passed him, he raised his battle-axe and with one Edwd. II. blow laid him dead at his feet. "High in his stirrups stood the king, - First of that fatal field, how soon, A.D. 1314. deferred to The Scotch now rushed forward with great fury, Battle and drove back the English in confusion; but Bruce, the next fearing to disarrange his order of battle, called his day. soldiers back, and both sides tacitly determined to delay the battle till the next day. of Ban On the following morning, Monday, June 24th, the The battle Scottish King confessed, and, along with his army, nockburn heard mass, and the soldiers then arranged themselves begins. in battle-array. The English advanced, led on by the King in person, who had with him a chosen body-guard of 500 horse. As they approached, the Scotch all knelt down, in reverence to a crucifix carried through their ranks by the Abbot of Inchaffray. "See," cried Edward, "they are kneeling; they ask mercy." "They do, my liege," answered Sir Ingram Umfraville, "but it is from God, and not from us. Trust me, yon men will win the day, or die upon the field." "Be it so, then," replied the King, and ordered the charge to be sounded. The English, owing to a dispute among their leaders, charged irregularly, but with great fury. The Scotch received their attack with steady Edwd. II. courage, and the English fell in great numbers. A.D. 1314. But the Scotch were terribly galled by the showers of arrows poured upon them by the English bowmen. Bruce therefore ordered Sir Robert Keith to take a body of 500 horse, the only cavalry in the Scotch army, round Milton Marsh, and charge the English archers. The archers had no weapons but their bows and arrows, and their quivers being emptied, they were unable to resist the attack of the Scotch cavalry, and fled. Bruce now saw signs of wavering among the English, and, bringing up his whole reserve, charged the English with his entire army in one line. At this critical moment, by Bruce's orders, the HighEnglish; landers made their appearance on the top of Gillies' Hill, and the English, supposing them to be a fresh army advancing to the attack, fled in confusion. This last charge of Bruce decided the fate of the day, and the Scots now obtained a complete victory over their opponents. Thirty thousand of the English are said to have been left dead on the field, but Edward escaped in safety, and took refuge in Berwick. Defeat of the its consequences. Bruce invades It was still many years before the wars between England and Scotland ceased, but the battle of Bannockburn had the effect of securely establishing Bruce and his successors as kings of Scotland. After the battle of Bannockburn, Bruce, profiting England. by the dejection of the English, again carried the war into England, penetrating to the very heart of Yorkshire, and returning loaded with spoil. Edward did not attempt resistance in person, but issued writs for the muster of a new army. "Before however a single horseman had put his foot in the stirrup,” Bruce had again invaded England and plundered the north country. Bruce had previously tried to bring about a truce with England, but Edward was not disposed to make the concessions demanded by Bruce, Edwd. II. and the attempt failed. In the following year, Bruce A.D.1315. again invaded England; and Carlisle, Newcastle, and Berwick were the only cities of refuge in the northern counties where there was security for property. The Scots now began to feel that they need but little fear the attacks of the English, and, accordingly, they turned their minds to the settlement of various matters of importance to the stability of their kingdom. The succession to the throne was settled, and Settlement shortly afterwards Bruce's daughter Marjory married sion to Walter, the hereditary High Steward of Scotland, Scotland. from whom descended the Stewarts, who, three centuries later, became the kings of both England and Scotland. Domestic History. of succes throne of During the two years which followed the fatal battle of Bannockburn, nothing, of national importance, took place in England. Short Parliaments were frequently held, to consider what steps should be taken to protect the North of England from the never-ending ravages of the Scots. But the weak character of the King, and his continual quarrels with the barons, prevented anything effectual being done. These Parliaments, however, had to attend to home affairs of some importance. The seasons had been very un- Distress in favourable to the growth of the crops, and the drain from on the country for soldiers had much interfered with failure of the proper cultivation of the soil. The result of these combined causes was a great scarcity of food, amounting almost to famine. Parliament therefore, not having learnt by experience that the prices of provisions, and all other articles, are regulated by the extent of demand for them, and England crops. Parlia to settle ment tries prices of provisions, |