Scotland could say that these gifts really implied nothing; that the homage was for English earldoms which they held, and not for their Scotch dominions; and that if any homage was due for Scotland itself, Richard's bargain had cancelled it. Yet so far there was no national enmity between the two. They did not glory in being different races. They fought indeed at times, now one side winning, and now the other. Yet even at the Battle of the Standard David of Scotland fought under the flag of the Dragon, the same sign as that which King Alfred had used, while a Robert Bruce, an ancestor of the Scottish patriot king, was in the English ranks. Scotland had not yet begun to think of England as a tyrant, nor did England look on Scotland as a rebel. This more bitter feeling was to spring from the doings of Edward I., to which we must next turn.

X.-AN EARLY GREAT BRITAIN AND ITS FAILURE.

We have seen Edward I. give England a Parliament in which all classes were represented-a Parliament that carried out the idea of a united English nation. But Edward was not content with this. He aimed at something much wider-a united British race.

His first effort was to join Wales to England. Piece by piece that country had been subdued, until Edward I. the dominions left to the Prince of Wales and Wales. included only the mountainous north-west corner of the country. Llewellyn, who was ruler there, refused to submit to the king. Edward led

an army into Wales, and Llewellyn retired with his forces into the Snowdon range, feeling sure that the king could not follow him. Edward was much too wise to try. Instead of wasting his men among steep rocks, he blocked up all the passes, brought up a fleet to guard the coast, and starved Llewellyn out.

word.

Llewellyn submitted, but he could not keep his Three years later he and his brother David raised a fresh rebellion. This failed also; the Prince himself was killed in a single combat with one of Edward's followers; David was captured and put to death by the king as a traitor. The whole country came into Edward's hands, and he showed that he meant to keep it by bestowing on his son the title of the Prince of Wales, a title ever since given to the eldest son of English monarchs.

Edward now turned to Scotland, and Scottish affairs at this time gave him an excellent chance. Since the reign of John the two kingdoms Edward and had been fairly good friends. The last Scotland; two Scottish kings, Alexander II. and Union by Marriage. Alexander III., had both married English princesses, and now, on the sudden death of Alexander III., his granddaughter Margaret, daughter of the King of Norway, was left heir to the throne. Edward's plan was to unite the two kingdoms by a marriage between this Maid of Norway and his own son Edward, Prince of Wales.

No one can deny that the plan was good, always provided that it was to be wisely carried out. That the union of the two kingdoms has been of benefit to both is undoubted, and it is fair to think that it would have been as useful in 1286 as it proved to be in 1707; that it might well have been brought about by a royal marriage is obvious, for that, we know, is the

very way by which it was brought about. People felt this at the time, for the Scottish Estates wrote to Edward, 66 we on our part heartily consent to the alliance, not doubting that you will agree to reasonable conditions". Edward was very reasonable. In the Treaty of Brigham, which arranged the matter, it was laid down that Scotland was to retain her laws, rights, and liberties, and to remain a separate kingdom. Edward did not, it is plain, look for an immediate or complete union. The union of the crowns would be a good beginning; the rest would follow in course of time. Again we may notice that this was what actually did happen much later. Unluckily all depended on the Maid of Norway, and she fell ill on the voyage from her father's country to Scotland, and had to be landed in Orkney,

Death of the Maid

where she soon died: Thus Edward's scheme failed, and what was far worse, Scotof Norway. land was left without an heir to the throne.

Edward would have acted most wisely if he had recognized that the great chance had gone, and if he had given up any idea of further interference in Scotland. But he saw that his plan was still as good, though it was no longer so easy to carry out. And he was encouraged to go on, since the Scottish barons begged him to act as umpire between the rival claimants to the throne.

Englishmen are too ready to look solely at Edward's object, and to forget his unwise and afterwards violent methods; Scots sometimes only see the latter, and accuse the king of deliberate treachery in all he did. Edward thought of the old English claims over Scotland in the narrow spirit of a lawyer. The Scots urged that these had been sold. But questions of this kind cannot be decided in legal documents, or

THE SCOTS SUCCESSION.

[The names of the three claimants are given in heavy type.]

haggled over as if they were merchandise. Edward had determined to be lord over Britain, cost what it might. Scotland was equally determined to be free. Thus if we argue about oaths and rights we are wasting our breath. Edward may have broken oaths, but Robert Bruce did the same. English troops harried and burnt, but Scottish troops were no whit behind them. We must judge men in times like these by what they felt to be their duty to their country, as things came before them, and not by what they had sworn.

When the Scottish barons met Edward at Norham there were ten candidates. Edward required them Choice of all to acknowledge him as lord paramount Balliol. of Scotland, which they did. A court of eighty Scots and twenty-four Englishmen tried the question. John Balliol and Robert Bruce had the best titles. Balliol was chosen and placed on the throne.

The reign of John Balliol is always regarded as a disgrace alike to king and nation, but it is hard to see that Balliol could have done better. Edward took care, before he set him on the throne, to make him swear to be obedient to him. But the Scottish nation had not the slightest intention of allowing him to be Balliol's obedient. So a quarrel at once broke out. Difficulties. A Scottish noble appealed to Edward against one of Balliol's decisions. Edward bade the Scottish king come to England to have the case decided there. It was clear that, if he refused, Edward would dethrone him; but if he obeyed, his own people would cast him out.

He refused to obey Edward, and Edward marched into Scotland with an army to subdue one whom he looked on as a rebel. He stormed Berwick, where the inhabitants were brutally massacred by his