kingdoms. But the princess died, and there were a great many claimants to the throne. Of these, the three principal were John Balliol, Robert Bruce, and Hastings, descendants of the three daughters of David, brother of that William the Lion who was captured at Alnwick by Henry II. Edward

was

asked to decide between the rival claimants, and after the Scotch had acknowledged him as their overlord, he decided in favour of Balliol, who did homage to Edward for his crown.

4. For a few years there was peace, but on the outbreak of troubles between England and France,

Balliol joined France against England. This was the beginning of the alliances between France and Scotland against England which so often took place afterwards, and which continued for several centuries. War was declared between England and Scotland, and Edward marched into Scotland. He gained a victory at Dunbar, and Balliol surrendered, being sent a prisoner to the Tower of London.

5. Edward, all through the struggle with Scotland, looked on himself as its rightful lord, and he therefore regarded any resistance to his authority as rebellion. He took possession of Scotland as his fief, taken away from Balliol, as he had been guilty of treason against his lord; and he placed Earl Warrenne at the head of the kingdom, and filled all the chief posts with Englishmen. The Scotch kings were always crowned at Scone,5 on a stone which was supposed to be that on which Jacob laid his head at Bethel, and this stone was considered sacred. Edward had it carried to London, and made into the seat of the chair on which the kings and queens of England are crowned, and it remains in Westminster Abbey to this day. Balliol was set free in two years, and went to France, where he died.

6. Edward did not prove a harsh master to Scotland, but the people of the Lowlands hated to be under his rule, and a man called William Wallace rose up to lead the people against the English, whom they regarded as tyrants. William Wallace is looked upon by the Scotch as one of their great heroes; but much as we may admire his courage and love of his country, we must not on that account think of Edward as a wrongful oppressor, for all through this

struggle we see that he was sincere in his belief in his lawful claim to the overlordship of Scotland.

1298

7. Wallace gained a victory over Earl Warrenne at Cambuskenneth, near Stirling, and after this he became the chief man in the kingdom, under the title “Guardian of the Realm." His power did not last long, for the next year he was defeated by Edward at Falkirk, and barely escaped with his life. Even after this great victory, Edward had some trouble in fully bringing Scotland to submission, so greatly were the people aroused against the English; but at last the country was completely subjugated. Edward was a wise statesman, and he was merciful to the conquered people, pardoning those who had taken part against him, and instead of giving the government into the hands of Englishmen, he entrusted it to a body of Scotch nobles. Sir William Wallace was betrayed to the English, and hanged at Tyburn."

8. Scotland did not long remain in a peaceful state, for a new leader suddenly rose up to take the place of Wallace. This was Robert Bruce, grandson of the Bruce who had been one of the claimants to the crown. He had hitherto been a friend of Edward, and had lived at the English court, but he fled to Scotland, and, after murdering John Comyn, a former regent7 of the country, who refused to join him, he proclaimed himself King, and was crowned at Scone. Edward was no longer merciful. He solemnly swore to take vengeance on Bruce for the murder of Comyn. One of the King's nobles put Bruce to flight, and Edward himself soon followed, and treated with great severity those who had taken up arms, putting many of them

to death. Bruce was not conquered, however, for he appeared again and again after he was put to flight, and gave the English so much trouble that Edward was obliged to make another expedition into Scotland against him. Edward was now an old man, being in his sixty-ninth year, and he was in bad health. He was obliged to travel slowly, and arrived as far as Burgh-on-the Sands, near Carlisle, where he died, within sight of Scotland. Thus the last seventeen years of his reign had been, with intervals, taken up with the affairs of Scotland, and he died, leaving his great work still unfinished.

3 Dunbar, a seaport on the coast of end of London. Haddingtonshire.

7 Regent, one who rules for the

4 Fief, land held from a superior | sovereign.

22.-THE ENGLISH JUSTINIAN.

1. It has been said that Edward was no less famous as a lawgiver than as a warrior, and he is often called "the English Justinian," after a Roman emperor of that name, who was a great lawgiver.

2. One of Edward's famous laws concerned the Church. It forbade people to give land to the Church without the King's consent. The King gained money