Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 11.djvu/467

 6 April (1302?), according to Wyntoun, he deposed all the English sheriffs and bailiffs in the south of Scotland. This overt act of rebellion may have led Edward to appoint John de Segrave guardian of Scotland, and despatch him north (about November) with an army (, p. 397). Early next year (26 Feb. 1303) Comyn defeated his English rival at the battle of Roslin. According to the earliest Scotch account he was victorious in three several engagements upon this day; but the contemporary English historian shows that the Scotch success was by no means so decided (, p. 334, with which cf., p. 400).

About Whitsuntide (27 May) Edward mustered his army at Roxburgh (, p. 401), and while he was at Dry burgh Comyn, who according to Bower was then chief guardian of the realm, cut off Sir Hugh Audley's party at Melrose (Scala-Chron. pp. 126-7), but was unable to offer any effectual resistance during the king's progress to Caithness (, p. 215). Lord Hailes says that he attempted to relieve Stirling Castle, and we learn from Trivet (pp. 401-2) that as Edward was returning from the north Comyn opposed his passage of the Forth, but without success. Shortly after his lands were ravaged by the king. It seems probable that in the winter of this year, while Edward was resting at Dunfermline, Comyn and Fraser were, as Robert of Brunne says, 'living at thieves, law, and robbing everywhere.' Comyn opened negotiations with the Earl of Ulster, the royal commander in West Scotland (9 Feb. 1304), and at last agreed to do fealty to Edward on the condition that he should preserve his lands. At the same time he was bound to go into exile for a year a clause, however, which does not seem to have been enforced (see documents in, pp.279-288; , p. 371; Rot. Parl. i. p. 212). A year and a half later (15 Oct. 1305) it was definitely settled that Comyn should pay a fine to the value of the rental of his estates for three years (, ii. 968).

According to Lord Hailes Edward neglected Comyn's claims to preferment in the establishment of 1304 in favour of Robert Bruce; but Palgrave has preserved a document from which it appears that he was nominated a member of John de Bretagne's council when (26 Oct. 1305) that noble was appointed guardian of Scotland (, pp. 292-3). It is extremely difficult to reconcile the conflicting statements of the events that led up to Comyn's murder in 1306; but it seems highly probable that Comyn, who, since his uncle Balliol's renunciation of the Scottish crown, might be considered the rightful heir, was regarded as a rival by Bruce. The current story of the ride from Stirling, in which Bruce proposes to Comyn that one of them should resign his claim to the throne in return for the other's estates, makes its first appearance in Fordun (about 1363) and Barbour (about 1375), who, however, both make Comyn take the initiative ( p. 337;, i. 19-28). To this legend several details were added by Wyntoun (ii. 364-9) and Bower (ii. 225-8). Then follows the tale of the indenture, of Comyn's treachery, Edward's investigation, and Bruce's escape to Scotland. The really contemporary English writers tell a very different tale; and this has led many modern historians to doubt the whole story of Comyn's treachery. It must be remembered, nevertheless, that one almost contemporary chronicler shows clearly that, according to the current report of his day, Bruce did bring some such charge against Comyn: 'Coepit improperare ei de seditione sua quod eum accusaverat apud regem Angliæ et suam conditionem deterioraverat in damnum ipsius' ( pp. 245-6). It is perhaps safer on the whole to accept the strictly contemporary accounts of Matthew of Westminster (p. 453), Trivet (p. 407), and the Lanercost chronicler (p. 203), who all agree that Comyn was murdered because he would not assent to Bruce's plan of insurrection. According to Fordun it was Comyn that accused Bruce of treachery, and was answered with the words ' For thou liest ' and a deadly stab (p. 340).

The details of the murder vary as much as the statement of the causes to which it is assigned. The interview probably took place, not in the Franciscan church at Dumfries, but in the cloisters, when Bruce, getting angry, smote Comyn, who was unarmed, on the head, perhaps with the flat of his sword , on which Comyn closed with his adversary, but was thrown (ib.) Bruce's followers then came in, and probably stabbed Comyn; yet not so severely, but that he could flee into the church for protection. Here he was pursued and left for dead on the altar pavement (ib.; ); but the brethren carried him into the vestibule for attendance and confession (ib.) From this retreat he was haled a little later and slain on the altar steps by the followers of Bruce, though perhaps not by Bruce's orders (ib.) Comyn's uncle, Sir Robert Comyn, perished at the same time. There does not seem to be any reason to suppose that the murder was carefully planned beforehand, as the author of the 'Scala-Chronicon' relates (p. 130), though Walter of Hemingford's