CAPTIVITY OF THE QUEEN OF BRUCE IN ENGLAND.

I perceive, in one of the recent interesting communications made to the
"NOTES AND QUERIES," by the Rev. Lambert B. Larking, that he has given,
from a wardrobe roll in the Surrenden collection, a couple of extracts,
which show that Bruce's Queen was in 1314 in the custody of the Abbess
of Barking. To that gentleman our thanks are due for the selection of
documents which had escaped the careful researches of Lysons, and which
at once throw light on the personal history of a royal captive, and
illustrate the annals of a venerable Abbey. I am glad to be able to
answer the concluding query as to the exact date when the unfortunate
lady, (Bruce's second wife,) left that Abbey, and to furnish a few
additional particulars relative to her eight years' imprisonment in
England. History relates that in less than three months after the crown
had been placed upon the head of Bruce by the heroic Countess of Buchan,
sister of the Earl of Fife (29th March, 1306), he was attacked and
defeated at Methven, near Perth, by the English, under Aymer de Valence,
Earl of Pembroke. After this signal discomfiture, the king fled into the
mountains, accompanied by a few faithful followers: his Queen, daughter,
and several other ladies, for awhile shared his misfortunes and dangers;
but they at length took refuge at the Castle of Kildrummie, from whence
they retreated, in the hope of greater security, to the sanctuary of St.
Duthae, at Tain, in Ross-shire. The Earl of Ross, it is said, violated
the sanctuary, and delivered the party up to the English, who (as sings
Chaucer's contemporary, Barbour, in his not very _barbarous_ Scottish
dialect) straightway proceeded to

--"put the laydis in presoune,
Sum in till castell, sum in dongeoun."