equally politic, and far lefs culpable. In order to flatter their vanity, and amuse their fuperftition, he left his queen to be delivered in the caftle of Caernarvon; and afterwards prefented the child, whofe name was Edward, to the Welsh lords, as a native of their country, and as their appointed prince. The lords received him with acclamations of joy, confidering him as a master, who would govern them as a distinct people from the English, there being at that time another heir apparent to the English crown. But the death of the eldest son, Alphonfo, foon after made young Edward, who had been thus created prince of Wales, heir alfo to the English monarchy; and ever fince the government of both nations has continued to flow in one undivided channel.

This great and important conqueft being atchieved, paved the way for one of still more importance, though not attended with fuch permanent confequences. Alexander III. king of Scotland, had been killed by a fall from his horse, leaving only Margaret, his granddaughter, heir to the crown, who died fome time after. The death of this princess produced a moft ardent difpute about the fucceffion to the Scottish throne, being claimed by

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no less than twelve competitors. That nation being thus divided into as many factions as there were pretenders, the guardians of the realm would not undertake to decide a difpute of fo much confequence. The nobility of the country were no lefs divided in their opinions; and, after long debates, they at laft unanimously agreed to refer the conteft to the determination of the king of England. The claims of all the other candidates were reduced to three; who were the defcendants of the earl of Huntington by three daughters; John Haftings, who claimed in right of his mother, as one of the co-heireffes of the crown; John Baliol, who alledged his right, as being defcended from the eldest daughter, who was his grandmother; and Robert Bruce, who was the actual fon of the fecond daughter. In this conteft, which was referred to Edward, he pretended the utmoft degree of deliberation; and although he had long formed his refolution, yet he ordered all enquiries to be made on the fubject, that he might be mafter of the arguments that could be advanced on any fide of the question. In this research, he foon difcovered that fome paffages in old chronicles might be produced to favour his own fecret inclinations; and without further delay, instead of admitting the VOL. II. claims

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claims of the competitors, he boldly urged his own; and, to second his pretensions, advanced with a formidable army to the frontiers of the kingdom.

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The Scottish barons were thunder-ftruck at thefe unexpected pretenfions; and though they felt the most extreme indignation at his procedure, yet they refolved to obey his fummons to meet at the caftle of Norham; a place fituated on the fouthern banks of the Tweed, where he convened the parliament of that country. He there produced the proofs of his fuperiority, which he alledged were unquestionable, and defired their concurrence with his claims the fame time advifing them to ufe deliberation, and to examine all his allegations with impartial justice. To a propofal that appeared in itself fo unreasonable, no immediate answer could be given; for where all is defective, it is not easy to fubmit to the combating a part: the barons, therefore, continued filent; and Edward interpreting this for a confent, addreffed himself to the feveral competitors to the crown; and, previous to his appointing one of them as his vaffal, he required their acknowlegement of his fuperiority. He naturally concluded that none of them would venture to difoblige the man who was unani

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mously appointed to be the arbitrator of his pre tenfions. Nor was he deceived; he found them all equally obfequious on this occafion. Robert Bruce was the firft who made the acknowlegement, and the reft quickly followed his example. Edward being thus become the fuperior of the kingdom, undertook next to confider which of the candidates was the fittest to be appointed under him; or it may be, as they appeared all indifferent to him, which had the justeft claim. In order to give this deliberation the appearance of impartiality, an hundred commiffioners were appointed, forty of them being chofen by the candidates who were in the interefts of John Baliol, forty by thofe in the interefts of Robert Bruce; and twenty, who were chofen by Edward himself. Having thus fitted matters to his fatisfaction, he left the commiffioners to fit at Berwick; and went fouthward, to free their deliberations from all fhadow of reftraint. The fubject of the dispute ultimately refted in this question, Whether Baliol, who was defcended from the elder fifter, but farther removed by one degree, was to be preferred before Bruce, who was actually the younger fifter's fon? The rights of inheritance, as at prefent generally practifed over Europe, were even at that time pretty well

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well afcertained; and not only the commiffioners, but many of the beft lawyers of the age, univerfally concurred in affirming Baliol's fuperior claim. claim. Edward, therefore, pro

nounced sentence in his favour; and that candidate, upon renewing his oath of fealty to England, was put in poffeffion of the Scottish kingdom, and all its fortreffes, which had been previously put into the hands of the king of England.

Balio being thus placed upon the Scottish throne, lefs as a king than as a vaffal, Edward's firft ftep was fufficient to convince that people of his intentions to stretch the preroga tive to the utmoft. Inftead of gradually accuftoming the Scots to bear the English yoke, and of fliding in his new power upon them by flow and imperceptible degrees, he began at once to give them notice of his intentions. A merchant of Gafcony had prefented a petition to him, importing, that Alexander, the late king, of Scotland, was indebted to him a large fum,, which was still unpaid, notwithstanding all his follicitations to Baliol, the prefent king, for payment; Edward eagerly embraced this opportunity of exercising his new right, and fummoned the king of Scotland to appear at Westminster,, to answer in person the merchant's complaint..

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