Page:Life and adventures of Sir William Wallace, General and Governor of Scotland (2).pdf/3

THE HISTORY OF, &C. , and who contended with John Baliol, and died in the me of Wallace's wars. His eldeſt ſon, Robert Bruce; cceeded King of Scotland.

Dornagilla of Galloway claimed the crown, as heir to Margaret, eldeſt daughter to prince David. Robert Bruce, arl of Carrick, albeit ſon to Iſabel the ſecond daughter, et, contended that, in feudal ſucceſſion, the firſt male ought ſucceed before a woman ſtanding in the ſame degree, as ſon excludeth his ſiſter from ſucceſſion, altho' ſhe be el- er; and therefore he and Dornagilla of Galloway, ſtand- g in the ſecond degree from prince David, he ought be preferred to her: as for her ſon, John Baliol, he uld claim no right but by her, and likewiſe was a degree further off from prince David. The like practice had llen out ſome 10 years before, in Hugh the fourth duke f Burgundy, whoſe eldeſt ſon Hugh, (dying before his ther) left a daughter, Jola, counteſs of Nevers, who aimed to ſucceed her grandfather Hugh IV. Notwithstanding Robert, ſecond ſon to the ſame Hugh IV. was referred to her, and ſucceeded the duke of Burgundy; if hen the ſecond ſon, in feudal inheritance, ſucceed before he eldeſt ſon's daughter, far more ought the nephew to ucceed before the niece. The right of ſucceſſion being thus made doubtful, the competitors were ſo powerful, that they rew the greateſt part of the kingdom into two equal fac- ons; ſo that it ſeemed impoſſible to ſettle the controversy at home, without running into a pernicious civil war.

The ſtates of Scotland, to prevent this miſchief, thought fitteſt to ſumbit the arbitrament of the plea to Edward ſirnamed Long Shanks, king of England, and that up- n divers weighty reaſons: for he and his father K. Henry II. being joined by many alliances, of bands and friend- p to the two laſt kings of Scotland, had lived in great mity and concord with them, receiving and interchanging many favours and kind duties. The two competitors lſo, Bruce and Baliol, had as great lands in England as in Scotland, ſo that he, and he only, was able to make them and to reaſon. Finally, the ſtates of Scotland not being ble to determine the plea, there was no prince beſides more powerful, and, in appearance, more like to compoſe controverſy, without great blood-ſhed. This motion was in ſecret very greedily embraced by K. Edward, hoping, in ſo troubleſome a water, to find a gainful fiſhing