He wrote a letter to Douglas in his own name,* and in the name of the Earl of Hereford, and other barons of that party, requesting an interview, "that we may," said he, " adjust all points of our alliance, and agree to live and die together." At the same time, he desired a passport for messengers to be sent into Scotland.

The bearer of this letter was to have delivered it on the 7th of February; but Douglas had removed his quarters, and by that accident there was some time lost. More time still was lost, because Douglas judged it necessary to procure the passport from Randolph, who then lay in Scotland near the borders. And thus it happened that Douglas could not return any answer before the 17th February. His answer was general, referring to the messenger for particulars. It was addressed to King Arthur, which seems to have been a sort of cypher denoting the Earl of Lancaster. It does not appear that the unhappy man had so much as concerted the terms of his treaty with the enemies of England. After so many days had been lost at this

* The letter is in Foedera, T. iii. p. 927. Although not signed, it must have been addressed to Douglas from the Earl of Lancaster.

† This is more probable than that Thomas Earl of Lancaster should have assumed to himself the title of King, under the fantastic appellation of Arthur. 1. In the proposal for an alliance with Scotland, which was found upon the Earl of Hereford, he is called Earl of Lancaster. 2. In his trial no mention is made of his having assumed or received the appellation of King; yet the circumstance of the letter addressed to King Arthur was known at that time; for Walsingham, p. 116. says, " cum Thomas Comes introductus fuisset in villam (Pontefract) a tota gente derisus est, et acclamatus Rex Arthurus, et ubique subsannatus."

critical conjuncture, Lancaster continued his retreat towards the north. Sir Andrew Hartcla met him near Borrough-bridge, and defeated his army, (16th March 1321-2).25 The Earl of Hereford was slain in the action. Lancaster fled, and next day surrendered himself. Having been tried in presence of the King and barons, he was found guilty and beheaded,* (22d March 1321-2).

The services of Sir Andrew Hartcla were rewarded with the dignity of Earl of Carlisle, conferred on him and his issue male. To this an annual pension of 1000 marks was added.*"

1322.

In a high strain of exultation, Edward informed the Pope, that he had crushed his rebellious subjects, and was preparing to invade Scotland.27 "Give yourself no farther solicitude," said he, " about a truce with the Scots; the exigencies of my affairs inclined me formerly to listen to such proposals; but now I am resolved to establish peace by force of arms," (25th March).

While Edward was making his preparations for subduing Scotland, the Scots penetrated by the western marches into Lancashire, spoiled the coun

* The people of England imagined that many miracles were wrought through the intercession of the Earl of Lancaster; and, which is more extraordinary, Edward III. solicited the Pope to canonize this person, who was undoubtedly a traitor to his country; Foedera, T. iv. p. 268.

try at pleasure, and returned home loaded with extraordinary booty.*28

Edward, after having requested the Pope to enforce the sentence of excommunication against the Scots, invaded Scotland with a formidable army, (August).*9

The King of Scots had been obliged, at Bannockburn, to risk the fate of his kingdom on the event of one battle; but now there was no such necessity; and therefore he avoided a general engagement, where every thing might have been lost, and where nought but glory could have been won. Having ordered the whole cattle and flocks to be driven off, and all effects of value to be removed from the Merse and Lothian, he fixed his camp at Culross, on the north side of the Frith of Forth.30

His orders were so exactly obeyed, that, as tradition reports, the only prey that fell into the hands of the English was a lame bull at Tranent in East-Lothian.31 "Is that all that ye have got?" said Earl Warenne, when the spoilers returned to the camp; " I never saw so dear a beast."+

* This inroad is well described by Knyghton, p. 2542. " Anno gratiae 1322, circa translationem Sancti Thomae, intraverunt Scoti in Angliam per medium Fornesiae, et comitatum Lancastriae devastaverunt undique, absque aliquo damno suorum, colligentes immensam praedam auri et argenti, animalium, ornamentorum ecclesiasticorum, lectualium, mensalium, abducentes onustas carrectas de omnibus bonis patriae ad suum placitum."

