Anxious in every way to increase the confusions which then distracted the English government, the King of Scotland kept up an intelligence with these marauders; and, on the present occasion, aware of the hostility which was meditated against him by the cardinals, and of their attachment to his enemy, it seems very probable that he employed two leaders of these broken men, Gilbert de Middleton and Walter Selby, to intercept the nuncios, and make themselves masters of their letters and secret instructions. It is certain that, on the approach of the cavalcade to Rushy Ford, a large body of soldiers, headed by these lawless chiefs, rushed out from a wood near the road, and in a short time made the whole party prisoners; seized and stript of their purple and scarlet apparel the unfortunate churchmen; rifled and carried off their luggage and horses; but, without offering violence to their persons, dismissed them to prosecute their journey to Scotland. The bishop elect, and his brother Henry de Beaumont, were carried to Middleton?s castle of Mitford; nor were they liberated from their dungeon till their plate, jewels, and the rich vestments of the cathedral, were sold to raise money for their ransom.
Meanwhile, the papal nuncios, in disconsolate plight, proceeded into Scotland, and arrived at court. Bruce received them courteously, and listened with attention to the message with which they were charged.
Having then consulted with those of his counsellors who were present, upon the proposals, he replied, that he earnestly desired a firm peace between the kingdoms, to be procured by all honourable means; but that as long as he was only addressed as Governor of Scotland, and his own title of king withheld from him, it was impossible for him, without convening his whole council, and the other barons of his realm, to admit the cardinal legates to an interview; nor was it possible for him, before the Feast of St Michael, to summon any council for this purpose. "Among my subjects," said the king, "there are many bearing the name of Robert Bruce, who share, with the rest of my barons, in the government of the kingdom. These letters may possibly be addressed to them; and it is for this reason, that although I have permitted the papal letters, which advise a peace, to be read, as well as your open letters on the same subject, yet to these, as they refuse to me my title of king, I will give no answer, nor will I by any means suffer your sealed letters, which are not directed to the King of Scotland, to be opened in my presence."
The nuncios upon this endeavoured to offer an apology for the omission, by observing, that it was not customary for our holy mother the church either to do or to say anything during the dependence of a controversy, which might prejudice the right of" either of the parties. If then," replied Bruce, "my spiritual father and my holy mother have professed themselves unwilling to create a prejudice against my opponent, by giving to me the title of king, I am at a loss to determine why they have thought proper to prejudice my cause, by withdrawing that title from me during the dependence of the controversy. I am in possession of the kingdom. All my subjects call me king, and by that title do other kings and royal princes address me; but I perceive that my spiritual parents assume an evident partiality amongst their sons. Had you," he continued, "presumed to present letters so addressed to other kings, you might have received an answer in a different style. But I reverence your authority, and entertain all due respect for the Holy See." The messengers now requested that the king would command a temporary cessation of hostilities. "To this," replied Bruce, "I can by no means consent, without the advice of my parliament, and especially whilst the English are in the daily practice of spoiling the property of my subjects, and invading all parts of my realm." During this interview, the king expressed himself with great courtesy, professing all respect for his spiritual Father, and delivering his resolute answers with a mild and placid countenance
.The two nuncios, it seems, had taken along with them into the king's presence another papal messenger, who, having come some time before to inform the Scottish prelates of the coronation of the pope, had been refused admission into Scotland. For this person, who had now waited some months without being permitted to execute his mission, the messengers entreated the king's indulgence; but Bruce, although the discarded envoy stood in the presence-chamber, took no notice of him, and changed the subject with an expression of countenance, which at once imposed silence, and intimated a refusal. When the nuncios questioned the secretaries of the king regarding the cause of this severity, they at once replied, that their master conceived that these letters had not been addressed to him, solely because the pope was unwilling to give him his royal titles. The Scottish councillors informed the nuncios, that if the letters had been addressed to the King of Scots, the negotiations for peace would have immediately commenced; but that neither the king nor his advisers would hear of a treaty, so long as the royal title was withheld, seeing that they were convinced that this slight had been put upon their sovereign through the influence of England, and in contempt of the people of Scotland.
Repulsed by Bruce with so much firmness and dignity, the Bishop of Corbeil returned with haste to the cardinals. They had remained all this time at Durham, and anxious to fulfil their mission, they now determined at all hazards to publish the papal truce in Scotland. For this purpose the papal bulls and instruments were intrusted to Adam Newton, the FatherGuardian of the Minorite Friars of Berwick, who was commanded to repair to the presence of Bruce, and to deliver the letters of his Holiness to the King of Scotland, as well as to the Bishop of St Andrews, and the Scottish prelates. Newton accordingly set out for Scotland, but, anticipating no cordial reception, cautiously left the papal bulls and letters at Berwick, until he should be assured of a safe conduct. After a journey of much hardship and peril, the friar found King Robert encamped with his army, in a wood near Old Cambus, a small town about twelve miles distant from Berwick, busily engaged in constructing warlike engines for the assault of that city, although it was now the middle of December.
Having conferred with Lord Alexander Seton, the seneschal of the king, and received a safe conduct, Newton returned for his papers and credentials to Berwick, and again repaired to Old Cambus. He was then informed by Seton, that Bruce would not admit him to a personal interview, but that he must deliver to him his letters, in order to their being inspected by the king, who was anxious to ascertain whether their contents were friendly or hostile, Newton obeyed, and Bruce observing that the letters and papal instruments were not addressed to him as King of Scotland, returned them to the friar with much contempt, declaring that he would on no account obey the bulls, so long as his royal titles were withheld, and that he was determined to make himself master of Berwick.
