Page:Life and adventures of Sir Wm. Wallace.pdf/4

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of bands and friendship to the two last kings of Scot- land, had lived in great amity and concord with them receiving & interchanging many favours and kind du- ties.

The two competitors also, Bruce and Baliol, had as great ground in England as in Scotland, so that he and he only, was able to make them stand to rea- son.

Finally the state of Scotland not being able to de- termine the plea, there was no prince besides more powerful, and in appearance, more like to compose the controversy, without great blood-shed.

This motion was in secret very greedily embraced by Edward, hoping in, so troublesome a water, to find a gainful fishing, either by drawing the king- dom of Scotland under the direct subjection, or at least under his homage, as lord paramount and supe- rior.

And to make the controversy more fearful he stir- red up other 8 competitors besides Bruce and Baliol, Florence earl of Holland (descended from Ada) sister to 'William the Lyon ; Patrick Dunbar, earl of March ; Sir Walter Ross ; Sir Nicholas Soules ; Sir Roger Mandeville ; Sir John Cumming of Badenoch (these five were descended of younger daughters of Allan, Lord of Galloway) Sir William Viscie, begot- ten upon king Alexander II.’s bastard daughter, but pretending to be legitimate : and John Hastings lord Abergaveny, descended of Ada, youngest daughter to prince David Huntington.

Edward having thus prepared matters, came to Berwick and met with the men of Scotland, to whom h promised to deride the controversy according to equity & that it might soon more likely he brought from France sundry of the most famous lawyers of