Page:Life and adventures of Sir William Wallace, General and Governor of Scotland (1).pdf/3

 THE HISTORY OF, &c. 3 tha, heatrix thereof, and who contended with John Ba- liol, and died in the time of Wallace’s wars. His el- deft fon, Robert Bruce, fucceeded King of Scotland. Dornagilla of Galloway claimed the crown, as heir to Margaret, eldeft daughter to prince David. Robert Bruce, earl of Garrick, albiet fon to Ifabel the fecond daughter, yet, contended that, in feudal fucceffion, the firft male ought to fucceed before a woman standing in ceffion, altho’ fhe be elder: and therefore he and Dor- nagilla of Galloway, ftanding in the fecond degree from prince David, he ought to be prefered to her: as for her fon, John Baliol, he could claim no right but by her, and likewife was a degree further off from prince David. The like practice had fallen out fome to years before, in Hugh the IV. duke of Burgundy, whole el- ded fon Hugh, (dying before his father) left a daugh- ter, Jola, countefs of Nevers, who claimed to fucceed her grandfather Hugh IV. Notwithftanding Robert, fecond fon to the fame Hugh IV. was preferred to her, and fueceeded the duke of Burgundy: if then the fe- cond fon, in feudal inheritance, fucceed before the el- deft fon’s daughter, far more ought the nephew to fuc- ceed before the niece. The right of fucceffion being, thus made doubtful, the competitors were fo powerful, that they drew the greateft part of the kingdom into two equal factions; fo that it feemed impoffible to fet- tle the controverfy at home, without running into a pernicious civil war. The dates of Scotland, to prevent this mifchief, thought it fitted to fubmit the arbitrament of the plea to Edward I. firnamed Longfhanks, king of England, and that upon divers weighty reafons; for he and his fa- ther K. Henry III. being joined by many alliances, of bands and friendfhip to the two lad kings of Scotland, had lived in great amity and concord with them, receiv- ing and interchanging many favours and kind duties. The two competitors alfo, Bruce and Baliol, had as great land in England as in Scotland, fo that he, and he only, was able to make them ftand to reafon. Fin- ally, the dates of Scotland not being able to determine the plea, there was no prince befides more powerful,