mightier than ever, as the power of satisfying that ambition glided from
his grasp. He had rested, indeed, a brief while, secure in the
fulfilment of his darling wish, that every rood of land composing the
British Isles should be united under him as sole sovereign; he believed,
and rejoiced in the belief, that with Wallace all hope or desire of
resistance had departed. His disease had been at its height when Bruce
departed from his court, and disabled him a while from composedly
considering how that event would affect his interest in Scotland. As the
violence of the disease subsided, however, he had leisure to contemplate
and become anxious. Rumors, some extravagant, some probable, now floated
about; and the sovereign looked anxiously to the high festival of Easter
to bring all his barons around him, and by the absence or presence of
the suspected, discover at once how far his suspicions and the floating
rumors were correct.

Although the indisposition of the sovereign prevented the feasting,
merry-making, and other customary marks of royal munificence, which ever
attended the solemnization of Easter, yet it did not in any way
interfere with the bounden duty of every earl and baron, knight and
liegeman, and high ecclesiastics of the realm to present themselves
before the monarch at such a time; Easter, Whitsuntide, and Christmas,
being the seasons when every loyal subject of fit degree appeared
attendant on his sovereign, without any summons so to do.

They had been seasons of peculiar interest since the dismemberment of
Scotland, for Edward's power was such, that seldom had the peers and
other great officers of that land refused the tacit acknowledgment of
England's supremacy by their non-appearance. Even in that which was
deemed the rebellion of Wallace, the highest families, even the
competitors for the crown, and all the knights and vassals in their