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 less divided in their opinions; and after long debates, they at laft unanimoufly 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 alleged 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 subject, that he might be master of the arguments that could be advanced on any fide of the queftion. 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 claims of the competitors, he boldly urged his own; and, to fecond his pretenfions, advanced with a formidable army to the frontiers of the kingdom.

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 alleged were unquestionable, and defired their

con

concurrence with his claims; at the fame time advifing them to use deliberation, and to examine all his allegations with impartial juftice. To a propofal that appeared in itself fo unreasonable. no immediate anfwer could be given; for where all is defective, it is not eafy 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 acknowledgment of his fuperiority. He naturally concluded that none of them would venture to difoblige the man who was unanimously appointed to be the arbitrator of his pretenfions. Nor was he deceived; he found them all equally obfequious on this occafion. Robert Bruce was the first who made the acknowledgment, 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 jufteft 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 of those 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 restraint. The fubject of the difpute ultimately rested 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 present generally practifed over Europe, were even at that time pretty well ascertained; and not only the commiffioners, but many of the beft lawyers of the age univerfally concurred in affirming Baliol's fuperior claim. Edward, therefore, pronounced fentence 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.

Baliol being thus placed upon the Scottish throne, lefs as a king than a vaffal, Edward's first step was fufficient to convince that people of his intentions to ftretch the prerogative 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 not ce 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 ftill unpaid, notwithstanding all his folicitations 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 perfon the merchant's complaint. Upon fubjects equally trivial, he fent fix different fummonfes, at different times, in one year; fo that the poor Scottish king foon perceived that he was poffeffed of the name only, but not the authority of a fovereign. Willing, there'fore, to fhake off the yoke of fo troublefome a mafter, Baliol revolted, and procured the pope's abfolution from his former oaths of homage. To ftrengthen his hands ftill more, he entered into 'a fecret treaty with Philip, king of France; which

was

was the commencement of an union between these two nations, that for fo many fucceeding ages were fatal to the interefts of England. To confirm this alliance, the king of Scotland ftipulated a marriage between his eldest son, and the daughter. of Philip de Valois.

Edward, to whom these transactions were no fecret, endeavoured to ward the threatened blow, by being the first aggreffor; and accordingly fummoned John to perform the duty of a vasal, and to fend him a fupply of forces against an invafion from France, with which ftate he had for fome time been at variance. He also fummoned him to furrender fome of his principal forts, and to appear at a parliament which was held at Newcastle. None of these commands, as he well forefaw, being complied with, he refolved to enforce obedience by marching a body of thirty thousand foot, and four thousand horse, into the heart of the kingdom of Scotland. As the Scottish nation had little reliance on the vigour, or the courage of their king, they had affigned him a council of twelve noblemen to affift; or, more properly fpeaking, to fuperintend his proceedings. They raised an army of forty thousand men for the prefent emergency, and marched them away to the frontiers, which Edward was now preparing to attack. But fome of the most confiderable of the Scottish nobility, among whom were Robert Bruce and his fon, endeavoured to ingratiate themselves with Edward by an early fubmiffion, which ferved. not a little to intimidate those who ftill adhered to their king. The progrefs, therefore, of the Eng-, lish arms was extremely rapid; Berwick was taken by affault; Sir William Douglafs, the governor, made prifoner, and a garrison of feven thousand men put to the sword. Elated by these advantages, Edward dispatched the earl Warenne, with

ten

ten thousand men, to lay fiege to Dunbar; and the Scotch, fenfible of the importance of that place, advanced with their whole army, under the command of the earls, Mar, Buchan, and Lenox, to relieve it. Although the fuperiority of numbers was greatly on their fide, yet courage and difcipline was entirely on that of the English. The conflict was of fhort continuance; the Scots were foon thrown into confufion, and twenty thoufand of their men were flain upon the field of battle. The caftle of Dunbar, with all its garrifon, furrendered the day following; and Ed-. wand, who was now come up with the main body of his army, led them onward into the country to certain conqueft. The caftles of the greatest ftrength and importance opened their gates to him. almost without refiftance; and the whole southern part of the country acknowledged the conqueror. The northern parts were not fo eafily reducible, being defended by the inacceffible mountains, and intricate forefts, that deform the face of that country. To make himseif mafter of this part of the kingdom, Edward reinforced his army with numbers of men levied in Ireland and Wales, who, being used to this kind of defultory war, were best qualified to feek, or pursue the latent enemy. But Baliol made thefe preparations unneceffary; he found that a ready fubmiffion was more fafe and easy than a fierce refiftance drawn out among mountainous deferts, and thofe folitudes, made ftill more dreadful by famine. He haftened, therefore, to make his peace with the victor, and expreffed the deepest repentance for his former difloyalty. To fatisfy him ftill further, he made a folemn refignation of the crown into his hands; and the whole kingdom foon after followed his example. Edward thus mafter of the kingdom, took every precaution to preserve his title, and to

abolish