting of the parliament at Lincoln, the king, after having conciliated the good-will of his nobility, by. the confirmation of the great charters of liberties, and of the forests, the last of which he had evaded till now, ordered the pope's bull to be read to the earls and barons assembled in parliament; and, after great debates amongst the lawyers who were present, the nobility of England directed a spirited letter to the pope, with a hundred and four seals appended to it.In this epistle, after complimenting the Holy Roman Church upon the judgment and cau tion with which she respected and inviolably preserved the rights of every individual, they remarked, that a letter from the Holy See had been shown to them by their lord, King Edward, relating to certain matters touching the state and realm of Scotland, which contained divers wonderful and hitherto unheard-of propositions. It was notorious, they observed, in these parts of the world, that from the very first original of the kingdom of England, the kings thereof, as well in the times of the Britons as of the Saxons, enjoyed the superiority and direct dominion of the kingdom of Scotland, and continued either in actual or in virtual possession of the same through successive ages. They declared, that in temporals, the kingdom of Scotland did never, by any colour of right, belong to the Church of Rome; that it was an ancient fief of the crown and kings of England; and that the kings of Scotland, with their kingdom, had been subject only to the kings of England, and to no other.
That with regard to their rights, or other temporalities in that kingdom, the kings of England have never answered, nor ought they to answer, before any ecclesiastical or secular judge, and this on account of the freedom and pre-eminence of their royal dignity, and the custom to this effect observed through all ages. Wherefore, they concluded—"having diligently considered the letters of his Holiness, it is now, and for the future shall be, the unanimous and unshaken resolution of all and every one of us, that our lord the king, concerning his rights in Scotland, or other temporal rights, must in nowise answer judicially before the pope, or submit them to his judgment, or draw them into question by such submission; and that he must not send proxies or commissioners to his Holiness, more especially when it would manifestly tend to the disinheritance of the crown and royal dignity of England, to the notorious subversion of the state of the kingdom, and to the prejudice of our liberties, customs, and laws, delivered to them by their fathers; which, by their oaths, they were bound to observe and defend, and which, by the help of God, they would maintain with their whole force and power." And they added, "that they would not permit the king to do, or even to attempt, such strange and unheard-of things, even if he were willing so far to forget his royal rights. Wherefore they reverently and humbly entreated his Holiness to permit the king to possess his rights in peace, without diminution or disturbance.''
Having in this bold and spirited manner refused to submit his pretended rights in Scotland to the jurisdiction of the See of Rome, the monarch, about two months after the meeting of his parliament at Lincoln, directed a private letter to the pope, which he expressly declared was not a memorial to a judge, but altogether of a different description, and solely intended to quiet and satisfy the conscience of his Holy Father, and in which, at great length, and by arguments too trifling to require confutation, he explained to him the grounds upon which he rested his claim of superiority, and the reasons for his violent invasion of Scotland.
Edward invades Scotland
More intent than ever upon the reduction of this country, Edward once more summoned his barons to meet him in arms at Berwick on the day of St John the Baptist, and directed letters to the different seaports of England and Ireland, for the assembling of a fleet of seventy ships to rendezvous at the same place. He determined to separate his force into two divisions, and to intrust the command of one to his son, the Prince of Wales. A pilgrimage to the shrine of St Thomas-a-Becket, and other holy places, was undertaken by the king previous to his putting himself at the head of his army; and this being concluded, he passed the borders, and besieged and took the castle of Bonkill in the Merse. The Scots contented themselves with laying waste the country; and aware of the hazard of risking a battle, they attacked the straggling parties of the English, and distressed their cavalry, by carrying off the forage.-f- The campaign, however, which had been great in its preparations, passed in unaccountable inactivity. An early winter set in with extreme severity, and many of the large war-horses of the English knights died from cold and hunger; but Edward, who knew that the Scots only waited for his absence, to rise into rebellion, determined to pass the winter at Linlithgow. Here, accordingly, he established the head-quarters of his army, sent orders to England for supplies to be forwarded to his troops, employed his warlike leisure in building a castle, and kept his Christmas with his son and his nobles.The treaty of peace between Edward and Philip of France was still unconcluded; and as Philip continued a warm advocate for Baliol and the Scots, Edward, moved by his remonstrances, gave authority to his envoys at the French court to agree to a truce with Scotland.The envoys, however, were sharply reproved by the king and his nobles, for giving the title of king to Baliol, and permitting, as the basis of the negotiation, the alliance between France and his enemies.Edward was well aware, that if he admitted this, any conclusion of peace with Philip would preclude him from continuing the war which he had so much at heart; and on ratifying the truce, he subjoined his protestation, that although he agreed to a cessation, he did not recognise John Baliol as the King of Scotland, nor the Scots as the allies of the King of France. Having brought these matters to a close at Linlithgow, the king proceeded to Roxburgh, and from this, by Morpeth and Durham, returned to London.