The envoy then publicly declared, before the Scottish barons, and a great concourse of spectators, that a two years' truce was, by the authority of the pope, to be observed by the two kingdoms; but his proclamation was treated with such open marks of insolence and contempt, that he began to tremble for. the safety of his person, and earnestly implored them to permit him to pass forward into Scotland, to the presence of those prelates with whom he was commanded to confer, or at least to have a safe conduct back again to Berwick. Both requests were denied him, and he was commanded, without delay, to make the best of his way out of the country. On his way to Berwick, the unfortunate monk was waylaid by four armed ruffians, robbed of his letters and papers, amongst which were the bulls excommunicating the King of Scotland, and after being stript to the skin, turned naked upon the road. "It is rumoured," says he, in an interesting letter addressed to the cardinals, containing the account of his mission, that the Lord Robert, and his accomplices, who instigated this outrage, are now in possession of the letters intrusted to me."
There can be little doubt that the rumour rested on a pretty good foundation. Throughout the whole of this negotiation, the pope was obviously in the interest of the King of England. Edward's intrigues at the Roman court, and the pensions which he bestowed on the cardinals, induced his Holiness to proclaim a truce, which, in the present state of English affairs, was much to be desired; but Bruce, supported by his own clergy, and secure of the affections of his people, despised all papal interference, and succeeded in maintaining the dignity and independence of his kingdom,
Having rid himself of such troublesome opposition, the Scottish king determined to proceed with the siege of Berwick, a town which, as the key to England, was at this time fortified in the strongest manner. Fortunately for the Scots, Edward had committed its defence to a governor, whose severity, and strict adherence to discipline, had disgusted some of the burgesses; and one of these, named Spalding, who had married a Scotchwoman, was seduced from his allegiance, and determined, on the night when it was his turn to take his part in the watch rounds, to assist the enemy in an escalade. This purpose he communicated to the Marshal, and he carried the intelligence directly to Bruce himself, who was not slow in taking advantage of it.
Douglas and Randolph, along with March, were commanded to assemble with a chosen body of men at Duns Park in the evening; and at nightfall, having left their horses at the rendezvous, they marched to Berwick; and, by the assistance of Spalding, fixed their ladders, and scaled the walls. Orders seem to have been given by Bruce, that they should not proceed to storm the town, till reinforced by a stronger body; but Douglas and Randolph found it impossible to restrain their men, who dispersed themselves through the streets, to slay and plunder, whilst, panic-struck with the night attack, the citizens escaped over the walls, or threw themselves into the castle. When day arrived, this disobedience of orders had nearly been fatal to the Scots; for Roger Horsley, the governor of the castle, discovering that they were but a handful of men, made a desperate sally, and all but recovered the city.
Douglas, however, and Randolph, who were veterans in war, and dreaded such an event, had kept their own soldiers well together, and, assisted by a young knight, Sir . William Keith of Galston, who greatly distinguished himself, they at last succeeded in driving the English back to the castle; thus holding good their conquest of the town, till Bruce came up with the rest of his army, and effectually secured it. The presence of the king, with the men of Merse and Teviotdale, intimidated the garrison of the castle, which soon surrendered; and Bruce, with that generous magnanimity which forms so fine a part of his character, disdaining to imitate the cruelty of Edward the First, readily gave quarter to all who were willing to accept it.
For this we have the testimony of the English historians, Thomas de la More, and Adam Murimuth, although the pope, in his bull of excommunication, represents him as having seized Berwick by treachery during a time of truce; and charges him moreover, with having committed a great and cruel slaughter of the inhabitants. Both accusations are unfounded. The truce was publicly disclaimed by the king, and the city was treated with uncommon lenity. It was at this time the chief commercial emporium of England, and its plunder greatly enriched the Scottish army. There were also found in it great quantities of provisions and military stores, and Bruce, after having examined the fortifications, determined to make it an exception from his general rule of demolishing all fortresses recovered from the English.-f In execution of this plan, he committed the keeping of both town and castle to his son-in-law, Walter the Steward; and aware that, from its importance, the English would soon attempt to recover it, he provided it with every sort of warlike engine then used in the defence of fortified places.
Springalds and cranes, with huge machines for discharging iron darts, called balistw de turno, were stationed on the walls; a large body of archers, spearmen, and cross-bowmen, formed the garrison; and the young Steward was assisted in his measures of defence by John Crab, a Fleming, famous for his skill in the rude engineering of the times 4 Five hundred brave gentlemen, who quartered the arms of the Steward, repaired to Berwick, to the support of their chief; and Bruce, having left it victualled for a year, marched with his army into England, and ravaged and laid waste the country. He besieged and made himself master of the castles of Wark and Harbottle, surprised Mitford, and having penetrated into Yorkshire, burnt the towns of Northallerton, Boroughbridge, Scarborough, and Skip ton in Craven. The plunder in these expeditions was great, and the number of the captives may be estimated from the expression of an ancient English chronicle, that the Scots returned into their own country, driving their prisoners like flocks of sheep before them.
Irritated at the contempt of their authority, the cardinal legates solemnly excommunicated Bruce and his adherents; whilst Edward, after an ineffectual attempt to conciliate his parliament and keep together his army, was compelled, by their violent animosities, to disband his troops, and allow the year to pass away in discontent and inactivity. Meanwhile, the death of King Edward Bruce in Ireland, and of Marjory, the king's daughter, who left an only son, Robert, afterwards king, rendered some new enactments necessary regarding the succession to the throne.
