from

History of Scotland

King Edward's foreign war compelled him to submit to several truces with the Scots. These were not easily kept. It was not as of old, when crossing the border broke the truce. The southern districts of the country were half ruled by England , half by Scotland. The truces required that the Scots should abstain from molesting, not only the inhabitants of England, but the King of England's subjects in Scotland . But the very possession by the Scots of certain strongholds within the boundaries occupied by these subjects was in itself a waging of war; and as the national party waxed stronger they were not content to restrain the war within their own country, but recommenced the old raids across the border -when Edward was with his army in France. As Shakespeare puts it, in the words of Henry V.-

" The Scot, Who bath been still a giddy neighbour to us. For you shall read that my great-grandfather Never went with his forces into France But that the Scot, in his unfurnished kingdom, Came pouring, like the tide into a breach, With ample brim and fulness of his force, Galling the gleane 'd land with hot essays, Girding with grievous siege castles and towers, That England, being empty of defence, Hath shook and trembled at th' ill neighbourhood."

It appears to have been by desire of the French Court, and in pursuance of the alliance with France, that a serious invasion of England was at last projected. King Edward was busy with the siege of Calais in 1346, when. a large Scots force assembled at Perth and marched southwards. They were under the command of King David, then twenty-two years old. He had been educated in a bad warlike school for effective service in Scots warfare. Feats of arms which had nothing to recommend them but their dashing character, headlong acts of audacity done in the spirit of gambling with the most momentous interests) bad become fashionable among the chivalry of Europe, and especially in France. It was more to the spirit of rash adventure than to deficiency of prowess or courage that France owed most of her disasters; and her ally seemed to participate in the same spirit, to be led to like results.

The array of the north of England was called out under the authority of the Archbishop of York. Again the force organized was conspicuous for the number of clergy embodied in it, but this time they were in better hands than on the fatal day of the Chapter of Mitton, for the archbishop had two warlike assistants, Henry Percy and Ralph Neville. The Scots army reached the neighborhood of Durham, where events showed that the Organization for intelligence was signally imperfect. The Knight of Liddesdale, on a foraging party, found himself face to face with the English army. The party fled, much diminished by slaughter, to the protection of their own lines. They brought their pursuers with them, and thus the Scots army were aware of the presence of the enemy in that very discouraging shape-the reception of a scattered body of fugitives. On the '7th of October 1346 the two armies fought. For the second time at least the Scots suffered terribly from that scourge for which they were unprepared - the English archers. To charge them in flank with a party of horse, as at Bannockburn, was the remedy. It was suggested by one of the commanders, but the suggestion was useless, as the means had not been provided, and could not be improvised. It was a complete victory to England; and what crowned the calamity for Scotland, King David was carried off a prisoner. The Steward and the Earl of March, who were next in command, drew away the remnant of the army. Froissart threw a romantic interest over this English triumph, by a story that the victorious troops were led by that gentle Queen Philippa, who interceded for the burgeses of Calais ; but this has not the confirmation which so remarkable an incident would certainly have had from native authors.

This victory is connected with other legends and reminiscences, which show the importance given to it iii England. It was more than a mere victory by human prowess; the intervention of the Deity was clearly visible in it. An old memorial, which relates the legends of its day, and describes some trophies of the victory, preserved at Durham, tells how, on the night before the battle, there did appear to John Fossour, then prior of the Abbey of Durham, a vision commanding him to take the holy corporax cloth wherewith St Cuthbert did cover the chalice when he used to say mass, and stick it on a spear-point as a banner, wherewith he was to take up his stand on the Red Hills, and there abide until the battle that was to be should be over. The prior gave full obedience to this injunction, " taking the same for a revelation of God's grace and mercy through the mediation of holy St Cuthbert." Standing on the Red Hills with his monks around him, all prostrate in Prayer, there came crowds of the Scots running towards them, who pressed on them with evil intent, but had no power to commit violence on holy persons so occupied ' lr)d protected. They witnessed, ere the battle was over, " many conflicts and warlike exploits ; " but of these they give no account, deeming them a secondary matter of mere detail when weighed with the preparations for securing victory made by themselves.

The loss to the Scots is described as the capture of their kin,-, " and with him were taken four earls, two lords the Archbishop of St Andrews, one other bishop, one knight, and many others." Among the slain, besides " many lords and Scotsmen, to the number of, one and other, fifteen thousand," are included that mystical body, seven earls of Scotland."

The abbot has another loss to record, quite as great in his eyes-infinitely greater in its gain to the patrimony of St Cuthbert: this was the Black Rood of Scotland, so important as a national palladium that, after its removal by Edward I., it had been restored to Scotland by treaty. - It was kept, as we are told, in Durham Abbey, on the pillar next St Cuthbert's shrine in the south aisle. The national banner of Scotland, and several leaders' pennons, were a fitting accompaniment to this prize.

The importance of this battle is shown in the solemnities with which it was commemorated. The prior caused make a goodly and sumptuous banner, with pipes or rings of silver, and various costly decorations. The corporax cloth was let into the center of this banner, which was kept in a chest in the "Ferretorie," to be carried in the abbey on festival days, and especially to be displayed in battle. A cross was erected on the place where the monks assembled: a more gorgeous cross was erected on the field of battle by Sir Ralph Neville-hence the field afterwards obtained its name. It stood until the year I589, when it was destroyed, apparently b some zealous reformers.'

King David -was taken to the Tower of London with a train of captives. We find in the English writs of the day provision made for the detention of the bulk of these as prisoners of war waiting for ransom. These are spoken gf as Scots; but two of high rank were reserved for punishment as traitors-the Earls of Menteith and Fife. It was charged against them that they had sworn allegiance to Edward, King of Scotland, holding that fief as vassal to the King of England-a specialty repeated, as usual, at every turn of the proceedings against them. These were peculiar sort of compromise between the trial of an English subject and the condemnation of an alien captive, like the proceedings against Wallace. A commission was appointed for their trial, but the sentence to be pronounced on them was sent from Calais, as adjusted there by the king and his council. The sentence was death in the cruel manner of the English treason law; on Menteith it was executed but Fife was spared.