The History of Scotland (1845) Book

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pendent of Edward's: for the last sixteen years he had been supported by the money, and had lived under the protection, of England.1 He was now an old man ; and he could not entertain the slightest hope of subduing the country which he still affected to consider as his own. In return for this surrender of his crown, Edward now agreed to settle upon him an annuity of two thousand pounds; and, when commanded to strip himself of his unsubstantial honours, he at once obeyed his master, and sunk into the rank of a private baron. During one part of his life, when he fought at Dup- plin, and took part with the disinherited barons, he had shown a considerable talent for war; but this last base act proved that he was unworthy of the throne from which he had almost expelled the descendants of Bruce. He died, not many years after this event, in obscurity, and, fortunately for Scotland, without children. Meanwhile Edward, who had thus procured the donation of the kingdom from Baliol, and extorted the acknowledgment of homage from David, persuading himself that he had a just quarrel, hastened his warlike preparations, and determined to invade the country with a force, against which all resistance would be unavailing. The present leaders of the Scots had not forgotten the lessons taught them by the rashness of David; and they wisely resolved to meet this invasion in the manner pointed out by the wisdom of Wallace, and the dying directions of Bruce. Orders were accordingly issued for the inhabitants to drive away their flocks and herds, and to convey all their valuable property beyond the Firth of Forth, into the castles, caverns, and strongholds frequently 1 Rotuli Scotise, vol. i. pp. 544, 546. chapter{Section 4used for such purposes; to destroy and burn the hay and forage which wa...