+ This sarcastical and ill-timed reflection is related as in Barbour, p. 386. Fordun, L. xiii. c. 4. gives it in still fewer words: " Quod illius tauri caro erat nimis cara;" that is, " This beef is very dear." Had Warenne spoken thus to the King, it

32

Edward advanced to the neighbourhood of Edinburgh, without opposition, indeed, but also without hope of mastering the kingdom. 3* His provisions were soon consumed, and there was no possibility of obtaining any supplies. Famine began to prevail in the English camp, and many of the soldiers perished for want of food. Edward, after all his mighty preparations for subduing Scotland, was obliged to retire without having ever seen an enemy. His soldiers, in their retreat, plundered the abbeys of Holyrood and Melros, burnt the abbey of Dryburgh, and other hallowed places, slew many monks, and violated whatever was most sacred in their religion.* Returning to commodious and plentiful quarters in England, they indulged themselves in excesses productive of mortal diseases, in so much that, according to an English historian, 33 almost one-half of the great army which Edward had led into Scotland, was destroyed either by hunger or intemperance.†

might have been considered as a gallant freedom of speech, suiting a baron of those times; but the words addressed to the soldiers, would have been petulance and mutiny in any age.

* " Spoliatis tamen in reditu Anglorum, et praedatis monasteriis Sanctae Crucis de Edinburgh et de Melros, atque ad magnam desolationem perductis; in ipso namque monasterio de Melros Dominus Willelmus de Peblis, ejusdem monasterii prior, unus etiam monachus tunc infirmus et duo conversi caeci effecti, în dormitorio eorundem ab eisdem Anglis sunt interfecti, et plures monachi lethaliter vulnerati, corpus Dominicum super magnum altare fuit projectum, ablatâ pixide argentea in qua erat repositum. Monasterium de Driburgh igne penitus consumptum est, et in pulverem redactum, ac alia pia loca quamplurima per praedicti Regis violentiam ignis flamma consumpsit;" Fordun, L. xiii. c. 4.

† "Cumque multi de Regis exercitu pervenissent ad propria, et gustassent cibos avidius, mox vel diruptis visceribus Edward, on his return to England, appointed Andrew Hartcla guardian of the west marches, and David de Strathbolgie Earl of Athole, guardian of the east, (15th September).34

Edward had scarcely taken these precautions for the security of his kingdom, when the Scots appeared with a numerous army before the castle of Norham.35 Edward lay at the abbey of Biland in Yorkshire; a body of his troops was advantageously posted in the neighbourhood. The Scots, by a forced march, endeavoured to surprise him: to this, it is said, they were incited by some traitors who were about his person.* Edward escaped to York with the utmost difficulty, abandoning all his baggage and treasure to the enemy. 36 The English camp was supposed to be accessible only by one narrow pass. 37 Douglas undertook to force it. Randolph, leaving that part of the army which he

moriebantur, aut consumptâ naturâ semper imbecilles et debiles permanserunt, vires praehabitas recuperare non valentes;" Walsingham, p. 117. "Ubi penè perdidit mediam gentem suam pudibundě maximè; ibid. Knyghton, p. 2542. says, that near 16000 men perished. Knyghton erroneously supposes, that, in the following year, Edward again marched into Scotland, and returned, after having proceeded no farther than to Melros.

* Edward himself seems to have ascribed this to the negligence of Lewis de Beaumont Bishop of Durham. Henry de Beaumont had said, that if his brother Lewis, or any other person of noble birth, was appointed to the see of Durham, m. he would so well defend the frontier, as to be like a stone wall against the invasions of the Scots. " I named you Bishop, said the King to Lewis de Beaumont, and yet your negligence has been so great, that your territory and the adjacent parts have suffered more from the Scots under your administration than in the days of any of your predecessors;" Foedera, T. iii. p. 994.