The Scots Deserted by the Pope and by Philip
The perseverance and courage of the Scots were ill supported by their allies. Boniface soon deserted them, and with extreme inconsistence, forgetting his former declarations, addressed a letter of admonition to Wishart, the Bishop of Glasgow, commanding him to desist from all opposition to Edward. Wishart had been delivered from an English prison some time before, and, on taking the oath of fealty, had been received into favour; but unable to quench his love of liberty, or perhaps of intrigue, he had recommenced his opposition to the English; and the pope now addressed him as the "prime mover and instigator of all the tumult and dissension which has arisen between his dearest son in Christ, Edward king of England, and the Scots.''At the same time his Holiness addressed a bull to the body of the Scottish bishops, commanding them to be at peace with Edward, and threatening them, in case of disobedience, with a severer remedy.Deserted by Boniface, the Scots still looked to Philip for support; and aware that the negotiations for peace between France and England were in the course of being concluded, they sent the Earl of Buchan, James the Steward of Scotland, John Soulis oneof the regents^ and Ingelram de Umfraville, to watch over their interests at the French court. But Philip, having been defeated in Flanders, became anxious at all risks to conclude a peace with England, and to concentrate his efforts for the reduction of the revolted Flemings.§ Edward, who had hitherto supported the Flemings, entertained the same wish to direct his undivided strength against the Scots, and a mutual sacrifice of allies was the consequence. The English king paved the way for this, by omitting the Earl of Flanders in the enumeration of his allies, in the former truce ratified at Linlithgow; and Philip, in return, not only left out the Scots in the new truce concluded at Amiens, but entirely excluded them in the subsequent and final treaty of peace not long afterwards signed at Paris. Previous, however, to the conclusion of this treaty, so fatal to the Scots, the army of Edward experienced a signal defeat near Edinburgh.
English defeated at Roslin
Segrave marched from Berwiok towards Edinburgh, about the beginning of Lent, with an army of twenty thousand men, chiefly consisting of cavalry, commanded by some of Edward's best leaders. Amongst these were Segrave's brothers, and Robert de Neville, a noble baron, who had been engaged with Edward in his Welsh wars. In approaching Raslin, Segrave had separated his army into three divisions; and not meeting with an enemy, each division encamped on its own ground, without having established any communication with the others. The first division was led by Segrave himself; the second probably by Ralph de Manton, called, from his office, Ralph the Cofferer; the third by Neville. Early in the morning of the 24th February, Segrave and his soldiers were slumbering in their tents, in careless security, when a boy rushed in, and called out that the enemy were upon them. The news proved true. Sir John Comyn the governor, and Sir Simon Fraser, hearing of the advance of the English, had collected a force of eight thousand horse, and marching in the night from Biggar to Roslin, surprised the enemy in their encampment. Segrave's division was entirely routed; he himself, after a severe wound, was made prisoner, along with sixteen knights, and thirty esquires; his brother and son were seized in bed, and the Scots had begun to collect the booty, and calculate on the ransom, when the second division of the English army appeared. A cruel but necessary order was given to slay theprisoners; and this having been done, the Scots immediately attacked the enemy, who, after an obstinate defence, were put to flight with much slaughter.
The capture of Ralph the Cofferer, a rich booty, and many prisoners, were the fruits of this second attack, which had scarcely concluded, when the third division, led by Sir Robert Neville, was seen in the distance. Worn out by their night-march, and fatigued by two successive attacks, the little army of the Scots thought of an immediate retreat. But this, probably, the proximity of Neville's division rendered impossible; and after again resorting to the same horrid policy of putting to death their prisoners, an obstinate conflict began, which terminated in the death of Neville, and the total defeat of his division. There occurred in this battle a striking but cruel trait of national animosity. Ralph the Cofferer had been taken prisoner by Sir Simon Fraser; and this paymaster of Edward, though a priest, like many of the ecclesiastics and bishops of those fierce times, preferred the coat of mail to the surplice. On the order being given to slay the prisoners, Sir Ralph begged his life might be spared, and promised a large ransom. "This laced hauberk is no priestly habit," observed Fraser; "where is thine albe, or thy hood! Often have you robbed us of our lawful wages, and done us grievous harm. It is now our turn to sum up the account, and exact its payment." Saying this, he first struck off the hands of the unhappy priest, and then severed his head with one blow from his body.The remains of the English army fled to Edward, in England; and the Scots, after resting from their fatigues, collected and divided their booty, and returned home.
