heraldryofyorkmi01custuoft

358 THE HERALDRY OF YORK MINSTER.
armed vassals ; but, disgusted with his insolent and overbearing conduct,
they treated his summons with scorn, and, assembling a parliament at
Scone, engaged in a treaty of alliance with France, by which it was agreed
that Baliol's son should marry the French king's niece, and that they should
help
each other in making
war on England.
After a second and third refusal, together with the refusal of Baliol to
attend his Parliament at Newcastle, and the investment of Carlisle by the
Scotch, Edward advanced against Berwick and took it
by storm, 1296.
Edinburgh, Stirling, and Perth capitulated. Bruce joined the English army ;
Baliol surrendered, and was dethroned and with his son sent to the Tower.
Edward declared the fief to be forfeited, and that the country had passed
to its "over-lord." Earls, barons, and gentry swore homage in Parliament
at Berwick to Edward as their king. The sacred stone on which their
sovereigns had hitherto been crowned was removed from Scone to Westminster,
and enclosed in a stately seat made for this purpose by his order,
which became from that hour the coronation chair of the English kings ;
and the government of the new dependency was entrusted to Warrenne,
Earl of Surrey, at the head of an English Council of Regency.
The humiliating consequences of such a state of things irritated and
at last enraged the Scottish people. The nobles had shewn themselves
mere cravens, and submitted. William Wallace, an outlaw knight, was of
sterner stuff, and soon roused the lowlands into revolt. At the battle of
Stirling Bridge, Sept., 1297, he defeated Warrenne, cut half his army to
pieces,* and then reduced Stirling Castle, calling himself, in Baliol's name,
" Guardian of the Realm," and invading Northumberland. Edward at once
returned from Flanders and marched to the north, with the largest army
that ever followed his banner, and transferring the Court of Exchequer and
King's Bench from London, held a parliament in York, to which he summoned
the Scotch nobility. They did not, however, attend, nor the clergy,
but 70 representatives of the counties and 151 of the boroughs. Having
obtained the necessary subsidies, he hastened onwards,
surprised Wallace,
forced him to fight a battle at Falkirk, July, 1298, utterly defeated him,
with great loss, and retired. Wallace resigned. Comyn and Soulis, with
Bruce and the Bishop of St. Andrews, were chosen by the Scottish barons
to be governors of
Scotland.
In 1299, Edward having assembled his Parliament in York,f made,
from hence, another but ineffectual attempt ; but in the following year he
was more successful, as I have described on page 292. Eventually, in
1305. Wallace was betrayed by Sir John Menteith, condemned at Westminster,
and executed at Smithfield. A parliament was then held in
London, when the Scottish nation was represented by ten Commissioners,
who conferred with twenty-one English Commissioners, and organised an
* See page 290. The Parliaments at York, C. H. Harts-home.