Page:Life and adventures of Sir William Wallace, General and Governor of Scotland (1).pdf/4

 4 THE HISTORY OF and in appearance, more like to compofe the contro- verfy, without great blood-fhed. This motion was in fecret very greedily embraced by K. Edward, hoping, in fo troublefome a water, to find a gainful fifhing, ei- ther by drawing the kingdom of Scotland under the direct fubjection, or at leaft under his homage, as lord paramount and fuperior: Confidering the difficulty to determine the queftion at home, and the intereft he had in both parties, being (for a great part of their eftates) his vaffals and fubjects: his great power alfo, having, befides Ireland, a great part of France under his domi- nion, and the low countries his affured confederates, gave him great encouragement; neither wanted he great friendfhip in Scotland, having at that time, many of the greateft noblemen in Scotland, vaffals and feudaries to himfelf, for many lands which they held in England, partly for great fervices done to himfelf and his father, partly lying within Northumberland, and the border fhires, then held by the Scots in fee of England: Part- ly alfo by interchange of marriage and fucceffions be-, tween the two nations, which for a long time had lived in great amity, as if it had been one kingdom. And to make the controverfy more fearful, he ftirred up other 8 competitors befides Bruce and Baliol, Florence earl of Holland (defcended of Ada) fifter to William the Lyon ; Patrick Dunbar earl of March ; Sir Walter Rofs; Sir Nicholas Soules; Sir Roger Mandeville; Sir John Cumming of Badenoch, (thefe five were defeend- ed of younger daughters of Allan Lord of Galloway ) Sir William Vifcie, begotten upon king Alexander Ild’s baftard daughter, but pretending to be legitimate; and John Haftings ford Abergaveny, defcended of Ada youngeft daughter to prince David Huntington. Edward having thus prepared matters, came to Ber- wick, and met with the ftates of Scotland, to whom he promifed to decide the controverfy according to equity and that it might feem more likely, he brought from France fundry of the moft famous lawyers of that age; he chofe alfo out ,of the ftates of Scotland affembled twelve of the wifeft and moft honourable, to whom he joined the like number of Englifh as affeffbrs to him in his arbitrament. At the meeting, by the doubtful an