Baliol being thus placed upon the Scottish throne, lefs as a king than as a vaffal, Edward's first step was fufficient to convince that people of his intentions to ftretch the prerogative to the utmoft. Upon the moft frivolous pretences, he fent fix different fummonfes for Baliol to appear in London at different times, in one year; fo that the poor Scottish king foon perceived that he was poffeffed of the name only, but not the authority of a fovereign. Willing, therefore, to flake off the yoke of fo troublefome a mafter, Baliol revolted, and procured the pope's abfolution from his former oaths of homage.

But no power the Scotch could bring into the field was able to withstand the victorious army of Edward. He overthrew their forces in many engagements, and thus becoming undifputed mafter of the kingdom, he took every precaution to fecure his title, and to abolifh those distinctions, which might be apt to keep the nation in its former independence. Baliol was carried a prisoner to London, and he carefully destroyed all records and monuments of antiquity, that inspired the Scotch with a fpirit of national pride.

Thefe expeditions, however, terminated rather in. glory than advantage: the expences which were requisite for carrying on the war, were not only burthenfome to the king, but even, in the event, threatened to shake him on his throne. In order at first to fet the great machine in movement, he raised consider-` able fupplies by means of his parliament; and that auguft body was then first modelled by him into the form in which it continues to this day. As a great part of the property of the kingdom was, by the introduction of commerce, and the improvement of agriculture, transferred from the barons to the lower claffes of the people, fo their confent was thought neceffary for the raifing any confiderable fupplies. For this reafon, he iffued writs to the fheriffs, enjoining them to fend to parliament along with two

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knights of the fhire, (as in the former reign) two deputies from each borough within their county; and thefe provided with fufficient powers from their conftituents, to grant fuch demands as they fhould think reasonable for the fafety of the ftate. One of the first efforts, therefore, was to oblige the king's council to fign the Magna Charta, and to add a clause, to fecure the nation for ever against all impofitions and taxes, without the confent of parliament. This the king's council (for Edward was at that time in Flanders) readily agreed to fign; and the king himself, when it was fent over to him, after fome hesitation, thought proper to do the fame. Thefe conceffions

he again confirmed upon his return; and though it is probable he was averfe to granting them, yet he was at laft brought to give a plenary confent to all the articles that were demanded of him. Thus, after the conteft of an age, the Magna Charta was finally established: : nor was it the least circumstance in its favour, that its confirmation was procured from one of the greatest and boldest princes that ever fwayed the Englith fceptre.

In the mean time, William Wallace, fo celebrated in Scottish story, attempted to rescue Scotland from the English yoke. He was younger fon of a gentleman, who lived in the weftern part of the kingdom. He was a man of a gigantic ftature, incredible flrength, and amazing intrepidity; eagerly defirous of independence, and poffeffed with the moft difinterested fpirit of patriotifm. To this man had reforted all thofe who were obnoxious to the English government; the proud, the bold, the criminal, and the ambitious. Thefe, bred among dangers and hardships themselves, could not forbear admiring in their leader a degree of patience, under fatigue and famine, which they fuppofed beyond the power of human nature to endure; he foon, therefore, became the principal object of their affection and their efteem.

His

His first exploits were confined to petty ravages, and' occafional attacks upon the English; but he foon overthrew the English armies, and flew their generals.

Edward, who had been over in Flanders, while thefe misfortunes happened in England, haftened back with impatience to reftore his authority, and fecure his former conquefts. He quickly levied the whole force of his dominions; and at the head of an hundred thousand men, directed his march to the North, fully refolved to take vengeance upon the Scots for their late defection.