Ungenerous Conduct of Philip
This persevering bravery of the Scots in defence of their country, was unfortunately united to a credulity which made them the dupes of the policy of Philip. Although not included in the treaty of Amiens, the French monarch had the address to persuade the Scottish deputies then at Paris, that having concluded his own affairs with Edward, he would devote his whole efforts to mediate a peace between them and England; and he entreated them, in the meantime, to remain with him at the French court, until they could carry back to Scotland intelligence of his having completed the negotiation with Edward on behalf of themselves and their countrymen. The object of Philip, in all this, was to prevent the return of the deputies, amongst whom were some of the most warlike and influential of the Scottish nobles, previous to the expedition which Edwardwas about to lead against theircountry. Unsuspicious of any false dealing, they consented to remain; and in the meantime addressed a letter to the governor and nobility of Scotland, in which they exhorted thent to be of good courage, and to persevere in vindicating the liberties of their country. "You would greatly rejoice," they say in this letter, "if you were aware what a weight of honour this last conflict with the English has conferred upon you throughout the world.Distresses of the Scots
This persevering bravery of the Scots in defence of their country, was unfortunately united to a credulity which made them the dupes of the policy of Philip. Although not included in the treaty of Amiens, the French monarch had the address to persuade the Scottish deputies then at Paris, that having concluded his own affairs with Edward, he would devote his whole efforts to mediate a peace between them and England; and he entreated them, in the meantime, to remain with him at the French court, until they could carry back to Scotland intelligence of his having completed the negotiation with Edward on behalf of themselves and their countrymen. The object of Philip, in all this, was to prevent the return of the deputies, amongstwhom were some of the most warlike and influential of the Scottish nobles, previous to the expedition which Edwardwas about to lead against theircountry. Unsuspicious of any false dealing, they consented to remain; and in the meantime addressed a letter to the governor and nobility of Scotland, in which they exhorted thent to be of good courage, and to persevere in vindicating the liberties of their country. "You would greatly rejoice," they say in this letter, "if you were aware what a weight of honour this last conflict with the English has conferred upon you throughout the world.Wherefore, we beseech you earnestly, that you ontinue to be of good courage. And if the King of England consent to a truce, as we firmly expect he will, do you likewise agree to the same, according to the form which the ambassadors of the King of France shall propose by one of our number, who will be sent to you. But if the King of England, like Pharaoh, shall grow hardened, and continue the war, we beseech you, by the mercy of Christ, that you quit yourselves like men, so that by the assistance of God, and your own courage, you may gain the victory."
Edward Invades Scotland
To gain the victory, however, over the determined perseverance and overwhelming military strength of the English king, was no easy task. The distress of Scotland, from its exposure to the continued ravages of war, had reached a pitch which the people of the land could endure no longer. They became heartbroken for a time, under a load of misery and suffering, from which they could see no relief but in absolute submission; the governor Comyn, the lateguardian Wallace, and the few patriotic nobles who were still in the field, found it impossible to keep an army together; and all men felt assured that the entire subjugation of the country was an event which no human power could possibly prevent or delay.If Edward, at this crisis, again resumed the war, it was evident that nothing could oppose him. We may judge, then, of the desolating feelings of this unhappy country, when word was brought that the King of England had once more collected the whole armed force of his dominions, and, leading his army in person, had passed the Border. The recent defeat at Roslin had chafed and inflamed his passions to the utmost; and he declared that it was his determined purpose either to reduce the nation to entire subjection, or to raze the land utterly with fire and sword, and turn it to a desert, fit only for the beasts of the field. In recording the history of this last miserable campaign, the historian has to tell a tale of sullen submission, and pitiless ravage; he has little to do but to follow in dejection the chariot wheels of the conqueror, and to hear them crushing under their iron weight all that was free, and brave, in a devoted country.
Edward separated his army into two divisions. He gave the command of one to his eldest son, the Prince of Wales, who directed his march westward into Scotland, whilst the king himself, at the head of the second division, proceeded eastward by Morpeth and Roxburgh, and reached the capital without challenge or interruption in the beginning of June, 1303. The whole course of the king, as well as that of the prince, was marked by smoke and devastation, by the plunder of towns and villages, the robbery of granges and garners, the flames of woods, and the destruction of the small tracts of cultivated lands which yet remained. Wherever he turned his arms, the inhabitants submitted to a power which it was impossible for them to resist; and the governor Comyn, Sir Simon Fraser, and the late guardian William Wallace, were driven into the wilds and fastnesses, where they still continued the war by irregular predatory expeditions against the convoys of the English.