A battle was fought at Falkirk, in which Edward gained a complete victory, leaving twelve, thoufand of the Scotch, or, as fome will have it, fifty thousand, dead upon the field, while the English had not arr hundred flaina

A blow fo dreadful, had not as yet entirely crushed the fpirit of the Scotch nation; and after a fhort interval, they began to breathe from their calamities. Wallace, who had gained all their regards by his va lour, fhewed that he ftill merited them more by his declining the rewards of ambition. Perceiving how much he was envied by the nobility, and knowing how prejudicial that envy would prove to the interefts of his country, he refigned the regency of the kingdom, and humbled himfelf to a private station. He propofed Cummin as the propereft person to fupply his room; and that nobleman endeavoured to thew himself worthy of this pre-eminence. He foon began to annoy the enemy; and not content with a defenfive war, made incurfions into the fouthern Counties of the kingdom, which Edward had imagined wholly fubdued. They attacked an army of the English lying at Roflin, near Edinburgh, and gained a complete victory.

But it was not easy for any circumstances of bad fortune to reprefs the enterprizing fpirit of the king. He affembled a great fleet and army; and, entering E 37

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the frontiers of Scotland, appeared with a force which the enemy could not think of refifting in the open field. Affured of fuccefs, he marched along, and traverfed the kingdom from one end to the other, ravaging the open country, taking all the caftles, and receiving the fubmiffions of all the nobles. There feemed to remain only one obftacle to the final deftruction of the Scottish monarchy, and that was William Wallace, who ftill continued refractory; and wandering with a few forces from mountain to moun tain, preferved his native independence and ufual good fortune. But even their feeble hopes from him were foon difappointed; he was betrayed into the king's hands by Sir John Monteith, his friend, whom he had made acquainted with the place of his concealment, being furprized by him as he lay afleep in the neighbourhood of Glafgow. The king, willing to ftrike the Scotch with an example of feverity, or dered him to be conducted in chains to London, where he was hanged, drawn and quartered, with the most brutal ferocity.

Robert Bruce, who had been one of the compe-` titors for the crown, but was long kept a prisoner in London, at length efcaping from his guards, refolved to ftrike for his countries freedom. Having murdered one of the king's fervants, he left himself no refource, but to confirm, by defperate valour, what he had begun in cruelty; and he foon expelled fuch of the English forces, as had fixed themselves in the king. dom. Soon after, he was folemnly crowned king, by the bishop of St. Andrew's, in the abbey of Scone; and numbers flocked to his ftandard, refolved to confirm his pretenfions. Thus, after twice conquering. the kingdom, and as often pardoning the delinquents; after having fpread his victories in every quarter of the country, and receiving the most humble submisfions, the old king faw, that his whole work was to begin afresh; and that nothing but the final deftruc

tion of the inhabitants could give him affurance of tranquility. But no difficulties could reprefs the arduous fpirit of this monarch, who, tho' now verging towards his decline, yet refolved to strike a parting blow, and to make the Scotch once more tremble at his appearance. He vowed revenge against the whole nation; and averred, that nothing but reducing thera to the completeft bondage could fatisfy his refentment. He fummoned his prelates, nobility, and all who held by knights fervice, to meet him at Car-lifle, which was appointed as the general rendezvous; and, in the mean time, he detached a body of forces before him into Scotland, under the command of Aymer de Valence, who began the threatened infliction by a terrible victory over Bruce, near Methuen, in Perthshire. Immediately after this dreadful blow, the refentful king himfelf appeared in psrfon, entering Scotland with his army divided into two parts, and expecting to find, in the oppofition of the people, a pretext for punishing them. But this brave prince, who was never cruel but from motives of policy, could not ftrike the poor fubmitting natives, who made no refiftance. His anger was dif appointed in their humiliations and he was afhamedto extirpate those who only opposed patience to his indignation. His death put an end to the apprehenhions of the Scotch, and effectually rescued their country from total fubjection. He fickened, and died at Carlifle, of a dyfentery; enjoining his fon; with his laft breath, to profecute the enterprize, and never to defift, till he had finally fubdued the king→ dom. He expired, July 7, 1307, in the fixtyninth year of his age, and the thirty-fifth of his reign after having added more to the folid interests of the kingdom, than any of those who went before, or fucceeded him.